WEBVTT 00:00:29.870 --> 00:00:33.590 Welcome back to the Lawn Hustle Podcast, where 00:00:33.590 --> 00:00:38.149 we talk about real growth, real systems, and 00:00:38.149 --> 00:00:42.729 real strategy for the service -based businesses. 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:46.770 Today we're breaking down three things that every 00:00:46.770 --> 00:00:51.929 business owner needs to understand. What marketing 00:00:51.929 --> 00:00:57.310 actually is. How Google can help your business 00:00:57.310 --> 00:01:03.359 grow. and how AI is becoming a real advantage 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:08.239 in the service industry. Tonight, we have a special 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:12.379 guest with us, Ezra McCarthy with Green Frog 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:17.459 Web Design. This is his second interview on the 00:01:17.459 --> 00:01:20.879 Lawn Hustle podcast. Ezra, thanks for joining 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:25.640 the Lawn Hustle. Andy, it is sure good to talk 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:28.790 to you again and... I missed you at Equip this 00:01:28.790 --> 00:01:31.650 year, but I plan on being there in 26 last year. 00:01:32.129 --> 00:01:34.030 I had lunch with you there, and I missed my lunch 00:01:34.030 --> 00:01:37.730 appointment this year. I looked for you, and 00:01:37.730 --> 00:01:41.849 I couldn't find you. Yep. I was a long ways away. 00:01:43.049 --> 00:01:47.150 I asked some of the other guys, Tony Rudolph 00:01:47.150 --> 00:01:51.170 and Aaron Sutter and some different ones, if 00:01:51.170 --> 00:01:53.590 they had seen you or if they knew if you were 00:01:53.590 --> 00:01:57.650 there. but look forward to seeing you this year. 00:01:59.609 --> 00:02:02.829 So let's get started. Can you tell us a little 00:02:02.829 --> 00:02:06.829 bit? For those who are listening that don't know 00:02:06.829 --> 00:02:10.789 you, tell us your background and how you work 00:02:10.789 --> 00:02:15.990 with service -based businesses. Well, Andy, the 00:02:15.990 --> 00:02:18.330 story really goes back to, it would have been 00:02:18.330 --> 00:02:22.949 January of 2021. My wife and I moved, it was 00:02:22.949 --> 00:02:28.289 right around 1420 some miles to Greenville, Texas. 00:02:28.669 --> 00:02:31.409 We had a nine month old, I was pastoring. And 00:02:31.409 --> 00:02:33.710 for those of you who know pastoring, it is not, 00:02:34.110 --> 00:02:36.229 you don't get into it to make a lot of money. 00:02:36.590 --> 00:02:38.949 So at that point we were making literally right 00:02:38.949 --> 00:02:43.520 around minimum wage and. The thing to do is start 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:47.960 a lawn care business, right? Not quite. So anyway, 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:51.180 we had to make ends meet, had a child, moved, 00:02:51.379 --> 00:02:53.419 weren't making much. So start a lawn care business, 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:56.159 something I'd always wanted to do. And within 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.020 three to six months, I realized the marketing 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:01.439 that I was doing, and I know you went over some 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:03.300 things that we're gonna talk about today and 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:05.699 some big topics. People say, what is marketing? 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:08.879 But I realized what I was doing on Google, getting 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.780 out there in front of my customers, that's how 00:03:10.780 --> 00:03:14.150 I got My second customer, my first customer was 00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:16.430 the church. And I'm trying to remember the numbers. 00:03:16.629 --> 00:03:19.310 It was something like $118 a month. Not much 00:03:19.310 --> 00:03:20.949 to build a business off, but it was a start. 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:24.349 But my second customer and onward basically was 00:03:24.349 --> 00:03:27.849 all from Google. But yet, as I looked around 00:03:27.849 --> 00:03:30.569 in our industry, we've got a lot of hardworking, 00:03:31.270 --> 00:03:34.530 amazing, kind, honest people in our industry. 00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:37.270 But yet most of them, they know how to work real 00:03:37.270 --> 00:03:40.639 hard. but they don't understand how Google works. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.939 They don't understand how having a website helps. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:45.900 They don't understand how it works. And what 00:03:45.900 --> 00:03:48.060 I found was literally within three to six months, 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:51.400 I was able to outrank on Google companies that 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:53.979 have been in my local market for 20 some years. 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:57.039 And I realized, hey, there's a big opportunity 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:01.319 here. So still do that long care business. Long 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.639 story short, that's how we pivoted into now helping 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:09.159 people with their marketing. and websites search 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:12.360 engine optimization. So when you think about 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:17.779 marketing today, what do you see most service 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:24.220 based businesses? What do you see them doing 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:29.420 wrong or what are they misunderstanding about 00:04:29.420 --> 00:04:34.480 the opportunity with Google and promoting their 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:37.620 business and ads and things like that? Sure. 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.740 I think something that really afflicts our industry 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:42.980 to answer your question is something called, 00:04:42.980 --> 00:04:47.199 I call the DIY mindset. So it's just like the 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.160 homeowner, those of you who do hardscaping, they 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:52.079 look at a picture in a magazine of this retaining 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:55.560 wall or this paper patio and they say, that doesn't 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:58.759 look hard, I can do that. So they go to Lowe's 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:02.180 and they buy it and they don't put down any, 00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:04.100 well, this isn't something I've done a whole 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:08.300 lot of, so excuse. my illiteracy but maybe they 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:10.019 don't put down the line, they don't put down 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:11.899 the crushed gravel, they don't compact it, they 00:05:11.899 --> 00:05:13.879 don't put in the edging around it, they don't 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:16.180 put the border in, and then they wonder why it 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:18.920 doesn't look good. And in marketing what some 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:22.220 people are missing is they don't know how to 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:24.120 do it and they say well I'm going to do it myself 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:28.699 but it just doesn't get done. So what most some 00:05:28.699 --> 00:05:30.699 people get wrong is Google makes their money 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:33.379 by giving the best results to people. And if 00:05:33.379 --> 00:05:36.319 we don't know what they want, what they value, 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:41.060 we're not gonna show up first because Google 00:05:41.060 --> 00:05:44.019 is only one click away. So if Google doesn't 00:05:44.019 --> 00:05:46.819 do a good job of providing the best companies, 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:48.720 people are just gonna go to DuckDuckGo, they're 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:52.060 gonna go to ChatGPT, and any other place that's 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:55.500 one click away. So as service businesses, we 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:58.459 need to show Google that we're the best option. 