How to Upsell Landscape Enhancements Without Being Pushy
Landscape enhancements in commercial properties include safety upgrades like fixing trip hazards, functional improvements such as resolving drainage issues, and aesthetic upgrades like entryway redesigns. Account managers are advised to approach enhancements by identifying site problems rather than pushing services. The blog outlines how to spot issues during site walks, prioritize proposals before and during budget season, and present enhancements using annotated photos, hand sketches, or digital renderings based on project size. It also details a repeatable strategy called “Fishing for Dollars” to map, price, and track enhancement opportunities across multiple properties.
In the commercial landscaping world, there's a quiet revenue stream hiding in plain sight: landscape enhancements. These are the upgrades not included in the base maintenance contract, the ones that make properties safer, more functional, and more beautiful.
They’re not just about aesthetics. They’re about value. And the companies that consistently close enhancements aren’t the ones pushing them aggressively. They’re the ones positioning them as solutions their clients didn’t even realize they needed.
Ken Thomas, a landscape business veteran and consultant to top-performing landscaping firms, calls this the difference between acting like a vendor and becoming a trusted advisor
In this blog, we’ll explore how to identify the right opportunities, frame them for your clients, and build a repeatable system to upsell commercial landscaping enhancements without ever sounding pushy.
What Are Commercial Landscaping Enhancements?
A landscape enhancement is any improvement to a property that goes beyond routine maintenance. It’s not mowing or weeding, it’s redesigning a worn-out entry bed, solving drainage issues, removing liability hazards, or giving a tired space a new lease on life.
In commercial landscaping, enhancements typically fall into a separate budget from maintenance. They’re scoped and priced independently, and usually require some level of proposal, approval, or planning.
But they’re also where your expertise as a landscape professional can shine. Enhancements let you demonstrate foresight, creativity, and care for the client’s long-term goals.
“If you’re just replacing dead shrubs, you’re missing the point. Your client might need a complete redesign of the entryway and they’re waiting for you to recommend it.” — Ken Thomas
Why Landscape Enhancements Matter for Commercial Clients
Commercial Landscaping Enhancement serve two key purposes:
1. They Solve Problems
Poor drainage, blocked lighting, or unsafe walkways can lead to liability issues. Enhancements are often the simplest way to protect tenants and extend the life of the landscape.
2. They Improve Tenant Experience
Well-maintained and attractive outdoor spaces signal professionalism, especially in Class A office parks, retail centers, and HOA communities. Enhancements increase curb appeal and tenant satisfaction, which keeps occupancy high.
For Property Managers, these improvements are a smart investment. For landscapers, they’re a chance to add value and grow the account.
Related Article: Commercial Landscaping contracts Full Guide 2025
The Three Types of Landscape Enhancements to Look For
Ken breaks enhancements down into three types. This framework helps account managers segment opportunities and prioritize them based on urgency and value.
1. Safety & Security Enhancements
These are the easiest to get approved because they address liability and risk.
Typical examples:
- Cracked sidewalks that could cause someone to trip
- Shrubs blocking sightlines at intersections or exits
- Trees hiding security lighting or cameras
- Dead or dying limbs over walkways or parking spots
These don’t usually require a long proposal or rendering. A photo, a location, a clear description, and a price is often enough.
“Even if the customer doesn’t have a budget, they’ll typically go ahead and fix safety issues because they’re a liability.” — Ken Thomas
Real scenario: One client had a raised sidewalk caused by root intrusion. The account manager flagged it during a site walk and offered a quick-fix option. No design, no back-and-forth and it was approved that same week.
2. Functional Enhancements
These aren’t urgent, but they address recurring site challenges usually ones that degrade tenant satisfaction or increase maintenance costs.
You’re looking for:
- Drainage issues
- Erosion or turf loss from water run-off
- Turf damage in shaded areas
- Unofficial pedestrian paths through lawns
“Landscapes are dynamic. They age. They wear. You’ve got to train your eyes to spot where the property is failing even if no one’s complaining yet.” — Ken Thomas
Real scenario: Ken’s team repeatedly saw delivery trucks tearing up turf at driveway corners. They proposed a simple fix: add egg rock boulders to prevent trucks from cutting the turn. The client loved it and the team started using that same fix at every similar site.
Pro Tip: Functional enhancements are highly repeatable. Build a photo library of problems and solutions. That way, when you see it again, you’re ready with the fix.
Related Article: SiteRecon Quality Audits: The Key to Better Client Communication and Retention
3. Aesthetic Enhancements
These are the most visible and creative but often the slowest to close. They include:
- Entryway redesigns
- Seasonal color upgrades
- Amenity area overhauls
- Outdated plant material removal and replacement
These enhancements often connect to a client’s branding, tenant experience, or leasing goals.
Real scenario: A new property management team took over a dated commercial site with dense, aging landscaping. Instead of proposing a one-off fix, Ken’s team pitched a 3-year phased improvement plan that started with visibility and safety, then moved into replanting and color. The phased approach won approval and turned into a long-term roadmap for the site.
“If you notice your client investing in a new lobby or conference space, that’s your cue. Their outdoor areas are probably next.” — Ken Thomas
How to Approach Landscape Enhancements
Many account managers struggle with enhancements because they treat them as upsells and as add-ons to get more money out of the client. That mindset is what kills the sale before it even starts.
Ken Thomas offers a different way to think about it: don’t pitch enhancements, solve problems.
Every commercial property has issues the client hasn’t noticed yet:
- A tree that’s slowly leaning toward a parking lot
- A sidewalk starting to buckle
- An overgrown hedge blocking a monument sign
- A tenant zone with zero curb appeal
These issues are your opening.
