THE DISCOVERY CALL: Ten Questions to Ask Potential Clients
A Discovery call or Get Acquainted call should be short. I generally have my team schedule a twenty-minute call, which sets expectations with the prospect. This is not a consultation, but more of a “meet and greet” where you can both ask targeted questions and determine whether they are a good fit for your business model in terms of personality, communication style, expectations and more. They also want to make sure that you are someone they would like to meet to show you their project.
It is so important to determine early on if you will truly enjoy working with the prospect and feel good about the project, or if you should pass on this opportunity and wait for a client that will be a better fit for the way you operate your business.
Before you even discuss any design details, it’s helpful to get some general information. That first interaction you have with a prospect is so important.
I have been using a questionnaire for years and like to have this completed before I get on a Discovery Call. The answers often give me cues as to whether their project is a good fit for me, and have saved me a great deal of time and also managed expectations on the part of the prospective client.
Below are ten questions we use to vet a potential client:
How did you learn about our services?
Many times a prospect will call and tell you who has referred them. If your lead comes through your website, they sometimes do not mention this. I always want to know how they found our firm and if it was via referral, I will immediately thank the person who made the introduction.
Do you have a particular style or aesthetic?
I always ask if they visited our website and if so, which projects aligned with their style. This is a great way to hone in on the style that would inspire our work together.
What is the scope of the project?
Understanding the scope of the project will give you a way to gauge the feasibility of the timeline and budget, and how it will fit in with your current workflow and commitments, as well as how this could fill your pipeline.
What is your timeline for the project?
If your plate is very full, you may not have the time for the project that is being discussed. However, the client may be future-casting and working with the interview process in conjunction with a feasibility study. I have had Discovery Calls where the renovation was not slated to begin for a full year, but they want to start the design process and get the team assembled, establish the scope of work and preliminary budgets with a design concept and plans and then permits so that the process will go more smoothly when breaking ground.
This also can put a great project in your pipeline as we all have projects at multiple stages of inception and completion.
If the timeline has a critical hard stop due to a family milestone or a move date for a new job, you need to know this as well to make an informed decision about entertaining engagement with this prospect.
Where is the project located?
A few months ago, a dear friend and client called to ask if I would be interested in working with her friend. The project was a renovation of a master bedroom with an ensuite bath, but the location was an hour and half from our office. The scope of the project was not large enough to validate my travel time, and the need for my team and I to be on-site at least once or twice per week. I passed on this project, but referred it to a colleague in closer proximity to the jobsite.
Have you previously worked with a design professional and if so, when was that project completed and what was that experience like?
If they have been through the design process, or a renovation, they will have more realistic expectations about the project. If they had a good experience, I am interested in learning more about that.
If they had a bad experience, it could be a red flag but sometimes it was just not a good fit.
Do you have a budget?
Everyone has a budgetary number in mind. Even if it is unrealistic. Many will ask you to help them with this and I caution giving any information that you may regret later. I might suggest you ask if they have thought about a monetary range for this project, including construction/design fees and furnishings?
Many designers work with a project minimum in an effort to attract their ideal client AND work with a caliber of clients and vendors that suit their business model.
How do you see the space being used on a daily basis?
Hearing the answer to this question will clue you in on how the client wishes to live/work/play in their new environment. Most renovations, and even a room refresh, stem from the need to shift the narrative of a space or enhance the functionality. It also allows a designer to have a clear idea of the prospect’s expectations.
Do you have children or pets?
This question is very important. So many people have made pets a part of their family and designers have creatively integrated their needs into their design concepts and solutions. Stain resistant and durable fabrics, zones for sleeping and eating, clever storage solutions for food and toys are just a few of the ways in which we program for pets.
Children are also a consideration in our design solutions and offer the opportunity to create amazing spaces for shared functionality along with private spaces where a child can grow, learn and thrive with surprise and delight!
How engaged will you plan to be in the design process and/or renovation?
I have had clients who really wish to collaborate on all phases of the project, while others want to have us come up with the concept, provide a solution and execute. This is more common with a second home or a rental property, but there are many who love what they have seen us do for others and give us carte blanche within established budget parameters. I do enjoy the client collaboration because they will be enjoying the interior we create, not our team. I prefer to have the client involved in the macro decisions and let us handle the micro/details.
While there are a myriad of other questions you might have for a prospective client, this is a great primer and an opportunity to learn a lot of them in the Discovery Call.
If you want to learn more about how we turn prospects into clients, I invite you to strategize or consult with me and I can share my best practices with you. Learn more HERE.