Trellis Coaching - Trellis News Garden Design Newsletter & Attraction Marketing Coaching

Trellis News
The newsletter for Garden Designers

It's probably too soon to tell how much of an effect the fear of a collapse in the housing market will have on demand for garden design and landscaping services. Even if it does dent the market, there will always be individuals willing to invest in a beautiful garden. The trick is being the person they call when they decide to go ahead. This edition's article on the Fill Your Fan Base Strategy Game suggests a way of increasing the chances of it being you.

One tried and tested way of attracting clients is through a show garden - a reader below would really appreciate your advice on this.

Letters Page -
Your opportunity to have your say, to ask questions, look for resources.
Christine Goodman would appreciate your help:

I wonder if any of your readers could suggest anyone who would like to sponsor me for this year's Hampton Court Palace Flower. I have already had my design accepted and space allocated to me. Last year I received a Bronze Medal for my first attempt with a 'Courtyard Garden' so, this year I was a little more adventurous and submitted a larger design for a 'Show Garden' which may be classified as a Water Garden. I am looking for sponsorship and contractors to help me achieve my goal. Or even Gold if I'm lucky!!!!

Can you help, or point Christine in the right direction? Please email me at and I'll forward the emails straight on to her. I'll then publish your replies in the next edition of Trellis News - due out in a fortnight's time, 6th March 2003.

What's your opinion on how successful exhibiting at shows is in terms of building your client base? Your experiences and views would be really appreciated by designers who have as yet to take that route.

The "Fill Your Fan Base" Strategy Game
by Annie Meachem

There are many means of finding clients, from advertising in publications such as The Garden, exhibiting a show garden, and cold calling potential customers. However, the most effective method for many designers and landscaping companies is that of word of mouth referrals.

Word of mouth referrals instantly raise the potential of a client employing your services from a cold prospect to at least a warm one. Bearing in mind that we base all our purchasing decisions on emotion first, and then justify them with logic, a client who has been recommended to you by someone who's opinion they trust has already gone a long way to eliminating their fear of making a mistake by employing you. It's then much easier for them to be pursuaded by the good feelings they'll have when the project's completed - the satisfaction of their dream turned into reality, tranquillity, orderliness, whatever emotional need you're meeting for them through your work.

For established designers who have built up their reputations, clients seek them out and much of their business becomes referral based, so they have to spend less time, money and effort on their marketing. However, for newer designers, building a referral based business can seem a daunting prospect, once you've exhausted your friends and family as clients. How to go about it?

The question to ask is "Who are your biggest fans?" These are the clients and contacts who are so impressed with you and your work that they're acting like your sales force, allowing you to get on with what you do best. You only need a relatively small number of these top fans to keep your practice full, as they'll be doing your marketing work for you.

With the exception of your nearest and dearest, these fans don't appear overnight - they develop over time, and you can help this process along. To illustrate how, below is a "Fill Your Fan Base" strategy game, appropriate wherever you are in the development of your business:-

	Someone I know	Someone who knows what I do	Someone who knows I'm looking for clients	Someone who has referred me	A Fan - someone who regularly refers me
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Instructions for playing the Fill Your Fan Base game:
(with thanks to Michael Neill, US coach, www.successmadefun.com)

1. Choose 5 people that you know through any context.

2. Place them as appropriate in one of the boxes on the sheet.

3. With each person, work out a strategy to move them one box across the sheet - i.e what do you need to do to move them from being someone that you know to someone who knows you're a garden designer? How to move another contact from someone who knows you're a designer to someone who knows you're actively looking for clients and would appreciate any help they could give you?

4. Once you've moved everyone one box to the right, what do you need to do to move them onto the next box?

5. The aim of the game is to get all 5 moved into your totally committed Fan box.

6. Then start, if necessary, with another list of 5 names, and design strategies to convert them, step by step, into people who will give you regular referrals.

How about setting yourself a goal around the game, such as getting all 5 contacts moved one box to the right by the end of next week? What would inspire you to set yourself a huge target, and achieve it?

"Our only limitations are those which we set up in our minds or permit others to establish for us."
Elizabeth Arden

End piece

Do you know any garden design students who would appreciate learning more about the business they're going into? Do recommend Trellis News to them so they can gain from your wisdom as well as from the articles. Please ask them to contact me on to receive future copies.

Coaching can also support you and your business to grow - to find out more, do contact me for an informal chat.

Best Wishes

Annie Meachem

Trellis Coaching
+44 (0) 1243 545010
email

"Supporting Personal & Business Growth"

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Copyright © Annie Meachem 2003/4. Copyright in this document is owned by Annie Meachem. All rights are reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed without the prior written consent of the Copyright owner.