[saslandscape]

This spring and early summer was great for landscape designs, but since July it's been really slow. My question is: how do you get new clients this time of year? Do you distribute door hangers, do mailings or hand out flyers? I've been having a lot of tire kickers lately who just want me to come out to give them free advice, and the landscape companies I design for have been having the same problem too (they blame it on HGTV).

I was also thinking of going more the creative route in advertising to get clients' attention- maybe a calendar magnet with my logo, or seed packets to go with the door hanger or flyer. Do any of you use creative advertising, and if so, would you mind sharing what you have done? I just wonder if it would work because it all seems pretty expensive if you're having a ton sent out.

[Stonehenge]

I'm going to cut to the quick on the marketing ideas, as there are few that really knock my socks off that aren't very time intensive or $$$ intensive.

Fridge magnets is old. Plus, you have to figure out a way to get them into prospective clients hands. I like the seed packets idea - you'll want to get a bulk rate on those. The folks that would love a seed packet aren't the ones you're after, but the ones with disposable income might think enough of the idea to call.

Door hangers and such might be the best way to attract new clients right now, hopefully hitting them at the moment they're considering hiring out some work. If you do landscape construction as well as design, go talk to your suppliers. Tell them that you're looking for work right now. Buy 'em a pizza so they remember.

[agla]

My first question to you is where did you get your spring and early summer designs from? Can you think of a logical reason that these do not continue?

Landscape design work is not as seasonally dependent as landscape installations are. It really depends where you get your work from.

Familiarity is the key.

The closest familiarity is direct personal knowledge of you. Next comes direct referral.

It is a big deal to the client. The landscape is going to cost a lot of money, it will disrupt their lives while being built, and it will shape how they use their property for several years. Not many folks are going to trust this to an ad that they see because everyone knows someone who has had good landscape experiences and someone who has had a bad one. It is simply something that people almost always want some kind of prior personal connection to. It is a referral system based on both succesful built work and positive personal experiences.

Whenever all else is equal, if one candidate has done work for the client's aquaintance, it is his job to lose.

After that, the next decisive factor is the portfolio of BUILT work. A portfolio of mock up pictures and of plans are interesting, but are not the results that people are after. They are after a built landscape. They expect you to show the results that they can expect from you. If you show only images and plans in the design stage, the only thing they know you can deliver is images and plans. The more emphasis you put on the plan the more you appear to be fixated on that as a finished product. The more you emphasized the built work the more you seem to be on the same page as they are. In the end, the appearance of the graphic work is discarded and the landscape remains.

Market landscapes rather than plans. It does not matter that you don't build them so long as you are a key to having a good built landscape.

Magnets and flyers are all over the place and are seldom read or kept. It works if it is a company that empties septic tanks where the cost and result is almost the same no matter who does it. Do a search on mailer campaings on this website.

[Mac]

agla, I have to say that was an excellent post.

[AZTLANLC]

Like always

[saslandscape]

Agla, I agree and I've been thinking alot about that lately- I have a portfolio filled with landscape designs and tired of just having that to show for. I've designed in this area for just over a year now, so I'm going to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of all the projects that have been installed and are a little more established looking.

The biggest majority of my clients come from the landscape contracting companies I design for. If their business gets slow, so does mine. Ever now and then I will get a call from a person who stumbled on my website and wants me to do a design for them (I hardly do any type of advertising at all). I have enough to keep me busy for a little while, but I just don't know what this market will be like the rest of this year since alot of people get scared of winter approaching and killing their plants (we don't even get snow).

Stonehedge, I agree that magnets are old but after reading your post I like the idea of the wildflower seed packets more and more. I want it to be something classy to get the potential client's attention and this might definitely be something they might like and use. Perhaps I can attach them to the door hangers? That's an idea...

[Terre]

I was working at one of my maintenance accounts on Saturday when a lovely young woman approached me with flyers and started telling me what her landscaping company could do.

I'd give her major points for being nicely, though casually dressed, and she was a salesman as well. Rather than just putting flyers on doors, she was hitting homes in a half million dollar neighborhood, on Saturday morning, when people are home and frequently working in the yard.

I would be willing to bet that her efforts are considerably more effective than just putting a doorhanger with seeds on the home.

