A designer once asked me if driving a Toyota Camry was hurting her ability to sell high-end jobs, preventing her from moving her business up into more high-end clients, and if she should splurge and buy a BMW?
Now, it’s true that in some communities and client markets it is necessary to look BMW-good. I know that it’s not a positive commentary on our society, but that is the way it is.
The more important issue is that if you feel awkward or embarrassed about the car you drive, then it’s likely you’ll appear unconfident and that will stop you from getting jobs and clients.
Plain and simple, a lack of confidence will cause you to be unsuccessful when presenting high-end concepts and products. And although buying an expensive car will make you look good, it will not solve your confidence problem.
The trick is to fully adopt and believe in “the Mindset of a Million Dollar Designer” so that you act with confidence daily and make decisions in the way that a designer that has arrived would do.
And when you do, you don’t need a BMW (although you certainly could afford it.)
Unfortunately, most designers don’t “get it” that easily, it takes a bit more work.
Most of us have family money histories that were not filled with luxury cars, expensive furniture, and European vacations. This can make it hard to grasp the concept, hold on to the idea and truly embody of a Million Dollar Mindset. Sometimes stepping “big” into something you’ve never done or experienced before, like buying a luxury car, committing to a mentoring program, or developing your branding and marketing, will propel you into the business mindset you’re looking for and need.
But you don’t have to start there…you can begin mastering your “inner money gremlins” with these three tips:
Tip #1 Your BRAND is reflected in the way that you present yourself to your potential client
They may or may not take notice of your car since it’s parked outside.
But a big first statement you can clearly make about your design ascetic is with your handbag. You walk into the client’s house, you introduce yourself, and set your bag down on the table or counter. This handbag makes your first very definite and very bold statement about your personal design and style.
Think about this and make sure that this bag says exactly what your personal “brand” is about: Are you a Gucci or are you a Macy’s?
Tip#2 Experience what luxury feels like in your own life
This weekend make a date with yourself to put some luxury next to your skin and find out how good it really feels.
Go for a test drive in a new high-end car and feel the leather of the seats, experience the precision feel of the engineering, and the luxury of quiet. Next, visit a high-end clothing store and try on a couple of very expensive, fabulous outfits. Feel the quality of the fabric, look at the exquisite detail of the construction, and see the difference quality tailoring makes.
Next, visit a high-end clothing store and try on a couple of very expensive, fabulous outfits. Feel the quality of the fabric, look at the exquisite detail of the construction, and see the difference quality tailoring makes.
I want you to understand on a personal level, the pleasure your client gets when they sit in that gorgeous, beautiful, and expensive furniture that was so carefully placed in their home.
This luxurious experience you can give your clients.
Tip #3 Get in touch with your own personal family money history stories
Very often the money values we were taught as children (however loving and well intentioned) are in direct conflict with our ability to present and sell those high-end concepts and products so dear to our chosen profession. You need to get in touch with these childhood messages to see if they make sense in your design business world today.
These internal messages can be reset and restarted so that they support your personal desire to move into a more upscale market, thus eliminating the self-sabotaging behaviors and freeing your path to success. If you want to quickly move your design business up market, learn how to brand your particular style of design to attract the right clients, or get rid of self-sabotaging behaviors that keep you from the success you deserve, you may be ready for the Interior Design Business Academy Coaching.
