Our team was at SIMA's Snow & Ice Symposium in Pittsburgh, PA this week to meet fellow snow and ice professionals, teach a couple of sessions, and learn best practices that can improve Grunder Landscaping Co. 

While we were there, I taught a session about prospecting and qualifying leads for snow removal services. Yes, it's June, but smart companies know that you should be working NOW to get the snow contracts you need this winter. 

At Grunder Landscaping Co., we need to capture 5M square feet, in addition to the contracts we have up for renewal, to hit our budget for this year. Our team is busy looking for these properties and creating proposals, and we've already sold quite a bit towards this goal. 

As we look for the remaining square feet, the first place we start when prospecting is looking near the properties we already service. Route density helps improve profitability whether you're doing landscape maintenance or snow removal. This isn't groundbreaking: you've probably already thought to do this. 

Now, I'm going to give away one of our secrets: we can do a lot of prospecting without even leaving the office. Using Google Maps satellite view, we can look for properties that have the right characteristics without needing to drive all over town. This is true for landscaping work, but it's even more helpful when looking for snow work. 

Some of our team before dispatching for a snow event. 

Once we create our list of properties to target, our sales team uses their tricks of the trade to get in touch with the property manager. It's hand-to-hand combat here to find the right contact, start building a relationship, and then send them a proposal for the work. We'll use LinkedIn, our personal networks, and even in-person visits to get this started. 

Come see us at our Grunder Landscaping Co. Field Trips in Dayton, Ohio this fall to meet one of our operations snow managers, learn directly from our sales team, and see how our facility is laid out for optimal efficiency (for both landscaping and snow removal!). I know if you join us we can help you and your team move forward. 

Have a great Sunday, I'll talk to you next week!

Marty Grunder
Founder & CEO
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.