Making a Mark

The word professionalism gets thrown around a lot in the green industry, so much so that its meaning can become diluted and distorted. In one extreme it’s reduced to mere appearances, such as shiny trucks and spiffy uniforms. And in other instances it’s inflated to lofty but largely meaningless abstractions like “quality service.”

Matt Doerr has shiny trucks and provides quality work. But for him, professionalism is more than just logos and lip service. It’s a business model, a blueprint for operating his company.

Doerr focuses his attention as an owner and manager on the innumerable things that communicate professionalism to current and potential clients, and constantly on the lookout for what counteracts that message.

“When I meet a potential client I figure I have two minutes,” he says, “two minutes for them to size me and my company up, and also for me to size them up. I have to get across that we’re trustworthy; that despite all the stereotypes about small companies we’re uniquely capable of getting the job done right and that they’re trust in us will be well placed.

Most importantly, Doerr says, that message has to harmonize with everything the customer has ever heard and seen about the company. He says that means paying attention to all the signals, both large and subtle, the company is sending. “We have to maintain our focus and be as close to a 10 as possible in everything we do.”

Taking the long view

Doerr had a very specific vision for what he wanted his company to be when setting out three years ago, due in large part to his experience as an account manager for a larger company.

“I knew I wanted to focus on maintaining larger commercial properties, where we could focus our efforts on a relatively small number of accounts. I think we do our best on bigger properties, and we avoid a lot of drive time. And I didn’t want to compete on price in the residential market,” he says.

He continues to provide both commercial and residential application services, which he says has provided high margin and good cash flow. He had planned to grow the application side more, but with rising fuel and product costs he’s put most of his effort toward growing maintenance. He also added $160,000 in off-season revenue since last fall with seasonal decorating and snow removal.

Although the company did perform residential maintenance in its first season to establish itself, Doerr worked diligently to break into the commercial market. For efficiency’s sake he clustered residential work around a handful of commercial accounts, gradually drawing back from the former.

He invested considerable time in networking with the local business community, both as a means to meet potential clients but also as a source of support and advice. He continues to attend a business breakfast club on Thursday mornings, and a Christian business leader meeting Thursday afternoon.

“I think many get the wrong idea when they hear the word ‘networking,’ that it’s about glad-handing and name-dropping. But it’s not about that at all. I went into it wanting to develop genuine relationships and learn from others, and that’s exactly what has happened. It’s amazing how much business leaders have been willing to listen and help out on all kinds of issues.”

He also signed his company up with the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), through which he obtained his Certified Landscape Technician (CLT) status and is currently working toward passing the Certified Landscape Professional (CLP) exam. “It’s a great source of information and contacts, and the certification is a crucial credential for a company our size.”

Intelligence work

Doerr’s contacts have also given him invaluable insight into the market. “I was able to quickly learn who my potential customers were, who the contact is and when properties come up for renewal.”