Get more design clients with this simple sales tip
The most important thing about creating a successful design or architecture business is understanding your clients' wants, needs and desired outcomes better than they understand them themselves.
You have to be able to understand and articulate their inner concerns, challenges and worries - the things that keep them up at night.
You have to shift from thinking and talking about services and products to thinking about the outcomes they really want.
What do I mean by this?
I’ll share it with you in the post below!
Understand what clients really want
In most cases when you meet a client they will give you a list of wants or needs that they think they need help with - like sourcing new furniture, renovating a bathroom or help with soft furnishings.
But your job is to go deeper than that and really understand what their inner needs and wants are.
Ask yourself questions like:
🏠 Are they embarrassed by how messy and disorganised their home is at the moment?
🏠 What lifestyle improvement are they after here?
🏠 Do they lack confidence to do this themselves?
🏠 Are they looking for validation that they are on the right track with their ideas?
🏠 Are they stressed, anxious, nervous about the process and want someone experienced to help walk them through this?
🏠 Have they done this process before or have they go no idea how it works?
The answers to these questions (which you ask yourself - not the client obviously!) will help you really get to the heart of what the inner problem is for the client.
Here’s the difference between what a client will probably tell you they want and need from you and what they are really looking for…
What a client says they want
✅ Help designing their new kitchen
✅ Help choosing paint colours
✅ Help sourcing new furniture
✅ Help designing joinery/millwork
✅ An architect to design an extension
What a client really wants
⭐️ A functional space for their family to cook in and be together
⭐️ Support and validation in selecting new colours. Lack confidence to do it themselves
⭐️ A home they can be proud of when friends come over
⭐️ For their home to be more functional, organised and free from clutter
⭐️ An experienced professional who will guide them through the stress of renovating
⭐️ A house that is better than their friends!
When you shift from thinking about the 'services' you are selling to the 'outcomes' you will be providing to your clients you will surprise your clients at how well you understand them - and this is where you will create connection that in turn will result in winning more work.
This isn't about trickery, it's about deeply understanding and connecting with your clients so they come away wondering how you could possibly understand all those things about them.
Give this way of thinking and speaking with your clients a try and see how it works for your business!
Courses and Templates for Designers and Architects
DO YOU WANT TO….
Improve your professionalism?
Find more clients?
Bring in more revenue?
Create better systems and processes?
Then check out my business courses and templates for designers and architects.
These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy
