How to use a brand or website design consultation to better qualify clients

When I hear talented designers tell me they struggle with extended timelines, clients unprepared with their copy or imagery, endless refinement rounds, or clients constantly pushing boundaries I will ask them about their consultation call process.

When they tell me they avoid consultation calls or stick to 20-minute ones, I instantly understand why they keep facing the same struggles.

Of course, the process of client qualification begins well before a consultation call is scheduled, and you can explore more about that right here. However, it’s crucial to recognise that not every client responsible for these familiar challenges should be labelled as a “poor fit.”

I know you don’t pass the blame intentionally. But I invite you to take an honest look at your past experiences. Can you see how your practices may have inadvertently encouraged them to become more demanding clients? I’ll readily admit that I have been to blame for some of the more difficult projects.

So, once your positioning, messaging, packages, and pricing have played their part in filtering out clients who may not fully align with your style or services, the responsibility transitions to you to further refine this vetting process during your consultation call. But let me be clear; a consultation call serves a bigger purpose than mere client qualification.

It has three primary objectives:

1. Affirm the client’s suitability.
2. Establish the project’s scope
3. Align expectations, explain your process and set boundaries.

A comprehensive consultation call can set the stage for a smooth project, while a suboptimal one (or none at all) is likely to turn the project into an unnecessary challenge.

What happens when you don’t do a thorough consultation call?

A consultation call is not just a business interaction based on extracting the information that you need as the business owner; it’s the beginning of a relationship. To me, it’s a cornerstone of a successful design studio that clients will trust and return to for their design needs. Let’s delve deeper into why a thorough consultation call is so important:

Transactional relationship vs collaboration: Being seen as a designer who is merely a deliverable creator is a common issue. One that I’ve touched upon extensively in my blog on How to solve bigger problems for your clients as a designer. In short; your positioning and messaging will do a lot of the heavy lifting in attracting the right clients, but it’s equally important to carry this forward in your consultation call. When you neglect this, instead of launching a project as a partnership, you might find yourself in a transactional relationship instead of a collaboration.

Building trust: The preceding point naturally leads to the matter of trust. Skipping the consultation phase can impact the development of trust. Clients may feel unheard, undervalued, or perceive a lack of wholehearted commitment from you to their project.

Incorrect project pricing: I’ve heard statements like, “The client already wants to work with me, so I don’t need a lengthy call.” That’s great if that’s the case, but you still need to craft a proposal. When you don’t use a consultation call to get a clear project scope, there is a large chance you’ve agreed on the client’s budget but are only finding out the actual scope. The result? You’re not going to be compensated for all your project-related hours.

Ghosting after proposals: You may believe you’ve done everything correctly in the consultation call, only to experience silence after sending the proposal. In the absence of comprehensive insights from the consultation call, there is a large chance your proposal will not accurately reflect the client’s needs or budget.

Unclear expectations & boundaries: The call offers the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how you can lead the project and outline your operational processes. You can address the project timeline, feedback timeframe, consequences for delayed feedback, your working hours, and more. Without establishing expectations and boundaries during the call, there’s a higher chance that clients won’t adhere to them.

Now let’s look at what I would suggest you do to offer a thorough consultation call.

How to set up the design consultation call

When it comes to organising your consultation calls, there’s no one-size-fits-all method. Each approach has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore three different options:

Manually schedule consultation calls

You’ve been engaging with a potential client, and they’ve expressed their interest in discussing your services. So, you reach out to them via email, sharing your availability. After settling on a date, you manually send them a Zoom invite.

Pros:

• It’s a personalised process that keeps you in direct contact with your potential client.
• You’re actively involved in the scheduling process, relieving the potential client from the task of booking the call.

Cons:

• Setting up the call may take a few days due to the back-and-forth emails.
• The way you handle this step sets the tone for the project, and a lengthy scheduling process might give the wrong impression to your potential client.
• Your client won’t receive automatic call reminders.

Using a scheduler like Calendly or Acuity

With this approach, you can provide a scheduler link on your website or share it with potential clients who express interest in discussing your services.

Pros:

• It’s a swift way to book design consultation calls. There’s no need for lengthy email exchanges, and clients receive instant confirmation with a call link.
• It presents a professional image and sets the tone for the project.
• Your client will receive automatic call reminders.

Cons:

• You’re letting the potential client do the work by making them book their call instead of taking the time to find a time that works best for both of you

Using a Client Management Program like Honeybook or Dubsado

When you utilize a Client Relationship Management (CRM) system, you can add a calendar to your website, allowing potential clients to book design consultation calls. Alternatively, you can provide a direct link for them to book. Additionally, you have the option to include a form for qualifying questions.

This process might initially resemble using a scheduler like Calendly or Acuity. However, the real benefits become apparent after the consultation call, especially when you’re ready to send proposals and contracts.

