| Department Store Buyer Becomes Interior | | | | Journal and wrote an article under my clients' |
| Designer | | | | by-lines that appeared with the ad. After the |
| A market analysis gives direction for a small | | | | article and ad appeared, I ordered reprints, wrote |
| business. | | | | a solicitation letter, and bought a list of |
| By William Dupree | | | | approximately 500 real estate lawyers (new |
| A man contacted me about promoting his | | | | showroom tenants typically have their lawyers |
| commercial interior design firm that he was | | | | negotiate their leases). The solicitation letters gave |
| starting. At that time he was working as a | | | | my clients web site address and where to find his |
| department store buyer where he was very | | | | newsletter. The solicitation letters were mailed |
| bored in his job. He was interested in making a | | | | with a bulk mail permit from a local post office. |
| career change to interior designing. He had no | | | | They were also sent via email. |
| formal training but had educated himself in interior | | | | A few weeks later after sending out the |
| design and had worked on some very small | | | | solicitation letter and reprints, a lawyer who |
| showroom and office design projects in an | | | | represented a men's suit designer company |
| assisting role. | | | | responded to our ads. I prepared for my client a |
| After meeting with him and learning his goals, I did | | | | four color brochure, a PowerPoint presentation, |
| some research into office and showroom designs, | | | | and a script to follow during his presentation. My |
| and the correlations between new designs and | | | | client was up against 3 other firms competing for |
| increased business. I discovered that office interior | | | | the contract. My client was rewarded the |
| designing was a lot more plentiful but more | | | | contract. The contract was for 1.5 million for a |
| competitive. The larger design firms concentrated | | | | showroom on a very fashionable Manhattan |
| on the office designing market. I decide for my | | | | street. |
| client that it would be best if he would | | | | Five months after getting the contract to design |
| concentrate his efforts on the showroom design | | | | this showroom my client completed the project. |
| market which was less competitive and easier to | | | | The showroom turned out to be a huge success |
| break into. | | | | for the men's suit designer company. The |
| I helped my client create a web site that would | | | | company even recommended my client to an |
| express his unique approach to designing | | | | accessory manufacture and design company that |
| showrooms. The web site allowed clients to | | | | the suit company was doing business with. |
| request information on the different types and | | | | With the permission of the men's suit designer |
| styles of showroom designs that my client has to | | | | company I arranged for several stories about |
| offer. There would be articles and links to articles | | | | their work to be published. I made changes on |
| that would be of interest and help prospective | | | | their web site to include the success that my |
| clients with what type of showroom design would | | | | client had with the suit design company's show |
| be best for their business. The web site would | | | | room design. I also included it in the next |
| provide examples of other projects that were | | | | company newsletter that was going to be |
| successfully done. | | | | published. I repeated the process with the mailing |
| I wrote articles on the positive correlation | | | | list both of them (conventional mail and e-mail) |
| between new designs and increased business and | | | | promoting the success of my clients work. As a |
| distributed them on the internet were clients | | | | result, my client got three additional clothing design |
| would be looking for information. I included links in | | | | companies each of whom required large |
| the articles back to my client's web site. I created | | | | showrooms and offices |
| a newsletter for my client that contained helpful | | | | The success of the first contract allowed my |
| information to prospects by explaining several | | | | client to break into a new market segment which |
| different ways of how new showroom designs | | | | is designing offices, which is the largest and most |
| can increase business. The newsletter contained | | | | profitable in the interior design business. Here is |
| links to my clients' web site as well as links to | | | | where my client decided to expand his business; |
| articles and sources of information that would be | | | | and in order to do this he must hire others who |
| of assistance to any potential prospects. | | | | have the skills to execute the appropriate tasks |
| I created a print ad for the New York Real Estate | | | | at hand. |