Charge Your Worth!

If you are in any sort of interior design Facebook group I’m sure you’ve noticed what and how interior designers are charging for their services are very popular topics of conversation. With a wide variety of ranges as well as whether to charge hourly, fee based, hybrid, paid consult, commission or whatever other way there is to charge, there are a number of ways to go about making money in this industry.

One of the most popular things I see is how to charge your worth. I’ve seen a number of very experienced designers say that they feel like after the initial consultation clients go running to the hills after they tell them their fees. Why is this? Well, you aren’t attracting the right type of client.

In order to charge your worth and make money, you need to attract the right type of client and by doing so you can demand higher fees. So how do you demand higher fees?

Niche

The number one thing you’ll hear coaches say is niche, niche, niche. And I agree with them. Niche down to offer services that make you different from everyone else. Specialize in the type of design that you are most passionate about and experienced in. But Danae, what happens when I get a client who wants to pay my fees but they aren’t in my niche? You can either help them the best you can – you are a designer after all and if you are comfortable helping them I’m sure you’ll do great. Or you can refer them to another designer – maybe you have a designer friend that you refer business back and forth to each other based on the niche. Or if you want the best of both worlds, hire a virtual design assistant that specializes in the design you prefer not to do in order to keep the client and continue to make money while your assistant helps with the design work, sourcing, etc.

Your niche should be specific. What do you specialize in, where does your experience and passions lie? If you typically only work with coastal homes you have your niche. If you only design coffee shops, you have your niche.

Why should someone hire you? Why would you hire you? What sets you apart from everyone else out there? What problems do you solve? You need to be specific and use your website, social media and brand to connect with your target market.

People are willing to pay for expertise and if they need a home office designed and you specialize in home offices and know all the tips and tricks to make the most efficient use of a home office while making it a breathtakingly beautiful place to work – then you have our niche.

Still stuck on what to specialize in? New niches appear all the time. Besides evaluating your passions and strengths stay on top of interior design trends. Sometimes a niche evolves over time and if you are paying attention you may be able to open yourself up to a whole new target market. For example, right now home offices are a hot trend, as are home school spaces, relaxation spaces, mudrooms and reconfiguring kitchens. Pick your favorite space and run with it … or niche in home remodels for people who suddenly will be spending a lot more time at home.

Once you have your niche create a Facebook group or Instagram channel to better advertise your services and expertise. No matter what your goals are the best way to generate clients is by:

·         Being yourself

·         Being real

·         Being honest

·         Write like you are writing to a friend

·         Be consistent – consistency is one of the most common ways interior designers get tripped up on marketing their services. They get stuck in a vicious cycle of marketing for clients, getting busy, discontinuing their marketing, finishing up with their clients only not to have anyone else in the pipeline and start the process over again. Working with a virtual design assistant can help you with a variety of tasks that can keep your pipeline full, your clients happy and your business prosperous.

If you are still struggling on what to charge – seek out a fellow designer that is also a coach or offers courses on how to charge, what to charge, the best ways to charge, etc. Ironically, I’ve been working on this post for two weeks and yesterday I got an email from Sandra Funk with House of Funk on this very topic. I’ve heard great things about her helping other designers so it’s worth checking out!

I hope this helps you to finally start charging what your worth. Have a great rest of your week!

Danae