I’d like to share with you a little bit of philosophy on slowing things down. When you jump into a design job too quickly and don’t quite know what’s going on or what it is really going to be, you end up in the wrong place. You likely will quote a fee that’s too small or take a deposit on only a few hours to just get things started. That doesn’t work well because we all know that designers aren’t known for billing hours accurately, so that’s not where we want to be.
However, if you take a little more time getting into those jobs, back up a bit, and not be anxious about jumping in, you will end up in a much better place. To start, you could do a budget on the fly or an exploratory Letter of Agreement so that you get to know the actual scope and budget of the job. Then, you’ll have that piece to work with to write a real Letter of Agreement that includes rules of engagement, boundaries, and how much and when to be paid properly.
By going this route, the client also knows precisely what you’re providing and what you cost, and you can schedule the appropriate amount of time to do design work and complete the job. That way, everything comes together nicely and makes it easy for everyone.
I know you’re anxious to get started designing. But if you take a pause and gather the correct information, you will gain respect from the client, and you’ll know what’s going on to price it properly. When you get paid completely for your design time, you don’t get so anxious (your client can feel this) about selling product at the end of the design process. Whether they buy it or don’t buy it doesn’t matter anymore because you’ve already been well paid for your work.
Watch the video above, where I go into detail about how you can change the energy surrounding potential jobs in your favor without craving the furniture sale or being so anxious about it. Not only can doing this make a significant difference in your design business, but it can also benefit you both emotionally and financially.
If you’d like to learn more about how to do this or other tips on growing your design business, schedule a free clarity call with one of our coaches and discover if IDBA’s Growth or Structure education and coaching programs are a fit for you. It’s a fun discussion without any pressure, and you can learn what your next best business-building steps should be.
Until next time, design something beautiful and get paid what you’re worth.
