Competition in the design world is ferocious. It's not designer against designer or designer against architect. The competition comes from office supply stores, factory-direct phone numbers, and a multitude of other sources. It is imperative for designers to use marketing and selling strategies effectively. The key to this is the designer/client relationship. This step-by-step manual helps you design the marketing program that best fits your unique practice. Because it is written by a practicing interior designer and business consultant, it is a vocabulary you are familiar with. Mary Knackstedt guides you through all aspects of promoting a design business, including design specialization, promotional resources, market research, and personal interactions. Examples from successful, highly profitable firms make it easy to apply the book's marketing techniques to your own business. Proven strategies help you target the right clients, present yourself and your company in the best possible light during interviews, and build and maintain strong relationships with clients. Business forms such as a design staff questionnaire, meeting planning guides, and the design services outline help keep you on target and can be easily adapted to the specific needs of your practice. Business growth techniques include how to: establish a company profile that attracts clients and accurately conveys the image you want; find clients who are most likely to want your services; "pre-sell" clients so they're more receptive to future sales pitches; budget marketing efforts accurately to avoid unnecessary expenses; set up a reliable customer service operation; handle complaints diplomatically and with minimumproblems; build a better relationship with clients; create proper contracts and letters of agreement; and set prices that are appropriate for your services. Marketing and Selling Design Services is an essential survival guide for interior designers in the 1990s.