How to handle indecisive clients
Here’s a message I got from a designer in my community:
I would love to know how to work with clients who are indecisive and can’t see the whole picture and depend heavily on Pinterest to fill in the void. As a designer I try and create the whole picture thru inspiration boards with tile samples paint chips, counter top, wood samples and photos of furnishings I can see would work. The trouble with indecisive clients is they just think there might be something “just a little bit better” if they keep looking. Help!
When we run a service based business we will come across LOTS of different clients.
Some will be a dream - lovely to work with, make quick decisions, and not fly off the handle if mistakes (inevitably) happen.
But then there will be others…those that are demanding, rude or (like the issue above) are indecisive or always looking for ‘better options’ (even if you’ve given them the concept you think would work best).
Here’s a few ways to reduce the number of indecisive clients you get…
1: Gain your clients’ trust
One of the main reasons a client will be indecisive is if they don’t trust you or if they feel you aren’t working in their best interests.
Unfortunately, the design industry has a bad reputation for this, for reasons I’ll get into a little later in the post.
In order for a client to trust you and accept the recommendations you make they need to believe:
you know what you’re doing
you care about THEIR best interests (not yours)
you don’t have a conflict with your recommendations (e.g. if you are recommending more expensive items because you make a bigger cut on those items)
If you can reassure clients of all of these they will be much more likely to listen to your advice, take your recommendations on board and make a decision.
With the first point (that you know what you’re doing), as you walk around their home or talk about the project you can say things like:
when I worked on another kitchen similar to this the client had exactly the same issues as you do. What we did in that instance was X, Y, Z
I just finished a project with another family with young children. What we did in that project was use X,Y, Z products as they will be quite hardy with dirty fingers and feet all over it
These statements should always be tailored to what you are hearing the client talk about as their main concerns. What you are trying to do here is to show you’ve worked on projects like theirs before and that you know what you’re doing.
In terms of reassuring the client that you are thinking about their interests and not yours there are options for how to do this as well.
For example, I would pass my trade discounts on in full to my clients so during initial meetings I could say things like
I pass on all my trade discounts and most of my clients find they get back a good chunk of my design fees via the discounts I can secure for them
I don’t do anything shonky with suppliers to make you feel that I might be getting more money behind your back - so you can trust that the things I’m recommending for you are what I think is best for your project - not because I’m getting more money for them.
Think about doubts the client might have coming into working with you (things they have heard or experienced about the industry) and make sure you have a way of reassuring them you don’t work like that.
2: What outcome do they want?
Working in a service based industry, like interior design, requires us to learn a lot about human psychology.
People are driven by lots of different things and what drives one person will be completely different to what drives another.
Part of your role as a designer is to get to the bottom of what drives each of your clients and understand the outcomes they are looking for.
And a common mistake when a client is indecisive is to try and read their mind and jump to conclusions about why they might be hesitating.
As a general rule clients will normally engage a designer to help them:
produce something they couldn’t produce themselves (i.e. they want high quality)
save money
save time
reduce stress
Part of your role in getting to know your clients is to understand the outcomes they want.
For example:
do they want a house they can show off to their friends and family (i.e. quality)
are they looking for someone to help them manage the process for them because they haven’t done it before (i.e. save time and reduce stress)
want to save money and believe that working with specialists in the industry is the best way to do that
Every client has unique outcomes and objectives for working with a designer. Part of your job is to work out what those are so you can address objections that come up in relation to those outcomes. For example:
if you know they are driven by saving money then an easy way to help refocus them when they see an expensive sofa they like is to remind them that they are trying to design the home on X budget (or ask them if the goal has since changed - generally it won’t have!)
if you know they are driven by quality and want to build a high-end home they can show off to friends and family then if they get indecisive remind them they have engaged you to help them create a home they can be proud of and they should trust you in the process of putting that together - that’s why they are paying you! They’ve engaged you because they can’t do that themselves.
The best way to work out their objectives and the outcomes they are looking for is to listen to what they are saying to you during the initial consultation process (many designers talk too much during these meetings and don’t do enough listening).
Also, don’t be afraid to just ask them! Use open ended questions that encourage them to open up and give you detailed responses. By doing this you’ll soon work out what’s driving them if you listen carefully.
3: Make sure the client likes your design style
I once took on a client who clearly had a VERY different design style to me (and their taste was pretty bad if I’m honest!). It was early in my business and I was still just taking any clients that came my way rather than being selective about who I worked with.
I had a bad feeling from the start that it was the wrong decision and inevitably the project was a complete disaster.
The client had such different taste to me that I didn’t even know where to go to find the sorts of (ugly!) pieces they were showing me on Pinterest that they wanted to include.
I did my best to produce concepts that I thought worked with their style - but I just couldn’t help but try and take some of the ugly out of it and put my own design spin on it.
They didn’t like any of the concepts I produced and after three attempts and trying to make them happy I ended up refunding them and walking away.
