Laura Michaels: How to Talk Budget with your Interior Design Clients

Episode 372 of A Well-Designed Business®

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372: Laura Michaels: How to Talk Budget with your Interior Design Clients

Welcome to today’s episode! We know that you’re really going to love it! We have Laura Michaels with us today and she is an experienced and insightful designer who knows how to tell it like it is. On the show, we have a very straightforward conversation with her about talking budget with clients. Laura is very confident in her process and in the service she offers, and she really knows how to hold her ground in these conversations. Listen in today, become inspired, and learn from Laura’s expertise, and her really confident way of dealing with clients.

Laura Michaels Design is a full-service design firm specializing in residential and commercial interiors out of Greenwich CT. Having started her career as a fashion designer, Laura Michaels is no stranger to developing complete collections filled with layers of textures, patterns, and colors. Laura thrives on the challenge of finding the perfect combination of textiles and other materials, then integrating them in unique and unexpected ways. Laura spends much of her time sourcing fabric, carpet, lighting and more…from all over the world and prides herself on her thorough knowledge of the market. Laura is also proud of her ability to source the “right” item at the ”right” price. If cost, size or availability become an issue, her design skills allow her to create the perfect piece in one of her many custom factories. Her extensive knowledge of the market makes the design process quick and easy, but never routine. Her artistic vision transforms the space into warm and inviting interiors and it is Laura’s goal to provide a warm, inviting environment that is enjoyed by her homeowners and will last the test of time. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

Developing the skill set to really understand your ideal client.
Some red flags to look out for with a client.
The kind of client that Laura works with.
Looking at a potential client’s expectations before their budget.
There are millions of different supplier websites for all budgets.
Laura’s way of dealing with clients who are not clear about their budget.
Managing your client’s expectations.
Laura loves the challenge of fulfilling a client’s expectations on a limited budget.
Things that people don’t understand about hiring an interior designer.
Hiring a designer can really be price effective.
Establishing the ground rules around the budget upfront.
Laura’s way of obtaining art for her clients.
Having the budget conversation with clients.
Referrals are really important.
You need to be confident and know your value to avoid being taken advantage of.