bid/ consultation binder ideas/ feedback

southsoundtree

southsoundtree

Been here much more than a while
Location
Olympia, WA
In an attempt to get more organized, I was thinking of having a seperate bid/consultation binder from my main planner.

I was wondering if others do this and have ideas that I can develop into mine. I would like to have a bunch of reference material to use specific to each customer's situation. I am also looking to buy some of the ISA published pamphlets to distribute.

I think that this will help to sell people on a paid consultation over a free bid. Free bids on straight forward work--->remove this tree, raise canopy on those two trees to 20'. If I am educating and providing information that someone else can implement, I don't want to do it for free.

"Mr. X, we provide a basic consultation service on our first visit by fee.

You will be shown and provided educational materials specific to your situation and your trees that will help you to help your trees by knowing how to better take care of them, reducing your longterm maintenance and/ or removal expenses, while improving your property value, and safety.

I suggest you have a written list of questions and items that you would like to address, along with paper and pen for notes. Please allow an hour for us to meet and discuss your specific situation.

We have a one hour minimum fee on consultations, at $X/ hour with time over one hour broken down into 15 minute intervals. May I schedule you for this service?"






I was thinking about general information that I have to go through with each customer, nearly:

General Tree Anatomy, with pictures of a whole tree (above and below, to help with the narrow root plate diameter/ all roots go deep thing, which where we live is not so much--high water table), co-dominant leaders, included/ excluded bark, branch collars, branch protection zones, critcal root zones.

General Tree Biology, with pictures of: energy input through foliage (to help explain about overly heavy pruning/ topping problems),
root/ soil interaction (to explain about compaction, trenching, stem girdling roots), competition, branch collar/ branch bark ridge, im/proper pruning cuts.

Tree Growth and Maintenance: including normal growth, suckering/ epicormic growth,

CODIT

Main species of this area with pictures, growth habit, characteristics, pests/diseases/ cultural practices associated with each species.

Climbing/ Access: spurs, spurless, buckets

Example of different techniques, such as basic removals and pruning, rigging with overhead pulley points and blocking down spars without an overhead pulley point, speedlining, crane work.

Also, have certificate of Insurance, Worker's Comp, Bond, License, etc.




What else would you include?
 
[ QUOTE ]
... I was thinking of having a seperate bid/consultation binder from my main planner...

...I suggest you have a written list of questions and items that you would like to address, along with paper and pen for notes...

[/ QUOTE ]

Sean, you are on the right track as it is. I specifically like the suggestion of telling them to write down their questions ahead of time. It really bothers me when a customer asks me a ton of questions that are not related to the purpose of me being out there. When they do, it then turns our time of estimating tree work into consultation. --And the customer will not recognize the difference until we point it out.

Lately, I have been asking a lot of questions to screen the customer. If they are located far away I'll let them know that I'll charge $20 for the estimate plus I'll give them a general consultation addressing their trees.

I have been surprised with the success rate of this.
 
$20 seems more like gas money rather than consult. fee. An hourly rate might be more appropriate but you may want to be sure you are stacked with work as they likely will go with the free visit guy sight unseen. $20 almost seems like an insult.

As for the educational mtls. All that stuff just kind of flows from my mouth during a conversation and it give the client confidence in their choice. I do not think they really want to learn all this stuff. All that printed material can get expensive and maybe even confusing in stocking, dispensing and disseminating IMO.

I do carry a container with bill forms, est. forms, letterheads, envelopes, plastic business cards. certs. of insurance, stuff like that including a clipboard. I keep all different sizes and shapes and colors of notebooks for different functions to easily identify them. What has worked best so far is a plastic container with a lid that I keep on the dash in my pick up that has velcro tape on the bottom and velcro tape on the dashboard. Never enough room in there and I don't like an extended cab.

Like you guys, I am always trying to improve on the system.
 
G'day Treevet
wink.gif


THe good thing about printed materials is it can be referred back to.

Like you, i've given the same explanations 1000's of times over, i could sell tree work in my sleep nearly! But often your quote/estimate appointment is not with the decision maker. Eg. meet the wife who is home during the day, she shows quote to hubby that night and tries to repeat all the knowledge you shared verbally. Chances of her selling him as well as you sold her first go is pretty slim...

He looks at yours & 3 others quotes and all he sees is the $$$.

She explains how she really liked you best though. THen he rings wanting you to do the job for the same as the ones they didnt like as much...

So i've found good examples & info on pruning especially, showing right vs wrong as well as technical removals with spotless clean ups vs banged up lawn with mess left everywhere etc goes a long way to to getting a "Yes" while being the highest price they got quoted.

Selling aids aid selling!
 
