It’s Really Simple, Grass is Greener in Business if You Water It
written by Vicky Barry | July 6, 2023
Cultivating Business Growth: 7 Lessons learned by Watering Your Lawn.
Introduction
When I started selling, I met a man who worked at the location for 20 years. He was pretty famous in the business for being the best sales person in the country. Most of the other sales people envied him, and in some cases hated him for his success. Maybe I was brought up different, but instead, I studied him to try to understand how he was getting so many referrals from other customers, and watched the way he sold with a natural style. The bottom line is, this man was cultivating his garden every single day. Calling customers on their birthdays and anniversaries, being kind to their children when they came in to the business, even if they were crying. In other words, just being a great person, and a natural for customers to buy from. I also noticed business journals on his desk, and caught him one morning, an hour before opening, watching a YouTube channel on selling success. He had Napoleon Hill’s book on his desk, a bottom drawer filled with toys for the children, and was always willing to help other sales people if they would just listen.
Full Disclosure: This person was my father. The number one sales person for most of the 1980s for a big automobile manufacturer.
What I learned working for him over those precious few years was priceless. Because he taught me empathy and kindness, not how to “close” a customer, but Instead, how to make a customer, feel like he was the only person they should ever buy from.
Instead of envying, others, he worked on himself. In fact, I never heard him say an unkind word about another sales person. But instead, I watched him constantly work on his selling skills. In other words, “He realized that the grass is always greener under your feet if you spend time watering it.”
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Understanding Your Soil (Knowing Your Business)
Just as different soils require different care, every business has a unique set of needs. For example, if you are a florist, you can’t attract customers until you perfect your skills at making flower arrangements. If you’re a plumber, most of your business will come from word of mouth. So, referrals are critical, building a great relationship with each customer and being there for them in a crisis, could be the best way to grow your business. You might invest in great software for plumbers, and spend your watering time learning how to use it at 100% efficiency.
I know this is basic, but knowing your customers, what they require, and especially what they fear, or what they enjoy, is critical to growing your business. So spend some time watering your own lawn, by investing time in learning about your customers and what they are worried about. It will go a long way to your success.
The Right Amount of Water (Balancing Resources)
Overwatering or under watering can harm a lawn, just as overinvesting or underinvesting can harm a business. Spending time trying to grow, but not actually selling anything or working on your customers, will ultimately lead to failure.
Over preparing is also a mistake. I’ve seen people spend months and months preparing to do something, but then have anxiety and fear of actually starting. It’s a term we call “failure to launch” or “Success Quagmire.” Businesses spend so much time preparing that they forget I need to actually get started, so they can pay for their time and make enough money to keep the business afloat. Sometimes just starting even if things aren’t perfect will allow you to perfect your business model, pivot, and get bigger faster. And most importantly, allow you to adapt to market changes.
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Consistent Watering (Consistent Effort)
Consistency is key in both lawn care and business growth. Achieving long-term success, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Look at your business every day, find something to improve and ask yourself, are the things you’re doing, going to grow your business or are they just busywork.
Examples include:
Spending an hour every morning answering people’s positive or negative reviews.
Making sure that you write a post about your business every day on social media. Mix it up with interesting and heart-wrenching stories, then mix in some self-promotion and selling.
Talk to other neighboring businesses and let them know what you’re up to. This includes Internet businesses, sometimes making relationships with competitors that are selling similar products to filling partnerships later on.
Adapting to Seasons (Adapting to Market Changes)
Just as lawn care needs change with the seasons, a business must adapt to market changes. Entrepreneurs often call this “the pivot.” Where are you start out doing one thing, but realize the customers want something else very similar, so you modify your business to accommodate their needs and off to the races you go. But sometimes seasons and locational factors will require you to make changes, just like the way Walmart puts a pro is out in front when it’s raining and BJ’s puts air conditioners upfront when it’s boiling hot outside. Marketing to a season can make all the difference, is no one wants sweaters in summer or shorts in winter.
Lawn Maintenance (Maintaining Business Health)
Regular lawn maintenance prevents issues and keeps the lawn healthy. Similarly, regular check-ins and adjustments can keep a business on track. I’ve helped run large companies and started two of my own. In each case, I find that having consistency in my marketing strategy makes all the difference. Sometimes just doing things the same time of day, same time of week, and once a month, is all you need to ensure that you don’t miss something. If you don’t schedule your watering, you may sometimes forget and let months go by, then you realize that you haven’t posted anything on Facebook or written a blog post, and you wonder why your business just floundering.
Conclusion: Growing a Green Lawn and a Thriving Business Growth
There are many ways to start a business to run a business to maintain a business, but there is one common denominator among all successful businesses, and that is constant attention to detail.
