Check out our December newsletter!
December 2020
Tree Hugger HERALD
770-637-3707 | TreeServiceDigital.com
Get the New Year Started Off Right
By Putting the Work Into Your Business Now
We’ve made it to December, and if you’ve managed to get to the end of 2020 with your health and sanity mostly intact, then treat yourself to a well-deserved pat on the back (and maybe a drink or two). It hasn’t been an easy year for anyone, and keeping a business afloat in a time when many have failed to do so hasn’t been an easy feat, either. Still, you should keep the celebrations short because December also means we’re about to rocket off into a brand- new year. If you’re not in the habit of using this time of year to look back on how things went and make plans for how you want things to go in the future, now is the perfect chance. It’s time to start taking stock of every facet of your tree service business so you know exactly what you need to do to make 2021 your best year yet. When it comes to marketing, start by looking at your budget and how much of it you used. No matter if you’re over, under, or right where you need to be, there are always smart adjustments to make. Take a look at the marketing tactics that worked best for you. Which types of ads gave you the highest return? Which ones fell just below the winners? Which ones didn’t work at all? If you can lay out a map, you’ll be able to figure out exactly what kind of marketing you should be spending your money on. Consider starting a new marketing campaign that you haven’t tried before and don’t be afraid to replace those tactics that are not giving you the results you want. This is the time to get experimental and start the new year off in a way that gets you excited. I’m not just talking the talk here — I try to practice what I preach. In the new year, I’m lining Tree Service Digital up with several companies you may be familiar with. I’m connecting with insurance companies to bring your team more safety and regulation training that can provide everyone peace of mind. I’m also working with companies like Arbor Gold to help tree service businesses realize just how important having an
organized customer relationship management (CRM) system can be for business. If you haven't given your CRM some care and attention lately (or maybe have yet to implement a CRM system), then make sure you reach out and ask me about how a great CRM system can actually lead you to some new marketing opportunities. I'm also excited to explore a new avenue in the new year that I’ve never tried before: podcasts! I’ve been uploading marketing content to YouTube for a long time, and now, my goal is to bring the same marketing insights I share in those videos to another convenient platform for more people. The podcast is called “Tree Service Marketing Profits,” and even though I’m still figuring out the ropes of this new venture, you can already find a handful of useful episodes on all your favorite places to listen to podcasts. They’re great to listen to on the go, so you’re never without a daily dose of good marketing how-tos. It’s time to get educated, get organized, and put your foot on the gas as you cruise into the brand-new year! There are so many exciting marketing options out there for tree service businesses like yours, and Tree Service Digital is eager to help you explore them.
I hope you have a merry Christmas, a happy holiday, and a prosperous new year!
–Wesley Smith
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TreeServiceDigital.com
To Target the Right Leads the First Time! Optimize Your List
break it down . Your list has to be segmented into multiple components to provide a scope of your business’s well- being and to pinpoint target areas. Start with three “buckets”:
specifically target your lists rather than casting a wide net and only catching a few leads. One of the easiest ways to target each group is through relationship marketing. Increase your content production, and keep hitting your customers with your message, using the information from your list to guide you. Start with an email blast, and then pepper in a few postcards. Next, host a Facebook Live event with that very same information and invite a specialty group of people from your list (i.e., your hot leads or loyal customers). Each time you curate a message specifically for a segmented population, you are creating a message that will land right where they need it the most. But don’t let off the gas. Most readers only remember about 10% of what they consume, so keep communicating! With a targeted list, you should have no problem finding a new tactic, a new device, or a new platform to get your message out to the people who need to hear it most. It all starts with perfecting — and updating! — your list.
Your business is nothing without its list. The files upon files of customer data that you have stashed away can give you more insight and direction than most metrics, yet many business leaders know very little about their list — much less how to utilize it. A great list has a few components. It’s usually more than just an Excel spreadsheet with names, addresses, email addresses, preferences, and phone numbers. But if you don’t even have that , then you need to do some serious updating before you go any further! Start by scrubbing your list. Remove any names that are no longer prudent. Then, call the remaining people on the list and verify contact information or ask for additional details. Make this an impossible offer to turn down by providing a reward or something of value to those who opt to share more details with you. As more people offer their information, you have multiple tools to market directly to them. (This will come in handy later.)
