Have you ever spent an hour with a client on an “initial consultation” and then not get hired you because they just took your ideas and ran with them on their own? It is SO frustrating! 

That used to happen to me, but I figured how to fix it. Now – I may have 99 problems, but that ain’t one. 😉 Let me tell you what I did!

I used to share lots of design ideas with new clients during an initial consultation. I kind of felt like I had to “prove” I knew what I was talking about by offering on-the-spot solutions.

The problem? Some of my clients would then go on to implement those ideas on their own, leaving me with zero income for my expertise, and no relationship with the client. Argh!

I could have solved part of the problem by charging for my initial consults, but I like to keep those complimentary. (Yes, I know this is debated a lot in the design community. Personally I *like* having complimentary consults because I then feel free to say yes or no to the project without feeling guilty for taking my client’s money.)

So rather than charge for my initial consults, I realized I needed to have two distinct services. Now, not only do I get paid for my knowledge, I get a quarter of all my company revenue from on-demand consultations! 

Could on-demand consults work for you? 

Why not?! But don’t just copy my system – you have to figure out a consult structure that fits *your* personality, process, and service structure.

To develop a successful two-service system, you’ll need to: 

1) Get clear. What are you willing to offer in an on-demand session? What are you (and aren’t you) able to accomplish in a single session? If *you* can’t articulate the difference between a full-project design consult, and a pick-your-brain session, then you’ll still have a mess on your hands.

2) Pick a name. Choose service names that help distinguish your two services. Our “Initial Consult” is very different from our “Quick Action Session,” Clear naming helps client pick the right fit and avoid book the “wrong” service – frustrating us both.

3) Get paid. Determine how (and when) you’ll get paid for that quick professional advice, and how much to charge. Want to be like me? Get paid *upfront* for your on-demand service. Paying for the session ahead of time reduces the likelihood of cancelations, and means that once we show up to the client’s home, all we have to do is have fun!

4) Guide the client. Learn to identify clients who are ready for a big project, and separate them from clients who just need quick professional advice. Sometimes the client won’t know which service to pick, so you’ll have to get good at sleuthing that out with smart questions. But good website copy should do most of that work for you.

5) Be disciplined. Develop the discipline and professional self-confidence to give design solutions in your on-demand service and *not* during initial consults. Your pre-full-service consults should simply be a two-way interview, and there should be so much to go over that you shouldn’t even have time to dive into design solutions (aside from testing out simple ideas to see how receptive the client might be, or what is in scope).

So, what should you name your services so you don’t have a client book the “wrong” service?  

For your pre-project consults you can keep using the phrase “initial consultation.” It’s pretty widely used and understood. Alternatively you can use “strategy session” since it conveys pre-planning rather than insta-answers.

For your designer-on-demand service, get creative. In my company we call this service a “Quick-Action Session.” Since we’re all about efficiency and believe in getting *past the designing* and *into the enjoying*, this phrasing suits us! Here are some other ideas:

• “design doctor house call”
• “pick-my-brain service”
• “designer-on-call”
• “designer-on-demand”
• “pro power-hour”
• “insta-answers”

​Use your imagination, and align it with your brand and personality. Wondering how to you do that?

Well, in my case, I LOVE a pop quiz. I excel at coming up with on-the-spot answers. I like the intensity of getting it all done on-the-spot. I also *love* not having to do any follow-up work (since I have plenty of that to do with my full design projects). With all that in mind, “Quick Action” suits the feel of what I want my clients to expect from the session.

That said, not all the designers on my staff do Quick Action Sessions. That’s not because they don’t have the design knowledge, but because speaking off-the-cuff totally stresses them out. If that’s like you, then you need to find your own version… 

For example, if you are an introvert, or simply someone who likes to think before they speak (what??) then you might need to offer an on-demand service in two parts. For example, offer a 90-minute in-person chat, followed-up with a 1-page session compilation.

The right answer (and service) will align with your brand, personality, and experience level, so don’t just copy what I do. There is a good chance you’ll hate it, and that is the *opposite* of having a Seriously Happy design biz!

Not sure how to define your on-demand service, or make it clear to your clients what they’ll get from that on-demand service vs what to expect from a full-project initial consult? Why not set up a Quick-Fix session with me? We can strategize what that might look like for *your* company and *your* brand!
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May your business make you seriously happy! And remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

❤️ Rebecca West