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:04.839 When it comes to building. your brand. Every 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:09.220 business has a brand, whether it is good or bad. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:13.660 We all have a brand. When you go to build your 00:06:13.660 --> 00:06:17.639 brand, do you feel like building a brand is more 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:21.079 than just your logo, more than just your truck 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:24.680 being wrapped, more than your shirts and your 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:29.000 hats? It is who you are. It's what people say 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:32.949 about you when you're not there. when you're 00:06:32.949 --> 00:06:36.170 not in the room, what are they saying about your 00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:42.009 business around the table or in a vehicle traveling 00:06:42.009 --> 00:06:48.310 down the road? So how can you tell customers 00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:54.310 to blend working on their brand, who they are, 00:06:55.170 --> 00:07:02.550 and tie that into promoting their business? Well, 00:07:02.550 --> 00:07:05.550 a brand really affects every single, I'll call 00:07:05.550 --> 00:07:09.350 it, touch point of the customer. A brand affects 00:07:09.350 --> 00:07:11.910 the business card when you hand it to somebody. 00:07:12.490 --> 00:07:14.490 I'll give you an example. I'm a big fan of a 00:07:14.490 --> 00:07:17.670 business called MyMiddleBusinessCards .com. I'm 00:07:17.670 --> 00:07:20.230 not an affiliate. I'm not selling it. I just 00:07:20.230 --> 00:07:23.949 really like it. I buy it. And I bought it. And 00:07:23.949 --> 00:07:26.370 I think, did I give you one, Andy? I think I, 00:07:26.370 --> 00:07:29.100 I hope I did. No, I don't have one. Oh! Next 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:31.120 time I see you, I need to give one. Equip, I'll 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.319 hold you to that. Okay, I'll have to bring stack. 00:07:34.860 --> 00:07:37.180 But I gave it to a customer one time and I bought 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:39.360 these for my lawn care business as well. I handed 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:41.259 it to a customer, we're going to do a garden 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:44.160 bed refresh. And the first words out of her mouth 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:48.220 were, wow, you're not going to be cheap. And 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:51.639 you know what? Perfect. That's what I want. Right. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:55.139 Because they're literally metal. Now, And have 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:57.019 you seen those credit cards that, as soon as 00:07:57.019 --> 00:07:59.579 you pick them up, you kind of feel it's a little 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:02.120 thicker? It's the same way with these business 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.540 cards. So you hand it to someone, and as soon 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:06.480 as they touch it, they look at it and they say, 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:10.379 wow. So branding, this is every aspect. When 00:08:10.379 --> 00:08:13.740 they go online, can they find you? Where are 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:15.720 you? What does it look like? What kind of pictures? 00:08:16.259 --> 00:08:18.759 If you're a fertilization and weed control company, 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.759 do you have a picture of a hardscape on the front? 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:24.290 If so, your brand isn't aligned. when you roll 00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:26.709 up in your trucks, is it some dumpy old truck 00:08:26.709 --> 00:08:28.829 that's beat up? And I know you have to start 00:08:28.829 --> 00:08:31.870 somewhere, but that's your brand. And then if 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:33.950 you give them a premium price quote, they're 00:08:33.950 --> 00:08:35.889 going to say, hey, wait a sec, they showed up 00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:38.629 30 minutes late, their truck looked dumpy, they 00:08:38.629 --> 00:08:40.850 gave me a cheap paper card, and they're trying 00:08:40.850 --> 00:08:43.730 to charge premium prices. We can see how that's 00:08:43.730 --> 00:08:46.350 clearly not aligned. But sometimes, as business 00:08:46.350 --> 00:08:48.389 owners, we don't put all these things together. 00:08:48.809 --> 00:08:51.870 And so brand, like you mentioned, is so much 00:08:51.870 --> 00:08:56.279 more The logo is part of it. Funny story here. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:59.779 I was helping a customer for the website and 00:08:59.779 --> 00:09:04.600 they sent me over a logo. It was so awful. This 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:07.679 is the worst I have ever seen. It was literally 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.379 bright green. Nothing wrong with that. I like 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:12.200 green. Green frog. Get it? But it was bright 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:15.919 green and it was just like janky text. There 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:19.059 was no logo. It was just green in a ugly block. 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:24.279 And I asked him, I said, Where did you get this? 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.059 And he's like, oh, I paid a local designer $50 00:09:27.059 --> 00:09:29.580 for it. And I told him, you paid him way too 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:34.759 much money. It was that bad. And I said, hey, 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:36.980 we're just going to help you. We got to get you 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:38.259 something better because I'm not putting this 00:09:38.259 --> 00:09:43.159 on a website we built. And OK, he spent $50 for 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.419 that logo. How much did that cost him? Probably 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:51.320 thousands of dollars of work. It was awful. it 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:54.620 no it's not just a logo but that does play into 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.019 it because that's another touch point we want 00:09:57.019 --> 00:10:00.139 every time for them to see that logo just like 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:03.759 apple apple doesn't slap their logo just on everything 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:07.539 and it's on purpose when you see it we associate 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:10.480 it with quality now what in the world does an 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.940 apple with a bite out of it have to do with computers 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:17.100 absolutely nothing but it's been associated with 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:20.460 quality for so long I'll give you an example. 