Lesson (for creative businesses) from a window salesman.

We needed some new windows. The old, leaky ones had to be replaced.

After a Google search, I called three companies for quotes. Two of the businesses were totally standard: uninspired home-visit, measurements, quote, done.

But the third, ‘Company X’, intrigued me. They didn't do quotes. They demanded an in-showroom meeting.

Their website was great, the guy on the phone was charming and so I booked a meeting. A twenty-minute drive away.

At the showroom, the owner ignored all the usual stuff like measurements and number of windows required. Instead, he asked about our house, what we imagined, what we wanted, and showed us great examples of their work on houses like ours.

Choosing this company was a no-brainer and left me impressed by how they won our business.

This wasn't just a quote; it was a conversation. It was clear ‘Company X’ valued their time, filtered out tyre-kickers, and focused on understanding our needs. They were the experts, and they led the dance.

A lesson for creative businesses: take a deep breath when a lead shows interest. Don't get giddy, don’t bend over backwards to please. Remember, you're the expert. Take them on your journey, not the other way around.