September 2013
Moderating temperatures get customers back out in their yards. That's good for sales of landscape improvements!
We typically see an uptick in business as the temperature moves back into a more welcoming level. This is the time of year to be accelerating your marketing and advertising efforts to capture those autumn projects. There are sales opportunities in irrigation, landscape lighting, drainage and much more.
Start planning today for a productive and profitable fall season. You'll be glad you did!
The Team at MPR Supply
Tips for Up-Selling Customers to Better Solutions
Every salesperson knows the importance of up-selling; helping the customers decide to buy an extra service or an up-grade that adds to the total purchase. Why do many skip this critical step?
Often it's easier to sell what's common rather than explaining a better solution. Taking orders for the regular stuff is easy, risk-free and reinforces an incorrect assumption that all customers buy solely based on price.
Up-selling isn't easy. Done incorrectly, it can damage credibility and offend customers with high-pressure tactics. But failing to up-sell can be even more damaging. It leaves money on the table and provides opportunities for competitors to steal your customers by dazzling them with new ideas. Here's why you should pay special attention to up-selling:
Up-selling is a wise use of time. For example, if it takes a salesperson an extra 15 minutes to sell a $250 upgrade that costs the company $100, he's just earned the equivalent of $600/hour for the time invested. Up-selling almost always delivers a huge return on investment.
Be a confident, but not pushy, salesperson. Up-selling fails when it is done half-heartedly (no enthusiasm) or when done purely on hype (no data or proof). Introduce the up-sell with positive customer-oriented statements like "you'll see an immediate impact to ____ if you change to this _____" and then back up assertions with concrete examples and data.
Appeal to aspirations. Think about the buyer's big-picture goals. Some want to stand out among their peers and others want solutions that are "green". A good up-sell presentation moves beyond just reciting a list of features and ties the up-sell to the customer's personal motivations. Up-sell products exist because they appeal to those who seek a better way to do the same thing. Know which of their customers are looking for that better way.
Why Add Holiday Decorating Services?
There's still time to capture additional sales from your customers
Holiday decorating is one of the fastest growing new services offered by contractors according to several national trade publications.
Demographic trends like an aging population, two-income career families and a desire for a hassle-free lifestyle have driven the demand for decorating services at residential and commercial sites.
Why have leading irrigation contractors decided to pursue this new service?
Proven Profits During the Slow Season
Just a handful of holiday decorating installations can provide a significant boost to your cash flow and profits during the traditional slow months of November and December. Decorating helps you keep your crew busy and recover overhead costs when jobs are scarce. Plus it's a great way to keep in touch with customers.
Reliable Repeat Income
Holiday decorating services include installation, removal and storage. These are needed every year. Business owners rely on holiday decorations to bring in Christmas shoppers, so they decorate regardless of the economy. Upper-income homeowners and the elderly appreciate hassle-free decorating that saves time and effort. Once customers purchase holiday decorating services, they become repeat buyers, season after season.
Easy to Get Started
MPR makes it easy to get started in holiday decorating with Seasonal Source products including LED lights, greenery and more. Learn how easy it can be to add this in-demand service to your offering and do your first project or two this holiday season. You'll quickly find that this is a great fit for your irrigation business.
Ask us for complete details and "get started" plans today.
Wire Splices: Do Them Right or Suffer
A tip from Regency Wire & Cable
Poorly made wire splices can lead to costly problems. Because there are in-ground splices in irrigation, landscape lighting and water features, it's important to learn how to do them right. Here are some tips from Regency Wire:
Always select a connector that is waterproof and rated for direct burial. Wire nuts wrapped with tape, or other home-made connectors may resist water initially, but will succumb to moisture intrusion. Unless the connector is waterproof, moisture will get to the bare copper and cause corrosion.
Corrosion acts like an insulator. It builds up the resistance between the wires increases causing even more voltage drop. Eventually the voltage drop becomes bad enough that either the device (solenoid, lamp, etc) cannot receive enough voltage to operate correctly or no current passes through the connection at all.
