How to Communicate With Clients During the Coronavirus Outbreak
A design coach suggests encouraging remote meetings and keeping clients regularly apprised of project status
With the coronavirus front and center in the news, we are living in an unprecedented time of global pandemic. It’s understandable that you and your clients may feel anxious. Now is the time to take proactive steps to ensure your business keeps flowing and your lines of communication stay open.
Encourage Your Clients to Meet Remotely
Government agencies have suggested limiting social contact — the term is “social distancing.” This means limiting contact with other people and, when you simply must interact with others, keeping a distance between you of at least 6 feet.
Regardless of whether your client wants to meet with you, you may not want to meet with them. Personally, I have been initiating conversations with clients via telephone and email to let them know that because of the current public health crisis — and out of concern for the safety and well-being of everyone — we are encouraging electronic communication methods for as much business as possible.
Fortunately, being able to communicate electronically has already become the norm. Sharing ideabooks on Houzz is the perfect way to kick off a project remotely. Business management software like Ivy by Houzz makes it easy for clients to review your room boards and approve or decline individual pieces. You can also use Houzz Pro business management software to share a 3D floor plan or mood board with your clients remotely. Client dashboards in these types of software make payment of invoices or deposit requests super simple. With these electronic means, your clients can review their projects 24/7.
Project drawings can be reviewed using Adobe PDF files and allow clients to add comments and make markups. For reviewing plans, I like to have the client on the phone or use a screen-sharing platform, as many clients do not fully understand how to read a plan. I also suggest having your staff members listen in via conference call or screen sharing so that no detail is missed.
Government agencies have suggested limiting social contact — the term is “social distancing.” This means limiting contact with other people and, when you simply must interact with others, keeping a distance between you of at least 6 feet.
Regardless of whether your client wants to meet with you, you may not want to meet with them. Personally, I have been initiating conversations with clients via telephone and email to let them know that because of the current public health crisis — and out of concern for the safety and well-being of everyone — we are encouraging electronic communication methods for as much business as possible.
Fortunately, being able to communicate electronically has already become the norm. Sharing ideabooks on Houzz is the perfect way to kick off a project remotely. Business management software like Ivy by Houzz makes it easy for clients to review your room boards and approve or decline individual pieces. You can also use Houzz Pro business management software to share a 3D floor plan or mood board with your clients remotely. Client dashboards in these types of software make payment of invoices or deposit requests super simple. With these electronic means, your clients can review their projects 24/7.
Project drawings can be reviewed using Adobe PDF files and allow clients to add comments and make markups. For reviewing plans, I like to have the client on the phone or use a screen-sharing platform, as many clients do not fully understand how to read a plan. I also suggest having your staff members listen in via conference call or screen sharing so that no detail is missed.
Fabric selections are tricky. If you’re like me, you want to touch and feel when making selections and to encourage your clients to do the same. Often at the beginning of a project, we present a myriad of fabrics to get a better feel for what the client likes. I need to see their reaction to certain fabrics to gauge their interest and emotional response. This is impossible to do without seeing the client’s face.
What we have done successfully in the past — in our case, for remote clients — is to send the clients a fabric selection packet labeled with our own personalized codes and arrange an online meeting to review it. Now is a good time to extend this practice even to local clients — again, for social distancing.
Obviously for things that are best done in person, such as taking measurements on site and making fabric decisions, you’ll have to choose whether to brave the in-person meeting — which, to be blunt, isn’t in the best interest of the nation’s collective health given the most recent public health guidance from the White House — or to delay the work. I recognize that this can be a difficult choice involving real sacrifice and financial hardship. But each of us must consider the risks not only to our businesses, but to our very lives and those of other people.
What we have done successfully in the past — in our case, for remote clients — is to send the clients a fabric selection packet labeled with our own personalized codes and arrange an online meeting to review it. Now is a good time to extend this practice even to local clients — again, for social distancing.
Obviously for things that are best done in person, such as taking measurements on site and making fabric decisions, you’ll have to choose whether to brave the in-person meeting — which, to be blunt, isn’t in the best interest of the nation’s collective health given the most recent public health guidance from the White House — or to delay the work. I recognize that this can be a difficult choice involving real sacrifice and financial hardship. But each of us must consider the risks not only to our businesses, but to our very lives and those of other people.
