Something unexpected happened last week at Grunder Landscaping: our leads jumped.
That on it's own isn't unexpected, but here's what was strange: We aren't running any campaigns right now. We have no new ad pushes, no mailers going out, and no digital ad spend currently running. So when I started to see more leads than usual to assign to the sales team, I looked for reasons why it could be happening.
After reviewing the leads and their sources, the only thing I could come up with was the weather. Last Sunday it was close to 90 degrees, then an overnight storm brought temperatures down to 65 by Monday. People stepped outside, looked at their yards, and started thinking about what they want to get done before the end of the year.
While the jump in demand wasn't the result of any one thing we're doing, there are things we do year round that I think contribute. Two answers came up again and again in the lead sources when these prospects were asked how they heard about us:
1. Our trucks and team. Every Grunder truck looks the same: same colors, same branding on wraps, and same logo. Our teams are the same: always dressed in high-visibility shirts with our logo on them. We're out working all over town all year long, and over time the brand recognition we build makes an impact. Clients remember us when they want to try a new company at renewal time or when they have a project in mind.
2. Good News in Dayton. Marty began buying radio ads to feature good things happening in Dayton, Ohio when he was disappointed by the constant negativity in the mainstream media in 2008. In partnership with a few local companies, Marty records these radio spots and features nonprofits, successful small businesses, people who give back, and more throughout the year. They're not a hard sell, but again the "brought to you by Grunder Landscaping" at the end is raising brand awareness.
This kind of marketing builds brand awareness slowly in the background, so when demand changes naturally, like during the first cool week of fall, we were already top of mind.
Brand awareness marketing can be the hardest to tie directly to sales, and therefore prove an ROI on. As I work on our marketing budget for next year and plan out what tactics we'll use, this week was a good reminder that sometimes the results are slow to show up or appear in strange ways. Because we've been laying the groundwork all year long, we were able to capitalize on the weather shift. I need to make sure we're prepared to do the same in 2027. Consistency isn't exciting, but it's what gets the phone to ring when it matters.
Tomorrow, Marty Grunder and Chris Psencik will be online to talk about how salespeople can make the most of the leads that are coming in and go find new ones daily. This Landscape Pro's Sales Training is a new event for 2026 (we've only held it once before in the spring) and is a great way to sharpen your sales skills while there's still time left in 2026. It's entirely virtual: join us from wherever you are! I'll be on with them to run the virtual event, and chime in to answer any marketing questions our attendees have.
I hope to see you online tomorrow!
Content & Events Manager
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.