Holding a Proposal Meeting to Present Your Scope of Work, Interior Design Contract, and Design Fee
Everything I write and speak about is focused on one thing: formalizing and elevating interior designers’ client experience processes. Over the years that I have helped designers improve their services, pricing, and processes and implement systems to support those improvements, I have witnessed great practices as well as some very questionable ones.
Today’s topic is one that, in my opinion, lies right in the middle. Is it a good practice? Or is it adding unnecessary steps to the client experience process?
I truly was torn on this topic as I’m of the mindset that if you have a formalized client process in place, you know exactly what to market and who to market to. You shouldn’t really need to “sell” anything. By the time a potential client reaches out, they’re already sold on you being “the one” for them and really just need to confirm their decision by asking a few questions during their discovery call. Then, the presentation of the scope of work, contract (aka proposal), and design fee should proceed very easily, without much additional inquiry, probing, or objection.
Truly, very little selling is needed when you have a solid client experience process and have clearly positioned your business via solid marketing.
So, I took this question to my audience of interior designers and asked them to weigh in.
“Do you meet personally with potential clients to present their scope, contract, and design fee? And, if so, has it helped to increase conversions?”
I received 127 responses (thank you to everyone who contributed) and am excited to share the general consensus with you in this post.
At a glimpse, here’s how the numbers broke down:
DESIGNER RESPONDENTS NOT CONDUCTING A PROPOSAL MEETING: 61%
33% said they don’t hold a proposal meeting, but they casually offer a call or Zoom meeting to review once they’ve sent the contract and scope. Clients may or may not opt for the meeting
16% said they don’t hold a meeting, but they think it may be helpful.
9% said no way, who has time for that? Not my clients or me.
2% said no, but they send a personalized Loom video along with the contract and design fee to highlight key points of the contract and scope.
1% said no, they have a really good close rate without doing a proposal meeting.
DESIGNER RESPONDENTS WHO DO CONDUCT A PROPOSAL MEETING: 39%
28% said they hold a proposal meeting to present the scope, contract, and fee, which has helped their close rate.
6% said they used to hold a proposal meeting but didn’t find it helpful.
5% said they hold a proposal meeting but haven’t noticed an increase in close rates.
From both sides, some shared themes were:
Designers want to start doing a proposal meeting so they can answer questions and give more clarity upfront.
Designers already have a good close rate without a proposal meeting, so don’t want to add the extra step.
High and ultra-high net worth clients are too busy and would be unhappy with another meeting.
Designer’s clients are so ready to say yes, an extra meeting isn’t needed; they’re ready to sign!
Designers are nervous about negotiating fees or handling objections on the spot.
So, what’s my take? Does every service require a proposal meeting? What do other designers do? What are the pros and cons of offering a proposal meeting? What actually happens in a proposal meeting?
Let’s dive in!
When Should You Hold a Proposal Meeting to Present Your Scope of Work, Interior Design Contract, and Design Fee
Proposal meetings are best for custom full-service design proposals but are completely unnecessary for productized services (like a Design Day or Virtual Design service) or well-established hourly packages (like a Designer By Your Side where you sell a block of hours for a set fee).
Why? The whole point of a productized service is that it is like a product. Something people put in the cart and buy because they know what they’re getting. There’s no customization of the scope, no special timelines, none of that. It is very clearly defined, and while the deliverables are customized to each client, everyone gets the same deliverables.
The delivery of custom services will prompt more questions, though. With interior design, there is so much misinformation (thanks, HGTV) that being “live” with a potential client while presenting your fee and scope could be very educational and supportive. Plus, in most full-service design projects, the client will be with you for a long time, often at least six months, so having an extra meeting is a great opportunity to gain even more comfort and trust.
Something to consider: Your pricing should account for the time to prepare for and host the proposal meeting. Now, you wouldn’t say your consultation fee (if you charge one, more on that here) includes the consultation and a proposal meeting because if, after the consultation, you determine the project is not a good fit, you obviously won’t want to refund your client a portion of their consultation fee or invest unnecessary time preparing a scope of work and fee or hosting a live meeting for a project you don’t want.