[saslandscape]

I could definitely do that being a female too and not quite 30, and I have had over six years of sales experience. I guess I'll just do what I've been use to doing in sales and just start talking to people about the company. Love the idea Terre!

[Terre]

And just think how heathy all that walking is for you!

[agla]

You will do best to try to get ahead of the contractors in the timeline. If you can get the design jobs and then bring in a contractor, your value goes up a lot. Contractors will chase you around (for other reasons than you being under 30 and female).

You have a nice graphic presentation. I would suggest putting together a portfolio of both the plans and of built work, your own photos will be fine, and visit two or three architects in your area. See what they have to say and if they can hook you up with some work. I would not hit them all up at once. This will give you opportunity later if you need to polish up on one aspect or another - maybe the business of pricing rather than design, then you won't have to overcome any first impressions later on.

Architects are a good source if they see a reason to have you work with them. Understand that architects are usually control freaks and not very yielding to others, but they have clients who need design work before any landscaper knows that a house is going up. If they bring you in, you won't be competing with others very often. Then you can hire in the contractors, if the architect does not keep you out of that. At first, you may have to be the underling to the architect until you are recognized (that is why you don't want to contact too many right away). Once you are more established, you can assert yourself and hire the contractors instead of the architect (most likely this will mean moving on to other architects because they are unlikely to let you take a piece of the pie once they have it).

Magnets, seeds, door to door, .... that does not target clients who are in need of your services. It is throwing a big net hoping to have that fish you want under it. Think spear fishing - identify your target, isolate him, and then take a stab at him.

You could also go into civil engineering or surveyors offices and see if they need any planting plans as part of the permitting process. Do them at low cost to be the first one in the door when the property owner wants a full plan. Again, it puts you ahead in the timeline. You will have jobs that contractors want to bid on.

If contractors get you design work, you are depending on them. Make them depend on you if you can.

[secondnature]

As another alternative, there is an online service here in Oregon called "Angie's List". It is a large (and growing) referral listing of all kinds of trades, landscaping being one of them.

People that have hirerd a company to do work for them will will write up a report on that company. As long as it is positive, others looking for the same type of service will see the praises given by others and hire you.

I have gotten many responses from this service.

Do you have this service or one like it in Texas?

[secondnature]

I have a website also that has a link to a Blog that I have created which allows me to make frequent changes to my site.

When I have completed a design, I get permissions from the client to post photos and keep a frequently updated "story" on the job and it's progress.

I then print out a little flyer that I deliver to the general surrounding vicinity door to door that says "Hi my company is doing some design work in your neighborhood" and I give a briefing on the job and refer them to my website to watch the progress.

I have gotten some good referrals from this. I do think that name familiarity is important....if someone is reminded of you on a regular basis, when they DO need services that you offer they will think of you. I dont mean to inendate them with advertising that could be a negative.

[Stonehenge]

Originally posted by secondnature
Do you have this service or one like it in Texas?

That site is not specific to Oregon - it's nationwide (US). There are also several sites like it that don't charge fees for referrals that are as popular if not moreso. It's a resource that if managed correctly can be an excellent marketing tool.

[mrusk]

Before you decide what type of marketing to do, you need to decide what type of client you are going after. Are you looking to do designs for 5-10k jobs or 500k jobs? All this matters when you are trying to come up with a marketing plan. Different methods will work for different customers.

Maybe you should think about teaming up with a landscaper or even a pool company.

[saslandscape]

Secondnature- that's an incredible idea and very creative! I love it- will have to look into something like that.
Mrusk- I think a lot of designers prefer to design for the upper end residential because we can charge more (plus they're more fun to design). I've designed for every type of client from the $4,000 to $200,000 landscape. Perhaps it's best to have the marketing targeted for the mid- range ($15,000-$40,000) because I don't think that group is targeted enough in my area.
I currently design for four landscape companies and a custom home builder, plus take on my own clients. I'm probably not charging these companies enough for my designs which translates to me having to get more designs to make a living.
We do have Angieslist, kind of new in this area, and I've gotten some of my best clients from that. It's hard to get the client to write a review on you, though, but I never ask them to write one (perhaps this is a good thing?).
Stonehedge- do you know of other sites that might be a good resource for marketing? I've done the typical free Yahoo and Google, but I'm now thinking of doing Google Adwords. Not sure if it's worth the cost...