How Builders Can Help Clients Work as a Team
Build a collaborative atmosphere and ease homeowners into decisions to head off potential conflicts between them
When you’re working with more than one homeowner on a project, there’s always the potential for conflict between them. One client may be extremely budget-conscious while the other is willing to spend big. One person may tell you they’re on the same page, while the other paints a different picture.
We recently spoke with remodeling and design pros who shared their strategies for avoiding conflicts between homeowners from the get-go, as well as for moving past disagreements if they do occur. Read on for their tips, then please share your own in the Comments.
We recently spoke with remodeling and design pros who shared their strategies for avoiding conflicts between homeowners from the get-go, as well as for moving past disagreements if they do occur. Read on for their tips, then please share your own in the Comments.
Help Clients Feel Confident With Showroom Samples and Video Consultations
The process of remodeling, building or designing a home can often be overwhelming for people. “A lot of clients are afraid of making the wrong decision,” says builder Jim Brophy of October 5 Fine Home Builders in Long Beach, California. “When people are afraid, they can become angry.”
Finding ways to make clients comfortable with their own decisions can go a long way toward easing their fears. “I only work with showrooms that let you loan out samples for a few days,” Brophy says. “When clients can see and touch a material in their home, they tend to agree with each other more often as to whether or not it’s the right material.”
Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says it’s important for clients to see the vision, not just hear about it. This is especially true when you’re working with clients online rather than in person. “Technology makes communication with clients so much easier today,” she says. “People have a new level of comfort working with a designer remotely.”
Houzz Pro offers Video Meetings to help you exchange ideas with clients through a remote meeting. You can share your screen with them to help them better visualize a remodeling project. With Houzz Pro, you can also promote on your Houzz profile that you offer virtual consultations. You can share a personalized meeting link by email and on your social media pages, letting clients know how easy it is to start a project or schedule a meeting with you.
See more resources for pros in Houzz Pro Learn
The process of remodeling, building or designing a home can often be overwhelming for people. “A lot of clients are afraid of making the wrong decision,” says builder Jim Brophy of October 5 Fine Home Builders in Long Beach, California. “When people are afraid, they can become angry.”
Finding ways to make clients comfortable with their own decisions can go a long way toward easing their fears. “I only work with showrooms that let you loan out samples for a few days,” Brophy says. “When clients can see and touch a material in their home, they tend to agree with each other more often as to whether or not it’s the right material.”
Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says it’s important for clients to see the vision, not just hear about it. This is especially true when you’re working with clients online rather than in person. “Technology makes communication with clients so much easier today,” she says. “People have a new level of comfort working with a designer remotely.”
Houzz Pro offers Video Meetings to help you exchange ideas with clients through a remote meeting. You can share your screen with them to help them better visualize a remodeling project. With Houzz Pro, you can also promote on your Houzz profile that you offer virtual consultations. You can share a personalized meeting link by email and on your social media pages, letting clients know how easy it is to start a project or schedule a meeting with you.
See more resources for pros in Houzz Pro Learn
Break Up Big Decisions Into Smaller Pieces — and Take a Break When Necessary
There’s always a chance that disagreements between clients will still arise even after design and remodeling pros create an atmosphere of collaboration, get buy-in from everyone and share photos and showroom samples. Knowing when to step back and give clients time to process is essential.
Designer Stephanie Frees of Plain & Posh in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, says that when clients get frustrated and just can’t seem to agree with each other, it may be time to put a pin in the conversation and return to it later. “Giving clients the time to step away relieves the pressure of having to make a decision in the moment,” Frees says. “I remind them how much they’ve already agreed upon and achieved.” She believes that giving clients the time to pause allows them to settle down and move beyond their disagreement.
Home builder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction in Sarasota, Florida, has another strategy for helping homeowners through disagreements. “The process of designing and building a custom home is made of many conversations and decisions,” he says. “By encouraging clients to break up decisions into bite-size discussions, more often than not they come to realize they’re not as far apart as they think they are.
“We need our clients to love each other as much as they love their finished home,” Wynne adds. “The rest is just colors, textures and numbers.”
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There’s always a chance that disagreements between clients will still arise even after design and remodeling pros create an atmosphere of collaboration, get buy-in from everyone and share photos and showroom samples. Knowing when to step back and give clients time to process is essential.
Designer Stephanie Frees of Plain & Posh in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, says that when clients get frustrated and just can’t seem to agree with each other, it may be time to put a pin in the conversation and return to it later. “Giving clients the time to step away relieves the pressure of having to make a decision in the moment,” Frees says. “I remind them how much they’ve already agreed upon and achieved.” She believes that giving clients the time to pause allows them to settle down and move beyond their disagreement.
Home builder Josh Wynne of Josh Wynne Construction in Sarasota, Florida, has another strategy for helping homeowners through disagreements. “The process of designing and building a custom home is made of many conversations and decisions,” he says. “By encouraging clients to break up decisions into bite-size discussions, more often than not they come to realize they’re not as far apart as they think they are.
“We need our clients to love each other as much as they love their finished home,” Wynne adds. “The rest is just colors, textures and numbers.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Setting expectations and creating an atmosphere of collaboration from the start of a project is essential, says general contractor Erin Wright of Wright-Built in Hawkins, Texas. “Remodeling or building a home is often the most expensive thing your clients will ever do, so it only makes sense there is going to be anxiety about the process,” she says. “I let my clients know from the start that it will be an imperfect process, but we will get through it together.”
Wright says her initial meetings with clients focus on listening to their wants and needs. “You can’t ramrod your own thoughts and opinions about the project through,” she says. “They’re the ones who are going to live there. You have to truly understand want they want.”
Wright encourages clients to save photos to a Houzz ideabook and share it with her at the start of the project. “It’s important to see what they like and not just hear it, because they might not be using the correct terminology,” she says. “Clients might tell you they like rustic design, but what they really want is farmhouse style.”
Designer Jena Bula of Delphinium Design in Charlotte, North Carolina, agrees that getting buy-in from every client involved in a project is critical. To that end, she requires all clients to be at every design meeting, whether in person or online. “Having all parties present helps to mitigate any misinterpretations, mixed messages and confusion,” she says. “When everyone is present at design meetings, we can nip issues in the bud right away and ensure we’re always on the same page.”
Download our handout Working With Multiple Decision Makers