Tyre Kickers…………..That is a very appropriate name to describe those people who think they might decide, one day, to get around to having a new patio or block paved drive done, but have no idea of what they want, or how much it will cost. They just feel that it might be a good idea, and start their research by checking out materials on Google. Deciding that is too difficult and confusing, they check out various Face Book sites to get some ideas and inspiration.
Having decided that they want a full wish list of new patio, artificial grass lawn, a barbecue or outdoor kitchen, water feature, trelliswork, some colourful planting, maybe a deck (they saw one of those being built of television the other day, and it only cost £300.00 to have half the garden covered in boarding) they need to get some idea of the cost.
As Tire Kickers, they want the most for their money. Conversely, when choosing a different or new car, they do not think ‘How cheap do I want go?’ They instead say to themselves ‘What can I get for my money?’ They are not after the cheapest option, but the greatest perceived value for their money.
This marketplace is what may be considered the Entry Level of work in the Landscape Industry. No doubt it is the largest numerically, with thousands and thousands of homeowners seeking to have work done around the home, who are unable or unwilling to do it themselves, and who will seek out the least expensive way of having the work done by others. Most expensive materials – cheapest possible labour costs!
And so they begin their mission. Starting by contacting local firms they have discovered on Face Book or one of the ‘Professional’ sites offering skilled craftspeople who have signed up with the agency (although of course, it is not called an Agency, rather a provider of accredited firms) who will supply them with a quote, or number of prices for different options.
Then the emails arrive at your office, or telephone calls at all hours of the day and night, some impatient, some less than sober, some polite, others less so. All demanding a price for work they have described to you over the telephone. ‘I’m getting prices for…………….’ ‘I need a quote for……………..’ ‘How much is a patio, about 5 metres x 3 metres, maybe a bit bigger if you can manage that in the price?’
Some will send you photographs taken (and sen)t by mobile telephone. None will provide you with access details, on-site parking, ground conditions, problems with awkward neighbours, tree roots and cracked drains etc………only very basic dimensions and design instructions.
If you wish, you can supply them with an estimate, to be confirmed once you have seen the site, and offer a price based on their dimensions and material choice. Eighty square metres of block drive, twenty metres of Indian sandstone and thirty metres of artificial grass. All based on metre rates alone, to be confirmed once you have visited the site.
As they are simply trying to obtain prices against which to compare, these prices are accepted subject to your site visit. And so an appointment is made, and you arrive on site only to find a) they forgot you were coming, and had gone out for the evening, b) they had already given the work to someone else who was cheaper c) someone else is already on site, checking the measurements with a view to providing them with a quote, and you have to wait for them to finish their survey or d)” I cancelled, didn’t you get my message?”
Consider how much TIME you are spending on trying to quote for projects such as these. All you have to sell is your time. Your time, your skills, your experience, your ability, yet because you value it so lowly, by giving it away for FREE – you cannot expect people to respect your professionalism.
It is because people see us as providers of goods, much as kitchen salespeople who are trained in measuring rooms and selling a kit-form product, we are not seen as being trained, skilled professional artisans. They would never think of going to a solicitor for free advice, a garage for free car servicing, or an interior designer to call in and give them free ideas for a makeover.
There is no doubt, a place in the market for those firms who are happy to use the scattergun method of trying to attract as many enquiries as possible, quoting from home without ever seeing the site – and I include garden maintenance in this comment – based purely on the site description as supplied by the home owner, working on the basis of quantity of sales, whilst ignoring the quality of the projects. I am not implying that their work will be less than satisfactory, but their ability to improve the quality of their clientele, the range of designs and value and profitability to be gained from larger and more complex projects will be restricted.
I have received many calls recently, via Face Book and The Landscape Library, trying to discover how to persuade the Tire Kickers to stop pestering you for FREE advice, FREE site visits, FREE quotations, FREE surveys, FREE samples from which to select their choice of materials and decide on what they want in their garden – before going on to award the work to someone who was cheaper/could start sooner than you/does not charge VAT/needs the work more than you do/thought you weren’t really interested in the job/was happy with cash.
In order to move away from having your Tires Kicked, you may need to re-evaluate your whole business image and structure. You must move away from being seen as A.N. Other Paving or Landscaping Company. You are not in the market to provide free anything. YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS, not a Face Book Firm.
Re-evaluating Your Business Image
If you want to SELL your knowledge, by charging a fee for your quotations, you need to offer something in exchange. To set yourself above your competitors, you must be seen as worthy of that position. Simply announcing in your advertising material – whether website, advertisements, Face Book or any other medium, that you will only attend site and produce a quotation if you are paid a fee, you may be pretty certain that you will get very few requests for your time.
