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Just do a Google search for landscape lighting. You’ll find lighting fixtures that cost less than a movie, less than a haircut, less than a meal at McDonalds.
Unfortunately, just like these other consumables, low price lights are purchased then quickly lose their value. Bright and shiny when you buy them, in a few months they are broken, bent, chipped, and may not work at all. Maybe you’ll spend a few more dollars for “premium” fixtures – these may last a full year. In the end, all that remains are bad memories. You might as well have spent the money on a good movie.
Even the Pro’s are Seduced by Low Prices
You would think a landscape lighting professional would be smart enough to avoid throw-away lights. Sadly, many fail to realize that their reputation depends upon the value they deliver. Landscape Lighting Design is an awesome craft that takes years to master and the results are breath-taking – even life-changing – for the homeowner. When a professional designer uses cheap lights, it is not only bad for business; it does the homeowner a huge disservice.
Low cost lights often have flimsy stems that bend and break.
Mistakes Some Landscape Lighting Professionals Make:
- They spend way too much time trying to save a few dollars on lights, instead of selecting a high-quality brand and sticking to it. Many do this by selecting discount online retailers that offer nothing but low prices and mediocre quality.
- They are not suspicious when confronted by the oxymoron, “High Quality – Low Price”. They forget that “You get what you pay for” is, and always will be, true.
- They think they can only succeed if they offer their service at the lowest possible price – lower than everyone else. They will use cheap materials, take shortcuts, and do anything to bring the price down.
- They fail to see value in their work, their craftsmanship, their experience; and consequently devalue their service to the point where they make little or no money on jobs – a downward spiral that forces them to compromise on the products they sell and the service they deliver.
- They fail to see that the success of their business depends on their reputations. If their businesses are associated with low quality lights, then their reputation reflects that.
- They waste time trying to sell professional systems to homeowners who can’t afford (or appreciate) a quality lighting design.
Mistakes Some Homeowners Make:
- They hire professionals who make the above mistakes.
- They fail to recognize how a professionally designed lighting system beautifies their property, makes it safer, more secure, and enables them to enjoy their nighttime activities.
- They underestimate the skill, experience, and artistry required to produce an exceptional lighting design. They spend way too much time in Home Depot browsing through the outdoor lighting section.
- When evaluating bids for landscape lighting, they focus too much on price, and not enough on other values like training, experience, product quality and professionalism.
- They are offended when the landscape lighting professional refuses to budge on price.
- After they get bids on projects, they rush to the Internet to look for product prices to see if they are getting ripped off. They don’t know that the best lighting brands (like CAST Lighting) can’t be purchased through the Internet.
- They try to do it themselves.
How to Do It Right
Homeowners should find a fully trained, experienced, landscape lighting professional who uses only the highest quality products. They should not try to do it themselves (not if they want a lighting system that will perform for years in the future).
Landscape lighting professionals should select a high-quality brand and stick to it. They should also work on increasing the value of their businesses, build their reputations, and set prices that truly reflect those values.
What CAST Lighting Offers
CAST Lighting manufacturers solid bronze outdoor lighting fixtures that carry a lifetime warranty. We also offer low voltage transformers, tin-coated marine-grade wire and other lighting system components. To ensure that our products are installed correctly, we offer extensive training programs and certification. Homeowners can get CAST-Certified Designer referrals from their local CAST distributors.