Learned It From Experience: L.I.F.E. Lesson #11
I designed a beautiful wood accent wall for a client’s dining room. I don’t always personally love the designs I create, even if I know they are perfect for the client and their space. This one though was gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to show the client.
I presented the design. I could tell right off the bat she wasn’t sold. She has all sorts of questions and excuses.
“What if I don’t like it up?”
“What if it looks weird?”
“I am not sure that is a style I like.”
“Do you think it looks good?”
“That is probably very expensive.”
So, how do we handle client objections to design?
First, which would seem obvious but isn’t always, is to not take it personally. Clients are afraid of change. It has nothing to do with you. As their designer, you can remind them that they hired you to guide them through the change. It is literally your job to help them push the envelope. The designer-client relationship has to be built on trust. You need to have this discussion with your client. That they need to trust you, that you wouldn’t do anything that wouldn’t ultimately look fabulous in their home or that wasn’t the right element for them.
I find taking on one objection at a time helps. Listen to their concerns and hear them. As a designer, you are also a counselor, and working them through the objections will go far in having them love the end result as much as you know they will.
Do not steamroll their feelings about the project. Ultimately, you know what is best for the design in the home, BUT they are the ones who have to live with it.
I find that almost 100% of the time all turns out well. If you don’t work through the objections though, it almost certainly will not.
With the client above, she ended up LOVING her accent wall and was thankful to me that I pushed her outside her comfort zone to do it. With this particular client, I knew this was right for her but you will have to read your own clients and as you know they are all different.
Ultimately, if you build the design relationship on trust, handling client objections will be easy to work through.
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