Simon Onkundi’s Post

My front lawn had been dying with huge brown patches. So I reached out to 2 landscapers with very different experiences: Landscaper 1: "I know you asked about aeration but I can do a lot more than aeration!!" He then proceeded to list out a bunch of services before I can say a word. He ended with: "And if we do all of these, I can give you a discount. Should we get you scheduled?" It felt pushy, pitchy, and desperate. I thanked him politely and let him know I'd get back to him. Landscaper 2: He came and asked me to show him the area. He inspected it carefully and then asked about watering and maintenance habits. He asked me what I planned to do after the lawn was aerated. I didn't know. He educated me that aeration by itself wouldn't solve the issue of the dead patches. He recommended reseeding it as well whether I did it myself or if someone else did it. He educated me on what needed to be done to ensure aeration was even worth it. I asked him the total price for both. It was over-double what I had initially planned for. I scheduled him anyways and got it done. There are a few simple sales lessons here: 1) Ask more Qs upfront. Prospects rarely know the full extent of the problem. 2) Budget becomes irrelevant when there is a clear value proposition. 3) Desperation smells. It's clear to prospects and it turns them off. P.S. A little bit of green progress after a couple of weeks🌱