But by a process of restructuring your business, your image and a promise of providing higher value than your competitors, looking at every aspect of how you wish to be perceived by potential clients, you should begin with your public displays. Your Company Profile.
Put yourself in the position of a potential customer. What are you looking for? A quality company that will provide me with a detailed and specified quotation, showing clearly and precisely what to expect for my money. Your new discerning clientele will not have the time or energy to contact dozens of firms from the Internet or Face Book, never gaining a firm quotation for a fixed amount of work to a specified quality, instead simply receiving a number of confusing numbers and prices that do not relate to their site as they are so nebulous and diverse.
Discerning customers do not welcome confusion or abstract information. They are cash rich and time poor. They are probably professionals themselves and want to work with fellow professionals. They will not be attracted by ‘the cheapest’. They want the best value for money, working with a competent firm, whose staff are skilled and qualified, following due compliances and legal protocol that they themselves are obliged to work under in their workplaces and understand that corners that are cut can be costly. Put simply, they want the reassurance of engaging a competent professional contractor for their project.
This is where your profile or image become so important. Your profile should include a decent website – not necessarily an expensive All Singing, All Dancing website, but one that provides clear information. Importantly, this will include your Company Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email Address and any relevant information regarding special services or skills.
These may be paving, walling, soft landscaping or maintenance, together with any Trade Association logos and accreditations. I suggest that you do not need to create a lengthy list of works that you offer, as this will be superfluous and boring! Maintenance does not need to be detailed or scheduled with a list of gardening jobs – Maintenance as a single word covers all of these without requiring a schedule!
The second thing to announce is that you PROVIDE FULLY DETAILED Quotations with specification and product samples for approval, together with a Site Survey, all being essential elements of providing that quote. Every site is different. Everything from site access to on-site parking, delivery and storage of materials, existing site issues i.e. drains and underground services, soil conditions and factors including wind and site aspect need to be considered, as you are unable to tender without full information.
To book a site visit and survey, please contact the office, leaving your Name, Address and Contact Details. We will respond within one working day, to arrange a mutually agreed date and time. Site visits and Surveys are charged at a minimum of *£100.00 plus VAT, subject to distance and size of project. This will be agreed at the time of booking.
All Site Visit and Survey fees must be paid at the time of booking. Maximum time allowed on site is **90 minutes.
(* ** These will vary from business to business, and accord with the distance, scope, complexity or size of the garden to be surveyed. They DO NOT include any plans or drawings)
THIS FEE SHOULD NOT BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR SUCCESSFUL QUOTE AS IT IS A SEPARATE CONTRACT.
Once a date is agreed and the Booking Fee paid, a Site Survey Form (see Landscape Library for example) should be sent to the customer, in order that they may prepare for your visit by finding out information such as they may have. The survey form is an important matter, as most people have no idea what to expect, and having once seen how much information is required to produce a meaningful quote, they respect the contractor even more.
Also include a headed notepaper letter showing the Company structure, including Bankers details, Insurance cover, expiry date and number, plus any other Company documents e.g. Waste Carriers Licence and other Certificates that you may hold, as these all help to reinforce your professional image.
This is also the time to ask them to consider a budget, as you can provide them with a range of options, subject to finances. Any brochures including paving, walling, irrigation, lighting etc can also be included in the Pre-Visit Pack. (You can also organise products samples for a Products Library. See Landscape Library for Products Library recommendations)
At the end of the day, the customers will have a detailed quotation – which they have paid for – a full description of the project, together with any drawings or plans (which will have been paid for separately) and full specification, together with a Construction (Design Management) Plan (CDM) 2015, all of which they need and you require to produce a detailed quotation.
The customer can then ‘own’ those documents and use them to compare with any other contractors they may have contacted to supply them with quotes. The amount of professional information in your quote will certainly impress them, leaving them with no real option except to engage your firm!
The immediate result of your decision to charge for providing quotes will be a sharp reduction in the number of enquiries you receive. However, the quality of enquiries will rise equally sharply, and within a few months, your new image will have attracted a new clientele, and whilst the number of projects will fall, the value and profit will rise!
If you are bold, raise your rates at the same time as altering your image. You will no longer be thought of as being the cheapest of the cheap! Low rates equal low values, and by putting a high price on your expertise, you will be raising both your confidence and Company status.
Always remember, if you do not value yourself highly, you should not expect customers to do so!