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How to Get Commercial Lawn Accounts: 8 Steps to Land Bigger and Better Commercial Clients

Profile picture of Kristen Lamb, freelancer writer for Jobber Academy
Kristen Lamb
Intermediate Aug 14, 2024 11 min read
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With over 641 thousand landscaping businesses in the U.S., the commercial lawn care industry is growing by 3% each year. With so much competition, it’s important to keep thinking about new niches and to know how to stand out. 

That’s why we put together this in-depth guide on how to land new commercial lawn care accounts. In this post, we show you how to find more commercial lawn care opportunities, market your services, and bid on commercial contracts.

1. Brainstorm a list of new commercial client niches 

As a commercial lawn care business owner, it can be easy to fall into providing lawn care to clients in the same industries. But to keep growing your business, you’ll want to attract new niches you’ve not yet considered.

Here are some potential new niches: 

  • Real estate agencies
  • Condo associations
  • Homeowner associations (HOAs)
  • Commercial property management companies
  • Warehouses and distribution facilities
  • Heavy manufacturing facilities
  • Companies that manage special-purpose properties, like theaters, resorts, sports arenas, schools, religious organizations, and senior care facilities.

2. Create buyer personas for clients in your new niches

Once you’ve thought about some new markets, it’s time to figure out what lawn care services you can offer them. Buyer personas are “quick guides” to your clients—they give you a birds-eye view of what’s important to them and what the best ways to market and sell to them are. 

To create a buyer persona for your commercial lawn care clients, ask the following questions:

  • What is their job role? E.g. building manager 
  • What are their responsibilities? For example, they need to look after the building and grounds, find affordable and reliable suppliers, and stay within their budget. 
  • Where do they get their news and information? For example, news and industry publications, online reviews, or industry experts. 
  • Which social media platforms do they use? Where do they hang out online? 68% of American adults are on Facebook, while 30% are on LinkedIn. 
  • What kind of marketing and sales approaches do they prefer? Do they prefer an in-person pitch or a sales letter? Do they like to find suppliers on social media, or would they prefer recommendations from colleagues and friends?  
  • What are their lawn care challenges? For example, seasonal changes and balancing the budget with quality. 
  • What gets in the way of them saying yes to you? For example, cost, the opinions of other colleagues, and loyalty to another lawn care business. 
  • What do they look for most in a supplier? For example, trustworthiness and reputation, price, and great communication.
  • How do they prefer to communicate with you? Do they prefer in-person meetings, over the phone, or email?
Example of a simple buyer persona you could build to understand your new potential client base. Built with Canva.

It’s important to base your buyer personas on real conversations rather than guesses. 

Here’s where to get the information you need to create your personas: 

  1. Social listening: Head over to the social media channels where your potential clients hang out. LinkedIn, Reddit, and Facebook are all good places to look. Social media can be a particularly great source of information on supplier concerns and challenges. 
  2. Networking events: Networking with clients in your new niches can give you a better understanding of their unique needs and the best ways to market to them. 
  3. Surveys: Once you’ve landed your first four or five clients in a new niche, send out a survey to find out more about them and what they need from you. 

The more you understand clients in each market, the better your marketing will be and the more higher-paying commercial accounts you’ll get over time. As McKinsey found, companies that put a big focus on personalization see around 40% more revenue

READ MORE: How to write a commercial lawn care business plan [with free template]

3. Connect with potential clients online and in person

Once you’ve created your buyer personas for each new target market, it’s time to connect with your potential clients. 

Start with a list of local businesses in each niche, then find out who the decision maker is at each business. A decision maker is the person with the authority to choose a lawn care contractor. 

The decision maker could be a property manager, site manager, facility manager, or the owner of the company.

Here’s how to find decision makers in each industry: 

Look up businesses online

Search Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and business directories like Yelp for each type of business. Once you find one, make a note of their name, phone number, and email address. When you’re ready, you can use this information to send cold emails or make cold calls.

Connect on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great place for finding out who works where and making relationships with decision makers.

