time : annual dollars

[treeman82]

I'm just wondering how much time you guys spend on average with a certain person / group / company in order to get their business. I am just wondering if any of you guys can say x hours invested : dollars spent by customer in a year ?

I am curious about this because the other day I spent about 10 hours or so preparing a proposal and a presentation for a $16,000 a year fert program at a bunch of firehouses. I unfortunatley did not get the contract Synthetics beat out organics based on price.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think the thing I miss the most with working as a sub is the bidding prosses. I liked the interaction with clients, the mini lectures many would allow me to give.

And the haggling was fun too. Would not want to do it all the time, been offered "sales arborist" positions. I gotta work in the trees, b=not drive a car around.

But i ramble.

Youy wont always get the job, but working on the bidding prosess is good no mater what. I sented time with every customer I could. It usualy got me more work. Now the $75 hedge job where the little old laddy was hiring for the work as much as someone to talk too... well I usualy figured that time into the price too.

 

[treeman82]

Actually what I wanted to know if there was some form of equation that you guys may have figured out. Such as a $1,000 a year account takes 1 hour of relationship maintenance time a year. Or a $50,000 a year account takes 30 hours of relationship maintenance time a year, etc. For example; going to BBQ's, church functions, just stopping by to say hello, dinners, lunches, etc.

 

[kf_tree]

i'm not sure what level of customer your talking about? but i wouldn't get too crazy with time. type out a nice proposal and do quality work. if they ask questions, answer them in an educated and nice way. sometimes the less said the better.
i used to have a sweet account for a private school. it was one of those just do the work and bill me type of jobs. well that person was sent to another position and when the new person took bids my price was beat by half.
a friend had been doing tree's at a campus for over 10 years. he went to all the alumni parties, he did the whole nicey nice thing. same thing, a new grounds keeper came in and took bids and he was out. the sad thing is the guy has a bs in forestry and is a cetified arborist. he realy had the place looking nice. now the tree's are getting all hacked up.
i don't mean to be rude, and your probably a real nice guy. but who are you going to take to lunch? why does a client want to have lunch with his tree man? your not making him money, your costing him money.

 

[treeman82]

I don't know who I would take to lunch. I have heard though that if you go out to lunch with a client / perspective client that it is a business write off.

 

[Nickrosis]

Matt, I think you're on to something that the others may not be picturing. We've done the tree work for one of the best looking places in Wisconsin, and I do mean it. In fact, the owner is heavily involved in the now-famous Milwaukee Art Museum and has carried over the art and architecture to his property.

Many local events are hosted at his residence - benefits, dinners, concerts, etc. For some of us to appear at these events was a simple thing to do. He would provide tickets, even. Even if you didn't particularly care for ballet or classical music, your attendance would speak to the fact that you care about your client. You enjoy working for them, and they want to see that.

On top of this, you have a wonderful sales opportunity because you can introduce yourself to others as the person responsible for the property's trees and their care. This leads gently to asking them if they are interested, etc....

Matt, in commercial cases, you would have to care for the entire board of directors, but in a residential scenario, you have one person to please - and they write the checks! Nevertheless, by advertising in publications of our customers, we have cemented our business at one place. By making many friends at a condominium complex, you could have a powerful voice the next time things come up for a vote.

Just my -2 cents worth...I owe you for having to read this much. I'll transfer this to your Nick Crawford Bank account.

Nickrosis

 

[TREETX]

"Why does the client want to have lunch with you, you are costing him money, not making him money." What kind of f'd up statement is that? I see your point, I have clients that I have never seen. They call, I recommend a plan and bid, they approve, I work, and I get paid. They never see me and like it that way. You can make your clients money via consulting and making decisions that are economically and ecologically sound.

