I think explaining some reasons or giving examples of what sets the firm apart from others is probably the biggest way that I help to change the prospective clients perception. In my area, you do not have to be licensed to develop/create plans for a house. I am not licensed, but did go to school for architecture and at one point started to take the exam. My "competition" for the most part are people that might have gone to a technical school, picked it up on the side, but don't have any formal training in the field. So when I am walking through my process with the client, I am explaining all the different steps that we will go through together. The level of detail that goes into a set and why that is important, as well as, why spending more time on the front end of developing the plans figuring out the different issues, will save time and money down the road. Sure you can save some time now by pushing through a set of plans, but in the grand scheme of things, it will cost you more to redo something or have a job come to a stand-still as we now have to work out some details.
Some people accept that
and appreciate that, and when that happens I will usually have a signed contract. But that doesn't mean I don't have to filter out a lot of others that. Most will appreciate that, but may not accept that, and when that happens, I have lost the client. Of the clients I do sign on, I try to make them feel like they are my only focus. Respond to emails in a very timely manner, try to stay on top of communicating with them (always better to reach out to them before they reach out to you). But follow through with what we discussed when we first met. More or less put them on a "pedestal." We are a service industry, and making sure the client feels all warm and snuggly is what allows me to put value into going with my firm rather than someone else.
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Jason Hoppe Assoc. AIA
JH Designs, LLC
Middletown KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2017 17:54
From: Enoch Sears
Subject: How to raise the perception of value for our clients
On the one hand you have the value you provide to your clients.
On the other hand, you have your client's and prospect's PERCEPTION of that value.
Rarely are they equal.
In equation form it would look like this: Value > Perception of Value
I'm preparing an article discussing strategies for raising the perception of value that an architecture firm delivers and I'd like to get your input on this question:
What strategies would you recommend for raising the perceived value of a firm so that it translates to higher visibility and better fees for that firm?
Please respond below. Thanks!
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Enoch Sears AIA
Founder and Publisher
Business of Architecture
Visalia CA
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