Keeping a healthy pipeline of both repeat and new clients is essential to building a thriving design firm. This week, five designers—Eva Bradley, Alicia Cheung, Catrina Cooper, Lindye Galloway and Mike Ufferman—share some of their current strategies for keeping their services top of mind for past and prospective clients.

PERSONAL TOUCH
“One way we like to keep in touch with our clients is by celebrating special occasions in their lives—things like remembering their birthdays, anniversaries and due dates. Especially if we had any part in one of these occasions, we like to commemorate the day with a gift, but at the very least, we’ll send a text and card. That information comes from a ‘getting to know you’ questionnaire that clients fill out after initial onboarding of a project; since many of our projects take around a year, we also get to know the rhythms of their lives and hear about various milestones they are celebrating, and we take notes and add it to our client file. It’s not that different from what top restaurants do: They take notes about guests so that they have data to make that experience a special one each time a guest appears in the reservations.
“We want our clients to feel special and cared for. As we get to know them, we see what things they like, or what hobbies they have, and we try to see them at or invite them to one event annually. We know some clients love Legos, or have a car collection. Once you know they like something like that, you can offer them tickets to car shows, or get a cool Lego car model. Other clients love art, so we invite them to various shows and lectures, which tend to happen around the winter and spring. We also stay connected to them via social media, often liking and commenting on their posts and stories. Once someone becomes an acquaintance, not even a client, I think it’s appropriate to follow them on Instagram or Facebook and connect with them via LinkedIn; from there, commenting on their posts offers a low-key way to continue building a relationship.
“At the end of a project, we ask clients to be part of our story as a reference for us for upcoming potential projects we are trying to win. It reinforces that they are ‘on our team.’ As new project opportunities come up, we are excited to show the potential client what we can do—that often means sharing references, and sometimes even a house tour of previous projects, which can be a wonderful way to reconnect with past clients. Having them state positive things about us also reinforces a positive association with us (and hopefully, we get the new project too)!
“Generally speaking, our goals are to listen, anticipate, and then surprise clients with something fun—and not just for ongoing projects, but also when projects wind down. We know some things will need maintenance, and we can schedule emails or set up calendar reminders for those items. Sometimes we also help certain clients with their holiday decor, and all of those things help us stay in regular contact with them. Surprising a client is always a fun part of the job. Whether that’s tickets to a show, a hard-to-get reservation, or a gift basket of some of their favorite things if they’re under the weather, we try to stay connected to our clients and do little things to delight them.” —Alicia Cheung, Alicia Cheung Design, San Francisco; and Eva Bradley, Eva Bradley Studio, Charleston (both formerly of Studio Heimat)

SOCIAL MEDIA STORIES
“Attracting our ideal client on social media comes down to three key factors: authenticity, crafting unique stories and engaging with your audience. Since the inception of our business, we have prioritized showcasing our work on social platforms to connect one-on-one with fans, followers and future clients in an authentic nature. With these principles as priorities, we built a sizable following over the years and reached a point in our growth where we wanted to be more strategic in how we interacted with our audience. By hiring a dedicated social media team five years ago, we were able to brainstorm creative ways to engage with prospective clients and our existing audience in new and exciting ways, building upon the following we had already amassed.
“We’ve found that while our clients utilize multiple social platforms, they’re most active on Instagram and Pinterest. People typically start by following us on Instagram, but they’re also using Pinterest to source design inspiration for their dream home. They often start by pinning our firm’s projects without realizing it; once they do, it piques their interest in working with us in a larger capacity. On Instagram specifically, we noticed that we received the most engagement from prospective clients on posts that incorporated storytelling. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of storytelling to your audience! Whether it’s through showcasing your style or sharing your design inspiration, storytelling is how you’re able to truly showcase your authenticity as a designer and a person, which helps build the client’s trust in your design eye before you’ve even talked to them.
“Social media is an immensely powerful tool that we’re always experimenting with to perfect our approach. That said, our social media presence has evolved over the years thanks to Instagram’s new content creation features and the ever-changing social media landscape. Our team is dedicated to continuously innovating and finding ways to engage with our clients in meaningful and impactful ways that foster a sense of community. In the last few years, approximately 80 percent of our interior design clients have been as a result of our Instagram and Pinterest presence, which has led us to take on projects from Colorado to Texas to New York and beyond.” —Lindye Galloway, Lindye Galloway Studio, Costa Mesa, California

A VARIETY OF OFFERINGS
“With rising interest rates, inflation and a volatile job market in Silicon Valley, we knew it was time to explore new revenue streams and adapt our services to meet changing market demands. The economic uncertainty presented an opportunity to rethink how we provide value. After collaborating with a general contractor in San Jose, the idea of creating tailored design packages specifically for contractors emerged.
“The contractor had a client who couldn’t afford our full-service package and asked if we could offer a more streamlined option. This prompted us to explore a curated selection service aimed at helping contractors and their clients make quick, informed decisions on finishes and materials—all without overwhelming them with endless choices. The service focuses on simplicity and efficiency, allowing contractors to keep projects moving forward and providing clients with a focused range of options. By streamlining the decision-making process, our firm hopes to enhance the client experience and help contractors grow their business through more seamless design integration.
“In addition, our firm is developing à la carte service options that clients can purchase directly from our website: services like a paint consultation or ‘designer for a pay,’ where clients can purchase time with a lead designer for personalized advice on furniture placement, color selection and even potential renovations. Both initiatives offer clients and contractors a flexible, professional service without the commitment of a full package, creating new ways for people to access high-quality design. As we refine these offerings, we are confident that this approach will strengthen relationships with contractors, expand our reach, and continue to provide clients with exceptional design solutions.” —Mike Ufferman and Catrina Cooper, Loczi Design, San Francisco
These excerpts were originally published in the 2024 Interior Design Business Survey report, produced by Pearl Collective and Interior Talent in collaboration with Business of Home. Download the full report for more insights on the state of the industry.