I want to share a few things with you, along with some wisdom. One of the things that happened this week was I worked with one of our designer students who had made an offer to a client. She didn’t get the job, which happens sometimes.
But we wanted to look at why. What was it about that offer that didn’t work?
We had an ideal client. We were giving them everything they wanted, but the offer wasn’t accepted. That’s when we do what I call a “Groundhog Day.” It’s where we back up and say, without blame or shame, what can we do better, so it doesn’t happen next time?
We looked at the way the designer made her offer. It had some of the elements that we teach at Interior Design Business Academy, and some elements that her friends told her to do. And between the two, it got convoluted and didn’t make much sense. And, we determined that’s why it didn’t fly.
The way I teach how to do this correctly is like a recipe. This is how you make the offer and sign up the client. It has specific steps on how to write the agreement so that it works easily and the client signs up.
You know how it is when you have a new recipe in your kitchen. You follow it very closely the first time around because you don’t know how it will go. Once you realize it works well, you can play around with it and add your own flair to it.
My recipes for signing up clients and managing jobs work the same way. You have to learn it the way it’s designed first before you can make changes. And that’s what happened with our designer student. The lesson here is to stick with it until you learn it well, then you can add your personal touches to it.
Watch the video above, where I also explain that you need to pay attention to who you listen to. While I’m thrilled that designers are sharing what they do and how they do it, you also need to approach it with awareness. Consider the success of the person offering the advice and find out if the strategies they share are really working.
If you like this type of design advice, information, and recipes for doing things, check out our education and coaching programs. Schedule a free, no-pressure clarity call with one of our coaches to discuss where you’re at with your business and your next best steps.
Until next time, design something beautiful and get paid what you’re worth.