Need advice gettin' Customer Attention!

[RWADesigner2]

Hello Everyone,

Just need alittle advice on how to get customer attention, my associate and I just recently graduated with degrees in Landscape Architecture, and we decided to start our own firm, instead of giving our ideas to other firms for little or no money. The main problem is that people here on the Mississippi Gulfcoast don't really understand what a Landscape Architect/Designer is, so they would rather pay someone with no or little experience to to a crappy job than pay a company with over 5yrs design traing, and combined 15yrs install training. I really can't understand it, it is not our prices, because we have no overhead thus making us have cheaper prices than everyone else, and better quality.

I know you have to crawl before u can walk, but just wondering if y'all could offer any sound advice on how to make a mark. How can we get our name out there. so people can see what we can create for them.

Thnaks for your time

[HBFOXJr]

There is no hope. You guys are a dime a dozen and the people with taste and brains that you need to do business with are as scarce as hen's teeth.

Advice - Find your self a market there or somewhere else where people really give a damn.

In my money area they all drive Lexus, BMW, Benz, sport utes etc, hire decorators, financial planners, tax advisors and have good taste in food and clothes. But many have one thing else in common, they don't know s**t and have no taste in landscaping.

Don't get me wrong we have people here that know the business and clients that patronzie them but it sucks and so does irrigation that I do.

Have a nice weekend.

[Artisan]

I am new to lawncare and landscaping, as a matter of fact, this is my first year in business for myself. However, it seems to me that one of the basic elements of sales (and in the end what we do is sales) is educating our customers. It is our responsibility to show our customers that we add value to their life, not their responsibility to give their money to us. We bring our training, experience, creativity, and knowledge to every job we do and if this wasn't of value to our customers every one of them would pay the neighbor kid to do the job. It is up to us to show them that value, though.
JMHO

[Nelson]

Well said ARTISAN ..........:D

[65hoss]

Maybe I'm a little confused, but where do you get combined 15 yrs experience and you both just graduated college? One problem you might have is you tell people you have all this experience but they look at you and see young guys fresh out of school.

I'm not saying you can't do the work, you guys probably do nice work, its just customer preception when you start comparing to other companies.

I had some nice color brochures made up. I picked up a nice job the other day and the guy told me it was my professional brochure that sold him on me getting the job. You may want to consider it.

[garydale]

YOu will have to pay your dues like everyone else. With that said:

As pointed out earlier, are the right clientele in your area? Can people afford what you are selling? If so try joining local trade group(s), garden assocation/club,chamber of comerce et

Donate time/material/display to some central place or function like mall, home improvement outlet, town center or park where people will see you work and name.

Try to get to know the larger builders /developers in the area thru your banker.

Write something for local paper or magazine.

Work with local suppliers of stone, plants, lumber, concrete to promote their material using your ideas.

Just don't give up, it will happen!

[MuskTurfKing]

Make yourself a nice brochure up and get you a big ol' nice ad in the yellow pages.

Hank