the sales staff of one of our multi-store independent garden center customers, even bringing them out to the farm. Later, that company hired a mystery shopper to visit all of their stores and the report they received stated that on almost every visit, sod was mentioned, whether the mystery shopper asked for it or not. During many of the visits, the salesperson told them, ‘I’ve been to the farm and the sod is great.’ That’s the kind of excitement we’re after.”

Reaching the

Landscape Market The sod producer is much like the pre- scription drug company when it comes to launching a new variety of grass, accord- ing to Pope. If the landscape contractor decides not to buy the new grass, the end user never hears about it.

The “traditional” sales path to market to the landscape contractor is the trade

show. Pope says, “When we sell to an independent rewholesaler, we’ll join each of their salespeople on a few calls to their landscape contractor customers to help educate the rewholesaler sales rep on how to sell our sod to them.”

They’re also taking the message be- yond the landscaper so it’s the end user driving the sale. “One way to do that is through the home builder,” says Pope. “It’s our new variety of drought-tolerant turfgrass sod going down around their display homes. We want them to treat it just like they do the stainless steel ap- pliances or the premium countertops, as a value-added component of the homes they sell. So we have a brochure on our sod designed specifically for homebuilders that they can put their name on and give to their potential customers. We spend time training the sales staff they have stationed at the model home because those people are the direct link to the end user.

When the home builders sell more homes that specify use of our sod, the landscape contractor gets that sale. We can then go to the landscape contrac- tor and say, “Look at what we’re doing; we’re selling our sod for you.’”

That’s the best form of marketing, notes Pope. “It takes time and energy and investment. We do it where we can. It would be easier for a smaller farm with a smaller customer base to reach out and be impactful.”

There are many steps to consider when developing your marketing plan. Keep in mind that anything you do—or don’t do—can impact your company’s image and become a part of your brand.

Steve Trusty is co-editor of Turf News.

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TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016