Interview with professional landscape designer, Paul Corsetti, continued from Page 3. On this page, Paul further outlines the work of the landscape designer, from professionalism to client consultations.
Q. Describe the manner of a successful landscape designer in dealing with clients and others who work in the field.
A. Talk to your client, get an understanding of them and what they want to see in their landscape. Never speak in a condescending manner towards your client or the contractor. Everyone is a professional at their own trade or career. You are there as a landscape designer hired to show them what is to be done.
Q. Tell us about the work done by the landscape designer in a typical project that involves the collaboration of multiple professionals. How does the landscape designer interact with the other professionals and with the client?
A. A landscape designer needs to listen to what the job requires, in terms of what a client wants. Then the landscape designer needs to figure out if things are too difficult to be built or if there is a better way to build something, based on feedback from the contractor. The interaction with the contractor is often roughly as follows:
- Here is the design, this is what I was thinking should be done...
- And explain the construction process and why you want it to look that way
- Then stand back and listen to the contractor
- Contractors will then indicate either how they think they can build it the way you described...
- Or that they have a better solution that gives the same look
Then you put it to the client and ask if they are happy with the look of what is being discussed. The same holds true when dealing with an architect in the mix where the house is being newly designed. Put your ideas on the table and be ready to have them dissected or rejected. You need to listen to reasons why it won’t work or why someone does not want it done…could even be a city official that is protecting a tree.
It is sort of like each person is given their 5 minutes to explain what they want and then, as a committee, a final solution is decided on. If your design ideas or suggestions are strong enough to hold water and give the client what they want, the landscape designer should not have to defend the design. I’ve always found that courtesy and the ability to say the same thing 5 different ways helps. In the end, after about the 5th time repeating yourself, you decide to word it in a certain manner to the person who is not budging on the idea. And that manner is to make them think they came up with the idea!
Q. Give us a synopsis of how a typical project might unfold for a landscape designer working independently (i.e., not in conjunction with a contractor). For instance, how do most homeowners in need of a landscape designer find one -- through the grapevine, in the phone book or on the Web?
A. Most customers will find a designer through all three things: Web, phone book and word of mouth. A smart landscape designer will network themselves properly with contractors and when work comes up, the contractor refers you to the client. It will all depend on where a landscape designer sinks their resources into for advertisement. Word of mouth is a slow way for a landscape designer to do business. The Web is hard to advertise on due to finding places to link yourself to so people will see you. The phone book can be costly as well. Most of my advertisement is done online or through contractor networking and that seems to be working for me right now.
Typically a client calls you up and discusses what they need or are looking for. Again, it is like an interview between the two parties (landscape designer and client). What I do is offer a consultation to the client at a cost and then go on to discuss drawing costs. I usually will put the consultation fee towards a drawing deposit if they choose to go ahead with me for a drawing. The key thing for me is to ensure I do not waste my time by driving over to a person’s house, giving them 2 hours of my time and expertise, only to have them say they will think about the drawing and send me home with no money to pay for my time. This is how I make my living and put food on my table under a roof I pay for, therefore my time to travel to a house and chat is worth money.
Anyway, once the client agrees to have me do a drawing, I give a rough time frame for completion of the drawing and settle up with the deposit. For larger projects where the client may be unsure about what they are looking for, I will draw up a rough concept before completing the drawing and give them a second visit before I hand over the completed drawing. It is easier to change a few garden or pathway lines than to rework planting lists and details of the completed drawing.
Q. What materials would a landscape designer bring to a client’s home for a consultation?
A. A landscape designer should be armed with a sketch pad or notebook to write details in and sketch up property measurements. It is good to have a measuring tape and measuring roller wheel, as you never know when you are doing take-offs for 2 acre estates without a survey map. A good portfolio is well received, too. You should also bring a smile and handshake…proper business practice, which is courteous and polite. Never wear clothing that makes you look like you rolled out of bed and drove to their house.
Don’t smoke on site in front of them. Do not accept alcoholic drinks during the first few meetings. When the client invites you over for a BBQ after the job is complete, a beer or two is ok to have. Leave your shoes at the door unless otherwise directed by the client.
On Page 5, I conclude my interview with Paul Corsetti, professional landscape designer. Paul has more to say on the subject of becoming a landscape designer....
