Open Association of Landscape Industries
Does anyone do free designs to get the business?
Hello all, after discussing this subject on Facebook with other members, I just wondered if any one of you would do a free design or planting scheme to to try to get the business? Its just that I do all sorts of designs and planting schemes and up to now have secured 96% of the business I have designed for but do loose 1 or 2 a year.
Other designers in this area do the same as me to get the business, what do you all do, do you charge for everything?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Guy Jones on -
Where do you work?
I tend to subsidize the design to get the work.
It will also depends on what deliverables the client wants and how big the area.
I am proposing a large bank 90m2 bank at the moment this I will certainly charge for planting plan. It will take me two days.
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Permalink Reply by Jez Young on -
For big jobs with repeat clients I often will submit some concept sketches FOC with notes on planting, If I am asked for more detailed plans or for new customers I have to charge a small fee.
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Pro DesignerPermalink Reply by John Cavill on -
Hello Guy & Jez, I work in North Lincolnshire and east Yorkshire. I do some design for free if its as a concept or small planting plans. I have just done two and got them both so it works. Other members were telling me off saying I shouldn't do anything for free! That's why I thought I would ask the question as they made me think I was the only one doing it.
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Permalink Reply by Brigitt Stevenson on -
John, when you go to the Lawyer, does he/she give you advice for free??? I think not !!!
Isn't your knowledge and experience Worth something, like your Time as well???
Why not give the price of the Design, but if you end up doing the work, take a small percentage off the total cost !!!
Good Luck
Brigitt.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Chris Auld on -
What about those claims lawyers that offer a 'No win...no fee' service. Are they then not working for free?
Brigitt Stevenson said:John, when you go to the Lawyer, does he/she give you advice for free??? I think not !!!
Isn't your knowledge and experience Worth something, like your Time as well???
Why not give the price of the Design, but if you end up doing the work, take a small percentage off the total cost !!!
Good Luck
Brigitt.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by jb on -
Morning all. For me it all depends on the client and the complexity of the project.
If I'm confident of winning the contract then I'll happily spend an hour on a simple layout drawing to communicate my ideas.
If however, the porential client has no idea what they want and needs me to originate a design then I tell them that I charge for the design (how much depends on the size of the project) but this is refundable against the full contract price. This shows that the client is investing in me and doesn't just want something for free and I generally win the contract which for me is far more lucrative than design work. I introduced this system at the beginning of the year and so far it is working well - less timewasters and more confidence in winning the contract. There is nothing so disheartening as doing speculative work for free.
Some people do approach me initially for a standalone design which obviously I charge full whack for.
It all comes down to weighing up the potential client.
John
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Permalink Reply by Joe Batty on -
My main work is installing decking, i offer a free design service for my decks. These are sketchup designs and i can produce them fairly quick. A lot of clients tell me this adds to the reason they picked me to do their work. I do state on my website that more complex designs may incur a charge but this will be taken off the price if they go ahead with the work. I really, as other people have said, judge it by the job iam looking at. If i think it could take awhile i will charge for it.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on -
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Permalink Reply by Neil Harrop on -
I used to do a free design to get the work all the time. I dont any more as I find a lot of clients value only what they have paid for. When I first started I found people using me as an idea bank in order to do the work themselves. I live in an area where the majority of people looking for gardeners are very cost orientated and I found myself competing on cost with property companies who put up a new fence run and turf right up to it. Now though the referrals from design work are the main core of my business and I choose the clients who are looking for a bit more in the design. Now I have more confidence and have achieved a better balance of inspiring the client but still securing the work for myself. Now its kind of built into all the quotes that I do. Generally in the domestic gardens that I service by the time I get to the stage where I am producing concept sketches we have already had an hours consultation, and in that time the client has already made up their mind if they will use me. During that consultation if you put enough enthusiasm into it you secure the work as a complete package. I then produce the concept sketches and cost estimation and the design is tweaked to fit customer budgets, inclusive of a fee for the design. I have quite a few customers who are motivated to do their own work but wanted help with the overall master plan, or with specific planting plans or construction detailing and these are more than happy to pay for just design. So dont undervalue your work or you just might find your customers undervaluing it also. Far better to get a good client you can build a portfolio out of and work on the right kind of clients who appreciate the value of your work.
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Permalink Reply by 2p6qs98d2phid on -
They only take your case on if they know their is a high chance of winning, then claim back cost.
If sure is someone new the where certain of getting the job they would absorb the design cost into the total price.
But then what do I know I spend most my time removing plants not planting them.
Chris Auld said:What about those claims lawyers that offer a 'No win...no fee' service. Are they then not working for free?
Brigitt Stevenson said:John, when you go to the Lawyer, does he/she give you advice for free??? I think not !!!
Isn't your knowledge and experience Worth something, like your Time as well???
Why not give the price of the Design, but if you end up doing the work, take a small percentage off the total cost !!!
Good Luck
Brigitt.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Walton on -
I think anything that gives you an edge over competitors is worth doing. Having the ability to do design work or sketches gives you an advantage over the landscaper/ builder types, of which there are many in the industry. If it means doing a few conceptional drawings for free and it wins you the work, then so be it.
For more detailed plans I tend to tell the client beforehand what my fees are but that I will waive them if my business ends up getting the build. It's a good way of weeding out the time wasters and only putting your efforts into the jobs worth going for.
Equally though, the same can ring true for those who might only want a sketch. Generally it's a case of reading the situation and making a call on whether the particular client is serious or not. By and large I will get a feel for the clients and if they are looking for a little inspiration I'll suggest doing some drawings myself. It's a tactic that has been on the most part successful for me and helped me build on my portfolio.
There will be a few members who might not like that other businesses are not charging for every single little thing but when you are a relatively new company it's hard to justify consultation fees and top dollar for your drawings when your portfolio is small. People want to see evidence of what you can do before they can be persuaded to part with their money. Thanks to being prepared to invest my time in building up my portfolio by doing the odd sketch here and there for nothing I now am in a much stronger position when I meet new clients to charge higher prices for the work itself and for a bespoke design should they require it.
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Permalink Reply by Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com on -
As an independent freelance designer I rely upon my fees to feed my family and pay my bills. If you have the business model whereby you may risk the design fee in order to secure the larger contract then that is a calculated risk that you are either prepared to take or not: but there is no one fixed situation or scenario, and no blanket resolution for designers and/or landscapers.
I also appreciate that what some of you may be calling "designs" are in fact fairly hurried positioning of main elements that secure with the client a vague vision of the final garden: but this is a very basic and formative version of what a professional designer practices.
On a project valued at around £10,000 (or at least a project with a budget of that amount), I will require to work around 20-30 hours on the design; giving full consideration to the client's brief, to the existing environment, to the budget, to functional purpose etc etc and so on and so on.
I cannot imagine many of you working for the best part of a week for free, ESPECIALLY when the end product of your labour bears no significant advantage of gaining the contract over a rival firm who may be able to do YOUR design for CHEAPER.
So it needs to be recognised that there are different levels of standard in the design service: for a good standard it is likely that the design will require significant amounts of time that cannot be invested (on behalf of your client) free of charge.
Nicky Patterson, Landscape Designer @ GardenImprovements.com (@gardndesign)
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