Boosting Interior Design Sales - Value-based Selling

“Price is what you pay; value is what you receive.”Home fashion has become a rapidly shifting target, with statements ranging from traditional to modern to contemporary; not just from client to client and from home to home, but even within the same home! Staying current with these shifting home fashion trends is a challenge that all of us must face but, with the right approach, can be dealt with effectively.However, marketing and selling your interior design services requires far more than knowledge of current trends in style, colors, textures, and/or finishes.When it comes to selling your products and services, resistance is rarely about the price paid and nearly always about the value received. At the very least, it’s about the perceived value of those products and services. At its core, value is about how well you can solve your client’s problem; what we today refer to as their “pain points”, which is where the above quote makes the most sense.What does your client value?Value-Based Selling is the process of understanding and reinforcing the reasons why your offer is valuable to the purchaser. It's about listening, rather than talking. By asking your potential what they want and need, you:

• Increase the prospect’s confidence in you and your understanding of the situation.
• Discover information that will help you emphasize how valuable your offer is, and how to frame your price appropriately.
• Discover how, why, and how much your offer will benefit the customer, and you’ll be able to connect more effectively, and ultimately land more sales.

Always sell based on the value your design solutions will provides, instead of the cost.For example, the choice of real wood over veneer; hand-crafted workmanship instead of mass produced selections; custom solutions rather than off-the-rack choices; these are all the types of detail that most interior design clients are searching for – yet, in spite of their desire for originality and elegance – you may still find clients who would like to “save a bit here and a bit there” despite your suggestions.To overcome such an inclination from a client, you must focus on the value of the solutions you present: the timeless statement that selected pieces will offer them; the longevity of service received from artisanal craftsmanship; the subtle, time-consuming decorative details included in hand-sewn thin welts, top-stitched seams, and pleating that provide them with the same type of detail and excellence they seek in the couture that appeals to them in their clothing choices, and that must inform their home design choices, as well.Have you learned to focus on value over price in your sales presentations to potential clients? How has this helped you to grow your interior design business?

Spring 2016 High Point Market

The Spring 2016 High Point Market will run from April 16^th through the 20^th, this year. Are you ready for the “High Point” of the design season? (See what I did there? Sometimes, I crack myself up!)For anyone who might be wondering if they should invest the time and expense of attending High Point Market, here are just a few of the best reasons for you to do so…

• Networking – Thousands of furniture and home décor professionals descend on High Point Market twice a year, creating an ideal environment for networking and fostering new relationships. Share ideas and best practices, engage with top taste makers, stay ahead of the latest trends, and discover ways to grow your business.
• Discover New Vendors – Markets provide an efficient venue to meet with multiple vendors at one time, in one location. Many showrooms and exhibitors offer show specials available only while at the Market, so Market can save you money.
• Trending Products – Discover the latest trends and find inspiration from the industry’s top brands. High Point’s large, cross-category assortment of fashion-forward products exposes you to cross-merchandising strategies that align with today’s lifestyle consumer, and will transform your store. The breadth and depth of products available offer endless opportunities.

For more information about the Spring 2016 High Point Market, visit their website, here: HighPointMarket.org.In the meantime, here are some facts that you may need to ensure your trip to Market this year is a success:

• Spring Market runs five days, Saturday the 16^th through Wednesday the 20^th of April.
• Market passes are free.
• Airport shuttles are free.
• Children under 15 are not allowed.
• Many hotels are close by in Greensboro and Winston-Salem and free shuttle service is provided to and from Market.
• Shuttle services operate to and from both Park and Ride lots to the Transportation Terminal at 210 East Commerce Ave. No Parking is provided at the Transportation Terminal. Parking is limited downtown and some streets are closed so make sure you use the FREE shuttle service and Park and Ride.

If you plan to attend the Spring 2016 High Point Market, you should begin making arrangements today!I’ll be there! Will you? Feel free to Contact Me for an Appointment at the Spring 2016 High Point Market.