If You Do Meet Clients in Person, Communicate That You Are Taking Proper Precautions
If you are in an area not under lockdown and you decide to meet with a client, I’d caution you against shaking anyone’s hand and advise making hand-washing part of the appointment. You might begin the meeting by saying, “Let’s start our appointment with hand-washing,” which can help to reassure your clients that you are keeping their health and safety top of mind.
If meeting at your office, you can place beautiful single-use hand towels and a lit candle in the office restroom to make the process more enjoyable. If you’re at their home, wash your hands upon arrival and again before you leave. Many clients feel understandable anxiety at this time, and it’s helpful if you show concern for their health as well.
If you are in an area not under lockdown and you decide to meet with a client, I’d caution you against shaking anyone’s hand and advise making hand-washing part of the appointment. You might begin the meeting by saying, “Let’s start our appointment with hand-washing,” which can help to reassure your clients that you are keeping their health and safety top of mind.
If meeting at your office, you can place beautiful single-use hand towels and a lit candle in the office restroom to make the process more enjoyable. If you’re at their home, wash your hands upon arrival and again before you leave. Many clients feel understandable anxiety at this time, and it’s helpful if you show concern for their health as well.
Communicate With Other Pros Remotely as Much as Possible
Now is the time to work apart from other people as much as we can. For design pros, it’s great news that the design management software platforms allow multiple users to access the data so that staff can work remotely and concurrently on projects. Programs make it simple to work on drawings remotely and as a team. These platforms show a log of who has worked on each item and when, so you can be sure you are accessing the latest information. If you are working with an architect, consider attaching their drawing to yours as an AutoCAD Xref so that any changes they make and either upload or send to you will update your drawing without affecting your own work.
Project meetings with a general contractor or other subs can be conducted remotely as well in real time with applications like Skype or Zoom. It’s easy to ask them to pan up so you can see a ceiling detail, or pull a tape on an area that needs attention. Send specifications via email and update as any changes are made. Make sure to send revised drawings that correlate with any spec updates.
Stay safe! And remember that we all need social contact during this anxiety-provoking time — keep in touch with your loved ones through FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and all our other wonderful online communication tools.
Beth Whitlinger has been in the design business for nearly 40 years. When she’s not guiding interior designers through her coaching business, The Interior Design Coach, she’s the principal designer at Beth Whitlinger Interior Design.
Have a question for Beth? Email it to editor@houzz.com, Attention: Beth Whitlinger, or post your question in the Comments. It could be featured in a future column.
More on Houzz
How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Design and Remodeling Pros
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Now is the time to work apart from other people as much as we can. For design pros, it’s great news that the design management software platforms allow multiple users to access the data so that staff can work remotely and concurrently on projects. Programs make it simple to work on drawings remotely and as a team. These platforms show a log of who has worked on each item and when, so you can be sure you are accessing the latest information. If you are working with an architect, consider attaching their drawing to yours as an AutoCAD Xref so that any changes they make and either upload or send to you will update your drawing without affecting your own work.
Project meetings with a general contractor or other subs can be conducted remotely as well in real time with applications like Skype or Zoom. It’s easy to ask them to pan up so you can see a ceiling detail, or pull a tape on an area that needs attention. Send specifications via email and update as any changes are made. Make sure to send revised drawings that correlate with any spec updates.
Stay safe! And remember that we all need social contact during this anxiety-provoking time — keep in touch with your loved ones through FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and all our other wonderful online communication tools.
Beth Whitlinger has been in the design business for nearly 40 years. When she’s not guiding interior designers through her coaching business, The Interior Design Coach, she’s the principal designer at Beth Whitlinger Interior Design.
Have a question for Beth? Email it to editor@houzz.com, Attention: Beth Whitlinger, or post your question in the Comments. It could be featured in a future column.
More on Houzz
How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Design and Remodeling Pros
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
One of the most important steps you can take during this time is to show concern for your clients and their health. You might consider sending an email to your clients as well as to the leads in your pipeline letting them know that you’re monitoring the local public health situation, and expressing concern for their health and that of their families. Every community right now is facing differing messaging from local public health agencies, so stay up to date with and acknowledge what is happening in your own community. People may have their children at home. People may feel stressed. Keep your message calm and reassuring.
This would also be a good time to let your clients know of changes you might be making to your normal business procedures, such as encouraging remote meetings. If things are mostly business as usual, tell them about any practices you’re implementing to keep people safe during project installations.