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Ben Gandy

Leadership Advantage: Retaining to grow

Ensuring great relationships requires effort. Charisma and charm are great, but charm is not a strategy. Clients of landscape services are primarily looking for trust,…

Photo: ©istock.com/Paul Lampard

Overcoming the talent crisis

Understand the root causes of the landscape industry talent crisis. Then, find ways to promote the industry and your company. As I travel throughout the…

Leadership Advantage: The power of vision

My partner Ben Gandy and I are fortunate to work with some of the brightest, hard-working business owners and leaders in the country, but we’ve…

Put your best face forward

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In my years of experience in the landscape industry, I've come to believe account managers can be one of the most important differentiating advantages for…

Editor’s Note: Word of wisdom

This month we welcome Envisor Consulting’s Ken Thomas and Ben Gandy as our new columnists. They are industry veterans, consultants and have been valuable periodic…

Bruce Wilson & Co., Envisor to partner on training

Bruce Wilson, principal of Bruce Wilson & Co., and Envisor Consulting principals Ken Thomas and Ben Gandy are working together in a joint venture for…

The importance of checking your crew in the field

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With all that’s going on this time of year, don’t neglect to get out in the field and check up on the crews. Your reputation…

Why and how to fire bad clients

In the landscape maintenance field, clients are like stock portfolios. Some yield great returns; others don’t. In either case, you’re spending resources—including crew time, equipment…

How to provide ‘extra mile service’

Excellent customer service starts with culture but depends on effective procedures. Customer service is what differentiates one provider from another in the landscape maintenance arena.…

What’s your type? Understand it and soar

Learning to deal effectively with people is one of the keys to success. Whether in leadership, sales, service or supervision, your ability to persuade, win…

Guest Post: Key to profits? Labor management

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Quick, what’s the key to profitability? How do you ensure all your work results in something left over to make it all worthwhile? Is it…

Guest Post: Creating effective enhancement systems

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Selling installations and additional services is a critical part of the landscape maintenance business strategy. The benefits are both external and internal. Externally, enhancements represent…

Guest Post: How to create respectful tension for results

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How do words like, conflict, confrontation, accountability, debate and tension make you feel? Uncomfortable? Sure! I don’t blame you. Nobody enjoys confrontation. If there's someone…

Guest Post: 4 actions of great leaders

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Leadership starts with vision, passion and will, but what is it that great leaders do from day to day to be effective? 1. Communicate. Communication…

Guest Post: Where do good account managers come from?

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The account manager position is mission critical to success in the landscape maintenance business. This position's ability to retain and upsell clients sets the course…

Account Manager Master’s Series course heads to five cities

The Account Manager Master's Series comes to five U.S. cities in early 2015. The two-day educational event is hosted by Envisor Consulting and Aspire, a…

Achieve 100% productivity

Productivity is important in any business, and there are several ways to measure it. But the best way is to keep it simple, clear and…

When is overtime OK?

You’ve told your guys a thousand times, “No overtime!” It’s an unnecessary premium cost that cuts deep into your margins. Or is it? The unplanned,…

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