As a landscaper, I know that one of the things that separates my company from the competition is our attention to details. It’s little things like rolling up garden hoses, taking up the trash cans, removing tags from plants we install, sweeping up the street really well, pruning the dead out of plants, and the like, that make us better. In every industry the ones that get ahead are constantly looking for the little things that make a big difference.

This week look around and make sure you aren’t missing some details. Here are 10 things I have noticed at businesses that weren’t done that leave me wondering what else isn’t done.

1. A clock in the terminal at the New Orleans Airport is 77 minutes slow. Isn’t it important that clocks in an airport be correct? Wonder what else they slack on?
2. The glass doors to a fine restaurant I went to were filthy. Wonder what else is dirty?
3. The man that came to the office to do some cleaning stunk and was dressed poorly. Wonder what else he doesn’t care about?
4. The spokesperson for my home airport is so bad on the radio it’s embarrassing. Wonder what else the airport, one of the first things visitors come in contact with, doesn’t care about?
5. I knew more about an SUV I wanted to buy my wife than the salesman! How can that be and who hired that guy without training him?
6. The waitress at a golf club I belong to never heard of a drink called an “Arnold Palmer.” Some of you won’t know why this is funny; others will be howling laughing.
7. The taxis in almost every city in America are dirty, worn out, and smell. Yet, what’s the first thing many visitors see? What would a clean, nice smelling taxi do for a city trying to set a good first impression?
8. A physician I go to continues to have me in their database as Mark. I’ve told them my name is Marty so many times; now I just call in and say it’s Mark. How does this happen?
9. The large chain grocery store by me allows their employees to park by the front door. Why? Aren’t they in business to serve the client? Don’t they want to make things more convenient to the customer?
10. And this is my all-time favorite. A sign company in my hometown has had a broken, run down sign out in front of their business for over 3 years. Guess they don’t think it matters to practice what you preach.

Look, we all get in a rut, and we need to be reminded that things need to be upgraded. This weekend, take a walk around and look at what your customers see at your place of business and make sure you are paying attention to details. If you really want to improve, have a friend or customer with a discerning eye come over and make some recommendations. Attention to detail is something we all need to focus on, including me.

“If you treat every situation as a life-and-death matter, you’ll die a lot of times.”

- Dean Smith, legendary former coach of the UNC Tarheels

Some great advice. In trying times it’s easy to get stressed out and think the worst is going to happen. In these times it’s important to think positively and believe good things will happen, not the bad.

Things are going to turn around in the future, hopefully, sooner rather than later. Your job is to give your team hope and for you to have hope. Living every day saying, “I wonder what else could go wrong” isn’t healthy. It only adds a lot of stress to the day and that’s not worth it. Sure, a little stress is good; it pushes us to do better, but a little positive thinking is also good.

This week think about what you might be missing because you have only been thinking about losing. Think about winning. Think about what a perfect day 3 years from now would look like and go out and work towards that…and by all means, act like a winner!

As I write this Great Idea, I am returning from New Orleans, where I had my ACE meeting. ACE stands for Accountability Creates Excellence and that’s exactly what we are doing. I have several amazing landscapers who have been bonding over the last few years; they are doing things with their businesses that surprise me. We spent a lot of time critiquing one of our members’ operations and that’s not an easy thing to take. Someone comes in and tells you what’s wrong (and right) with your business. But true improvement only comes when we get honest feedback. Honest feedback is something we should all pray for. I find myself being less concerned with people hurting my feelings and more concerned with getting better.

Candor is defined as: the quality of being fair and unprejudiced; impartiality; sharp honesty or frankness in expressing oneself. I believe we’d all be better off practicing candor with our friends, family, and business associates. And I know if you are the recipient of candor, you’ll grow your business and your skill set.

This week seek out someone who is a “straight shooter” and let them tell you what they really think.

So to my ACE buddies: Lee, CD, Matt, Benton, Ryan, Kramer, Joey, Slim, JJ, Dave, Paulie, Joe, Jay, and the newbies, thanks for being so honest with one another. You helped all of us and no feelings were hurt in the process. And to my buddy Mike: thanks for being so honest with me; you have no idea what your blunt comments do for me and my business. Finally, to my wife….Lisa, thanks for being honest with me and telling me that black and blue is a bruise and I shouldn’t wear them together, although I’m still not sure of that one.

This week think about how much candor you have in your life and try to find some more.

I stay in hotels many nights each year while on the road. If I am at a hotel for several days, I always try to write a note to the maid and leave them a tip the very first day I am there. Here’s a photo of a note I left for the lady tending to my room at the JW Marriott in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the week I was there. I even wrote it, as best as I could, in her language:

There’s a lesson here. I almost always get better service as a result. But there’s a lesson you can take to your business from this as well.

Times are tough right now, no doubting that. But there are a lot of people who are on your team or help you make your business work. They aren’t flashy; they don’t do anything that jumps out; they just consistently do their job, show up, and don’t cause any issues. In trying times like this, don’t overlook those people. Tip your waitress, tip the fella that brings the propane to your office, give a tip to the lady who pours your coffee every morning, and most of all, tell your own employees thank you. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel important and many times it also helps the person who is saying thank you feel better too!

NOTE: Just to keep it real and to make you giggle….I thought she spoke Spanish, which showed my ignorance; she didn’t. Had I read her last name, I would have realized it wasn’t a name from a Spanish speaking country. She was from India and spoke fluent English! Shows you how smart I am! She laughed and I laughed when I saw her in the hallway, but she gladly accepted the tip and my room was perfect every day when I got in.

We all can use a little push every once in a while. Recently one of my best and brightest clients, Lee Buffington from Fort Payne, Alabama, sent me a note detailing a little “contest” he is having at his office. As you’ve heard me say many times, “Sales Cure a Lot of Problems.” The success of a small business is rooted in the owner’s ability to embrace, understand, and be actively involved in the sales and marketing of their company. You do not delegate sales; you do sales.

Here’s what Lee shared with me:
Thought you guys might get a kick out of this. I made a bet with my sales guy for landscape management that I could sell more than him by the year end. This is what he put together. It’s great!

J. Lee Buffington, CLP
Founder & President
Turf Tamer, Inc.
A Landscape Development Firm

What Lee has done here is brilliant. It’s fun; it’s a way they can push each other, and I predict it will work. We all need a little motivation every once in a while. There is a lot of time left in the year and a lot of time left in your life; get motivated like Lee’s team did and get out and make some sales.