What I’m saying is that holding a proposal meeting makes sense with higher-priced and more complex services because of the time commitment involved. So, if your fee to design a room from soup to nuts is really low, it doesn’t make sense to do a proposal meeting because that hour-long meeting will eat into your overall profitability. You want to make sure the potential return on investment is worth it. If it’s a large design fee with a large furniture budget, then there is a high ROI of that single hour to hold the meeting to ensure the client signs on with you.
One hour could = lots of revenue for your firm.
But on the other hand, clients who are hiring a full service designer and investing in custom or to-the-trade furnishings have probably done some research and know what they want and who they want to hire to help them. So, a proposal meeting may be unnecessary. Just send them the scope and the price, and they’ll ask questions if they have them.
My Personal Experience Being On The Receiving End Of A Proposal Meeting
So now that I’ve cleared up when proposal meetings are appropriate, I’ll share my take on them.
Until about two months ago, I wasn’t a fan and truly thought they were unnecessary and a possible source of friction for potential clients.
Again, if you have a good client process, clear services, and consistent marketing, there shouldn’t be any need to add MORE to your sales process. In fact, your clients will likely appreciate that you made it so easy for them to say yes to working with you. So, if you have a solid process in place and good marketing, proposal meetings probably aren’t necessary.
Plus, for me personally, I am a slow buyer. I do research, I follow companies on social media, I sign up for their newsletters, and I learn about them to make sure I like their style and philosophy. But once I do the initial outreach for an important custom project, I’m already sold and want to sign the contract, pay the fee, and lock in my start date.
So, my experience is coming from that mindset as well. I’m pretty much all in from the discovery call unless they show up very differently from how they showed up online/via their emails/via their marketing.
However, I was recently on the other end of this experience: I was the client invited to a proposal meeting so a business could present my project scope, contract, and fee to me.
It shed some new light on this topic.
A little backstory: This company had very little in the way of online presence, but I liked their marketing angle and their process. It also wasn’t a make-it-or-break-it project, so I wasn’t dead set on hiring any single company.
After a quick discovery call, they came to my house to do an in-person consultation and measure (probably took an hour), then let me know they would email me in a few days to schedule a proposal meeting. I was like, HUH? Just send me the proposal. It’s summer. I’m in the middle of our Designed to Scale Method program. My kids are all home. We’re renovating our entire house after it was gutted due to flooding. I really don’t have time for a meeting. But I am all about the process, and I really needed to hire someone for this job, so I said, of course, looking forward to it.
A few days later, they emailed me to schedule the proposal meeting, and I was a little annoyed. The company gave me two time slots, and neither was ideal, so I had to rearrange my schedule, and it took me some time to get back to them to confirm. So, one downside: it could take a while for your potential client to respond to your email to schedule the proposal meeting. Playing the waiting game is not fun.
But we ended up locking in a time, and they sent over the Zoom meeting info. Upside: I was very glad this was a virtual meeting because it would have been difficult to accommodate an in-person meeting. And, my worst fear, what if we do an in-person meeting and it’s at my house and they NEVER leave! Haha. So, I was glad it was via Zoom.
This company didn’t articulate what the benefit of the meeting would be to me (so side note: be sure to present why this meeting is beneficial to your client when you are scheduling it) HOWEVER, I actually quite enjoyed the meeting.
They walked through things I didn’t even think of in the scope and explained why I would need them. This actually made me question another company I had met with because they hadn’t mentioned any of these things needing to be done.
They asked me to confirm the scope for each room in the proposal and had very detailed notes from the in-person consultation. This made me feel like, WOW, they really paid attention. Details matter to them, and they really want this job.
I liked that a lot.
Remember: it’s allllllll about your client, it’s never about you!
I had an objection to one part of the scope, and I let them know it was way more than I was expecting. In saying this, we actually discovered that they priced that part of the project assuming X, Y, Z, and I really only needed X, so they addressed that on the spot and let me know the fee for that space would be reduced.
They also asked me what questions and concerns I had, and they addressed them on the spot. They wrapped the call by letting me know they would adjust the proposal to reflect the change in scope we discussed, and they would send the new pricing and contract over shortly. (which they did, in like ten minutes ← bravo!)