00:10:20.580 --> 00:10:24.299 I bought an iPad and I spent probably $100 on 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:28.679 their stupid Apple pencil. It's just a stylist 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:32.000 in all reality. But yet I bought it because I 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.840 like Apple and I have way too much Apple stuff. 00:10:35.259 --> 00:10:38.740 And I was willing to buy it because of the brand. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.279 So in our landscape business, we're not selling 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:44.740 stylists, but everything that we do, every touch 00:10:44.740 --> 00:10:48.509 point that we have, what... and how are we representing 00:10:48.509 --> 00:10:51.330 ourselves to the customer. That will affect what 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:53.950 we can charge and how happy they're gonna be 00:10:53.950 --> 00:10:59.230 to pay for it. Absolutely. In your experience, 00:11:00.250 --> 00:11:03.990 what does effective marketing actually look like 00:11:03.990 --> 00:11:07.730 for a lawn care business or a service -based 00:11:07.730 --> 00:11:12.309 business? Well, give an example. I just, well... 00:11:12.330 --> 00:11:14.110 Maybe about a year, year and a half ago, I'd 00:11:14.110 --> 00:11:17.330 given someone a quote for a project, a $13 ,000 00:11:17.330 --> 00:11:20.929 project. And normally, I don't like to give ballparks 00:11:20.929 --> 00:11:22.850 when I'm there with the customer. But it was 00:11:22.850 --> 00:11:25.509 fairly straightforward. And I had rough numbers. 00:11:25.870 --> 00:11:28.830 So I was like, OK, it's going to be around $13 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:34.389 ,000. And I could tell he was not expecting that. 00:11:35.289 --> 00:11:39.009 He kind of just, oh. And I knew my price was 00:11:39.009 --> 00:11:42.399 fair. So I told him, hey. I'd encourage you go 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.679 get a couple more quotes because I knew and I 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:46.759 wasn't stressed. If I don't get it, I'm not worried 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:49.440 about it." He said, no, I'm not going to get 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:51.820 a couple more quotes. I was kind of taken back. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:55.360 I said, what? He said, no, I've looked at your 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.360 website. I've read through your reviews. I'm 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:02.000 not getting any other quotes. I've never forgotten 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:06.259 that. That's what branding does. It's really 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:08.519 easy in our industry the barrier to entry is 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:10.899 so low, but I was just talking to someone today 00:12:10.899 --> 00:12:13.879 about this Because the barrier to entry is so 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:17.139 low. There's so much junk and not people people 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:18.879 are valuable though I don't think we're saying 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:22.840 that but the business is they're just a Mow and 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:25.179 blow they don't care about quality. They're just 00:12:25.179 --> 00:12:26.960 trying to get a few extra bucks for the weekend. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:30.019 It's not People aren't trying to build a business. 00:12:30.019 --> 00:12:32.759 There's a lot of that in our industry. So if 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:36.419 we can show that we do quality work, that we 00:12:36.419 --> 00:12:38.159 have the premium brand, that we're going to be 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:43.200 there, then price is no longer the issue. People 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:46.279 care about your business, and that's when, if 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:51.419 I could say it, we truly have a brand. Well, 00:12:51.419 --> 00:12:56.240 when someone, their truck is wrapped or they 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:00.299 have uniforms on, they have hats on, that promote 00:13:00.299 --> 00:13:04.440 their business, When you go to give an estimate 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:10.159 and you pull up that first impression Because 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:14.240 they're not just paying to mow the yard They're 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:17.500 paying for your reputation they're paying for 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:23.759 your brand and when you dress the part and you 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:29.500 you act the part and you respond professionally 00:13:30.190 --> 00:13:34.330 then that just solidifies all that you're trying 00:13:34.330 --> 00:13:37.309 to accomplish in your business. When people just 00:13:37.309 --> 00:13:41.389 show up in a beat -down, beat -up truck with 00:13:41.389 --> 00:13:45.549 silk shorts on, with smiley faces all over them, 00:13:45.750 --> 00:13:50.169 and some dirty, rotten -looking hat that says 00:13:50.169 --> 00:13:55.049 the Cubs on it. No, I take that back. I love 00:13:55.049 --> 00:13:59.659 Cubs fans. But, you know... When you don't look 00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:04.419 professional, that's when I said everyone has 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:08.340 a brand, whether it's good or bad. And who would 00:14:08.340 --> 00:14:12.899 you trust more to give the care of your property 00:14:12.899 --> 00:14:16.360 to someone who is branded, someone who has a 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:21.080 nice vehicle, nice mowers, nice setup, or someone 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:23.539 that just rolls up in a truck that's leaking 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:28.789 the oil out on the driveway. There's no professionalism 00:14:28.789 --> 00:14:32.129 there. I'm going to go with a professional every 00:14:32.129 --> 00:14:35.210 time. And I think that's what a lot of people 00:14:35.210 --> 00:14:37.389 are doing. Cause when they go to your website 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:40.809 or they go to your Google page and they see your 00:14:40.809 --> 00:14:44.710 vehicle. And when you pull up, they think the 00:14:44.710 --> 00:14:47.870 professionals here, he's going to give us a good 00:14:47.870 --> 00:14:51.419 price, fair price. and he's going to do the job 00:14:51.419 --> 00:14:55.159 in a professional manner. So it's all about building 00:14:55.159 --> 00:15:00.299 a brand, building an identity, and trying to 00:15:00.299 --> 00:15:05.259 promote yourself as a man of integrity, a man 00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:08.159 of honesty, and someone that works with the spirit 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:16.200 of excellence. So do you buy into, and I've heard 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:22.570 this on several podcasts, Don't try for perfection. 00:15:23.149 --> 00:15:29.950 Just try for consistency. Does consistency override 00:15:29.950 --> 00:15:37.649 that professional effort? Or does the professional 00:15:37.649 --> 00:15:43.289 effort take precedent over consistency? Well, 00:15:43.289 --> 00:15:46.649 I don't think it's an either or. Now, obviously, 00:15:46.669 --> 00:15:48.769 if you're sloppy, that's not what I'm talking 00:15:48.769 --> 00:15:54.429 about. But I don't think it's just one or the 00:15:54.429 --> 00:15:57.090 other. I think you can be consistent and professional. 00:15:57.490 --> 00:15:59.250 And obviously, there are times where even if 00:15:59.250 --> 00:16:01.870 you're trying to do your best, you or your team 00:16:01.870 --> 00:16:04.549 is going to make a mistake. But then how do you 00:16:04.549 --> 00:16:06.970 handle it? I was just talking on a podcast with 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:11.450 a customer, and one of his arborists had just 00:16:11.450 --> 00:16:13.970 destroyed this Japanese maple, just destroyed 00:16:13.970 --> 00:16:17.509 it. Some people, I don't know anything about 00:16:17.509 --> 00:16:21.610 trees. I could tell someone butchered it and 00:16:21.610 --> 00:16:24.350 I can cut a limb off, but I don't know the different 00:16:24.350 --> 00:16:26.190 names and everything, but this customer, he knew 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:29.110 the Japanese maple, he loved this tree. So you 00:16:29.110 --> 00:16:31.990 can imagine, he called, the guy's name was Seth, 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:35.590 he called Seth ticked off, I mean ticked off. 00:16:37.309 --> 00:16:39.169 And Seth went over there, he had been a customer 00:16:39.169 --> 00:16:41.450 a long time and he said, hey, I'm sorry, we're 00:16:41.450 --> 00:16:43.429 gonna try to come back and fix this. Our team 00:16:43.429 --> 00:16:46.299 member made a mistake. If we have to, we'll literally 00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:49.720 replant a tree for you. Now, had they made a 00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:53.279 mistake? Yes. The team member really messed up. 00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:55.659 And he said he has no idea why. He should have 00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:57.879 known better. He just made, I don't know. He 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.259 doesn't know. But he had done his best to make 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:03.159 it up to the customer. And so the customer is, 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:05.079 I believe, still with him today, years later. 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:08.799 And so I don't think it's professional or consistent. 00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:11.779 I think we can be both. Mistakes do happen. But 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:14.569 then how do we handle those? when the time comes. 00:17:15.670 --> 00:17:19.309 And that goes a long way towards building your 00:17:19.309 --> 00:17:22.769 brand. Because that word is going to get out 00:17:22.769 --> 00:17:26.769 to people. He stands behind his work. If there's 00:17:26.769 --> 00:17:30.930 a mistake, he'll own it and take care of it. 00:17:31.430 --> 00:17:37.170 So let me ask you this, why or what is a few 00:17:37.170 --> 00:17:42.069 simple marketing habits that every business owner 00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:48.309 should have in place. I'd say the best, and it's 00:17:48.309 --> 00:17:52.230 free, is called Google Business Profile. Now, 00:17:52.329 --> 00:17:54.410 literally, this is something I was absolutely 00:17:54.410 --> 00:17:57.750 maniacal about, and I want to share that mania 00:17:57.750 --> 00:18:01.690 with you, because literally it changed my life. 00:18:02.349 --> 00:18:06.150 Get real reviews from every single one of your 00:18:06.150 --> 00:18:09.980 customers. Treat it like Andy and I are hiding 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:11.920 in your backseat and every time you get a review 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.400 we slip a couple hundred dollars in your back 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:16.759 pocket because that's what the customer just 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:19.640 did and you didn't even know it. Those Google 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:21.759 reviews, let me tell you how important they are. 00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:24.539 One, they help pre -sell the work before you 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:28.599 ever get there. Two, people read them and three, 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:32.589 it's going to drastically affect how many people 00:18:32.589 --> 00:18:34.329 buy from you. It's going to affect your search 00:18:34.329 --> 00:18:36.309 engine optimization. It's going to affect your 00:18:36.309 --> 00:18:38.509 lead flow. It's going to affect your website 00:18:38.509 --> 00:18:41.009 rankings. Now, obviously there's more that goes 00:18:41.009 --> 00:18:44.289 into that, but it is so valuable. It's free. 00:18:44.890 --> 00:18:46.970 Every single one of your customers, every single 00:18:46.970 --> 00:18:49.750 job you go into, you should be thinking, how 00:18:49.750 --> 00:18:52.190 can I serve this customer so well? They want 00:18:52.190 --> 00:18:54.569 to leave a review. It will affect how you serve 00:18:54.569 --> 00:18:57.069 the customer and it will affect on the back end 00:18:57.069 --> 00:19:03.039 what happens after. I get an update from Google 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:08.680 concerning my Google page and I had 89 visits, 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:14.019 this last report I got, with 17 phone calls. 00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:20.500 Not one missed phone call. When you advertise, 00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:26.099 answer your phone. It blows my mind how many 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:30.460 people they can do good work. They can stripe 00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:33.640 a yard. They can trim the hedges. They can make 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:37.559 everything look great. But they're very poor 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:44.119 at returning phone calls and follow up and securing 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:48.519 the job. Because if someone tries to call me 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:52.660 and I don't answer the phone, if I don't return 00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:56.099 that phone call within, I would say five or six 00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:59.029 minutes. They've already moved on to the next 00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:03.009 person or the next business on the list and That's 00:20:03.009 --> 00:20:07.569 a great thing about Google. They offer options 00:20:07.569 --> 00:20:14.970 and those options To me keep me on my toes because 00:20:14.970 --> 00:20:19.170 I know if If I don't return a phone call if I 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:22.789 don't try to secure the estimate, you know, there's 00:20:22.789 --> 00:20:26.319 businesses here in town that are smaller than 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:30.160 I am. Maybe the guy is more hungry than I am. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.460 I don't know what the case is, but they're going 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:35.500 to return that phone call because they need the 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:39.079 work, they need the job. So I want to encourage 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:42.019 our listeners, when you go to build your brand, 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:49.160 also add into your effort developing a habit 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:53.920 of answering your phone and returning phone calls. 00:20:54.509 --> 00:20:56.769 Because Google will track that and tell you how 00:20:56.769 --> 00:20:59.630 many phone calls you missed you know, how many 00:20:59.630 --> 00:21:01.569 phone calls you got versus how many phone calls 00:21:01.569 --> 00:21:05.890 you missed and We're trying to build a business. 