How to Sell Design Services Without Feeling Like a Nervous Wreck
You’ve probably realized by now that launching your own design business is an exciting journey filled with ups and downs. You're passionate about creating beautiful, functional designs and know you've got something unique to offer. But there's a catch—SELLING YOUR DESIGN SERVICES.
You don't have to be very far along in your design entrepreneurship journey before discovering that selling is part of the deal. But knowing you have to do it doesn't make it any less daunting. Those nerve-wracking discovery calls, the art of presenting your design process, the constant fear of rejection, and generally feeling like a deer in headlights when discussing your rates? I've been there—heart pounding at the beginning of each call, wondering how to explain my design approach and worrying about landing the project.
Over time, my perspective on how to sell design services began to evolve. I moved from feeling a nagging unease to a steady confidence. Today, I'm sharing exactly what I did to go from nervous selling to confident closing and how you can too!
3 steps to selling design services
1. Change yo mindset
When I first started selling design services, I was all tangled up in the logistics and rules of selling. I was sooo focused on getting every step of my pitch right, that I'd often come across as rehearsed, nervous, and unsure. This did not instill confidence in my potential design clients or help me sell my services better.
What changed the game for me? A shift in mindset.
It's easy to see selling design services as hella aggressive, an act of convincing people to invest in your creative expertise. But that's not what selling is about. At all.
Selling is about HELPING your ideal client transform their vision into reality and solve their design challenges. You're not a pushy persuader… you're a creative problem solver. 💁🏽♀️
Switching up your sales mindset is powerful. When you reframe selling design services as helping businesses shine through strategic design, it takes the stress and guilt out, leaving you with a feeling of purpose and satisfaction. Adopting this mindset will help you stay chill and genuine when you're on a design discovery call or talking to a potential client, which makes people trust your creative expertise more.
Instead of being afraid of offending someone or losing the design project, enter the call from the perspective of trying to help a friend solve their problem and see if it makes sense that you be the solution to said problem.
2. Swap the fear for curiosity
Now that you know selling is about helping, you might be wondering how you’re supposed to understand how to help potential clients. I've got two words for you: active listening.
Active listening isn't about sitting in silence as the client describes their brand and issues. It's a deep dive into where they are now and where they want to be—absorbing every detail, responding thoughtfully, and showcasing your full engagement in understanding their design needs.
As you listen, let your curiosity take the lead. Don't just coast on the surface of the design brief; get your snorkel out and dive deep by asking, "what."
And here's a pro tip I learned from negotiation expert Chris Voss–stick with calibrated, open-ended questions that start with "what" and "how." Why? Because "why" can make people feel defensive (like they're being interrogated), while "what" and "how" open up the conversation and get people talking.
Some of my favorite calibrated questions for design clients:
"What about your current brand isn't hitting the mark?"
"How would your ideal brand make your customers feel?"
"What would reaching your design goals mean for your business?"
"How do you envision using these design assets day-to-day?"
"What metrics would tell you this design project was a success?"
The answers to these questions are so revealing.
One word of caution, remember to resist the temptation to complete a person's sentences as they open up. While it might seem like a way to demonstrate your design expertise, letting them find their own words to describe what they want is far more beneficial. After all, listening often teaches us more than speaking.
3. Keep it personal
I'm going to let you in on a little secret from my early days of selling design services: a sales script won't save you from having to show up and sell your creative expertise.
I was always on the hunt for the next big design sales script. You know, dropping $27 there, binge-watching countless YouTube videos about selling design services, downloading unhelpful "fill in the blanks" scripts – the works.
You might be in the same boat, clinging to these scripts for dear life, hoping they’ll rescue you from those gut-wrenching silent moments and stumbling phrases during intro calls. But in reality, they’re making you freeze and lose your personality.
So how do you find your authentic voice in design sales calls?
It starts with giving yourself permission to show up as you are. No scripts, no rehearsed lines, just you—bringing your expertise and genuine desire to help to every conversation.
The key is practicing these conversations until they feel natural. Start small if you need to. Maybe that means having discovery calls with fellow designers or friends who run businesses. The more you practice active listening and asking thoughtful questions, the more confident you'll become in your ability to guide these conversations naturally.
Want more tips on selling design services with confidence? Join my email list below! I share weekly insights on everything from pricing strategies to handling objections (and yes, more ways to ditch those robotic scripts). Plus, you'll be the first to know when I drop new resources for design business owners.
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