Rendering by Gibson Design Management

Here are three main ways:

1. Sell emotion. When your client is able to see what their space is going to look like before it is even built or remodeled, they are going to bond.  They will bond with the space.  That bond will extend to their bond with you as the design firm.  Often it is difficult to communicate a visual to a client using words.  Eliminate the need for words and show them exactly what you mean.
2. Upsell. Just like with 3D renderings, you can show your client the “whole picture” with an animated walk-through.  If the client has only approved a few of the items for the living room, and think that they really don’t need the window treatments, additional ottoman, and artwork, show them how those additional items will complete the space.  If you are doing a large office building, show the client what their new workspaces will look like and why they really do need all of the bells and whistles.  Show them what their clients will see as they enter the lobby.
3. Set your firm apart. Most design firms are not using animation.  When you go into a big potential client meeting, show those clients that you are on the cutting edge with both technology and client service.  This will translate in their mind that you are the experts and your services are worth more than your competitors.  The client will then believe that you are on the cutting edge and progressive in all areas that will affect their project.

While I believe that 3D renderings should be used with EVERY client, I am realistic—which means I know that animation cannot be used with every client.  However, it is very important to show EVERY potential client that this is a service that you offer.  You should use animation with every large commercial and large residential client.  With larger budget clients, you will make up the cost of animation through the upsell and through the referrals.

To see an example of one of our animated walk-throughs, click here.

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Those who are not active on Twitter (or have never signed up) frequently ask: “What’s the point?” or “Is this really going to help my business?”

The short answer is: yes.  I know that it works because it has worked for our business in 6 very distinct ways.  The holy grail of social media still leaves the question of how to effectively analyze social media efforts.  It seems that John Lovett and Jeremiah Owyang, from Web Analytics Demystified and the Altimeter Group, are on the right track for creating a framework.  Until then, the list of 6 will have to be statistics free.

Creating leads. Twitter helps foster relationships if used properly.  It’s a way to engage in conversation and offer answers when asked—without expecting anything in return.

Click here to read more…

I’ve been an interior designer for over 20 years, so I’ve had plenty of time to make these mistakes.  Here’s a startling statistic (and I’ll bet it is higher during this recession) – 62.8% of all new businesses fail within 6 years according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and 96% fail within 10 years.  That means you’re lucky to be one of 4 out of 100 to make it past 10 years…or is it luck?

What if you could avoid the mistakes that these business owners made?

I’d like to see you avoid them, and if you’ve already done a few of them, now you can learn what not to do so you don’t waste your valuable time and money:

1. Not having a written “ideal client” profile – If you don’t know who your ideal client is, how can you tell other people who they can refer to you?  If you’ve ever had the client from &%$&, (or more than once) the key is to know what you don’t want in a client as much as what you do want.
2. Not knowing the lifetime value of your client – If you’ve been in the business even a few years, you can add up your billings and divide by the number of clients to get your current lifetime value.  You should also look at how long they stay as a client.  These two metrics are critical in your business planning and if you have this data as part of your Business Dashboard, it will help you grow your business.
3. Spending your time and effort marketing to new prospects rather than your current clients or inactive clients – Here are the statistics: your chance of selling a fresh prospect is 1 in 10 or even as low as 1 in 13; you chance of selling an inactive client is 1 in 3; your chance of selling to an active client is 1 in 2. Do you want to work less?  Sell more to your current clients, and once you’ve maximized that, work on reactivating your old clients.  Getting new prospects is your most expensive and hardest job. (Harry Mills – The Rainmaker’s Toolkit).
4. Not staying in touch with your clients frequently – Some of you do a really good job of sending thank you notes or birthday cards, but what about offering a special service during a slow period?  There are hundreds of strategies for keeping in touch with your clients without being a pest.  Be sure and share some of your best ones and we’ll compile a list to share with you and our members.
5. Not offering additional services at the end of an engagement – You are more likely to sell additional services to your client if you are in front of them and during the time when they are most excited about what you’ve done for them.  What can you offer them?  Is there a room you can “re-style” for them?  Chances are you’ll end up with new accessory, rug or window treatment sales.  This is like an upsell at McDonald’s – “would you like fries with that?”  You already have your wallet open, and besides, those fries smell really good!  In fact, you can significantly increase your revenues by this one strategy alone, and it is easy.  Even Starbucks knows that most people come in once per day, but if you come back after 2 pm, you can have a frozen drink for $2.  Guess what, that increases their revenue by 66% in many cases, and it is business they would not have gotten otherwise!
6. Inconsistent marketing – I can guarantee that if you are only marketing when business is slow that you are experiencing repeating cycles of feast and famine.  Not having a plan and marketing each and every day guarantees cycles that will make your hair go gray!  If you have a system in place and you work the system (assuming it is the right one), you will weather any financial storm.
7. Paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for costly magazine or newspaper advertising. Most businesses budget between 3 – 6% of their expenses for advertising, marketing and PR, but this is the worst possible place for you to be spending your money.
8. Not paying for professional photography – if you are serious about your design business, you need to pay someone to shoot your best projects.  Since my projects always took years to complete, I hired my photographer every two years and figured that a full day of photography cost around $1,500.  I used to shoot between 3 – 5 days in a row (which is exhausting).
9. Not having a strong web presence – 75% of designers do not have a website, and today, I don’t recommend spending money on a website.  A better option is a blog, social media and online directories.  Also, creating a digital portfolio and other new techniques of marketing are far more cost and time-effective than the traditional brochures and websites.  Please request a copy of our Internet Strategies for Architects and Interior Designers if you haven’t read it.  It will give you steps you can follow to join your competitors and be found by new prospects.
10. Not asking for testimonials and referrals from every client early and often – It is more effective to ask for both testimonials and referrals at the beginning of your engagement, and for sure, by the end of the project.  The easiest way to do this is have a pre-set list of questions for testimonials and interview your client while taking notes.  Ask them if you can write up the testimonial for them and then forward it to them with a date you want to receive it from them on their stationery.  Even better, get a video testimonial.  Be sure to get a testimonial release, too, so you can use it in your marketing materials.

Marketing and sales are the lifeblood of any business, and if you are consistent and observant about what works best, you’ll find that it gets easier and easier so you can focus on what you like to do best – interior design.

1. They take a significant amount of time to complete.
2. The typical conversion rate is low.  Many companies who issue RFPs already know who they want to use but are fulfilling a requirement by issuing them.
3. RFPs are formal.  As a small business, I cringe about formal interactions and would much rather develop a relationship, work with the potential client to assess needs, and then provide a proposal.  This is naturally how small businesses work best.

That being said, there are cases when responding to an RFP are necessary evils and are opportunities that should not be passed.  The best resource that I found for how to respond to RFPs and dealing with larger companies in general is Tom Searcy.  His company, Hunt Big Sales, provides consulting for small to mid-sized companies that wish to hunt larger “whales” for larger sales.  I used a lot of information from Tom’s book, Whale Hunting, as well as an e-book that is now going to be published called RFPs Suck!  How to Master the RFP System Once and For All to Win Big Business.  Here are some valuable lessons that I learned when preparing this RFP:

1. Be extremely picky.  Ensure that you should actually respond to the RFP and submit a proposal.  In most cases, you probably should not.  If you are not 110% qualified for the work that they request, you are wasting your time.  As Tom argues in his book Whale Hunting, the Inuit did not try to hunt every whale, realizing that they needed to focus in order to win.
2. Once you decide to respond to the RFP, get as much information from the issuing company as possible.  Try to meet with the people; if you have someone on the “inside” you are in a much better position.  If you don’t, your proposal is going to be a long shot because chances are, one of the other companies submitting a proposal does have an insider.
3. Be sure to answer each question posed in the RFP, preferably in the order and format that the questions are asked.
4. Deliver everything neatly and on-time.  I was fortunate enough to hand deliver and thus be able to spend time meeting with the decision-maker.  We were the only company to do that.

Most importantly, if you are completing an RFP for a big company, you, as a creative genius, will actually need to play down the creativity side.  Big companies want you to answer the question of how you are going to save them time, how you are going to save them money, and how working with you is going to be low risk.  While we each want to tout our innovation and creativity in approaching problems, these are actually scary words to a big company issuing an RFP.  Think inside the box…this might be the only time I issue those words.

If you ever have to respond to RFPs or ever want to respond to RFPs I would highly recommend Tom Searcy’s two books.

Click here to learn more

This three-day event is unlike anything that has been done for the interior design industry to date. They are interviewing 11 speakers (so far) that are top-selling authors, business consultants and agents to celebrity designers, and other amazing guests that are sure to help you grow your interior design business.

What is unique about this event is that you can listen to this from the comfort of your office or home during these three days. No travel expenses, just a nominal fee for the event and you will receive recordings so you can listen again at your convenience.

Here are some of the things you will learn:

How to book yourself solid

How to market so you don’t have to “sell” to get clients

How to build amazing referral partners that send affluent clients to you

How to create your marketing plan to get a steady flow of business

How to work with the ultra-affluent clients – how to get them and how to serve them…learn what they are looking for in an interior designer

How to use newsletters to stay connected with your prospects and clients …without having to write!

How to use social networking to create an online portfolio especially if you don’t have a website

How to build your personal brand so prospects and clients immediately know who you are and what your business represents

How to build a great team and manage your staff effectively

How to streamline the parts of your business that you don’t enjoy

And much more…

Save the dates and plan to make this an event in your office by bringing in lunch and having a discussion (with yourself if you work solo, or with your staff) to create a winning plan to take your business to the next level.

Click here to learn more about the event