Pros:

• It’s a quick way to book design consultation calls, with instant confirmations and call links, streamlining the process.
• It conveys professionalism and sets the project’s tone.
• Once the call is booked, the client details are automatically stored in your CRM as a project (Dubsado) or Inquiry (Honeybook). This allows you to efficiently use email and proposal templates within these programs to send proposals or contracts. As well as the workflows to automatically follow up when the proposal is not signed.

Cons:

• Like with schedulers, you’re asking the potential client to take the initiative in booking the call, rather than finding a time collaboratively.
• Learning to navigate these programs may have a steeper learning curve compared to scheduling tools. However, it’s an investment worth making in the long run, saving you both time and sanity when everything is set up.

Whichever way you choose to organise your consultation call, just be sure that the process is in line with your positioning and messaging.

Imagine telling your clients that you’re committed to walking alongside them throughout the entire website-building journey, offering guidance and support at every step. It builds trust and sets expectations. However, if your calls last only 15 minutes, focusing solely on a quick fit assessment, this misalignment impacts trust. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words. When you say you’ll guide your clients, make sure your processes are designed to do just that. Instead of brief consultations, opt for 45- or 60-minute calls that genuinely understand the client’s vision and preferences, reinforcing your commitment to their success.

Make sure your processes fit with your need for clients

When it comes to consultation calls and qualifying clients, many designers often wonder about the best approach. They might have seen industry figures using various methods, such as application forms, not displaying pricing, or utilising service guide sign-up forms. Or heard that you should not give your time away for free because:

• If it is free you will get no-shows. You’ve probably heard this before but if someone needs to pay or when they have taken the time to apply for one of your services they have ‘skin in the game’ and are less likely to no show for a call.
• There is a large chance that you’re spending a lot of time on these calls with leads that are not ready to buy from you. And that’s just not the best way to spend your time.
• It can send a certain message to your audience. Offering consultation calls can come across like you are in scarcity mode. So because you don’t want to miss out on any opportunity you are offering your time for free in the hopes that you can convert people on the call.

These are all valid reasons. Will no-shows happen? Probably.

But if you get a lot of no-shows and most calls don’t convert into clients or you’re afraid of the message it might send, it means that your positioning, messaging, packages, and pricing have not done their job well in filtering out clients who may not fully align with your style or services.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for client qualification.

Different strategies can be effective, but I believe that what matters most is aligning your approach with your current business stage:

• Needing every piece of business: If you need every opportunity that comes your way, make it super easy for potential clients to contact you. Have a few qualifying questions, display as-of pricing and keep the contact process straightforward and accessible, ensuring they can reach out without any barriers. Include a piece of text on your contact page explaining why you find a consultation call so important to offset the fear of being seen like you have no clients.
• Inquiries on the rise: If inquiries start pouring in, you can add more qualifying questions to your contact form or consultation call scheduler. This additional layer of screening helps you identify the most promising prospects and saves you time in the long run.
• Booking up fast: When your schedule is often fully booked, it’s time to level up your game. Consider replacing your generic contact form with an application form to build a waitlist. This form allows potential clients to provide more detailed information about their project, giving you a clearer picture of their needs and allowing you to assess compatibility before even engaging in a consultation call

Your client qualification approach should evolve alongside your business. As you get to know your client better you will be able to fine-tune your brand positioning, messaging, design packages, pricing strategies and processes to align with your ideal clients.

How to qualify a lead when they book a consultation call

In regards to the questions on the form, you need to consider those questions to gather crucial information before your consultation call to assess if they truly align with your ideal client profile. However, there is a fine balance between wanting to qualify potential clients and asking so many questions that it feels like too much effort to get into contact with you. What is essential will depend on your business but in general, you can think about:

1. Which specific service are they interested in? This helps you determine if you have availability to take on their project and cater to their needs effectively.
2. What type of business do they have? Understanding their niche or industry is crucial, especially if you specialise in certain areas. It helps ensure a strong alignment between your expertise and their business.
3. What is their budget range? Knowing their budget upfront is important, especially if you display as-of pricing on your website. It allows you to assess if their budget aligns with the scope and scale of the work involved.
4. How long have they been in business? This question helps you gauge their level of experience and whether you prefer to work with established business owners or those just starting out.

It’s important to note that these questions are aimed at pre-qualifying leads before the call, not necessarily determining whether you want to work with them.

What are the questions you need to ask during a design consultation call?

The structure of your call may vary, whether you prefer a conversational flow or a more structured interview-style format.

The key is to strike a balance between genuine conversation and extracting the essential information you need to qualify potential clients effectively, get a good understanding of the scope and set expectations.

Let’s explore some of these questions:

Their current situation

You can choose to start with this question or save it for later, depending on the vibe you want to create.

