Save Time And Energy With Interior Design Client Meeting Tips & Tricks

It’s been pretty much one year since I started Get Ink DIY (say WHAT???) and one of my favorite things has been learning something new almost every day. I’ve learned things about running an online business, which was all new and exciting, but I’ve also had lots of eye-opening moments about the interior design profession and how designers run their businesses.

Since PR and marketing are functions that are intended to support your business goals, it is absolutely critical for me to have a good grasp of all aspects of the interior design business. Except I will leave the actual design work to you. (Believe me it's better that way! I just painted the entire interior of my house white, that should tell you enough, lol.)

Because I love to learn new things, I’ve found our weekly Designer Discussions on Clubhouse incredibly interesting. I’ve taken some great nuggets of hands-on tips and honest advice away from each topic and speaker.

This past Friday was no exception when my friend Maria Martin shared her tips on moving your client’s decision-making along effectively by employing a few distinct strategies. She is not just an experienced interior designer and the founder of DesignAppy but also a smart and savvy businesswoman. 

Here are the two highlights that stuck with me from the talk that can help you save time and energy as you move your client through the decision-making process.

How much time can you spend in a client meeting before you burn out? Four hours is the upper limit, but the longer you can go and capture your client’s attention, the more you will accomplish. Keep in mind that memory is time-dependant.

After a day they will only remember 50% of what you covered, after two days 30%, after three days 20%, and after a week all but 10% will be gone from their memory.

This means that your chances of keeping the momentum going are much greater if you schedule meetings closer together. And remember to make sure that all decision-makers are present at all critical meetings.

Repetition is critical. The marketing rule of eight says that clients need to see something eight times to know they want it. So don’t be disappointed if they don’t jump on it right away. Make sure to expose them to designs you want their buy-in on in several meetings, on your social media, in magazines, on your website, in renderings, etc. This will make the product or design feel familiar to them and they’ll be more likely to accept and appreciate it.

[Slides courtesy of DesignAppy]

Maria shared many other tips on how interior designers can effectively communicate and build trust with clients. If you’d like to find out more there are two ways you can get more info. The slides that the talk was based on can be found in the Designer Discussions Facebook Group and there is a brand new webinar focused on integrating technology in your business that covers the content as well.

If you’re interested in hands-on quality educational tips for your interior design business, be sure to join us on Designer Discussion on Clubhouse every Friday at 12:30 pm.

Because we know the content we provide is super valuable, we’re working on other ways to share it too. Stay tuned for more on that!