Dear Dakota: How To Make Interior Design Discovery Calls More Productive?

Aug 4

I’m needing some major help lately.
My weeks are completely bogged down with constant repetitive phone calls and emails regarding our process.
This has never happened to me before, and in the last several months, it is all I am dealing with.
HELP!

First, congrats on the influx of inquiries! This means your marketing is working (so keep doing what you're doing), and hopefully, SOME of these leads are turning into booked clients.

I am all about streamlining the inquiry process (the phase before someone becomes a paid client) so you don't spend unnecessary time explaining what you do and how you do it to every.single.potential.client. Calls that could have been emails? Calls that didn't need to take place at all?

No thanks!

But, it IS important that people do understand your process and pricing so they can say yes to working with you with total confidence (and without a ton of questions or unmet expectations once their project begins).

Here’s exactly what I would do to make your interior design discovery calls more productive:

01 | Remove your phone number from your website asap, and funnel all inquiries to the contact form on your website contact page of your website so you have more control over WHERE non-clients can access you. Very few of our 1:1 clients list a phone number on their websites.

If someone emails you directly and doesn’t include many details about their project, you can ask them to submit their project info through your form so you can get the correct information over to them. Or, you can ask them additional clarifying questions by email before offering a Discovery Call.

02 | Fix your contact form. Head to the contact page on your website and make sure your contact form isn't making any of these mistakes.

03 | Create an Investment Guide that details your process, starting prices/billing method, general timelines, and answers commonly asked questions you get on your discovery calls (some good ones: where do you source, do you share your discount BLEH, can you recommend a contractor, etc.). If you have multiple service offerings, include details about each of those services.

Here's exactly what to include in your investment guide if you want to create this yourself, or we have some ready to go in the Design Library (just add your photos, brand fonts, and colors, and any adjustments to the process if needed).

Why these small changes will help make your interior design discovery calls more productive:

When a potential interior design client submits an inquiry via your website contact form, you'll have all the essential screening details YOU need to assess the interior design project to determine if YOU even want to talk more about it. You'll have the location, scope, timeline, and budget. Once you determine it does seem like a good fit, you can email them your Investment Guide and dates for booking a Discovery Call with you - or, if you use a scheduler (like Acuity, Calendly, etc.), you can include the link to book a call inside of your Investment Guide on the last page. Essentially, they have to read through your guide to "find" the link.

Then, if they don't like your process, starting prices, or sourcing methods, they won't book a call, and you've saved lots of time. These steps will automatically screen them OUT, with no more than a minute or two of work on your end (remember: you create the investment guide ONCE and let it serve you forever).

On the other hand, if the potential client reads your info and is on board with it, your Discovery Call will be more about connecting and talking through their expectations and goals rather than selling them on your services or overwhelming them with all the details of your process, leaving their head spinning and making the call forty minutes long. BLEH!

Bonus Points:

Take a look at your services page on your website. Could you add some clarifying language about your project types and sizes? Maybe you could say something like, "for large-scale renovations or new builds,"...or "for projects with three full rooms or more,"....or "for full home furnishing projects," so people who land on your site understand the size and type of projects you take. That can also help.

Here's the thing: Some people will read your website, look at your investment guide, and book a call EVEN IF they don't fit into or can't afford your services. This is typically a client who "doesn't have time" for the process, doesn't value your time, thinks your policies are silly (or worse, thinks designers just fluff pillows), and will push back on your process and ask you to change it for them. So, if someone has gotten to the Discovery Call and they're like, "Yeah, I didn't read that," or, "Yeah, I read it, but I need you to do THIS for me and didn't see it list"...yeah, not a good fit, and then you can simply say, "At this time we don't offer that service so we won't be able to help you. Talk to you later. Byeeeeeeeee."

One final note about Discovery Calls —> Don’t use a script. EVER!! Your customers are smart, and they know when you’re using a script. Don’t do it!