Most contractors are hesitant to enter the landscape lighting business for two primary reasons. One is the fear of electricity, which is easily overcome when they are properly taught the simplicity of 12 volt lighting. The other hurdle which most contractors face is the marketing of their new service.
In the landscape lighting business, past lighting designs and installations create the most effective way to market your business. You will be amazed how many leads you get from satisfied customers. However, I would like to suggest other ways for you to create demand for your services. These approaches have been tried and tested, and are being utilized by many successful lighting contractors throughout the country.
The first suggestion I would offer is to identify the “high end” homebuilders in your geographic area. Approach them and ask if they would allow you to install, at no charge, a temporary lighting package at every new house that they have on the market. This will help the builder showcase their houses to potential buyers during the late afternoon and evening hours. Once they receive a contract on the house, the builder can explain to the potential home buyer that the lighting system is being used for marketing purposes only, and will direct the home buyer to contact you to inquire about purchasing the lighting system. This will almost always result in a sale. After the sale, all you have to do is bury the wire and maybe add a few fixtures to finish the landscape. After all, when a home buyer is purchasing a new house for $750,000 or so, spending a few thousand dollars for a lighting system to showcase their new purchase is an easy decision.
Another suggestion is to approach the real estate agents that list these higher end properties, and offer to light their real estate signs for $100 each. This not only creates attention to the property during evening hours when potential customers are shopping for the “perfect neighborhood”, it also differentiates the listing agent from all of their competition. This package can consist of 2 accent lights and a small transformer, so your investment is minimal. If the agent lists 10 properties per month, you could earn an additional $12,000 per year per agent.
The idea here is to think outside of the box when it comes to creating new business opportunities with your lighting business. New ideas will differentiate you, and introduce your services to potential customers that may have never thought about landscape lighting.
Written By Dave Fetterolf
