One size does NOT fit all when we’re talking about how to show generosity and gratitude to clients. As owners we can often feel stumped as to what we could do to show thankfulness in a simple and sustainable way.

We wanted to share a variety of ideas with you so we called a number of our clients and business owners within our industry and asked them how they show gratitude to clients. As predicted, each of them do it differently and we’ve compiled some ideas for you below.

Random Acts of Kindness

“We have random acts of kindness that we do for clients & customers.” - Jeff (Jeff’s Outdoor)

When we spoke with Jeff he shared that they have a donation budget and that throughout the week their staff are encouraged to keep an eye out and bring ideas to their supervisors if they think there is a project the company might like to get involved in. Then, during the weekly meetings, the managers talk about the ideas brought up. For example, one of their staff has a mom in the nursing home and...

Finding good people is a struggle all Landscape Business owners can relate to. So - when you have good people, make sure you treat them well.

While the what and how are not important, the doing is. With staff spending more time with you than they do their own families, it’s crucial that they feel respected and appreciated.

We asked a number of business owners how they show gratitude and generosity to their staff and here are a few of the things they had to say:

We’ve created a place that people want to be

“We’ve worked at creating a culture where grumpy employees do not fit in. We don’t have it all figured out, and a few less than ideal hires have slipped through, but we strive to make DICAM a enjoyable place to work.” said Brian (Dicam Landscaping). “Over the past number of years we have really worked on our culture. We hire mostly based on referrals, and attitude is a huge factor. If people complain or grumble a lot I hear about it quickly because we have such happy and hardworki...

“I left my first meeting with Grant and Marla knowing 2 things without a doubt: 1) Kindness and generosity are at the forefront of every interaction they have, and 2) I needed to be part of the Nextra team" (Jordan - Nextra Team Member) 

Generosity and humility are two of our core values at Nextra. We believe in their power and strive to live them out in our professional and personal lives every day. We have been on the receiving end of much generosity and humility and we remember how good and thankful it made us feel. We want people to experience that feeling when they interact with us.  

Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. And it is so true. Generosity and humility are expressions of kindness. Did you know studies have linked kindness to physical and emotional health? They’ve discovered kindness lowers levels of stress hormones, leaves people feeling less lonely and happier. The...

The Go-Giver is counter-cultural and appears to be counter-business. But it resonates with me and with the truth that, all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like and trust. 

Authors Bob Burg and John David Mann contradict the idea that you need to be a go-getter in order to be successful. Rather, they believe that when you make giving rather than getting your top priority in business (and in life), your success will follow. It’s about adding value to others, not because of what it will give you, but rather as a way of leading a satisfying life.

There are five laws mentioned: 

1. The Law of Value: your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2. The Law of Compensation: your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3. The Law of Influence: your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
4. The Law of Authenticity: t...

If your staff are not making a living wage all winter long, chances are they will be looking for employment elsewhere. This can be challenging during winter months when you are reliant on snow events to provide them with hours. You’re going to need to get creative.

Can you work on a banked hours system through the summer? They wouldn’t make overtime but the banked hours could top up their pay throughout the winter months.

What about the SUB program we've chatted about previously? Look into it and see if your staff are eligible for it. You can read more about it HERE.

Can you set up an on-call schedule in advance (like some of our clients do) so that your staff know in advance when it’s their turn to watch the weather as opposed to being on-call all season long?

What about offering them new or late model equipment, training, regular communication and employee events during the winter to maintain culture? Whatever you do in the summertime for your staff - bbq’s, weekly staff meetings...

As a snow contractor, the possibility of a slip and fall on one of your properties is always in mind. Obviously, we want to take every precaution to ensure the safety of our clients. But what do you do when you receive notice that a claim has been filed? Do you have the proper information and documentation available in order to respond? 

Record-keeping is key to being able to respond to a slip and fall claim. Here’s a list of documents that you should have easy access to:

• Time sheets 
• Email conversations
• Weather reports
• GPS trail
• Related maps and descriptors
• Training modules
• Training certificates
• Truck sign-out sheets
• Phone messages
• Contracts
• Snow maps
• Previous contract dates
• Pre-season site inspection form
• Customer communications

Being prepared can make the process a lot smoother, less stressful and less costly. 

If you need help with creating or sourcing these documents, or if you have questions about your existing process, give me a call. You can schedule a call...

Planning ahead regarding your fleet needs has always been important to ensuring a successful season, but this year it’s more important than ever. With the shortage of parts and trucks, being prepared and flexible is going to be crucial.

Your relationship with your suppliers will play a key role in this. You can help them out by getting your equipment ordered early and/or getting your existing equipment scheduled for service before the forecast is calling for snow. Setting up a system where they can call you when they have some time and they know what equipment needs servicing is a small thing that can make a huge impact.

I highly recommend working with local suppliers for ordering and delivery of trucks, equipment and small machinery. I would also choose a supplier that allows you to standardize the equipment you’re using, making it easier for budgeting and repairs. For example, if you’re using all the same equipment (like the same type of plow), you can order parts that will work fo...

Are you a snow fighter? Or do you simply plow snow? It may seem like we’re splitting hairs, but author and entrepreneur Brad Caton would argue it’s not. How you see yourself changes how you react in a snow event.

You may remember him from an interview I did with him on the “Nextra Presents…!” podcast last year. If you missed his episode you can listen to it HERE. 

Throughout his book “Brad draws on nearly two decades of experience running his Vancouver-based snow and ice management firm, Invictus Professional Snowfighters, as well as in-depth discussions with industry experts ranging from attorneys, insurers, advocates, property managers, salt distributors, and fellow snowfighters, to present a rare, broad-scoped analysis of the challenges, solutions, and dire importance associated with the snow and ice industry.”

A couple of things stood out to me throughout the book:

1. Brad Caton and his team at Invictus only do snow and are profitable doing it. 
2. They see snow removal as an emer...

Have you thought about adding liquids to your snow operations? It can be a little daunting but the overall benefit far outweighs the learning curve.

A number of years ago, I attended a SnowEx seminar by Daniel Gilliland. He is a pioneer in bringing liquids to the forefront in Ontario. I learned so much through his presentation and I want to share what I learned with you. 

There are four main reasons to use liquid strategies for Snow and Ice Control:

• Improve safety outcomes
• Reduce the environmental impact/property damage and the amount of chlorides going into the environment.
• Drastically reduce your materials, especially if you make your own salt brine.
• Using liquids to anti-ice prevents snow and ice from bonding to the pavement which results in a significant reduction to post-storm labour, equipment, and material clean up costs.

Did You Know?

• Slip & Fall claims related to winter maintenance account for more lawsuits than in any other sector except auto accidents.
• Nationw...

How do you handle objections when speaking with potential clients? 

Do they derail you because it feels like rejection? OR do you see an objection as a question - one the client is looking to have answered before they accept the terms and finalize the sale.

In a recent article written by Bruce Wilson, he shares that “objections are simply a sign that a prospect needs more information to make a decision.” It’s a small shift in perspective that can dramatically change your outcomes.

Here are Bruce’s 10 tips on dealing with sales objections:

1. Listen up and validate
2. Rehearse your response
3. Be prepared
4. Isolate the objection
5. Postpone objections
6. Ask questions
7. Talk about money
8. Focus on them
9. Avoid better, faster, cheaper
10. Convert the objection

If you’d like to dig into these a little more, click HERE to read the full article and remember: an objection is not a rejection, but your response to the objection might make it one.