If you want to run a successful business, forget about your craft. You can be the best landscaper…the best excavator…the best contractor around – but ultimately, none of that matters if you don’t know how to communicate. The hard truth is, it doesn’t matter how good you are at your craft, people skills are absolutely vital to your success. Jeff Johnson is an author, business owner, and former gubernatorial candidate for the state of MN. All these experiences have taught Jeff about the importance of connecting with people. Jeff and Stan talk about the importance of small talk, remembering names, and following up with people – these things matter!

Links from this episode

www.jeffjohnson.org

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Whether you’re seriously thinking about starting a new landscaping business, or maybe you’re on the fence about taking the next step in your current company…what’s the biggest thing standing between you and your success? It’s not money, or equipment, or personnel – it’s fear. In this episode, Dale and Stan tackle this subject head-on. At the age of 20, Dale Spencer was a strong, fit young man filled with energy, when a sudden injury left Dale paralyzed. Just like that, simple everyday tasks we all take for granted had to be re-learned. With incredible resilience, an undeniable drive, and a strong support system around him, Dale conquered a situation that most of us couldn’t even imagine. Not only has Dale has been able to realize his goals and achieve great success, he’s dedicated his life to helping others do the same. He is a truly inspiring individual, and he and Stan have a great conversation about life, attitude, and what all of us can do to see past our fear, and focus on our success.

How to Overcome Your FEARS

* F – Focus

* E – Energy

* A – Attitude

* R – Resilience

* S – Support Systems

Links from this episode

www.dalespencer.com

On Facebook

On Twitter @dspencerfearnot

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Michael Port is a marketing guru that tells us NOT to focus on marketing – seriously. So what should we focus on? As business owners and managers, what ultimately makes a potential customer choose you and your company? Michael and Stan teach us just that in this episode of LBP. Learn how to go into a meeting and go into a bid with a confidence and demeanor that will absolutely land you more jobs. If you’re genuinely excited and enthusiastic about your business and the service you provide, the customer will pick up on it. Moreover, the customer will respond to it. Demonstrate credibility and earn the trust of your customers…and suddenly your pricing becomes less of a focus for your customers. They hire based on feeling, not price. But better yet, your bid process becomes a natural, simple sales conversation that you’ve been capable of having all along. The types of jobs you want, the jobs you love doing, the jobs you seek out – will start finding you.

Four Simple Steps That Can Guarantee a Contractor’s Success

* Return phone calls quickly

* Show up when you say you will

* Come in as close to budget as possible

* Finish the job on time

Links from this episode

www.michaelport.com

Book Yourself Solid

On Amazon: Book Yourself Solid Illustrated

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Turning weeders into leaders. That’s Jeff McManus’ philosophy when it comes to shaping the culture of your company. But what does that mean? And what the hell does “company culture” have to do with my 10-man landscaping business? The answer is simple. By educating your employees, engaging them, empowering them, and trusting them, you can create great leaders out of “average” employees. Give them the know-how and drive that allows them to focus on bettering themselves, and being proud of their work. Not only will this “weed out” the weak employees, but suddenly your other guys are showing up early, asking good questions, taking pride in their job, but best of all – making each other accountable for their work – without you needing to say a word.

Links from this episode

Landscape University

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Travis Leicht is a young entrepreneur that approaches business from a completely different mentality. By his early twenties, Travis had already started, built, and sold multiple companies. In fact, the sole purpose he started the companies was just to sell them. Driven by his passion for bio-diesel engines, Travis has developed a proven strategy to build lean, efficient, fast-growing and profitable companies. His current venture is JIT Supply, based out of Sarasota, Florida. JIT Supply is a “just in time” landscaping supply company designed specifically for landscaping professionals. The business model focuses on low inventory supply lots in various locations throughout town – so they can promise fast, accurate delivery all over the city. Travis is a sharp, business-focused young man that has a bright and prosperous future ahead of him. Travis really know how to get a landscaping company off the ground, so I guarantee even some of you seasoned owners out there can learn a lot from this episode. For you younger listeners just starting out, you’ll hear some completely fresh ideas on how to grow your landscaping business right out of the gate.

Links from this episode

www.gojitsupply.com

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It’s official – all of your excuses for not taking action are now BS. Let me run down some of the stats of our guest, Cullen Green. Cullen employs seven full-time people and has 5 trucks running. What’s the kicker? He’s 16 years old. This impressive young man bought a truck for his business before he was old enough to drive it. His knack for business and understanding of customer needs rival many seasoned business owners two and three times his age. This is one of the most inspiring episodes yet, so we’ll let it speak for itself. As you listen, remind yourself: Cullen is 16 years old.

Links from this episode

www.cullengreenlandscaping.com

Cullen Green Landscaping on Facebook

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I’ll be completely honest here. Self-help techniques and “ra ra!” type affirmations aren’t for all of us. But you’re listening to us to learn, right? To grow? To get that kick in the ass you need to start carving your own path? Give Robert Mallon a shot in this episode of LBP, and I guarantee you’ll be seeing some things in a different light.

Robert is a nationally-recognized professional speaker, business coach, mentor, and goal setter. Robert worked in a few different industries until 2002, when he became an entrepreneur and was soon excelling at starting and running businesses, mainly because Robert learned the importance of setting goals. Not just what goals to set, but how to set them. Robert has discovered that by clarifying your goals and focusing on ONE main goal per quarter, you can increase your productivity, results, and your bottom line. Robert firmly believes that in order to truly be happy – no matter how successful your business is – you have to incorporate personal goals, like family, as well. In this episode Robert shares with us how to do that and much more with some easy guidelines and expert advice. Don’t worry is you miss something – he has tons of content for you completely free on his website, Rusty Lion Academy.

Robert teaches us how to set “SMART” goals:

* S – Specific

* M – Measureable

* A – Actionable

* R – Realisitic

* T – Time-Specific

Links from this episode

www.rustylionacademy.com

Rusty Lion Podcast

By phone: 770-906-7397

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Shaun Caldwell is owner of Charlotte Print, an online printing company located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shaun’s background is internet marketing, but when his career wasn’t going where he wanted, he got into print media – which seems a little backwards – but it’s a move that Shaun truly believes was a game changer. Before beginning a direct mail campaign, ask yourself two questions. 1) What does your demographic look like? Age, income, location, etc. Know who you’re targeting. 2) Make sure your message to that audience is complimentary. It doesn’t matter how good your print piece looks or how many people see it, if you’re not speaking their language, then your efforts are lost and your money is wasted. Stan and Shaun also discuss the differences between a solo and “coop” campaign. Which costs more? Which is more effective? What kind of return can I expect?

“Do what you’re best at and outsource everything else.”

Links from this episode

charlotteprint.com

On Twitter @charlotteprint

Facebook

Instagram

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Corinna Essa is a social media expert. She’s helped companies of all types and sizes approach their social media marketing in a way that makes sense for their industry, budget, and marketing goals. Take Pinterest for example…the simplicity of posting a beautifully photographed before and after picture on Pinterest can have a profound affect on your company’s exposure. Once Pinterest users start “pinning” your photos, you can essentially sit back and let the Pinterest community do your advertising for you. If Pinterest is a model that works for your business, then Instagram is another photo-based platform that may be perfect for your company’s social media efforts.

Maybe your business model is B to B. If that’s the case, LinkedIn might be a good choice. LinkedIn is a popular professional networking website that you can use to bypass gatekeepers and pre-qualify leads without them even knowing it. Stan and Corinna also talk about Twitter. They discuss how to best use Twitter, but more importantly, how landscapers can utilize Twitter in a way that makes sense for the landscaping and excavating industry. And then there’s Google Plus. What the hell is it – and as a landscaping contractor – how can it help my business? Corinna and Stan clear up some of the mysteries around these various social media platforms and shed some light on how contractors like yourself can approach social media with a realistic and targeted game plan.

Links from this episode

Social Media Worldwide

Corinna on Twitter @smwonline

Ello

Pinterest

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Google Plus

Sprout Social

Buffer.com

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Angie’s List is a website designed make money by helping consumers find reputable service providers in their area. How does it work? Angie’s list charges service providers to be “featured” on the Angie’s List website, making the company’s listing more visible in order to generate leads. You might wonder, “What does it cost?” Well, how much have you got? Bill Ross, former sales rep at Angie’s List, is dedicated to helping contractors save money by teaching them the right way to negotiate with Angie’s List salespeople. Unlike many of the commission-based salesmen on the other end of the phone, Bill always has your best interests in mind. If negotiated properly, your Angie’s List experience can be a lucrative one. But, if the salesperson is able to take advantage of you through various “questionable” sales techniques, then you could end up wasting a LOT of money. In this episode, Bill teaches us to understand the process, and play serious hardball to make sure your company has the best chance of success with Angie’s List.

“Always quote high…you can never quote high enough!”

Links from this episode

Email Bill at [email protected]

Angie’s List

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