Keeping Your Interior Design Business Reservoirs Full

What happens when we try to brew coffee without water in the reservoir? Nothing much. A piping hot cup of coffee won’t magically appear without filling the tank. As an interior designer or decorator, what are you trying to brew in your design business? Have you checked your business reservoirs lately? Or are you expecting results to magically appear without filling your design business tanks?

Whatever it is you want in your life and design business, you can have. The irony is that you already have whatever it is you want, you’ve just forgotten to check the reservoirs to keep them full or you’ve simply let them run dry.

So when it comes to your interior design business, how do you keep your business reservoirs full? How do you ensure your business tanks don’t run dry?

Start by identifying what you feel is missing from your designer life and your interior design business. Do you want more wealth? Better health? More success? Happiness? Great ways to be of service? These are the reservoirs and tanks we’ll want to check first.

Next, rather than focus on the lack of these things (or the emptiness of those tanks), pay attention to what you have. Feel the wealth, health, success, happiness, and fill in the blank that you already have.

Start filling up your tanks. Want to fill up your wealth tank? Think about the wealth you already have. What wealth have you accumulated? Depending on your definition of wealth, this could include finances, resources and knowledge. Recognize your wealth and express gratitude for the abundance of wealth in your life and design business. What you focus on having attracted more and more of that thing.

Keeping filling the tanks.  Feel the wealth, health, success, happiness, fill in the blank you already have, feel that gratitude, and do something that increases your wealth, health, success, etc. For example, exercise your mind and your body. Improve and increase your supportive, loving relationships.

Keep checking the reservoirs. Whatever you’re asking for, you also have to be. Allow it in, and recognize opportunities in front of you.  Everything you want is already here, you just need to become aware of it. Receive it. Share it. Receive it some more. Share it some more. Repeat.

So what are you trying to brew in your interior design business? What do you need to live your designer life? Locate, fill and keep checking your reservoirs and business tanks. Be, do and have what you want, enjoying the results that ‘magically’ appear.

Simple Secrets to Get 3 Clients Now

Are you looking for simple, effective and doable ways to get 3 design clients or new interior design projects now? By “now” I mean today and within a week.  Are you in? Great!

Let me share a few simple secrets, starting with this key point: Know who you’re marketing to. If you haven’t already defined your target market and ideal client, go do that now. If you have, read on.

  • Get out there!  Hang out where your ideal design client hangs out. Need an in? Hang out where those who are already working with your ideal client hang out.
  • Where do you think the majority of next month’s business will come from? What is your best source for a new business? That’s right, your existing clients! Ask for referrals.
  • Lose the design industry speak. Tell clients about the problems you solve for them (e.g. creating a beautiful, comfortable and functional space their active family and pets can enjoy), not the ways you do it (e.g. space planning).
  • Think outside the box and package what you do in a way that’s unique to you and the clients you serve.
  • Stop doing too much. Since we’re talking in terms of 3, let’s start by developing laser-like focus and concentrating on a maximum of 3 marketing strategies. You’ll automatically become more efficient and effective.
  • Send a letter, card or an email providing an introduction to your ‘new’ specialty. Reach out to existing clients and contacts as well as those with the same target market, ideal client or niche; e.g. personal trainers, assistants and concierge services, event planners, florists, specialty and luxury travel agents.
  • Pick up the phone!  Make 10 calls every day to clients, reps, vendors, and service providers.
  • Give referrals to others – other designers, colleagues, and professionals in your social circle and networking groups. Be a center of influence, provide endless referrals and be top of mind.
  • Do what resonates with you, not what everyone else is doing or what you think you should be doing.
  • Be consistent. This helps you to remain top of mind with your ideal clients, which makes it easier to ask for testimonials & referrals.
  • Look for additional ways to engage with your customers.  Share your expertise with information that will spread to potential ideal clients.

There are certainly more ways to get clients, but what can you do right now, today, this week and next to get 3 new clients now? Write down the top 3 things you can do. Now write down 3 things you will do today. Simple, effective and doable? Yes … but only if you do those 3 things. Now get to it and get those 3 clients now!