About 99% of my clients are return clients or by referral from other clients etc.
Few months ago, while pumping gas I ended up talking to a gentlemen next to me. We ended up talking about our cars and sharing what we do for living. Found out that he is trying to build a new office/warehouse for his business, but the builder he was going with gave him a proposal that was more than what he expected and he was really disappointed and discouraged about building. I ended up calling a client I work with and we gave him a proposal next day. My fees are part of the construction cost so the client does not see my fees. Long story short, they just moved in last week and the guy could not be happier and I'm already talking to one of his friends that is looking into moving his business into a new building as well. I guess you never know where you will meet your client!
As far as bar clients, yeah those are only people that want to do additions or build new homes while drunk. I never had any luck with any of bar clients.
archiwutm8
Nov 11, 15 10:19 am
What cars?
David Cole, AIA
Nov 11, 15 10:38 am
I haven't met any prospective clients while drinking at a bar, but I've met a few while working at a bar:
- I did design work and did permit sets for two small projects for the bar's owner and his wife.
- The barback owns a couple of abandoned properties that he's in the process of fixing up, and he's approached me about doing permit drawings for his next project.
- A former bartender and her husband moved to NYC and now want to open their own bar, and have asked me to help them out.
I also did a couple permit sets for my former landlord, who also makes a living fixing up long-abandoned properties and the neighborhood and renting them out.
poop876
Nov 11, 15 10:47 am
Oh, the gentleman has a R8 and I have a WRX STI. He does love cars and he got a kick out of us putting a Ferrari in the renderings. Little things!
archiwutm8
Nov 11, 15 11:12 am
Oh flip a WRX STI? Always wanted one but I don't know if I could afford the fuel....I'm thinking of getting the new type R though.
Carrera
Nov 11, 15 12:01 pm
When starting out its all referrals, if bigger it’s mostly responding to RFP’s for larger work… “referrals” meaning meeting people, getting out, belonging to things, creating synergy…get people talking about you…nothing more powerful than a third party referral.
gruen
Nov 11, 15 12:12 pm
Mostly word of mouth / referrals / old clients but some from houzz and other internet.
3tk
Nov 11, 15 5:04 pm
referrals (friends of old clients; individuals moving from a former client organization to another; family; friends; alumni network; etc); donors for one client wanting us to do work on other places they donate to; being on 'preferred' lists at campuses.
whistler
Nov 11, 15 11:35 pm
Best client ever was referred to me by another architect when I was just starting out in my garage about 20 years ago. The other architect ( a friend ) didn't think much of the guy and sent him over to me. Chatted with him and his wife for an hour in my garage and figured out he was serious and very chatty. He was a little premature in the discussion as he had't purchased the land yet but figured he would shortly ... two years later he comes knocking on my door ( by this point I am working our of a proper office space with several staff ) and asks me to come over to see his site and asks for a proposal. By this time I knew he was the real deal and wanted a pretty nice custom home. I'd never written a proposal for the amount I figured It was going to cost me and was getting really nervous about under bidding knowing it would be a lot of work and didn't want to loose my shirt on the deal. Just hours before I am about to send over the proposal he phones me up and says to not bother sending the proposal. At this point I am bummed as I figured i'd taken to long and he had hired somebody else. Turns out he had talked to some of my references and said he trusted me and to just bill him by the hour.
Turns out the house took two years to design and three years to build and still stands as one of the best pieces of work I have ever been a part of. The best part is we billed him monthly to the tune of several hundreds of thousands of dollars and he paid within 2-3 days every single time. Still on my list of references.
x-jla
Nov 14, 15 11:37 pm
referals and internet
Donna Sink
Nov 15, 15 12:13 pm
My former partner worked out at the same upscale gym/health club for 20 years and found a lot of clients there. Also lots of referral work from the shops and suppliers he has worked with over the years, as well as good contractor relationships. Seriously, good relationships with EVERYONE involved in the process go a long, long way toward getting referrals.
I've also gotten several through being active on the PTA at my son's school.
Husband's partner chatted with a guy next to him on an airplane, they got a big job out of that.
snooker-doodle-dandy
Nov 15, 15 7:27 pm
Only take clients that do bank transfers. I have had a couple of great clients who value what you do and when billed the money appeared in my account within a couple of hours of billing.
haruki
Nov 15, 15 8:45 pm
snooker-doodle-dandy, those are the best kind of clients! I have one now who transfers money within minutes of getting an invoice. The ones that pay quickest definitely go to the top of my to do list and the ones who take foreveeeeeer to pay tend to go on my lower priority list.
ivorykeyboard
Nov 15, 15 9:15 pm
in bath houses
null pointer
Nov 15, 15 9:41 pm
I have a client that has been with me for a good 5 years. He pays the moment he gets a bill. My rate has doubled since, and I can't bring myself to hiking my hourly with him. That's what you get when you're a great client.
Meanwhile, the asshole who took two months to pay is now billed at the dick-client rate, which carries a 1.5 multiplier.
awaiting_deletion
Nov 18, 15 8:37 pm
referals and can all be traced back, the good clients, to mainly a one week intership I took after being fired, worked for food while i sent out resumes......here is the trail - 1 week for food, best consulting gig for 10 years for same firm was someone they met once, teaching job at major design school, famous artist architect who then goes to buy socks at a place that shares offices with a noteworthy art dealer turned landscaper, get test job via former client of landscaper - highests super high end job ever for me if test job good. this is one network of many actually. i dont even burn bridges with non paying assholes, they often know paying clients. you just blow smoke up he non payers, have a kid draft some low quality shit and wait for them to pass you on to a real client.
