Bounce
TreeHouser
For the past 10 years or so, I?ve been giving presentations and speaking in front of various groups about trees and proper tree care, and have found it to be a successful form of marketing. It started out by getting an invitation to speak from somebody who had heard my drunken rant at a party, and has progressed into a steady income earner, which simultaneously keeps me active and engaged in learning more about trees as I develop new presentations. I have 7 of them so far, and for the past 5 years I?ve been developing a new one every year. I travel a lot (but only in the PNW so far) to talk to garden clubs, homeowners associations, landscape conventions, land owners, contractors, and sweet little old ladies who worry way too much about their dogwoods. I will talk to anybody who is willing to listen. Even though I usually do it for free, its a successful strategy for me because it has helped me establish myself and my business locally as a thought-leader in the industry, and resulted in a lot of jobs.
What I want to know is, (1) who else does this sort of thing, and (2) what subjects/medium(s) works and what doesn?t work for you, and (3) why?
I?ll go first. The presentation I get the most requests for that attracts the biggest regular crowd is Basic Pruning. I do it at my local arboretum, and have expanded it into a 4 hour class with two 2 hour sessions. The first is a classroom PowerPoint lecture, and the second is a hands on field day. I think this works because the general level of knowledge about trees in my area is super low (topping is still commonly practiced) and because the arboretum pushes that class more than the others through their website.
What I want to know is, (1) who else does this sort of thing, and (2) what subjects/medium(s) works and what doesn?t work for you, and (3) why?
I?ll go first. The presentation I get the most requests for that attracts the biggest regular crowd is Basic Pruning. I do it at my local arboretum, and have expanded it into a 4 hour class with two 2 hour sessions. The first is a classroom PowerPoint lecture, and the second is a hands on field day. I think this works because the general level of knowledge about trees in my area is super low (topping is still commonly practiced) and because the arboretum pushes that class more than the others through their website.