How to Communicate With Clients During the Pandemic
A US design coach suggests encouraging remote meetings and keeping clients regularly up-to-date with a project's status
Beth Whitlinger
23 March 2020
Beth lives in south Orange County with two teenagers and two rescue dogs. Her house is always under construction.
Beth lives in south Orange County with two teenagers and two rescue dogs. Her house... More
With the coronavirus front and centre in the news, we are living in an unprecedented times. It’s understandable that you and your clients may feel anxious. Now is the time to take proactive steps to ensure your business keeps flowing and your lines of communication stay open – here’s how.
Show concern and acknowledge the rapidly changing situation
One of the most important steps you can take during this time is to show concern for your clients and their health. You might consider sending an email to your clients as well as to the leads in your pipeline, letting them know that you’re monitoring the local public health situation, and expressing concern for their health and that of their families.
Every community right now is facing differing messaging from local public health agencies, so stay up-to-date with and acknowledge what is happening in your own community. People may have their children at home. People may feel stressed. Keep your message calm and reassuring.
One of the most important steps you can take during this time is to show concern for your clients and their health. You might consider sending an email to your clients as well as to the leads in your pipeline, letting them know that you’re monitoring the local public health situation, and expressing concern for their health and that of their families.
Every community right now is facing differing messaging from local public health agencies, so stay up-to-date with and acknowledge what is happening in your own community. People may have their children at home. People may feel stressed. Keep your message calm and reassuring.
This would also be a good time to let your clients know of any changes you might be making to your normal business procedures, such as encouraging remote meetings. If things are mostly business as usual, tell them about any practices you’re implementing to keep people safe during project installations, including your clients, staff, trades, sub-contractors and the wider community.
Encourage your clients to communicate remotely
Government agencies have suggested limiting social contact – the trending term is ‘social distancing’. This means limiting contact with other people and, when you simply must interact with others, keeping a distance between you of at least 1.5 metres.
Regardless of whether your client wants to meet up, you may not want to meet with them. I have been initiating conversations with clients via telephone and email to let them know that out of concern and respect for the safety and wellbeing of everyone, we are encouraging electronic communication methods for as much business as possible.
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Government agencies have suggested limiting social contact – the trending term is ‘social distancing’. This means limiting contact with other people and, when you simply must interact with others, keeping a distance between you of at least 1.5 metres.
Regardless of whether your client wants to meet up, you may not want to meet with them. I have been initiating conversations with clients via telephone and email to let them know that out of concern and respect for the safety and wellbeing of everyone, we are encouraging electronic communication methods for as much business as possible.
Where Our Renovation Money Is Going… and Why
Fortunately, being able to communicate electronically has already become the norm. Sharing ideabooks on Houzz is the perfect way to kick off a project remotely. Business management software makes it easy for clients to review your selections and approve or decline individual pieces.
You can also use Houzz Pro business management software to share a 3D floor plan or Mood Board with your clients remotely. Client dashboards in these types of software make payment of invoices or deposit requests super simple. With these electronic means, your clients can review their projects 24/7.
Project drawings can be reviewed using Adobe PDF files and let clients add comments and make mark-ups. For reviewing plans, I like to have the client on the phone or use a screen-sharing platform as many clients do not fully understand how to read a plan. I also suggest having your staff members listen in via conference calls or screen sharing so no detail is missed – just make sure everyone on the phone or video call is aware of other people’s presence first.
You can also use Houzz Pro business management software to share a 3D floor plan or Mood Board with your clients remotely. Client dashboards in these types of software make payment of invoices or deposit requests super simple. With these electronic means, your clients can review their projects 24/7.
Project drawings can be reviewed using Adobe PDF files and let clients add comments and make mark-ups. For reviewing plans, I like to have the client on the phone or use a screen-sharing platform as many clients do not fully understand how to read a plan. I also suggest having your staff members listen in via conference calls or screen sharing so no detail is missed – just make sure everyone on the phone or video call is aware of other people’s presence first.
