Lawn Service Estimates
When starting a lawn care business, you not only need to know how to perform the work, but also know how to perform estimates. Without estimates, you cannot make sales and thus not have work to keep you busy.
I remember when I made my first estimate. It was frightening and intimidating, especially since I didn’t have any idea what I was doing. I did not even know what to charge. I knew that if I didn’t charge enough I was going to lose money, and if I charged too much I would never win the job. Since then I have gained confidence from practice and have learned it is not too hard.
When called by a customer for an estimate, they most likely have had other contractors there before you or are planning to call some more after you. You must be able to outsell your competitor. But how do you do this?
Well, it definitely helps to make a good first appearance. People will judge you a lot based off this. If you come in in a tattered shirt and aren’t prepared, you wont stand a chance. However if you are well dressed, well spoken, and professional, you stand a much better chance.
After this, you should find out the customer’s needs. They may have children and be concerned that you might not see them on the lawn. If this is the case you can assure them that safety is your number one concern. Things like this can make or break your estimate.
Besides lawn mowing estimates, you will also need to know how to make fertilizing, liming, aerating, dethatching, and other lawn care estimates. These other services can help you earn extra income and appear more knowledgeable.
During the course of the estimate if you make a connection with the customer it is to your advantage. After all, people like to buy from people they like and trust.
After all these steps are done, you can give a quote to your customer. At first you may be nervous with your quote since it may be mostly guesswork. However, after several estimates and some practice you will get the hang of it.
Once you master lawn care estimating, you are well on your way to a thriving business. Getting the customer to like you along with a competitive quote is an unbeatable combination.
Tags: how to start a lawn care business, sales training, how to start a lawn mowing business, Small business