Three Mistakes Interior Designers Make When Using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Like Honeybook Or Dubsado
Welcome to another edition of Dakota Design Company’s Guest Expert Interview series. We’re thrilled to share expertise from female business owners, service providers, and leaders in the interior design industry – from interior photographers to marketers, financial advisors, branding experts, and beyond.
Each of our expert guests was selected because they can share their unique insights and perspectives on a range of topics that will help any interior designer take their business to the next level. These experts are Dakota Design Company insiders, and many of them have worked directly with us and our clients in the past. We hope you enjoy this series and that it brings new insights, tips, and tricks to add to your interior design toolbox!
Technology is supposed to make life easier. And there is no shortage of tech companies that say their software will change your life. From connecting you with friends to auto-paying your bills to managing your contacts, there’s a program for everything. It can get to the point where finding the right solution can be overwhelming.
Choosing a CRM software like Honeybook or Dubsado for your interior design business is no different. They save SO much time and help interior designers and their teams seamlessly handle client communication, leads, contracts, project management, billing, scheduling, the list goes on. They really can be life-changing if used the right way (and can even prolong the need to hire an admin assistant if set up properly).
But, what we find more often than not is these software programs are not being set up correctly or fully leveraged by interior designers — so rather than being a time-saving investment with a high ROI, they become a dusty time suck designers are afraid to touch.
So, if you’re thinking of incorporating a CRM like Honeybook or Dubsado into your interior design process, we asked our very own expert, Ashlee Drury, to share the most common mistakes she sees when fixing or setting up CRM software for our clients.
Ashlee has been with Dakota Design Co. since November 2020 and handles all our web design projects, CRM setups for Honeybook and Dubsado, and Flodesk build-outs. She completed the Dubsado Specialist Certification in 2023 (a written essay-style exam all about Dubsado!! I can’t imagine!) and loves creating beautiful, on-brand materials and streamlined systems for interior designers.
We asked her to share the top three mistakes interior designers make when using Honeybook or Dubsado (these are the only ones we use and set up, so will only reference these two in this post). She also shares a few tips for getting your CRM software set up correctly.
Mistake 01 | Trying to Build a Workflow Before Knowing Your Interior Design Process
Building a plane while trying to fly it doesn't typically end well, and the same can be said about building a workflow without first defining your interior design process. Most interior designers love the idea of creating a workflow that takes their clients from inquiry to offboarding without lifting a finger (sounds dreamy!).
While a CRM can take an enormous load off of your shoulders, it can only do what you tell it to do. So, if you don't know your process and what needs to happen at each step throughout the life of a project, a workflow won’t serve you or your clients in the way you are hoping.
Too often, I see workflow creation as the first step instead of the final step in utilizing a CRM, creating havoc and frustration for users.
By clearly defining your process first, you can then create what you need for each phase and build workflows that make sense for your interior design process.
Once you have all the pieces created (email templates, appointment types, forms, guides, etc.), you can manually work through a test project with a team member, your personal email, or a trusted friend or family member. This will help identify gaps or kinks in your process before creating automated workflows you'll have to rework eventually. After making the necessary adjustments in the manual test process, you’ll be ready to create a workflow that may include manual and automatic tasks/functions.
I've found that many designers like to keep control of certain aspects of their process because it can be very fluid when working on full-service furnishing or construction projects. This often looks like automating/creating a workflow for your 1) inquiry process, 2) onboarding process, 3) offboarding process while keeping the management phase fairly manual through weekly updates and then using automations and reminders for milestone meetings, project check-ins, and approvals.
But as with anything, work through your new workflow(s) with a test project BEFORE using it with a client.
Mistake 02 | Recreating The Wheel for Each Project (not using templates)
One of the beautiful things about using a CRM like Honeybook or Dubsado is the ability to create templates within the system so you don't have to recreate the wheel with each project.
Whether you have all of your client experience templates already set up, need to add them to your CRM, or have none whatsoever, this is your sign to start implementing templates in your CRM to save valuable time and streamline your interior design process. Head to The Design Library to check out our suite of available templates.