Some Very Good News for Interior Designers

In her recent column, State of the Industry: Interior Design, Susan Dickenson of HomeAccentsToday.com shares some very good news for interior designers and design firms.“According to [a report by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) in their] 2015/2016 Outlook and State of the Industry, interior design sales topped $8.6 billion and the dollar value of products specified annually by U.S. and Canadian designers has reached $68.5 billion, a 35% increase since 2010 (adjusted for inflation). Since 2012, the total number of interior designers is up by more than 10,000, an increase of 33%, and design firms have grown by 13,257, an increase of 7.5%. Growth is expected to continue, albeit at a more modest rate of 4% per year, through 2022.Designers interviewed by the ASID, as well as by Home Accents Today over the past year, have been consistent in reporting that while business is booming, the customer landscape and selling channels continue to change, affecting how interior designers are competing for their share of the consumers’ decorating dollars.”Interior Design Market TrendsBeyond these market trends however, the interior design industry is also evolving. What are being labeled as “macro-trends”, Health & Well-being, Technology, Sustainability, Urbanization, Globalization, and Resiliency are beginning to alter the focus and energy of designers as they work to meet the cyclical demands of an ever-changing client base. Just as holistic medicine and wellness training have taken their markets by storm, a holistic approach to interior design is becoming transformative in the marketplace.Further, interior designers are realizing the necessity of using social media for advertising and customer engagement; a trend which can only grow as platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +, Pinterest, YouTube, and other social sites continue to build traction amongst young and old alike.Finally, the “significance of education and advocacy” among potential clients continues to grow, as both clients and designers seek higher levels of credibility and competency, requiring increased credential licensing and/or designer licensing at the federal or state levelWhich of these trends have you experienced in your design business? Have you begun to focus your energy and creativity on holistic design solutions? Share your thoughts and experiences with us here.

Choosing the Unusual Interior Design

“Now THAT was unexpected!”So what? When it works, it works.Offering the unusual choice is often the best alternative for you; especially when your client says they want “Something different”, but are unable to articulate their vision. In such a situation, your imagination will become the key to that realization. This is understandable of course, since your client will have little idea of what is possible, much less of what is practical.In a way, doing the unexpected is a critical element in what you do as an interior designer; offering solutions that may not occur to a home owner or business owner, or they could have done the work themselves. While you rarely, if ever, want to take a plunge “Off the deep end”, innovation in both style and substance will be an element you can put to use for the benefit of your clients, and for yourself and your business.To help inspire you further, let’s take a look at some unusual choices that have been made by other interior designers.This is NOT your grandma’s kitchenBorrowed from Home-Designing.com, the images below reflect just those qualities; combining bold thinking with an original style of presentation, while still remaining fully functional.   “If you are looking for inspiration for a sophisticated kitchen design and decor, then this array from Armony Cucine harbors quite a few. There are some here that have just a slightly different touch, to add just the right amount of interest to your stylish cooking space without going overboard.”  Your library is where?As described at the InteriorCollective.com, putting the things you most love in a place that speaks to you exhibits a sense of style and obvious passion in both the designer and the home owner.“Noted novelist, Michael Cunningham, is proud of his library. It just so happens that his library is located in his bathroom. Perhaps this is a smart choice for him, but it’s the kind of thing that I could never do in my home. Keeping books so close to water just doesn’t sit right with me for some reason. But more power to him.”In all of the images above, originality and functionality have been combined to create truly unusual spaces that make statements about the homeowner and designer alike. It’s just these kinds of choices that will enable you to satisfy the client who says, “I know what I want but I can’t seem to express it”.   

Focus Your Business Vision

What is your vision for the future of your interior design business?Obviously, one of your goals as an interior designer is to help your clients realize their vision of any space they wish to repurpose, reimagine or create from the ground up. In fact, helping them to do so may be your most important function as their interior designer. As a business owner however, that same talent may be just as important – creating and realizing your own vision of your design business.Creating a vision for your business involves generating a vivid mental image of what you want your business to be at some point in the future, based on your values, goals, and aspirations. Having a strong vision of your hoped-for future will give your business a clear focus, and can stop you heading in the wrong direction.

Begin with a Vision Statement

The Vision Statement for your design business should focus on the potential you see for your future, or what you intend that future to be. While your Vision Statement might contain references to how you plan to turn that future into reality, the “how” you will do so is really part of a “Mission Statement”, while your Vision Statement is more a description of the “what” you hope to do; meaning, what the you intend your design business to become.The clearer you’re able to hold the mental image of the future of your business, the more effective your Vision Statement will be, and the more focused your actions will become. Generalizations and vague goals will not work well for you. Rather, think in terms of definitive statements that reflect your values, which will help you outline a path toward your long-term business goals.

