This article is a collaboration with the editors of Landscape Management magazine to explore the issues landscape business owners are asking about. Their writers are interviewing the McFarlin Stanford team and creating new articles each month.
Based on an interview with Chris Psencik, partner and vice president at McFarlin Stanford
Earlier this month, Chris Psencik was on a coaching call with a high-end residential landscape company that had a great summer. The team ran irrigation audits and inspections in May, June and July, and irrigation revenue “shot through the roof” during those months. Then August hit, and the same team that had been overwhelmed with irrigation work suddenly saw it dry up.
“We fixed a lot of things, and we solved a lot of problems,” says Psencik, partner and vice president at McFarlin Stanford. “And now we’re seeing that dip in August.”
McFarlin Stanford works exclusively with landscape and green industry businesses, coaching them on sales, financial performance, operations, leadership, culture and other business challenges, giving Psencik firsthand insight into the patterns that drive or limit growth across the industry.
It’s a pattern he sees often: a company does excellent work, solves its clients’ problems, and quietly empties its own pipeline with nothing lined up to replace it. Strong performance in one season doesn’t guarantee revenue in the next; without a plan for what comes after, companies can find themselves scrambling exactly when they should be gearing up for fall.
“That’s why we need to make sure that we’re always looking 60 to 90 days ahead,” he says.
Key Takeaways
- Check your backlog now; six to 12 weeks is the target for a strong fall pipeline.
- Sell existing clients first by revisiting last year’s buyers and unclosed proposals.
- Price fall color programs 15 to 30 days ahead of installation.
- Benchmark enhancement revenue against maintenance revenue.
- Looking ahead: start marketing and pricing fall services in early summer next year, rather than waiting until August or September.
Most companies that leave money on the table in the fall aren’t failing because of one single mistake, Psencik says. It’s a mix of sales, capacity and awareness issues that compound as the year goes on.
“We’re fat and happy in the spring. The phones blow up like crazy,” Psencik says. “But once you get through that June-July push and start to hit August, it’s not uncommon to see things thin out.”
What's the Clearest Sign a Landscape Company's Fall Will Be Strong?
Backlog is the clearest leading indicator of how a landscape company’s fall will go, says Psencik. He recommends a minimum backlog of three weeks, with six to 12 weeks ideal. A shorter backlog signals sales, capacity or volume problems that need attention now, not at year-end.
“My pulse check is: what is your backlog?” he says. That distinction matters, he says, because owners often wait until year-end numbers come in to judge how fall went. By then, it’s too late to fix anything. Companies that grow their fall revenue are already booked out six-plus weeks in advance, because they started planning for autumn back in early summer. The strongest performers are already pricing Christmas displays while their competitors scramble to fill next week’s schedule.
How Do Property Conditions and Timing Signal Fall Opportunities?
Landscape companies can spot fall opportunities by reading the property and the calendar. Brown, stressed turf in August is an easy prospecting signal, and the lull that often follows an irrigation audit is a good moment to sell fall color programs, which should be priced 15 to 30 days before installation.
Timing isn’t optional, either. Psencik points to a seasonal example near his office by Southern Methodist University: making sure monument signage and curb appeal look sharp before move-in weekend, when parents, the actual buying demographic in that neighborhood, are driving through campus. “If you miss that by 15 days, all those people are gone,” he says.
Where Should Fall Revenue Efforts Start — New Business or Existing Clients?
Fall revenue pushes should start with existing clients, not new leads. Psencik recommends pulling last year’s list of buyers for seasonal color, mulch, aeration, and tree work, and revisiting proposals that didn’t close before chasing new business. He also advises replacing the bottom 10% of accounts each year.
“The work’s already done,” he says. “Let’s pull that back out and look at what the delta is.” He also coaches account managers to think in terms of portfolio churn, always identifying and looking to replace the bottom 10% of accounts, not because those clients are bad, but because they may not be spending at the level of top-tier accounts that add tree care, seasonal color and enhancement work on top of core maintenance.
The takeaway, Psencik says, is that existing clients should be held to a higher standard than new business. He looks for A-plus accounts to generate 75 cents to a dollar of enhancement revenue for every dollar of maintenance revenue, with average clients closer to 50 cents and lower-tier accounts still hitting at least a quarter. If a maintenance client isn’t in that range, that’s not a client to write off; it needs a real conversation, not just another mow-and-go visit.
How Does Fall Planning Help with Labor and Cash Flow?
Fall planning bridges the gap between summer construction and winter’s slower season by giving crews a defined sequence to follow. Psencik schedules hardscape installations during peak summer months, then shifts plantings to the ideal September window, which lowers the warranty risk on new plants and keeps crews working steadily through the fall rather than sitting idle between projects.
How Can a Company Start Its First Deliberate Fall Push?
Companies new to a deliberate fall push should start with what they already know about existing clients: turn two flowerpots into four, one seasonal color changeout into two, or add a fall mulch application for a client who has only ever bought spring service.
“You’re a landscape professional. You’ve been doing this a long time,” he says. “You have a wealth of knowledge and experience sitting in front of you; just use it.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How much backlog should a landscaping company have going into fall?
A minimum of three weeks of backlog is the baseline, but six to 12 weeks is ideal, says Chris Psencik of McFarlin Stanford. A shorter backlog signals sales, capacity or volume issues that should be addressed immediately, not once year-end numbers come in.
How far in advance should fall color programs be priced?
Fall color programs should be priced 15 to 30 days ahead of installation. That window often follows the lull created once an irrigation audit resolves early-summer problems, giving crews capacity and clients a natural next step before fall demand peaks.
Should landscape companies chase new clients or existing ones first for fall revenue?
Existing clients first, according to Psencik. He recommends pulling last year’s list of buyers of seasonal color, mulch, aeration and tree work, and revisiting proposals that didn't close last fall, before spending sales resources chasing brand-new leads for the season.
How much enhancement revenue should a maintenance client generate?
Top-tier, “A-plus” maintenance accounts should generate 75 cents to a dollar of enhancement revenue for every dollar of maintenance revenue, according to Psencik. Average clients land closer to 50 cents, and even lower-tier accounts should still hit at least a quarter.
Why sequence hardscape before plantings instead of scheduling them together?
Doing hardscape work first, during peak summer, means the ground disturbance and heavy equipment work is finished before plants go in. Holding plantings for the September window then reduces the chance they’re damaged or stressed by later construction, cutting warranty callbacks and keeping crews on a predictable schedule.
What's an easy way to start a first fall sales push?
Start with clients you already serve: turn two flowerpots into four, one seasonal color changeout into two, or add a fall mulch application for a client who has only ever bought spring service. Small upsells to known accounts are the easiest fall wins.
When should landscaping companies start marketing fall services?
In early summer, according to Psencik. Companies that grow fall revenue are already booked out six-plus weeks in advance and pricing Christmas displays while competitors are still scrambling to fill next week’s schedule; waiting until August or September is too late to build a strong backlog.
Ready to Build Your Fall Backlog?
McFarlin Stanford works with landscape and green industry companies to build the sales strategy, systems, and financial clarity behind seasons like this. Reach out to learn how their coaching, recruiting, outsourced accounting and ACE Peer Group programs can help make this your strongest fall yet.
