As an architect or a building designer you’ve no doubt faced this in your career.

A potential client reaches out saying they love your work and have been following you for ages. You have an initial consult to get an idea of their project and in your mind you think “yep, this is awesome this will be a great project and they’ll be a great client. They get it” Only to spend time creating a brief document, an initial design concept and project quote only to hear that dreaded sentence…. “That much? For plans? I know I drafty who can knock it up for less than half that!”

A little piece of your creative heart breaks as you know that to get this across the line you either have to pull the project apart and start cutting things out (which is usually the very soul of the design and the things that change it from a house to a home), or…. you lower your fee in order to get the work. Again, leaving you a bit deflated because you know that potential client doesn’t fully understand the design process and the amount of work involved that goes far beyond some drawings and floor plans, leaving you not being able to sell yourself with confidence about the unique value that you bring to the table.

After all, with so much talent and so many amazing architects & designers who are all more than capable of creating a beautiful space, creating an emotional connection and peace of mind with a potential client can be challenging.

The design process for your client isn’t just a personal one, it’s a process they likely started in their head years before they decided to reach out to someone to find who the best person is to bring their vision to life. Choosing the right Architect or Designer is often a more daunting task than choosing the right design.

So how do you as the architect build trust early, create clarity in their mind and connect with them where talking to others and comparing prices isn’t even considered?

Here’s how. You take them on the journey with you and you don’t just “show them the work” or “let the work speak for itself”. You tell the story of your own project, in your own words.

I’ve been using the model below for the past few years with builders and it’s seen some amazing results. Now I’m adapting it to suit architects and designers.

Here’s why it works.

• It’s authentic

• It builds trust and gives clarity

• It’s emotionally engaging

• It’s repeatable

• It gives you your time back so you’re not playing the role of designer & marketing expert/content creator and you can focus on what you do best

• You get peace of mind knowing that from concept, to completion that everything you need for your socials & website is taken care of

• You know exactly what you’re spending in marketing before the project even starts so you can budget accordingly and keep a healthy cashflow

• Bonus tip. Builders who’ve been doing this with me for a few years even build this cost into their quote so their project is essentially paying for itself when it comes to marketing and media.

So if you’re ready to do things a little bit different, do what most others aren’t doing and convert more clients while charging what you’re worth then I’d love to have a chat and see if it makes sense to work together.