Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/231798
breaking ground totallandscapecare.com /TotalLandscapeCare @TLCmagazine Editorial Editor-At-Large: Lauren Heartsill Dowdle Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Managing Editor: Patty Vaughan editorial@totallandscapecare.com Design & Production Art Director: Richard Street Graphic Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@totallandscapecare.com Relationships Equal Success Our Landscaper of the Year finalists share the secrets to their success Construction Media Senior VP, Market Development, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: totallandscapecare@halldata.com For subscription information/inquiries, please email: totallandscapecare@halldata.com. Total Landscape Care (ISSN # 1932-8303) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road NE, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Single copy price: US $6, Canada/Mexico $9, Foreign $12. For subscriptions, call (800) 517-4979 in the U.S. or (847) 763-9610 outside the U.S. U.S. Periodicals Postage Paid at Tuscaloosa, AL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Total Landscape Care, PO Box 2196, Skokie, IL 60076-9852. All contributions in the form of unsolicited letters, manuscripts, stories, materials, photographs or art are welcome, addressed to the editor. These submissions cannot be returned except where the sender provides a postage-paid, addressed, stamped envelope. RandallReilly Publishing Company, LLC cannot assume responsibility for unintentional loss or damage to submitted materials. 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Total Landscape Care is a trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein. Total Landscape Care is a proud supporter of... Your clients should like you and your crews, right? The 12 best landscapers from across the country think so. While on a cruise to the Bahamas in November, our Landscaper of the Year finalists shared equipment tips, lessons learned and other business strategies during a roundtable discussion. And when asked what was the biggest reason for their success, a lot of the finalists answered, "relationships." "Relationships power my business," says Joe Hanauer, owner of Landscape Architecture in Madison, Wisconsin. Matthew Gilligan, owner of Magnolia Landscape in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says he becomes close friends with his clients. "Once they think of you as a friend, they'll recommend you to their friends," he says. His advice: "Be a straight shooter, give fair prices and if clients ever want to chit chat with you, do it." Another landscaper takes a long-range approach to his relationships. Mark Halla, owner of The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Centers in Chaska, Minnesota, has a petting zoo at his garden center for customers' children, and he also puts on special Christmas events each year for students. "I'm going to capture those kids 10 to 20 years from now as clients," he says. So whether you build trust with clients by being attentive, respectful or just plain friendly, it's important you do it. Customers want to work with someone they know, so make sure that person is you. For more success tips, read the Landscaper of the Year article on page 14. To enter to be next year's Landscaper of the Year, visit totallandscapecare.com/loy. Lauren Heartsill Dowdle Editor-At-Large J A N U A R Y 2014 Tota lLa nd s ca p eCar e.co m 5