Poll: How do you improve your value to your clients?

As the experts for feedback surveying for the professional design industry, we are gathering confidential statistics on what strategies design firms across the US & Canada are utilizing to combat the negative effects of the current recession.  By taking the following poll you will have immediate access to the data gathered to help your firm understand the approaches that other firms are currently using.

Which of the following strategies have you recently used to improve your value to your clients?
(Select all that apply)

• More frequent meetings (50%)
• Lowering fees (50%)
• Collecting client feedback (25%)
• Offering free work (13%)
• Other (13%)

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How often do you specifically request feedback from your clients?

• Rarely (50%)
• Annually (19%)
• Other (19%)
• Quarterly (13%)
• Monthly (-1%)

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From whom do you collect feedback? (Select all that apply)

• Clients (88%)
• Co-workers/Staff (25%)
• Managers/Admin (25%)
• Vendors (25%)
• N/A, we do not collect feedback at this time (13%)

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What do you do with the feedback information you collect? (Select all that apply)

• Use it to identify problems early & reduce liability (80%)
• Use it to improve staff performance (73%)
• Use it to enhance marketing (60%)
• Use it to improve staff assignments & training (40%)
• Use it for salary and bonus calculations (20%)
• N/A, we do not collect feedback at this time (7%)

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Best in Class Strategy Polls – Client Views of Rates and Fees

As the premier feedback surveying group for the professional design industry, we are offering to gather anonymous fee and rate setting strategies from firms across the US.  By taking the following poll you will have immediate access to the data gathered to help you in your fee and rate setting.  Please answer the following questions with regard to the past 6 months.

What do your clients really think of your fees?

• They think we’re charing at our cost plus a reasonable profit (45%)
• They think we’re charging at our cost plus a minimal profit (27%)
• They think we’re charging at our cost plus a premium profit (24%)
• They think we’re charging below our cost (3%)
• They think we’re charging at our cost with no profit (1%)

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What do your clients really think of the value you bring to solving their problems?

• They think the value we offer equals the fee we charge (36%)
• They think the value we offer slightly exceeds the fee we charge (35%)
• They think the value we offer greatly exceeds the fee we charge (17%)
• They think the value we offer is less than the fee we charge (12%)

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When competing for jobs against other firms, what percentage of the time do you suspect that their fees are at or below their cost?

• 50% (30%)
• 25% (20%)
• 75% (17%)
• 10% (17%)
• 0% (14%)
• 100% (2%)

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How often are you forced to set your fees at or below your cost?

• 10% (29%)
• 0% (21%)
• 50% (19%)
• 75% (15%)
• 25% (14%)
• 100% (2%)

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Feedback and strategic reports from 100 clients for $999

If you would like to enjoy the competitive advantage of Best In Class client awareness for just $999,

email answers@designfacilitator.com or call us at 866-433-7322

 

Polls

Knowing What to Charge by Knowing What (Your Clients Think) You Are Worth

After running an architectural firm for 20 years, I have found two consistent challenges to a firm’s prosperity that most design firms share:

1. We underestimate our value to our clients

2. We price ourselves according to Problem #1

If you work at a design firm, and especially if you manage a firm, don’t take offense. I believe that these problems were created over time and have a lot to do with the manner in which building contractors represent our work to owners. Since the perfect set of construction documents has likely never been created, contractors usually have something to complain about.

But blaming is the sport of children, so let’s find the solution to the problem.

Remember, the problem is not that clients don’t value our work; it’s that we assume that value is less than it really is. To correct an inaccurate assumption, we need more accurate information concerning our value to clients. We have to ask our clients for this information, something that most design firms avoid like the plague. Why? See Problem #1 above; it’s tough to ask for feedback when you think it’s going to be critical.

The encouraging component to this entire dilemma is that Problem #1 is stated correctly. We underestimate our value to our clients. Our software company, DesignFacilitator, provides the only Client Feedback Tool customized for architects and engineers. Our tool collects objective data regarding what clients really think. Our research shows that, on average, clients think that their design firm’s deliverables and service “exceeded expectations”. This information is based upon over 30,000 responses from clients concerning their perception of their design firm’s value.

While asking for feedback from clients must be done very carefully to produce the most accurate and actionable data, our patent-pending system utilizes state-of-the-art perception mapping to identify what clients think, and what a design firm can do to maximize their value to those clients. Client feedback will also show you which approaches create problems for clients and how to avoid them. With this information, a firm will naturally make more effective decisions concerning:

1. Setting fees relative to a client’s perception of the firm’s value

2. Addressing ’scope creep’ more quickly as an additional service

3. Identifying the most effective assignments for staff

4. Identifying the most efficient training for staff

Since a design firm’s profitability helps determine its strength, a firm becomes stronger when it knows what it can charge by understanding what its clients think. Add to the mix the ability to enhance a firm’s worth by proper staff assignments and training– both made easier by utilizing client feedback regarding the results of staff’s efforts– and you have a recipe for sustainable prosperity.

Best In Class – 2010 Fee and Rate Adjustment Poll
As the premier feedback surveying group for the professional design industry, we are offering to gather and share anonymous fee and rate setting strategies.  By taking the following poll you will have immediate access to the valuable data gathered from firms across the US to help you in your fee and rate setting for 2010.

What percentage adjustment is your firm likely to implement regarding 2010 hourly rates?

• No change planned (65%)
• +2.5% (15%)
• Plan on reducing rates (8%)
• +5% (6%)
• +15% or more (4%)
• +10% (2%)

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What percentage adjustment is your firm likely to implement regarding 2010 standard fees?

• No change planned (59%)
• Plan on reducing rates (11%)
• +2.5% (10%)
• +15% or more (4%)
• +5% (3%)
• +10% (13%)

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Feedback and strategic reports from 50 clients for $999

If you would like to enjoy the competitive advantage of Best In Class client awareness for just $999,

email answers@designfacilitator.com or call us at 866-433-7322

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