A Client Who Wants to “Think About It” Actually Needs Help – Here’s What to Do

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We’ve all heard those crushing words from clients…” We’d like to think about it”. After weeks of empathy, inspiration and perspiration, they’ve become stuck – and indecisive. Here’s how to help them move forward…

No matter what stage of the design process you’re at, client feedback of ‘we’d like to think about it’ leaves you in limbo, disempowered – creating project uncertainty.

Whether after your first meeting, feasibility, first concept, town planning or even detailed drawings; these words never comfort you because they tell you the client’s hesitant to progress to the next stage.

What Drives Their Hesitancy?

Imagine never hearing these words again. Instead, imagine clients who give you clear & timely feedback enabling you to progress the design or move on to the next project. How would that help your practice?

To achieve this, we need to understand the client’s hesitancy when they say “we’d like to think about it”.

The good news is, there’s a wealth of literature from consumer psychologists on client hesitancy that distils down to one thing:

Clients hesitate when they don’t yet have all the information required to make informed decisions.

This hesitancy has served humankind well since the beginning of time, meaning our ancestors learnt to avoid unnecessary risks (avoid that sabre-tooth tiger) by hesitating and waiting for more information. Back then, it was crucial to their survival so evolution has hard wired our human brains.

So, how does this psychological dynamic play out for home owners investing in one of their biggest life-time spends?

Simply put, they want to minimise risk by answering any unknowns, such as:

  • Will the local council approve it?
  • How can we find a builder?
  • Can I trust this design is the best for my brief?
  • Does the design’s creator understand what I want and have the skill to deliver it?
  • Can I afford to build this?

What’s the process to make this happen and when the latest I’m comfortable backing out?

Fortunately, you can pre-empt all of these questions (and more), reducing the client’s hesitancy and streamlining the way forward. Simply create a standard information pack for clients and employ readily available tools.

To illustrate:

Clients’ Information Need: Will the local council approve it?

Your Pre-Emptive Response to Help Them Progress: With each concept, include a confirmation that preliminary review of the design suggests council’s town planning requirements have been met (subject to final approval)

Clients’ Information Need: How can we find a builder?

Your Pre-Emptive Response to Help Them Progress: In your client information pack, re-assure clients that you have, and do, work with a network of professional builders who can deliver great results.

Clients’ Information Need: Can I trust this design is the best for my brief? Or, does the design’s creator understand what I want and have the skill to deliver it?

Your Pre-Emptive Response to Help Them Progress: In your client information pack, include social proof of the work you do. References from past clients, case studies, awards, photos of past projects – anything that showcases your awesomeness to clients.  

With your design response, include the key elements of the brief to reinforce to clients that you’ve heard and understood their needs.

Clients’ Information Need: Can I afford to build this?

Your Pre-Emptive Response to Help Them Progress: Avoid budget ambiguity by including a ProCalc report for feasibility and each of their concepts – take a free ProCalc Trial here

Clients’ Information Need: What’s the process to make this happen and when’s the latest I can back out if I change my mind?

Your Pre-Emptive Response to Help Them Progress: In your client information pack, include an infographic of the entire process from first meeting to finished product. Help the clients understand the journey you’re taking them on and avoid surprises.

In conclusion, when a client wants to think about it, ask if they need any further information. Then, over time, build up that information in a client info pack that you send to clients when they first contact you.

Mapping out the way forward for clients helps explain the process, build trust and eliminate any surprises.

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. We’ve all heard those crushing words from clients…” We’d like to think about it”. After weeks of empathy, inspiration and perspiration, they’ve become stuck – and indecisive. Here’s how to help them move forward… No matter what stage of the design process you’re at, client feedback of ‘we’d like...