What will success look like?

Here are four steps you can take to articulating a Vision Statement for your design business:

1. A typical Vision Statement will be brief and succinct; saying much in just a few words, so those words must be very carefully chosen.
2. The key to a good business Vision Statement is to think of things in a long-term, broad sense, without sounding generic.
3. If you're too specific, you will limit your vision and it won't be applicable ten years down the road: for example, if your current goal for your business is to move into a larger space, that's a vision for the future but it's not the vision for the future of your entire business. It's too narrow in focus.
4. On the other hand, if you say that you want to achieve success – well, any business in the world could say that. It's too generic. The best statement will be clear about who you are as a company as well as who you wish to become.

Here is an example of a possible Vision Statement:“In five years, I want to bill $10 million annually, with a client base of “A-listers”, and a staff of 5 designers and design assistants, located in a home that we have completely renovated in my favorite styling.”The beauty of this statement is that it is very specific, contains realistic goals, and includes a values-based outlook.We’re all familiar with the type of client who says they know what they want, but simply cannot put their vision into words. Of course, since they have you and your training, experience, and talent to fall back on, that’s not an insurmountable obstacle for them. As a business owner however, you have no one to fall back on – you ARE the “last resort” in this situation – with your image and vision of the future of your design business being your only guide.

Staffing for Retail Furnishings & Furniture Stores

While we spend a great deal of time writing for interior designers here, we also work with a large number of “to the trade” and “retail” furnishings and furniture stores. With that in mind, it might be practical to take a look at the rapidly changing staffing needs for these types of outlets.

Who are millennials and what do they want?

Millennials are the 18 to 34 year olds who are driving many of the latest trends in music, technology, film, fashion, and just about everything else. Yet, these young people are making a huge impression on the American workforce, with a larger presence than any other age group. In general, millennials view and value work and life differently than older generations have done in the past.Understanding these differences, and creating workplace policies to recruit, manage, and retain these young and idealistic people as they begin to dominate the U.S. labor force, will be critical to the long-term health of your furnishings business. For millennials, and for you, being perceived as an "employer of choice" is essential.Here are some of the fringe benefits that attract this younger, values-based group of potential employees:

• Health Plans – These light users of medical services prefer plans that include employer's cash contributions, higher deductibles, and low monthly premiums.
• Wellness Benefits – Free Onsite Yoga, or other fitness classes, allow millennials to stay fit and socially interact with peers. Telemedicine services are also popular with these tech-savvy young folks.
• Parental Leave – Paid leave for new parents, BOTH new parents, and subsidized child care are a hit with young parents.
• College Debt Relief – The average millennial carries a college loan debt of around $34,000, so help is welcome.
• Flexible Scheduling – Combine sick leave and vacation benefits, allowing them to control their time off. The use of sabbaticals is also becoming popular.
• Regular Feedback – Young workers appreciate frequent reviews and rewards throughout the year, rather than a typical annual review cycle.
• Professional Development & Ongoing Training – Millennials are determined to keep their job skills up to date. Create programs that will update skills and challenge them, if you hope to keep them from jumping ship to your competitor.

It cannot be emphasized enough that millennials view themselves as values-based, ethical members of society and the work force. For them, caring for others, sustainability, and “green” thinking and action weigh heavily in their long-term plans – for work and life. Ultimately, they hope to find a balance between work and life that they believe previous generations may have lacked.Keeping these things in mind about hiring millennials will go a long way toward helping you build, and keep, a high quality workforce when staffing your retail furnishings or furniture store.

Boosting Interior Design Sales - Strategic Marketing

Say, what? Strategic marketing? What is that?This is not some fly-by-night, “guaranteed to make you rich” so-called marketing plan, but a comprehensive, effective marketing strategy that will lead you to the implementation of a plan for successfully marketing your business online. We’re talking about a fully integrated system of strategic decisions and tactical implementation; actions you can take that will build an audience, generate traffic, promote conversions, and increase both revenue and profits.

What is a Marketing Strategy?

