Featured on this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here
• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here
• You can find Deb’s freebie that was mentioned in today’s episode here
• Find out more about Deb by visiting her website, IG, FB, and YT

What you will learn from this episode:

• How your brand builds trust before the discovery call
• Why the discovery call should be a two-way interview
• How to use pink flags and trust signals to attract better-fit clients

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One of the hardest things about being an interior designer is explaining what we actually do.

I know that sounds ridiculous. We do this work every day. We know how much goes into a project, how many decisions we’re making, and how many problems we’re solving behind the scenes.

But putting that value into words? That’s a completely different skill.

That’s why I wanted to have Deb Mitchell on the podcast. Deb is a brand strategist and messaging expert who has worked with interior designers for more than a decade. Before launching her own business, she worked inside a luxury interior design firm and handled everything from brand communications to discovery calls.

In other words, she understands our industry in a way most marketing professionals simply don’t.

Our conversation covered a lot of ground, but we kept coming back to one central idea: your potential client is forming an opinion about you long before you ever get on a discovery call.

Your Discovery Call Starts Before the Call

I think designers put a lot of pressure on the discovery call.

What should I say? What questions should I ask? How do I explain my fees? How do I communicate my value without sounding like I’m selling myself?

Those things matter, but Deb made an important point: getting the right client doesn’t start with the discovery call.

It starts with your website, social media, testimonials and every other piece of your online presence.

A beautiful portfolio absolutely matters, but your photos can’t communicate everything a client needs to know about you.

As Deb said, “Your pictures can’t say certain things.”

They can’t tell someone what you’re like to work with. They can’t explain how you manage a construction project or communicate with a contractor. They can’t show a nervous homeowner how you’ll guide them through a difficult decision.

Your messaging has to do some of that work.

Ideally, by the time someone gets on a discovery call with you, they already have some level of trust. They understand who you are, what you do and why your approach might be right for them.

Stop Explaining What You Do and Start Communicating the Value

This is where I see designers struggle all the time, and I’m including myself in that.

We tend to explain our services by listing everything we do.

We create the drawings. We select the finishes. We attend meetings. We coordinate with contractors. We review millwork. We manage installations.

All of those things are true, but they’re the features of the service.

Deb’s point was that your client is ultimately trying to understand what all of that means for them.

Maybe it means they can go live their life while you manage the details. Maybe it means someone is representing their interests during construction. Maybe it means they don’t have to become fluent in contractor-speak just to renovate their kitchen.

That’s the value.

I’ve experienced this firsthand with construction management. I’ve had contractors assume they should call me when they’re ready for furniture because they genuinely didn’t understand what I could contribute earlier.

They weren’t necessarily being dismissive. They simply didn’t know.

If I can’t clearly communicate that value, I can’t expect a homeowner—or anyone else on the project—to magically understand it.

Your Discovery Call Is a Two-Way Interview

Designers tend to approach discovery calls as though the potential client is interviewing us.

They are. But we’re interviewing them too. As Deb put it, “It is 50/50.”

Taking the wrong project because you’re afraid the phone won’t ring again can cost you money, time, and sanity. I’ve done it. I can tell you about the damage those projects did to my bottom line and my confidence.

This is also where Deb’s idea of pink flags comes in.

We all know what a red flag is. A pink flag is that little moment that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

It doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t take the project. It means you need more information.

Maybe the client doesn’t understand something yet. Maybe you need to ask another question. Sometimes a pink flag can actually turn green once you’ve had the right conversation.

The important thing is not to ignore it because you’re so excited someone called.

Know What You’re Willing to Compromise On

Deb brought up something during our conversation that I’d never consciously thought about before. Looking back, I’ve absolutely done it in my business. I just never thought about it this way.

Very few projects check every box.

Maybe the budget is fantastic, but the project won’t photograph particularly well. Maybe the scope is smaller than you’d like, but the client is an absolute joy.

Sometimes you’ve had five difficult clients in a row and what you need next is simply a kind human being.

I’ve absolutely done that.

I’ve also taken projects because I needed the income. There. I’ve said it.

Not every project has to be the project that lands on the cover of a magazine. Some projects serve a purpose in a particular season of your business.

The important part is understanding what you’re choosing and why.

If you’ve lost money on your last several projects, perhaps price is the thing you cannot compromise on next. If you’re emotionally exhausted from difficult clients, personality may move to the top of your list.

That can change as your business changes.

Your Brand Should Reflect the Business You Want Now

This is another place where designers can get stuck.

You start taking a certain kind of project. Then one client refers another client who wants the same thing. That person refers someone else.

Suddenly you’re known for work you never intentionally decided to build a business around.

I’ve been there too.

For several years, I ended up doing downsizing projects because I helped my grandfather move into a cottage. His friends saw what I did, and the phone started ringing.

It was work. The clients were lovely. I was making money and still using valuable design and construction skills.

But eventually I realized I didn’t want that to become my niche.

Your brand messaging has to evolve as your business evolves. Otherwise, you may continue attracting a version of your business you’ve already outgrown.

What Are Your Trust Signals?

Toward the end of our conversation, Deb introduced a phrase I loved: trust signals.

These are the things in your brand and messaging that give a potential client evidence that you understand them and have their back.

They don’t have to be dramatic.

A trust signal might be how you explain your process. It could be a testimonial that speaks directly to a fear your ideal client has. It might be language showing that you understand how overwhelming a renovation can feel.

The important thing is that your marketing isn’t entirely centered on you.

Your client should be able to see themselves in it.

As Deb said: “Your uniqueness is your best niche.”

I think designers need to hear that.

You don’t need to become the designer you’re watching on Instagram, or someone else’s business model, projects or brand deals.

You need to understand what you do exceptionally well, who values it, and how to communicate that clearly.

Because the right client isn’t simply looking for an interior designer. They’re looking for the right interior designer for them. And ideally, your brand starts answering that question long before you ever say hello on a discovery call.

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Like this Episode?

Be sure to check out Episode #127: Tobi Fairley on Growing into the Next Version of You and Your Business

Be sure to check out Episode #83: The Value Interior Designers Bring to Every Renovation Project

Be sure to check out Episode #211: Spot the Pink Flags Before They Turn Red: Planning Your 2025 Projects