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Sales is NOT a Dirty Word - The Lesson Interior Designers Should Have Learned in Design School

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!!! Odds are that you’re chowing down on turkey, hugging family and watching football instead of listening to any business podcasts today…I’m so jealous :)

For the rest of us, we’ve got 3 exceptional podcasts to share today.

Today’s collection comes from some of my favorite hosts Jason Lockhart, Mirjam Lippuner, Maria Martin, Kate Bendewald and Rebecca Hay.

Today’s sole podcast guest is Duane Becker - founder of SaPré Training, a leading provider of sales and presentation training tailored specifically for Kitchen and Bath professionals. Duane is a great guest and brings full value to the discussion in today’s Designer Discussions episode.

So much good advice for improving your interior design business.

  • Designer Discussions - Jason Lockhart, Mirjam Lippuner, Maria Martin - Boosting Client Services and Sales in Interior Design - 33 min

  • Designer’s Oasis - Kate Bendewald - Gratitude in Business - The Ripple Effect - 24 min

  • Resilient by Design - Rebecca Hay - Pricing your design services with confidence - 35 min


Designer Discussions - Jason Lockhart, Mirjam Lippuner, Maria Martin - Boosting Client Services and Sales in Interior Design - 33 min

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In this episode, hosts Jason Lockhart, Mirjam Lippuner and Maria Martin dive back into the world of sales and discover the unexpected value it holds for interior designers, with insights from return guest Duane Becker.

They're unpacking the entire sales process, from the initial client contact to the final farewell, and revealing the pivotal role of a well-versed salesperson. They are not just selling a product or service, they are problem solvers, solution providers and concept introducers. We'll illuminate how to enhance your client's experience and streamline your process with scheduled appointments and structured interaction. 

They're also putting under the spotlight the importance of effective follow-up strategies and stellar customer service. We'll discuss how to master the art of discussing budget constraints, the essence of providing reasons for follow-ups and how to effortlessly talk money. They discuss how to intertwine customer service and sales, and offer unexpected value to your clients. Duane also recommends some enlightening books that can help you imbibe and implement these ideas.


Designer’s Oasis - Kate Bendewald - Gratitude in Business - The Ripple Effect - 24 min

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With today being American Thanksgiving, there are a ton of podcasts speaking to gratitude…which is a great thing. However, as we focus exclusively on business education here at Interior DesignHer, I’m only recommending Kate Bendewald’s podcast as she was the only one to illustrate how gratitude can/should be part of your business model. Here’s what Kate has to say:

When you share gratitude openly with others, it starts to have a ripple effect and it can help you to feel good too, even when there are uncertain times (and there are many!) Gratitude is this amazing, free thing you have available to you at any time, all the time, no matter what. In today's episode, I share the power of gratitude in business and how it can help to create a sense of belonging and connection to our work and to the other contributors to our business(es).

Here’s a glance at this episode…

  • Kate emphasizes the importance of showing gratitude to all contributors in a business, from clients to vendors, to create a virtuous cycle of gratitude.

  • Kate shares how to put into practice finding gratitude in everyday experiences

  • Kate discusses gratitude's impact on mental well-being and resilience through the infinite nature of both love and gratitude.


Resilient by Design - Rebecca Hay - Pricing your design services with confidence - 35 min

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In today’s episode, host Rebecca Hay shares the top 3 areas to focus on when creating your pricing model along with a few examples and dive into ways you can communicate pricing with clients and open up about some of the mistakes she made early on in my business so you can learn from them.

Finally, Rebecca shares some scripts to help you face client objections head-on and what you can expect from her (shameless plug:) Pricing with Confidence Course.


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