Let’s begin by defining our terms – before you begin to think we’ve gone off on some silly tangent:“Strategic / Strategy – A high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. It is a pattern in a stream of decisions, and is about shaping the future. A Marketing Strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.” ~ from Wikipedia“Ok,” you say, “but what does all of that mean for me and my online marketing plan?”What it means is, if you want your internet marketing efforts to be successful, you need to make a plan to be successful. You need to develop a comprehensive approach to marketing your products or services with full participation, and a commitment to creating compelling content at your website, on the social network – using great copy, compelling images and video, and with a pro-active email campaign. All of your content in every venue will relate to the other venues, and content creation will be consistent and compelling. You will provide value for your visitors at every turn, and you will ask them to respond; with a call-to-action that will benefit both you and your prospective client.See, that’s not so much to ask for, is it?

What are the most effective Marketing Strategies?

Now we get down to the fun stuff, the real nitty-gritty of making it happen; of outlining the strategic approach to your online marketing plan. The goal here is to create a sequence of strategic initiatives to build online and offline brand awareness, presenting your products or services to the most profitable markets, by developing and building relationships through what’s known as “Cross Channel Marketing”. There are so many valuable tools and newly opened avenues available in today’s online  marketing environment, that a comprehensive marketing strategy is required to tap into all of them and make your marketing plan a success.

CROSS-CHANNEL MARKETING = WEB + SOCIAL + EMAIL + MOBILE

Here are some of the critical steps you should take to implement a comprehensive marketing strategy:

• Create a compelling marketing website with expert blog
• Create regular blog posts with valuable information for your readers
• Automated push to the social network: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Mobile-friendly website and social networking
• Article marketing to build an expert reputation
• Monthly eNewsletter with incentivized content
• Free eBook for lead capture and list building
• Periodic contests and/or giveaways promoted on-site and on the social network
• Create videos, webinars, and teleseminars
• Offer public speaking presentations
• Capitalize on every opportunity to generate revenue

This ain’t your typical web experience.You can no longer simply “put it out there” and “hope for the best.” For real online marketing success in the highly competitive marketplace that our contemporary web has become, a strategic approach to online marketing is a requirement for a plan to be successful. Whether you are a retail home furnishing outlet or an interior designer, a broad-based and effective strategic marketing plan is requisite in today’s online environment.

What Designers May Expect from Clients in 2016

Well, we’ve made it into another year and, if anything can be said about 2015, it was an interesting year for many in the design business. As 2016 dawns, we need to be ready for much of the same. The keys to success will be follow-through, staying on top of trends, and ensuring that your online presence is up-to-date and compelling. With these things said…Did you know that 4 of 5 people who make a New Year’s resolution give up on it within 30 days?Now, I’m sure you're not one of these people, and that you never give up on a resolution – but – the odds are that you do have potential clients who fit this profile. In fact, you may have already made a pitch to someone who said they wanted to change their living or work space in the New Year. However, if they happen to be one of the 80% who inevitably won’t follow through, your time and efforts on their behalf have been wasted.

Resolve to Follow-through in the New Year

This is where following through, one of the keys to success mentioned above, will be critical to your ongoing success. Far too many people procrastinate on decisions, even truly important decisions. Making significant changes to the space in which they live or work is about as significant as it gets. When they do it as part of a New Year’s resolution, it becomes even more problematic; too many folks simply do not see it through.Overcoming this type of inertia can be difficult but, by being persistent, you can help them to reach a decision. Hopefully, they will decide to say, “Yes!” but, in a case like this, ANY decision is better than being neglected or forgotten. For more on this, check out this previous post, titled, Boosting Interior Design Sales - Overcoming Objections.Keeping up-to-date with the latest design trends, whether hot new products, colors, use-of-space trends or anything else that “everyone is talking about”, will also help you to help them to make a decision. If you're curious, here are a couple of articles predicting the hottest design trends we can expect for 2016:

• BrownStoner.com
• ArchitecturalDigest.com

And finally, as we’ve mentioned in other posts on the subject, your online identity and brand will have a massive impact on how potential clients perceive you, as well as their personal decision-making process. Click here to read those posts:

• 7 Designer Website Must-Haves
• Internet Marketing - Let’s Look at Some Numbers

While it seems reasonable that the responsibility for making a decision rests with your client, you may need to take on that responsibility yourself, if you hope to overcome their New Year inertia. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by putting yourself out there again, reminding them of why they got in touch with you in the first place, and once again asking for the sale.How do you cope with clients who procrastinate after your presentation? Do you have a strategy to overcome client indecision that works for you? Would you like to share it?

