If your profits are falling short, more wealthy clients won't necessarily help.

More committed ones will, as Business by Design reports this month.

THIS MONTH:
+ Commitment Beats Cash
+ NEW! "Recession-Proof Your Career" Audio Program
+ Creating Commitment

+ Commitment Beats Cash
Chasing after prospects with the best income doesn't guarantee you the best income.

Why?

Face it. The richest customers can be the stingiest, the ones who nickel and dime you every chance they get.

And bellyache about every bill And kvetch about your costs. And whine about your time. And make your life miserable.

Tight-fisted customers -- wealthy or otherwise -- aren't into fine design or fine designers. But they may be into using and abusing you.

Committed customers have a different agenda.

They seek the best solutions to their design problems, and they'll pay any price to get them.

They're committed not just to the design project, but to the designer. They focus on the future, and look to establish a long term relationship with a design professional.

Most customers -- even wealthy ones -- call you when they want something. Committed customers call when they need something.

How do you find out how committed a client is?

Ask.

Say: "How committed are you to remodeling your corporate offices?"
Or: "How committed are you to updating your window treatments?"
Or: "How committed are you to making the best use of space in your new home?"

In other words, are you serious or are you shopping?

Do you want to do it right or do you want to do it cheap?

Are we talking turkey, or are we talking trash?

+ Creating Commitment
Can you convert customers into committed clients?

Perhaps, if you...

+ Discuss long term goals as well as short term priorities

+ Seek feedback -- and ask about their future needs

+ Inform them of all your design services and products
+ Pitch commercial services to residential clients, and vice versa

+ Ask upselling questions ("Are you also consdering redoing the kitchen?")

+ Share your successes -- and testimonial letters

+ Stay in touch