Lloyd Princeton - Marketing Interior Design

BY LLOYD PRINCETON

2009 Lloyd Princeton

All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan-American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

12 11 10 09 5 4 3 2 1

Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Allworth Communications, Inc.
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010

Cover design by Kristina Critchlow
Interior design by Kristina Critchlow
Page composition/typography by Integra Software Services, Pvt., Ltd., Pondicherry, India
Cover photo by Ryan McVayorbis

ISBN-13: 978-1-58115-662-1
ISBN-10: 1-58115-662-6
eBook ISBN: 978-1-58115-728-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Princeton, Lloyd.

Marketing interior design / Lloyd Princeton.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-58115-662-1

1. Interior decorationMarketing. 2. Interior decorationPractice. I. Title.
NK2116.2.P75 2009
747.0688dc22

2009011143

Printed in the United States of America

An acknowledgments page is a tough one to write, not because of a lack of gratitude, but because of fear that one or perhaps many deserving people will be left out. So, with an apology to the deserving who have been unmentioned, I would first like to thank Catherine Hiller, my editor and co-author. Without her support, ideas, and good nature, I doubt that I would have embarked on this wonderful journey. So, Catherine, here is a toast to book number two!

Along the way in my career, I have been guided and provided many opportunities to flourish, and there are some key people who have truly been there for me: Charles Grebmeier, John Hale & Hugh Gurley Linda Leach, Sid Goldberg, and my mother, Audrey Princetonalways there at a drop of the hat!

More recently, Sarah Gallop, Bibiana Princeton, David, Winter and John Pujol, each of whom has given me their precious time and support. Naturally, I have to say thank you to everyone who has given me an opportunity to speak, something which is my true passion. And last, my clients, each of whom has trusted me to represent them, provide them ideas, and who have been loyal to the process we embark upon together. While we have not always achieved our goals or ended on a positive note, at least we tried. In the words of Albert Einstein, Nothing happens until something moves. Thank you Justin for sharing this quote with me.

This book is written for you, an interior designer with your own business. Designers are a creative and talented group, but they often dont know the first thing about the business side of their operations. They may not know how to market their services effectively or have a solid sense of what they are worth. They may even be bashful about setting a price for their work. Raise your handor simply blushif this applies to you!

Furthermore, most designers remain unknown outside their social circle and immediate locale. While your clients may be ecstatic about your work, the rest of the world doesnt recognize your name. This happens because you are an artist, not a business person. You do what you do very wellyou create beautiful rooms. What you may not do as well is market yourself. You may not know how to define and publicize your unique style, services, and future professional needs.

The following pages will show you ways to run your business efficiently and discuss strategies to let potential clients, media, and referral sources know about youa star that is waiting to shine!

In 1999, I started a business, Design Management Company (DMC), because I realized that interior designers are often brilliant at suggesting color palettes but less adept when it comes to avoiding red ink. At DMC, I have counseled dozens of interior design professionals about how they can package their services, create a unique identity that promotes their business, and most importantly, price their creativity appropriately. In these eight years, I have created my own niche as a marketing expert for residential design.

In this book, I will tell you about the business side of your business, including what pitfalls to avoid and pathways to pursue. I will explain to you how to represent yourself to potential clients, how to develop marketing materials (Web site, stationery, brochures, etc.), how to screen and interview clients, how to negotiate the best deal for both of you, how to leverage completed projects for your client and yourselfand much more.

I will tell you what I tell my clients when they come to me for advice.

One of my first clients, who is still my client today, was an interior designer named Melissa. She lives on the Upper East Side of New York City and caters to a wealthy client base. Her design is distinctive and colorful, and her own lifestyle is similar to that of her clients. In her own words, she was raised as a lady, so she didnt like to discuss money with her clients. Although she was well positioned to write a letter of agreement before starting her projects, she rarely did so, and when she did, she didnt enforce it. In fact, once I started working with Melissa, she would sometimes discount her services even after I had successfully negotiated a terrific deal for her.

Why was Melissa so shy about raising the issue of money? Interior design projects are all about money. Rest assured that your clients are thinking about it all the time, so you had better get comfortable with the topic or be able to afford someone who can manage it for you. Remember: how you price your services affects how you will be perceived by your client.

Melissa undervalued her services because she undervalued herself; a common mistake among interior designers and women in general. After reading this book, I hope you will never make that mistake again!

The majority of design professionals are women, and more than 90 percent of my seminar audiences are made up of women. This book is especially addressed to female designers because I believe there are fundamental differences in how men and women do business. I also believe that women can achieve greater success by following the playbook used by men. I think women who read this book will become empowered in their professional dealings and in all areas of their lives.

I am happy to say that today there is a greater acceptance of women as top designers than ever before. The boundaries continue to blur in terms of roles and services that can be performed by either men or women. People are not surprised to work with a male decorator or a female designer. They expect as much from a woman as they do from a man. If the woman designer has established credibility in advance, and if her previous exposure has been highly professional, then she will be treated in a highly professional manner.