No judgment. I used to do them wrong too. 😬

I would get on a discovery call or go to an initial consult, ask a few basic questions, get a pretty good sense of the project scope, toss out a few smart design ideas, write a thoughtful design agreement, and then… not get the project. 😩

Sometimes the clients were kind enough to say, “We loved meeting you, but we’ve decided to go in another direction,” other times… just crickets. 🦗 So frustrating!

For a long time, I thought the problem was that I hadn’t impressed them enough. Maybe I should have shared better ideas. I had so many thoughts on how I could solve their problems…

But really, the problem wasn’t that I hadn’t given them enough answers.

The problem was that I hadn’t asked enough of the right questions.

Your initial consult is not a free design session

One of the biggest mistakes interior designers make during discovery calls and initial consults is trying to prove their value by giving away design solutions, and I get it. You want them to see how smart you are. You want them to feel excited. You want them to know you have ideas. And, let’s be honest, giving design advice is the fun part.

Here’s the problem: When you spend the first conversation solving, you’re not asking the questions you need to ask to decide whether this project is a good fit, how to price it, how to guide it, and… what might blow it up later. 💣

Discovery calls and initial consults should help you answer questions like:

• Is this client ready to hire a designer?
• Do they understand what kind of help they need?
• Do their expectations match my process?
• Does their budget match their goals?
• Are there decision-makers I haven’t met yet?
• What emotional, logistical, or timing issues could affect the project?
• Can I actually help them in a way that will be profitable, professional, and sane?

That last one matters because “nice person with a problem” is not an effective project qualification standard.

The goal is not to impress them. The goal is to understand them.

A great discovery call should make a potential client feel heard, understood, and clearly guided because you asked thoughtful questions that helped them understand their own project better.

When a homeowner reaches out to an interior designer, they are trying to solve a problem. Sometimes the problem is practical:

• Their kitchen layout doesn’t work. Their bathroom is falling apart. Their furnishings feel random. Their contractor needs decisions yesterday.

Sometimes the problem is emotional:

• They are embarrassed to have people over. They are overwhelmed by choices. They are afraid of making expensive mistakes. They want the house to finally feel like them, but they have no idea how to get there.

And sometimes the problem is relational:

• Two partners disagree. A contractor is pushing them. Their mother-in-law has opinions. A previous designer experience left them cautious. Everyone is pretending this is about tile, but it is absolutely not just about tile.

If you rush into solutions, you may miss all of that. And that’s where projects get messy before they’ve even begun.

Ask better interior design consult questions

Of course you need to ask about scope, timeline, budget, and location (see my 10 Essential Questions here), but those are only the basics. Better questions help you understand the client’s readiness, expectations, decision-making style, and possible obstacles.

Here are a few examples:

What made you reach out now?

This tells you what finally pushed them from “someday” to “help me now.”

Maybe they’re hosting family in six months. Maybe they just bought the house. Maybe they are tired of fighting with their spouse about the kitchen. Maybe they tried to do it themselves and have officially reached the “I have 74 sofa tabs open and now I hate furniture” phase.

That answer helps you determine if they have a realistic timeline, if you have the capacity to help them, and if you need to source things that are in stock.

What have you already tried?

This helps you understand how much effort, confusion, or frustration they are bringing into the project.

Have they met with three contractors? Bought and returned six rugs? Worked with a designer before? Spent two years pinning inspiration images but made zero decisions?

That tells you what kind of guidance they need, and gives you clues into how good they are at making decisions.

What are you hoping a designer will take off your plate?

This is huge. Do they want:

• Creative direction?
• Project leadership?
• Purchasing help?
• Someone to narrow options?
• For you to make every decision while they remain emotionally unavailable until install day? 😂

The more clearly you understand what they expect from you, the more clearly you can explain what you actually do.

How do you usually make decisions?

People are more self-aware about their decision-making habits than you might think, but few designers actually ask this question.

• Do they decide quickly?
• Do they need time to process?
• Do they need to see every option?
• Do they defer to a partner?
• Do they get excited in the meeting and then spiral three days later?

These are not character flaws. It is information about how to structure the project and whether you should take it on based on your design process.

Who else needs to be involved?

If there is another decision-maker, you need to know.

Not after you’ve had a fabulous consult, written a proposal, and then hear, “I just need to show this to my husband, who you have never met, who hates spending money, loves gray vinyl plank flooring, and thinks designers are for celebrities.”

Ask early.

What would make this project feel successful?

This question gets beyond “beautiful.”

• For one client, success might mean a kitchen that finally works for their family.
• For another, it might mean fewer decisions.
• For another, it might mean staying on budget.
• For another, it might mean feeling proud to invite people over again.

The design matters. Of course it does. But the experience matters too.

What are you worried about?

Please ask this. Clients do not always tell you their fears unless you make room for them.

They may be worried about money. Or timing. Or making the wrong choice. Or being judged. Or being talked into something too trendy. Or working with a designer who ignores them. Or working with a designer who expects them to know the difference between parchment, ivory, cream, bone, and “warm whisper.”

When you know what they’re worried about, you can speak to it directly and ease their fears by helping them understand what parts of your communication style, design process, and deliverables will meet their needs.

If you love giving advice, make it a paid service

Now, does this mean you should never offer in-the-moment design advice? No.

If you love helping people untangle a room, choose paint colors, review floor plans, or make quick decisions, great! Create a paid consult service for that.

Just stop accidentally giving away free design advice inside a call or consult meeting that is supposed to help you qualify the project.

A better consult leads to a better project

When you ask better questions, three important things happen.

• First, the client feels heard. That builds trust.
• Second, you get better information. That helps you scope and price the project.
• Third, you begin training the client on how you work. <– That is a big deal!

Your client experience starts before they sign the agreement. If your first conversation is clear, calm, thoughtful, and professionally led, you are already showing them what it will feel like to work with you. 💪 If your first conversation is chaotic, overly helpful, underpriced, or full of free ideas, you are also showing them what it will feel like to work with you. 😬

What to do on your next intial client meeting

On your next discovery call or initial consult, you have permission to spend less time proving yourself and more time understanding the client. Ask:

• What they want.
• What they’ve tried.
• What’s standing in the way.
• What they’re worried about.
• Who else is involved.
• What a successful process would feel like.

Then listen carefully.

The goal is not to leave the client thinking, “Wow, she had a lot of ideas.”

The goal is to leave them thinking, “Wow, she really understood what we need — and I trust her to lead us.”

Want better clients from the first conversation?

Powerful discovery calls and initial consults shouldn’t leave time to offer solutions. If your discovery calls are turning into free advice sessions, unclear proposals, or projects that start with excitement but quickly turn into emotional rollercoasters, your onboarding probably needs tightening.

Take my free What To Fix Next? business diagnostic quiz to find out whether your biggest opportunity is your marketing, your client onboarding, or the way you guide client decisions.

Because what happens during the sales process affects what happens during the project.

Taking the lead from the first conversation will help make sure your project ends with a champagne pop, not a sad fizzle.

You’ve got this. 💛 Rebecca