Is it all referrals from previous clients?
Or serendipitous meeting at the bar?
Share some of your stories..
About 99% of my clients are return clients or by referral from other clients etc.
Few months ago, while pumping gas I ended up talking to a gentlemen next to me. We ended up talking about our cars and sharing what we do for living. Found out that he is trying to build a new office/warehouse for his business, but the builder he was going with gave him a proposal that was more than what he expected and he was really disappointed and discouraged about building. I ended up calling a client I work with and we gave him a proposal next day. My fees are part of the construction cost so the client does not see my fees. Long story short, they just moved in last week and the guy could not be happier and I'm already talking to one of his friends that is looking into moving his business into a new building as well. I guess you never know where you will meet your client!
As far as bar clients, yeah those are only people that want to do additions or build new homes while drunk. I never had any luck with any of bar clients.
What cars?
I haven't met any prospective clients while drinking at a bar, but I've met a few while working at a bar:
- I did design work and did permit sets for two small projects for the bar's owner and his wife.
- The barback owns a couple of abandoned properties that he's in the process of fixing up, and he's approached me about doing permit drawings for his next project.
- A former bartender and her husband moved to NYC and now want to open their own bar, and have asked me to help them out.
I also did a couple permit sets for my former landlord, who also makes a living fixing up long-abandoned properties and the neighborhood and renting them out.
Oh, the gentleman has a R8 and I have a WRX STI. He does love cars and he got a kick out of us putting a Ferrari in the renderings. Little things!
Oh flip a WRX STI? Always wanted one but I don't know if I could afford the fuel....I'm thinking of getting the new type R though.
When starting out its all referrals, if bigger it’s mostly responding to RFP’s for larger work… “referrals” meaning meeting people, getting out, belonging to things, creating synergy…get people talking about you…nothing more powerful than a third party referral.
Mostly word of mouth / referrals / old clients but some from houzz and other internet.
referrals (friends of old clients; individuals moving from a former client organization to another; family; friends; alumni network; etc); donors for one client wanting us to do work on other places they donate to; being on 'preferred' lists at campuses.
Best client ever was referred to me by another architect when I was just starting out in my garage about 20 years ago. The other architect ( a friend ) didn't think much of the guy and sent him over to me. Chatted with him and his wife for an hour in my garage and figured out he was serious and very chatty. He was a little premature in the discussion as he had't purchased the land yet but figured he would shortly ... two years later he comes knocking on my door ( by this point I am working our of a proper office space with several staff ) and asks me to come over to see his site and asks for a proposal. By this time I knew he was the real deal and wanted a pretty nice custom home. I'd never written a proposal for the amount I figured It was going to cost me and was getting really nervous about under bidding knowing it would be a lot of work and didn't want to loose my shirt on the deal. Just hours before I am about to send over the proposal he phones me up and says to not bother sending the proposal. At this point I am bummed as I figured i'd taken to long and he had hired somebody else. Turns out he had talked to some of my references and said he trusted me and to just bill him by the hour.
Turns out the house took two years to design and three years to build and still stands as one of the best pieces of work I have ever been a part of. The best part is we billed him monthly to the tune of several hundreds of thousands of dollars and he paid within 2-3 days every single time. Still on my list of references.
referals and internet
My former partner worked out at the same upscale gym/health club for 20 years and found a lot of clients there. Also lots of referral work from the shops and suppliers he has worked with over the years, as well as good contractor relationships. Seriously, good relationships with EVERYONE involved in the process go a long, long way toward getting referrals.
I've also gotten several through being active on the PTA at my son's school.
Husband's partner chatted with a guy next to him on an airplane, they got a big job out of that.
Only take clients that do bank transfers. I have had a couple of great clients who value what you do and when billed the money appeared in my account within a couple of hours of billing.
snooker-doodle-dandy, those are the best kind of clients! I have one now who transfers money within minutes of getting an invoice. The ones that pay quickest definitely go to the top of my to do list and the ones who take foreveeeeeer to pay tend to go on my lower priority list.
in bath houses
I have a client that has been with me for a good 5 years. He pays the moment he gets a bill. My rate has doubled since, and I can't bring myself to hiking my hourly with him. That's what you get when you're a great client.
Meanwhile, the asshole who took two months to pay is now billed at the dick-client rate, which carries a 1.5 multiplier.
referals and can all be traced back, the good clients, to mainly a one week intership I took after being fired, worked for food while i sent out resumes......here is the trail - 1 week for food, best consulting gig for 10 years for same firm was someone they met once, teaching job at major design school, famous artist architect who then goes to buy socks at a place that shares offices with a noteworthy art dealer turned landscaper, get test job via former client of landscaper - highests super high end job ever for me if test job good. this is one network of many actually. i dont even burn bridges with non paying assholes, they often know paying clients. you just blow smoke up he non payers, have a kid draft some low quality shit and wait for them to pass you on to a real client.