Never jump straight in with a sales pitch—it often takes 7-13 interactions to turn someone into a customer. Be genuine—always talk to potential clients like you’d talk to a friend. To connect, send a friendly connection request using their first name, mention a shared interest, or drop in a compliment about something on their profile. After you connect, like their posts, comment, and repost their content. 

Drive around your area

Drive around your local area and jot down any commercial lawns that need better care. Make a list of the businesses that stand out then look them up online to find out who manages the property.

Go door to door

Pop into local businesses and ask to speak to the owner or site manager. Tell them what’s unique about your lawn care services over other commercial lawn care companies, share your understanding of their unique site needs, and mention any discounts. If they aren’t in, drop one of your business cards at reception. 

Network

In-person networking is one of the best ways to meet potential commercial clients. It’s also easier to read people in person than it is online. 77% of people who like to network in person say they prefer it because it gives them the chance to read people’s body language and expressions. 

Professional Associations, trade shows, networking groups, and industry events are all good ways to meet potential clients or business owners in complementary jobs who may refer you to a new client.

READ MORE: How to ask for referrals [complete with scripts and examples]

4. Promote your commercial lawn care business in your target neighborhoods

As a lawn care business, you’re out and about in your local neighborhoods—not sitting behind a laptop. That’s why physical marketing is essential for building your rep—every job you do, and every person you meet can be a source of potential business. 

Physical marketing materials are anything a potential customer can hold in their hands, such as leaflets, business cards, and catalogs.

To get your commercial lawn care business in front of more potential clients: 

Make business cards

Business cards are an awesome way to share your business details with people you’ve just met. Add your name, logo, and contact details. 

lawn care advertising examples - business cards (front and back) for Mow & Sow's owner Kyle

Try out different colors and designs on platforms like Looka and Canva. Then professionally print your designs using services such as Vistaprint and Moo.

Create lawn care flyers

Add your company logo and colors, list your lawn care and landscaping services and prices, show photos of your work, and add special offers.

lawn care advertising examples - flyer and postcard examples with logo, tagline, services, special offer, testimonials, and website URL

Drop your lawn care flyers around to local businesses. Make introductions and bring something like a box of cinnamon buns or cornbread from a local bakery to help them remember you. 

Pro Tip: Use tear-away flyers on local bulletin boards and signposts.

Add lawn care signs to any lawns you work on

Add your company name and number and a CTA to encourage calls, such as “Call us now to get your free quote.” Always make sure you ask the homeowner or business owner for permission to add your sign to their lawn.

lawn care advertising examples - lawn sign for Mow & Sow with phone number and URL

5. Ask for referrals from people you know  

People who get a referral from a friend are more likely to do business with your company.

To create a customer referral program, start by writing a list of people who could refer you. Your list may include: 

  • Current commercial clients
  • Current residential clients
  • Family members
  • Friends
  • Local business owners (like your barber or window cleaner)
  • Business owners in complementary businesses 

Next, think about your incentive. You could offer a free lawn mow, a discount for the next month, or a gift card as a thank you to encourage them to refer you to more people. Try out different incentives to see which ones get you the most referrals.

READ MORE: 25 lawn care and landscaping industry statistics to watch

6. Promote your business on social media 

Use social platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to get your commercial lawn mowing business in front of people online—for free! 

Take it from lawn care pro Chant Singvongsa: â€śThe way I grew was organically—just constantly posting your work online. People will see it, even though you might not get the thumbs up or likes. Just keep posting. Eventually, people see it enough that they’ll remember who posted those pictures when they need lawn care or landscaping guys.”

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

  1. Share before-and-after images of your lawn care and landscaping jobs
  2. Create “day-in-the-job” shorts
  3. Share videos of happy clients talking about your business

To help you reach an ever larger audience, get your customers involved in creating and sharing social content on your company’s behalf.

 To get your clients enjoying your content and posting about your business:

  • Add your social media information everywhere and anywhere: on your business cards, on your leaflets, in your email signature, on your paper receipts, and on your website
  • Offer discounts on jobs for clients that leave reviews and referrals on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google
  • Run social media contests—such as seasonal specials like leaf blowing or snow removal

READ MORE: The best lawn care advertising ideas: how to market your lawn care business

7. Send customized sales pitch letters 

You can use a customized sales pitch letter to show your potential client why your company is the best fit for them—motivating them to ask you to bid. 

