HOW WE DO IT: Hansen Landscape Develops Clients Through its Show Yard

You can place purchasers of landscape services into two main categories.
 
One contains cost-sensitive individuals looking for the best deal, and the other has those who seek quality work with the goal of successful completion. Hansen Landscape seeks the latter and we’ve developed an outdoor landscape show yard to attract those clients.
 
It started 10 years ago when a potential client was having a hard time visualizing a water feature we had discussed at his home. I invited him to come see the waterfall and pond at my personal residence. While he visited, he could see and hear what he was considering to purchase from our firm. He left assured of what we were capable of installing and educated about how we operate as a landscape company.
 
What started as an impromptu walk through my yard has developed into a half-acre outdoor landscape show yard. Since our first visitor, we have had no less than 1,000 families tour the show yard. The process is simple, streamlined and rarely varies from one visitor to the next.  
 
When the family arrives, they are thanked for taking the time to visit Hansen Landscape and told that the main reason we have them visit it to make sure they are comfortable with our design style and aware of the many items we have available for them to consider in their own project. Furthermore, if they appreciate what they see here then we will not surprise them with anything in their project.

To avoid conflicting appointments and “drop ins,” the landscape show yard’s address is only provided once an appointment is scheduled. In addition, we kindly request guests not arrive early so as not to disturb the experience of an existing visitor. Also, we request the guest not bring pictures or drawings of their project at this time as we will see all of these items at a future site visit. This makes more efficient use of everyone’s time and allows us to see more visitors.

People are urged to walk the show yard at their own pace. Butterflies abound and shade trees help set a tranquil landscape theme. Hidden speaker rocks mix soft background music with the surrounding subtle sounds of various water features.

Ten mini vignettes, each with similar design style, share various types of hardscapes, including stamped concrete, flagstone, redwood and synthetic wood decks. Here, the potential client will see a built-in barbecue and food service area, patio covers, water features, a synthetic lawn and all the plants and trees we recommend.

All of these elements are connected to create a unique design preview experience for visiting families while developing client confidence in our abilities and anticipation of their own successful project. Most importantly, there are no signs that say to “Stay off the grass!”

Following completion of their stroll through the show yard, guests are invited to come into a comfortably decorated sun room located in the middle of the show yard where they can view all the surrounding landscapes they just toured. Windows open, the visitor can hear the sound of the water features and, on occasion, feel a gentle breeze.

Inside, the sun room is framed with design awards, magazine and newspaper articles along with a sampling of special letters written by satisfied past clients. Guests are suggested to sit and relax and look at various portfolios that include pictures of past projects, client testimonials and inserts detailing our company history and how the organization operates.

We request they fill out a simple single-page questionnaire that asks their contact information, including e-mail address, a checklist of the items they are considering in their own project (which often includes items they would not have considered had they not seen or been inspired by it here) and finally it gives them an opportunity to “check” a box for a follow up landscape design consultation.

From our experiences, seven out of 10 visitors to the landscape show yard “check” this box and make out a check that is requested to be paid in advance for $250. A consultation calendar of available appointments is situated nearby and provides guests the opportunity to select the date of their choosing to meet at their home.

As the show yard is meticulously maintained by our gardening division, we have gained many new gardening clients from these visits.

In the days following their tour, guests are sent a short e-mail thanking them for visiting us. If they did not set up a consultation, the e-mail includes an overview of why the consultation is a valuable tool in their process to establish a design direction and budgets.

Our advertising pieces promote that we have an outdoor show yard. Since the visit is by appointment only, not all callers desire to follow our program. Most of those who do not simply seek a free estimate or perhaps don’t care to invest an hour of their time as their project size or goals don’t warrant it. This simple process helps us prequalify future clients.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, an outdoor landscape show yard is worth a million. 

Steve Hansen is owner of Hansen Landscape Contractor in Castro Valley, Calif. He can be reached at 510/537-0464 or hansen.steve@comcast.net.