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Author: Bruce Wilson

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Bruce Wilson

The author, of the Wilson-Oyler Group, is a 30-year industry veteran. Reach him at bwilson@wilson-oyler.com.

“Account”ability = success

There are five things that are somewhat consistent in successful account managers (AMs): The ability to communicate with customers in a way that builds trust. The key factor here is honesty in communication and behavior. A team that can deliver the expected service in support of the AM helps the AM to earn trust. The […]

Identify your at-risk clients

Maintenance contractors have faced — and will continue to face — competitive invasion of their base contracts in what remains a “take away” environment. Until new construction rebounds, the competition remains fierce as contractors try to protect their existing contract base and grow by taking others’ work. Prices are down significantly over the last two […]

Build now for future growth

“Growth? Wouldn’t that be nice” is what some companies are saying these days. Still, others have been able to grow through the current downturn in the economy. It might be a mistake to take an overly conservative approach and not plan for growth. When the time comes, you want to be able to take advantage […]

What to consider when pricing services

Most very successful companies spend a lot of time on the strategy of how to price work to grow their companies profitably. Every proposal is an opportunity. There is usually a cost associated with generating that opportunity, such as a sales call, advertising, marketing cost, etc., and there is also the cost of estimating and […]

Use overtime only to your advantage

If you haven’t already experienced excessive overtime, you are one of the lucky ones. Overtime is not all bad and can be a useful tool if used in a planned, controlled and well-thought-out way. What starts to hurt companies is when overtime is not planned and slowly gets out of control. You must realize that […]

Optimize crew size

Among the frequently asked questions I receive is “What is the ideal crew size?” While on the surface it sounds like this should have a simple answer, it’s really quite complex. There are just as many factors favoring small crews as those favoring larger crews. Let’s take a look at six of the most common. […]

Habits drive behavior

If you study employee behavior, as I have for most of my career, you cannot help but realize that much of it is habit-driven. I have been spending hours with companies helping them to improve production during this time of low prices — and the influence of habits on performance is huge. It builds a […]

Change management key to progress

Over the past 18 months, we have seen dramatic changes in the economic and political environment. These seismic shifts have affected all types of businesses, and changed the way we will be doing business in the future. They also are forcing companies to reluctantly incorporate changes into their organizations. For many companies, change is difficult […]

Load up on cost-savings in 2010

In current market conditions, where low prices dominate the landscape, contractors must look for more meaningful ways to cut costs — often just so they can profit at lower price points. The most-common way to accomplish this involves saving labor by cutting hours. While this can help in many cases, how much can you cut […]

Sharpen your estimating pencil

One of today’s biggest issues is the low-price environment that’s challenging landscape companies in most markets. This has been the case during past recessions, too, but perhaps not to the degree we see it presently. Usually, it’s caused by construction-heavy contractors trying to enter the maintenance market or grow that portion of their businesses to […]

Best Practices: Sell the value of enhancements

At Wilson-Oyler, our philosophy in selling enhancements has always been “treat your clients’ money like it was your own.” In today’s business environment, we believe this concept should be a guiding light. Clients are working with restricted budgets, yet still want to be responsible stewards of their property and its value. So your role should […]

Accountability builds productivity

Many landscape contractors go to conferences, read books and hire consultants, seeking the “silver bullet” that will make them instantly successful. Many use the knowledge they acquire to develop great operational and administrative procedures, training programs, comprehensive safety programs, etc. But all too often, disappointment and frustration follow when they are unable to obtain the […]

Best Practices: Improve your bottom line

Among the many challenges this and other industries face this year is trying to improve bottom-line results. Not only are we challenged by lower prices for our work, but retaining accounts has become a growing issue in many markets because customers are demanding reduced costs. It’s not uncommon to have clients ask their vendors for […]

Best Practices: To grow, keep ’em in the know

As our recession drags on, I am finding many companies are struggling to communicate with their employees. Companies have been affected in varying degrees, from severe business loss to minor setbacks to some moving along as if things are normal. Employees see what’s happening around them, as well as the bad news on TV and […]

Best Practices: Irrigation techs should shower profits

More and more companies have been hiring irrigation technicians to maintain and repair irrigation on their maintenance jobs. I think this is a great opportunity to capture additional revenue from existing clients. However, there is also tremendous potential for this practice to add to your costs if not managed intensely. Where do companies go wrong? […]

Best Practices: It’s time to revisit customer service

Market conditions are tough by any standard. Customers are taking a hard look at budgets; competitors are looking for new work to grow — and they are looking at taking your accounts. The last thing you need this year is a customer service glitch. We both know that could open a door you do not […]

Best Practices: Yes – buying can save you money

This year presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to making capital expenditures for new equipment. Among the challenges are the trying economic times — which in and of themselves present some great opportunities to save on equipment costs. Now more than ever, owners should be deliberate in their equipment-buying decisions. Obviously, if you […]

Thriving in a take-away environment

With the decline in new construction comes a new reality for landscape maintenance contractors. Companies that want to grow or maintain their sales levels will be dramatically affected by what is rapidly becoming a take-away environment. Companies will have more pressure than ever on their accounts as other contractors become more aggressive in their sales […]

Best Practices: 5 training startup tips

The key lies in keeping the program simple and targeted.

Equipment: Labor savings, life cycle and maintenance

Contractors use equipment primarily to save labor. Some contractors are knowledgeable about equipment and have strong opinions about what equipment is right for which situation. Other contractors are more focused on sales and rely on their field managers and employees to recommend and select equipment. Whatever perspective you have, there are some driving principles around equipment selection decisions you should keep in mind.

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