FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE:

JOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR MY REVAMPED COURSE, THE DESIGNER’S EDGE

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

SUBLTE ACTIONS CAN UNINTENTIONALLY TRAIN YOUR CLIENTS AND TEAM TO UNDERVALUE YOU

WHY YOU NEED TO SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES FROM THE START

HOW TO LEAD WITH CONFIDENCE, REINFORCE YOUR VALUE, AND CREATE A CLIENT, TEAM EXPERIENCE THAT REFLECTS YOUR PROFESSIONALISM FROM DAY ONE

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Whether it’s intentional or not, your actions create situations. They have consequences. Not responding to something is actually a response. The problem is it’s a response that you’re not controlling. 

This allows someone to fill in that gap. This is how we are unintentionally training our clients to undervalue us. This goes beyond just our clients because we constantly interact with the contractors, the different trades, our vendors, architects, you name it, and they are all looking to us to see how we want to be treated and valued – and that’s the good news. You can control that script. 

 But I get it, we’re trying to be accommodating, easy to work with, we’re trying to be people pleasers. That unfortunately, is a good thing for us, because it makes us pay attention to the details and really hone in on a high level of service and client experience.

But guess what else that creates? Clients that text us at all hours, or clients that go rogue and reach out to showrooms and products around. They start calling vendors directly. They start sourcing things on their own online, and before you know it, you’re not running the project; you’re reacting to it. 

There are subtle ways that as designers, we send the wrong signals and often don’t even realize it. 

But the good news is, it’s under your control. And you can absolutely shift those habits to lead with more confidence, which leads to protecting your time and reinforcing your value from the very first conversation with that client. 

You are not just offering your customer a service; you are shaping how your client values you, your expertise, and your time.

Starting out being “nice,” quickly turns into a “necessary” in their eyes. 

I 100% fell into this with a client before. In today’s episode, I share how she was creating havoc by buying all sorts of things that I then had to find vendors to refinish, repurpose, rebuild it etc. They were completely random, and I never knew when they were coming. I wanted to be accommodating. It was one of the first huge renovations with a very prominent architect, and I wanted to play ball. I wanted to be the person.

But I was rolling over when I should have stood firm. 

But it doesn’t always have to look like that. You could be wrapping up a meeting with your client, and a half hour later, you’re getting links about things that have nothing to do with what you just discussed. Or, you go out on an informational discovery consultation, and the prospective client is picking your brain for all of your ideas, and you’re giving them. Or worse, a client will call a showroom directly to swap a product or ask for an opinion on something you’ve already told them would be perfect. The client takes the cues from you, and when you don’t hold the line, they assume there isn’t one.

Your messaging

This messaging happens in very subtle ways that you may not even be aware that you are conveying. It can be the tone you use or how you explain a fee defensively. 

Designers often unintentionally send the message that we’re more friends than professionals when we use language like “No worries,” or “Whatever works for you,” or “Totally flexible.”

I’ve heard designers use that language during contract and budget discussions. 

But there are big ones too, and they are also damaging. 

The real cost of silence

The real cost of silence – it shows up later. Not only in potential changes to your design, but in your lost time, lost control, which ultimately will impact your profit. 

But I get it, we don’t want to be that high-maintenance, stereotypical designer we all hear about. You want clients and contractors to like you. You don’t want ot come off as intense or inflexible, because frankly, contractors already think we are. But here’s the thing, being cool or chill or flexible only works until something goes wrong. Right? You’ve already set the tone that your boundaries are pretty much optional, your process is pretty loose, and you’re flexible. These are not things you want to convey, ever on a project. 

Trying to be low maintenance makes you look easy to overlook. Not just by clients but by contractors, trades, reps, everybody. You end up being the one person not taken seriously. 

Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to be, and should not be, bossy and/or rigid. I talk a lot about being agile. That is an important and very valuable trait for any designer on a construction project. But you just need to be clear, confident, and consistent. 

Confidence will build trust with your clients and your team.

Clarity will build the respect that you need to take you from job to job with that same team.

You can stay warm and collaborative while still leading the process. You can be easy to work with while still having expectations to be met.

Some examples of how you can do this:

At your first meeting, you explain your process. This is a structure that ensures a smooth project. And that is how you explain it, not just the tasks you will do, but why does that matter? 

Another one is confident language. Say things like, “Here’s how we move forward.” There’s no hesitation. There’s no wiggle room in that. Here’s how we’re going to move forward. That’s confidence. 

And most importantly, “This is how I work.” This is a big one. I get it. If you are looking for work or feel like your pipeline is drying up, this is a tough one. You do not want to take a job out of desperation. 

Intentionality

This is something that we all need in all aspects of our jobs, but especially with how we work. It is going to be different for each and every one of us, but overarching themes will be:

Keeping to the processes that you’ve established.

Staying on the schedule that you or your team, or your client have established together. 

Staying inside the budget that was prepared in tandem with the contractor, client and you. 

You have the control to not only build the boundaries but to maintain them throughout the duration of a project and once you do, once you’ve established your boundaries and kept them throughout, you will feel such joy.

At the end of the day, you are not just designing a space; you are building and designing an experience. 

And it’s not just a client experience, since we are trying to market ourselves for more work with our industry partners, we are also trying to build an experience for those industry partners. We want to be seen as a team member. We want them to see us as someone they want to work with again. You want ot deliver a project that’s led by you, that’s shaped by your expertise, and again, protected by your processes. 

Ask yourself, “Have I trained my clients to see me as a leader? A friend? Or a lifeline? Have I trained my team to respect me? My time? Or, do they assume I’ll give it to them freely?” 

If any of that is a yes, that is not a bad thing. That’s clarity. And clarity is the first step towards change. 

The good news is, you can change your behavior the moment you step on the job site tomorrow, or this afternoon, or an hour. It is completely within our control to reestablish boundaries, firm up our foundations, and to stick with our processes. 

When you lead with confidence, you teach others how to treat you.