The importance of being more than just a great interior designer

In a highly competitive industry where there’s no shortage of creative geniuses, here’s the trick to standing out from the crowd.

There’s a lot to be said about talent. We know because we’re surrounded by a team who excel as architects, designers and curators of fine furniture. But their expertise, although valuable, isn’t necessarily what makes them good at their jobs. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that you could be the world’s greatest guru on stylish interiors and still not be able to maintain a loyal following. Why? Because if you can’t make a genuine connection with your patrons, they may as well go elsewhere.

So, how do you forge lasting business relationships? It’s all about the personal touch or, as we like to call it, “comfying up with your clients on a good couch”.

Bond-building and its benefits

Never underestimate the power of solid customer relations. They’re the thin line between long-term success… and bottoming out with nothing to show for all your hard work and creative ingenuity.

Research indicates that clients who feel comfortable and understood become your best brand ambassadors, providing a networking opportunity that’s worth its weight in gold. And, once they’ve recommended you to all their connections the chain of progression perpetuates, sustaining your career well into the future.

It also ensures that each project you undertake hits the nail on the head (because you get what makes them tick), which in turn allows for a deeper level of enjoyment of your day-to-day endeavours.

So what makes for stronger ties with your consumer base? It’s the same as any other relationship: honest communication, cognizance, reliability, empathy and making yourself both accountable and available. Complicated? We think not.

Razor-sharp communication techniques

Your first meeting with a new client is critical, and a portal to a wealth of useful information that will help you tie the relationship knot. And the easiest way of getting to know someone is by creating a sense of ease. So, haul out your most comfortable armchair (which should be a piece of cake given your profession), smile with your eyes, be charming and absorb absolutely everything they say.

The gathering of personal data falls into two categories: hard and soft. The former is all about the facts. What style do they like? Have they settled on a colour palette? Is there a deadline… and a bottom line? You know the routine. But the latter goes a little deeper and revolves entirely around their psyche.

Building up a mental library of emotional intel is where the connection lies. So humanise your conversation, share some design anecdotes and get down to the business of finding out what motivates them. On a soul level. Because that’s where the gold is.

By the end of your consultation, you should have a good idea of their vision, passions, taste, concerns, budget and other little pearls that contribute to a much bigger picture. Which add up to the beginnings of a mutually beneficial (and hopefully long-term) journey.

Setting your service parameters

The next part of the process involves creating an exceptional design solution. And you wouldn’t be in the industry if that wasn’t second nature for you (at least we hope not). So we can skip through that section bearing in mind that, at FCI London, we have everything you need to make your next big project nothing short of fabulous. (Slipping in a bit of good marketing is never a bad thing - take note of that too!). But it’s how you deliver your service that will really cement your bond.

The first thing you need is a good follow up. Make sure that after your initial conversation, you reach out with an email expressing your thanks, enthusiasm and a bit more about how you’ll progress going forwards.

If you have a good project management software programme, sign them in so that they can monitor each step. If you don’t, subscribe to a trade account with us and we’ll get you started immediately. Because, at the end of the day, you have nothing without seamless communication.

It’s also important to treat your client like a partner. And why shouldn’t you? You both have the same goal, after all. This involves being open, gaining their trust, allowing constructive criticism without a kickback and onboarding their ideas.

Taking the good with the bad is paramount to establishing honesty, so if you have any concerns or there’s a glitch in the matrix, man up and let them know immediately. It’s this kind of transparency that garners respect.

End on a high

Once your installation is complete and they’ve been dazzled by your aptitude, show some gratitude with a note of appreciation and maybe a box of chocs. After all, their account is another step in your success story and, if you’ve done your job right (including all of the above), they’ll be offering you another rung on the ladder in the form of a stellar referral.

As time goes by and with the addition of a consistent, well-considered marketing plan, you’ll find that your ongoing client relationships evolve and relax, bringing an air of ease and collaboration to future projects. And that’s when you’ll know that the door to all of your long-term business relationships is wide open.

See, we told you it wasn’t complicated. It’s just a question of finding the right couch to cuddle up on.