What’s the best way to compete against a larger competitor?

Landscape Professionals

Richard Bare

Arbor-Nomics Turf, Norcross, Ga.

“You must outdo them at every front. Hire better people, train them better, incentivize them, motivate them more, etc. Paint a picture of your vision for the company that is grander and gives more personal service. Give your employee partners direction on how to astonish your clients!

Read How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Study Michael Gerber’s book The E-Myth and figure out how to implement better systems than the big boys have.

Read the Wall Street Journal and Inc. magazine.

Go well beyond your client’s expectations. Don’t try to be cheaper; you’ll never win that war. If you are not the best outfit in town, figure out why and fix it.”

Chris Joyce

Joyce Landscaping, Cape Cod, Mass.

“There are a number of ways to compete against larger competitors, but I think the best tool smaller companies have is their ability to connect with their customers on a more personal level, creating strong lasting relationships and sales.”

Adam Linnemann

Linnemann Lawn Care & Landscaping, Columbia, Ill.

“The best way to compete against a larger competitor is to build strong relationships with your existing clients and provide phenomenal customer service. Do the simple things consistently well.”

Jerry McKay

McKay Landscape Lighting, Omaha, Neb.

“Take good care of your customers. Make their experience the best it could be. Others will follow.”

Industry Consultants

Kevin Kehoe

3PG Consulting, Laguna, Calif.

“A personal service promise and demonstrated capacity/ability (fleet and staff). The small guy has to have real ability to handle the job combined with the promise of personal touch that comes with a smaller company.”

Phil Harwood

Pro-Motion Consulting, Farmington, Mich.

“For each advantage of a larger company, there is a disadvantage. The same is true for smaller companies. My advice is to showcase the many benefits of working with a smaller company: actively engaged ownership, more agile to meet changing needs, involved in the local community, etc.

Early in the life of my landscape business, a client told me that I would have his account until my company grew beyond my ability as an owner to be his direct point of contact. This occurred about five years later, as he predicted. Some clients want the personal touch of the owner, which larger companies cannot deliver.”

Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey Scott Inc!, Trumbull, Conn.

“Don’t compete. Find and exploit the niches where customer service is critical or where the sales volume is lower but the profit is high.”