Hi everyone!

The August AIBD Coffee with Bernie was fantastic, with many designers in attendance! The topic was about the designer client interview, and various people gave helpful information and links. We got to see 12 to 16 people live! And we heard later that some of the younger designers who attended the session thought it was extremely helpful in their design work!

The first question in this session was about how to effectively structure your first meeting with a potential client and the key information to gather. The advice from multiple members who have a lot of experience:

• Always prepare.
• Consider the home owner, designer, and builder as one team.
• Use someone on your team, other than you, to communicate with potential clients before they get to you, and determine if they are a good fit.
• When first communicating with a potential client, include checklists with details to determine more about the client. Only after they review and complete the checklists, then discuss budget and schedule.
• Outline your process with the client, how it works, and who the players are.
• Offer a What To Expect page on your website, and consider putting a flowchart on that page that describes the flow.
• If you are an AIBD member designer, be aware that checklists and forms are available and free for all members. As an AIBD member, you can access these documents by logging into your AIBD account.

The next question had to do with what you ask your clients to bring to the first meeting, and how they can best prepare. Some designers have helpful examples online. Message me if you want some references. Here’s what attendees had to say:

• It helps if clients bring a survey, but in some instances problems can arise. For example, a valid survey might be missing or it might be outdated. If a client has a survey older than 5 years old, some designers have the client obtain a new one with a topo. Having the topo is extremely helpful.
• Some designers have a disclaimer on their website and/or their plans that says they are not responsible for incorrect information on a survey that a surveyor provided. You can also reach out to the surveyor to get the DWG file.
• Designers always ask for the survey, even if some surveys are wrong or missing info. Be sure to verify that the survey is correct.
• In some cases, designers don’t ask the homeowner to get the survey because there are different types of surveys, and the client might not know which one to get. If you do ask the client to get the survey, be specific on what you need.

The third question prompted helpful feedback also. It was about the most effective methods the designers use to interview clients. Here’s what they said:

• Listen. The importance of listening to the client cannot be overstated!
• Through listening and asking questions, discover what the client is thinking.
• Meet with the clients at their property.
• Some designers charge for the first meeting with the client, some don’t, and some designers include it as part of the rest of the work. Whether you charge for the first meeting, or not, the first meeting helps you determine if the client will be a good fit.
• If you have an assistant, they can interview potential prospects for you. The assistant should be well versed in what you do and able to speak intelligently with the clients about your process. That initial interview can provide your assistant with the right amount of information you need to know if the client might be a good fit. It can also educate your client about an overview of your process.
• Overall, it was agreed and emphasized that designers provide a high level of value for everything they cover in the process of creating a set of plans.

Hopefully this blog helps you with your design work and meeting with clients. All feedback is welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Bernie