By Neal Glatt

Set the Expectation

As we start the spring season, both new and experienced employees are beginning to do tasks they haven’t done in months.  To set expectations, every member of the team needs to revisit the basics to get back in the flow.  The best companies know that onboarding isn’t something that just happens the first week of the job, but rather is a continuous process of setting and revisiting expectations that should occur every season.  

Align your crew leaders by having them take our FREE Crew Leader Onboarding course as a group.  They’ll learn about the five roles of a crew leader, how to set goals, and why a culture of accountability and success can lead to amazing results.  Have a weekly meeting to discuss what they’ve learned and how you’ll implement changes immediately to keep everyone on the same page and pulling in the same direction.

Perfect the Process

This is the time of year when sales opportunities are everywhere.  The problem is that while some of these opportunities are perfect jobs, others are a complete waste of time.  Great salespeople know that cutting through the clutter is key to maximizing both sales and profit, especially when a short spring season limits the time to sell.

Having a written sales process allows everyone involved in sales to weed out prospects who aren’t ready to buy and leads to an average of 18% more revenue.  If you’re not sure where to start, or your team needs help qualifying, tracking results, or prospecting, check out our FREE Introduction to Sales course to develop the standardization that unlocks real success and saves time.

Plan the Future

One of the reasons it feels so difficult to stay up-to-date is because poor planning brings poor results.  When companies are scrambling in the spring rush, it leads to flaws in the fall rush and pathetic plowing operations.  But great companies break the cycle by thinking ahead and planning out their big initiatives well in advance.

Take this time to observe where operations need improvement and consider how you’ll adapt with our FREE Equipment Management course.  You’ll learn how to save thousands of dollars on capital investments with our Buy vs. Lease vs. Rent calculator and finally understand the total cost of ownership. Having an equipment strategy is key to operational efficiency and making sure that next season isn’t as insane as this one.

Improve Everywhere

These free tools are just the starting point.  GrowTheBench has courses on every topic that can improve your business including Account Management, Advanced Sales Techniques, Company Culture, Communication, CRM Software, Financial Management, Hiring for Talent, Landscape Basics, Risk Management, Service Providers, Snow Plowing, Time Management, and Work-Life Balance.  With our Monthly All-Access Pass, you can train up to 10 people on any and all of the courses for only $97 per month and cancel anytime.  What are you waiting for?