11 Feb Don’t be fooled by Awards and self proclamation
By Mike Gambino
Building a custom landscape lighting system in Los Angeles means you first must find a custom landscape lighting system builder. Let’s be honest about how builders, and many companies around the country, promote themselves. It has been popular in marketing for businesses to boast about themselves. It’s been popular for salesmen in key industries to boast about themselves, too. “I’m the top producer in my area,” or “We have more awards than any builder.”
When someone says something akin to, “I’m the greatest,” it reminds me of Muhamed Ali. That was his phrase, and most of us can see him saying it in our mind’s eye as he danced to and from the ring. That cocky statement worked for Ali, not only because of his personality, but mostly because he really was the greatest.
But when a salesman or a lighting system builder brags in all their promotions about being the greatest, it just doesn’t work for most people. First, who can say a builder actually is the greatest? We knew when Ali knocked out his opponent, but how do we know about builders?
Second, and more importantly, and most people probably don’t know this, anyone can get certificates and “awards” issued from companies that specialize in issuing certificates and awards (FOR A FEE). In other words, if you pay for a seminar, you will get a certificate you can frame and place on the wall. But it doesn’t end there. You can then mention that certificate or award in your advertisements.
Let’s take it to the next level. There are national associations which will issue certificates and awards, provided you pay for the courses and provided you can complete applications to receive awards. Not everyone will bother with these kinds of little gimmicks, so that makes it easier for those who do take the time and money to “win” such awards. You see, you “win” if you play and pay.
What is the real key to a landscape lighting system builder’s competence and professionalism? Listen to their clients. The level of customer satisfaction is the real answer. But there’s a trap here, too, for the unwary customer looking to select a builder.
There’s a game called “Highest Customer Satisfaction.” Anyone can say, “We’re number 1,” or “We have the highest customer satisfaction,” but most of the time that is just self aggrandizing promotion. You can vote yourself number 1, and you can pay an association to vote you number 1. In the building business, any builder can get some clients to write happy testimonials.
I don’t play the games. I build, what is arguably the finest landscape lighting systems, in the Los Angeles area. I don’t go to seminars to get awards. I build high performance landscape lighting systems designed to last. That’s what I do.
Not all lighting system builders are the same. Not even close. Choose your builder because he is an outstanding builder, not because he has awards on his wall issued by associations.
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 20 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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