Hot Marketing Tips: How to Ditch the Duds and Work With Only the Best Clients

Well I had a big AHA! moment awhile ago. I had agreed to meet a new date, but he hadn’t made firm plans and the voicemails left were focused on what was going on in his day, and nothing about where and when to meet. We’d been talking for over a week and I realized the closer the time got that this wasn’t a fit for me. Our conversations didn’t make me smile, grin, or giggle, instead I couldn’t find the common happy factor.

Key Takeaways

Your Ideal Clients are Out There, Are You Looking?
Suddenly I realized he didn’t have the minimum criteria for me to meet him face to face. He didn’t make me smile. I love to laugh and am actively looking for that guy who brings laughter with him. No, I’m not talking about a standup comic, I just notice when I talk to someone whether they make me smile. I pay attention to texts, emails, and voicemails and if I get a grin or giggle. It matters to me, this is my minimum criteria. And since I know those that do make me smile, I know it is entirely possible.

What are Your Minimum Client Criteria?
I realized that at the same time this applies easily to clients you have and customers you do business with. It’s important to create your minimum criteria (doubting that laughter is one, but how great if it is, lol). And when a new client or customer falls outside your minimum criteria, you politely refer them out. No matter how hungry you might be, when you breach your minimum boundaries you will give up your peace of mind, your profit, and your patience at the very least. Honor yourself and your business will grow.

The Price of Not Being Picky
I didn’t always have minimum criteria for clients, and like you, I took on everyone, wanting to serve the world. Well, when you try to be all things to all people, you are of no value to anyone, most of all yourself. And I learned fast that my peace of mind is not for sale, no matter how much is being offered. I got picky and my bottom line grew while my actual workload shrank. When you work with the cream of the crop, you will make more with less effort because you’ll stop leaving opportunity and profit on the table.

Making Your List and Checking It Twice
This kind of is like being the Santa Claus in your own business. You want to know who is naughty and who is nice so you can work with the nice ones. Your list can include basics like:

• Willing to pay your minimum project or product investment
• Working within your normal work hours (requiring nights and weekends that your normally spend with family, may not be a good fit.)
• Being appreciative of your professional expertise and honoring your recommendations (do you really want to work with a steamroller personality?)
• Referring you to their friends, associates, and more when satisfied with your work (this is critical and you have a responsibility to “train” them to do this well.)
• Paying you in full and on time, it starts with the first invoice. (I’ve found that business owners most often pay on time and in full, corporate types often take their time as they are used to “processing” payment requests.)
• Are they hands-on clients or hands-off clients and which works best for you?

Looking Great on Paper Isn’t Enough
Yes, there are a host of demographics that are extremely helpful in identifying your perfect client at the outset, but this is about the less tangible pieces of the working relationship. For all intents and purposes my “date” looked great on paper, he had the qualities I was seeking, but it fell apart in conversation and that was a priceless indicator of what the relationship held in store.

Go for Success, Avoid the Indigestion of Failure
Pay attention to the signs and signals you get in conversation, they are big indicators of where your working relationship will go. When you blind yourself by being hungry you will likely wind up with indigestion instead of satisfaction.

FAQ’S

What are minimum client criteria for interior designers?

Minimum client criteria are the non-negotiable standards you set for who you will work with. Examples include clients willing to pay your minimum project investment, working within your normal hours, appreciating your professional expertise, referring you when satisfied, and paying in full and on time. You can also specify whether you prefer hands-on or hands-off clients based on what works best for you.

Why should I turn away clients who don’t meet my criteria?

When you breach your minimum boundaries, you give up your peace of mind, profit, and patience. Working with clients outside your criteria means you’ll leave opportunity and profit on the table. When you get picky and work only with the cream of the crop, your bottom line grows while your actual workload shrinks.

How do I know if a client is a good fit before I start working with them?

Pay attention to the signs and signals you get in conversation with prospects. Notice whether they appreciate your expertise, respect your boundaries, and communicate in ways that feel aligned with how you work. These early indicators are priceless in predicting where your working relationship will go, beyond what looks great on paper.

Love to hear about your AHA moments in business and how you define your ideal client!

About Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt is a sought-after business coach, marketing consultant, keynote speaker and workshop leader who empowers designers to build highly profitable businesses, without the burnout. With over three decades as the principal of her namesake successful residential design firm, Melissa brings firsthand experience and proven strategies to guide creative professionals earn more in less time, with less stress.

She is the author of four transformative bestselling books, Marketing Luxury Design: Attracting Affluent Clients; The Language of Success: 35 Words to Boost Your Worth & Wealth; Design Discovery: The Proven Process to Land Ideal Clients & Grow Profit, and Proximity to Profits: 50 Strategic Locations to Meet Affluent Clients.

She is also the host of the weekly Design Business Freedom™ podcast, where she shares unfiltered advice on mindset, money, and marketing for interior design pros ready to elevate their game. When you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, book a complimentary Design Business Assessment with Melissa.

Melissa draws inspiration from her legacy of iconic creatives including her mother, the late Academy Award-winning actress Anne Baxter; her godmother, the legendary eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head; and her great-grandfather, American architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright.