The ability to know a customer and anticipate her needs; and, to finally, creatively, and effectively recover from a problem or challenge, are the very cornerstones of good customer service. For an interior designer, where the interaction is so very personal, the importance of such service cannot be overstated.In addition to understanding the customer, simple good manners, kindness, and remembering to constantly communicate with and thank customers for their business are the basics of exceptional customer experiences; the type that leads to positive testimonials and referrals, as well as increased income.Customer-centric Thinking Will Enhance Your BrandOf course, knowing these things and putting them into practice can be very different exercises. After all, those of us in service industries are as human as our clients; which means we too can suffer from a lack of patience with problematic clients, or we can just have a bad day. Yet, for a designer, not only will good service have a positive effect on sales, exceptional service will also define your brand!Accomplishing such a lofty goal requires placing the goals and needs of the customer first – without reservation or hesitation – and committing all of your assets, talents, and mental energy to that. In other words, you can’t just say it, you have to mean it.Doing this is not always easy. Human nature is fundamentally self-centered but, if you understand that doing what is best for the client is also what is best for you and the success of your design business, you're more than halfway there already.There is an axiomatic business philosophy that can help you achieve this customer-centric goal: Tell people what you’re going to do for them; do what you told them that you were going to do for them; and, finally, tell them that you did what you told them you were going to do for them.This type of customer-centric thinking will not only enhance your reputation with your clients, it will also reinforce such thinking for you and your team, keeping good customer service at the forefront of your business model.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.
Interior Design Marketing Tips – Be More Responsive to Client Inquiries
One of the best things about the “information age” in which we live today is that clients and potential clients tend to have a better understanding of what they want from their interior designer. On the other hand, some clients who use the internet for research learn just enough to become dangerous – to their designer and themselves.Overall though, today’s clients know what they want, and when they want it – now. With the internet at their fingertips, they can quickly access a nearly infinite number of ideas, products, and potential designers. If they send an inquiry and don’t get a response from one designer, it takes little for them to get in touch with another.Understanding this craving for “instant access” that is at the top of mind of so many consumers is critical to your ongoing success. In fact, there is recent research which indicates that, if you respond to a potential client within five minutes of receiving a message, it increases your chances of reaching that person by 100 times, compared with responding after 30 minutes, for example.This means that responding promptly to potential clients’ voicemails, emails, and other messages, from homeowners and office managers, from your website, social media page, email marketing, or any marketing effort, will greatly increase your likelihood of winning the job.How to be More ResponsiveIf you set a goal of being more responsive to client inquiries, you're going to boost the odds of landing a contract in your favor. The average time it takes a small business to respond to a potential client is 48 minutes. You can set yourself apart and impress your prospective customer by being far more responsive.
- Establish a hard time frame – Since you know that the faster you respond to inquiries the more likely you are to get the job, you and your team should establish a goal of replying to inquiries within a hard and fast time frame. For email inquiries, the faster the better; literally within minutes. For phone inquiries, perhaps half-an-hour will do. Experience will tell you if your time frame is working for you. If not, make adjustments – and – ensure the entire team knows your goal and sticks to it.
- Use a forwarding system – A busy designer is often out of the office, working with clients and potential clients, or with suppliers and subs. To overcome such limitations to communication, set up a system that will quickly forward calls and emails to you, wherever you are. Of course, you must then adhere to your own time frame for responding.
- Set up a timesaving process – Wasting time on inquiries which are not serious or are out of your market can disincline you to be responsive, which can cost you the better jobs. Creating a streamlined process for handling inquiries can help you stay focused on the work and use your time efficiently. For example, a simple questionnaire that can help you determine if the potential client is a good fit for you will save time and energy and will reduce frustration.
Do you have an efficient process for responding to new client inquiries? Share your thoughts below and help another interior designer take their business to the next level.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.