NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ed Laflamme, 203/858-4696,
“If We Don’t Start Selling, We’re Dead!”
Industry Pro Ed Laflamme CCLP Creates New
In-house Sales Seminar to Get Companies “Unstuck”
(Sept. 22, 2009) – That’s the lament heard in landscape offices across the country according to seasoned professional Ed Laflamme, CCLP, as he and partner Bill Arman, of The Harvest Group, help rescue landscape companies.
“Landscape owners are calling us for help not knowing what to do to stem the tide of dwindling sales because of the economy,” Laflamme said. “In many areas contractors are losing work because of the attack of the large national companies seeking ever increasing market share”.
There’s no doubt about it, the economic recession has taken its toll on the landscape industry. Design/build jobs have shrunk or disappeared. Backlogs are a fraction, if anything, of what they used to be. Lawn and landscape contractors are fighting to hang on to jobs, margins and even their employees.
“In one week I received five calls asking how to boost sales,” Laflamme said.
“Two company owners told me they were seriously thinking of hiring full-time sales people, but needed help because they didn’t have a sales program.”
The 2009 season is winding down and contractors are taking stock of their contracts, clientele and financial goals for 2010. “For next year to be successful, a focused sales plan needs to be in place and salesmanship must be top-notch. If your team is not ready for the challenge then your company may be at risk,” he said. “In the past we were just order takers said one account manager but no longer”.
To address this business need, Laflamme developed the Harvest Sales Success Program, an in-house sales program designed for the owner, account managers and full-time sales people, whether experienced or new. “If the people involved in sales in your organization could use a good dose of hands-on customized training to get motivated to sell, then this is just the medicine they need,” he said.
In one case, Laflamme said, by “tweaking the sales presentation and the content in the proposal package one landscape contractor increased his annual profit by 50 percent.”
Laflamme will travel to your business and present a customized program that will prepare and motivate your sales force to identify the right prospects for your firm, build quality client relationships, deliver targeted proposals and close the deal on jobs of all sizes. Laflamme’s sales course can be delivered in single, one-and-a-half or two-day sessions.
The face-to-face, interactive sales training program begins in October and is available on a first-come, first serve basis. The course outline includes, but is not limited to:
- Why should I hire you?
- Should I give unsolicited bids?
- Getting past the gatekeepers.
- Getting the prospect on the phone.
- How to find out the budget.
- Handling objections.
- Great presentation folders.
- Ask for the job.
- It’s not over until it’s over.
- It’s still all about the relationship.
According to Laflamme, what you do in the next few months can make or break your 2010 season. “Get your team, not just on-board, but excited by pushing through this crazy down turn with new skills ready to take this coming year by storm.”
Contact Ed Laflamme today and sign-on for a sales course tailored specifically to your needs. He can be reached at or 203/858-4696 and see for more information.
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