This person did not push me into anything, and they were very professional and accommodating. If they had been pushy or pressured me to make a decision on the spot, I likely would have had a bad taste in my mouth and NOT moved forward. ← because that would feel like not only are they taking up my time, but now they’re doing it just to make money for themselves. I am nowhere in that equation.
SO — the ultimate question. Did I hire this company?
While I was impressed with their process and felt they were very knowledgeable and would have done a great job, I ended up going with a different company — one that was highly recommended by a trusted source I have worked with before (the power of referrals). The difference between the proposal presentation from my chosen company and the one I just described?
A text message with a few bullets of scope and a number at the bottom.
So, in the end, the meeting didn’t matter because I had received such a strong referral to another company. However, if I hadn’t had that referral, I would have moved forward with the company that did the proposal meeting because it felt very professional and client-focused.
BUT, I would have been very observant because they did make a lot of promises and put on a “big show” about how good their process and results were.
So, those are my two cents. If someone is comparing you to other designers, and you present the proposal and the other companies don’t, you’ll likely “win” the job and have higher client buy-in. But you have to be able to deliver on your promise and your scope — so make sure whatever you pitch is something you can stand behind 100%.
The Pros Of Doing a Proposal Meeting to Present Your Scope of Work, Interior Design Contract, & Design Fee
01 | HIGHER CLOSE RATES
Incorporating proposal meetings into your interior design process isn't just a matter of personal preference; it's a strategy that has been proven to yield results. Data from numerous studies and industry surveys consistently shows that businesses that conduct in-person proposal meetings experience significantly higher close rates compared to those relying solely on remote communication or written proposals.
Even in this digital day and age, the impact of face-to-face interactions in securing clients and building trust cannot be overlooked. Plus, if you ask any salesperson in any industry, they’ll tell you never to send a proposal via email and always present it in a live meeting. The numbers don’t lie.
02 | CLIENTS FEEL HEARD AND SUPPORTED
Hosting a proposal meeting to review the proposed scope of work and pricing with a client lets them know you are committed to ensuring you’ve captured their project goals accurately. It's an opportunity to build rapport, understand their needs, and demonstrate your dedication to their project and satisfaction.
This personal touch can significantly enhance the client's experience, as it shows you're not just another service provider but a partner invested in their vision.
03 | ADDRESS OBJECTIONS ON THE SPOT
You can address any questions, concerns, or objections immediately, ensuring the client fully understands the scope of work, process, and pricing. You’ll have the opportunity to find solutions or adjust the scope and pricing to align with their expectations and your services when applicable.
04 | SHOWCASE YOUR PROFESSIONALISM
When you take the time to walk through your contract, process, scope, and pricing with a potential client, it’s a chance to show them you’re a professional with a tried and true process, a legit contract, and a solid belief in what you’re offering. Typically, this results in clients understanding your pricing and having more buy-in into your process because you show up like an expert with all this organized information.
05 | SHOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM
If you have a studio space and a team, this is an excellent opportunity to give potential clients a glimpse into what it would be like to be a client. They’ll have the opportunity to meet your team and see all the support they’ll receive throughout the project.
You may even use this meeting to show them what a spec book or a design presentation looks like so they have even more buy-in.
Advice From Designers Who Are In Favor Of Holding Presentation Meetings
Here are some comments made by the designers who responded to the survey and were in favor of holding proposal meetings:
“I have a paid SOW planning service. At the culmination of that service, clients can choose to sign the LOA so the SOW we created will become a reality.”
“I don't just offer to schedule a review meeting after they receive it by email. I set up at the end of the initial consultation a video call to review the proposal together and to answer any questions they have. I set the meeting for after they have received their proposal by email so they have time to review it, collect their thoughts, and any questions. This has worked really well for me. It gives the client the best of both worlds. Time to privately review and digest it, but then the confidence that they know a meeting is already scheduled to address/answer any concerns or questions they have. I've booked 100% of clients since I switched to this method.”
“I find this best to be done in person. We do it at our studio, and it is highly effective. Plus, they get to see our aesthetic and meet our team!”
