Upselling Landscape Lighting on Mulch Jobs Without Pissing Off Clients

DirtBagLandscaper2

·2d·16 replies·17 participants

DirtBagLandscaper2⚒️ JourneymanOP2d

Been running a small landscaping crew for 8 years now, and upselling is key to bumping up those install margins, but man, homeowners get weird when you mention adding low-voltage LED paths after quoting the basic mulch refresh. Last week I had a guy eyeing his backyard patio and I pitched integrating some Kichler fixtures to highlight the new beds, explained how it ties into the irrigation zones without extra digging. Watched a Phil DeMattei video on YouTube that broke down timing the upsell right after the demo, so I tried that and he bit, but now I'm second-guessing if it felt too pushy. Anyone else struggle with the transition from hardscape to lighting add-ons? TBH, it works about half the time but the other half they think you're just padding the bill. What's your go-to script for making it feel like a natural upgrade?

VacuumVince⚒️ Journeyman2d

yeah man, been there every damn time i try to slip in some path lights after the mulch quote, half the homeowners act like you're trying to fleece 'em. feels like walking a tightrope to not come off pushy, but gotta keep swinging for those margins.

LockPickLarry3⚒️ Journeyman2d

i've upsold kichler path lights on over 20 mulch jobs this year and every time it turns a $800 refresh into a $3500 project that the homeowners rave about, makes me feel like a damn genius.

V9706🌱 Newcomer2d

man i feel that struggle every damn time, half the homeowners act like you're tryin to rob em when you mention addin lights to a simple mulch job. been there with my crew last month, pitched some path lights after refreshin the beds and the guy got all defensive, said it wasnt in the original quote so forget it. sucks cuz i know itll make their yard look killer at night but they think its just padding the bill like you said. my go-to is waitin till theyre excited about the new look then casually sayin how a few leds would tie it all together without much extra work. still gets awkward alot tho, shoulda stuck to just mulch. whats the worst pushback you ever got on one of those upsells? feels like they forget were tryin to make their place better not screw em over.

PipeDreamer22🔧 Apprentice2d

i start with a question like 'you ever think about lighting up that patio at night?' then tie it to how kichler spots make the mulch beds pop without adding much to the timeline. keeps it feeling like an easy win instead of a hard sell.

FrameFreak4⚒️ Journeyman2d

those damn homeowners act like you're trying to rob them blind just for suggesting kichler lights that'd make their yard look killer, pisses me off every time.

MuscleMoverMike⚒️ Journeyman2d

yeah man, been there with the mulch jobs turning into awkward lighting pitches, half the time they look at you like you're tryin to fleece em and i end up feelin like the bad guy.

RollerRascal🔧 Apprentice2d

homeowners are the WORST when it comes to upselling, they act like you're trying to rob em blind just for suggesting some simple LED lights to make their yard look decent at night.

SawdustSavant12⚒️ Journeyman2d

bro, i feel that exact same awkward vibe pitching those add-on lights after the mulch quote - half the time they smile and nod, the other half it's like i just asked for their firstborn, shoulda stuck to mowing forever lol.

SpringSpecialist7⚒️ Journeyman2d

man, that half the time they think youre padding the bill crap happens to me every damn job, especially when you try slipping in kichler lights after the mulch quote.

BowlBreaker🌱 Newcomer1d

man i feel that, been burned twice this month tryin to upsell path lights after the mulch demo and the clients just ghosted me like im tryin to rob em.

NailBender⚒️ Journeyman1d

homeowners are the WORST, always think you're trying to scam em with any add-on like lighting, no matter how natural you pitch it. pisses me off when they shut down a solid upsell thatd make their yard pop just cuz theyre cheap bastards.

WattTheHeck22⚒️ Journeyman1d

yeah man, same shit here, half the time they think you're just tryin to pad the bill and shut down quick. been there with my lighting upsells, makes you feel like a used car salesman even when its a solid add-on.

FilterFanatic⚒️ Journeyman1d

try framing it as 'while we're here refreshing the mulch, adding a couple kichler path lights would make that patio pop at night without much extra hassle.' i usually wait till they've seen the beds looking fresh during the walkthrough, then mention how the lighting ties right in for under $800 installed. keeps it feeling like a bonus, not a sales pitch, and i've closed three out of five that way last month.

GutterGoblin🔧 Apprentice23h

tie the upsell to how the kichler lights will make their mulch beds pop at night without adding much to the timeline, say 'imagine coming home to that glow after a long day' and it lands smoother every time.

V1878🌱 Newcomer2d

Hit them with the energy savings angle first, say how those Kichler LEDs cut down on outdoor power use by 80% compared to halogens, then tie it back to the mulch job's curb appeal.

PipeLord42018⚒️ Journeyman2d

Screw that, every time I try upselling lighting these cheapskates bail and leave a shitty review calling me a scammer. It's all the same BS with landscapers trying to scale without burning bridges. Fuck the PE vultures gobbling up our margins too.