How to Talk to Your Clients Effectively and Make Progress

About Design Requirements On BuildMost:

Design requirements on BuildMost have been thoroughly verified by our specialists before these requirements are presented to our designers on BuildMost. Designers can rest assured that the contact information, design requirements of projects owners and developers are real, authentic and verified.

For designers, it’s not easy to convert potential project owners and developers into actual clients, but there’s certain ways that can make things much simpler. From how to make the very first conversation with a project owner, to how to use your design works and a proper pricing strategy to convert a potential client, BuildMost is offering a glimpse into it all.

How to Approach: Using the Right Self-introduction

Remember, you need to get to know your client before you can cooperate on a project. So treat him like a friend. A brief introduction of where did you find his project and tell him what you specialize in would be polite and appropriate. This could really help you guys connect in a short time.

We now offer a template that you can easily transform into a neat self-introduction: “Hi, this is XX, I’m a interior designer in XX. I saw your design requirement on BuildMost and submitted intent to design for your project, and eventually got your contact information. I’m a interior designer that specialize in modernism/European style. May I ask if you have a project that needs interior design? Hope that we can further discuss the detail of the project to see if we can cooperate. Thanks”

Screenshot of Actual Designer Making the Very First Contact

How to Connect: Talk about Your Understanding of the Said Project

After introduction, the fastest way to connect with your clients is to talk about the said projects, or even just to repeat what you saw on his design requirement. Remember, you can repeat or delve deeper into the project to him so that the owner can feel you are professional and well-prepared. The more informed and knowledgeable about the project, the more likely the project owner is willing to further discuss his project with you. So be prepared before you talk to him.

Screenshot of Actual Designer Connecting with a Project Owner

How to Convert: Show Tailored, Suitable Design Works  

After successfully connecting with the project owner or developer, we are doing something more difficult but truly important.

There are 5-15 designers talking to your client while you are doing the same after he’s posted a design requirement on BuildMost. So, what makes you stand out? How to stand out from the rest of the designers? You can send your design works that fit the said project most to the project owner, which means design work that you sent will have to be interior design when your client is in want of a interior design. The more comparable your design work is to the project, the better. For example, if you can show a design work that is similar to the client’s project in scale, style, functional sub-areas, and general layout. It means that you have past experience in successfully handling a similar project. You build trust with the owner by sending design work of this type. You are highly likely be chosen already!

Screenshot of Actual Designer Sending Design Works to a Project Owner

How to Convert: Show Your Professionalism by Asking the Right Questions

Cooperating on a project is a two-way selection between you and the project owner. Asking the right questions can help you decide if you want to design for him or he will choose you as his designer.

It’s hard to ask the right question, but it definitely shows you are a pro when you keep asking the right ones. But how? You will get to know to basic information of the project by now, but to dig deeper with the information at hand is the key. Use the information you know to provide detailed design service suggestions is one way. For example, you can ask a project owner in want of interior design service: how is the architectural drawing, how many units do the project contains, how many functional sub-areas, what is his personal preference for style, what kind of products he specifically wants. Then you can give your specific design advice accordingly with the information you get from the project owner. 

Screenshot of Actual Designer Asking Project-Specific Question

Screenshot of Actual Designer Asking the Functional Sub-areas

Screenshot of Actual Designer Asking the Due Time and Budget Details

How to Convert: Take the Right Pricing Strategy

Pricing strategy is enormously important if you want to convert a project owner into your client. This is how proper, service content-specific pricing strategy would be of great help. We recommend that you can set 2 rates for your clients. Tailored made pricing strategy is offering your client more options and covering more needs, which eventually help you convert. You can set one rate for lower price with its respective renderings, due time information and included services. You can also set a higher price with its respective more detailed renderings, due time information and included services. You can differentiate lower price design and higher price design by degree of design refinement, due time, style, etc. The key is to offer more choices, not a single design service solution.

Screenshots of Actual Designer Exchanging with a Project Owner About Budget and Rate

How to Convert: How to do Follow-up When Encountering Unresponsive Clients?

Remember, there are ways that can make things easier. It’s possible that the design works you sent didn’t hit the sweetest spot of your clients. So continuous follow-up is important. Try a few more times! We recommend that you can send new unsent design works that fit the project well to your clients to help boost conversion possibility. Or you can try to sent detailed project design advice to your potential client so that he can find out your utmost professionalism and choose your design! As to frequency of message, we recommend you can try send message every two day.

Summary

Talk to Your Clients and make progresses are not easy, but there are ways to make things become easier. Keep uploading your newest design works to BuildMost to boost the chance of potential clients contacting you. Be well prepared when project owners contacted you. May you have more design opportunities on BuildMost. BuildMost is constantly help our designers to reach their highest potential! Stay tuned for more!