[ QUOTE ]
$20 seems more like gas money rather than consult. fee. An hourly rate might be more appropriate but you may want to be sure you are stacked with work as they likely will go with the free visit guy sight unseen. $20 almost seems like an insult.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. And I'm merely talking about a bid and small consultation of 15-20 minutes long. If a customer has a huge property, with lots of trees, I'll say $50/hr. It is simply a deterrent to scare away the tight wads. And $20 dollars seems to be easy to come up with. Most people have a 20 in their wallet. No need to write a check...
 
I think that a benefit of written materials to be passed out to the customer has the benefits of professionalism/ showing establishment of a legitimate business (in this economy there are more fly by nighters showing up, I believe).

I concur that the materials will be able to be shown to other decision makers. Property managers/ representatives will maybe need to show to HOA's boards at meetings.

Most people are more visual than auditory, plus it should be something to refer back to with the customer, so that they understand better, as the amount of information is overwhelming to a lot of people it they are getting informed about their trees. Simple removals won't need them, but if you want to sell preventative work, a picture can reassure them that a brace and cable can be unobtrusive, pruning cuts and branch collars are readily shown, spikeless climbing systems and spike damage are easier to understand and see the significance.

After I get something together, consultation binder wise, and have experience with publication distribution, I'll report my findings.

I think that the screening process will be more effective, saving time and money. I've been told by a local arborist that it has worked for him to charge for a consultation, as he may get less bid requests, but closes more of the one's he wants, which are the ones that see our work as a very skilled service, and worth the money.


The hard thing to work out on the screening is how to tell people that our daily rate is "X" for a 3 person crew headed by an efficient experienced CA, chipper, truck, etc, as there is no way to quantify how much can be done in a day. People would love to be able to easy compare apples to apples, but no such comparison is generally available.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
$20 seems more like gas money rather than consult. fee. An hourly rate might be more appropriate but you may want to be sure you are stacked with work as they likely will go with the free visit guy sight unseen. $20 almost seems like an insult.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. And I'm merely talking about a bid and small consultation of 15-20 minutes long. If a customer has a huge property, with lots of trees, I'll say $50/hr. It is simply a deterrent to scare away the tight wads. And $20 dollars seems to be easy to come up with. Most people have a 20 in their wallet. No need to write a check...

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, that makes sense, better to get a $20 than nothing and all those trips adds quick
 
I figured that compare and contrast photos would be good, and easy to get. Before fixing the next hack pruning job, take a picture, then an "after" (trying to use the same photopoint and angle (marking where you were initially will help to show things most clearly).
 
Visual aids help. When it comes to thinning a canopy, I show them the right and wrong way to do it using the visual aides. I've even showed them the illustrated guide to pruning by E.F. Gillman, but you cann't lug that book around all the time, and it's not professional. A nice brochure would be convenent and professional to carry around.
 
What is not professional?

Is a reference material from a leader in the field not professional?

It would be great to have a brochure that is made by and for one's company, however, people top in the field, and with a publishing team, can beat me anyday.

There is so much information to convey, depending on the specific trees, that I think that a brochure, plus some reference to industry research can be a winning combination. Of course, it is not possible/ profitable to try to convey it all.

Also, by having industry publications echo that which an individual has produced seems like it would show that the individual is in line with current research.

For example, (from what I understand, and I may be wrong), Windsail Reduction (or at least certain methods like clearing out the inner canopy) has been debunked. If I have a brochure that shows proper and improper windsail reduction, then it might look like I'm so well informed, and have the right answers for the customer, all the while, being out of date with current research.

Cabling and speedlining come to mind as well. If I say that I want to drill into their tree and strap it with a cable (what they might hear), and then show them a picture in a brochure, it might not be as convincing that this is a proper arboriculture technique, however, if I speak a thousand words with one photograph in a supply catalog, or indicate that it will be to A300 specs, they will be more comfortable. When bidding a job, the customer wanted to know if speedlining limbs was going to be safe. I showed him a supplier catalog. He was reassured that they make professional speedlining kits by seeing that reference material.

How do you suppose that a person/ company include all the important info without a super-lengthy brochure. I'm open to ideas, and still having a brochure in the works, so I can incorporate good ideas.
 
You are correct! I was not saying Gillman or the material in the book was unprofessional, what i ment by not professional, was carring the book around. Put the same info in a brochure, and I believe it will have a better look.
 
Gotcha--

Better to have a brochure, than just books.

Its hard to narrow down into a brochure. I suppose a brochure will highlight the company and services. The binder will delve deeper into regional/ general issues and overall tree care and tree operations.

BTW, I wasn't meaning that I might have thought Gilman, et. al. were not pro.
 
I have tried with limited success to disseminate literature over the years for appropriate services desired by client or suggested by me in estimate/consultation but have settled on only a few and have decided to try to encompass as much as I can in my website over the next few years. Then you can explain the situation and refer them to the site if they are interested beyond just putting it all in your lap along with their trust.
 
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