Fabric selections are tricky. If you’re like me, you want to touch and feel when choosing and to encourage your clients to do the same. Often at the beginning of a project, we present a myriad of fabrics to get a better feel for what the client likes. I need to see their reaction to certain fabrics to gauge their interest and emotional response. This is impossible to do without seeing the client’s face.
What we have done successfully in the past – in our case, for remote clients – is to send the clients a fabric selection packet labelled with our own personalised codes and arrange an online meeting to review it. Now is a good time to extend this practice even to local clients – again, for social distancing.
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What we have done successfully in the past – in our case, for remote clients – is to send the clients a fabric selection packet labelled with our own personalised codes and arrange an online meeting to review it. Now is a good time to extend this practice even to local clients – again, for social distancing.
New Design, Materials and Colour Trends From Maison & Objet 2020
Obviously for things that are best done in person, such as taking measurements on-site and making fabric decisions, you’ll have to choose whether to brave the in-person meeting – which may not be in people’s best interests – or to delay the work. I recognise that this can be a difficult choice involving sacrifice and financial hardship.
If you do meet clients in person, ensure you’re taking proper precautions
If you can and do decide to meet with a client, I’d caution you against shaking anyone’s hands. Consider making hand-washing part of the appointment, which can help reassure your clients that you are keeping their health top of mind and build trust.
If meeting at your office, you can place beautiful single-use hand towels and a lit candle in the office restroom to make the process more enjoyable. If you’re at their home, wash your hands upon arrival and again before you leave.
2020 Fair Report: Timber, Craftsmanship and Fun With LEDs
If you can and do decide to meet with a client, I’d caution you against shaking anyone’s hands. Consider making hand-washing part of the appointment, which can help reassure your clients that you are keeping their health top of mind and build trust.
If meeting at your office, you can place beautiful single-use hand towels and a lit candle in the office restroom to make the process more enjoyable. If you’re at their home, wash your hands upon arrival and again before you leave.
2020 Fair Report: Timber, Craftsmanship and Fun With LEDs
Communicate remotely with other professionals as much as possible
Now is the time to work apart from other people as much as we can. For design professionals, it’s great news that design management software platforms allow multiple users to access data remotely so staff and teams can work concurrently on projects.
Now is the time to work apart from other people as much as we can. For design professionals, it’s great news that design management software platforms allow multiple users to access data remotely so staff and teams can work concurrently on projects.
These platforms show a log of who has worked on each item and when, so you can be sure you are accessing the latest information. If you are working with an architect, consider attaching their drawing to yours as an AutoCAD Xref so that any changes they make and either upload or send to you will update your drawing without affecting your own work.
Project meetings with builders or sub-contractors can often be conducted remotely as well in real time with applications such as Skype or Zoom. It’s easy to ask them to pan up so you can see a ceiling detail, or pull a tape on an area that needs attention.
Send specifications via email and update as any changes are made. Make sure you send revised drawings that correlate with any spec updates.
Project meetings with builders or sub-contractors can often be conducted remotely as well in real time with applications such as Skype or Zoom. It’s easy to ask them to pan up so you can see a ceiling detail, or pull a tape on an area that needs attention.
Send specifications via email and update as any changes are made. Make sure you send revised drawings that correlate with any spec updates.
Most importantly, stay safe and remember that we all need social contact during this time. Keep in touch with your loved ones through FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and all our other wonderful online communication tools.
Your turn
How are you communicating with your clients at the moment? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Is your home office up to scratch? Here are 7 Things to Consider if You Find Yourself Working From Home
Your turn
How are you communicating with your clients at the moment? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Is your home office up to scratch? Here are 7 Things to Consider if You Find Yourself Working From Home
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I'm hastily rearranging meetings with Microsoft Teams with screen share so I can still walk clients through the 3D model. Not fully sure what to do about new job leads and meetings that I have booked in yet that I need to attend, may have to do meetings at distance.
Zoom meetings have been an absolute life saver, our clients love it as well our trades. With receiving samples, we have been utilizing MATERIAL BANK. Stay safe and healthy out there.
Hi Beth, it’s great that, via the internet, it is indeed possible to do a lot remotely. The selection of fabrics will always be “tricky” as it’s so important to cater to the way clients make decisions - visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Joy