Finding the perfect potential clients can be a time consuming job - but it is CRITICAL to your future success, and it's something you should be doing all the time. Networking, marketing, and a lot of outreach can pull in some great possible clients, but then what?? It's almost like a dating process, where you need to WOO those potential matches, right?! You want to razzle dazzle them with your creativity and your professionalism, and help them understand that you are the right designer for their job. So here are my 5 best tips for wooing those potential clients!

1. Revisit Your Website

The very first place that the wooing starts is on your website! Even if a client hears glowing reports from friends and family about you, they are going to go to your website to see if you are a match for what they want and need. You need to have the most stunning photography, and to use the photos that really represent the type of clients you want to attract! But that's not all!! The copy on your website needs to use words that attract your target client, that say what they WANT to hear! Review your website and be absolutely sure that your site really represents what you bring to the table.

2. Target Client

So I mentioned your target client - do you know WHO that is??? Maybe you prefer working with professional couples, like doctors and lawyers. The kind of people who want you to save them time and take care of every detail. Or maybe your target client is a divorced dad who needs a stunning home but doesn't want to be bothered with details. You have to KNOW your target client really really well in order to understand the language and information that will attract those targets to you and your business!

3. Be Prepared

So now you have that potential client on the hook - YAY!!! Once you're ready to meet with them, the most critical thing you can do is be prepared. You want to show up as professionally as possible, ready to anticipate their every question! Offering them a packet of information that spells out your process and how your company works is a GREAT idea! You also want to bring a small gift - remember that this is about WOOING. It could be a candle, or even a small basket of dog treats if you know they have a four-legged family member. You want to already have done some homework so you know the right questions to ask AND the information that they will want from you!

4. Listen

Do you know what the most flattering thing is that you can do in a meeting? LISTEN. So even thought you're probably SUPER eager to tell them ALLLLL about you, you want to listen to them. After all, this project is about THEM - their home, their family, what they need, what they dream about. People love to have someone listen to them, fully and completely. PLUS - it's going to make you better at your job if you take in everything that they tell you about their project.

5. Follow Up

Once you've had that initial meeting, be sure to follow up. Show them that you listened and that you're ready to deliver exactly what they want. Give them any information that they asked for, and be PROMPT with your response! Waiting too long to follow up can make it look like you don't really want the job, or that you're too busy to take it on! 

To help you win over potential clients, be sure to download my FREE Guide for Meeting with Potential Clients. It will help you create a process for your design business that will make sure you give the BEST first impression!