How do homeowners find YOU? + June News from MPR Supply
How do homeowners find YOU? + News from MPR Supply
Greetings!
How do today's customers find contractors for projects around the home?
A recent survey revealed they look in three places:
- 45% contact a friend for a referral
- 29% search the internet
- 15% post on social media (asking on Facebook or Nextdoor)
Less than 10% used the Yellow Pages or on-line contractor referral services.
The take-away: be sure your marketing to current customers to keep your name "top of mind" for referrals. Plus, be sure your website properly represents you to new customers.
Watch our newsletter for additional business tips in the months ahead.
The Team at MPR Supply
Stainless Steel Spillways, an Easy and Durable Addition to Any Hardscape Project
With the current explosion of interest in Outdoor Living, the addition of water features to the hardscape has become both very popular and very profitable.
However, many hardscape and pool contractors avoid water features because of the assumed risk of leaks and callbacks. Atlantic's Formal Spillways address the need for leak-proof systems that are easy to install and simple to maintain. The latest enhancement, 316 Stainless Steel Spillways in a choice of brushed steel or copper finish add extreme durability and corrosion resistance to the best-selling Spillway line. The door is now open to foolproof use around chlorinated and saltwater pools and harsh commercial environments as well as the backyard landscape and hardscape.
Available in 12", 24" and 36" widths and fitted with a central 1½" female NPT inlet fitting, the 316 stainless versions of the popular 304 Spillways are 4" tall for direct replacement of 4" wall block without cutting, and support 80 pounds per square foot for structural use in hardscape walls.
For fast, easy, turnkey installations, all three sizes of Spillways mate to matching self-contained Basin Kits that include everything needed for a professional installation.
For wider, custom features with multiple Spillways, Spouts or Colorfalls, Atlantic provides Flexible Hardscape Basins in 2-foot by 4-, 6- or 8-foot wide lengths as well.
4 Ways to Make Homeowner Presentations More Effective
Here are some tips for more effective sales presentations when selling to homeowners:
- Talk about implementing their vision: Tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end that helps your customer visualize the current situation and how you will help them achieve their landscape goal.
- Summarize your understanding: Start your presentation by reviewing what you know about the customer: what he/she is looking to accomplish. Then, check to make sure you have summarized correctly. This kind of upfront summary lays the foundation for building trust and confidence in your ability to help the customer.
- Ask real questions, not just confirmation questions: Don't just ask, "How does that sound to you?" or, "What are your thoughts?" Ask some really good questions, including ones to which you don't have the answers. It's a matter of being specific with your questions. "Which of these two options would work better for you?" The point is to get feedback along the way and to get the customer to make small decisions that add up to a big decision to hire you.
- Focus on next steps: Be sure to ask for the business. If the customer isn't ready to make a decision, schedule a time to follow up. Also ask: "Is there any additional information we can provide?" Keep the conversation going and find out when a decision will be made.
Must Have Problem Solver for Broken Irrigation Wires
Need to work around bad or broken field wires without digging up an entire landscape? Now you can control 2 valves with only one good wire pair with Add-A-Zone. Exclusive features:
- Both valves connected to Add-A-Zone are independently timed and controlled.
- The two valves can be set to separate watering schedules and programs in the controller.
- No disruption of the landscape to repair problems.
Solve these problems:
- Divide existing zones stations with a new valve to correct pressure problems. Permits the addition of an additional valve to systems that have an open station on the controller.
- Work around broken field wires and maintain full system functionality.
Three Easy Steps to Calculate Landscape Drainage Needs
By following the steps outlined in this article, you will be able to determine the amount of water draining from your customer's property and ways that this water can be efficiently stored.
- Step 1: Calculate Stormwater Runoff using the Rational Method: Q = C x I x A where
- Q = Storm Water Runoff (in cubic feet per second)
- C = Coefficient of Runoff
- I = Rainfall Intensity (in inches per hour)
- A = Area of Drainage Zone (in acres)
- Step 2: Calculate the volume of water being stored
Each municipality has their specific rules when it comes to determining how much water can be drained off of a property. A method that is commonly used is called the First Flush rule (check your local codes).
The First Flush rule states that the first 15 minutes (or other duration determined by your municipality) of water from a storm must be stored on your property. Any water after that first 15 minutes can be discharged off your property. - Step 3: Determine how to store runoff
There are two ways that this water can be stored: 1) above ground in retention and detention ponds and 2) Below ground in dry wells, french drains, etc.
In a six part video series, NDS' resident civil engineer, Dr. Drainage, walks you through how to calculate runoff, store runoff, size a catch basin and determine what drain pipe to use. Click here to view the entire series.
In addition to these videos, NDS has created a series of online calculators that make it easy for contractors to plug in information from their job site and it helps you calculate drainage for your customer's dry well, French drain, and drain pipe.
SWiFi Controllers Provide Many Benefits
See Why Rain Bird's LNK is an Award Winner
Homeowners want smarter control through app-based devices. Contractors want controllers that will help them monitor and manage their client's systems.
The Rain Bird LNK WiFi Module offers BOTH. With simple plug and play set-up, it makes it easy to get started with WiFi Control.
To upgrade existing Rain Bird controllers, simply plug the LNK WiFi Module into the accessory port and open the app. The LNK Module operates like a remote on-site and provides complete access to the irrigation system while off-site.
The watering saving capabilities allow automatic weather adjustments to be made. Provide daily run time changes to save up to 30% more water. Its superior programming capabilities are designed to meet the most stringent water restrictions. Manage the system with instant, real-time access.
Grow your business with the app's multi-management system that allows you to manage multiple controllers and sites. Quickly group controllers by geography, sub-division, street or what ever process works best for your company. Technician efficiency increases and service calls are simplified. Learn more here.a>
Fast Drying Artificial Turf Ideal for Wet Weather
Inclement weather can ruin time spent outside. Puddles of rainwater and snow can wreak havoc on an expensive grass lawn. Snow and rain can matte down yards, create bald spots and muddy patches, and oversaturate parts of the lawn. In addition to creating a dirty lawn, wet weather also leads to mud spreading around otherwise clean indoor surfaces.
And once the wet weather has passed, there is a still a period of waiting around for water to drain and dry. Real grass will take time to slowly drain, centimeter by centimeter. Artificial grass is the solution to this problem. EasyTurf products have superior drainage capabilities that quickly whisk water away. In places where there are seasons of snow and rain, artificial grass can limit downtime spent waiting for the wet weather to pass.
In addition to limiting downtime, it can be expensive to reseed and bring life back into a damaged lawn. Bald patches and flooded zones are expensive issues to solve. Artificial grass, on the other hand, will look and feel great all year round, regardless of the weather season. EasyTurf artificial grass makes it easy to play and run around on the yard year round.