On the bright side, if you've sent a contract, form/smart file, or email, you can easily save them as templates to use again and again. While creating on-brand, beautiful forms or smart files can take some time or require you to hire someone to do it for you, it is well worth the investment and will serve you and your interior design business into the future.
Using templates also ensures brand consistency across all your materials. Whether it’s your website, proposals, emails, or invoices, having a cohesive and consistent look to your documents reinforces your brand identity and acts as a quality control.
Mistake 03 | Thinking A CRM is An All or Nothing Decision
Honeybook and Dubsado have amazing capabilities to help interior designers get organized and serve their clients at the highest level. However, for many creatives, including designers, it can feel daunting to set up and/or learn ALL.THE.THINGS. associated with using and running the software.
But you’re in luck because we’re here to tell you that you don't have to go from 0 to 100 in one day or even one month.
While you or a member of your team may have the capacity to learn a new software program, create templates, set up workflows, and trigger events in your CRM day in and out, we know that some interior designers are struggling to keep their heads above water and need some quick and easy ways to automate parts of their interior design business. So, think about the parts of your process that would be easiest to move into your CRM and start with just one or two items. Then, as you get more comfortable with the software, add a few more steps, play around with automations and triggers, and have some fun!!
Baby Steps To Ease Into Using Honeybook or Dubsado
We have a few tips for “baby steps” you can implement so you are able to take advantage of some time savings and automations, without feeling like you have no clue what’s happening or what’s being sent to clients.
The NUMBER ONE thing you should be doing is digitizing your contract. This will allow you to send a digital contract and collect signatures electronically (no more holding up a project because your clients need to get access to a printer so they can sign). Honeybook or Dubsado will also store a digital copy of the signed contract for future reference. It will be accessible to anyone on your team who may need to reference the scope (versus you shuffling around papers on your desk trying to find it).
NUMBER TWO is to create and leverage the lead or contact form within your CRM. This form can then be embedded on the contact page on your website to funnel all of your leads into your CRM. You can also take this a step further and create an automatic email that goes out once the form is submitted. This auto-generated email can list more information about your services and lets prospects know their form submission was received and is in process.
NUMBER THREE is all too often forgotten and leaves your clients feeling ghosted—the offboarding process. A best practice we suggest is to create an email sequence (typically 3-5 emails) that goes to clients at the end of each project. These emails can be triggered automatically so that with one click, your clients will feel supported well after install day as they receive a well-timed and supportive series of emails.
While she was sharing her tips for setting up your CRM properly, we asked Ashlee what are two things interior designers should do to start on the right foot when using Honeybook or Dubsado, and she said:
01 | Take a piece of paper and write out the client-facing process for each of your services from inquiry to final offboarding. Next to each step, identify what resources, emails, schedulers, etc., you need, identify any resource gaps in the process, and create any you don't already have. You can only leverage a CRM so far if you don't know what comes next.
02 | Start small. If you are overwhelmed with the prospect of taking an interior design client from inquiry to offboarding through your CRM or creating resources for the gaps you found while mapping out your process, start with your inquiry process. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to manage your leads and stay organized when they are all funneled into one central location. Creating a lead capture or contact form that automatically sends the potential client an email with more information about your company and a link to your investment guide will start your projects on the right foot and make you look like the pro you are.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR USING HONEYBOOK OR DUBSADO IN YOUR INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS:
On the Blog: Do This ONE Thing Before You Automate Your Interior Design Business
On the Blog: The Best CRM for Interior Designers
On the Blog: Your Contact Form Stinks (and 6 Ways to Fix It)
Resource: Save on your first year of Honeybook*
Resource: Shop The Design Library & Get Access to Our Complimentary Honeybook and Dubsado courses for interior designers with your purchase
*I’m a Honeybook Educator and affiliate so I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you if you sign up through my link. I only recommend software I use and love, and Honeybook is one of my all time favorites!
