Check out our October newsletter!
October 2022
Tree Hugger HERALD
770-637-3707 | TreeServiceDigital.com
Spooky Season Is Here!
Exploring the ‘Scary Good’ Reality of Establishing a Marketing System
Each year when October rolls around, maybe it’s the change in weather, possibly it’s because we have entered Q4, or it could be all the pumpkin-spice everything on the market, but I feel a shift. I transition from summer vibes to holiday excitement and cheer because Halloween kicks off our holiday season! Growing up, I thoroughly enjoyed Halloween — in fact, I’d spend a lot of time deciding who I wanted to be for that day and mentally preparing for the best tactics to get the most candy. Trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with my friends is something that always gets me feeling a bit nostalgic. As the saying goes, boys will be boys, and we caused a bit of a ruckus — smashing pumpkins and taking way too much candy when we were told to only take one or two. We had to have it all! From proudly wearing our costumes to the inevitable sugar rushes, and the feeling of being a little bit spooked by the creepy decorations and scary pranks, Halloween is still one of my favorite holidays. However, one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of being a parent to my two children is living the magic of the holidays through their eyes. It’s a really cool feeling to watch them enjoy everything that I loved about the holiday. Long before Halloween arrives, my kids already know what they will dress up as for the big night. For my son, it’s usually a superhero character and my daughter will opt for a Disney princess. They always enjoy dressing up so much that the day before and even a few days after, they still slip their costumes on. We'll typically carve pumpkins and enjoy our time together as a family before heading out for an epic evening of trick-or-treating. It makes me wonder what other people's traditions might be. What does your Halloween look like? Switching gears a bit: 114 years ago this month, Henry Ford’s Model T first went on sale. Ford’s assembly line is largely
responsible for the success that he saw as he went on to dominate the auto manufacturing industry. You can do the same thing within your tree service business by building upon your online marketing, improving your customer service, or working on your client communication so you can dominate your competition. Oftentimes, setting a system into motion is the best way to set yourself up for success. With systems and practices come standard operating procedures (SOPs) to help outline every task and streamline your business. Have you thought about synthesizing your company to achieve better results and to deliver a better product to your local community? If you’d like assistance or some information on how we can help you reach a larger client base, retain customers, and re-engage lost clients, visit us online at TreeServiceDigital.com to request a free strategy session. We can help you implement a fresh marketing strategy and system — remember, we are just a click away!
From the Tree Service Digital family to yours, Happy Halloween!
–Wesley Smith
TreeServiceDigital.com
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GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT Improving Employee Happiness
It can be incredibly difficult to attract and retain talented employees if they’re unhappy
work environments. Once you find the root of your business’s problem, whether it’s one of these reasons or something else you identify, it’s time to make the necessary adjustments. If your employees’ biggest concern is a lack of compensation, benefits, and/or flexibility, figure out where you can add some. You might not have the extra money to give everyone a raise, but if you aren’t offering paid time off, start there. Additionally, you could offer additional performance-based incentives — such as extra vacation days or gift cards — but your main goal should be to increase your employees’ pay annually, even if it’s by a small percentage. You can also add flexibility to employees’ schedules by allowing remote work a few days a week or having a window of time for employees to clock in and out. Nobody wants to work in a toxic environment, and if word gets out that your employees aren’t happy due to company culture, you will find it difficult to attract talented employees. If your employees cite toxicity in the workplace as their biggest concern, then let positive change start with you. Treat your employees with the same respect you’d give a business partner; likewise, your management team should be trained on how to speak meaningfully to employees and provide constructive feedback rather than tearing them down. Always recognize employees for their hard work and offer rewards for a job well done. When you listen to your employees’ concerns, you can make the workplace a better environment for everyone involved. If employees are happy, your entire business gets a boost in productivity.
working for your business. While it might seem impossible to make every single employee happy, there are things you can do to boost overall morale. But first, you need to assess their current morale and figure out where you’re coming up short. The easiest way to start measuring employee happiness and morale is with surveys. Companies such as 15Five, Officevibe, and Culture Amp have online surveys you can give to your employees and gather their opinions on what can be changed and improved upon in your business. Once you know how your employees feel, you can begin implementing different tactics to help improve their happiness. According to CareerPlug, the most common reasons that employees leave their jobs are lack of compensation, benefits, or flexibility; health and safety concerns; and toxic
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TreeServiceDigital.com
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IS REMOTE WORK THE FUTURE? ‘The Nowhere Office’ Explores This Idea
can be more flexible for employers and employees alike while still allowing work to be completed on time.
