Imagine if you could respond twice as fast as your competitors to a client request or new lead inquiry. What advantage would it give you in the long run?

This week I’m leading a peer group meeting in Michigan, and we’re discussing new selling techniques. The underlying theme in our discussions is speeding up response time.

Slow response time (or no response!) is the No. 1 complaint all my (non-landscaping) friends have about their landscape contractors. They’re begging me to recommend someone who will do the basics, like call them back.

But as we know, when a contractor is not systematized, it’s difficult to consistently give great response times. Therefore, your ability to develop a “system” for quick response time will set you apart from the competition and allow you to charge the rightful fee you need to be successful.

Example of fast response system
A sales system is good when it keeps a salesperson’s time free from traveling for and estimating bad leads, freeing up him or her to respond to good leads by phone, email and in person.

My peer group is currently visiting a well-respected company, Reder Landscaping in Midland, Mich. The three brothers who own the company have developed a sales approach that saves significant time. It uses a combination of:

• qualifying the lead;

• initiating the sales process by phone; and

• having clients travel to them.

In my experience, companies with fast response systems can respond to two or three times as many leads as the average contractor.

The value is not just about making more sales (which is nice!) and selling at a higher margin (also nice!); rather, it’s about how it allows them to be more nimble and handle business both proactively and reactively when needed.

Does your company have a competitive advantage? If it doesn’t it will be passed by other companies that do.