00:21:05.930 --> 00:21:11.789 So don't lose an opportunity for that And I just 00:21:11.789 --> 00:21:14.809 want to add in here. Our whole goal is to reduce 00:21:14.809 --> 00:21:18.869 friction. So if we pick up quickly I was just 00:21:18.869 --> 00:21:21.329 talking to a customer today or potential customer. 00:21:21.690 --> 00:21:22.690 They're like, yeah, I was trying to give it to 00:21:22.690 --> 00:21:24.730 my marketing guy and he won't get back with me. 00:21:24.990 --> 00:21:27.190 And the guy was literally trying to buy more 00:21:27.190 --> 00:21:30.170 services from him. And this is the same way in 00:21:30.170 --> 00:21:33.869 the lawn care space. I talked to a customer and 00:21:33.869 --> 00:21:36.390 they're like, yeah, you're the fifth person I've 00:21:36.390 --> 00:21:38.109 called and the first person to answer the phone. 00:21:38.690 --> 00:21:41.730 What a great opportunity. And what a great opportunity 00:21:41.730 --> 00:21:45.190 to set yourself apart. And I just want to put 00:21:45.190 --> 00:21:47.700 in a little rant here. So I originally called 00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:52.039 a landscape company and I got AI on the phone. 00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:55.279 Okay, could go well. So I said, okay, I need 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:57.859 to talk to, I knew the guy. So I said his name. 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:01.759 It waited 15 seconds. It half said something 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:04.319 and I'm like, no, that's not what I need. It 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:08.000 fritzed out after like a minute and it's stalled 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.759 out. I ended up just like hanging up. I'm like, 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:14.200 forget it. Can you imagine how many customers 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:18.500 that business lost? I do not understand why they 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:22.019 would not function test their first point of 00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:24.740 contact with potential customers and you're putting 00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:28.480 frustrations in the way. So I'm not anti -AI. 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:32.440 I use it every day for like too long with my 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:36.200 work for hours a day. But don't introduce friction. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.799 If we can make it easier for our customers, even 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:43.130 in the smallest way. We need to reduce friction. 00:22:43.430 --> 00:22:46.250 I'm so obsessed with that. I'll even try to pare 00:22:46.250 --> 00:22:49.170 down my contact form till it's like four or five 00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:54.730 things. I don't need to know their middle child's 00:22:54.730 --> 00:22:57.849 initial for them to get a quote. I don't need 00:22:57.849 --> 00:22:59.829 to know their zip code. I need to know where 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:02.130 they live, what they want, and what their phone 00:23:02.130 --> 00:23:04.710 number and email is. We don't need 50 things 00:23:04.710 --> 00:23:06.390 unless you have so many customers. You're like, 00:23:06.890 --> 00:23:09.170 hey, I want them to write an essay before they 00:23:09.170 --> 00:23:11.480 can work with me. Put all that in your contact 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:14.380 form. But if not, reduce friction wherever possible. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.980 I had a customer call, wanted a price to take 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:24.859 over their lawn maintenance. And when I answered 00:23:24.859 --> 00:23:27.759 the phone, she said, I'm shocked you answered 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:30.779 the phone. She said, you're the first business 00:23:30.779 --> 00:23:33.720 that answered the phone. And she said, I really 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:35.859 don't care what you charge. I want you to do 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:38.680 it. because you put forth the effort to answer 00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:43.119 the phone. So look at all the money that people 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:46.079 are leaving on the table because they don't answer 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:49.099 their phone. You know, I show up and I tell her 00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:52.640 it's going to be $65. She said, well, it's more 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:56.660 than the last guy, but I want you to do it. And 00:23:56.660 --> 00:24:00.579 I'm still servicing that property today. And 00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:04.099 that's been several years ago. And I got it. 00:24:04.190 --> 00:24:06.410 Not because I'm the biggest, not because I'm 00:24:06.410 --> 00:24:10.869 the best, but because I answered my phone. So, 00:24:11.049 --> 00:24:16.609 it's very important. How can business owners 00:24:16.609 --> 00:24:23.250 market their service without feeling like they're 00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:28.089 being too pushy? Well, I think sales has a bad 00:24:28.089 --> 00:24:30.069 name and I recently had a conversation with someone 00:24:30.069 --> 00:24:34.690 about this. Sales is service. That's all it is. 00:24:35.269 --> 00:24:38.029 If we're going trying to stick a vacuum in someone's 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:41.769 pocket and take all their money, that's not how 00:24:41.769 --> 00:24:45.470 businesses should operate. How do I stay in business? 00:24:45.609 --> 00:24:47.910 I stay in business by serving people so they 00:24:47.910 --> 00:24:50.849 consistently want to give me money, because the 00:24:50.849 --> 00:24:52.509 value that I'm giving them is more than what 00:24:52.509 --> 00:24:56.950 I'm charging. And so marketing is telling people, 00:24:57.130 --> 00:25:01.150 hey, I can help, I can serve you. by these services. 00:25:01.730 --> 00:25:04.990 It should be a great thing. We're serving our 00:25:04.990 --> 00:25:08.430 community. We're serving people. I mean, there's 00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:11.049 so many, no matter what stage of business you're 00:25:11.049 --> 00:25:13.730 in, we're serving our community, even if it's 00:25:13.730 --> 00:25:15.109 our team members, they're on the front line, 00:25:15.130 --> 00:25:17.589 or if it's you. There's so many amazing people 00:25:17.589 --> 00:25:19.890 I've met in my lawn care business. There's one 00:25:19.890 --> 00:25:23.069 lady, I've lived, I moved like three years ago, 00:25:23.450 --> 00:25:26.369 and my wife and I still text her. She sent us 00:25:26.369 --> 00:25:28.599 something, we're fixing to have a baby. she sent 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:33.019 us something like and I met her through servicing 00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:38.460 her lawn a really nice lady and I actually I'm 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:40.420 a pastor I actually ended up preaching her mom's 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:45.160 funeral that's a long story but a wonderful lady 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:47.180 that I met through that and I have other people 00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:51.859 that you just never know so marketing is not 00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:55.140 about taking what you shouldn't it's about giving 00:25:56.679 --> 00:25:59.440 people the opportunity for us to serve them. 