How to Qualify your Interior Design Leads (and screen out the tire kickers)
Updated February 2022
Let’s be honest—most interior designers don’t love doing sales calls
The idea of "selling" can feel uncomfortable, pushy, or even exhausting. But here’s the reality: sales are non-negotiable if you want to run a successful design business.
And the good news? Sales calls don’t have to feel like sales calls.
When done right, they become effortless conversations with pre-qualified, dream clients who already know your pricing, love your work, and are ready to move forward. No awkward pitch. No convincing. Just a natural discussion about how you can bring their vision to life
Why My Sales Calls Convert (and yours can too!)
I’ve worked with hundreds of interior designers to refine their inquiry and sales processes, and the one thing I know for sure?
Most interior designers spend too much time on calls with the wrong people.
The key to making sales calls effortless (and enjoyable) is only getting on the phone with pre-qualified, ready-to-book clients. That’s exactly how I approach sales calls in my own business (and in my previous wedding planning business) and how I teach interior designers (or their teams) to handle calls.
Screen people out so you know you’re getting on the phone with people who are ready to work with you and are able to pay for your services.
Since they’ve been vetted before you even talk, you can spend the call connecting and learning more about them, their project, their challenges, etc. versus talking about pricing and process.
This means you’ll be able to glean great insights from your conversations that can help your marketing and business growth.
Your sales calls should feel more like connection calls than sales calls. And who doesn't want to connect with someone who is passionate about helping them, right?
The Interior Designer Sales Call Process That Works
Back when I ran my wedding planning business, I had a 99% close rate—with dream clients—not because I was an expert salesperson or underpriced, but because I had a system that screened out bad fit clients and pre-sold my services before I ever got on a call.
Here’s what that looked like:
1️⃣ Solid content (yup, I blogged back then, too!) + referrals that attracted my ideal clients →
2️⃣ Inquiry comes in →
3️⃣ Investment Guide sent→
4️⃣ Discovery Call (only with pre-qualified leads) →
5️⃣ In person meeting scheduled, if needed (GASP!) →
6️⃣ Proposal sent →
7️⃣ 99% conversion into paid clients.
The same system works for interior designers, and in today’s world, you can’t afford to waste time on people who were never going to book you in the first place.
The Biggest Mistake Interior Designers Make on Sales Calls
Most interior designers jump on calls too soon—before the potential client has enough information to know if they can hire them or even understands the purpose of the call.
If you’re hearing things like:
“I had no idea design cost that much.”
“I need to check with my partner and get back to you.”
“Oh, I need to start tomorrow. I can’t wait two months to start.”
“I was hoping you could just give me some quick ideas.”
…then chances are, you’re either talking to the wrong people or you haven’t clearly positioned the call in advance.
When potential clients don’t know what to expect, they may assume it’s a free consultation—leading to frustration (on both sides) when they realize you’re not there to hand out design ideas for free or start work immediately.
A strategic inquiry process ensures that, by the time someone gets on a call with you, they:
Understand the purpose of the call (to discuss working together, not to get free advice)
Know your pricing and process so there are no surprises (send that investment guide!)
Are pretty sure they want to work with you, just need to confirm it with a conversation
How to Fix It (and Only Get on Calls With Ready-to-Buy Clients)
Step 1: Set the Right Expectations Before the Call
Your website, portfolio, and social media should speak directly to your ideal client and give them the right impression of the type and quality of projects you do before they inquire. This means:
Using messaging that reflects the level of service you provide and the type of clients you work with
Imagery that aligns with the price points you want to charge
A clear call to action that directs inquiries to a contact form (not your DMs!)
Step 2: Send an Investment Guide Upfront
Before I ever get on a call, every single lead receives an Investment Guide that outlines:
My process and how I work
What’s included in my services
A starting price for my services
Next steps to move forward in the process
This single step filters out unqualified leads and tire kickers and ensures the people who schedule a call already understand what I do and how much I charge.
→ Not sure what to include in your Investment Guide? My Client Experience Templates give you exactly what to send, so you never waste time on the wrong leads again.
Want to Convert More Leads into Clients?
Your time is too valuable to waste on sales calls with looky loos. If you’re ready to create a high-converting inquiry and sales process that gets you on the phone only with clients who are ready and eager to hire you, my Client Experience Templates are designed for you.
