Like A Boss: Picturing The End Result

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Todd Thomasson is working hard to help his clients see the value in a company that is able to look at the big picture. As the owner of Rock Water Farm in Aldie, Virginia, Thomasson’s company coordinates pool installations, among other landscape services. But Thomasson says that he often finds customers think they have to hire a pool company if they’re in the market for one. Then they think about doing landscape services and additional features after the fact. However, with a landscape company overseeing the entire pool installation, Thomasson says they get a much better final result.

The challenge, of course, is to get customers to understand the value in that process. Too often they get focused on the pool and just start seeking out pool builders in their area. Oftentimes when Thomasson is called in to do landscape work — after the fact — he’s also charged with fixing problems that the pool company left behind such as site grading issues or even drainage problems, all things that could have been prevented in the first place by someone who understands the landscape.

Sometimes clients are also not as happy with the finished product as they’d wished. Perhaps the pool patio was built in an area that is too shady or it’s constructed with a cheap material like concrete. These are the types of details that a landscape expert would have paid attention to, Thomasson says.

“The problem is, once the pool is in, it’s in — there’s no moving it,” Thomasson adds. “But problems can be avoided in the first place by having a landscape designer orchestrate the installation. We’re looking at the big picture — not just the pool but the entire landscape design.”

Thomasson is making an effort to better educate his clients, and potential clients, about the value of hiring a one-stop-shop company like Rock Water Farm through a big marketing push that includes blog articles and social media messaging. Of course, Thomasson says that one-on-one conversations with potential clients also goes a long way.

“I just recently met with a client who was amazed that we could do it all,” Thomasson says. “She was so happy to be able to deal with just one person who would coordinate everything for her — instead of multiple different contractors. People like the ideal of dealing with just one person they just don’t always know that option exists. It’s up to us to get that message out.”

Read more: I Am A Landscaper: Todd Thomasson

Our Like a Boss series highlights some common business challenges landscape professionals face and how they conquer them.