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:02.680 And if we go into it with that mindset, then 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:07.180 it changes how we do it. Let's take a short break 00:26:07.180 --> 00:26:11.279 and let's hear a word from my sponsor. Did you 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.059 know that bookkeeping is one of the first things 00:26:13.059 --> 00:26:15.039 you should outsource before scaling your company? 00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:17.799 Hey guys, it's Joey with the Landscaping Bookkeeper 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:19.599 and I wanted to personally invite you to join 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:21.720 our group of more than 50 lawn care owners that 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:23.559 have decided to track and learn their numbers. 00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:26.339 With the Landscaping Bookkeeper, you'll get monthly 00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:28.160 accountability and peace of mind knowing that 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:30.140 your business is on the right track financially. 00:26:30.900 --> 00:26:33.700 You can book a call with us by going to thelandscapingbookkeeper 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:36.160 .com and scheduling a 15 -minute phone call. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.559 I look forward to hearing from you guys. Thanks. 00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:43.039 If you're looking for bookkeeping service, contact 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:47.900 Joey and Megan Coberly, the Landscaping Bookkeeper, 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:52.059 and schedule that free 15 -minute phone call. 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:56.880 Let them take a look and a dive into your books. 00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:00.700 We're back with Ezra McCarthy, Green Frog Web 00:27:00.700 --> 00:27:05.640 Design. Tonight we're talking about marketing 00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:13.579 and branding. So why is Google sets a critical 00:27:13.579 --> 00:27:19.500 platform for service business owners? I'm sorry, 00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:21.559 you cut out right there. Andy, do you mind repeating 00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:24.869 that question? Why is Google such a critical 00:27:24.869 --> 00:27:30.970 platform for service -based industry? So things 00:27:30.970 --> 00:27:35.390 are shifting very fast, but still, high -intent 00:27:35.390 --> 00:27:38.890 customers are still going to Google. What do 00:27:38.890 --> 00:27:41.430 you mean by that, Ezra? What I'm saying when 00:27:41.430 --> 00:27:43.950 I say high -intent is people who are looking 00:27:43.950 --> 00:27:46.630 for your service, not people who are looking 00:27:46.630 --> 00:27:50.289 at the 50th cap mean of the day on social media. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:55.279 but people who want your service now. And that's, 00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:57.720 just about all of us, that's the kind of customers 00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:00.059 we want. People who want, have money in their 00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:04.160 pocket, needs served, now. So Google is still 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:06.559 the best place. And personally, I've tried to 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:09.759 look for local services. I'm a big chat GPT user. 00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:12.519 I've used some of the other platforms. I've tried 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:16.519 to use it for local services. It doesn't, it's 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:19.619 just not as good yet. Now, Google has lots of 00:28:19.619 --> 00:28:21.819 problems and we could talk all about the problems 00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:24.700 they have, but it's still the best for local 00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:26.920 services. Will that change in the next five to 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:29.440 ten years? Probably. They're already shifting 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.440 some, but still it's not there. Most high -intent 00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:37.539 traffic is on Google, so as service -based businesses, 00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:41.220 we want to be number one where our customers 00:28:41.220 --> 00:28:52.430 are searching. Google search compared to social 00:28:52.430 --> 00:28:59.349 media. If you had to focus on one thing, would 00:28:59.349 --> 00:29:05.910 you advise people to focus on Google or focus 00:29:05.910 --> 00:29:11.289 on a social media platform? So there's a really 00:29:11.289 --> 00:29:15.230 good book literally by that topic. One thing 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:18.000 great book, something Keller, now I'm forgetting 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:19.960 his first name, but tremendous book, it's called 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:24.160 The One Thing. And it posits the question, if 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:27.859 only one thing, if you could just do one thing 00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:30.039 that would completely make all the other goals 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:34.319 basically happen, what would it be? And I can 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:38.019 guarantee you, for most of us, if we were number 00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:41.319 one on Google in your local market, you wouldn't 00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:44.500 have to worry about anything else. So that's 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:46.819 where I would focus. There's businesses that 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:48.740 we've helped get there. And let me tell you a 00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:51.420 secret. I'll tell you a secret, Andy, and the 00:29:51.420 --> 00:29:55.019 listeners. You want to rank number one on ChatGPT? 00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:58.119 You want to rank number one on Google? Or not 00:29:58.119 --> 00:30:02.740 on Google, on AI platforms? Here's how. Google 00:30:02.740 --> 00:30:07.339 SEO. If you rank number one on Google, that is 00:30:07.339 --> 00:30:10.380 going to translate right now, now two years from 00:30:10.380 --> 00:30:12.349 now, I can't guarantee this is the case, but 00:30:12.349 --> 00:30:14.829 across lots of case studies we've seen in our 00:30:14.829 --> 00:30:19.410 business, ranking number one on Chatchie BT comes 00:30:19.410 --> 00:30:24.309 back to just Google SEO. Right now, it's the 00:30:24.309 --> 00:30:27.750 same thing. What are some common mistakes that 00:30:27.750 --> 00:30:31.430 you see business owners make when it comes to 00:30:31.430 --> 00:30:36.950 their Google presence? Not focusing on it. I've 00:30:36.950 --> 00:30:40.950 seen multi -million dollar businesses just not 00:30:40.950 --> 00:30:43.089 even paying attention. They've got eight reviews, 00:30:43.130 --> 00:30:46.210 half of them are bad. And I'm like, this doesn't 00:30:46.210 --> 00:30:49.549 make any sense. You're literally leaving so much 00:30:49.549 --> 00:30:52.309 money on the table. And as you no doubt know, 00:30:52.369 --> 00:30:55.470 Andy, a lot of these commercial people ask me, 00:30:55.529 --> 00:30:57.150 and they say, okay, how do I get commercial work? 00:30:57.910 --> 00:31:01.410 What I noticed, at least where I was, a lot of 00:31:01.410 --> 00:31:03.690 property managers would be out of state or out 00:31:03.690 --> 00:31:06.609 of town. And people don't talk to their neighbors 00:31:06.609 --> 00:31:08.579 now, they're not. Most people are not asking 00:31:08.579 --> 00:31:10.680 their neighbors, who do you have for lawn care? 00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:13.779 And especially commercial work as well. They're 00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:15.980 property managers in another town, another state. 00:31:16.339 --> 00:31:19.200 So how do they find a lawn care business? They 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:23.000 search on Google. And so most the mistake I see 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:25.440 is most businesses just aren't paying attention 00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:28.500 to it. They're word of mouth. And don't get me 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:31.440 wrong, that's very valuable. But that's just 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:34.759 not enough in our day and age. You mentioned 00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:40.460 earlier. Ask every customer for a review. What 00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:44.799 is the best way to ask a customer for a review? 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:48.059 A lot of people are intimidated to ask. And I 00:31:48.059 --> 00:31:51.099 don't know if that is because of maybe their 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:55.920 service isn't up to par or what's going on there. 00:31:56.220 --> 00:32:00.039 But what is your best advice to our listeners 00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:06.599 on how they can properly ask for a review? Well, 00:32:06.599 --> 00:32:08.839 I'd like to address first the fear that you mentioned, 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:11.119 and I've heard people say this. They said, I'm 00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:12.680 worried. Basically, they're worried they're going 00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:18.380 to get a bad review. Here's the thing. At this 00:32:18.380 --> 00:32:20.700 point, we do review automation for some of our 00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:25.059 search engine optimization customers. And out 00:32:25.059 --> 00:32:27.259 of the literally thousands of review requests 00:32:27.259 --> 00:32:31.559 that we've sent out, on one hand, I count the 00:32:31.559 --> 00:32:33.859 bad reviews under four stars that we've gotten. 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:38.119 unless you absolutely blow it. And if you blow 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:40.900 it, you're gonna know. You're not gonna have 00:32:40.900 --> 00:32:44.359 to wonder, you know, like that guy who just destroyed 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:46.900 the maple tree and then he's not saying, oh, 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:51.099 can we get a review today? No. So that fear is 00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:54.579 unfounded. Second, you asked, okay, how do we 00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:56.619 ask it? The best way that I found is through 00:32:56.619 --> 00:32:59.019 text because there's some crazy stats I've seen 00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:02.700 within 10 seconds. Most people, look and read 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:05.720 a text message. So through text, and you can 00:33:05.720 --> 00:33:08.619 go on your Google Business profile, get a link. 00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:10.299 I think we actually talked about this when we 00:33:10.299 --> 00:33:12.220 met for our meal there at Equip. You can get 00:33:12.220 --> 00:33:15.279 that link, text it to all your customers. Now 00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:18.420 don't do it all at once, trickle it out. I recommend 00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:20.900 set a calendar on your phone. If you have office 00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:23.900 staff, either secretary, have her send it out, 00:33:24.259 --> 00:33:26.980 however you do it. make a consistent schedule 00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:30.059 to send out those reviews. Or say you're doing 00:33:30.059 --> 00:33:33.019 a landscaping project, you do a customer walkthrough, 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:35.740 sweet Sue is so thrilled with you. You say, Sue, 00:33:36.059 --> 00:33:37.980 thank you so much. I appreciate that you're glad 00:33:37.980 --> 00:33:41.240 for this job. Can I text you right now a link? 00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:43.980 It takes five seconds. Just leave a quick review. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:46.220 This helps other people find us. That's literally 00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:49.400 the exact words that I use. And she says, oh, 00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:52.160 of course. I text her right there. I pull my 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:56.559 phone, I text her. Ding. It's in her phone. There 00:33:56.559 --> 00:34:01.380 you go. Simple as that. Will someone leave a 00:34:01.380 --> 00:34:04.500 review? Bad review at some time? Probably, but 00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:06.519 that's okay because we're going to have asked 00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:11.920 so many people that it's okay. And if that happens, 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:15.079 it makes your business look realistic because 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:17.880 you know what? People know. If you have 100 reviews 00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:20.460 and two are bad, that's not a problem. People 00:34:20.460 --> 00:34:24.039 know there's Karens on almost every block. Hopefully 00:34:24.039 --> 00:34:27.179 not more than one, but they're out there and 00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:31.420 everyone, we understand that. What is one action 00:34:31.420 --> 00:34:37.320 step that a service business owner can take this 00:34:37.320 --> 00:34:43.159 week to improve his visibility? I'll just go 00:34:43.159 --> 00:34:47.079 back to something real basic. One, add five photos 00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:49.500 to your website and we've already harped on it 00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:52.380 a bunch, so I'll just quickly say ask five people 00:34:52.380 --> 00:34:56.179 for a Google review. And here's a maybe call 00:34:56.179 --> 00:35:00.360 an ethical hack. If you have people that know 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:04.380 you and recommend you, now don't have them say 00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:06.619 that you've done work for them if you haven't, 00:35:06.619 --> 00:35:08.980 but if you have a friend that has referred work 00:35:08.980 --> 00:35:11.699 to you or would say, hey, would you mind leaving 00:35:11.699 --> 00:35:14.719 a review for my business? Just say, I know Andy 00:35:14.719 --> 00:35:17.559 has high character. I would recommend his business. 00:35:17.900 --> 00:35:21.289 That's an honest review. Integrity is very important. 00:35:21.670 --> 00:35:24.130 So be sure to clarify. Don't have them say you 00:35:24.130 --> 00:35:26.949 do work if you didn't. But you can even do that. 00:35:26.989 --> 00:35:28.829 Say you're just getting started. That's a great 00:35:28.829 --> 00:35:32.590 way to kind of prime the pump. What advice would 00:35:32.590 --> 00:35:37.590 you give a business owner who feels behind on 00:35:37.590 --> 00:35:41.369 marketing or on technology? You know, I've heard 00:35:41.369 --> 00:35:45.409 people say, I'm just not up on technology. What 00:35:45.409 --> 00:35:50.059 advice would you give them? for marketing their 00:35:50.059 --> 00:35:53.059 business. You don't have to learn everything 00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:55.280 yourself. Not that you have to hire me. There's 00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:57.420 other great people out there. But there are people 00:35:57.420 --> 00:36:00.099 who are doing podcasts. Podcasts have changed 00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:02.900 my life in a positive way. I love listening to 00:36:02.900 --> 00:36:05.699 them. I learn. I listen to hours a day most of 00:36:05.699 --> 00:36:08.360 the time. So we can learn from others. We don't 00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:11.719 have to master every single thing because one 00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:14.539 thing I've learned is we have to get maniacal. 