Even better than the thrill of a client referral is the absolute, complete and utter joy of repeat interior design clients. It’s one thing for a customer to refer you to someone else – it means they like you, right? But for an existing client to hire you again? It means they trust you and love what you do.
That’s how I felt when a long-time client contacted me, from Shanghai no less, about a possible piece of design work. It was such a confidence boost.
I’d worked with this client multiple times when they were in the UK – and now they were abroad, rather than look locally, they reached out to me. What a boost!!
Why would you want repeat interior design clients?
It’s easier and cheaper!
Getting a past client to work with you again is not just rewarding – it’s also statistically smarter.
“The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60–70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is only 5–20%” AnnexCloud.
This higher conversion rate means less effort, giving you time back and a more easeful business.
You’re also not paying to acquire a new client – there’s no marketing spend (other than keeping in touch). As you’re a known factor all you need to do is stay front of mind for your clients.
“Acquiring a new customer can cost five to 25 times more than keeping an existing customer” The Value of keeping the right customers, Harvard Business Review
You might make more money.
According to Firework, existing customers spend 67% more than new ones.
All that trust you’ve built means they’ll be more willing to opt for a more expensive wallpaper, or dream light fitting. Or to take an add-on like bespoke carpentry or audio-visual advice. Essentially you can upsell and cross sell – meaning the amount of money you make (per client) is going up.
Repeat interior design clients mean less friction, quicker decisions
Client retention is worth its weight in gold – as a lot of the hard work has already been done.
You’ve built rapport, you have a good sense of their design likes and dislikes. You should have a firm understanding of their communication style and preferences – and how much they like to collaborate and get involved.
With all the relationship building done, you can dive straight into the design work and make quicker decisions. Repeat clients tend to mean less friction, and if they do have the odd quirk – well as least you are forewarned!
How do you get to work with past clients in your interior design business?
Do you know that I can tell you where every single inbound lead to my business, over more than 14 years, has come from? And how much it cost to generate that lead?
That’s how I can say, with certainty, that I didn’t start seeing referral and repeat business until a couple of years after I set-up.
Finding clients – in other words marketing your interior design business – takes a consistent effort. The better established your business becomes, the less you may have to spend on marketing, but it still requires time and effort.
Instead of solely relying on magazine articles, attending every networking event you hear of, and social media – you can also tap into the power of interior design client retention.
How do you get repeat business?
Start by putting your customers at the centre of everything you do.
And then, don’t be afraid to ask!
It took me awhile to recognise how important it was to nurture my existing clients. Of course, I had always delivered exceptional levels of customer service. I looked after my clients whilst their project was underway, but when we parted company, that was it.
I hadn’t done much to nurture and develop an on-going relationship with the people who were best positioned to help me out. I feel genuinely lucky to have clients who I get on well with and enjoy designing for – which means it doesn’t feel like work – but I wasn’t capitalising on the great rapport I had built with my previous clients.
It goes without saying that you need to look after your clients whilst you’re working with them. Make the design process as easy and fun as possible for them. Once the project is complete? Keep in touch! If not, you’re missing a trick.
Keep in contact
Make sure you stay in contact with your interior design clients. Can you send them a thank you when the project completes? A Christmas card? Or add them to your mailing list? Make sure you are the first person they think of when it comes to interior design.
And give them a nudge from time to time – to remind them of the services you offer and how you can add value.
Provide additional assistance
Understand ways that you can help your design clients further. If you designed one room, is there another space in the house they might need help with?
Do they own more than one property, or are they moving and need your interior design skills for their new home?
This is particularly relevant if you introduce a new service offering that might be of interest to an existing client. Perhaps you’ve started offering colour consultancy? Or you’ve taken on small commercial projects and could help at their place of work?
The power of people who know you
The power of existing clients should never be underestimated. These homeowners are your super fans and they won’t mind helping if they know you want more work. They might even become repeat interior design clients themselves!
It’s not just repeat business
Don’t forget to ask past projects for referrals too. You can leave them business cards to pass on to their friends and family.
And, of course, always ask your customers for feedback on your services too. This could be testimonials to use on socials and your website, or portfolio photography.
You could also gather feedback on what they thought of your services. Want to know how to ask for feedback from interior design clients? Check out this article on what you should (and shouldn’t) ask – and how you can use client feedback to improve your services.
When it comes to repeat business, I’m talking about home owners that you enjoy working with. If you’re asked to do more work for a client when you didn’t have a good vibe – say no! Need tips on that? Check out this article on setting boundaries as an interior designer.
Follow the tips above and you’ll soon be tapping into the benefits of repeat interior design clients. This will lead to more exciting projects that you can’t wait to get stuck into!
Need more marketing tips? You might be interested in Networking for Success, Referral Marketing, or Using SEO to find clients or check out 7 tips to market your interior design business to find clients!
If a top-notch customer experience is something you want to provide why not check out this article on what you need to know about customer experience in your interior design business.
A few ways I can help, depending on what you need right now:
I’m Lisa Honiball, Business Coach & Mentor. I provide calm business guidance to established Interior Designers.
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