Posts by Melissa Galt
Why Won’t Clients Approve My Designs? 5 Fixes That Work
To get interior design clients to approve your designs and stop stalling, put photorealistic renders in front of them early and often: at the concept presentation, on every revision, and on each alternate you want them to weigh. A client who cannot see the room will not approve it, and that stall costs you lead…
Read MoreHow Interior Design Studios Fix Profitability Chaos
A profitable interior design studio that feels disorganized runs on the owner’s memory, not systems. Melissa Galt has coached design firm owners since 2010, turning busy practices into businesses that run on documented processes, not the founder’s constant presence.
Read MoreThe Holiday Reconnect: How Interior Designers Fill Q1 in December
TL;DR Most interior designers send the card, feel good about having done something, then wait for January to produce work. January arrives, the inbox is quiet, and they decide holiday marketing doesn’t work. What truly happened is they created goodwill and never gave it anywhere to go. Episode four of the holiday marketing series. Three…
Read MoreInner Circle vs Private Coaching: Which Fits Your Firm
Choosing between group and one-on-one coaching stops most interior design firm owners cold. This side-by-side comparison shows which format gets you to your next revenue level fastest, based on where your firm is now and what your growth requires.
Read MoreNever Automate These 3 Things in Your Design Firm
AI can handle your back office, but three moments in your interior design business are where affluent clients decide to trust you with their home and their money. Automating the pricing conversation, first prospect contact, or design judgment quietly costs you the caliber of client and fees you want.
Read MoreHow Design Firms Use AI Without Sounding Generic
AI-drafted presentations sound generic because the tool has no idea who you are. Feed it your positioning and exact word choices, use AI for structure and first drafts, and keep the value language and fee number in your own hands to close more projects.
Read MoreCalculate Your True Project Cost (2026): Stop Underpricing
Most interior designers price projects based on guesses about what the market will bear, then wonder why a “profitable” project exhausted them and left barely any profit. Your true cost stacks up in invisible layers: overhead, your own salary, profit margin, and all the sourcing, revisions, and admin hours clients never see. Learn the four-step sequence to calculate your floor hourly cost before you quote another project.
Read MoreHoliday Networking for Interior Designers: Where to Show Up
TL;DR When I ask a design firm principal what they’re doing for marketing and the answer is industry mixers and showroom soirees, I have to break the news. Your colleagues are wonderful, and they’re never going to hire you. Episode Three of the holiday marketing series. The seven rooms worth your evening, four reliable ways…
Read MoreClient Gifts for Interior Designers: What to Send and When
TL;DR A gift is marketing with a bow on it, and one of the highest return activities in your fourth quarter. I’ve watched a $60 gift generate a $90K referral, not because it was impressive, but because it was so specific the client told the story at a dinner party. Part 2 of the holiday…
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