Streamline Your Interior Design Bill Format for Public Relations

Interior design bill format for Public Relations

did you know that interior design business is as much about the final product as it is about the relationship between the designer and the client in this video we will step into the client shoes and look at the whole process from their Viewpoint if you are new to Interior Design then this video will help you to become a bit of a better professional understand the whole process from your client's Viewpoint and if you've been around for a while this might actually give you some pointers on how to treat your CL s differently better and maybe make some changes in your own processes hello my name is Cynthia and on this channel we talk about all the things that they don't teach you in design school but you need to know in the real world I think today's topic is one of the most underrated topics there is and unspoken of which is people buy from people without a person behind the project you just don't have a project it's simple as that which is why you need to prioritize your client needs s and really understand how to serve them best during each design phase because it changes throughout the project so let's look at the whole process step by step just see it from your client's perspective I will give you some tips on what to do and hopefully you will walk away with a better process that you can put in place for your clients first phase is the Discovery it's where the client finds you and actually contacts you you might think well how am I supposed to affect this how am I supposed to affect how they see me or how they feel about me when they discover me actually you have complete control on how this goes down you have heard of the saying First Impressions matter right this saying is a perfect application to what we are talking about now because when a potential client is either looking through the web or talking to someone and looking you up online it's exactly what it is it's the first impression so you have 100% control how you going to put yourself out there what you're going to look like on online so from their Viewpoint they already have a pain they have an issue that they need help solving so this is a win for you already because you know that they are looking for something they are not just scrolling through and aimlessly browsing and this is not to say that there won't be some Tire kickers there will be people who are just kind of saucing it out and sometimes even being nosy and just to check out what you're doing and how you're doing it but most of the times you will get their full 100 % attention so you have to make sure that whatever they will find online whether that's going to be a website your socials your LinkedIn profile or any kind of related articles YouTube videos whatever they will find online you have to make sure that that really presents you as a professional it's got your Vibe over it your favorite projects are there so you are really showing off the way you want to work your best work and really the work that you want to take on so don't just stop at your website and don't just stop on written word put in some effort to making some video content whether it's on Facebook or on LinkedIn or on YouTube even just on YouTube a little two-minute video that really shows your face a little bit people can hear your voice they can kind of understand how it would be to work with you and obviously another way how people will hear about you find out about you is through Word of Mouth someone might recommend you whether it's going to be a past client or someone from your network knows that you do interior design so do these people know the right things to say usually what happens in these situations is um they're going to bring out this and bring up either your Instagram your website your LinkedIn profile or share anything else that is online already available so again you've got 100% control of what is out there so ask yourself a question whatever is out there already does that represent you as a professional is there even anything out there yet but to wrap up the stage is obviously them contacting you so they've seen what they've seen they like it they want to reach out how are they going to do it all of your Social platforms all of your websites emails is it easy to understand how to connect with you so for your social media are there going to be quick buttons that they can press and either DM you or find out your emails there a show on your little profile information how to reach out to you and if it is the website then do you have a form that they need to fill in can they see how to contact you is there a contact you page I would suggest to always have an email and a contact form because there are people especially from my point of view I hate filling out those forms because I don't really know how to follow up on them the ity gritty is on the followup and kind of feeling that I am in control of this conversation so I would say always have a contact information your email if you want to leave phone number but that's fine as well and a contact form as well and people and really see how to get in touch with you okay so next is the onboarding process so during this process they will decide that they want to work with you they will review and they will sign off your design fees and also during the process you will explain how you work step by step having a clear idea of what your onboarding process is like and introducing the onboarding process to your client really helps you to avoid awkward conversations that could happen later if you don't really talk things out out so for a second step in your client's shoes they might never have worked with an interior designer before so they have no clue they might have seen a Show online and they think that that's what interior designers do and we all know that that is not all that we do that is just a fraction of what we do okay they might have already worked with an interior designer before but they haven't had a nice experience or they have had a nice experience but that designer's process the design process was completely different to yours or maybe a little bit different even that slight little difference in those processes could cause awkwardness and really mistakes later down the line so when you on board someone new especially someone you haven't worked with before make sure that you introduce them to your timeline to the ideal way how you would like to proceed with the project and in my opinion the best way to do it is through your design fee proposal I already have a step-by-step video on this top topic and it goes more into