To create a solid sales pitch letter, add: 

  • Your name, lawn care business name, and address
  • A subject line that states you want to offer your services
  • A list of your lawn care services
  • How much experience you have in lawn maintenance
  • Social proof such as client testimonials (ideally in the same industry as the person you’re pitching to). People spend 31% more with a business that has good reviews. 
  • What makes your company unique
  • Any special techniques or equipment that give you an edge over your competitors
  • Limited-time offers or discounts that sweeten the deal

Turning a sales pitch letter into a bid is all about the follow up.

Following up regularly keeps you at the top of a potential client’s mind, upping your chances of getting asked to bid. 

Look over your buyer personas to see whether your potential client prefers email, text, or phone calls, and then follow up three days after you’ve sent your sales pitch.  

If you don’t hear back, follow up next week. If you still don’t get invited to bid, schedule regular bi-monthly follow-ups in your calendar until you get a response. Following up can feel stressful at first—you may feel like you’re bugging the person. But many people appreciate the reminder. The more you do it, the easier it will become, and the more lawn care contracts you’ll land.

8. Write your commercial lawn care bid

Once you’re invited to bid on a commercial lawn care contract, it’s time to set service pricing for the client and write your commercial lawn care bid. 

Getting your pricing right is all about doing your research. 

After you do a walkthrough of the client’s property, answer these questions:

  • How many hours will you spend on each visit? How many workers will you need?
  • What materials will you need? Will you need to buy new equipment for the job?
  • Does the site or property manager have any special requirements?
  • Does the site have any unique challenges? 
  • Are there optional add-on services you can upsell for the job (e.g., spring or fall cleanup or pest control)?

Next, think about how much you want to make on each job. Pricing too low hurts your lawn care profit margin. But pricing too high can lose you business. That’s why it’s important to know what other commercial lawn care businesses are charging before you set your prices. 

If your prices come up higher than your competitors, make sure you can justify the rate. For example, do you offer extra services like tree cutting or seasonal clean ups? 

You can also offer new customer discounts to give you the edge over other lawn care businesses.

Once you’ve come to a number, add your priced services and any fees, taxes, or discounts to your proposal. 

READ MORE: How much to charge for lawn mowing

A professional-looking bid will also go a long way in making a great impression on a potential customer. Use our free lawn care quote template to create a bid template that shows off your company logo and brand colors.

Learn from the service pros

Want more advice on how to land bigger lawn care jobs? Watch our Ask A Business Mentor video, “How to Get Bigger & Better Lawn Care Jobs.”

How get commercial lawn care contracts

Landing bigger, better commercial lawn care contracts is all about:

  • Moving into new niches
  • Understanding your clients
  • Finding the right decision makers 
  • Getting your marketing down
  • Writing a killer sales pitch and commercial lawn care bid

Use this list to get you started and help you find and win new commercial landscaping contracts. When following up on your sales pitches and bids, remember that the sale is in the persistence–the more you follow up, the more likely you will be to win the customer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

To write a bid for a lawn care job, provide a breakdown of your services, add pricing, and include any additional taxes, fees, and discounts. Learn more about how to price, bid, and win commercial lawn care contracts.
Your commercial lawn care contracts should include your business information, your client’s information, details on the services you’ll provide, your proposed schedule, fees and payment terms, your terms and conditions, and boxes for both your signatures.  
Commercial lawn care accounts often come with bigger checks than residential lawn care accounts. They also typically come with additional monthly needs—meaning you’ll get more work from a single account.
To find commercial clients for your landscaping business, you first need to identify some new commercial account niches; some examples include real estate, education, and manufacturing. After you’ve narrowed down your niches, drop your business cards at local offices and organizations and connect with decision makers on LinkedIn.

Originally published in July 2022. Last updated on August 14, 2024.

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