EP 076 | How Interior Designers Can Educate Clients with Courtney McLeod and Gail M. Davis

September 3, 2018

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How can interior designers help clients understand the value of working with a true professional?

In this episode, Kimberley Seldon speaks with Courtney McLeod and Gail M. Davis about what separates professional designers from non-professionals and how designers can better control the conversation around expertise, fees, and value. They discuss why client education is essential and how clear expectations can help attract better-fit projects.

For interior designers looking to strengthen their positioning and profitability, this conversation offers practical insight into pricing, qualification, and communicating professional value.

In this episode, we learn:
• Why a high-end home does not always mean a high-end decorating budget
• How consult fees and strong hourly rates help qualify better clients
• Why six-figure salary goals should be a starting point, not the finish line
• How asking about past designer experiences can improve client conversations
• Why educating clients helps protect your value and expertise
• How clear positioning helps distinguish professional designers from hobbyists

 

Design Intervention

Gail suggests hiring a branding coach. She works with a group on a monthly basis through Nicole Heymer at Curio Electro.

Courtney loves her Vision/Goal/Task Strategy.

  • Vision is big picture, soul of your business
  • Goals are set quarterly
  • Tasks are narrowly defined and tackled each month.

At Business of Design™ we call this a Design for Living.

Meet Gail M. Davis

Award-winning and celebrated designer Gail M. Davis infuses her designs with a refreshing air of lively elegance. For more than a decade, she has forged a blazing path in the interior design industry, following a successful career in fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue. She studied at New York School of Interior Design, and honed her craft interning at the legendary firm of Bunny Williams Inc. and the prestigious David Kleinberg Design Associates.

Today, Gail’s projects can be seen in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, as well as on the west coast in the state of California. Gail has been featured in Ebony Magazine, domino magazine, Design Sponge and more. She is lauded for her traditional yet timeless style. Gail’s honest and dependable nature and her commitment to each client’s happiness make her a unique talent in the industry. Her passion is fuelled by the desire to deliver welcoming, personal spaces that envelop her clients in warm energy and love.

Gail Davis Designs LLC

Meet Courtney McLeod

Courtney McLeod is the founder and principal of Right Meets Left Interior Design, an award-winning Manhattan-based full-service design studio. The name Right Meets Left perfectly reflects her approach to the design process – an ideal balance of a creatively vital mind (right brain) and a sharply analytical one (left brain). This approach allows the studio to conjure magical environs for exacting clients and execute these dreams with efficiency and diligence.

FROM RIGHT…

Creatively, Courtney is a colorist at heart whose designs express both her client’s unique tastes and her vivid, collected aesthetic.  Born and raised in New Orleans, Courtney brings a sophisticated view to her rooms, informed by her Creole background and extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia.

…TO LEFT

Practically, she approaches each project with a keen understanding and appreciation of the significant financial investment required to execute a successful interior design project.  Courtney guides each client on how best to invest their financial resources, and takes great pride in rigorous project management, enabling projects to stay on time and on budget.

Right Meets Left Interior Design has been featured in print both in the US and abroad – including the cover of Aspire Design + Home Magazine.

Courtney earned a business degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and pursued a successful 15-year career in the financial services industry, rising to a leading portfolio management role in real estate private equity.  Despite her success, at the peak of her career she realized it was time to commit to the pursuit of her true passion – designing beautiful interiors. Taking the tremendous skills gained through her experience and enhancing them with design-related studies at Parsons, Pratt, and the New York School of Interior Design, she confidently embarked on a new course and has never looked back.

Right Meets Left Design

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Legal Disclosure | This podcast is for educational purposes only and provides general business advice for interior designers and design professionals. It is not intended as individual legal, accounting, or professional guidance. Kimberley Seldon and Business of Design® make no guarantees regarding accuracy and are not liable for how information is used. Strategies shared may not apply to every situation—listeners should seek qualified legal, financial, or professional advice before making business decisions. References and resources mentioned may change over time.

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