I can spot an interior designer that’s trying to look high end a mile away. Usually, it’s just too much…of everything. Your visual brand gets too busy really fast when you cram everything in because you’re scared you’ll miss something important. And don’t get me started on the over-the-top graphics — gradients, scrolly elements, all the script fonts, oh my. You’re losing your clients to overwhelm before they get a chance to connect with you.
On the flip side, there are some brands where their visuals are nowhere near enough. You’re trying to be minimal and fresh and just too cool to beg for clients. The trouble with being too minimal is that you can’t make an authentic connection with your ideal clients. As interior designer firms trying to attract your ideal clients, you have to find the balance between too much and too little.
The natural solution would be to have your brand design be exactly like the homes you design right? Not quite. Read more below to find out the branding secrets to attract high-end clients.
Your design aesthetic isn’t necessarily your brand style
One thing you know for sure is that your audience is attracted to the homes that you design, so it makes sense that your brand design should be exactly like that. Right?! It makes sense on the surface, but there’s a reason that doesn’t work.
Although your brand design is, of course, influenced by your design aesthetic, you need to dig a little deeper to land on a brand design that is going to form an actual bond with your audience. You need elements that communicate your common values and help them see that connection, and that can’t be done by relying solely on your aesthetic.
Honor your aesthetic by taking inspiration from it in your brand design, but know that you’re just forming the basis for everything else. Your aesthetic must be layered with elements that communicate your values and what it’s truly like to work with you. Clients hire you for more than your style, and the end result isn’t the only thing that’s important to them. You may design modern, sleek, minimalistic homes, but your process of designing that home is warm and personal. To communicate both of those ideas, your brand design will have to create a balance between those aesthetics.
Focus on your process and service experience
As I mentioned briefly above, you want to take into consideration the experience your clients are having with you throughout the design process when thinking about how you communicate your brand visually. Being able to communicate your process and service experience plays a significant role in creating a well-rounded brand that attracts the clients that you want to work with.
Your portfolio is fun and beautiful and easily shown off, but when you’re looking to attract high-end clients, they’re going to want to know more about the process. Who you are, what to expect, how you work in order to achieve the end result. A great way to do this is to create a “How We Work” guide that really gives them a sense of what the experience will be like prior to them hiring you. Making sure this document is well branded and oozing with your unique personality is essential.
Be consistent
Speaking of having the same look and feel, you should have consistency in your brand absolutely everywhere. From your visuals to your copy, you want to communicate the same message. Trust matters always. But trust matters even more when you are trying to attract high-end clients. You must have a strong brand to stand behind, and it better give an accurate portrayal of your business. Otherwise, you’ll have some explaining to do when expectations aren’t met. Showing up consistently as a brand will help you build that trust with your audience so that they know that what they see is what they get.
The same colors, elements, graphics and key phrases should be present on your social, web page, business cards, brochures, newsletters, print materials — you name it. When your materials have all different feels and looks it can cause confusion, and that is the last emotion you want potential clients to feel.
Make every brand touchpoint super clear
As a potential client navigates your social media and website, you want to guide them through a strategic journey and for that journey to be super clear and consistent. For example, they may love your Instagram feed and head over to your website. There they’re going to be guided to read about how you work with clients, then ask them to view your portfolio, and finally asked to schedule a call with you to discuss their vision for their dream home. This natural progression allows them to experience your brand in multiple places, on multiple pages, while feeling like their hand is being held. You’re giving them a preview of what working with you will look like, even if they don’t recognize that yet.
Having that “work with me” document that outlines what’s important to you and them and how you work together will help you prequalify leads and get them ready to fold into your process instead of trying to run the show themselves. It lets them know they’re taken care of and sets their expectations to a high level. Ensure you deliver on that promise!
Having an easy to navigate site with no surprises shows your client that you’re a leader. High-end clients want to know you have expertise AND the ability to lead. That you can easily hold their hand and guide them through the process. Don’t make them do any work to find what they want from you.
Simplicity is effective, so don’t try to complicate it.
Niche down in messaging/visuals
One of the best ways to attract high-end clients is to niche down. This allows you to create copy and branding that speaks directly to your audience and their pain points. When you come to your ideal client with the solution to their problem, they’re going to pay you for that solution. Clients don’t want to tell have to explain things to you — they want you to come in knowing what solutions are needed to make their lives easier.
Something to remember when focusing on high-end clients is that because they’re paying more, you don’t need to attract so many of them. You can spend extra time finessing your process and experience and making your brand reflect exactly what they need to see and then delivering on that promise.
Get personal
This is where you show off your brand personality. Your brand should give your clients a sense of who you are and what they can expect when working with you. Injecting personality into your brand allows them to connect with you on a human level. They’re already attracted to the end result of your work — if you both love sweet n sour chicken and green tea, then they’re going to feel like they know you even better.
Surprise! People work with people they like.
Having a personal brand makes it really hard to compare your firm with others because of the personal connection you have established with your client before they even fill out your contact form. It’s a sure fire way to make sure that price isn’t dictating their choice in a designer.
Be confident
Having a polished, professional brand design gives you the confidence to sell. When you’re confident that what clients are seeing from you represents the quality of what you can actually give them, you’re so much more at ease and ready for the selling process. There’s no convincing them that you’re great to work with — they already know it when they’re “walking” through your digital doorstep.
Mindset is a huge part of getting high-end clients and having a professional brand gives you the confidence to sell to and lead high-end clients.
So, Let’s Review
When you’re ready to uplevel your business to attract high-end clients there are some key elements to consider.
- Create a brand design that communicates your style and their client experience
- Provide consistency across all platforms
- Make it easy for them to navigate
- Niche down! This allows you to solve a client’s pain point before they reach out
- Create a personal element to your brand
Ticking off these boxes will allow you sell confidently and lead those high-end clients right to your virtual doorstep.