Real Example: A town home neighborhood had 128 trees over 19" DBH. 68 were Arizona Ash - in this part of the world they live fast, die young, and belong in Arizona where they came from. The HOA was spending 3K annually on lifting, clearance, and storm damage (vigorous growth w/acute branching). This 3K was all on the ash trees after the first year. We removed the ash trees that would have lived another 20yrs (and then be removed) for 22K. I made that client 60K plus the additional removal cost of larger dead trees in year20. That would put it between 60-100K.
It was a hard sale for the removal of green trees. Austin is a very tree huggin place. The phrase " we are not simply removing trees, we are redistributing of the growth potential" really helps.

I seldom buy lunches but dinner and drinks with LA's and nursery personnel from high end nurseries has paid off exponentially.

I am digressing as usual but my point was you are there to help your clients, if you are bothering them, maybe you should find new clients.

Back to the original thread, I always include my time (other than sweat time) in a bid. Include extra hours if possible to provide superior service.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

After a while you will learn how much contact and "maintenance" a client expects.

If it is the rep of a HOA, or an industrial property manager, then a short "buisness lunch" may be apropriate while going over the contract.

Ask some one in your family what "Schmoozing the customer" is. I do believe it is Yiddish.

 

[treeman82]

John, what you are talking about "schmoozing the customer" is what I am talking about. Not so much just having a proposal / bill / get paid relationship. But more like a "hey so and so, hows it goin? i need this done, go take a look and let me know how much." do the job. "here is your bill mr. such, and such, how is everything going with work, etc. " Ya know? I would much rather do business with people like that as opposed to where "I am just the tree guy pay my bill."

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That is all part of your company ethic, but you learn thqat some people want more then others.

Like my comment about the little old lady that is paying you to do her shrubs and to spend a few min. talking to her. It may not be a conciouse thing on her part, but you pick up on it.

As you go you get to read people and see what the expect. Many older black people want to be called Mr. and Mrs., it is a sign of respect for an elder, and the former southern cast system they came from used first name basis as a means of putting people in their place. The bring out tea and sandwiches for lunch and sit with you on the porch.

Then you go to a working class white ethnic neighborhood it is "No, no call call me Joe! Want some coffee?"

You get to know which one wants to stand out there and tell you which branch to prune, and wich ones realy mean it when they say "Your the expert! Do what is needed."

The customer is not always right, but they are trhe customer. Learn to read their "service needs" and adapt your style to them, you will always find the people who want the work done and a brief note on the bill.

The only customer I can see "weeding out" of a client base is the one that is high maintinace chilsler that waits 90 days and 5 phone calls to pay the bill. All this after wheedling extra work out of you after the tools were put away.

 

[Nickrosis]

It's interesting doing PHC care work all day long. (I'm probably doing IPM according to Bob Underwood). You go from one house to another very quickly and are asked often what you're doing from both customers and passerbys.

I've found that I provide the worst answers after dragging a house 150' uphill in 90 degree weather on days I forgot a belt. Many times, though, clients are very pleased when you demonstrate that you know exactly what you're doing. Believe me, they know if you're truthful with them within seconds.

When I hear the oft-spoken, "what are you spraying?" I've learned to be very specific immediately. Essentially, they want to know if you're qualified for the job. If you respond, "a chemical to kill the bugs on your tree." You're clearly incompetent.

Respond with a comment like, "I'm treating your ____ with a product called _____, a ___icide that will control the ____ you see on the leaves. This disease is called ____ and begins to appear at this time of year." Stop. They usually thank you. Assured that you know what you're doing, they will respect you, your company, and our profession because of the excellent employee that cared for their trees.

If you're too technical, they think you're trying to pull something on them, which you probably are. Be honest. Straightforward. Oh, and wear a belt if you need it.

Nickrosis

 

[Nickrosis]

It's pretty common for a lot of business CEO's to golf with one another when they're doing businees with each other. The guy in this article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/general/2002/06/26/ceo-golf-cheating.htm apparently does a lot of that. The rest of the article is a scary insight into how crooked the corporate world may really be.

Nickrosis