I just had a fascinating conversation with David Bassett-Parkins, CEO and Founder of Ava Living this morning. He is very busy working on several new projects that will revolutionize the marketing of your interior design business.

If you aren’t a member yet, be sure to sign up right away. It is free, and you don’t want to be the only designer that isn’t actively promoting your work on this industry-specific website. http://www.AvaLiving.com

If you are interested in doing interior design work worldwide, Ava’s site is where you need to be. There are many areas of the world that are busy and need your services. If you need help setting up your Ava profile, just sign up for our free Silver Membership and download the first two chapters of my ebook, Ultimate Business Success Strategies for Designers.

Now, let’s talk about marketing. I had a few long conversations yesterday with two of our focus group members, and they are evaluating their marketing plans, budgets and business in general. Here is what I am hearing from the focus group and also from our other members. Most of you do not have a set plan, and as a result, your business goes through up and down cycles.

The only way to stop the cyclical nature of the business is to have a plan that you follow, and that you work on your marketing every single day whether you are busy or not. If you wait until the end of the day, you will find that days, weeks and even months go by without any marketing activity.

So, what I recommend is that you look at the highest leverage activities for marketing and you schedule at least five hours per week to do those activities. Here is your assignment for the next six weeks should you choose to accept the mission (remember that from Mission Impossible?).:

1. Block out one hour per day on your calendar right now. Make it your first hour of the day.
2. Make a list of 30 past clients or referral sources with their telephone number and email address.
3. Make a list of 30 potential referral sources with their telephone number and email address. This could be Realtors, financial planners, bankers, CPAs, etc.
4. Make a list of 6 media contacts for your local design magazine, newspaper, business journal or radio stations with their telephone number and email address.
5. Add one of your past clients or referral sources and one potential referral sources to your block of time per day.
6. Add one media contact to one of your marketing blocks of time per week and preferably on the same day each week.
7. Make a list of your current clients and add one per day to your call list. Call (preferably) or email your existing clients and let them know that you want to find out how you can serve them better. This one takes courage, so you need to prepared to hear some constructive criticism. This is a good thing, and something you need to hear. Ask them how you can create a WOW experience for them. At the end of the conversation, let them know that you are working on your referral program and that you would like to ask if they would recommend you to three of their neighbors or friends. For that, you want to send them a personally hand-written thank you note and you want to follow up with a gift certificate or small gift for each referral. The best referral is a warm one, so if they will make a call on your behalf, you will be more likely to get the project.
8. Contact potential and past referral sources and ask how you can help them with their business. Offer with a giving hand instead of a taking hand. Make connections for them and help them with anything that is within your power to do. This time is valuable and it will come back to you in a big way. Be sure to read one of my favorite books, The Go Giver if you haven’t read it yet.
9. If you make three calls a day plus one extra call to your local media person just once per week, this should take about an hour to two hours out of your day. If you do this consistently, you will build your business.
10. Let me know how you are doing with this, and post your results on our blog. Watch for more tips next week.

Good marketing!

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