00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:18.159 What we focus on grows. So we don't have time 00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:20.980 to focus on 10 things at once. And that's where 00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:23.159 a really good book by Dan Martell, Buy Back Your 00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:26.139 Time has been pivotal in my life as I've realized, 00:36:26.139 --> 00:36:29.739 okay, I can't do everything. I can't be a 10 00:36:29.739 --> 00:36:32.639 out of 10 car mechanic, grow my marketing business, 00:36:33.059 --> 00:36:36.179 call my customers back, care for my kids. And 00:36:36.179 --> 00:36:38.519 so just the other day I paid someone to change 00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:42.500 my oil. It was like a hundred and some dollars 00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:45.019 American. You say that's ridiculous. You can 00:36:45.019 --> 00:36:50.170 buy it. You can buy the oil and change it yourself. 00:36:50.170 --> 00:36:54.150 It's not that hard. I can do it. I'm smart. It's 00:36:54.150 --> 00:36:58.150 not hard. You can do it too. But I can pay someone 00:36:58.150 --> 00:37:01.150 to do it. I don't enjoy doing it. And while he 00:37:01.150 --> 00:37:03.769 was doing it, I was working. And so I bought 00:37:03.769 --> 00:37:07.030 back my time. I hate working on it. I would rather 00:37:07.030 --> 00:37:10.449 do that. And in our business, we can't do everything 00:37:10.449 --> 00:37:13.579 ourselves. And if we do, we're always going to 00:37:13.579 --> 00:37:16.280 stay really, really small. And for most of us 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:18.400 this year, that's probably one of our goals is 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:21.320 to grow our business. So we can't stay in that 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:25.079 DIY mindset. I'm glad you mentioned that book 00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:29.199 because it is an excellent book. And I encourage 00:37:29.199 --> 00:37:33.019 all of my listeners, if you have not read that 00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:38.280 book, go to Amazon right now and order, buy back 00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:43.110 your time. It will change your business. It will 00:37:43.110 --> 00:37:47.010 change your life. That's how powerful this book 00:37:47.010 --> 00:37:50.510 is. So I encourage you to do that. You mentioned 00:37:50.510 --> 00:37:54.329 podcast. You have started a podcast since our 00:37:54.329 --> 00:37:58.190 last show. Tell us about your podcast, the name 00:37:58.190 --> 00:38:02.730 of it, where people can find it. And I want to 00:38:02.730 --> 00:38:04.489 encourage my listeners because I've listened. 00:38:05.250 --> 00:38:08.469 I want to encourage you to subscribe. hit the 00:38:08.469 --> 00:38:11.030 notification button because you don't want to 00:38:11.030 --> 00:38:13.710 miss an episode. Tell us about your podcast. 00:38:14.849 --> 00:38:16.590 Well, it's very kind, Andy. That's something 00:38:16.590 --> 00:38:20.349 that I really enjoyed for a long time. And that's 00:38:20.349 --> 00:38:23.570 what got me started down this rabbit hole. Our 00:38:23.570 --> 00:38:26.769 podcast is called The Lawn Care Blueprint. And 00:38:26.769 --> 00:38:28.750 at the time of this recording, we just dropped 00:38:28.750 --> 00:38:32.250 episode 90. And one thing I really enjoy is it 00:38:32.250 --> 00:38:34.969 helps me network with other people, hear their 00:38:34.969 --> 00:38:39.369 stories. We've had Marcus Sheridan on. We've 00:38:39.369 --> 00:38:43.610 had Joey Coleman from Never Lose a Customer Again. 00:38:43.949 --> 00:38:45.730 It's another great book. I love reading if you 00:38:45.730 --> 00:38:48.250 haven't been able to tell already, but we've 00:38:48.250 --> 00:38:50.690 had amazing people. We've even had, you wouldn't 00:38:50.690 --> 00:38:54.230 believe who we had on Andy. We had Andy Wilson 00:38:54.230 --> 00:38:59.639 on a while back. I really enjoy it. We get to 00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:01.420 meet people, talk to them. We talked about growing 00:39:01.420 --> 00:39:04.440 a business, lessons we've learned along the way, 00:39:04.539 --> 00:39:09.119 and it's on Apple, Spotify, and we're just enjoying 00:39:09.119 --> 00:39:13.739 the journey. I want to tell our listeners, you 00:39:13.739 --> 00:39:18.139 don't want to wait until spring to start your 00:39:18.139 --> 00:39:22.300 marketing. If you wait till spring, you're already 00:39:22.300 --> 00:39:30.690 behind. Now is the time. To set your goals to 00:39:30.690 --> 00:39:38.309 begin to portray your your vision and What what 00:39:38.309 --> 00:39:40.369 do you expect out of your business if you wait 00:39:40.369 --> 00:39:44.150 till April When the grass is growing so fast, 00:39:44.150 --> 00:39:46.710 you can't keep up with it. You don't have time 00:39:46.710 --> 00:39:50.730 to think about marketing So you need to do that 00:39:50.730 --> 00:39:54.869 right now So when it's time to roll you're ready 00:39:54.869 --> 00:40:00.179 to roll So, where can listeners find you and 00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:03.519 how can they connect with you? Yeah, the best 00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:07.320 place to find me is just greenfrogwebdesign .com. 00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:09.300 And if you have a hard time with spelling, you 00:40:09.300 --> 00:40:13.159 can just type in ilovemyfrog .com and that will 00:40:13.159 --> 00:40:16.079 take you there too. Well, is there something 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:18.019 else that we're missing that you want to share 00:40:18.019 --> 00:40:22.320 with us about marketing, advertising, building 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:26.980 your brand? Andy, I think we did a pretty comprehensive. 00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:29.480 Obviously, we could go down several rabbit holes 00:40:29.480 --> 00:40:31.840 on any of those things, but I think we did a 00:40:31.840 --> 00:40:33.820 quick overview. I'd like to reiterate what you 00:40:33.820 --> 00:40:37.699 said. Don't start till March, April. Start now. 00:40:38.260 --> 00:40:40.099 I tell people when they ask me, when should I 00:40:40.099 --> 00:40:42.460 start this? I always tell them, when's the best 00:40:42.460 --> 00:40:46.539 time to plant a tree? Yesterday. So that's the 00:40:46.539 --> 00:40:49.539 same way with growing a business marketing. And 00:40:49.539 --> 00:40:51.920 something I noticed really early on, the more 00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.829 time I put into it, the better results I got 00:40:54.829 --> 00:40:58.110 and the less I had to sell and the easier it 00:40:58.110 --> 00:41:01.269 was to sell and that's my goal for those I serve 00:41:01.269 --> 00:41:04.670 in our business and those I help. Well I appreciate 00:41:04.670 --> 00:41:08.849 you being on the show again tonight. You're a 00:41:08.849 --> 00:41:12.150 friend and I look forward to seeing you again 00:41:12.150 --> 00:41:17.989 at Equip Expo and I appreciate you and we'll 00:41:17.989 --> 00:41:21.670 talk again on the next episode of The Lawn Hustle. 00:41:21.670 --> 00:41:25.929 Thank you for being a guest tonight. And God 00:41:25.929 --> 00:41:29.070 bless you. And we will talk again real soon. 00:41:29.610 --> 00:41:30.469 Thanks, Eddie.