detail so if you want to learn more about this then check out the link below after you've watched this video and then of course to wrap up this stage the onboarding stage is signing the contract you have to have a written proof that your client has accepted the fees so they are liable to actually make the payment for a smoother and kind of just more streamlined process I would include this information in the design fee document maybe after the whole design fee proposal there's another section that is more about the t's and C's I do have a video on T's and C's link below but overall I think the onboarding process is very much about the design fee document and getting that signed so you can move on okay concept stage so this is where we get busy and we start creating so during this stage you will create your concept your vision you will take the brief you will present the designs and you will probably do some revisions as well so we start off by listening to the client we're going to take the briak this is such an important step I've seen this happen a lot of times where the designer hasn't taken the brief properly they haven't asked the write questions enough questions or even any questions they haven't asked for any inspiration that would guide you through or give like some sort of an idea of what the client has in their head so briefing is a very very important stage so from your client's perspective they need to understand that this is where it happen this is where the magic start art and it's going to be very important later down the lines for you to really create the rest of the design I will create a separate video on this shortly The Briefing video is coming where I'll go into very deep detail about it I do have a day in a life video about this topic so I'll link that down below as well I'm bringing all the old content into this video hey why not but in a few words make sure that you are prepared when you go to the briefing session hopefully this will be on site so you need to be prepared to probably do a side survey as well and just arrive prepared ask the questions make the notes make your client feel comfortable and let them see that you are really putting the work in and the that you are thinking this through because you are you should so anything that comes in mind that you might think it's useful later down the line make sure to take notes of that okay so you've taken the brief you've done the design we are kind of skipping through this process quickly um hopefully you've exchanged some ideas in between but now you are to the point where you need to present the final concept look and the design what is the best way to do this from client's perspective if you send something through just through email a PDF or whatever kind of form you decide to it might not translate the way that you want to I would suggest for the best experience for your client and yourself is to do this either in person but if you haven't allowed for meetings in person then definitely do this over a video call where you can share your screen and you can go through the document and really just explain the whole concept yourself this will make sure that the client sees it the way that you see it and the way that it's designed to be seen we look at our images day in and day out we know the concepts inside out it's like you know you go to sleep and you can still see visions of it right when the client sees it for the first time they might see something different you might have a image of a nice Corner in a room you might think that it's the whole vibe that you are trying to achieve but in client's eyes they might just see like a light fitting and they say well I don't like that so that starts like a domino effect throughout the rest of the proposal so you kind of want to avoid that okay so make sure that this presentation happens in person for the best experience for both parties in an Ideal World your client leaves this meeting this call fired up and excited and really really happy because then you know that they love the design this is what you are developing now this is the vision that you are going for there might still be questions which is absolutely fine revisions happen especially in the conceptual phase it's not always that you are a mind reader and you will have the best proposal straight away the main reason is that you approach this professionally and explain that you will go back to the drawing board make the changes present it again and then then you can move on to the next stage just be clear with your client that is all really what they want to hear okay we are halfway through the video congrats for making it this far if you are a regular here then you know what to do but if you are new can I just ask if you are enjoying this content can you like the video comment below maybe subscribe if you want to see more of it it takes just seconds for you but it makes a massive difference in the whole YouTube universe and the way that the algorithm works thank you very much and back to the video so detail design stage can get quite messy and hectic quite quickly this is where you are refining designs you are detailing them you are talking about budget you are talking about timeline so there's a lot of information that's being exchanged and delivered so the top tip that I can give you is to stay flexible your client doesn't necessarily need to know all the ins and out kind of what happened on The Daily although it is essential to keep them in the loop so whether those are weekly emails that you send them weekly breakdowns of things that have been agreed or that are still processing just kind of like keeping them updated not every day but definitely weekly if you haven't got any calls booked in or you don't see them that week so this way if anything arises if things go wrong which they do it means that you will keep them in the loop you will get their approval to move on or to make different decisions change designs or whatever you are keeping your cool you are being in control and that is what your client wants to see even though you are frustrated and there are things that are happening that are out of your control you can't really show that to your client that is not what they are paying you for we need to keep our cool stay professional keep the drama behind closed doors if you know what I mean and one very crucial thing within this chaotic phase are design sign offs always make sure that you have sign offs for all the design any changes any alterations that have been agreed on make sure that the client knows about them and there is either an email or something that is written about this change because later on down