Lighting Designers are just salespeople COMMENT MARCUS STEFFEN
In this issue’s column Marcus Steffen breaks down the hidden salesmanship that comes with lighting design, and why we need to acknowledge this aspect of the business.
I am going to annoy some designers and explain how all lighting designers are salespeople. Once the rage inside has died down, I will explain how this is actually not a bad thing, and that what we sell is actually one of the most wonderful things in the world (spoiler: it’s dreams). Sales is a pretty dirty word in our industry, as it is in most. The word conjures up crooked, second-hand car salesmen and telemarketing people, pressure selling you junk products, PPI, insurance, etc. It is perceived to be all about greed and money, leaving a wake of unhappy customers. Unfortunately, this reputation has been earned, and is really the result of poor sales training and a fundamental lack of understanding of what sales should be. So, what is sales? In most industries they are the first direct point of contact for companies with customers. They are there to get the orders and bring the money in. Often it just comes down to that, hitting certain targets, but good sales is something more. Andy Bounds (author of The Jelly Effect and a world-leading sales trainer) said something to the effect of, “sales is an expert helping a client to buy.” The problem is that salespeople generally try to get the client to buy the product that they sell. This turns it into an adversarial relationship. They are trying to shoehorn in a product that does not solve the issue the client has, which is always going to end badly. We have all had a good experience with a salesperson, where we have gone in looking for something, potentially buying something expensive, and they turn round and advise you either that it is not right for you, or that you need something else. They take pride in helping customers, even if it means they do not get an order, and you walk away feeling like you have really benefitted. You are likely to go back to that salesperson again, and if they advise you to purchase a product from them you are much more likely to purchase, because they have earned that trust. This is what good sales looks like. But how is this relevant to us as designers? We are creatives. We create the schemes, we produce the 050 / 051
documentation, and we know that if it is followed, it will look and feel great at the end. We are not selling any products, which is what the suppliers and manufacturers do. We don’t do sales, do we? Wrong. While lighting designers are not selling the products directly, we are selling the client on the ideas, design, and the products. There is no point in doing a design if we don’t eventually specify a product that will deliver the lighting we want. As designers, we are reliant on manufacturers making light fittings that deliver the light we want to a space. What is really happening is we are being paid to provide the advice that an exceptional salesperson would deliver for free. We are being paid to tell the client where to spend (or if you want a nicer word, invest) their money in a project. But how is realising we are salespeople useful? Why is it relevant? To answer this, I need to reveal one of my biggest pet peeves, which is designers complaining. We all do it. We all moan about how a client doesn’t listen, how our projects are being value engineered, and how the client follows recommendations from other, less experienced, professionals. While there is always going to be an element of this happening, I feel that us designers (not just in lighting but across the board) use this as an excuse for not doing a better job. We need to improve the way we work, how we present to clients and how we conduct ourselves as designers to combat these issues, rather than just complain they are happening. This is where understanding sales, and the unique set of skills there, is beneficial. I am going to refer to Andy Bounds again, and his key concept for selling is understanding the Afters. Afters are what the client is left with after everyone has finished. These are the reasons they are doing the project, and often fulfilling a goal or dream of theirs. What does the client have after the building is finished, all the trades and designers have left? You might think this is lighting, but actually this is not what they are getting. They might not care about the lighting (shocking, I know). What the client might care about is dependent on the project. For example, public realm lighting