When you’re walking the site, don’t look for “enhancement areas.” Look for signs of risk, wear, or neglect. Ken’s approach is beautifully simple:
“Look up, look forward, and look down.”
- Look up: Are trees too close to structures? Are security lights or cameras blocked? Are there widow-makers hanging overhead?
- Look forward: Is the entry inviting? Can you see the signage clearly? Does the building present well from the street?
- Look down: Are there trip hazards? Standing water? Worn-out turf in pedestrian zones?
You don’t need a designer’s eye. You need a client’s perspective. What would a tenant see? What would their boss notice? What would their customers complain about?
Approaching enhancements this way transforms you from someone selling a service to someone protecting their asset.
When to Talk About Enhancements
Knowing when to bring up enhancements is just as important as knowing what to pitch.
1. During Monthly Site Walks
This is your best opportunity to identify issues and casually float ideas. Take photos, pin notes to the property map, and log observations. Don’t pitch yet, just document.
2. Before Budget Season (July–October)
Most commercial clients start planning next year’s budget in Q3. If you can present a few well-thought-out ideas tied to safety, functionality, or visual impact, there’s a good chance they’ll include you in that budget.
3. In Q4 – The “December” Effect
Clients often have operating surplus they need to spend before year-end. If you’ve already planted enhancement ideas during the year, Q4 is when they’re most likely to say:
“Let’s get this done before the calendar turns.”
Related Article: Landscaping Labor Shortage: What To Do About It
How to Present Enhancements Without Sounding Salesy
Identifying the right enhancements is only half the battle. The way you present them often determines whether your proposal gets approved or gets ignored.
Ken Thomas emphasized this point throughout his talk:
“Don’t over-engineer your presentation. Match the effort to the size and urgency of the job.”
Clients don’t need a full-blown landscape plan for a $2,500 fix. What they do need is clarity, speed, and confidence.
Here’s how to make that happen.
Start Simple: Annotated Photos
This is the fastest and most scalable method. During your site walk, snap a photo and mark it up with a quick sketch or description.
“Take a picture. Circle the shrubs to remove. Write, ‘Replace with boxwoods.’ That’s all some clients need.” — Ken Thomas
Many enhancement opportunities especially safety and functional can be closed with nothing more than a photo, a few notes, and a price.
Use tools like the SiteRecon Mobile App Plato to pin the photo directly on a property map, annotate it, and export a ready-to-send report.
Clients understand the problem because they can see it.
Use Hand Sketches for Mid-Level Proposals
For slightly larger or more visible enhancements like monument signs or entry beds a quick hand sketch from a top-down perspective helps convey the layout and intent.
Even if you’re not a trained designer, a rough sketch:
- Adds professionalism
- Shows effort
- Helps the client visualize the plan
“You don’t need to be an artist. Just draw the layout. Show what’s coming out and what’s going in.” — Ken Thomas
This is often enough for mid-range proposals in the $5,000–$15,000 range.
Leverage Digital Design Tools (When It’s Worth It)
When you’re pitching high-visibility, high-investment enhancements, think $25K+ entry renovations or amenity area redesigns, clients may want a more polished visual.
Leverage Digital Design Tools
Design tools like:
- Greenscape software
- Landscape Pro
- SketchUp
- Even AI tools like ChatGPT’s image model, which can refresh site photos into new design concepts in minutes
These visuals are ideal when:
- Multiple stakeholders need to approve the project
- The client is remote and needs to share visuals with their boss or board
- You’re trying to win trust on a newer account
But even here, Ken adds a note of caution:
“Just don’t oversell the image. The design will take time to fill in and may not look exactly like the rendering at first.” — Ken Thomas
Systematize Your Enhancement Pipeline
If you’re not building a habit around enhancements, you’re leaving money and trust on the table.
Ken recommends a method he calls “Fishing for Dollars.”
At each property:
- Map 4–5 zones of opportunity
- Describe issues and improvements
- Attach rough budget ranges
- Track ideas in one place
- Review quarterly with the client
This turns enhancements from a last-minute sales scramble into a strategic roadmap. You stop pitching and start planning.
With tools like SiteRecon, you can:
- Build property improvement plans in minutes
- Export branded reports
- Track visits, ideas, and closed revenue per property
Final Thoughts
Commercial landscaping enhancements are the most powerful tool you might not be using enough.
They make properties safer, tenants happier, and client relationships stronger. When you approach enhancements as solutions and not sales, you earn trust, win business, and help your clients see you as essential.
And that’s what turns a $1M book of business into a $1.5M one without adding a single new property.
FAQs
What qualifies as a commercial landscaping enhancement?
Any landscape improvement outside the base maintenance contract like drainage repair, redesigns, plant upgrades, or safety fixes.
How much enhancement revenue should I aim for?
Top-performing companies target $0.35–$0.50 in enhancements per $1 of base maintenance. In HOA-heavy markets, it can go as high as $1 for every $1.
When’s the best time to propose enhancements?
Start presenting in Q3 (July–October) for budget planning. Q4 is ideal for capturing leftover funds. Site walks year-round are perfect for spotting early ideas.
How do I propose enhancements effectively?
Use visuals (photos + notes), lead with the problem, and offer tiered options. Avoid generic proposals and tailor each to the site and the client’s goals.
What tools help with enhancement sales?
Tools like SiteRecon let you capture issues during site walks, pin ideas to maps, build reports, and track enhancement revenue across properties, so your team pitches smarter at scale.