• Prospects
• Customers
• Bad Leads
From there, you can break the list down even further to include:
• Canceled customers
• Hot leads
• Customers with high spending
• New sales
As you categorize your list into various buckets, a plan will emerge. Your team can develop campaigns to upsell clients who may need more of the services you can offer while pinpointing those who could be resold on your company. This segmented data is then a powerful tool to help you
Now that you have a brand new, scrubbed, beautiful list, it’s time to
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TreeServiceDigital.com
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Decisions, Decisions Tactics for Making the Best Business Choices
world has transformed, and attempting to continue with what’s “normal” will only cause you to miss what could be . As you plan for 2021, consider the abnormal. Look at options you would have never considered doing and test their efficacy. If one fails, move on. But there’s a big chance that you may stumble into something that is totally unique and completely worth your time. NO. 3: EMBRACE CHANGE. You’ve set your course. You have your team in place. You’re excited to begin. Now, get ready to change everything. Sounds exhausting, right? But it can happen. Rather than being resistant to what isn’t working, admit defeat and move on. If there’s one benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we were all given a crash course on how to adapt quickly. Take those lessons and apply them to your 2021 plan. Be prepared to admit when your original plan isn’t working because staying on an ineffective course can do more harm than good.
As a business leader, you’re likely well-versed in making decisions, but in the midst of a global health crisis, a political minefield, and environmental disasters, planning for the upcoming year is different territory for even the most seasoned business professionals. So, how do you make the right decisions for your 2021 plans? Start with these three steps.
NO. 1: LOOK AT THE DATA. Data has never steered you wrong before, so don’t stop using it now. However, you have to use the right data and contextualize it with today’s lenses. For example, when choosing a new marketing campaign or direction, continue looking at the cost, revenue,
potential errors, and risk factors. Use those to make an informed decision about which step to take. For example, is the campaign empathetic to the needs of your clients, or will it come off as tone-deaf? ( Hint : Try split testing in 2020 before fully deploying a new campaign in 2021!) NO. 2: DON’T GO WITH THE STATUS QUO. “This is how we’ve always done it” will kill your business. Nothing is the same as it was just one year ago. The entire
Don’t avoid it. Planning for 2021 is necessary — even if you need to change course quickly.
HAVE A Laugh
What Christmas Trees Look Like Worldwide
Whether it's floating on the canal or pictured in lights on a mountainside, the tradition of the Christmas tree is beloved worldwide, and its reiterations might surprise you! For example, the Galeries Lafayette in Paris (not dissimilar to Macy’s in the U.S.) does a dazzling Christmas tree display in their main store. In 2019, they did an incredible upside-down Christmas tree that hung from the ceiling, and had a light show every hour. In Rio de Janeiro, they have the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, which is over 85 meters tall and weighs 542 tons! It was revealed with a huge fireworks show and floated over the gorgeous Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. In Gubbio, Italy, they can see their city’s official “tree” from a hundred miles away — because it’s a massive light fixture along a mountainside. Every year, it’s switched on by a notable figure. In 2014, it was turned on by the pope, and, last year, it was switched on from space!
We hope you enjoyed discovering these international traditions as much as we did. Merry Christmas!
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TreeServiceDigital.com
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Inside This Edition 1. 1185 Hightower Trail #501673 Atlanta, GA 30350 770-637-3707 TreeServiceDigital.com
Take Stock Now to Get Ahead Later
2. 3.
Your List Is Your Greatest Weapon
Tactics for Making the Best Business Choices
What Christmas Trees Look Like Worldwide
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Avoid These 2 Mistakes for 2021 Sales Success
The 2 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make When Setting Sales Goals for 2021
A plan is only as good as its execution, and when there’s no opportunity to prepare, it will undoubtedly fail. Your quarterly and yearly sales goals for 2021 should be set now so that your team has ample time to prepare. This will allow for additional training or discussions about proper tactics and strategies for marketing and selling your business to targeted customers. Before you know it, 2020 will be in the past. Don’t forget to make tangible sales goals and a plan for 2021 before it’s too late.
both external and internal data to develop an understanding of the sales outlook for 2021. What do the 2020 numbers forecast for your business? What kinds of services or products are the most popular? What’s the forecast of the economy or your industry? These questions can guide you as you set your goals. Mistake No. 2: Failing to Plan Properly You will not accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself and your team if you don’t provide the steps to get there. Pull information from industry leaders as well as your sales team, workers on the floor, and marketing managers. Your employees have valuable viewpoints on your business, while outside forces shift your view from internal to external. With this combined information, hash out a plan with your sales team. Don’t leave the Zoom meeting until you have tangible steps in place.
Regardless of how 2020 treated your business, 2021 is fast approaching, and this past year is about to become a closed chapter. It’s time to examine both the bad and the good that happened in 2020 and set tangible sales goals for 2021. Just be sure you don’t fall into these two traps. Mistake No. 1: Making Your Goals Unrealistic Setting an unrealistic goal for each quarter is sure to lead to failure. The trick is to push the limits of what has been done without settling on a number that is completely unachievable. Remember, if your team begins to exceed expectations, you can adjust and increase your goal! It’s far better to overachieve than to underperform. Finding that perfect goal number means that sales leaders will have to sort through a lot of data. Rely on
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TreeServiceDigital.com
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