Tilda Publishing
Why should a designer negotiate
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Interior design requires a lot of work inside the brain: inventing, thinking, designing. The work takes place in the head of the designer.
It's a shame if you came up with a cool interior, but the customer didn't hear you. And as a result, the efforts multiplied by zero: nothing of this coolness will remain in the customer's head.
A popular mistake of designers (both beginners and experienced ones) is the inability to communicate with customers, negotiations.
It seems that negotiations are something about billionaires and politicians, and nothing about design. But this is not so - in our work, without negotiations, it is impossible to grow.
Talented designers often come to our studio for interviews. You look at the ideas a person comes up with and you think, "This is really cool!".
«ut only another designer will understand this. Because as a speaker, a person is a complete zero: he speaks quietly, unstructured, constantly strays and mumbles.
It's a shame if you came up with a cool interior, but the customer didn't hear you. And as a result, the efforts multiplied by zero: nothing of this coolness will remain in the customer's head.
A popular mistake of designers (both beginners and experienced ones) is the inability to communicate with customers, negotiations.
It seems that negotiations are something about billionaires and politicians, and nothing about design. But this is not so - in our work, without negotiations, it is impossible to grow.
Talented designers often come to our studio for interviews. You look at the ideas a person comes up with and you think, "This is really cool!".
«ut only another designer will understand this. Because as a speaker, a person is a complete zero: he speaks quietly, unstructured, constantly strays and mumbles.
PROBLEM
You'll never get the best clients if you can't communicate, present yourself, and defend ideas.
If you work for yourself
You won't sell yourself, you won't have enough confidence. Wealthy customers will sense when you're unsure and won't buy.
You will get below average clients. These clients are the most problematic. They peck the whole brain. You will constantly redo your work: "do it like this", "let's do it differently", "draw something else".
It will be hard to stop. It will be difficult to continue - all your ideas will be distorted.
After completing the project, you will exhale. But don't rely on recommendations.
If you work in a design studio
You will be given clients who match your level and temperament.
If this is a complex object, big budgets, active customers, then the project will go to your neighbor, because objectively you are not pulling.
You will receive projects of the lower segment from all projects of the studio. And you will get similar problems as a private designer.
You will always be one step behind other colleagues - other designers will be the leaders of the studio. At best, you will become a reliable workhorse. And most likely material and moral rewards will pass you by.
COMMON RULE
"The higher the negotiation skill, the better the projects, the higher the budgets, the more adequate the customers, the more self-realization."
Negotiations are good.
If you work for yourself
You won't sell yourself, you won't have enough confidence. Wealthy customers will sense when you're unsure and won't buy.
You will get below average clients. These clients are the most problematic. They peck the whole brain. You will constantly redo your work: "do it like this", "let's do it differently", "draw something else".
It will be hard to stop. It will be difficult to continue - all your ideas will be distorted.
After completing the project, you will exhale. But don't rely on recommendations.
If you work in a design studio
You will be given clients who match your level and temperament.
If this is a complex object, big budgets, active customers, then the project will go to your neighbor, because objectively you are not pulling.
You will receive projects of the lower segment from all projects of the studio. And you will get similar problems as a private designer.
You will always be one step behind other colleagues - other designers will be the leaders of the studio. At best, you will become a reliable workhorse. And most likely material and moral rewards will pass you by.
COMMON RULE
"The higher the negotiation skill, the better the projects, the higher the budgets, the more adequate the customers, the more self-realization."
Negotiations are good.
DECISION
Negotiations are a big topic. Read communication books and presentations, take sales courses.
And avoid three common mistakes.
No. 1. Brief presentation
For example, a designer has made layouts and says: "here is a table, here is a chair, there is a bed." This is no good!
His ideas will be understood only by another designer or a person who can read floor plans and understands the topic.
«Client is not the designer. He does not understand your ideas well, especially at the stage of planning decisions. If it is easier with 3D visualizations, then the layouts for the client are a complete abstraction. Help him.
Tell in more detail, draw pictures in the customer's head, speak in images, not lists and enumeration.
Explain the logic of moving around the apartment and how he will live here.
Let's say it's a woman with two children.
You say: "So you went into the house with bags and 2 children, they put bags here, and here the children can put their backpacks and take off their shoes here. There are special hooks for their clothes on a hanger…".
No. 2. Not sure about the work done
Another mistake concerns not only negotiations. But also them.
Uncertainty. It's trite, but too common not to write about it. The designer does a bad job, and then it's all exposed and he feels embarrassed.
Make the interior as for yourself. Invest. Think through every detail.
If you haven't thought about your suggestions and ideas, then from 1-2 awkward questions from the client it will become clear that the work was done badly. You will not defend your ideas and something else will be forced upon you. Then why were you needed?
As a result, the bad work causes indignation of customers and the lack of recommendations. Quality work is the first prerequisite for quality negotiations.
«Because negotiation is not a set of miracle techniques that allow you to manipulate clients and sell bad work.
№3. Didn't understand the problem
The more time devoted to understanding the client's tasks, his desires and needs, the less alterations and edits.
If you briefly listened to the client, filled out the Programme Document in a template and then came right away with 3D visualizations, you are guaranteed to fail. And everything will have to be redone, the client will get angry, and you will be offended.
The concepts of "beautiful", "stylish", "rustic", "classic" are different for everyone. And the designer must understand what the client means by these words.
To estimate your understanding of the task, pick up a few examples of what the client wants and show them. It turns out that he did not mean what you thought. Match the pictures again until you match.
It is dangerous to start work until you speak the same language as the client.
And avoid three common mistakes.
No. 1. Brief presentation
For example, a designer has made layouts and says: "here is a table, here is a chair, there is a bed." This is no good!
His ideas will be understood only by another designer or a person who can read floor plans and understands the topic.
«Client is not the designer. He does not understand your ideas well, especially at the stage of planning decisions. If it is easier with 3D visualizations, then the layouts for the client are a complete abstraction. Help him.
Tell in more detail, draw pictures in the customer's head, speak in images, not lists and enumeration.
Explain the logic of moving around the apartment and how he will live here.
Let's say it's a woman with two children.
You say: "So you went into the house with bags and 2 children, they put bags here, and here the children can put their backpacks and take off their shoes here. There are special hooks for their clothes on a hanger…".
No. 2. Not sure about the work done
Another mistake concerns not only negotiations. But also them.
Uncertainty. It's trite, but too common not to write about it. The designer does a bad job, and then it's all exposed and he feels embarrassed.
Make the interior as for yourself. Invest. Think through every detail.
If you haven't thought about your suggestions and ideas, then from 1-2 awkward questions from the client it will become clear that the work was done badly. You will not defend your ideas and something else will be forced upon you. Then why were you needed?
As a result, the bad work causes indignation of customers and the lack of recommendations. Quality work is the first prerequisite for quality negotiations.
«Because negotiation is not a set of miracle techniques that allow you to manipulate clients and sell bad work.
№3. Didn't understand the problem
The more time devoted to understanding the client's tasks, his desires and needs, the less alterations and edits.
If you briefly listened to the client, filled out the Programme Document in a template and then came right away with 3D visualizations, you are guaranteed to fail. And everything will have to be redone, the client will get angry, and you will be offended.
The concepts of "beautiful", "stylish", "rustic", "classic" are different for everyone. And the designer must understand what the client means by these words.
To estimate your understanding of the task, pick up a few examples of what the client wants and show them. It turns out that he did not mean what you thought. Match the pictures again until you match.
It is dangerous to start work until you speak the same language as the client.
RESUME
Improve your negotiation skills. Without them, it is impossible to become a cool highly paid designer.
