Interior Design Tips: Dealing with Client Fear #2

In a previous post, we discussed three reasons for client fear of an interior design project: fear of cost; fear of disruption; fear of not loving the result. Today we offer a few more interior design tips to help you overcome other client fears, which may prevent them from accepting your remodeling bid and hiring you.Of course, people being people, your potential clients may not even be consciously aware of these fears; especially if they are considering an interior designer for the first time. Keeping these fears in mind as you begin the qualifying and closing process will greatly improve your odds of closing the deal – and of getting the project right!Design Fear #4: Will the quality of the remodel be healthy and long lasting?Many clients will fear to make an error in quality – of the work and furnishings. As we all know, there are many different levels of quality for every type of product in a decor plan but the client’s taste, wants, and needs must be your guide.While they may not want heirloom quality for their new furnishings, something they could to pass down from generation to generation, they will also not want “curbside” quality furnishings. These are furnishings that are made of inferior materials which may have harmful chemicals used in production and will normally have a shorter lifespan than hoped for.Solution: Discuss quality as fully as possible in advance and select the level of quality that’s appropriate for the client’s budget, offers the longevity/durability they seek and provides the healthful aspect of its production.Design Fear #5: Will all the new stuff be safe for my family?Safety is often taken for granted by both the client and designer yet is of concern to many people; especially those with young children. It’s not at all uncommon for some of the materials in furnishings to be toxic, unfortunately, for instance: they may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals to which some people can be quite sensitive or allergic.Alternately, some products have a dangerous design. For example, the cords on some window blinds are hazardous, even lethal, to pets and children. Some reputable manufacturers have designed alternative lift systems for these shades or have crafted the cording so that it breaks away when weight is applied to it so that nothing, child or pet, gets caught in it.Solution: Ask questions about any product you choose for your clients: what it’s made of, how it traveled to where it’s sold, and what its safety features are. Then, explain these things to the homeowner.Design Fear #6: Will there be many, or any, maintenance costs?Worrying about maintenance may not always surface at the beginning of a project but, it certainly becomes a factor once your client begins to live with it – and pay for it. After all, they won’t actually be living in the “look at” types of rooms featured in design magazines.Solution: Think about how easy or difficult your suggestions will be to maintain early in the design process and make it a part of your plan. Then, explain that the furnishings available today, as well as the materials used in them, have many features that will enable them to keep them looking good despite people living on and with them.Stay tuned for a few more client fears that our series of interior design tips will prepare you for, and help you overcome with your own clients.Looking for more interior design marketing tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.