Ed’s Talks

Ed Laflamme, LIC, author of his newly released book, “GREEN SIDE UP, Straight talk on growing and operating a profitable landscaping business!” (also now available on CD’s) knows about hard work. Starting in 1971 with 2 mowers purchased with $700.00 he borrowed from his mother built the largest landscape company in Connecticut. With his X-treme Customer Service Culture, he was able to maintain and retain companies from Aetna to GE to Xerox.  After 30 years in business he sold his company and now shares the secrets to his, customer service success.  For the past 10 years, Ed has been busy fulfilling his second dream; helping fellow landscape business owners succeed and profit themselves.  A much sought after professional speaker, author, consultant and business coach he serves landscape owners nationwide.  He can be reached at 203-858-4696 or via email.

Sales & Marketing

Solid Simple Samples  for Sure-fired Sales Success

Do you want to double or even triple your sales success? Then this seminar is a must?

As business owners sometimes we forget the “basics” of what makes a successful sale.  As salespeople we sometimes overlook the fact that the “devil is in the details.”   Whether you wear the owner and sales “hat” in the company, or have a “sales team”, you will be “sold” on Ed’s insightful and practical approach.

We spend considerable money on marketing and advertizing to make the phone ring but then lose the potential customer because we lack the sales skills necessary to “sell the customer”.  If you need to sharpen your skills this is the perfect presentation for you.  Ed will reveal some solid simple sales techniques that helped him grow his company from two mowers to one of the largest in the United States.  Ed…

• Was awarded one of the largest most prestigious facilities in the U. S.
• Sold $1,000.000.00 in landscape contracts in 90 days
• Grew the largest landscape maintenance company in Connecticut
• Achieved top 6% status in size in the United States
• Turned one “cold call” into a $6,000,000.00 contract!

Ed’s informative and entertaining presentation will not only cover the basics of the sales process but will give you the details that will enable you to close the deal almost every time.  The most important quality we must convey to our potential customer is trust and if they don’t trust us they will not buy but how do we do this?  All this will be covered and more, so don’t miss this presentation!

Double Your Profits by Selling Enhancements

There are 4 compelling reasons why every landscaper should sell enhancements to their customers but 95% don’t!  The biggest reason is you can DOUBLE your annual PROFITS!  If this is the case why don’t they do it?

In this seminar you are going to find out…

• Why most of these sales are not made.
• How selling these “extras” will help make you – competitor proof.
• Why your customer will want to do the work.
• How simple planning will enable you to perform the work
• How to gain your customers trust.

How to DOUBLE your annual PROFITS.

I assure you this is not merely a theory; it works. I know from personal experience and that of my clients when I owned my business.  If you use these ideas you will be able to sell more work, at higher prices, lower your overtime and generate more referral leads than you can imagine.  I look forward to meeting you at my seminar and if you follow these ideas you will double your profits next season!

Operations

25 Sure-Fire Ways to Reduce Cost & Increase Profits

Are you frustrated working 24/7 with low profits?  Does it seem the harder you work, the broker you get?  Are your sales growing bigger and your bottom line growing smaller?

It’s time to get off that hamster wheel and figure out the things that really make you money.  This hard-hitting, no baloney session will be peppered with real-world case studies and practical advice.

• Take away custom-tailored tips to attract, motivate and keep great people.
• Maximize your market share with powerful estimating and pricing strategies.
• Gain practical solutions to work smarter and eliminate time wasters.

Ed “was in your boots” and knows first hand what you are going through and how to help you create processes that work.  Those that have attended this presentation and implemented his ideas have added thousands of dollars to their bottom line.  This is a no miss seminar.

Subcontracting in the Landscape & Snow Business

Think of subcontractors as established experts and their value becomes readily clear.  Wisely choosing a “sub” minimizes project costs and time to completion by providing advice and services beyond those of your own staff.

Ed Laflamme LIC awarded contracts to subcontractors for millions of dollars of work when he owned his landscaping business in Connecticut.  He will speak first hand how he made and lost money with “subs”.  If you want to learn how to improve your bottom line, have great relationships with your “subs” and avoid the legal entanglements that can occur, then this presentation is not to be missed.

In this enlightening presentation Ed will help you learn about –

• Avoiding nightmares in hiring “subs”
• Preventing subs from stealing your customers
• How much to “mark up” a sub
• Evaluating advantages and disadvantages of hiring “subs”
• Essentials of an air tight contract and insurance requirements
• Finding and qualifying subcontractors
• Building effective relationships with “subs”

 

If you use subs in your business and feel you are weak in this area of your business, then this is an essential presentation.

 

Customer Service

X-treme Service = X-treme Profits

Satisfied customers are not enough.  Happy customers are not enough.  Making customers LOVE YOU should be your goal.  Why?  They’ll tell others, buy more and become customers for life.  Your profits will soar!

But how do you take your customer service to the next level?

What does it take to raise the bar in your organization?

In this session learn answers to these questions, and what customers want and how to deliver it, systematically, consistently and better than your competitors.

These strategies will help you build your customers’ loyalty and with it, your profits!

Also learn how to:

• Be aware of and maximize every “touch point”
• Use the “Lollipop strategy” to sweeten the relationship
• Educate your customers and drive your sales
• Integrate “XCS” into your company culture
• Use “XCS” as the cheapest and most effective marketing tool

So, if you want to learn to create X-treme service in your company so you’ll have X-treme profits, then this seminar is not to be missed.