Ever struggled with on-the-spot explanations of just exactly how your interior design business processes work in your business?
Ever wish you could summarize your processes thoroughly or provide plenty of descriptions and commentary to make sure people understood everything up front? (Because you know you get those questions over and over again.)
Ever forget to mention an all-important element when describing how you work with clients or how their project will evolve?
This is such a complicated business and people always have questions. Questions that would benefit from some rather lengthy and detailed answers that aren't always at the ready in your brain when you need them.
Because, you need to explain.....
How your client intake process works.
How the first phase of your design process works and how important it is to get it right.
How the second phase of your process works and why I often describe it as "first blush".
Why you detail drawings and specifications and charge accordingly.
How you go about shopping for clients.
How purchasing items through your business works.
How and why you charge delivery fees.
How you might want to photograph that job at the end and use it for publication or maybe just your website and social media.
What value they will receive for the money they spend.
All potential clients have questions about how a designer works.
And, although you likely have all that spelled out in a contract or Letter of Agreement and you might go over these items in your first meeting or consultation, clients really like to know information before you get to that point.
Most people like to know more about how all this works before they call.
using a blog to explain your processes
One of my first goals with blogging was to try to inform my potential clients of what to expect and how I work.
I wanted to get highly detailed and give them a real look at the process so that they weren't surprised or didn't have unrealistic expectations.
I wanted to tell a few stories and engage a potential client to read more.
Imagine if all those posts linked above (and those are just a small portion of them, believe me) were summarized all in one document?
It would be overwhelming. And yet, people want to read this stuff. They want to learn how it all works. They NEED to learn how it all works before you begin.
I've even gone so far as to write about the bad situations, the moments when my clients have not liked me so much, so that we can just get all that out there, right from the start.
Using A blog To Help filter Client Potentials
Many times this has helped filter out a bad client/designer fit, without me having to even take a phone call or an email.
If a potential client doesn't want to work the way I've described, doesn't want to follow the processes I've established, then they can begin to filter themselves.
(If someone wants perfection, they aren't going to find that with me.)
Why was this important to me?
Because I don't like repeating the same thing over and over again. I might miss some important details if things are not spelled out in writing and really because....
......I have a hard time saying no.
I wanted to weed out potential leads that didn't want to work the way I wanted, that didn't have the kind of project I was trying to acquire, without having to tell them "no" over the phone, in person, via email, etc.
I've just about reached the 10 year mark on my blogging journey.
Blogging ideas for Interior Designers -- Bookmark this article on Pinterest
I cannot believe I’ve kept it up this long and this intensely. I obviously love it or I wouldn’t still be churning out posts every week.
The posts where I've written about some of the processes I use to work with clients have been very helpful.
I love having them published on my site. I can just send potential clients a link to something I’ve already written.
They can be referred to time and time again, can be updated easily as my business changes and serve to inform a serious potential client or even someone just passing by.
These type of posts make great blog fodder for an interior designer and have been popular on my blog.
You might want to consider writing about your processes in blogposts to help pre-filter clients, to obtain a better fit for your business, to get a more informed and prepared client.
Not only that, but it will give you something to blog about. :-)
Want to start using some affiliate marketing on your blog? I used Share-A-Sale for awhile, before getting into RewardStyle, using primarily Wayfair customized text links in my posts. Join their network, and you can start using some affiliate marketing in your blog strategy. This link below is my affiliate link for their site, and I appreciate you using it. :-)
