Why Packaging Your Services Could Lead to Your Next Big Win

There’s one thing we know for sure: You are ohhh so good at what you do!

Take it from Team W&J—some of your biggest cheerleaders to date—Your experience and expertise as an interior designer are gifts worth sharing with the world.

But here’s the thing about gifts…

The way a gift is packaged matters nearly as much as the gift itself.

And that applies to the show-stopping, life-changing interior design services you’ve got to offer every client that walks through your door.

We know there are plenty of ways to run a successful design business because one-size-fits-all solutions are rarely as effective as they claim to be. But if you feel stuck, overwhelmed, and NEED to make a change, you’re in the right place.

One way to alleviate the growing pains that come with expanding your business is to be intentional and strategic in how you package your services.

Maybe you’re all about custom work and never gave packaging your interior design services a second thought. If that’s the case, we’re here to spill the tea on what you’ve been missing out on and how your business can benefit from shifting your approach to new projects.

Here’s the low down!

The Perks of Packaging Your Interior Design Services

In the interior design world, we’re aware that pretty much every project that comes your way requires some level of customization. We don’t have to spell it out for you. Every space, its purpose, and its function is unique—which is what makes staying on top of your plans, timelines, and deliverables tricky.

To keep your clients happy and to prevent as many hiccups as possible, you should package your services in a way that aligns with your design process and pricing. 

The perks of packaging your services include more structure and more standardization, which in turn allows you to take on more work and make more money.

Even if each space is completely different from the others you’ve worked on, your approach to projects can be broken down into an organized and predictable process.

For example, your packages can include a set number of meetings, revisions, and deliverables so you know *exactly* how much time to dedicate to each client. Anything beyond what’s included in a particular project can be at an extra fee.

By framing your services this way upfront, you ensure that there’s little wiggle room for miscommunication in regards to what your clients will receive and when. The cherry on top is that standardizing your packages gives you more control over your calendar because you’ll know your next step at every point in the process and can better predict how much is left to do for each client on your roster.

If you’re treading water and on the brink of burnout, this is could be your ticket out of the trenches!

But now that we’ve covered why you should package your services, what sort of packages should you consider offering?

3 Clients Stages to Target

When it comes to packaging your services, strategy and intent makes ALL the difference.

Every package should be purposefully crafted and suited to the way you like to work. However, they should cater to the needs of your clients as a top priority so you get the results you want.

Not sure how to hit both these marks?

The first thing to consider is how you can target your dream client at 3 different stages in their life. 

This is what we mean: Not every client that comes to you will have the resources to invest in your full service offer. That means there is potential to lose out on a dream project down the road because their needs and your offerings aren’t in alignment with one another right now.

Or, you may want to add an entry-level option to your design menu so anyone who needs a more time to feel comfortable in a full scope investment has a way to test the waters.

Though there are SO many options available to you, here is an example of a 3 tiered system you can follow:

1. Entry Offer – Consultation: Maybe your client doesn’t need the whole she-bang. Maybe they’d rather pick your brain about designs they’ve already got in the works. In that case, consulting services are THE way to go for those that would like your input but don’t need the full scope of services in your arsenal. If you prefer to meet with clients and collaborate without getting bogged down by project management, this sort of offer will be right up your alley! You can offer blocks of work hours that clients can use within a given amount of time rather than a standard full service option.
   
2. Intermediate Offer – Designer for a Day: If your client has a smaller space to work with or a simple project they want to knock out quickly, offering a Designer for a Day option is one way to make more cash without taking up too much more of your precious time. You can scope out their space, put together a mood board, sketch some design options, and maybe even source the foundational furniture pieces they need to make their space come alive. The best part is that ordering products and installing ‘em is on them, not you! See? Meeting in the middle can be a good thing.
   
3. Signature Offer – Full Service: This, of course, is what you are probably already offering and is your time to shine! For the clients that want it ALL, you can offer an all-out option where you handle everything from ideation, to project management, to product sourcing, to installation, and beyond, and though everything else will be personalized, your process will remain consistent from one client to the next. Price yourself accordingly, maintain a clear outline of deliverables, number your client meetings, and limit your rounds of revisions to keep everything in line for the bigger (A.K.A. higher paying) client projects like these.

Trust us, when you take the time to put together THE perfect packages for you and the people you *want* to work with—at whatever stage of life they may be in—work will become steadier in time and dream clients are less likely to be in short supply again.

For instance, your dream client may first consult with you for their new city apartment, then hire you for a VIP day for a nursery, then buy their dream home in the suburbs and finally pull the trigger on that full-service gig.

Clients will be more likely to go for round 2 or 3 if they have an existing relationship with you, so walking with them through every stage of their design journey WILL pay off in the long run. So don’t skip out on this part of your business strategy. You’ve got SO much to gain if you go the extra mile in this area.

How Willow & Jax Can Help

Setting up business systems for interior designers is our bread and butter, and crafting the kinds of packages that meet your unique goals is included in that.

Our clients come to us for help with standardizing their processes, structuring their systems, and packaging their interior design services accordingly so they can do more with less (i.e. less brain power, less time, and less effort.)

Book a free intro call with us here and we can start brainstorming all the ways we can streamline and level up your interior design business.

And hurry! We’re already waiting for you.