Featured on the Show:

• Renovation Management for Interior Designers – Expanding your business with a lucrative service

What you will learn in this episode: 

• How to specify your marketing pitch to realtors

• How to specify your marketing pitch to architects

• How to specify your marketing pitch to contractors & builders

Many of us work with a small firm or alone and are so busy working IN our business, not ON our business. 

In doing this, we get caught up in a passive way of growing our business. You cannot depend on the phone ringing to make sure you have your next project lined up. That is NOT marketing. That is a passive way of building your market base!

I want to ensure designers are confident in their skills and ability to bring value. We all know the value we have and can offer to anyone on the site when working in construction.

We bring out insight. We are interior designers, so we know how the house will flow. We know how people will use certain spaces because we’ve done it through the decorating side. We know how making a change in one room can have a domino effect throughout the rest of the house. We know how to manage people. It’s as simple as that. 

And ultimately, we have the ability to work with a client, and explain what’s going on, and tease out exactly what it is they’re desperately trying to convey. We can understand and develop a design scheme based on that. That is something that contractors cannot do and, frankly, something I haven’t seen a lot of architects do successfully, either. 

I often hear from designers that they aren’t sure how to approach their industry partners. 

They are all different, so you need to finesse your pitch depending on who you’re talking to. 

There are three main industry partners: realtors, contractors, and architects. 

You need to decide what you can offer each of them to bring the most value to them and their piece of this puzzle. 

So firstly, the realtors. I find them the easiest to reach out to. They also already have a list of approved vendors to refer to their clients. You need to make sure you are on that list, not just for decorating but you want to be on it for renovation management. You need to decide, “What does a realtor want to hear from me?” And then tailor your pitch accordingly. 

Architects are probably the hardest to break into. Often because they have someone on staff that is an “interior designer” or they really enjoy what they do for a living and don’t see the need to hire out. When an architect sees the value you can bring, it can be one of the most harmonious relationships ever, and the projects show it. 

Then lastly, contractors and builders. They are someone who can build a community and are not custom-built for each client. However, they could do both. They will have different needs than a realtor and architect. They are not client-facing for the most part. When you are attached to a project, you likely have much more information than the supervisor does. That is an insane value that you can add to a project.

So I want you to be thoughtful and strategic about these different categories that you’re marketing yourself to. 

After listening to today’s episode, if you haven’t started you’re marketing, now is the time to start! If you have already started, now is the time to ensure you address the needs of the people you pitch to. 
You need to prioritize this in your business so that you have clients to continue in your business for years to come.

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #107: Stacking Your Projects & Working ON Your Business, Not Just IN Your Business

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