This year’s theme for NALP’s LANDSCAPES 2020 virtual event in October is Learn, Connect, Grow – Like a Pro. In last week’s blog the enterprise value specialists at Ceibass started speculating about what is means to be a pro and how a pro is different from an amateur. Response to the blog Are You a Landscape Pro? was phenomenal. 

“We received lots of great feedback on what it means to be pro. Everything from the discipline that’s required, the mindset that’s needed, the dedication, the moods” said Tom Fochtman, Ceibass CEO. “The first thing about being a pro is that it is an intentional act. It must be declared. Another thing that is a constant is that a pro wants to know where they stand against other pros. They are competitive. They compare their performances to other pros. If you’re a landscape pro how do your profit margins compare to your competitors. How do your products and services stack up against the competition? Where are you in market share? Gaining share, losing share or just staying the same? Pros want to know. They are not afraid of the truth. They welcome the challenge.”

The team at Ceibass went on to identify other traits of lawn and landscape pros: 

Pros take customer satisfaction very seriously. They measure it.

Pros take great care to design and craft their sales conversations. They study selling and work a selling strategy.

Pros take on the obligations of effective and strategic marketing.

Pros think about and are in action to BUILD a strong team with trustworthy team members. They invest heavily in their employees. They hire and retain best-of-class middle and top management team members.

Pros get help. They hire consultants, take on the costs of bringing in new thinking and new expertise. They don’t try and figure things out for themselves.

Pros run their business as if they were trying to sell it. They keep things transparent, come up with plans, measure themselves against their plans, and then make changes to adapt to new circumstances.

Pros seek to produce competitive advantages for themselves by adopting new technologies or new products and services before they become obvious to their competitors.

Pros are very disciplined. The keep their commitments. They know that the currency in the marketplace is trust.

Pros resist the pressure to cut corners and fall into shortsighted expediency. They do not sacrifice discipline.

Pros seek to produce top tier profit levels.

Pros love technology. They know early adaption gives them an edge.

Pros lead with passion and enthusiasm.