Landscape Architecture for Landscape Architects › Forums › GENERAL DISCUSSION › Why hire a landscape architect? looking for an article
- This topic has 1 reply, 7 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by Andrew Garulay, RLA.
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September 28, 2011 at 7:28 pm #160265Chris HaleParticipant
…as opposed to a civil engineer, garden designer, or other professional. I’m looking for a well written article, preferably online, that adresses this question. I’d like to share it with a potential client who is considering hiring a civil engineer to do a master plan for a church property. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Chris
September 28, 2011 at 9:48 pm #160272Andrew Garulay, RLAParticipantSell yourself instead of the profession. If you are the right firm for the job, you’ll win every time.
The alternative is to sell the profession and then to associate yourself to that profession.
That makes it a two step process. You’ll have to convince them that the entire profession is better for this project than the entirety of those other professions – a tough task. Then you still have to demonstrate that out of all landscape architects, your firm is the right one. Why not just do the latter without trying to prove the former first?
I can never understand the obsession to sell the profession with the notion that it will automatically sell everyone within it. This seems to be the standard way of thinking that so many of us have. We expect that which ever profession wins, we all get to divide the prize. …. Good luck with that.
September 28, 2011 at 10:07 pm #160271Rob HalpernParticipantWise words.
And a possible outcome is successfully selling the profession and losing the job to another L.A.
September 30, 2011 at 12:29 am #160270Leslie B WagleParticipantHere is a small short one I ran across, although not in the same category as a church.
http://www.gardendesign.com/designer/perks-hiring-professional-designer
September 30, 2011 at 4:17 am #160269ncaParticipantWell said.
September 30, 2011 at 4:30 pm #160268Rick SpalenkaParticipantMy Father-in-law was a high end corporate attorney. His creed was (not exact words but close), “a $200 an hour attorney gets the job done in two hours = $400. A $100 an hour attorney gets the job done in 5 hours = $500.” Might be something useful for us there. I’ve tried that and low ball still sells. Just look at car loans. Salesmanship first skill.
I remember a “landscape designer” on the ocean front who was very successful selling his designs. You can always tell his work. Turned over boat, pier roping, bouys, etc. Looked crappy from a professional designers point of view but the unsophisticated market loved it. So do we sell high end sophistication or become a peddler of the low end unsophisticated and make money? BTW a Dollar Store just got landscaped yesterday in our community. Not quite bouys but just as crappy.
October 1, 2011 at 4:57 am #160267Matt FridellParticipantI hesitate to post it, but ASLA has some decent propaganda for you on the website. I don’t know if you have invesitigated there, but it’s worth it.
October 1, 2011 at 11:52 am #160266Andrew Garulay, RLAParticipantThe issue here is that there is a specific landscape architect with a specific potential client / specific project attempting to land the project using general marketing. This using a trawler instead of a flyrod to cath a single rising fish in a stream at a particular moment.
….. as thet say … “Match the hatch!”
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