Last week I started the thread below in the Designer's Forum and now I would like to expand on it a bit:

I just spoke with a homeowner who is interested in having me do some design work for her.  I

mentioned I wouldn't be able to do anything until March at the earliest

but that I would happily refer a few other companies to her if she

wanted.

I also added that they would probably do the design work for

free.

She

basically said she didn't want a free design because she understands

what that means--no originality; just cookie-cutter design like

everyone else.

I thought this was a very telling comment.

There are clients who EXPECT to pay design fees and who WANT to pay

design fees--they value design.

We just need to better position ourselves in their field of vision.

Of course this begs the question, "How do we as landscape designers position ourselves in their field of vision?"

I've thought about this question over the past week, and based on my experience, I've come up with two answers.

First, and I preach this all the time: Specialize, specialize, specialize...

People expect to pay for the expertise they need.  They are also willing to pay much more for this specialty knowledge.  Let's not kid ourselves--Landscape Design is not an expertise.  If it were, every landscape designer would be compensated accordingly.  Landscape design is simply a profession.

My clients pay me for my expertise in designing gardens for their historic period homes.  Others are paid for their specialized knowledge of mixed perennial borders, green roofs, rain water harvesting and on and on.  You get the point.

Next, I think it is critical to align ourselves with other design professionals that charge for their work, most notably architects and interior designers.  We either need to partner with them directly on projects or at least be referred by them.  Clients don't think twice about paying fees to their architect; it's expected.

When I've been brought in on a project or recommended by an architect or interior designer, I've never had to compete with another landscape designer for the work.  Second, the client never questioned my design fees--they just assume I charge for my work just like the other design professionals they worked with.  I actually had to raise my fee for one client so it didn't look so ridiculously low compared to the architects and interior designer she worked with.

To Your Success,

Chris Heiler

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