Charge Upfront for Your ‘Expertise,’ Designers
Advised
Charging a design retainer is nothing more than being paid for
your expertise an acknowledged practice that’s in place among most
business professionals in this country.
That’s the belief of Rick Glickman, of Skokie, IL-based Dream
Kitchens, and Stu Dettelbach, CKD, of SD Kitchens, in Baltimore, a
pair of dealer-members who addressed attendees at a recent
educational conference sponsored by the Houston-based Bath &
Kitchen Buying Group (BKBG).
As an example of their belief, Glickman and Dettelbach cited the
practice of a doctor who “could listen to your heart, look in your
ears, and evaluate your complaints . . . then write a prescription
for you because he knows what’s needed to heal you, and you pay him
for his expertise.”
“Kitchen and bath designers are no different,” Glickman said.
“We should be paid for our experience and expertise.
Unfortunately, there are a number of designers who do not value
themselves as being an expert. They think they can sell themselves
or their design, and often give away what it is they do the
best.”
According to Dettelbach, knowledge and experience are what
dealers and designers are really selling, not just the
design.
“If only the attitude of many kitchen dealers would change, than
the entire bar would be raised inside the industry,” Dettelbach
said. “It’s all about your self worth. Only after you change your
attitude about your self worth, will you be able to [fully] accept
the idea of being paid up front [for your services].”
Dettelbach and Glickman point out that designers often say they
receive design retainers, but, in reality, what they’re really
getting is a deposit for the project.
“While there are many different ways to ask for and receive the
retainer, the bottom line is you should not give away your
expertise to a potential client unless they’re willing to pay for
it,” Glickman advises.
A retainer is also the best way to qualify a customer, Glickman
and Dettelbach assert.
“It’s been said unless you need the practice, you probably do
not need to design and price a project for a non-buyer,” Glickman
said.
Glickman and Dettelbach also noted that once they began charging
upfront for their work, they found themselves working harder for
the client, “because [we were] now being paid for [our] work and it
was not just another bid.
In cases where competitors do not charge retainers, Dettelbach
and Glickman challenged BKBG members in attendance to “do something
different.”
“If they [competitors] charge $500 for their design work, you
should charge $800,” Glickman said. “[The idea is to] make the
clients wonder what’s different about you and your company. Tell
them that you’re better and you will do more for them. Tell them
it’s not about price, it’s all about customer service.
Added Dettelbach: “Unless you ask for something, you will not
get it. We should be charging design retainers for the work we
do.”