Are Client Referrals the Best Way to Grow a Design or Furnishings Business?

Perhaps second only to working with previous satisfied clients, gathering referrals from them will likely be the best way to garner new business. Whether a luxury furnishings store or interior designer, happy customers are usually eager to share their positive experiences with friends and family. So, use them to get client referrals as often as you can.

A marketing plan that does not include asking for referrals, especially in a service-oriented business like interior design, is incomplete. Yet, just like “asking for the sale” during a presentation, many designers neglect this step in relationship building. And, not to be left out, many furnishings salespeople do the same.

Turns out, online reviews and testimonials have nearly the same power as direct referrals from clients; that is, a recommendation to people they know.

“Did you know that 97% of consumers regularly read reviews before choosing to work with a business? Did you further know that almost all of those consumers trust online reviews and give them as much weight as a personal recommendation from someone they actually know?” (Podium.com)

Value of Online Reviews and Testimonials

• Expand Your Online Footprint – From your website to review sites (e.g., Houzz.com), online reviews and client testimonials are fantastic reputation builders. In fact, recent research shows that positive customer reviews make 73% of customers trust a business more. And, of 74% of customers who were asked to provide feedback, 68% were willing to do it.

• Learning to Ask is the Hard Part – Make asking for a client review part of the process by mentioning reviews at the beginning, middle, and end of every project so it will become a habit. This will also make it more difficult for a satisfied client to refuse your request (for whatever reason).

• Manage Your Reputation Online – Reputation management is a big deal these days because everyone is online where impressions can last forever. A bad review can cause lasting damage and may be very hard to remove. Instead, respond to negative reviews immediately with a request for more info or a call. Then, get busy asking your best clients for a positive testimonial to counter the “bad press”.

• Create a Testimonials Page – Websites without a page full of client testimonials are incomplete. Just like before and after images of your design projects, testimonials offer “social proof” that you're good at what you do. They can also offer the big plus of telling prospects that you're easy to work with. (So, best advice – BE easy to work with!)

• Get Direct Referrals – Asking for reviews and testimonials should be a given but, you also need to ask former clients for names. Your goal here should be to get the names and contact info of people your client knows; people who respect their opinion and who will be open to your approach. Make sure to ask them if it will be OK for the referred prospect to call and ask for more information about you too. This could be critical to landing that lead as a client.

Follow-up is Critical (As Is a “Thank You”)

Whether an online review, testimonial, or direct client referral, showing your gratitude proves that you value the relationships you have with your clients. At a minimum, a big fat “Thank You” is called for, though many business owners offer a reward for a direct referral. This may be something as simple as a gift card or if the referral has enough value, a discount on future work.

Finally, make all reviews available to prospective clients to showcase your credibility and experience as a pro, and include them in any prospective client welcome materials. And yes, it’s perfectly OK to proof and edit for typos and such. (In fact, it’s highly recommended as further reputation protection.)

Looking for more tips on sustainable design trends, designer marketing tips, and product ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Client Communication Tools – Should Designers Use a Client Questionnaire?

When you have a problem working with a client, do you immediately know the cause? Is it more often than not “their fault” rather than yours? Are they unreasonable and deliberately difficult? Could it be a lack of adequate client communication tools?

A recent article at BusinessOfHome.com sparked a debate among the staff here at TD Fall, where we struggled to determine the most common cause of disputes between client and provider.

The article is titled, “How useful are client questionnaires?”. Author Haley Chouinard polled half-a-dozen designers about their use (or not) of a client questionnaire “and how it shapes their relationship.”

We found the answers somewhat surprising and conflicting. Half of them said they do use some form of questionnaire while the other half seemed to think doing so was either too impersonal or would be somehow restrictive. Of course, such answers beg the question of how best to begin building a relationship with a client in ways that it can grow and benefit both parties.

Ultimately, using a client questionnaire is a “get to know you” tool for the designer and, to a lesser extent, for the client. We’ve explored this subject before in a variety of ways, though perhaps less directly; with posts on topics like:

·         Designer Marketing Tips – Who is Your Ideal Client (and what do they want from you)?

·         Know Your Greatest Tool for Building Relationships with Interior Design Clients

·         Designer Marketing Tips – Defining Your Ideal Client

·         Grow Your Interior Design Business – Survey Your Audience

·         Designing Your Design Business – Value of Client Testimonials and Reviews

You see, what each of these previous blog posts have in common is – they are all about getting to know and communicating with your design clients.

Building Relationships is the Key to Business Success

It should be clear that whether you use a client questionnaire or prefer an in-person interview initially (which is something of a verbal questionnaire anyway), the goal of either is to get a sense of your potential client and their needs. From their personality to the scope of the project, you need a solid understanding of who, what, when before you can bid on, and begin the designing process for them.

While it is not our place to tell you how to run your business (nor would we try), we do believe the experience we’ve gained from decades in the industry has value to our clients. That is, after all, why we offer this blog and our consulting services, in addition to the product lines we carry.

So, what are we trying to say here?

If building relationships truly is the key to business success, and we believe it is, then you must get to know your clients in a personal way. Only by getting to know something of their character and personality, as well as their vision for the space they are asking you to design, the more likely you will be able to work with them and make them happy.

So, use all the client communication tools you can find or develop. From questionnaires to market research, from personal interviews to client surveys and requests for testimonials, the more you know about your target market, potential clients, and individuals you’ve worked within the past, the more successful you will be.

Are you looking for more tips on interior design success, new home design trends, designer marketing tips, and product ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.