Designers often ask me, “What questions should I ask in a discovery call to see if this could turn into a real paying client?”


What if an effective discovery call isn’t so much about the questions you ask as it is about the system you use? Let’s talk about your discovery call system: the process that you use to take your clients from their first interaction with you to your first paid appointment. 


In this episode of the Interior Design Business podcast, I’m teaching you the five step selling system that will help you close more sales with high-end clients at the end of every discovery call. This process will help you weed out the clients who aren’t the right fit for you and get more paid first appointments scheduled with those who are. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to give the right impression to someone interested in working with you 
• The key to effective discovery calls
• A script for you to use to secure a paid first appointment 

By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly what to say and when to say it to make your discovery calls more effective than ever (meaning more sales for you!).


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

What is getting in the way of being paid what you’re worth? 


I want to address the most common pricing challenges that you’ll face as a design business owner. Maybe you’ve struggled with this before or maybe you’re looking out for your future self. Either way, this is important information for you to know. 


This episode will teach you how to reframe your money mindset, get comfortable talking about money, and ask for what you’re worth. Many of us have been conditioned to be so uncomfortable talking about money that we find it impossible to confidently present large fees. That’s got to change if you want to run a successful business. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• Pricing challenges interior designer business owners face 
• How to get comfortable talking about money 
• The right time in a conversation to state your fee 

If you’re facing pricing challenges in your design business, don’t miss this episode.


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!

Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Do you feel like you never have enough time for all the things you want to do?


Usually, when I ask fellow design business owners what they want their businesses to look like, they can give me a pretty clear answer, but when I ask them why they aren’t working towards it, they say something like “Oh I don’t have time for that.” If that sounds like you then I have another question for you: why not?


If your time isn’t being spent creating the business and life you really want then what’s it being spent on? 


In this episode of the Interior Design Business podcast, I’m addressing the time starvation epidemic. We’re all so busy hustling that it seems like we never have time for anything anymore. I want to reframe the way you think about time so that you can reclaim your schedule and discover that you have more time than you think.


Topics covered in this episode include:

• Making conscious choices about how you spend your time
• What the time starvation epidemic is 
• How to change your time mindset

There is power in knowing that you get to choose how you spend your time. So, what will you choose?


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

What is a luxury mindset? 


This is an important concept for interior designers and service providers to understand, so I wanted to revisit this favorite episode. 


There’s a misconception that once you start getting luxury clients, you’ll become a luxury designer, but it just doesn’t work that way. Your luxury mindset needs to come first and the clients will follow. 


In this episode of the Interior Design Business podcast, I’m taking you through the elements of a luxury mindset and how to start implementing them to build your luxury business. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• What a luxury mindset is
• Understanding what your luxury client wants
• Why high-end clients don’t make you a high-end designer
• How to avoid caving on your pricing

If you’re ready to step into your luxury mindset and take your design business to the next level, this is for you.


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Are you still charging hourly rates? If so, listen up because this is for you!


In this episode, we’re going over the differences between working on an hourly basis vs. working on a fee basis as a designer and why I switched to working on a fee basis in my own business.


Not only is selling your services as a package deal beneficial to your clients, but it’s also beneficial to your business. By presenting your work as a fee-based service, your billing process, project management, and client commitment rates will improve. In this episode, I’ll be talking you through the reasons why!


Topics covered in this episode include:

• Why charging hourly rates won’t get you the compensation you deserve
• The benefits of presenting your services as a package deal
• How a fee-based business makes billing more efficient

Do you work on a fee basis or an hourly basis? Is your current billing method working for you and for your business? Are you interested in giving fee-based services a chance? This is an episode, you won’t want to miss!


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Are you taking advantage of the tipping point of your sales conversations? 


If you’re not sure how to answer that, keep reading. 


The tipping point is the point in a sales conversation with a prospective client when you ask to be hired. The thought of asking to be hired might immediately send you spiraling. That’s not uncommon, but we’re going to fix it. 


My goal in this episode is to teach you how to get comfortable with the idea of selling, how to change the stories you’re telling yourself about being a sleazy salesperson, and why you need to take advantage of the tipping point. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to ask to be hired 
• What happens if you don’t take advantage of the tipping point 
• When in a sales conversation you should ask to be hired 

Tune in to start working with more of your dream clients!


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Have you ever done a design job that you didn’t get paid for until months after the design was finished?


This episode is going to make sure you avoid ever being in that position again. There are four rules of pricing that profitable design businesses follow and believe me, I learned them the hard way, so now I’m sharing them so you don’t have to. 


When you follow these pricing rules, your design jobs will run more smoothly, your clients will be easier to handle, and your business is going to be more profitable in the long run. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• The four rules of pricing that profitable businesses follow 
• A script you can use to explain your pricing to a client 
• Ways to simplify your bookkeeping 
• Why you should never sell products on a cost-plus basis

If you’re interested in this episode, I’m guessing you’re having some issues with communicating your pricing and getting paid. Look no further! You’ve come to the right place.


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Most designers struggle to get paid what they’re worth. Have you experienced this?


You might have felt the need to lower your prices to get a client, felt bad about charging a high price for something, or given away your time for free to try to lower your costs. Why do you feel the need to do things like this? The answer lies in your money mindset. 


The first step to getting paid what you’re worth is working on your money mindset. You need to know what stories you’re telling yourself about money, where they came from, and whether or not they’re actually true. A lot of our money stories come from things we were taught about money as children. I’m going to share some examples of things you might have internalized about money and what you can do to change those thoughts so that you can be open to making more money. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to shift your money mindset
• Why you should adopt an abundance mindset 
• What your upbringing can tell you about your money mindset 
• How to build confidence in your value 

It’s time to revamp your money mindset so that you can get paid what you’re worth.


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

When is the right time to hire help?


Maybe you’re intimidated by the idea of making your first hire, maybe you’ve had a bad experience, or maybe you feel like it would be easier for you to just keep doing everything yourself. I’ve experienced all of these, so I get it, but if you’re serious about growing your business, you’re going to need some help. 


In this episode of the Interior Design Business podcast, I want to help you change the way you think about hiring for your design team. I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about hiring so that you can save time, make more money, and grow your design business. 


Topics covered in this episode include:

• How hiring helps create more income 
• A different way to think about hiring
• The six pillars of a strong team 
• A simple framework for hiring 

If I can master the hiring process, I know you can too. Let me help you figure it out!


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.

Why would it be bad for your design business to grow too fast? Growth is good, right?


Well, yes and no. Your business needs to be set up to handle growth. If you experience rapid growth that you’re not prepared for, your business will not be able to support it and you’ll end up losing money and making rushed decisions. That’s not what we want. 


Valerie Priester is here to walk you through the number of problems that can arise when you get ahead of yourself and grow too fast. 


Valerie is a powerhouse business and mindset coach for women entrepreneurs. She helps her clients eliminate confusion, frustration, and overwhelm so they can confidently grow profitable and sustainable businesses.


Topics covered in this episode include:

• How to know if it’s the right time to grow your business
• What happens when you grow too fast
• Making strategic and sustainable business decisions

Whether you’re experiencing fast business growth right now or you want to prepare for the future, this episode will have value for you.


I would love to connect on Facebook: facebook.com/InteriorDesignBusinessAcademy or Instagram: instagram.com/interiordesignbusinessacademy!


Show notes are available at https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com.