One of the most common questions I get from users is why can't I choose a folder when I use File -> Save (As) and I have to tell them 'click the little blue button with the black triangle.' This expands the sheet (collapsed by default) to allow the user to choose a specific folder.
If you put the string NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode with a value of 1 into /Library -> .GlobalPreferences.plist or ~/Library -> .GlobalPreferences.plist, these sheets will be expanded by default. Keep in mind that this is a per-application thing, so if you have already opened an app and used the File -> Save (As) mnenus, you will still have the sheet how you last left it (expanded/collapsed and size).
You can use this Terminal command to set this value:
defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences \
NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -string 1
I imagine that you could manage this pref for your clients, but I haven't tested that (I just set this on our images).
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20061106184904899