Navigation

POND Trade Magazine POND Trade Magazine Covering the pond and water garden business in greater depth.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates.

Home

Default

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Business Trends
    • By Author
    • Contractor’s Corner
    • Issues Archive
    • Pond Construction
    • Pond Content
    • Pond Life
    • Pond Tech
  • Trade News
  • Media
    • Pond Gallery Spotlight
    • Video
  • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Web Advertising & Lead Generation
    • About Us
    • Upcoming Events
  • Subscribe
Return to Content

About Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products

Website: http://www.easypropondproducts.com/

Rick Smith serves as the director of sales and business development with EasyPro Pond Products and has 37 years of organizational leadership in the lawn and garden, nursery and water feature industries. Before coming to EasyPro, Rick served as sales and marketing manager of the retail division for J. Mollema & Son (a large Midwest lawn & garden distributor supplying independent garden centers nurseries, growers and landscapers). He also spent 12 years with The Scotts Company working with independent business owners and regional and national chains. Rick has appeared in various business trade publications both as an interviewee and as a contributing author. In addition, Rick has been a speaker at national trade shows, county extension services and Fredrick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on the topics of lawn and gardens, wild birds and water gardening.
Authors > Articles by:

Diagnosing an Ailing Pond: The K.I.S.S. Principle

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on February 27, 2018 in Fish, Koi, Goldfish, Pond Content, Water Quality 0

We receive thousands of phone calls each year, and a significant number of them are from pond owners and pond-service companies who are struggling to keep a pond clear and beautiful. This is so sad, because they are being robbedMore…

Continue Reading

Friendly Front Lines

Customer service etiquette winners and losers

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on December 30, 2014 in Business Trends, Pond Content 0

Business owners and managers spend a great deal of time managing a long list of business functions and directional planning to ensure success. Every year, every month, every day they invest hard-earned capital in products, services, equipment, staffing, training andMore…

Continue Reading

When Things Get Heated: Communicating effectively with a rude or angry customer

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on November 10, 2014 in Business Trends, Pond Content 0

It’s just a fact of life that if you have customers, at some point you or your staff will have to deal with a frustrated, rude or angry customer. In fact, some dissatisfied customers can be so emotionally charged thatMore…

Continue Reading

The Five Golden Minutes in Sales, Part 2

Interacting with the four communication types

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on September 1, 2014 in Sales and Marketing 0

In part one of “The Five Golden Minutes in Sales,” we took a look at the fact that the words we speak account for only 7 percent of what we communicate. We learned that tonality accounts for 38 percent ofMore…

Continue Reading

A Pond Atop a Pond

The many benefits of the upper pond design

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on September 1, 2014 in Pond Design 0

Pond lovers love fish. Pond lovers love plants. The problem: fish love plants too, and a few hungry koi can destroy your precious flora in a matter of days. Thankfully, creating an easy separation between the two is just oneMore…

Continue Reading

The Five Golden Minutes in Sales

How nonverbal communication can make or break a deal

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on July 1, 2014 in Sales and Marketing 0

It is in the first five minutes of a conversation that we have to establish rapport and trust. Understanding what influences good communication and being able to quickly adjust naturally to each personality type will greatly contribute to a mutuallyMore…

Continue Reading

The Round Table: The Laws and Rewards of Leadership

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on May 1, 2014 in Sales and Marketing 0

Early in my sales and marketing career I was fortunate to be surrounded by great mentors. All were successful businessmen in their own right, but the reason they excelled beyond others was because they understood and demonstrated the laws ofMore…

Continue Reading

To Change or Not to Change? The impact of raising and lowering prices

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on January 1, 2014 in Sales and Marketing 0

After 24 years of rapid and very successful growth in the water features industry, many contractors who specialize solely in water features have been faced with a very challenging economy in recent years. Since the economy has, historically, been aMore…

Continue Reading

Big Payback with Eco-Friendly Lake & Pond Management

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on July 1, 2012 in New Business Opportunities 0

ROI (Return on Investment) is one big reason to provide lake and pond management. Lakes are an important part of our landscape; they add beauty, provide recreation, and are a habitat for fish and wildlife. But an out of balanceMore…

Continue Reading

Networking Your Way to New Pond Customers

By Rick Smith, EasyPro Pond Products
Published on May 1, 2012 in Sales and Marketing 0

Knowing where, when, and how to focus marketing plans is extremely important. This industry expert believes that networking will play a key role in these plans. Learn about diversifying and teaming up with others. Includes a list of great ideasMore…

Continue Reading
1 2 Next

advertise-2

POND TRADE ARTICLES POND TRADE NEWS
Serving professionals with the latest trade news, advertising and marketing in the pond and water feature industry.

CONTACT US SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE WITH US PRIVACY POLICY

© 2021 POND Trade Magazine. All Rights Reserved.