How do you find your Ideal Client? For the interior designer
Is it like looking for the Holy Grail? An oasis in a desert? Where is that elusive ideal client and how can we find them?
What makes a perfect interior design client?
For me, it is a client that seriously takes my advice and is open to honest feedback on a property that they have probably spent millions on; who doesn’t always economise- though I know that building and renovating is very expensive- and, finally, one who doesn’t scrimp on the finishing aspects of the project- the styling, furniture and accessories. I also live in a country town, and though I still enjoy working in the city, I would love to work more on country properties. They are willing to work within the robust project management systems I have put in place and act in a timely way to keep the project moving forward.
I have always believed, apart from word of mouth, that your website and social media have to be formulated with your ideal client in mind.
Why is it important to find your ideal client?
Businesses often go for years without knowing or trying to define who their ideal client is. It is a bit of a lightbulb moment when you finally identify this person. Suddenly your copy becomes easier write and your marketing becomes more targetted. We’d love to appeal to everyone but just like finding a partner or making a new friend, this is an impossible task. You could be tempted to argue that this narrows down your market, but honestly, there are only limited hours in a day so you need to be able to work with the clients that will be a good fit for you. You want happy clients and really add value.
Steps to finding that Ideal Client
Before starting to brand your website, it’s important to work out who your ideal client is as the design needs to speak directly to them. Your website design will target this one (may be a couple or an organisation) client and your copy will reflect their needs and desires.
Step 1: Be very clear about who you, as an interior designer is serving and what you can do for them.
Make sure that you have thought about your business, your mission statement and how the services you offer align with your goals. I will be offering training for how you can formulate your mission statement and your service offerings in later courses.
Step 2: Identify your ideal client.
I like to think of my IC as one person. Identify the following:
demographic factors: age, sex, location, family (married, children, pets, extended family)
where do they hang out? do they travel? what kind of trips?
what do they do on the weekend? do they read? visit museums, concerts, ballets, movies?
how much money do they have? what other financial commitments may they have?
where do they spend time online? are they glued to their phones, or do they listen to the radio? podcasts? read magazines or books?
what social media do they consume? instagram? Pinterest? do they belong to a specific Facebook group?
who do they follow online? do they like reality shows?
Step 3:What are their pain points?
There are usually 2 reasons why someone will choose your service offering:
they have a desire that needs to be fulfilled- ie you are an amazing interior designer and need to showcase your work
they have a problem that needs to be solved and they think you can solve it for them
You may be well known for your style and you recognise that this is the your main selling point, however another designer might offer a turnkey service …taking charge of the whole design from conception to build. The client will choose you because you make it seamless and easy and you don’t need them to get too involved.
So think about what really frustrates, challenges or overwhelms them? How can your services help them resolve these difficulties? When they get to your website what are they really struggling with? How will you serve them?
Make sure that your service offering directly addresses these reasons - we need to make it easy so when your potential client heads over to your site , he or she will be convinced that you are the answer to their prayers.
Step 4: Once you have helped them create an amazing space, how do they think and feel?
What are their desires and goals? What are their values and how can you fit in with them? How do you want them to feel?
Step 5: What does your IC need to understand before they can work with you?
It’s lovely to be in the position of having your schedule fully booked, but it is always important that your client has a real understanding about how you work. They may be willing to wait for you to be ready for them, or you may have a certain way of working that ensures that your project is completed in the way that you want. From experience, if you have a methodology of working that ensures that your project is completed on time and on budget, you need to stick with it. I have had clients in the past who don’t like the method that I use for communication and , in order to accommodate them, I have made changes. This only ever leads to difficulties in the long run. Not only do you have to do the work, but you have to work out a method that may not suit your business and this leads to delays and tasks may fall through the cracks.
So make sure that you make it clear to your IC exactly what your service offering is and how they can work with you. Ensure that you start the way you mean to go on. If you have a family, make it clear that you stick with working hours, you don’t take ‘emergency’ calls on the weekend or work on public holidays unless you choose.
Step 6:What are some stumbling blocks that would stop your IC working with you?
Is it cost? Availability? The areas that you work in?
Again ensure that your website Services pages really outlines exactly your offering. For example, if you only want to work with clients with a certain budget, or a certain style , ensure that your copy, branding, fonts, colors and images really speaks to the characteristics of your ideal client. It is important that your IC understands the types of projects where you can serve them best. If you want to offer a luxury service, your images should show properties that have these characteristics- luxurious materials and designer furniture. Any imagery of you should also be geared to your offering.
Step 7: What do you want from your IC?
Any red flags that you would be looking for? We would all like to have that perfect designer/client relationship. Sometimes, you start a project and you just have to accept that you need to take a step back. This may occur because a client is overriding your decision-making. The key is to manage those relationships as best you can.
We’ll be certainly deep diving into client relationships in later blogs. However, if there are any huge red flags- some behavior that indicates that the future may be challenging or where you think that there may be a misalignment between the desired results and the budget, my advice to you is to just walk away. I once went to a design consultation where the potential client told me she had never been able to work with a designer and she never liked anything that designers suggested to her. She thought they were really expensive and didn’t offer much value. Obviously, I believe I do a pretty good job, but in the face of that , I don’t think I could live up to her expectations.
Step 8: What transformation / results does your IC want to end up with after they work with you?
Once you have thought about the answers to the questions above, you will be clearer about who you serve and how you can help them. This analysis will form the basis of the copy that you will write and images that you will display. Directly address the results of your services. If you have a bank of images of completed projects, you can use these to inspire potential clients about the results you can help them achieve. If you are just starting out, you can use renderings and other imagery to showcase the expected results.
You can download my Design Discovery Questionnaire that will help you identify the most important things to consider when designing your website. See below for the form.
Are you :
✔️ looking for more clients✔️ wanting to launch your new interior design biz effectively?
✔️ wanting to upskill your offerings?
I’ll be launching a series of courses and resources soon…check out our courses page
CHECK OUT OUR COURSES
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