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ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES
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ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY
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EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
| ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES I ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY | EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Welcome to The DTS Files for Interior Designers
Business analysis, advice, CLIENT INSIGHTS and field notes for interior designers
The DTS Files is a library of expert insights for interior designers who want to work in a more streamlined, efficient way. Articles are based on real-world consulting experience, strategies I've personally implemented in design businesses across the US and Canada, and a perspective most business educators can't offer: I've been on both sides of the table, as a business consultant and as a luxury design client. Read more below.
The Most Common Questions for your Interior Design Website’s FAQ Page
Ever feel like you’re answering the same client questions over and over again? Or worse—losing potential clients because they don’t understand your process? If you want to attract dream clients, set clear expectations, and eliminate unnecessary back-and-forth emails, a well-crafted FAQ page is a game-changer.
A strong FAQ page doesn’t just answer questions—it prevents client confusion, screens out bad-fit leads, and positions you as the expert before they even inquire. Done right, it will set you apart from the competition and create a smoother, more seamless experience for both you and your clients.
But which FAQs should you include? And how do you make sure you’re answering them in a way that builds trust and credibility instead of raising more questions? In this post, I’m breaking down the most important FAQs every interior designer and wedding planner should include—plus the small but powerful tweaks that will instantly make your client experience feel more polished and professional.
Ready to streamline your client communication and free up hours in your week? Read the full post when you join The DTS Files.
How to Design a Client Experience Strategy for Your Interior Design Firm
A great client experience isn’t just about keeping things organized—it’s about making every step of your process clear, professional, and seamless. When done right, it helps set expectations, reduces endless client questions, and ensures projects run smoothly from inquiry to completion.
In this article, I’m breaking down what makes a strategic client experience and how small refinements can have a huge impact—helping you attract the right clients, set boundaries, and create a process that works for you (not the other way around).
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly answering the same questions or recreating the wheel with every new client, this is for you. Join The DTS Files to read the full post and learn how to streamline your client experience and make your business run more efficiently.
How Interior Designers Can Get Out of Their Inbox and Back to Their Design Work
Your Interior Design Business Feels Overwhelming—Here’s Why (And How to Fix It)
If you’re drowning in emails, fielding constant client questions, and feeling like projects are running you instead of the other way around, you’re not alone. The problem isn’t that you need new software, a bigger team, or more hours in the day—it’s that your client experience process is running on fumes (or doesn’t exist at all).
“I feel like I’m just answering emails all day.”
“Clients keep taking control of the projects, and I’m exhausted.”
“I need a repeatable process instead of reinventing the wheel every time.”
Sound familiar? If so, your lack of a formalized client experience is keeping you stuck. But here’s the good news: this can be fixed.
In this post, I’m sharing:
The one shift that can instantly help you manage clients with ease
How a step-by-step process frees you from your inbox and puts you back in control
Why setting boundaries + clear expectations makes clients love working with you
If you’re ready to stop feeling buried and start running your design business with confidence, join The DTS Files to unlock my advice.
The Best Software for a Luxury Interior Design Client Experience
The Best Software for Interior Designers Who Want a Seamless, Luxury Client Experience
Your clients expect white-glove service, seamless communication, and an effortless experience from start to finish.But if your back-end systems are messy, your client experience will feel anything but luxury.
After working with top interior designers to streamline their businesses, I’ve compiled a list of must-have software that will help you automate, organize, and elevate every client touchpoint—so you can provide a polished, high-end experience (without working 24/7).
💻 The best project management tool to keep designs, timelines, and tasks in check
📝 The CRM that makes proposals, contracts, and payments effortless
📹 The simple tool that adds a high-touch, personalized feel to every client interaction (literally WOULD NOT, COULD NOT do business without it)
📅 The scheduling software that eliminates endless email back-and-forth
…and several hidden gems that will free up your time while making your clients feel pampered, informed, and well taken care of.
Join The DTS Files to read the full article.
Set Boundaries Your Interior Design Clients Will Love
Feeling Overwhelmed? These 6 Boundaries Will Transform Your Interior Design Business.
Struggling with clients who text at all hours, expect instant responses, or push for endless revisions? You’re not alone. One of the biggest reasons interior designers feel overworked and stretched too thin isn’t because they have too many clients—it’s because they haven’t set clear, enforceable boundaries.
When done correctly, boundaries create a smoother client experience, increase efficiency, and actually make clients respect you more.
In this post, I’m sharing:
The 6 key boundaries interior designers should set ASAP
Why enforcing boundaries actually improves your client relationships
How to transition existing clients to your new policies (without the awkwardness)
Ready to streamline your client experience and create a business that runs smoothly? Join The DTS Files to unlock the full article.
How to Show Up like an Expert With Your Interior Design Clients
When you show up like an expert with clients in your interior design business, a few things happen:
Your clients will pay more for your services
You reduce questions and set clear boundaries
Your clients will trust you and won’t try to take over the project
It can sometimes feel overwhelming to have to do all the work behind the scenes and then also “show up as an expert to clients.”
However, if you build the following simple steps into your process, your system should do the work for you to establish your expertise with clients, all while giving you more confidence and your clients a better experience.
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
The Biggest Client Onboarding Mistakes Interior Designers Should Avoid
Are You Making These Costly Onboarding Mistakes? Here’s How to Fix Them.
If your client onboarding process feels clunky, inconsistent, or overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many interior designers know their onboarding isn’t as polished as it should be—but they don’t realize how much it’s actually costing them in client confidence, referrals, and repeat business.
A seamless, professional onboarding process doesn’t just make things easier—it sets the tone for the entire project.
But most interior designers make at least one of these 9 common mistakes—and it’s holding their business back.
In this post, I’ll share:
The biggest onboarding red flags that can lead to unhappy clients
Why a slow or disorganized start can kill trust before the project even begins
How to set up an effortless, repeatable onboarding system that works for every project
Want a polished, high-end client onboarding experience without starting from scratch? Join The DTS Files to access the full post—and learn how our Client Experience Templates can transform your process in minutes.
How to Make it Easy for Interior Design Clients to Work with You
Are You Confusing Potential Clients? Here’s How to Fix It.
If potential clients don’t immediately understand how to work with you, they’ll move on—fast.
Your client experience touchpoints shape how confident clients feel about hiring you, referring you, and trusting your design process. But if those touchpoints aren’t clear, strategic, and seamless, you might be losing leads before they even reach out.
In this article, I’m breaking down:
Why most interior designers unintentionally create confusion
The key phases of your client journey that need refining
How to turn your inquiry, onboarding, and offboarding processes into an effortless, referral-worthy experience
Want a fully streamlined client experience without building everything from scratch? Join The DTS Files below to unlock the full post—and see how our Client Experience Templates can help you set all of this up in minutes.
HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR READERS:
Looking for help with pricing?
PRICING PLAYBOOK for INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Start with The Complete Guide to Pricing Your Design Services
Learn the most common pricing models used by interior designers, where each works best, and how to spot the signs that your current pricing structure needs to change.
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SHOP TEMPLATES
Need the documents behind a streamlined process?
The Design Library includes the client-facing investment guides, proposal templates, welcome guides, SOPs, questionnaires, contracts, and business tools we use and recommend for interior design firms.
SHOP WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS
After consulting with and doing hands-on implementation for over 100 interior design business owners, I’ve seen what works (and doesn’t) across every business model imaginable. The Workroom houses our focused trainings for interior designers on pricing, construction, service structure, business operations, and other areas we teach inside design firms
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