Well it has been eighteen months since I embarked on a new career into the professional sales. I was certainly fortunate to find a position in the green industry and with a company with a proven history and a progressive vision into the "New Normal".

In the course of my travels I am fortunate to assist a great and varied group of turf managers. Their backgrounds and the facilities they manage represent an array of conditions offering me insight into the challenges they face. The time spent with clients has shown me the many commonalities among them. All are certainly unique and I value their differences but the challenges they face can be grouped into three common buckets.

All businesses have been forced to visit and revisit budgets marked by cuts, to find miraculous ways to stretch a nickel into a dime and to become as efficient as possible. Many of my talks revolve around; value, efficiency and money. Below is a list with some explanations that expand on these three hot topics. These are all key customer concerns my company and I strive to address each day.

• Maximize the value of your suppliers, try to limit the number you deal with. By doing so one can push harder for more savings and better service. Be open about this with you suppliers, if you are currently utilizing numerous suppliers be open with who you truly feel will provide you with pricing, service and a best in class product portfolio.

• Efficiency is an area where anyone can always look to improve (myself included!) It is the hidden cost that truly adds up to allow for additional things to get done.
  o Acknowledge time constraints. If it doesn't make sense to meet with a supplier then simply say that. Utilize quick messaging techniques for simple conversations. Texting, IM or even email is so simple and the amount of smart phones makes it more convenient and get to the heart of the matter quicker.
  o Timely Response - In this day and time an immediate responses is the rule and not the exception. Although given the work-spaces we all have (a vehicle, 100 acres or 200 contracts). It is important to SAFELY respond in a timely fashion for a myriad of reasons.
  o Product Used - When choosing products consider the simplicity of the product or program. The quality of the material should not force you to work around it and lastly consider the application frequency. Can using a more expensive SRN form save you time and money when compared to a mineral form of N? A mineral form will cost less per bag but more per day of N fed.

• When purchasing pesticides and fertilizers it is extremely important to look at the unit price. However, it is more important to consider the cost of days of control or cost of days of fed. To achieve this divide the application per acre cost by the time value and this should paint a much different picture. This easily ties in with the efficiency comments above.

• Support suppliers who support the industry and are engaged in the industry. This will provide you with cutting edge information and knowing the supplier has the interest in your business and the green industry in a particular state you know you are buying from someone who truly cares about the industry. Ask yourself, "What does company XYZ provide me outside of products I need?"

I suspect that some of these points have resonated with many of you. They certainly do with me. As professionals all we can do is to try and improve each and every day and realize that what was done yesterday is now history and how we can continue to improve going forward into the new "Normal".

Eric D. Spurlock
Regional Account Manager
Landscape Supply Inc.