Up Close with Joe Tolman: Finding His Field of Dreams

If anybody can make a great comparison between landscaping sales and baseball, it’s Joe Tolman. He’s been around baseball since he was two. 

”There’s competition in both,” says Joe, a business development manager at Level Green Landscaping. “You always want to outplay your baseball opponent and win. You always want to beat out the other landscaping companies.

Even Hall of Famers strike out 75 percent of the time, Joe says. And many prospective landscaping clients you pitch won’t sign a deal.

“That’s how hard it is in both baseball and sales.”

He’s pretty good at both.

“Do What You Say You’ll Do”

Joe grew up around baseball, toddling around the field as his dad managed a baseball league and his mom ran the concession stand. He loved watching the big kids play until he could join the game himself. 

He still plays in a men’s league and he coaches his 10-year-old son’s team.  

In college Joe planned to be an athletic trainer with a dream of becoming a general manager for a baseball team. 

“Then I realized how few jobs there are managing baseball teams,” he says, laughing. 

He’s had quite a few jobs in landscaping, though, working as an account manager and in business development at several large companies before landing at Level Green in May 2025.

“I found out I’m good at building relationships and being a problem solver,” he says. 


Both involve listening, Joe says, and he’s good at that. He asks a lot of questions of potential new customers. 

“I really try to understand their business, and what their goals are,” he says. “I want to get to know them better.” 

Along the way comes something crucial to any good relationship, Joe says — trust. 

“It’s important to build trust from the beginning,” he says. “You do that by doing what you say you’ll do. You’re not late for meetings. If you tell them you’ll get them a proposal by a certain day, you do it.

“I believe in the process,” he says. “If you do the work, the jobs will come.”'

“I’m Not Just Interested In Closing a Deal”

Success in sales boils down to three things, Joe says: relationship building, persistence and following up. 

He’s kept in touch with the people he’s met over the years, nurturing relationships. Being kind and persistent pays off, he says. 

“I might not hear back from someone, then two years later I might get a call from them telling me they’re interested in a bid,” he says. 

When he follows up with a potential client, “I want to add value for them in some way,” Joe says. “Not just the same old ‘Have you made a decision yet?’”

He might send an interesting article connected to their industry or a pertinent video from the Level Green website.

“I want to show them I’m there for them,” he says. “I’m not just interested in closing a deal.”

Finding Fun On and Off the Field 

In addition to 10-year-old baseball player son Max, Joe has a daughter, Annie, 7, who loves dance and acting. And a dog, Cocoa, a pit bull and Weimaraner mix. 

Everybody’s activities keep him busy, he says, but he finds time for hiking, fishing, and he’s working on his skills grilling and smoking meats, experimenting with grilling steaks off the heat and perfecting his smoked brisket. He’s known for baseball trivia. Ask him anything. 

Joe loves weekend trips to visit family in South Jersey, where he grew up. The best trips also include riding roller coasters at The Wildwoods Boardwalk.

The baseball fan plays in a men’s baseball league on Sundays in spring and fall.

“It keeps me active,” Joe says. He laughs. “You realize your body can’t do what it used to. My knees hurt when I’m catching.

“We have some guys in our league who played in the minor leagues and some who look like they’ve never played baseball before,” he says. “Everybody’s there to have fun. You need that outlet that lets you forget for a while about work and life.”

The Mission to Do the Right Thing

As Joe spent his first weeks on the job at Level Green, he went out to lunch with new coworkers, rode along with account managers and business development managers, and spent time learning about the company from lots of team members. 

He realized something that fascinated him.

“I heard a similar passion from everyone I met, and it was genuine and real,” he says. “Everyone has the same goal — to do the right thing. They really care about the clients.

“That’s what I really love about Level Green.”

Want to Join the Team?

Joe is just one of the dedicated team members we have here at Level Green Landscaping. And we’re always looking for hard-working, talented people to join our team.

Are you ready to work for a company that encourages the best in everyone?