What I have found is that initiating the conversation with this question can lead to a natural flow where clients express themselves freely, touching upon important aspects you may have planned to ask about. It fosters a deeper connection and builds rapport.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more structured approach, begin by asking about their goals or what prompted them to reach out to you in the first place.

Their goals

Understanding whether a client is vision-focused or deliverable-focused is crucial. Tailor your questions accordingly to delve into their aspirations.

For vision-focused clients, try asking Dan Sullivan’s vision questions: If we were talking 3 years from now and you were looking back over those 3 years, what has to have happened in your life and business, for you to feel happy with your progress? This approach helps uncover their long-term vision and aligns your work with their bigger picture.

For deliverable-focused clients, consider Jonathan Stark’s “3 Why” questions:

• Why this? What specific problem will this solve for you?
• Why now? Why is it important to tackle this project at this moment, instead of waiting?
• Why me? Why have they chosen to reach out to you rather than opting for a more cost-effective option?

These questions provide profound insights into their mindset and help you determine if they align with your values and expertise.

Their struggles

Go beyond surface-level issues and explore the deeper obstacles they face in their business. Sometimes, clients mistakenly believe that a new website or brand design will magically solve all their problems.

By delving into their challenges, you can identify any underlying issues that need to be addressed for successful collaboration (It’s up to you to decide if a client that does not have their brand or brand strategy together is your ideal client). But remember, working with clients who value and appreciate your expertise is key to a great partnership.

Timing of the project

Uncover what motivated them to initiate this project at this particular moment. Did a significant event occur that highlighted the urgency?

Understanding their reasoning behind the timing sheds light on their commitment and investment in the project. It’s crucial to gauge their level of dedication to ensure a harmonious collaboration.

If a potential client just sees it as something to tick off their list their attitude during the project is quite different than when they are truly invested in it.

Past experiences

Gain insights into their previous experiences with designers or templates. Did they try using templates in the past and now seek custom work? What prompted this shift? Have they worked with other designers before? This information helps you understand their expectations, previous encounters, and whether they align with your preferred working style. While previous experience can be positive, be mindful of any red flags that may arise from multiple designer changes.

Of course, in addition to these crucial questions, you’ll need to address design-related inquiries, project scope, logistics, timelines, and any necessary deliverables. You can learn more about that in this blog about How to determine project scope, create timelines and keep clients on track.

What are the red flags you need to pay attention to during a design consultation call?

To make the most of your time and efforts, it’s essential to decide which clients align well with your services, pricing, work methods, and personality. Defining your own set of red flags is a critical step in this process.

Some examples of this:

• Style compatibility: As a designer, you’ve developed a unique style over time. It’s perfectly valid to choose clients whose needs fit with your distinctive style.
• Value for experience: You might opt to work exclusively with clients who value your experience and are open to your professional insights, as opposed to those who simply want their ideas translated.
• Keeping to deadlines: If you thrive in a structured, organised environment with multiple projects running at the same time, you’ll want clients who appreciate and respect your commitment to deadlines.
• Readiness: Consider whether you wish to work with clients who come prepared with copy and imagery, or those who don’t have a clear understanding of their ideal client and services. This is a personal choice, but it can significantly impact your projects, so this is important to know beforehand to consider this for your timeline and minimum price.

While the examples above are primarily design or process-related, there are other signs to watch for that are more personality-oriented:

• Dominating the conversation: Some individuals may attempt to take the lead during the call, leaving little room for you to ask your questions.
• Pushback on questions: Clients who consistently resist or challenge questions about their project goals or budget may raise concerns.
• ROI and investment: In some cases, clients may demand explanations regarding the project’s return on investment or how soon they can expect to recoup their investment.

Remember to trust your instincts throughout the call. If red flags start waving and doubts arise, listen to your gut. Be prepared to gracefully decline a potential client if they don’t meet your criteria. Stay true to your vision and value the clients who appreciate the unique qualities you bring to the table.

Working with clients who keep pushing timelines, who are unprepared with their copy or imagery, who want endless refinement rounds, or who are constantly pushing boundaries is exhausting. If you feel like this keeps happening to you I would encourage you to take an honest look at your past experiences and question if your practices may have inadvertently encouraged them to become more demanding clients.

I know you don’t do this on purpose. But if this is the case, the good news is that it can be changed. And I hope this week’s newsletter has helped you to see how you can get started.

So before your next consultation call, check if you have:

1. Questions in place to affirm the client’s suitability.
2. Questions in place to establish the project’s scope
3. A section in your script to talk about your process so that you can align expectations and set boundaries.
4. A consultation call process in place that is in alignment with your positioning and your messaging.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you made changes to your processes and seen a change in the clients you work with? Or is this something you’re struggling with?