WHY DID OLD MOVIE ACTORS TALK LIKE THAT? Understanding the Trans-Atlantic Accent But if remote work is the future, what will happen to the workplaces owned by businesses? Are they unnecessary? Not exactly, explains Hobsbawm. She believes that businesses still need physical workspaces, but how they are used will change. They will no longer be a place where employees spend their entire days. Instead, they will be designated for networking, training, and development. Hobsbawm also tackles the idea of how much employees should be working. She informs business owners that it’s okay to have employees work less, as it can lead to more productivity. She states that “work can and should be not only a source of raw income but also a purposeful life itself.” While your employees need to earn a livable wage, they should also find passion in their work, or they will quickly burn out and feel resentment toward their job. If your business has switched over to a remote or hybrid environment and you’re still trying to figure out how to successfully manage your team, “The Nowhere Office” will help you develop a plan.
Think about your current work environment for a second. Is it the same as it was three years ago? Likely not, as the traditional workplace was overhauled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, many employees across various industries are working remotely. But can work return to the offices full time? Should it? Julia Hobsbawm answers these questions and more in her book “The Nowhere Office: Reinventing Work and the Workplace of the Future.” Now that pandemic lockdowns have been lifted, many business owners have attempted to push employees to return to the office full time. Hobsbawm believes that’s the wrong approach, as forcing employees back into an office could kill productivity, and writes that remote or hybrid workplaces
Laugh
HAVE A
If you’ve ever watched an old movie from the ‘30s or ‘40s, you’ve likely noticed actors like Cary
Grant and Katherine Hepburn speaking with an unusual accent. It sounds very deliberate and almost, but not quite, British. This “trans-Atlantic accent” wasn’t the norm: It was a silver screen phenomenon. So where did it come from?
At the time actors were not used to speaking on camera, and some
struggled with it. Realizing they needed help, many turned to elocution lessons to build their confidence and screen presence. Hollywood loved the accent because it was neutral and crossed class lines, allowing both rich and poor viewers to relate to the characters. The trans-Atlantic accent eventually became a part of film language, but audiences then — unlike now — understood it was an act.
If you want to experience the speaking style, turn to classic movies like “Bringing Up Baby” and “Holiday.”
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1185 Hightower Trail #501673 Atlanta, GA 30350 770-637-3707 TreeServiceDigital.com
Inside This Edition
1. 2.
Trick-or-Treat!
How to Measure and Improve Employee Morale
3.
Become an Expert on Remote Work
Why Old Hollywood Actors Talked Funny
4.
Proven Methods to Become a Better Closer
Here’s a situation you’re probably familiar with: You’ve got a prospective client, and it seems like they’re interested in your product, but no matter what you or your top salespeople say or do, they just won’t commit to the sale. If this sounds like your business, don’t panic! There are ways you can improve your closing skills that you can start doing right now! One of the most tried-and-true methods is the assumptive close. In this tactic, the salesperson proceeds under the assumption that the prospect already wants to buy. They won’t say things like, “Are you ready to buy?” Instead, they focus on saying, “How many of our products would you like to purchase?” Another often successful method is the “puppy dog close.” This is a common tactic that involves offering a free trial or sample of your product to the prospective client in hopes they will fall in love with it and continue with the actual purchase. However, improving your closing skills means nothing if you don’t put legwork into the actual sales process beforehand. When you try to sell to someone with whom you aren’t familiar, even just talking with them can be difficult. So, you need to make an effort to know each customer and their potential PERFECT YOUR ABILITY TO CLOSE SALES
objections. Take some time to figure out who they are and why they’re coming to your business for your products or services. This will help you figure out what objections they may have so that you can develop a plan to combat their doubts. Lastly, know when to give up on a sale. You aren’t going to be able to close with every customer who walks through your door, and that’s okay. When prospects fail to show interest in closing after multiple meetings, it’s time to focus your efforts elsewhere. If you get too caught up in one unlikely prospect, you may miss out on more promising opportunities. If you take the time to learn and train your team on different selling techniques, you will begin to notice an increase in sales before long.
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TreeServiceDigital.com
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