BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES The 'Wow' Factor

"People think in pictures; they don’t think in circles,” says Chris Walter, comparing photographs to the typical way landscape architects and designers depict plant material – as two-dimensional round objects. 

That’s why, for more than a decade, the owner of Cole’s Creek Nursery and Computerized Landscape Design of Bethany, Mo., has taken advantage of the real-world perspective that landscape software’s digital imaging technology offers, rather than just showing a client a computer-aided design (CAD) plan.

A number of landscape software programs allow contractors to incorporate CAD drawings, digital imaging (a function that allows them to drag and drop plant images directly onto photos of the homeowner’s property) and bidding programs for creating accurate customer proposals. Now, imaging software for additional services like night and holiday lighting is available, too.
 
“I call it my ‘wow’ factor,” Walter says. “You show them the CAD – and then you bring out the pictures of their home and they say, ‘Wow, Chris, when can you start?” In addition to using it to awe clients, Walter promotes the computerized design program’s time-saving, sale-closing and bidding benefits.

TIME SAVER. Walter spent years hand drawing landscape designs – and hated it. In those days, he would visit a half-dozen clients Monday through Thursday, begin drawings Thursday afternoon and spend Saturday presenting proposals to these customers. “By the time Saturday rolled around I was so exhausted, I didn’t really care if I sold the jobs or not,” says Walter, who now closes 90 to 95 percent of sales with the help of design software. “Now it’s not drudgery. It’s just a fluid design process and it’s fun. I have no wasted time.”
 
Maximizing time is key for a busy designer like Walter, who also runs a tree farm. He estimates creating a landscape plan using design software is 75 percent faster than generating a traditional CAD drawing, thanks to a feature that allows designers to import a property’s survey or plot plan, which expedites the scaling process. “I can normally have an estimate, a CAD design and two or three real-life pictures in the time it takes someone without the software to do a CAD drawing,” he says.
 
Typically, Walter tries to keep the sales process as short as possible – no longer than a week – but often it doesn’t even take that long. “When people call you, they’re ready to spend money,” he says. “The longer you make them wait, any number of things can happen that will make them change their minds.”
 
After qualifying the lead, which usually takes place when Walter explains he assesses a $150 to $250 design fee, he will meet the homeowner at the property. He requires a plot plan, so he can snap a digital image of it for quick CAD scaling. Then he’ll simply walk the property with the client, talking about vision, problem areas (like drainage) and plant preferences. He also takes several photos of “important” areas – ones that are most frequently landscaped – like the front of the house, a pool or patio or a water feature.
 
“A lot of the time the digital camera I’m using will have video on it and I’ll record the conversation so I don’t forget anything,” Walter adds. 

The next step is the design, which Walter often completes on the road in between appointments. He’s never without his laptop and has a color printer set up in this truck.
 
If a customer is only interested in a basic project, like front foundation planning, it’s common for Walter to create the design and proposal right then and there. “I’ll sit on the porch, usually with the wife, and we’ll design it right there together on my laptop,” he says. “The customer becomes part of the design process and by the time you get down to the garage, you’ve filled every need they have and they’ve sold it to themselves.”
 
Walter estimates he closes 25 percent of sales in the first meeting like this, which saves him a second trip to the property. In this case, he’ll accept half the money on the spot, and when he heads to the truck to print the color photos, he’ll grab flags to mark off areas for the installation crew. The sale is closed in one day.
 
Upselling is easier with digital imaging, too, Walter says. “If people know pretty much what they want, I show them that, but there’s always other things you can do.”
 
Because each element of the landscape design is applied to the photo in its own layer, designers can use the tool to show clients what they want, and then unveil a little something extra, too. “I’ll do what they say, but I also might put a border of liriope down the driveway or add some perennials for color,” Walter says. “I’ll say, ‘This is what you asked for, but this is what I can give you if you’d like to spend an extra $1,000.’”
 
Creating a master plan for a client is another way to upsell your work, Walter says, noting that most clients will begin by landscaping only the fronts of their houses. However, he prefers to give clients something to look forward to and plan for financially. Plus, most design software programs include a function that depicts plant growth, which gives clients an idea of what their environments will look like one to 10 years down the line.
 
Another aspect of the landscape software that Walter enjoys is its ability to streamline the bidding process, which allows for accuracy in estimating. Most programs interface with QuickBooks and other green industry business software programs, in addition to featuring a database of your company’s plant prices. The bidding function ensures that contractors no longer need to count plant material by hand – the program does it for them while creating a custom proposal at the same time. “Now, you don’t miss anything that can cost you $500,” Walter says, explaining that the software greatly reduces human error.
 
Of course, design software has its downside, too. “I think most people that aren’t using it have got to be afraid of computers,” Walter says, adding that the systems are user-friendly – especially for someone who already knows how to operate a CAD program. Also, software providers typically offer manuals and online or video training. Some conduct classroom training and on-site programs, too.
 
The software’s price range is another reason some contractors may balk at the service. The design software package Walter uses costs about $1,400 initially, with optional annual updates priced around $300. Related costs – like a quality color printer and laptop – will total about $1,500.
 
This investment, though, will be recouped in no time. The first year he used the software, he doubled his revenue from $250,000 a year to $500,000. Today, while splitting time between designing landscapes and operating a nursery, Walter sells about $25,000 a week nine months out of the year, and attributes his success to the software and his other must-have item – his cell phone.