the line if there is no written Trace about a issue that happened on site and something has been changed the client will always say well I wasn't aware of that I didn't agree on this so make sure that you have an email at least or a text or something that says yes go ahead or approved sourcing and ordering can be um quite an interesting and a lengthy process first of all it's lengthy as it is because things take time from the moment that you order them to actually be installed or arriving on site things take time manufacturing takes time so it is a lengthy process in general you just need to make sure that your client knows about this and is expecting it almost like like put down a calendar in front of them and say like this is where we are if we make the order if we place the orders tomorrow it will take us down there so they have a visual representation of how long this process takes another side of the lengthy process could be that the client is very indecisive and they don't make these decisions about which Furniture to go with which features to keep which ones they don't want to which are more expensive going to different suppliers going to different contractors maybe they are taking charge into this whole process which is absolutely fine if they want to Outsource their own contractors they are able to do that but just make sure that they are still on track with the timeline even though you are not a project manager it's a little thing that you can do to support them on this journey I have worked with clients who are doing their project management and it is fine they get on with it they do it in their own time but from your point point of view you can always just give that little nudge and just remind them that this will take time the sooner we make decisions and finalize things sooner we will get to the end result and meet the deadlines that we've set for ourselves and during this process let's say that you are responsible of sourcing and placing orders and things go wrong maybe the Pieces come and they are damaged maybe the contractors pull out and you have to find new ones these things will happen cancellations damages they happen what you again need to do is keep your call and deliver this message as calmly as possible your client will understand Life Is Life things happen like this so just make sure that you don't show the stress keep the conversation going explain things keep it professionally keep it cool it will all be fine usually project managers deal with this and there is a reason why there is an actual job title like that but if you have taking that under your wing you've got this just keep going let's talk about project management a little bit more okay so you're doing this you've agreed to project manage on site oversee the whole delivery process so as a project manager you will be wearing a lot of hats you will be speaking to a lot of people on The Daily there will be things out of your own control and it's going to be hectic it's going to be a lot I will be honest with you there is a reason why interior designers very often kind of try to steer away from Project management because it's hectic it's technical it's a lot of responsibility as well and you kind of have to be on site 24/7 almost at the end of the day all your client wants is a finished beautiful livable space whether it's their business whether is their home so as a project manager all you need to do is deliver that so that is your not star that you are aiming for as a project manager the finished job on time and with as least stress as possible and quickly to wrap up let's talk about the after care so what happens after the project is installed you have pass on the keys to your client then they live happily ever after well first of all they should never never never forget about you okay you should be always in their site and that doesn't mean that you have to knock on their door every single week for update this means again going back to social media have you connected with them on LinkedIn or on Instagram whichever they tend to use more usually it is LinkedIn for businesses Instagram if it's a private client and just make sure that you follow them as well and follow along whatever they are posting like comment make sure that your face and your name appears in their Universe every now and then because the best business tactic in interior design is referrals so they are going to be spreading your word they might be sharing your work they might be sharing your posts even later down the line so it's very very valuable to keep your past clients close this also goes to email marketing do you have a newsletter for your clients for your past clients that you can just keep in touch with and update them on the projects that you've done not everyone uses social media but almost everyone uses email and it's probably one of the best marketing tools that there is out there also don't forget physical it might be that you do catch up with them every now and then you go for a coffee or a dinner or you send them a card at Christmas just to say thanks definitely send a thank you card after the project and just before we go a quick mention to sharing the work online you have to make sure that your client is happy with you sharing the design process the outcomes the photos the videos or any kind of other insights that you might be sharing either on your website or on your social channels some clients are absolutely fine with it they will even reshare it on their own socials which is great more marketing for us and it just shows that they are very happy with your service and they are proud of what has been achieved but some clients like to keep it on the low and don't necessarily want to really shout out about it so you need to make sure that you have their permission on sharing any of the designs that you've done for them so from your client's perspective this is how they're going to be going through the processes and what they kind of will be thinking and what they will need help with during the design process if you have any other suggestions I know there's other designers watching this content and you probably have your own tips and tricks that you kind of use day tood day make sure to leave them in the comments or if there's any other information that you can share about this topic okay if you want to stick around make sure to check those links below that I mentioned about all the other videos and if you want to connect on a one to one level make sure to follow me on Instagram I'm always there posting some sort of a behind the scenes things but if I don't see you there then see you in the next video bye [Music] we have we think