“Sometimes clients want us to email it beforehand. I prefer not to, as we don't have the opportunity to handle objections immediately.”
“I meet in person with my clients to review the proposal and contract one week after our initial consultation meeting. I find it helpful to be able to answer any questions they may have, sell my vision and process, and add a personal touch as they decide to spend lots of money with my business.”
“We have seen an increase in close rate. We almost always present virtually rather than in person. It works well if our client is familiar with the video call platform. If not, we present in person.”
“I need buy-in on my process. I found if I didn't explain it well from the start, then they didn't understand the progression of decisions. And then they would try to take control (in order to give themselves a sense of peace.) But their idea of a timeline and mine are very different! I need them to feel confident that I have their best interests planned into the schedule and things will get done on time and on budget if we follow the plan spelled out in my contract.”
“I always bring a LOA to every new vetted client meeting. They tell me about their scope, we discuss the potential for the expenses, and I then tell them how I work and the fees necessary to complete the job (rounded, high-level numbers). If they want to proceed, I go through the LOA with them in their home because I explain why and where I charge. It allows me to really explain what they are getting for their money and why they should choose me.”
“All decision-makers need to be present. It allows us to review the contract and address any larger questions.”
“We do this at our studio, and it is a game changer. We roll out the red carpet, have fresh flowers, request the clients’ drink preferences, have a custom sign made for the entry, do formal team introductions and then get to it. We have their blueprint up on our plexi wall and then our latest is that we will be rotating our portfolio photos on the screen subtly.”
“Yes, it helps set up clear expectations and a successful client journey”
“Once I send the proposal with my contract linked, we have a scheduled follow-up call to review and go over everything. This gives the client a chance to review everything and get their questions together for us to review over the phone/Zoom call. I also find this saves time on my end, and I don't have to deal with the price negotiating/service tweaks that some like to do twice 😆.”
“It works very well, you can educate them better on the pricing. I also have the cost of the scope of the project. So they know WHAT the project will cost, and if they agree with the cost of the project, then I present my fee”
The Cons Of Doing a Proposal Meeting to Present Your Scope of Work, Interior Design Contract, and Design Fee
01 | TIME AND SCHEDULING CHALLENGES
Scheduling and conducting in-person or virtual proposal meetings can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when clients have busy schedules. This may lead to delays in the project timeline and potentially frustrate clients if they perceive the meeting as inconvenient.
02 | ADDED COSTS
Hosting proposal meetings in person or virtually requires more time from you. If you have your team involved in the meeting, you’ll be paying for their time as well. If you’re providing drinks and snacks or displaying fresh flowers for in-studio proposal meetings, those add up also.
Because it could delay a client signing a contract with you, it could add time for moving a client through your process, and we all know that long timelines are costly. If you’re wrapping these costs into the design fee, it could lead to higher project pricing, which may deter some clients who are budget-conscious.
Side note: If you’re pulling out all the stops for a proposal meeting, you absolutely must have a solid screening process in place to identify the best-fit projects that ARE likely to convert.
03 | NEGOTIATING ON THE SPOT
If you tend to say yes to anything a client asks for, or you waver the second you sense any pushback, you may get yourself into a tough spot if you offer proposal meetings and the potential client wants to negotiate the fee. Many designers don’t like the feeling of “selling” or negotiating with potential clients on the spot, and they’re anxious about answering questions about proprietary trade pricing or product information.
If you know this is you, then a proposal meeting may not be a good fit for you…BUT….if you have a good screening process in place, send an investment guide, and have a good process; hopefully, this won’t be an issue, and those hot-button topics will have already been covered.
On the other hand, if you present well and are good on your feet, then a proposal meeting could be a great addition to your process.
Advice From Designers Who Don’t Hold A Proposal Meeting
Here are some comments made by the designers who responded to the survey and were NOT in favor of holding proposal meetings:
“I use a standard contract and send it with my proposal and let clients know I'm available via phone to answer questions. No one asks questions; they just sign the contact if they want to work with me. If they don't sign, or ask questions, I usually get ignored. I charge a consultant fee which covers my time for putting together a proposal, but not going to meet them again to run through the contract.”
