Every designer has a list of questions they need to ask in an initial consult e.g. about budget, aesthetics, timeline, functionality (the obvious stuff), but the way most designers ask these questions is making them sound inexperienced.
You can't run through these questions like a checklist or you'll get vague, defensive or completely unrealistic answers from your clients, so here's what to watch out for (and what to do instead).
Bad question 1: What's your budget?
The problem with asking directly about budget is that most clients have no idea what things cost. They might say $50K when the project they've described needs $500K, so you're now working with a number that doesn't mean anything useful and have anchored the conversation on that number.
To get the real budget from a client you have to gain their trust first. Until you do this clients will see you as an adversary rather than a partner and will either lowball their budget to protect themselves or will get defensive and say something like “we aren’t sure yet” or “it’s flexible depending on what we will be getting.”
Here's what to do instead:
Don't ask about budget at all in the first part of the consult. Instead spend time understanding what they're trying to achieve and what their problems are. Get them talking about the value of solving their problems, not the cost.
Then later in the conversation (once you've built rapport) you can introduce budget in a completely different way e.g. “So projects like this typically sit in the range of $X to $Y depending on finishes and complexity. Does that sound about what you were thinking?"
Framing budget in this way positions you as an expert who knows what things cost and gives them a range to react to as the starting point for the budget conversation.
Bad question 2: What's your style?
If you ask this question you'll get answers like "modern but warm" or "we like Scandi but also a bit industrial." These descriptions mean nothing because everyone interprets them differently.
Most clients know they don’t like what they currently have and have seen things they like on Instagram but they can’t articulate their style/aesthetic. What you’re trying to understand with this question is their taste and lifestyle (and you don’t get that by asking what their style is).
Here's what to ask instead:
"Show me a space you love. It doesn't have to be a home, it could be a hotel, a restaurant etc. What is it about that space that you like?” or "Walk me through a typical day in your life. What time do you get up? Where do you have breakfast? What do you do in the evenings?" or ” What's not working about your current space? What annoys you every day?"
These questions give you actual information you can use and you learn how they live and what problems they need solved.
Bad question 3: When do you want to start?
This question makes it sound like you're sitting around waiting for clients. It also doesn't give you useful information because most clients have no idea how long things take to plan. They might say "we'd like to start next month" when the project they've described needs three months of design work and approvals before anything can start on site. Not to mention the fact that good builders/contractors don't sit around waiting to start ASAP, they always need to be booked in advance.
By asking them when they want to start you're letting them control the timeline.
Here's what to do instead:
Explain how the process typically works and what a realistic timeline looks like for their project and then tell them when you have availability.
Example…”Based on what you've described, the design phase for this would take around 6-8 weeks, longer if we need approvals. We'd be looking at least 6-8 months for construction depending on what you go with so if we started the design phase in a month or so from now and can line up a builder/contractor you'd be looking at move in early next year. I would have availability to start in about 3 weeks on the design side of things. How does that timeline work for what you were thinking?"
By approaching it like this you’re educating them about what's realistic and you're positioning yourself as someone with a schedule (and other clients!) who isn't desperately available. This is good for FOMO and social proof, which are great sales strategies.
So what should you be asking??
Good consult questions do four things:
1: they get the client talking
2: they give you information you can actually use to price your fees accurately
3: they position you as someone who knows what they're doing
4: they help sell the client on the next stage of your sales process
Here are some better questions to weave through your consult:
- "What's been the trigger for this project?”
- "What's not working about where you're living now that you want to fix?"
- “What happens when you have people over. Where does everyone end up? Where do you wish you had more room?"
- “Is the goal a forever home or something for the next 5-10 years?”
- “Who is living here that needs to be accommodated?” (This tells you about kids, older parents, people with special needs, pets and other things you’ll need to work into your design)
- “Does anyone work from home?”
- "Are there things you're storing elsewhere that would need to be incorporated?"
- “Are there other decision makers that will be involved?” (Often a consult will be with one partner but normally there are two decision makers and you need to understand this dynamic)
- "Have you worked with a designer before?”
- "Have you done a renovation/build before?"
- "Have you spoken to builders/contractors yet? Do you have anyone lined up for the project?"
- “Have you had any pricing on your ideas yet?”
These questions make you sound like you know what you're doing and position you as someone who's done this before and knows what information actually matters.
If you need help fixing any of this we do it together step by step in my business mentoring program. Check it out HERE.
