Pick up the phone
Robert Yuen
Architect turned CEO @ Monograph | Design-centric Project Management for Architecture and Engineering Firms | Trusted daily by 12,000+ architects and engineers
I'm Robert Yuen, CEO and Co-founder of?Monograph. Welcome back to Elevations, the monthly newsletter where I share unique insights to help A&E leaders elevate their business!
Did you know that 90% of financial decisions are made with emotion rather than logic?
I saw this firsthand working with clients as an architect.
There was one client in particular that I’ll never forget:
I used to spend half of my time educating clients in how architects work. And I regularly witnessed their emotional roller coaster go up and down relative to their personal finances.
But I remember one client that made an aggressive shift.
After the Design Development (DD) phase, he started to value engineer almost everything - materials, products, finishes, you name it. Basically, a lot of the true characteristics that defined how the spaces would feel got value engineered. At the time, I was confused and frustrated. It didn’t make much sense to change everything so late in the process.
A few years later, I was able to catch up with this client. I learned that, at the time of his value engineering journey, his business was failing. His entire net worth was tied to his business. And he was also financing the architecture work with a loan against that business.
I was shocked. Had I known this at the time, we could’ve worked with him to solve his problem. And we would have made a lot of different and better decisions for him.
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But the problem is that I never asked him what was happening.
I never picked up the phone and gave him a call.
I never scheduled a lunch to meet face-to-face.
Communication is everything. And it’s a two-way street.
So consider this your reminder. Next time your client starts making decisions that seem irrational to you…
Pick up the phone.
Schedule a lunch.
Ask questions.
And, most importantly, go into the conversation with a curious mindset. Remind your client that you can help them work through their challenges.
You’ll avoid the mistakes I made!
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1 年I completely agree, building strong relationships with clients is essential for creating personalised spaces. Understanding their needs and challenges is key Robert Yuen
I create business success for architects.
1 年Good point Robert Yuen Whatever business you are in, understanding your client or customer is critical. I find too many architects focus on the project as the hero rather than the client.
CEO @ e-verse | Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the AEC
1 年This is so simple and critical but at the same time so hard sometimes. We all tend to end up making suggestions based in our experience but the reality for the client might be something completely different. Thanks, Robert!
Wow such a powerful tool of communication!! Robert Yuen Indeed if the relationship with the client is of empathy the whole game of architecture and work changes!!
Design Leadership | Educator | Human-Centered Design & Design Thinking Facilitator | Social Entrepreneur | Executive Director
1 年Interesting story, Robert. As an educator in human-centered design and design thinking, establishing a strong relationship with clients holds paramount significance for architects and designers. Our ultimate objective is the creation of spaces tailored to the end-user - in this case a specific individual. The initial phase of the client journey necessitates architects/designers immersing themselves in the lives of their clients, diligently acquiring a profound understanding of their needs, preferences, and challenges. Learning to "ask" the right questions is the key. In today's world, it is imperative to shift our focus beyond mere design considerations. Yes, I agree - pick up the phone and schedule an in-person meeting. : )