Hey guys, Bradley here.

Here's a market most tree companies probably aren't thinking about enough:

Telecommunications.

We spend a lot of time talking about homeowners, property managers, schools, municipalities, and commercial properties.

But look around your service area.

There are communication lines, poles, equipment, access routes, and other infrastructure running through neighborhoods everywhere.

And trees don't care what those lines are being used for.

They grow toward them.

Branches fall across them.

Storms bring them down.

And when vegetation starts interfering with infrastructure, somebody has to deal with it.

That creates an interesting opportunity for tree care companies.

Because a telecommunications company isn't looking for somebody who can simply show up after a branch takes down a line.

They need reliable contractors who can help them manage vegetation around infrastructure before it becomes a bigger operational problem.

That's a very different sales conversation.

THE CORE CUT

Most tree companies sell tree work one property at a time.

A homeowner calls because a tree is too close to the house.

A property manager calls because a branch is hanging over a parking lot.

A commercial customer calls because something needs to be removed.

Telecommunications gives you a different model.

The customer may be responsible for infrastructure spread across a much larger service area.

That means vegetation management can become part of an ongoing operational need.

And that's where tree companies should start paying attention.

Tree care companies already deal with some of the industry's biggest operational challenges: seasonal demand, labor constraints, high-value jobs, safety-sensitive work, and limited administrative bandwidth.

A commercial account that requires planned work can help you think beyond the next residential estimate.

Imagine a company that has several crews and wants to keep them productive throughout the year.

A telecom relationship could potentially create opportunities for:

The exact scope will depend on the infrastructure owner, geography, contractor requirements, and local rules.

That's why the first conversation matters.

You need to find out how they currently manage vegetation.

The tree care industry is already moving toward more proactive maintenance, recurring services, technology-assisted assessment, and better operational systems.

That same thinking applies here.

Instead of waiting for a telecom company to publish an emergency request or send somebody looking for a contractor, start building relationships with the people responsible for infrastructure and field operations.

You're moving the conversation earlier.

And earlier conversations are usually better business conversations.

You have time to understand the account.

They have time to understand your company.

And both sides can determine whether there's a fit before somebody is standing under a damaged line with a chainsaw.

Here's what I'd do.

Pick a manageable geographic area and identify telecommunications companies, infrastructure operators, contractors, and other organizations responsible for communication networks in that market.

Then identify the people responsible for:

Don't send the same generic sales email to everybody.

Learn what the company actually does in your market.

Then ask a simple question:

"Who handles vegetation management around your infrastructure in this area?"

That question can open the door.

Once you're talking to the right person, learn how they currently handle the work.

Do they use contractors?

Is the work reactive?

Do they have preferred vendors?

Are there geographic areas they struggle to cover?

What qualifications or documentation do contractors need?

What types of work are they actually looking for?

Now you have something to build around.

MARKETING MULCH

Don't just add telecom companies to a prospect list. Build your first telecom target list this week.

Pick one service area where your crews already operate. Then identify 10 telecom or infrastructure companies with assets in that territory.

For each one, find out:

Then make contact.

You don't need a complicated pitch. Start with a question:

Your goal isn't to sell a pruning job on the first call.

Your goal is to find the person who owns the problem.

Once you identify that person, ask what their contractor requirements look like, what types of tree work they typically need, and how they bring new contractors into the process.

Put every conversation into your CRM and schedule the next follow-up.

Your action this week:

Ten targeted conversations are more valuable than adding 100 companies to a spreadsheet and never contacting them.

THE PROSPER PICK

This is where your CRM becomes more important.

If you're going after residential customers, it's easy to treat every opportunity like an individual lead.

Commercial infrastructure accounts require more relationship management.

Create a pipeline specifically for these opportunities:

Prospect → Contacted → Qualified → Vendor Process → Site Opportunity → Proposal → Active Account

Then track:

This matters because commercial sales cycles can involve more people and more steps.

If the information lives in your inbox, your phone, and your memory, somebody is eventually going to forget something.

Your CRM should make the next action obvious.

If you're already using systems to manage inbound opportunities, the same philosophy applies here: technology should help your people stay organized and follow through.

For tree companies expanding into broader local markets, TreeCareHQ also offers fully managed local marketing services built around Google Business Profile optimization, citations, link building, content, and press release marketing. The point is simple: when you're pursuing larger accounts, your digital presence should look like the company you're trying to become.

THE “WORK SAFE” CLOSER

Here's the lesson I want you to take from this.

The best commercial opportunities are easier to pursue when the relationship exists before the emergency.

If the first time a telecommunications company hears your name is after a storm, you're competing with everybody else who can put a truck on the road.

If they already know your company, understand your capabilities, and know who to call, you've changed the conversation.

That's why I like these commercial opportunities.

You're building an account instead of chasing a job.

You're learning how another business operates.

You're creating a relationship that can potentially lead to more work as you prove yourself.

And that's how you build a stronger tree care company.

Don't just ask:

"Who needs tree work today?"

Start asking:

"Which companies have a recurring reason to need a professional tree care partner?"

That's where the bigger opportunities start showing up.

Until next time,

Bradley Benner
Editor, Prune & Prosper