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1123: Ali Faulkner: What to Do When a Client Says “No”: Lessons from a Lost Design Proposal episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 16, 2025 · 1H 16M

1123: Ali Faulkner: What to Do When a Client Says “No”: Lessons from a Lost Design Proposal

from A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast · host LuAnn Nigara

Today with Ali Faulkner Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. We’ve talked before about conducting an autopsy of a project—looking back and figuring out exactly what went right, what went wrong, and where to improve.  But what about conducting an autopsy of projects that you didn’t win? My guest today, Ali Faulkner of AEF Interiors, lost several bids in a row, and decided to make a big change; she reached out to those potential clients and asked for feedback afterward.  Ali is sharing the exact questions she asked and how they changed everything for her business.  Ah-Ha Moments “I realized I was chasing what everyone else wanted to chase rather than what I actually needed to be profitable and continue to build my business.” -Ali "You get a quote to do a roof. One guy is 20K, one guy is 30K and the other guy is 35. Like I'm sorry, who's even thinking about the 20K guy? You're just like, you're off the list, right? Because... you automatically distrust the 20." - LuAnn  A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor: Revelwoods Other Shows Mentioned: AWDB #768 Jaipur Living: A New Collaboration with Kate Lester AWDB #790 Rick Campos: Design Biz Survival Guide- The Answer to All Your Business Questions #803 Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza: Productivity is Personal – How to Create Systems that Will Work for You! AWDB #856 Enrique Crespo: Describing His Type-A Personality Mindset AWDB #1059 Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry Other Resources: https://www.thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk/podcast https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/podcast-for-interior-designers/ https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/retreat-registration/ https://www.thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk/2025-community-summit This podcast supports the Savvy Giving Design Coalition. Learn more about it here! AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design

What this episode covers

Today with Ali Faulkner Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. We’ve talked before about conducting an autopsy of a project—looking back and figuring out exactly what went right, what went wrong, and where to improve.  But what about conducting an autopsy of projects that you didn’t win? My guest today, Ali Faulkner of AEF Interiors, lost several bids in a row, and decided to make a big change; she reached out to those potential clients and asked for feedback afterward.  Ali is sharing the exact questions she asked and how they changed everything for her business.  Ah-Ha Moments “I realized I was chasing what everyone else wanted to chase rather than what I actually needed to be profitable and continue to build my business.” -Ali "You get a quote to do a roof. One guy is 20K, one guy is 30K and the other guy is 35. Like I'm sorry, who's even thinking about the 20K guy? You're just like, you're off the list, right? Because... you automatically distrust the 20." - LuAnn  A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor: Revelwoods Other Shows Mentioned: AWDB #768 Jaipur Living: A New Collaboration with Kate Lester AWDB #790 Rick Campos: Design Biz Survival Guide- The Answer to All Your Business Questions #803 Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza: Productivity is Personal – How to Create Systems that Will Work for You! AWDB #856 Enrique Crespo: Describing His Type-A Personality Mindset AWDB #1059 Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry Other Resources: https://www.thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk/podcast https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/podcast-for-interior-designers/ https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/retreat-registration/ https://www.thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk/2025-community-summit This podcast supports the Savvy Giving Design Coalition. Learn more about it here! AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design

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How long is this episode of A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 16 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 16, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Today with Ali Faulkner Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. We’ve talked before about conducting an autopsy of a project—looking back and figuring out exactly what went right, what went wrong, and where to improve.  But what about conducting an...

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