Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
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Show Preview By Katie Navarra All photos courtesy of GIE+EXPO Hardscapes on Display Trends, tips and demonstrations highlight HNA 2011 which is presented by the Interlocking Con- crete Pavement Institute (ICPI). For the second year in a row, the expo will be held in conjunc- tion with the Green Industry and Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 27-29. Contractors can choose between two edu- H cational tracks, one for business owners just starting out and the other for experienced hardscape installers. Both tracks will offer in- sider tips and strategies for maintaining a profitable installation business, developing customer relationships, and using creative de- sign strategies. Profitability through customer relationship management Whether you are building a new hard- scapes business or managing a well- established one, profitability is critical, espe- cially as the hardscape industry becomes more 16 Landscape and Irrigation September 2011 ardscape trends, demonstrations and expert tips will all be part of the 2011 Hardscape North America (HNA) expo, competitive. "Increased competition is chal- lenging organizations to pay close attention to customer satisfaction," said Ed Fiorni, Ph.D., vice president of distributor sales and market- ing for Pavestone Company, and immediate past president of ICPI. "A company will spend six times more to sell a product to a new cus- tomer than to an existing one." It takes a customer relationship manage- ment (CRM) focus to keep customers satisfied. "Customer relationship is the cornerstone to any successful organization. CRM concentrates on acquiring and retaining the most profitable customers," he added. CRM can be difficult to implement success- fully in the hardscape industry. "Approximately 70 percent of organizations attempting to adopt a CRM program failed to achieve the promised objectives, worsened relationships with customers, and lost the original invest- ment and additional capital," said Fiorni. The primary reason is because employees are un- prepared. Maintaining a Profitable Business Through Customer Relationships, an educa- tional session led by Fiorni, will provide strategies for maintaining better customer relationships while also remaining prof- itable during tough economic times. He will share tactics hardscape contractors can use to understand what a customer's needs are and how to satisfy them. Profitability through new market opportunities Expanding into new market segments is as important as maintaining healthy cus- tomer relationships. Learn how to Access, Bid and Build Commercial Hardscapes from Fred Adams, owner and founder of Fred Adams Paving in Morrisville, N.C. Bidding on commercial work provides the opportunity for a hardscape business to do what they do best — install hardscapes — but it also provides an opportunity for businesses that are able to perform a mix of services. "Some general contractors offer opportunity for you to price just your sec- tion or give you the opportunity to work on several," he added. Winning a commercial project is attrib- uted to one of three characteristics: lowest www.landscapeirrigation.com