Hello TDC Creatives!
I am new to the Interior Design world and would love some advice. I am planning a design tour with my clients so that they can see and feel all the products that I have selected for their project. We have a few stops; some on the other side of the city, so it will be quite a bit of driving. Do I plan the trip and send them the 'program' and meet them at each destination or should I pick them up and drive them myself?
I would like to make the day feel special and I know I need to fit a break in there somewhere. I was thinking we could stop for some champagne and nibbles which I am happy to include but I don't particularly want to stop and pay for lunch. This is also a bit more difficult because of the current Corona situation.
What tips and ideas have worked for you in the past? Any ideas are greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Thank you Sarah and Andrew - your advice is so valuable and it has made planning this trip so much easier because the little 'what ifs' running through my mind have been cleared up.
Sarah - you nailed it. I felt like I didn't have the energy to be 'on show' the whole car trip but I hadn't considered that my clients will probably feel the same and would like time to themselves to discuss the different products without me. Also providing a map is a great idea - so far my presentations and documentation has been quite detailed so it makes sense to continue that with the Design Tour. Thanks again... HUGE help!
Andrew - I love the idea of splitting the day into two shorter days and stopping for coffee instead. Especially because the clients and myself are not close to the city so it was feeling like it was growing into a very big day. I can organise one trip where we do the other side of the city and the next trip the showrooms closer to our end of town. My sister is an Event Producer and she also suggested that I ask my suppliers to put on drinks and nibbles or morning tea but I don't have the confidence yet because I am new, however I know this will change once I give them some business and will keep this idea in my back pocket for next time.
Again, thank you! It can be hard starting a business by yourself and not having anyone to ask questions or bounce ideas off so I am glad to be a part of TDC family. x
Hi Olivia,
My answer depends on so many things! But particularly at the moment, due to CV-19 and required social distancing of 1.5m I don't think it's ideal to have other people in your car with you. If you did, you'd need to put hygiene protocols in place to wipe down all surfaces and use hand sanitiser etc.
If your service/clients are high end, it's a nice touch to offer to drive clients. This isn't something I offer however as I haven't investigated insurance issues if we were to have a crash. I'd ensure that you are covered if something went wrong and they were injured in your car - yup, worst case scenario planner here, but these things sadly can happen:( There are crazy drivers on the roads these days!
I have found that clients like to have some time to themselves to download and digest each supplier visit so prefer to be in their own car anyway so they can chat together without having to be careful about what they say in front of me. I also find this 'down time' in the car is useful for collecting my own thoughts and taking notes from each supplier visit.
I provide a Supplier Tour Schedule that includes a map with each location marked plus the address and name of the person we will be seeing at each stop. I include supplier phone numbers (incase they get lost) and my number. And I also look into parking options at each spot and note these on the schedule too.
Champagne and nibbles at the end of the day sounds fun (if you can find a good venue for this nearby), and keeping a lunch stop fluid is worth while as I find the schedule never runs to time! Cost wise though I think you'd end up spending about the same on lunch, if you were proposing to pay for a 'fancy' bottle of Champagne and nibbles at the end of the day anyway? And you'll all be exhausted by the end of the day, so maybe having lunch together is better?
I hope these ideas help and I'll also look forward to hearing how others approach Supplier Tours:)
Best regards,
Sarah