Carpeting and Rugs Set the Tone for Any Room

As you work with your clients to help them reimagine a space, one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal is floor covering. From carpeting to rugs and from wood to tile, the tone of the entire room can be set by what you place beneath your client’s feet.For example, while many of the homes you see will follow the recent trend of using an open floor plan, there are some who argue that room definition will be a hot trend for 2016. For clients who do not wish to have their homes rebuilt around them, choosing alternate floor coverings throughout will help to redefine each room.Further, you can offer your clients a more diverse flavor to their home by focusing on international designs in the carpeting and rugs you choose to present. The Tibetan Collection of carpeting from Kravet is a wonderful example of this type of diversity, with hand-woven designs in Tibetan wool and Indian silk that are inspired by natural surfaces, patinas and aerial views, while also being fashionable and sophisticated.Lee Jofa too offers a stunning collection of carpets from India, Thailand & Nepal, in an array of hand-knotted fiber contents and weaves, as well as a wide variety of designs and colors, that offer a lush and luscious feel, and that will add a delicious international flavor to any room. Whether silk or chenille, wool or cashmere; Tibetan or Aubusson, hand-tufted or machine-tufted; the possibilities are almost limitless.Finally, Brunschwig & Fils, proudly offers J.D. Staron carpets and rugs. These are a unique collection, crafted by the finest skilled professionals in the world, available in thousands of designs and patterns. Whether you’ve chosen to cover the floor of an entire room with carpeting, or would like to present your clients with rugs as an accent to the room, the J.D. Staron collection offers a wonderful variety of beautiful designs from which to choose.Are you struggling with ideas that will help you set the tone in a room for your client? Let us help. Click here to get in touch with us today.

How to Turn Your Email List into Sales!

It goes without saying that generating a list of email addresses for potential clients has great value; yet, while offering a traditional “Opt-in Gift” may help you begin your list, it will not enable you to generate conversions from your list. It may not even do much for growing your list. So, what’s the solution? You need to generate an ongoing series of emails that offer real value, that nurtures a relationship between you and your list, and that asks for your target audience to take action.The best way to accomplish this is to offer a series of valuable FREEBIES to those on your list. By using their email address to stay in touch with them on a regular basis, and to address their pain points with valuable free information, you can begin to build the type of trust and loyalty that will eventually lead them to seriously consider doing business with you. After all, when was the last time you were willing to commit $1000-$2000, or more, with someone you didn’t know?

Implement a Nurture Strategy

Create a series of Free Gifts and Nurturing Emails, designed to nurture an ongoing relationship between you and those on your list. These gifts should be composed of:

• Opt-in Gifts:
  • Opt-in Article (1250-1500 words) a narrow topic, explored in depth
  • Mini-eBook (2500-3000 words) expanding on the first subject, with multiple resolutions
  • Full eBook (5000-7500 words) explore the subject fully and in depth, with multiple resolutions and exercises to reach them
  • Newsletter Template – 3 parts: share a timely subject with resolution (latest blog post/vlog?), special offer (from self or others), bio and experience, ask for feedback/contact info.

Once you’ve designed and created your series of Free Gifts, you’ll need a matching series of Nurture Emails to help build the relationship with your list members. Of course, you can keep a nurturing email string going almost indefinitely but, at a minimum, this series of emails should include:

• Nurturing Emails:
  • Thank you for opting-in, your gift is on the way
  • Your Gift is here!
  • Mini-eBook Give Away Follow-up Email – Get Your 2^nd FREE Gift Today!
  • 2^nd gift is here!
  • Full eBook Follow-up (for sale CHEAP or 3^rd give away) – Get Your 3^rd FREE Gift (or Special Price) Today!
  • Your eBook is here!
  • Special Offer – for email list subscribers ONLY! Close the Sale!
  • Special Offer – Thank you for Signing-up!

An email nurture strategy like this is a proven technique for not just increasing conversions, but also for growing your list, by offering recipients the opportunity to share links to the valuable information with others who may then Opt-in with you!If you’d like to begin working on an Opt-in/Email Nurture Strategy, but aren’t sure how to begin, get in touch with me today for help and guidance.