[Daryl McCann]

I think you are doing the right thing. Try to meet and shake hands with as many people as possible. Though not out of work, marketing has become a way of life for me. As for your situation, when I got out of school (many years ago), Reagan had just cut the National Parks budget to almost nothing. They, at that time, employeed a huge amount of landscape architects. I hired on with an engineering firm and found it quite enjoyable and they really liked the abilities I had that complimented their work. Just don’t stay too long. I ended up in that profession for over 10 years. It really set me back in my development as a landscape architect. But then, I excell in other areas that LAs typically are weak in.

[Daryl McCann]

Here in Florida grasses are used but it seems most do not know how to maintain them properly. The biggest issue, here at least, is they don’t die off during the winter ( that’s when you want them to look their best). The old blades die and it is impossible to remove the dead. So, like any lawn, you need to cut it back. Thus, there are times when they look miserable or if the proper action has been taken, severely cut back. So many times I have seen them used on new installs only 1-2 years later yanked out because they were never properly maintained. Great plants but know how to take care of it.

Daryl

[Daryl McCann]

Be it late in the conversation I whole heartedly agree with your thought. Have you checked with Habitat for Humanity? I am thinking of joining the local chapter here in South Florida.

[Daryl McCann]

I am a one-man satellite office in Palm Beach for a company out of Boston. We do, almost exclusively, high-end residential design. Marketing now has become my life as work has gotten incredibly slow. I don’t wish to tell you any lofty ideas on how to market but would rather give you and hope to get in return, what I thought was a successful marketing effort. Recently, we joined the PB Chamber of Commerce, which holds monthly breakfast meetings. I am not very outgoing but I do love to converse on topics I know and have interest in. I knew, if I were to go to these meetings, I would need some people with me. Having already created some professional connections with architects, interior decorators, engineers, etc… I called some of my closest allies and asked them if they wanted to attend. The fee for non-members is $20, which of course my company picked up. I also said if they wanted to bring someone in the business let me know and I would put their name on the list. I ended up with 6 people, two who I had never met but made a great connection and one (an architect) said he would pass my business card on to a new client of his. I am going to follow-up with a lunch with him and probably the other. I invited a supplier of carved stone who I have known for years, introduced her to some of the people in the group, and told them about her company and to go see her beautiful showroom. By the end she thanked me profusely and took several of my business cards to keep at her store. Now I plan to do this for every Chamber breakfast. Because I introduced people to other people it really elevated me and my capabilities without ever showing them a bit of my work. And the best, because I had a group around me people migrated toward us and introduced themselves and people in the group saw people they knew and introduced them to the group. I have a few other ideas and ones I am formulating but to all reading this, quid-pro-quo. Lets help each other with some real “how I did it” stories. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and would get you lunch on us if you are ever in PB.

[Author]

Posts