Maximize Your Customer Lifetime Value with Email and SMS Upsells

For lawn care and landscaping businesses, growing your revenue isn’t just about landing new clients. Maximizing the value of your existing customer base is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your bottom line, fast. Upselling through an email and SMS combination is a proven strategy to achieve results, offering a high ROI with minimal effort.

Here’s how you can implement email and SMS upselling campaigns to keep your customers engaged while building the relationship and increasing their lifetime value. It's a win all around.

Why Upselling Works

Upselling taps into your existing customer relationships, which already have a foundation of trust. There are no acquisition costs, and often, the services you’re upselling are higher-margin. This means more profit to fuel your growth. Plus, with modern email and SMS tools, upselling can be personalized, automated, and results are easily tracked.

5 Keys to a Successful Upsell Campaign

Want to know some critical points to a successful upselling campaign? Here are the 5 key takeaways:

1. Choose the Right Delivery Method

Email remains a staple for upselling, but when combined with SMS, the results are even better. Why? SMS rocks an almost 100% open rate compared to emails that can get lost in full inboxes. Pairing these methods and delivering them together ensures that your message gets seen.

2. Segment Your Audience

Not every customer is the same, and your upselling strategy shouldn’t be either. Use segmentation to target specific groups with services that are most relevant to them. For example:

• Upsell mosquito control to fertilization customers.
• Offer cleanups to lawn mowing clients.
• Upsell outdoor lighting to previous patio installations.

Personalization makes your messages feel thoughtful and tailored, which improves response rates.

3. Craft a Personal Message

Plain-text emails work best because they feel like one-on-one communication. Use customer data to make the message personal. For instance:

Avoid overly designed emails—they often feel impersonal and reduce engagement. The goal is to make the recipient feel like you’re talking directly to them.

4. Time It Right

Timing is everything. Sending too often can lead to customer fatigue, but sending too infrequently might cause missed opportunities. For most lawn care and landscaping companies, sending one upsell message per month is the sweet spot. This frequency ensures you stay top-of-mind without overwhelming your audience.

5. Make It Easy to Respond

Simplify the action process. Use links in emails that let customers request a quote with one click or enable SMS responses like “YES” to indicate interest. Automation tools can handle these responses, notifying your team so they can follow up with minimal effort.

Upselling Throughout the Year

Upselling isn’t a one-and-done activity. Different services peak in demand throughout the year. For example:

• Spring: Fertilization programs and weed control.
• Summer: Mosquito control and lawn disease prevention.
• Fall: Aeration, overseeding, and cleanups.
• Winter: Holiday lighting, snow services, and project planning.

By planning campaigns around seasonal demand, you’ll keep your upsells relevant and timely.

How to Write Upsell Campaigns Like a Pro

Here’s a checklist to guide you in crafting high-converting messages:

• Subject Lines: Make them service-related and concise, e.g., “Upcoming Aeration Services” or “Lawn Fertilization Visits Start Next Week.”
• Message Body: Keep it short and friendly, around 75–100 words. Include the benefits of the service and a clear call-to-action.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Make it actionable. Use lines like, “Click here to request a quote” or “Reply YES to add this service to your account.”
• Signature: Keep it plain and simple. No flashy graphics—just your name, company name, and contact info.

Final Thoughts: Outsource or Do It Yourself?

While upselling campaigns can be managed in-house, partnering with a marketing agency often delivers better results. Agencies bring tools, expertise, and tested strategies to maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns. This allows you to focus on running your business while professionals handle your upsell efforts.

Start upselling today and watch as your customer lifetime value skyrockets. Remember, the customers you already have are your best source of growth—if you know how to serve them better.

For help implementing email and SMS upselling campaigns, reach out to me on LinkedIn or visit Lawnline Marketing. Let’s grow your revenue together!