COLUMBUS, Ohio — Longtime industry consultant Monroe Porter, like the rest of us, has been following the rancorous mind-numbing rhetoric that’s largely replaced intelligent political discourse leading up to the presidential nominating conventions. In that regard, Porter made a cogent observation regarding the approach of an industry-wide sales blip in his recent 2-hour presentation at the Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (CENTS) recently.
If you are interested in making late-summer and early-fall sales in your landscape or lawn service business, take heed of Porter’s prediction.
“This fall the economy is going to tighten up,” commented Porter, president of PROOF Management Consultants, Richmond, Virginia. “What you are going to hear is the world is coming to an end because of all the negative politics, and it is going to affect your September and October sales.”
Porter, carefully avoided taking sides in the political arena, added: “It is already starting, and it is not going to matter what side you are on; it is going to be so negative. You have to sell October in August. You are not going to have that big surge of phone calls in October because it is just going to be horrible.”
And no, the sky is not falling on the industry even with an even greater level of mud-slinging that will largely define the 2016 general election.
“The economy is doing pretty good. If you are not making money in your contracting biz today it is your fault,” added Porter.