“I'm worried they will try to negotiate while we review and I will cave on items I don't want to cave on”
“We give comparable project investments in the initial phone call where possible as well as review potential fees/ comparable project investments in the initial interview along with a "blank" letter of agreement before we have given an estimate for scope of work. We then determine the retainer amount once we know the full scope of work and email it out. Then when they get the proposal it isn't a complete surprise and they overall understand the letter of agreement.``
“I find that if I’ve done a good job of explaining my services and setting expectations during the discovery, call and initial conversation, the proposal is a recap of everything we previously discussed. I do offer a follow up call to review in questions that come to mind or if they need to adjust the scope, after seeing the full proposal, but the majority of my clients to get to this point, accept the proposal and move forward.”
“Usually no, but it depends on the project, the client, and the size of the team (i.e. architect, builder, etc.)”
“I send via email with an attached loom video that walks them through it and answers typical questions. Feels personal and more efficient than meeting.”
“I don’t like the feeling of putting them on the spot.”
“During the design consultation, I like to verbally propose my design fees and talk through most of the details. If I get verbal approval, I’ll send over the letter of agreement digitally for e-signatures. If I need to do extra work figuring out the fee (for something complicated) or we don’t do a design consultation because they know they already want to work with me then I’ll send a proposal digitally first then a letter of agreement once I get approval on the proposal.”
“I did it once and the prospective client passed b/c she thought I was too focused on money (since the bulk of the contract is about how the money is collected/charged/fees/etc).”
“I don't like feeling like I have to sell and I don't like feeling like I'm putting them and me on the spot.”
“I don’t do a proposal meeting but I think having an actual meeting would be very professional and ideal for full service clients. This would elevate the client experience and make it official. Great time to celebrate too!”
“I review the scope of the project and my service package and deliverables on an intro call. Then send a packet with my process after the call. I customize the proposal/contract, and send it via email with a written explanation and next steps. Works pretty well! ;) (I have a high close rate for proposals, and clients are happy.)”
“I also hesitate to schedule more time/meetings before closing, and feel the discomfort of witnessing them see the numbers for the first time. But I would be willing to try it if it’s proven to convert better.”
How To Host A Proposal Meeting To Present Your Scope of Work, Contract, and Design Fee
So, the numbers don’t lie, and I think it’s worth it to experiment with hosting a proposal meeting for your full service design projects that require a customized scope of work (NOT small productized services!).
Try it a few times and see if you notice a higher close rate.
Here’s how to do it:
If you do a consultation meeting, schedule the proposal meeting AT that meeting. This way, the client knows it’s coming. Frame this up to showcase why this meeting is beneficial to the client. (You can answer their questions live, make any adjustments to the scope or pricing, ensure you’ve captured all their goals for their home, etc.)
Prepare for the proposal meeting, whether in office or virtual. Make sure the meeting is efficient, no more than 30 - 60 minutes.
At the start of the proposal meeting, remind them of the length and format of the meeting, the benefit of the meeting, that they can ask questions at the end, and what will happen after the meeting (you’ll make revisions if needed, or you’ll send the final contract and design fee to them so they can sign and lock in their project start date).
Then, for the remainder of the meeting, you might:
Review their scope of work. Ensure you’ve captured the scope for each space correctly.
Review your contract terms specific to what is included in the scope of work. Do they have any questions?
Review the design fee investment and project investment amount. Is this in line with what they were expecting?
Ask them if they have any questions about anything you’ve discussed.
Confirm any changes they’ve requested and establish a timeline for the next steps.
Send them the next steps via email after the meeting (this may be an updated scope of work and design fee or the original one, plus the contract to sign and the invoice to pay).
Follow up if you don’t hear back right away. I am a fan of three follow-up emails. Read this post to learn what clients think when you DON’T follow up.
Ultimately, the decision to implement in-person or virtual proposal meetings should be made with careful consideration of your target clientele, your design firm's capabilities, your sales skills, your pricing, and the unique circumstances of each project. When executed thoughtfully, proposal meetings can be a powerful way to increase your close rates and create a professional and elevated experience.
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