Every salesperson has their own unique strengths and over the years I've learned that the most successful organizations are the ones who set their teams up to maximize their strengths. We can put people into roles where they naturally spend more time using their strengths, and we can also hire people with complementary strengths. The end result: a team that thrives.
Our sales team at Grunder Landscaping Co. is a great example of this and we made changes for 2026 to allow our team to settle even more into their strengths. As I was looking at our org chart this week I realized there's a lot to learn from the talented salespeople I get to work with every day. Here are three big lessons I've learned from them that have made me a better salesperson myself:
During a meeting this Spring we were talking about a common issue we see late in the summer with hydrangeas: they look great in containers, but taking them out of their containers and planting them results in a little bit of shock and they tend to defoliate.
Kent, who has a degree in horticulture paired with nearly 30-years in sales for us, shared that first, we can educate the client about why this happens so they aren't worried. He took it a step further, though, and noted that really if we want strong hydrangeas, we can put in the ticket notes that crews should prune the blooms off at planting so that the plants focus their energy towards the roots. The client won't have instant blooms, but their plants will be healthier and stronger. It's a good solution as long as we educate the client ahead of time on why we're doing it!
Brent led a crew for many years before we brought him into our sales team, and he's now our top salesperson by revenue. The secret to his success is really not a secret: it's relentless follow up. In watching Brent operate as a salesperson, I've learned a few tricks from him as well. We had him on The Grow Show in 2024 where he shared more of his perspective, it's a great episode to watch or listen to if you're looking for sales inspiration this spring!
What I see Brent doing really well this year is just sticking to a system. He is diligent about getting proposals out quickly and following up with clients. He's responsive and methodical, but he's never overly pushy either. I see him making himself available to prospects and clients, and that paired with confidence in what he's selling (great landscaping work!) is a recipe for his success.
As salespeople, we have to be careful not to project our own wants onto the clients we work with. It's easy to do and a mistake I've made myself. The client starts talking about their ideas and we jump in to suggest our own: that's part of the process. But you have to be perceptive, watch their reactions, and listen well when they talk.
Brad on our team is so good at this, and I've learned a lot from watching how he sells. He listens to what the client wants, shares his own expertise, pushes back when the client is asking for something that's horticulturally problematic, but otherwise doesn't let his own preferences bleed into his work. He also takes great notes for the production teams, which becomes critical when the project is handed off.
Even with 40+ years of experience selling landscaping work, there's still always something I learn when I spend time around other salespeople. It's why we offer our sales training virtually: we know that sales teams across the country benefit from learning what other salespeople are having success with and also that the spring selling season isn't always the right time to travel for training. We'll be live online later this week, on May 13-14. Are you signed up to join us yet?
Founder & CEO
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.