Setting Yourself Apart From The Crowd
Having been in the landscaping industry for almost fifty-seven years, over fifty of those spent actively selling landscapes gardens, including every stage from finding projects to completion, I have enjoyed a steady and successful career with very few problems, mainly due to being an industry watcher. Since 1978, I have been actively involved in ‘Associations’, including BALI and the APL, using networking and mutual advice at every stage, listening and learning from my peers at Cluster Group or Committee meetings.
I have also enjoyed an active period of involvement in social media, especially Facebook groups, constantly learning how efficient or inefficient, successful or unsuccessful people in various circumstances manage to organise their time and marketing techniques.
Personally, I have never spent money on overt advertising – paying for space in magazines etc as the return on investment is not a science, and the expense cannot be justified if all you get in return is a deluge of enquiries that you cannot properly cope with – or are of no interest for any number of reasons. Trying to target customers with precision requires marketing skills and knowledge I do not possess.
And yet, I have always been successful in converting enquries into contracts – 89% in fact – by putting myself in my potential customers shoes, providing any potential answers to questions they may raise at the time of submitting my quotation, all written in as a part of the tender.
Long before the advent of The Construction (Design Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM Regs) came into force, whereby every construction project is subject to strict rules including a statement of responsibilities on the part of each Party concerned – client, designer and contractor – I have always written the main body of my quotations as a ‘story line’, clearly spelling out how a project is to be carried out, step-by-step from start to finish.
Apart for the standard requirement for a Bill of Quantities, Plant Schedule, Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) detailed specification, and Standard Terms and Conditions which are all part of a normal quotation, I produce a time-line for the scheme, on a stage-by-stage basis, clearly stating how the job is to progress.
This story-board is made available to the site foreman or person in charge of the project, advising them of the expectations of the customer (who also has a copy) thereby removing the requirement for any questions surrounding the progress of the project. Every stage is defined and explained, with any alterations including variation orders, added as necessary to keep the document relevant and up to date.
In this format, the client has already agreed, by accepting the quotation, to adhere to, and respect my working methodology, including how they (the client) will behave during works progress, either by making certain areas of the site exclusively available to the contractors, or working around any potential diary issues the customer may have regarding the site. Prior to tendering, a full site and logistical survey will have been carried out, and a copy of the results provided to the customer. This will include a set of time dated photographs showing the site before works commence as a record of any existing damage or problems.
A typical quotation will contain a Method Statement, commencing on Day One, describing the areas of site that are to be screened off and secured, and by what means (Herris fencing, tape, etc.) If the project requires spoil removal, the storyboard will describe the method, and site protection e.g. ground boards, sheets of ply under skips, etc. for that part of the works.
A Products Library, comprising of all construction materials, including bricks, blocks, paving, stone etc should be arranged to be left on site, with each shown both wet and dry to the client, and duly signed with marker pen as being accepted. Similarly, pointing methods and mixes should be agreed, in writing, and used as a reference point at any stage should the need arise. It is important that all such information is included in the CDM File, including any information sheets and instructions that arrive with the products, including sources and batch numbers.
Part of the storyboard will include the order of arrival on site of products and materials, together with contact details of the supplying companies. Information regarding deliveries, with anticipated times and dates should be provided to the clients, especially where site areas are restricted to avoid any clashes of limited space availability.
My working method statements are issued on a weekly basis. Operations and anticipated work stages are laid out in advance, containing all of the information described above. At the end of the week, a resume is issued, describing how the week fared, with any deviations laid out and explained to the client. This resume is accompanied by a schedule of proposed works for the coming week. This working method keeps the customer in the loop at all times. Any weather or temperature issues are listed and remarked upon, showing the effects on the work programme. This avoids any unnecessary misunderstandings between the contractor and client.
The reaction from my clients has always been very positive. They feel comfortable with how the work has progressed, looking forward to the next stage. They understand that a lot of the work is out of sight/below ground, and appreciate that these matters cannot be rushed. They watch the materials arrive on site, in the right order, and on time. The whole process becomes automatically efficient. Everyone involved is included in the Working Method Statement, including customer, staff and neighbours. It all appears to run like clockwork, yet all you have done is to think things through and advised the customer in advance.
This approach also tends to show up those elements you may have overlooked. Any breach or missing link will be more easily spotted. Who?, What?, Where? and When? are the key watchwords. If you can put information next to all of those headings, the only missing word is ‘Why?’ If what you are planning is part of the storyboard becomes an issue – for example ‘Why are you using skips and not a grab lorry to speed the job and save money?’, – the answer should be included in the quote. Perhaps because of access difficulties, overhanging power cables etc, if you have explained your reasoning, there should be no negative queries, only praise for providing the client with a fully thought out, considered and costed quotation.
Such trust, when instilled at an early stage, makes for a relaxed and happy client. This all may sound like a lot of unnecessary paperwork, but I have found this working method to be highly effective, and a lot less aggravation than spending time on chasing a large number of enquiries without a positive result.
