Drawing the Dream

Drawings are an integral part of any sales presentation, but understanding how the client will process them may be just as important as the rendering itself.

Some professionals use a principle called neuro linguistic programming — or NLP for short. This acknowledges that people tend to be categorized as either visually, auditorily or kinesthetically oriented.

“All clients, everybody you meet is wired differently,” says Scott Cohen, president of The Green Scene Landscaping, based in Northridge, Calif. “We all take in information differently.”

Cohen is undergoing training through a program called the Sandler Sales System, for which understanding people’s orientations and responding to them is a key principle. “We all work so hard to become better designers and contractors,” says Cohen, who also sells Fetch-A-Sketch readimade drawings.

“But I’ve found that half my job is marriage counseling and therapy. So over the last few years I’ve spent my time and effort on becoming a better, more active listener and on learning bonding skills with clients by using concepts similar to therapists.”

Clients will give clues on how they process information. If someone asks, “Do you hear what I’m saying?” they’re probably auditory, Cohen explains. In that case, it’s best not to respond, “I see what you mean,” but instead reply, “Absolutely, I hear what you’re saying.” This way you’re speaking the same language.

Because people rarely pair off with carbon copies of themselves, presenters likely will have to cater to two different types of processing. “It’s not uncommon for two people in a couple to be different — one can be a visual person and the other can be auditory,” Cohen says.

If somebody is primarily visual, Cohen will show the drawing and be quiet to give them time to visualize how the project will look. “I’ll ask the question, ‘How do you envision using the space — how do you envision entertaining in the space, who will you invite over first — things to get them dreaming about the yard,” Cohen says.

Auditory clients, on the other hand, will receive a lot more verbal prompting during the presentation. “I will talk them through the whole plan,” Cohen says. “I’ll say, ‘This is the walkway, this is the pool, this is the beautiful view, this is where the outdoor kitchen is going to be.’”

If they’re more kinesthetic, Cohen will give them something to touch — tile samples, swatches of fabric for the furniture or shade covers — so they get a tactile sense for some of the materials choices.

“Every client is like having a different boss,” Cohen says. “Some like more communication, some like less. Some want more pictures, some want more talking, some want more hand-holding.