How should a landscaper follow up a garden design quote?
Send a short check-in a few days after the quote or design, then keep in touch around the season, for example with real start dates for the spring. A new patio or garden is a big spend people can put off, so a quiet client is often still deciding, not saying no.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Landscapers
- Problem
- Quotes that go quiet
- The fix
- Missed-Call Rescue, £800
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to landscapers.
- It’s a want, not a need
- A burst pipe gets fixed this week. A new patio can wait until next year, and many clients let it, unless someone keeps the idea alive.
- Quotes in winter, builds in spring
- Many design jobs are quoted in the colder months for a spring start. Months can pass between the quote and the first dig, and the client forgets who was who.
- Two decisions, not one
- For design-led work, the client decides on the design, then on the build. Each step is a point where things can stall.
- The groundwork is invisible
- Excavation, sub-base, drainage and taking the spoil away are where quotes differ most. A client comparing a porcelain patio quote on the price per square metre can’t see why yours is higher.
What to do, in order.
Show them what they’re buying
A simple sketch or plan, material samples and photos of a finished job like theirs. People say yes to a garden they can picture.
Explain the hidden work
Say how deep you dig, what goes under the paving, how water drains away and how spoil is removed. It answers the cheaper-quote question before it comes up.
Offer phases
The patio and paths this year, planting next. A smaller first step is easier to agree to than the whole garden at once.
Follow up with the season
A few days after the quote, then when you know your spring diary: tell them the real start dates you can offer. Keep it honest; don’t invent a deadline.
Put every quote on one list
Missed-Call Rescue keeps each enquiry in a simple list with automatic reminders, so winter quotes get chased when spring comes.
Where M1 can do it for you.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
A simple list of every enquiry and quote with automatic reminders, so a design quote from November gets its follow-up in February.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
- Enquiry Quiz £1,800
It asks about the garden, the job and the budget before you visit, so you spend less time quoting jobs that were never going ahead.
A short quiz that gives visitors an answer, and gives you their details.
- Sales Call Kit £800
A script for the design follow-up and answers to objections like “we’ll leave it until next year” and “the other quote was cheaper”.
Know what to say on every sales call, and who to call.
Want to check the rest of your business first? Take the free Scorecard: 12 questions, about 3 minutes.
Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
When should I follow up a garden design quote?
A few days after sending it, to answer questions. Then again when you can offer real start dates, often late winter for spring work. The guide to following up a quote has example messages.
Should I charge for a garden design?
That’s your call. Many designers charge a design fee, and some take it off the build price if the client goes ahead with them. A paid design tends to bring clients who are serious about building it.
How do I stop quoting for jobs with no budget?
Ask about budget before the site visit, in a friendly way: “Most patios like this come in between X and Y, does that fit?” An Enquiry Quiz can ask about the garden, the job and the budget for you, before you pick up the phone.
Keep reading.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
Sammy writes down what’s holding your business back and what to fix first. The Foundation Blueprint is yours within 5 working days of your answers.
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