Please Understand that selling landscape lighting is not the same thing as designing and installing landscape lighting

29 Jul Please Understand that selling landscape lighting is not the same thing as designing and installing landscape lighting

By Mike Gambino

The average consumer will generically refer to most anybody in the landscape lighting business as a “landscape lighter” — and it’s important to develop your “landscape lighter” knowledge — but there are important differences between “selling” a landscape lighting system and “installing” a landscape lighting system.

If you’re selling landscape lighting, you’re a “landscape lighter” as far as a prospect is concerned. Landscape Lighting sales persons may not have a lot of experience installing landscape lighting, and many successful landscape lighting salespeople don’t, but it’s important for you the consumer to understand the difference.

In many landscape lighting companies such as my own , Gambino landscape Lighting, the same person selling the landscape lighting , me Mike Gambino, is the same person installing the landscape lighting — or maybe directly supervising the crew but always on site. Often, the lead installer’s name is the exact same name as the landscape lighting company like in my case. They’re proud of their work experience, and they should be!

However, because they have a lifetime of valuable “landscape lighting” experience, they default to a sales angle that leans heavily on selling their personal installer experience. Many of these installers strongly believe a consumer should only buy a new custom landscape lighting system from a “landscape lighting specialist” with real-world installation experience; ideally, the “landscape lighter” with the most experience.

That makes sense why they would feel that way, right?

However, in reality not all of the landscape lighting systems will be sold by an actual “landscape lighting specialist.” I dare say, most of the new landscape lighting systems will NOT be sold by a “landscape lighting specialist.” Many will be quickly sold by landscape company salespeople as a part of a multi faceted project in their yard … and then later installed by the landscape company’s  employees or sub contractors.  In other words, the person selling the job won’t be the same person installing the job and the installers are generalists not specialists in landscape lighting installation.

As you can imagine, this is extremely frustrating for “landscape lighting specialists” who are more skilled at the art of installation but never had a chance to even quote the project because the prime landscape contractor is handling it as an all inclusive part of their new construction or remodel landscaping project. Will this type of landscape lighting purchase deprive you of the “Art of custom landscape lighting” ?

Not only that, once a “landscape lighting specialist” gets busy installing custom landscape lighting, they have even less time for selling landscape lighting systems. They’re out there in the yard sweating out another installation with their crew making sure every detail is perfect.

Meanwhile, generalist contractors and salespeople flood the streets below knocking doors, giving presentations, and planting new yard signs.

Many of the landscape lighting being sold right out from under their nose are being sold by people with inferior installation skills — but often superior sales skills, or at least far more time to focus only on selling.

Now, if you’re a professional “landscape lighting specialist” with years of real-world landscape lighting experience, how do you think you’d feel?

That’s right, probably not very happy; maybe even a little bitter, jaded, sarcastic, or cynical.

Every once in awhile you’ll find a “landscape lighting specialist” who wakes up and gets it. They’ll focus on doing what they do best — landscape lighting — and recruit salespeople, with far less installation experience, to hit the streets and do what they do best — selling! However, it’s rare because human nature is to only see the world from our point of view.

Are you buying your custom landscape lighting system from a “REAL” landscape lighter or aren’t you?

This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 26 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.Gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

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