Winning Strategies for Motivating Your Team
You can be the best contractor in the business. But if you can't motivate and empower your team, you won't get the results you need. Here are some ways to be a better leader:

Be an Encourager We all need encouragement. Top leaders encourage and inspire others to do more and become more than they ever thought possible.

Listen More and Talk Less Positive leaders don't just talk. They listen. They ask questions and really listen. Good leaders welcome suggestions on how they can improve.

Don't Complain When you complain you lose power, and credibility as a leader. Complaining creates a toxic environment, fostering even more complaining.

Share Positive Gossip - Be a leader who spreads positive news about teammates. "Joe is doing a really good job with the valve manifold." or "The Smiths are really happy with the way things turned out."

Stay positive and have a winning month!

The Team at North South Supply
Boost Your Business with Certification as a NDS Drainage Contractor
Class on October 28th from 2-4pm in Vero Beach
Property owners are looking for ways to address drainage issues to protect their property, and are turning to knowledgeable experts to help. This is a huge opportunity for you.
 
With the NDS Professional Drainage Contractor Course, you will learn the best practices for stormwater management, plus tools, resources, and expert advice you won’t find anywhere else.
 
Take the class at North South Supply. We're offering the class on October 28 from 2pm to 4pm at our Vero Beach store, then attend our Oktoberfest event after. Learn how you can grow your business with this high-demand service. Please RSVP with your North South rep.

NEW Kichler Landscape VLO 12V LED Mini Wall Wash
Kichler introduces a new VLO Mini Wall Wash fixture which allows you to easily switch between four lumen outputs: 150, 300, 450, and 600 lumens, to tune the output to the site conditions. The compact design hides easily and provides a NEMA 6x5 light distribution.
 
Additional Features and Benefits:
  • Lumen Effects System eliminates the need to open the fixture to install and replace lamps, supporting product longevity.
  • Flexible Lumen Levels allows field setting to changing needs. No bulbs to carry.
  • Sealed and fully encapsulated to safeguard from water ingress.
Make More Money by Adding Drainage to All of Your Projects
An effective drainage system is a profitable part of any project that, if overlooked, can result in costly damage to a property, creating unsatisfied customers and fewer referrals. By installing a drainage system with every project, you have the opportunity to grow business while improving your reputation.
 
Without proper drainage, excess irrigation and rainwater can damage a property. Until such damage is visibly apparent, most homeowners never consider a drainage system as a method to protect their property. Research shows that when drainage is recommended by the landscape contractor as a preventative measure, most homeowners accept this recommendation without hesitation. Homeowners rely on the expertise of the landscape contractor to ensure their landscape and property will be well protected from water damage and less susceptible to water damage.
 
Installing drainage not only helps your bottom line, but also adds value to your services by showcasing your expertise. 
5 Ways Landscape Contractors Can Be More Profitable
Top-performing contractors achieve more by taking an assertive approach. They demand better and achieve more.

Here are some ways leaders distinguish themselves:

1) They don't leave money on the table. They figure out a way to get paid for extras that the others give for free. They price based on what they think the client will be willing to pay, not just their cost of production.

2) They're picky about who they work for. If they sense anyone is going to be difficult to work with or resistant to paying a proper rate for their efforts, they drop them – fast – before wasting time.

3) They market their services repeatedly and consistently, even when they have a full backlog. They stay busy through the whole season and have a strong brand that attracts new customers.

4) They specialize. They develop unique expertise with certain services or customer types, making them the "go to company" for special needs. (And they perform this work more efficiently than others.)

5) They stand behind their work. Reputation matters. They don't cut corners and make excuses when they've made a mistake. A good reputation = a steady flow of quality customers.

Want to serve your clients better, serve your employees better and get an appropriate reward for your hard work? Have the courage to be a profit leader!
Make Every Drip Count with Rain Bird's Smart Irrigation Solutions
Many customers want to save water but worry that switching to water-efficient products will negatively affect the health of their lawn and garden. The truth is today’s smart irrigation solutions are an excellent way to deliver water exactly where it’s needed for a healthy, beautiful landscape.

Remember these tips when talking to your customers about their water-saving goals.

Tip #1: Pressure Regulation One of the easiest and fastest ways to save water is by using pressure regulation (PRS) to reduce excess pressure and wasteful misting and fogging. Save up to a gallon of water a minute using Rain Bird’s PRS technologies for sprays, rotors, and valves.

Tip #2: Prevent Low-point Drainage with Check Valves Eliminate low-point drainage in irrigation systems, especially on slopes. Use XFS-CV Dripline and Xeri-Bug™ Emitters with check valves for drip systems. For overhead systems, use 1800 Series Sprays and 5000 Series Rotors with optional Seal-A-Matic (SAM) check valves.

Tip #3: Identify Leaks with Flow Indicating Basket Filter Identify and troubleshoot leaks in drip systems using a Rain Bird Flow Indicating Basket Filter, an all-in-one solution that provides flow measurement, filtration and pressure regulation.

Tip #4: Convert to Drip with Easy Kit Easily convert an overhead irrigation zone to drip with time saving, easy to install solutions from Rain Bird. The Rain Bird Spray-to-Drip Retrofit Kit includes everything you need to convert up to 400 square feet to water-saving drip irrigation.
How to Get More GREAT On-Line Reviews for Your Business
Consumers are strongly influenced by on-line reviews. When customers search on-line, it is easy for them to see each company's review score and to read candid reviews.
 
Upset customers take out their frustrations by posting bad reviews. Once you have a bad review, it's very hard to make it go away. If you have more good reviews, the occasional bad one will be less of an emergency!
 
How do you grow your list of positive ratings and reviews?  Do a mix of these things:
 
Be worthy of a great review. Deliver an experience that stands out from what's expected. Taking time to slow down and answer clients questions (and asking if they have more) is a winning technique. Sending automated messages to the client that confirm appointments and let clients know when the technician is on the way is also memorable in today's environment.
 
Have the technician leave a card with the customer requesting a review. The card should provide encouragement and instructions on how to gather the review.
 
Provide a means for the customer to easily click to complete a review. Modern software provides a follow-up method to collect reviews automatically. Contractors using this software see a 200-300% increase in review rates.
 
Go back to past customers.  Reach out to past clients and ask them to review you. This can also trigger them to order new services.