Open communication

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People. Plants. Prices. This is how to prioritize your customer relationship with landscape operations, according to some candid comments from executives who own and manage those types of firms.

Is your sales team asking thoughtful questions and providing landscape customers with more than a cold email? Those landscape customers want to hear more than just your inventory list.

Brad Stephenson, CEO of New Castle Lawn & Landscape in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania

Stephenson suggests growers meet with landscape customers in the fall and talk about each company’s outlook for the upcoming year. It’s been a game-changer for his company and plant supplier.

“We have a supplier who asks us, ‘What do you need?’ and after we share our answers, we ask them, ‘What do you need us to push?’ It really helps start off the buying process in a positive way. That way we can have the control needed on certain jobs based on what plant material is available,” Stephenson says.

And when things are short or there’s a problem with a crop like a disease issue or a total crop failure, Stephenson says quick communication is imperative.

“At the beginning of spring, things are usually pretty good in terms of getting plant material. But by summer when things are starting to get sparse, quick communication about inventory is a must, especially when we need to switch things up on a job,” he adds.

Speaking of inventory, Stephenson says the ability to access growers’ inventory online really shores up the ordering process and the customer relationship overall.

“If we could get into their databases and see what they have and block off what we need as we need it, that would make our lives a lot easier,” he says. “The growers and brokers who are still using paper really slows things down. When we sell a project, a purchase order immediately goes to our supplier with the number of plants and sizes needed for the job. The grower knows right away what our needs are.”

Receiving price availability sooner would also help, he adds.

“Our renewals go out in December and January, so having the growers’ pricing then would be great, preventing us from having to guess on plant prices. We do a lot of commercial work with seasonal rotation, and if we’re bidding against someone else, we need to make that bid as tight as possible, and having the correct pricing is key.”

Another perk for the landscape customer is when growers offer direct delivery.

“We don’t have a huge holding area under sprinklers at our site, so when plants are delivered right to a job, we’re not triple handling plants or trying to keep them alive before the job starts.”

Derek Taussig, owner, Taussig Landscape LLC in Wamego, Kansas

Taussig, who serves primarily residential clients (about 70% of his business) and owns a retail garden center, has switched plant suppliers based solely on the strong relationship with his sales rep.

“We followed a sales rep to another company because of their communication skills. Relationships beat price,” Taussig said.

And when mistakes are made, honest and quick communication is expected, he adds.

“I like having the honesty of someone saying something’s available but it’s not retail or landscape ready. Just tell me and we can work on a substitution. And if it’s not a quality issue but an availability issue, don’t do an automatic substitution. Those can be frustrating. But including substitution options are great,” he explains.

Reliable, updated online availability from the grower is something Taussig says makes his life a lot easier.

“One of our suppliers keeps their inventory updated and includes pictures and plant labels,” he says. “That really helps me create better designs and source the best plants for the job.”

Follow-through is also important to Taussig, all the way to when the plant is delivered.

“One of our former suppliers would ship things in the heat of the summer and plants would show up ruined. We need reliable shipping and ways to protect plants from the elements,” he says.

A think beyond simply supplying plants, he adds.

“One of our suppliers offers a training program to our staff. It’s a day-long class on proper planting procedures. I pay a little more because they do things like this for us.”

Molly John, VP, M.J. Design Associates in Plain City, Ohio

Strong relationships lead to long-lasting business partnerships, including the one between John and a plant supplier of 25 years. And part of that relationship is extending grace.

“We talk to our growers all of the time. We know accidents can happen. If a crop fails or things start blooming and the color isn’t what they thought it was, we can make adjustments. We’re working with living products, after all,” John says.

But the key is for growers to get the word out immediately.

“There are going to be substitutes sometimes, but tell us before the truck arrives,” she adds.

Whenever possible, John says having one contact at the nursery or greenhouse keeps things efficient.

“That consistency of having one person to answer questions and take calls helps keep mistakes down and business flowing,” she says.

Growers, don’t just talk about what’s available and what’s looking good. You can offer your landscape customers a lot of knowledge, she adds.

“I like to hear from growers about new plants or what did well in trials. You have a lot to offer in terms of education. And pictures and videos are great to use as tools, too. Any information growers can provide is invaluable.”

Talk to your landscape customers about their goals, not just their immediate needs.

“One thing I’d like to say to growers is that we’re the ‘green’ industry and we need to be sustainable,” John says. “So, I want to use a grower who’s using recyclable or compostable containers, for example. That’s a strong selling point from supplier to the customer and from the landscaper to the consumer.”

Once growers perfect communication and offer advanced education, then it’s time to talk price.

“Price certainly plays a factor, but I go back to quality above price,” John says. “Communication, customer service and quality rank higher and price factors in after that.”