Despite the fact I had put in hours of work I refunded in good faith because I always try and do what’s in the best interests of my clients (as this is good business karma in my opinion!).
But I learned a BIG lesson from that project.
Don’t just take on all clients - make sure they know and like your design aesthetic before they sign with you.
After that project, I would always make sure any future clients had seen my website and my previous projects and confirmed to me that this was the sort of style they were looking for with their project as well.
If they started to show any hesitation or say “yes, but I prefer a bit more of X ugly thing” - I would just say that I didn’t think the project was going to be a good fit and I would walk away.
In my experience trying to design outside of your own tastes or aesthetics is really difficult and generally doesn’t make a project very enjoyable to work on.
Yes, we should be able to design in all different styles - but if we don’t like doing that then why do it?
I would rather be proud of my work and enjoy what I do than take on clients that I’ll find hard to make happy (and end up with ugly projects I can’t photograph anyway).
4: Don’t give them options
A client has paid you to do their design work for them. They don’t (typically) want lots of options or schemes to choose from. They want you to suggest what YOU think will work best - that’s why they are paying you.
BUT…despite this they do often want a few other options for bits and pieces in a scheme, so they can be sure they are making the right decision. So while I would only typically present one design concept or scheme (to remove a potential source of indecision), I would have other options up my sleeve to present them if need be.
You can also use the second option as a way of explaining to them why you think the first option is the better one to go with.
5: Don’t be shady
An issue I talk about a lot is whether or not to pass on your trade/supplier discounts to your clients.
My strong view is that designers should pass their trade discounts over in full and charge higher design fees to make up for this.
I talk about the pros and cons of each option in this blog post here
Indecisiveness from a client could well stem from the fact that they feel their designer is being shady (e.g. are they getting discounts that haven’t been disclosed) OR perhaps they feel there’s a conflict of interest in what the designer is suggesting they purchase - e.g. does the designer get a larger cut by recommending the more expensive sofa??
I always wanted to be in a partnership with my clients.
I didn’t want them to have an ‘icky’ feeling working with me and I didn’t want to be doing anything shady that would make them question the decisions I was making about their project. If we were on the same team, both working towards the same goal (without me getting extra payments based on what they choose) I think it helps build trust and rapport. Then when you suggest something as part of a concept they know you’re suggesting it because it’s the right item - not because they are wondering if you get more money for suggesting it.
My views around trade discounts always ruffle a few feathers when I write about them. Lots of designers hate that I am exposing this shady part of the industry and many get very angry with me.
But I ran a very successful design business by working this way and I used to easily win a lot of work with clients by telling them that I pass my trade discounts on in full. They could easily see the financial benefit of working with me that way.
I felt it was a win/win for both parties and a much more transparent and enjoyable way to work (plus reduced the stress of them going behind your back to your suppliers - which will happen if you give them reason to do this).
6: Have a solid client agreement
This is a simple one.
Make sure you’ve got a solid client agreement that protects you upfront with how many revisions and changes you’ll accept on your work, expected turn around time frames from clients and other clauses that will help stop them from stalling projects by not making decisions.
A client agreement that will actually protect you if something goes wrong needs to be put together by a solicitor. Too many designers try and DIY their own client agreement.
If you DIY your legal work you’re exposing yourself to a lot of potential risk if you ever need to rely on that document in court or during a settlement.
7: Improve your client leadership skills
As a designer you’re taking on a leadership role in the clients’ design project. You’re also working on what is most likely their biggest financial asset (their home).
So if you’re not showing signs of being a good leader who is in control of what they are doing then it’s very likely they will doubt the decisions you’re making.
You need to build confidence to tell them: “you’ve paid me to be your designer and help you with this - you need to trust that I know how to get the right result for you - otherwise why have you paid me?”
If you don’t have the confidence to say this to clients, then perhaps you don’t have the confidence that you know what you’re doing, in which case that’s a completely different problem that you need to work on (e.g. via doing more training or going and working for someone else to gain some experience before going out on your own).
Ask yourself:
Have you given them the confidence to trust you or could their be a reason they are doubting you?
Are you being indecisive yourself (e.g. giving them too many options to choose from that causes them to feel overwhelmed)?
Are you regularly communicating with them and updating them on their project - or are they having to contact you for updates (i.e. which causes a lack of trust)?
From time to time you’ll just come across an indecisive client - that’s part of working in a service based industry.
But if you find that lots of your clients are indecisive then perhaps look inwards and work out if you’re giving them a reason to be this way.
As a designer, you need to be confident in what you’re doing and give your clients a reason to trust you.
You are helping them with an asset that’s very important to them - i.e. it’s not only their most expensive asset but also where they live with their family. This is an important space for them so use lots of active listening to understand their concerns and provide plenty of reassurance as the project continues.
I hope that post has given you a few things to think about!
Courses and Templates for Designers and Architects
DO YOU WANT TO….
Improve your professionalism?
Find more clients?
Bring in more revenue?
Create better systems and processes?
Then check out my business courses and templates for designers and architects.
These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy
