Things to include: Letter thanking the prospect for his or her interest Information about your company A flier and brochure Your qualifications Testimonials and referencesFor commercial accounts, you should draw up a written contract specifically stating what you will and will not do for the agreed upon price. Be very specific in your contract. Always include payment terms. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, contracts for the sale of services or goods in excess of $500 must be inwriting to be legally enforceable.

Some people think landing commercial accounts are impossible. Not so. If you are first starting out, I would recommend going after smaller commercial properties. Once you become established and have larger equipment this will allow you to bid on largercontracts such as apartment complexes, industrial centers, and big businesses.

You probably need to drive around your area and find some businesses you would like to maintain. Meet with the manager face to face and ask who does their lawn care maintenance. Tell them you would like to be put on the bidders list.

I always asked if they were happy with the service they were receiving and if they would like to see anything done differently. This already shows that you care about their needs.

Remember, if this business is in a high traffic area, you are assured to get work from other people seeing your signs on your truck and trailer.

If you prefer not to meet with the manager face to face,First steps1) Call the commercial property you are interested in and ask them when bidding will be done. You usually need to speak with the purchasing manager.

2) Ask them to put you on their bid list.

3) Always get the name of the person you talk with so that you can start building up a rapport immediately.

4) Send a professional sales letter directly to the company explaining your services and qualifications.

You should be notified when work comes up for bid. If you receive a bid request you do not want to bid on, include a thank you letter for contacting you and tell them you are not bidding on this particular job, but you want to continue to stay on the bidlist.

You need to be competitive when pricing commercial accounts. Thatis why it is important to know your competition and their prices.

For commercial businesses, you usually don’t get paid for the work you have done until 30 to 60 days later. This is a common practice for bigger commercial accounts.

Contact local, city, and county purchasing departments to land potential business.

Best of Luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Whiteside is the owner and editor of LawnForum.com Monthly, an online newsletter for lawn and landscape professionals. Get a FREE subscription here mailto:LawnForum@aweber.comHe is also the author of "Turn High Grass Into Cold Cash- How to Start the Ultimate Lawn Service" http://www.GrassToCash.comYou can use this article as long as the bylines are included.