The Designer's Coach

In a recent New York Times article: “The Secret Source is Out” by Kimberly Stevens, May 11th, 2006, the famous Interior Designer Mario Buatta laments:"All of a sudden everyone wants to get democratic and make everything available to the general public and open up the private world of decorating. It defeats the purpose. The reason the D&D exists is that I can go and get my clients special things that no one else is going to have." Poor Mario, his “To the Trade Only” status is gone. Design Centers are opening their doors to the public. Everyone today wants to decorate and wants access to the same products that only designer’s had. What’s a designer to do? How will we make a living?
Toward the end of the article, Paige Rense, editor in chief of Architectural Digest explains: "The field of decorating and design has changed radically in the last 20 years, people are much more sophisticated about design and architecture. It's much more difficult for designers today because people do know so much. There aren't any secrets anymore," she said, adding that it is frightening for a lot of people in the industry. She acknowledged that the most established interior designers, like couture clothing designers, still have a longstanding and loyal clientele. "They swim in a different ocean," she said. But even that ocean may be getting less exclusive. "It's a whole new world," Ms. Rense said, "and you ignore it at your own peril."What ominous words! Our purpose of being an Interior Designer is over. If we can’t sell exclusive products anymore, what are we to do? Relax, I see a silver lining to our cloudy sky. If you have ever read any of my articles from The Designer’s Coach, or attended any of my seminars you would recognize these words:”Everything we do needs to give the perception to our clients that they are buying an experience and not a collection of products”. We are not selling things. People don’t want to buy more stuff, they want experiences, and it is up to you, to find a way to provide them with one.
Being an Interior Designer is not taking the role of a “middle-man”. If that is your only purpose, you will soon be looking for a new career. The source of the products should not matter. I don’t care if the products you supply or specify comes from Target or from The Design Center in your city. If you put the emphasis on the products, you will not be developing your name and company as a “brand” and you will be selling on price and not value. When you build your business on providing an experience of creating “lifestyle entertainment”, your clients’ will understand that you are adding value through your knowledge of design. As an Interior Designer you should be making it very obvious the value that you offer. We sell design, an intangible, un-shopable service. We offer fabulous, artistic creations with our great style, our sense of proper scale, our expertise in color choices, our suggestions of textures, our practical advice on ergonomics and so on.
Your purpose is not that of a “retailer”, though you might be in a retail environment, such as a furniture store or a window treatment business. You will be engaged to assist in making the right decisions based on emotional needs. In order to tap into your clients’ emotional core takes practice and an understanding that there are many personalities and temperaments to learn. We know that there are different ways we all look at things? Everyone has a unique view of things. You are judged from your clients’ perception. This actually can be managed by trying to understand your clients’ own unique perspective on the world.
I have studied recently an interesting philosophy of personalty types, called The Four Temperaments. This is an ancient way of looking at personalities and it was originally explained by the “father of medical science”: Hippocrates. The four types were based on the predominant bodily fluids, that’s why we have these four funny names: Choleric: Yellow bile from the liver. Sanguine: Blood from the heart. Melancholic: Black bile from the kidneys. Phlegmatic: Phlegm from the lungs. In our quest to reduce the emotional distance between us and our clients, I think understanding these four personality types can help take a measure of someone’s temperament. Of course, you may have combinations of types, but if you can get some assistance in understanding the way another person views the world, it can help you in your team building and sales approach. Here are The Four Temperaments:
The Choleric
The Choleric, she is a self-motivated leader. She is someone who can be strong willed, and make quick decisions and relentlessly pursues her goals. Decorating decisions are not something to agonize over. She can be a great client, because she decides fast, but she will turn on you if she doesn’t like the final results. “It’s your fault, you’re the designer, why did you let me select this?” No one can stand in her way. This person typical is logical and practical and doesn’t reveal emotions easily, unless it is anger. They can be at times, stubborn and bossy, and demand loyalty from those who are involved with them. However, if pleased, she will tell the world that you are great!
The Melancholic
The Melancholic likes her time to be quiet and reflective. She likes her home to beautifully decorated and organized. You can usually tell a Melancholic by looking into their closets and seeing how perfect everything is. The Melancholic tends to be very critical and pessimistic, however, if you can please them, they will become extremely loyal and your greatest advocate.
The Phlegmatic
The Phlegmatic can be easy going and is usually likeable. She is someone who is dependable, polite, and even-tempered. This person is not flashy and her decorating decisions are usually informal, she likes a comfortable, easy to live in home. She can be un- opinionated, and this is difficult in making decorating decisions. She will have to be led to choices. If she is unhappy, you might not know it, because, she is not likely to complain about anything. She doesn’t like to stir up a conflict. You will have to push her to complain.
The Sanguine
The Sanguine, is typically the life of the party. She like social activities and has lots of friends. She is creative and imaginative, and loves to decorate. To her, Decorating is Entertainment! Since she is very spontaneous, and will make quick decisions, you need to slow her down at times. The Sanguine can also become easily distracted, and hard to get to focus. She might get angered quickly but she is quick to forgive and forget.
Being a “talented” designer is important, but also having critical “people skills” is equally necessary. How would you use your knowledge of these unique personality types or temperaments to your advantage? What would be the best way to deal with Choleric or a Melancholic? To learn more, send me an email, and I will send you a report on some helpful ways to deal with The Four Temperaments: neil@thedesignerscoach.com
To conclude, yes, “To the Trade” may be dead, but that doesn’t mean you are. Look for a way to position yourself as someone whose service is totally unique. As I mentioned many times before, find your niche, tell your story, connect with emotion and build a career.