As resistance and voltage loss increase, the amp flow has to go up to maintain the wattage necessary for the device. This leads to other problems, like solenoids that burn out, failed chips in controllers, and lamps that burn prematurely. Higher amperage means more heat and more failures.
Make the splice right from the beginning and avoid problems later.
Pre-Made Swing Joints Make Projects More Profitable
Faster, more reliable installations on all heavy turf projects
LASCO is the name you turn to for Swing Joint Solutions. LASCO developed the factory-assembled swing joint concept in 1983, and is the market leader.
LASCO Unitized Standard Swing Joints make quick work of basic head placement, regardless of the depth of your trench. And with LASCO's time tested technology, you can rest easy when the job is done.
No two installations are alike... so LASCO offers customized swing joints. You pick the lay length and LASCO provides specifically what the job requires. With little notice (usually around two weeks) LASCO can save your installation crew a lot of time on the job.
Ask us about custom LASCO swing joints for your next project.
Best Performing Rotary Nozzles Available at MPR Supply
Patented viscous technology compares to MP Rotary
Experience the advantages of K-Rain's Adjustable-Arc Rotary Nozzle - just one nozzle adjusts to every arc setting.- Water savings: up to 30% more efficient than conventional sprays. More heads per zone!
- Adjustable arc from 80° to 360° in a single nozzle: only one unit to stock for all arcs.
- Three radius options available to cover all radius needs from 8' to 28'.
- Matched precipitation even after arc and radius adjustment. Mix and match with traditional rotors.
Watch the new video with Erica from K-Rain Manufacturing.
Multi-Stream, Adjustable Rotary Nozzle by K-Rain
See How the Flo-Well Gravel-Free Dry Well Saves Time & Money
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Flo-Well™ replaces a traditional drywell by eliminating the need to haul heavy gravel to the site, reducing costs of installation.
The Flo-Well has been helping contractors cut their labor costs and time on the job for over 10 years.
The Flo-Well is a manufactured drywell that can replace traditional gravel-only dry wells when used with the NDS aggregate only EZflow bundles which replace gravel in a common Flo-Well installation.
If EZflow is not available, a 3" layer of gravel should be poured around the diameter of the product to ensure void space exists. Flo-Well can be piped to other Flo-Wells creating a larger water management capacity - each Flo Well can handle up to 55 gallons of water.
You can also pipe to and from a Flo-Well using SDR or Corrugated pipe ranging in size from 3" up to 8". Flo-Well also has an optional riser with a grate that allows water to flow directly into the Flo-Well to correct low spots in the yard or other drainage problems.
Go to the special contractor website from NDS to sign up and receive a starter package that includes training and marketing materials. Contact us about coordinating training for your team.
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Toro September Savings
Offer Expires: September 30, 2013 |
Buy a case of standard 4" Toro 570Z spray heads,
GET $8 BACK INSTANTLY!
Buy a case of standard 6" Toro 570Z spray heads,
GET $12 BACK INSTANTLY!
Buy a case of any Toro T5 Rotor,
Get $20 back instantly!
Buy one (1) bag of any Toro Precision™ Rotating nozzles,
Get another bag of Toro Precision™
Rotating nozzles FREE!
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Irritrol
September Savings
Offer Expires: September 30, 2013
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Buy a case of Irritrol valves (same SKU, get $1.00 back per valve purchased, instantly. Offer good on all Irritrol residential valves (205, 2500, 2400, 2600, 2700, 311A and 2623/300 Series)
Buy any Irritrol Rain Dial-R or Total Control-R controller and get $5.00 back instantly!
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Xeripave
September Savings
Offer Expires: September 30, 2013
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Xeripave Super Pervious Pavers are natural stone pavers which have a flow through rate of over 1 gallon per second, per square foot.
Large pavement areas create the most significant stormwater outfall pollution problems. Xeripave can be installed in any
area in place of, or in conjunction with traditional paving materials such as asphalt, concrete or bricks. They provide a safe, non-slip surface for pedestrians, bicycles and cars.
In September, take an additional 10% off your Xeripave order at MPR Supply.
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