[HardDaysKnight]

We ask what their needs are and expectations. Then ask what
sort of budget they had in mind. If you you know how much the budget is, you know what and what not to include in your
presentation, what samples, if any, to bring and if you know
what general features they want, you are one step ahead of the game. Always try to qualify an estimate and try to get a budget number.

[cutntrim]

Yeah, I forgot to add "budget". I do ask about that, but usually save it for the face-to-face meeting.

[johnkeegan]

If the person on the phone makes a point to say, "We're getting other prices." Then I immediately raise the consultation and design fees 50%. That usually flushes out the tire-kickers and free-info hounds.
Also, if a person really bellyaches about the consultation/design fees that immediately tells me they have no real appreciation for what we do. But it's rare that a referral lead complains about these charges. It's the people replying to an ad who probably have never seen our work. I often tell them to check out certain jobs we've done or to check our website BEFORE they make an appointment and agree to pay the upfront fees. That way they can prequalify themselves.

[Pondman Paul]

What type of responces do you get when you ask for a budget amount?

Can you give me an example of how you bring up the budget into the conversation?

I wouldn't feel comfortable giving my budget without knowing what the specifics are and was is to be done. I'd be thinking this person wants to know how much money they can get from me.

How can you get the budget without seeming like your looking to get every penny you can?

You guys are the best. I've learned so many things from all of you in a short amount of time. I wish I found this site years ago. I'd have started my own business 10 years ago had I had all this advise.

If I know someone is price shopping I tell them that I can't compete with their price with my quality, I never lower my quality, and they can't compete with my quality at their price. If price is their major concern I'm not the right company. If quality and value are their biggest concern We're the company for them.

Is there a list of questions and how to deliver those questions for qualifing leads? Is somebody making a list I hope?

Paul2

[Pondman Paul]

Originally posted by Bill Schwab
We prequalify every lead, and conduct interviews should we decide to take the project further. In certain communities, we charge consultation fees, which we deduct from total job costs if they go forward with work. The deduction is given off final balance, not up front.
We do not under any circumstances work for lawyers, nor do we work more than 3 days without getting paid to date. Collections are not a problem this way. Typically, we walk away from about 1/3 of those who call us either because the prospect was not serious (did not set a budget) or was attempting to glean information so they can hire an illegal to do the work.

We are currently backed up into May 2004, so, this sytems works well for us.

Great advice on not working for lawyers. I don't have enough experience in contracts to deal with a lawyer.

I've done $25,000 jobs on a hand shake, no contract at all. These were people who were referals or people who have seen my work. Those days are gone and I've got to protect myself better with my contracts.

Your going to make a businessman out of me yet, whether I like it or not. Seriously thanks for all your advice.

I'm not used to people sharing information. Thats why it took so long for me to start my own business. All my experience was in designing and building. I did proposals and sold the jobs but I had a well known company behind me supporting me.

My enthusiasum and pictures of my work sell my jobs. I do need to learn how to do things in more business like way.

I've got my niche but all of you are helping me to refine it and for that I say thank you.

Paul

[RootRot]

I have a hard time asking for budget information as well and when I do ask it, even with a great raport, it still feels funny and uncomfortable on my end.

I have been burned, however, for not asking, by investing too much time into an estimate from a plan or spending too much time at a first meeting with an unrealistic homeowner.

Prequalifying by our office manager/person who takes the call, is admittedly, in dire need of reformation here.

[Pondman Paul]

Bill Schwab,


I'm just curious, what do you say if a lawyer calls to hire you? I had a lawyer call me for a landscape design but when I called to set up the appointment he never returned my calls. Just as well I suppose, but what do you do when a lawyer wants to hire you?

How do you go about setting a budget with clients, is it done during the first phone contact or at the first meeting?


Paul

[spiderlily]

I ask about budget up front because it is the only question that tells me whether or not a face to face meeting will be a waste of my time.

I've gotten to the point that I don't even care if it sounds like I am asking "Can you afford this?" because that IS what I am asking, and people who CAN afford it don't mind the screen.

One asked me "are you trying to find out if I can afford the work?" "Well, yessir, I am."

He responded by proudly telling me the value of all 4 of his homes, and his portfolio's value. He didn't mind bragging at all.

Another time a doctor kept me on the phone for 15 minutes quizzing me about a prairie next to his office. Great rapport right up untill I asked about budget. The he spat back "I want someone who just really wants to do the right thing. It's restoration work." He actually thought that because it was a restoration, I would work for free!

No appointment scheduled. I pick my own free work, thank you, and it is not for plastic surgeons.

[HardDaysKnight]

Almost everyone has a budget in mind when deciding on a landscape. I f you are buying anything these days you have an
idea of how much you can or want to spend. You can shop for
patio furniture and pay $100 or a few thousand.
It's OK to ask what kind of budget they have in mind.
Why spend hours working up a $30,000 estimate for someone
who was only planning to spend half that. Let them know that
by understanding their budget you can better serve their needs and produce a design in a more timely fashion.
Knowing their budget is just practical and let them know why
you ask it. I don't understand why people are leery of giving
that figure out. They get to decide if they think they are/aren't
getting a good deal anyway.

[Tony]

A couple red flags for me are if the first words out of the callers mouth are" do you give free estimates?" Another good one is " we are going to get six or seven estimates for this work". I usually wait until a face to face meeting to ask about a budget number. In some cases people will give me a number saying something like I would like to keep this work under ten thousand dollars. In other cases the customer is looking for guidance on my part to give them a number. We will walk around the house with them pointing out the areas that need work. When we are finished I will tell them they just showed me seven thousand dollars worth of work. In some cases the customer will say "yeah that's about what we thought it would cost or just the opposite " we had no idea it would be that expensive". Some people really have no idea what landscaping costs. Part of my job is to educate them and offer suggestions on how to do the work in stages to spread the cost out over a couple years. I had a customer describe about forty thousand dollars worth of work to me and then tell me their budget was nine thousand dollars. I left them with the comment "save up your money and give me a call when you have enough to do the work". I figured I would never hear from them again, two years later they called and we did the job.

Tony Silvester