Recap: Pricing Design 2012 – Denver Design District

The Presidential debate wasn’t the only thing happening in Denver yesterday!  It was standing room only as the first presentation of Market Day at Denver Design District, with great energy, rapt attention, and interesting questions from designers from across the Rockies.  The time flew as we discussed data collected over the last 3 years and how the economy, changing clients buying habits and designer purchasing procedures have impacted the revenues and profitability of designers from all corners of the USA.  The concept of ‘profitability in the project’ as part of the initial inquiry with a prospective client and how to determine that was new territory for many – and a group exercise on how to figure it out was a fun and interesting approach that had calculators buzzing as designers did the math to determine whether or not they could take on a project and make money on it.

We were also very fortunate to have in attendance Kathleen Callahan of International Design Guild (the luxury and fine flooring association) and celebrity designer Mark Brunetz (below) of eponymous design firm.  He is impressive and approachable (and yes, adorable) with a strong commitment to the industry and to his clients.  LOVED meeting them!

Thank you to Rosa Mayberry and Jo Frank of DDD for making this event possible….and I look forward to bringing this program to International Market Square in Minneapolis next Wednesday, 10/10.

Hope to see you!

Now, go sell something!!!

Love,
Jody

Pricing Design 2012

“Pricing Design 2012” (.2 CEU)
Wednesday, October 3 – 10:00-12:00 at Denver Design District, Denver, CO

“Pricing Design 2012” (.2 CEU)
Wednesday, October 10 – 9:00-11:00 and repeated 1:00-3:00 at International Market Square – Minneapolis Design Center, Minneapolis, MN.

“Pricing Design 2012” (.2 CEU)
Saturday, October 13 – 5:30-7:30 at AIDP in the Atrium at Hamilton, High Point, NC

“Selling Premium”
Thursday, October 11 – 1:30-2:30, Rose Tarlow Melrose House, DDB | Decoration and Design Building Fall Market, New York, NY

http://sellinginteriordesign.com/new

One more common thread……..

There were so many great conversations this week with designers responding to the 30 minute coaching call for Pricing Design 2012, and I just have to share some with you.

Here’s the scenario –

Designer creates an agreement with a new client, and by new I mean new to this designer, new to the design process, and new as in the ‘new client’.  There are some aspects of the project that the client wants to source on their own and others that the designer will source.  All of this is specifically outlined in the agreement as is the compensation process.  And then something happens….the client, while they were sourcing what was on their list, found something that was on the designer’s source list and went and purchased it, and didn’t tell the designer until after the fact.  The designer, miffed but silent, continues the process.  And, of course, it happens again.  Now the designer is more than miffed and says something.  How do you think this is going to go…and end up?

See if you can find the first STOP sign.  Yes, when the first aberration occurs is when to STOP and address the issue.  Address the agreement, address the breach of agreement, address what the compensation is, and address it when it first happens.  There are no goodies in getting penalty payments, you want your clients to pay for the products and services they want and receive.  As I’ve said before (and someone much smarter said before me) silence implies consent.  When you let something go, it’ll happen again….but when it does, there’s more heat in the situation and the ability to have a rational, cool, ‘let’s talk about this’ conversation gets harder to have.

So here is it: when agreements get broken, STOP and talk about it.  The first time.

With love,
Jody