Life-like proposals

Sitting in a cozy living room in northeastern Wisconsin, Gerry Andrews, president of Landscape Associates of De Pere, switches on his iPad and watches his prospective client’s eyes light up. Gone are the days when Andrews had to tote flat 2D paper drawings to a client meeting to show examples of his company’s work. Now, with the help of his digital mobile device loaded with landscape design software, he shows his clients 3D color renderings that bring his portfolio of designs to digital life.

“They sit up and take notice,” Andrews says. “They know automatically that they will understand what we’re talking about. Most people don’t know or don’t get a 2D plan drawing. As soon as we output it into the 3D they say, ‘Oh that’s what that is!’ They get it. It’s huge.”

So huge, in fact, that since Andrews’ firm began using landscape design software six years ago as a part of their first-meeting sales process to demonstrate their portfolio, their sales close rate has increased a full 25 percent. Now instead of closing just half of presentations made, Landscape Associates of De Pere closes 75 percent of its prospective customers. And that’s just for customers shown sample work during the initial consultation. The close rate for clients shown a 3D rendering of their own project is nearly perfect — at 99 percent.

Andrews’ company completes more than 200 drawings a year, but only about 20 percent of the client projects actually go into the 3D design stage.

“The 3D drawing is really a just a sales tool that we reserve for only those projects where we need that kind of communication,” he says. Andrews explains that while a simple foundation planting job doesn’t require a 3D presentation, complex, $20,000 jobs usually do.

Andrews uses DynaSCAPE landscape design software and Google SketchUp to convert the plans into 3D versions.

In Eden Prairie, Minn., Joe Schroeder, landscape manager, serves as a designer, bidder and estimator for Neil’s Outdoor Services, Inc. He’s been using PRO Landscape design software for more than a decade.

“Design software helps to close deals [by] giving the client an exact design and scale drawing, not something sketched up on a napkin,” Schroeder says.

Todd Bangs, operations manager for Windswept Gardens in Bangor, Maine, agrees. “I feel it helps the customer actually see what the finished project will look like. With traditional 2D flat hand work, it’s hard to get the picture into the customer’s head.” Bangs’ company uses Univision 3D Landscape Creator from Unilock.

Before he used design software in the sales process, Bangs says he’d present to customers by “showing a plan and lots of description of how it will look using other photos of like ideas.” Now, the sales process for Windswept Gardens begins with “some rough sketching done with pen and paper, then we use those as a guide as to where to go with the design software,” Bangs says. “When the customer decides on getting a design we will use the software for the sales pitch [at the presentation of the design]. When someone sees their yard all done on the screen, it sells itself.”

Schroeder’s process for Neil’s Outdoor Services is similar.

“I usually start by meeting the client on site and doing a quick sketch and taking measurements,” Schroeder says. “From there, I base my design off of the lot survey or my on-site notes. Once I am finished with the design, I meet the client back on site to discuss the design and hopefully close the deal for landscape work.”

Not only does the software help to sell the job, but it also makes communication to construction crews easier.

Combining art and technology

For nearly 100 years, Chalet has been serving the greater Chicago area. From humble beginnings as a yard care business, the company has expanded to include tree care, design/build and property maintenance services, a retail garden center, wholesale nursery and a full-service landscape design firm.

Eric Braun, RLA, has worked with Chalet as a landscape architect for the past 10 years, and is one of 11 landscape designers and landscape architects on staff. Chalet’s design staff creates landscape plans and renderings for homeowner clients, as well as large residential developers.

Braun says historically, Chalet’s landscape architects have presented hand-rendered plans and hand-drawn designs to clients.

“When you are presenting to a client and have a hand-rendered and hand-drawn design, there’s a true artist quality to it that a client is impressed by. It’s a custom work of art that speaks to them and helps convey your talent and creativity. That’s one thing that the clients appreciate,” Braun says. “We have had clients frame the designs and put them up on their walls.”

But recently, Braun says the firm has begun moving into computer-aided design. They already used AutoCAD in order to receive files from building architects. During the past couple of years, Braun and three other members of the staff have trained on computer design platforms. Staff members attended intensive workshops and watched online tutorials “to hone our skills and to practice.”

The programs allow Braun and other team members to create 3D renderings and fly-throughs for clients who may “have trouble visualizing a 2D plan.”

Nate Robinson, RLA, is also a landscape architect with Chalet. Robinson says that although he couldn’t put an actual number on it, he feels that offering 3D software design has positively impacted sales. “Having a 3D model available helps clients better understand our projects and has helped lead to more sales, but unfortunately, we have not officially tracked that percentage or dollar value.”

Not all clients need nor desire a 3D rendering. The option is discussed with the client, and they are charged an additional fee for the time it takes to go this extra step.

“One of the main drawbacks with hand-drawn is it’s time consuming to revise,” Braun says. “One of the drawbacks of AutoCAD is 2D plans look static and robotic.”

Braun and his team members have figured out a way to combine the two, by digitally creating the plan in AutoCAD and then hand-rendering over it “to soften it.” Braun says, “It tends to work nicely.”

Improving efficiency

“With the company growing, I am trying to incorporate (software) designs on most projects. This gives the job foreman exacts on what the job consists of, and to scale measurements on how to install,” Schroeder says.

Andrews says using the design software “gives our crews a lot better information.”

Pricing jobs designed in the software is also easier and more accurate, which in turn saves money and adds profitability to the bottom line.

“A major benefit of the software is in the estimating after design. A click at the bottom gives you all your take off and totals, so it makes ordering and pricing much faster and easier,” Bangs says.

Andrews says using the digital software for sales actually does make the rest of the process more efficient. “We do the take off of the plans and go over into estimating. That way, we’re more accurate. You can have the computer count up the square footage of the lawn and drop that into estimating.”

Another helpful feature is the “ability to make changes quickly and efficiently,” Schroeder says.

“The speed you can make changes is a huge plus over the traditional pen and paper,” Bangs says. “In just a few seconds it can be switched up, made bigger or smaller. Anything is easier to change.”

“Now drawing on the computer is so much faster and, especially as we work with clients and make changes, it saves so much time. We can just change a few things and we don’t have to start over,” Andrews says. “If we want to give people options, it’s so easy to have it on the computer to switch between to present options to a client. That saves so much drawing time.”

An added bonus to easy changes is the ability to demonstrate those differences to clients — which can increase sales. “It just makes a connection with the customer and helps us to up-sell items because they see it with all the ‘bells and whistles’ then, with just a click of the mouse, you can start taking them away,” Bangs says.

With the increased use of mobile devices in the workplace, many software companies are creating apps that run their software on more than just the computer. Drafix Software, the firm that developed PRO Landscape, offers an app that runs their software easily on iPads and Android devices. The app includes a cutout tool that lets you take a picture of the existing landscape, and drop new design elements on top of it right there in the field.

Andrews uses a conversion app that helps his 3D software run on the iPad, Google Earth to look at a site before he arrives on property, and weather apps to help plan job installation schedules.

The software not only may be used for the professional teams, but design stills can be exported into photo formats (such as .jpg or PDF) that are easily emailed to clients. The benefit here is that the client can share — and brag about — the work they’re having done on their property, which is nice marketing for the landscape firm. And, they can also track the project’s progress because they have a 3D reference as to what it will look like once complete.

Andrews says using design software in every stage of the sales and construction of a job has completely revolutionized his business.

“Sales are better. Accuracy is better. Profitability on jobs is better,” Andrews says. “Why would you ever go back?”

Stacie is a freelance writer based in Mount Vernon, Wash.