Season 8 Episode 3 : How To Deal With Difficult Design Clients Proactively
FULL DISCLAIMER! This episode needed to be recorded twice because lil miss Perth interior designer over there ( ahem, Siba Interiors ) may have been a little ‘passionate’ first time around. It happens.
What we wanted to do, is to discuss the three main typecasts of difficult clients we knew were common in the design industry and then provide SOLUTIONS to deal with them. Whether you are up and coming, a seasoned designer, or even re-assessing your brand direction, this episode is a must listen.
Being proactive rather than reactive is key.
So who are our difficult clients? They are :
THE TYRE-KICKER
No huge explanation needed here but Deb in particular has offered some social media workarounds and brand messaging suggestions worth taking note of. Be gone time-wasters, be gone!
THE MICRO MANAGER
This one requires the ultimate in calm and smart early onboarding that reflects ‘how you work’.
THE NO BONDARIES
Oh god no, not this! The 10pm text messages, the relentless DM’s and stories stalking, the email chain longer than your arm. None of this is necessary - so how will stop it from continuing?
As nearly every designer we spoke to ahead of this will testify, difficult clients are few and far between, but when they land they have the capability to unhinge even the most seasoned designer, and often for reasons that in retrospect could and should have been managed.
We are not soapboxing in the episode and suggesting that every designer is 100% perfect all of the time, that is a fallacy in life that no one can overcome, but they do know their world inside and out. As their daily bread, so to speak, getting it right underpins their whole operation.
What if you are a client and you decide to listen to this episode? We’d welcome that and your feedback. The chances are, some of the dynamics touched on in this episode will provide some necessary insight into this profession and also why their expertise is worth every cent of your investment.
As always we’d like to encourage of all you to SUBSCRIBE to our podcast via Apple podcasts and ensure you subscribe. All those little things enable us to continue to bring you great content so share it with your renovating friends, industry counterparts or lovers of design and continue to support local.
Deb xx