Boosting Interior Design Sales - Value-based Selling
“Price is what you pay; value is what you receive.”Home fashion has become a rapidly shifting target, with statements ranging from traditional to modern to contemporary; not just from client to client and from home to home, but even within the same home! Staying current with these shifting home fashion trends is a challenge that all of us must face but, with the right approach, can be dealt with effectively.However, marketing and selling your interior design services requires far more than knowledge of current trends in style, colors, textures, and/or finishes.
When it comes to selling your products and services, resistance is rarely about the price paid and nearly always about the value received. At the very least, it’s about the perceived value of those products and services. At its core, value is about how well you can solve your client’s problem; what we today refer to as their “pain points”, which is where the above quote makes the most sense.What does your client value?Value-Based Selling is the process of understanding and reinforcing the reasons why your offer is valuable to the purchaser. It's about listening, rather than talking. By asking your potential what they want and need, you:
- Increase the prospect’s confidence in you and your understanding of the situation.
- Discover information that will help you emphasize how valuable your offer is, and how to frame your price appropriately.
- Discover how, why, and how much your offer will benefit the customer, and you’ll be able to connect more effectively, and ultimately land more sales.
Always sell based on the value your design solutions will provides, instead of the cost.For example, the choice of real wood over veneer; hand-crafted workmanship instead of mass produced selections; custom solutions rather than off-the-rack choices; these are all the types of detail that most interior design clients are searching for – yet, in spite of their desire for originality and elegance – you may still find clients who would like to “save a bit here and a bit there” despite your suggestions.To overcome such an inclination from a client, you must focus on the value of the solutions you present: the timeless statement that selected pieces will offer them; the longevity of service received from artisanal craftsmanship; the subtle, time-consuming decorative details included in hand-sewn thin welts, top-stitched seams, and pleating that provide them with the same type of detail and excellence they seek in the couture that appeals to them in their clothing choices, and that must inform their home design choices, as well.Have you learned to focus on value over price in your sales presentations to potential clients? How has this helped you to grow your interior design business?