home staging: Sick as a Dog...With one Good Idea to Change the World - 02/15/12 05:14 AM
Where does the expression 'sick as a dog' come from...I don't know but I know I had a sick husband all week, a sick dog all week...they are both better, but can you see where I am going with this? If you guessed that I am 'sick as a dog' you guessed correctly! The nice part...Pete cleaned the bathrooms! Whoo hoo...maybe this isn't so bad after all! The other nice part is that since I can't concentrate, I had the idea to just sit with a notebook and come up with a million ideas, thoughts, and concepts---and just write them down. … (3 comments)

home staging: All I want for Christmas is 7 little men… - 12/16/11 03:51 AM
Now before I have to tell some of you to get your minds out of the gutter, let me explain. APSD is growing by leaps and bounds and I am hardly able to keep up on a daily basis. Recently we have added a new Operations Manager, a Website Manager, a Director of Training and a Director of Distribution…all of whom you will soon meet. But even then, I have been ‘cursed’ with an amazing vision and amazing members that are constantly forcing me to continue to grow, build and be the very best I can be so…help!!! I could really … (1 comments)

home staging: Take Your Home Staging Business To The Next Level - 11/23/11 06:11 AM
An Unprecedented Offer…. Watch my new 4 part training video series being unveiled over the next few weeks. Here’s Video #1 – Absolutely Free!!! Training Video #1: Taking your Home Staging Business to the Next Level In this video you will discover: The exact steps to creating Multiple Stream of Income How to use the BAR Formula (for marketing results) Easy process to find out your clients goals Plus much more… Watch Now at: www.apsdmembers.com/thenextstep … (0 comments)

home staging: Shared Letter - 11/03/11 05:24 AM
Just wanted to share a letter written to Kristy Morrison, who is an APSD Certified Master Home Stager Trainer... Hi Kristy Hope you are doing well. This event is definitely an event I will have to plan to attend once I am more established. I can't wait to meet Karen (Schaefer of APSD) one day, she is, as you are, an inspiration to me!! Taking your course at Bell was just the beginning of what has propelled me to move more seriously in a new direction that I am so excited and passionate about. Here's a little update. I've signed up … (2 comments)

home staging: How to Get More Home Staging and Real Estate Referrals part 4 of 5 - 05/24/11 08:44 AM
What does an effective Home Staging and Real Estate Referral Program look like?The better question may be, “What do I want it to look like to best serve my home staging and real estate clients?”Let’s talk about both.When I show my APSD Certified Home Stager Property Scene Designers referral programs, we do them to serve a variety of clients and situations.  Following are an example of three programs: 1)    Use a referral program to offer a thank you gift2)    Build a ‘Frequent Referral Program’ which can offer discounts on future services3)    Creating a “Bankable Referral System” to give free gifts and … (1 comments)

home staging: How to Get More Home Staging and Real Estate Referrals part 1 of 5 - 05/02/11 05:19 AM
How to Get More Home Staging and Real Estate Referrals part 1 of 5
Last month, we had such a huge amount of response to our series on ‘The Psychology of Home Staging’ that I thought I would write one more series again this month.
While I am a big fan of referrals and I will share some of my techniques and tactics with you during this series,I also want to acknowledge John Jantsch of The Referral Engine. It is an excellent book and I have often recommended it to many of my small business and coaching clients.
I happen to … (3 comments)

home staging: The Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager, part 4 of 4 - 04/25/11 06:16 AM
The Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager, part 4 of 4
The law of reciprocation is the final training in this 4 part training on the Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager.  As I mentioned in the beginning of this series, many of these concepts are based on a great book by Robert B. Cialdini, PH. D called The Psychology of Persuasion and while his concepts are amazing, he did not use Home Staging as an example…I did that just for you!
I love the law of reciprocation because (remember the ‘because’ training in part 2?) I love to … (4 comments)

home staging: The Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager, part 3 of 4 - 04/18/11 04:28 AM
The Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager, part 3 of 4
The contrast principle, according to Cialdini, of home staging, according to me, refers to presenting two contrasting items that may not be all that different, but by way of presentation the difference appears extreme to your prospect.
When I teach pricing in our APSD Certified Home Stager Training Program, (www.APSDmembers.com) I teach it in a way that is pretty basic and straightforward so that new home stagers will still get out there and present their home staging services.  As our APSD home staging members move up the ascension ladder … (4 comments)

home staging: The Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager, part 1 of 4 - 04/04/11 05:08 PM
Happy April! I have just finished reading The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert. B. Cialdini, PH.D. for a second time and decided to devote this entire month to the Psychology of Persuasion as a Home Stager. In other words, for all of you that have ever run into a Real Estate Agent, Home Seller or Real Estate Investor that just doesn’t see the value in home staging, now you will be able to easily and effortlessly deliver the value, with great confidence. Sound good? One of the first things we are going to discuss is pricing. Most of you, especially those … (5 comments)

home staging: Why don’t I post ‘pretty’ home staging pictures? - 03/10/11 05:23 AM
Why don’t I post ‘pretty’ home staging pictures?I always laugh when people ask me about this.  They come to my website and don’t see pretty pictures of homes I have staged, like they do on all the other home staging training sites.  I admit, I took a risk when I decided to be different.This immediately turns some people away which I understand.  I wish it didn’t happen, but sometimes I know that we are conditioned to look for something and when it doesn’t appear or we can’t find it, we assume that we must move on.The truth is that I never … (8 comments)

home staging: Winning the Home Staging Oscar! - 02/28/11 06:40 AM
Many of you know that I am a professional actor by trade.  Even today, I am still in the actors union, SAG, and vote on the seasons awards.  They even send us advance copies of the movies so we can review them before voting.  I love the movies!Several years ago when I was acting full time in movies with people like Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker  and many others, I started to develop  a love for what I refer to as “movie magic.”  You know how they take a blank stage or location and completely transform it to create a magical … (2 comments)

home staging: And the winners of the one on one consultations with the APSD Home Stager Trainers are... - 02/24/11 04:29 AM
And the winners of the one on one consultations with the APSD Home Stager Trainers are...Catherine Baird of FloridaMelissa McKinney of TennesseeGrace Ann Simoni of IllinoisAmy Powers of GeorgiaCarolyn Huggins of North CarolinaLInda Leyble of New YorkJodi Wood of New JerseyKim Dumbrowski of VirginiaI know I said "7" winners but since we always try to give a little more than we say, here are 8! Congratulations ladies, one of the amazing APSD Trainers that were on the call with me will be contacting you next week to schedule your private home staging building session!Also, please join us at the most amazing … (0 comments)

home staging: Are you a unique Home Stager? - 02/24/11 04:22 AM
When I first started in this business, I was unique.  I was the only home stager out there staging investor homes (which now many of our APSD Certified Home Stagers specialize in because they see how profitable it is to learn to stage Vacant and Distressed Properties which often belong to Investors (Join me at 'STAGE' where I am going to personally teach an all new course on Staging for Vacant and Distressed Properties to everyone in attendance...and you will each receive a specialty certification as well!  www.APSDmembers.com/STAGE).As I was teaching, I developed my 6 Step Home Staging Pryamid as well … (7 comments)

home staging: Secrets of High Producing Home Staging Professionals - 02/16/11 03:45 AM
“A Special Panel Discussion with an elite group of Professional Home Stagers from around the Country who are currently booked for a total of 33 Staging Jobs this month alone!”The call will be Tonite Wednesday, February 16th at 6pm MT(5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST) and I promise you, it is something you won’t want to miss.Register Here for this call.During this 59 Minute discussion, our panel will be sharing;1) The number one thing that makes them a home staging success and how you can do the same2) How to continually keep clients coming to you3) The 3 Top Secrets of … (0 comments)

home staging: Pocket of Emotion - 02/07/11 03:37 AM
                                            
"Peggy Gehrman, our APSD Certified Trainer, just sent me this fabulous photo of an APSD sign she created to promote her home staging training services.  She is so amazing...and crafty! 
Thanks Peggy...looks like a tough contender for the "Pocket of Emotion" award at 'STAGE!'
 
Karen Schaefer
Founder, APSD
www.APSDmembers.com/STAGE
… (2 comments)

home staging: Building a Solid Foundation for your Home Staging Business - 02/01/11 03:23 AM
A few years ago I used to teach a 5 part business development program for home stagers. I may do it again in the future but for right now, it will have to suffice for me to tell you a recent experience I had that reminded me of how important it is to build a solid foundation today, in order to have a healthy, ‘evergreen’ home staging business tomorrow.And, as is true with most of my articles, this information would also apply to your real estate business, interior design business, and almost anything.Yesterday, Pete (my husband) and I took off for … (4 comments)

home staging: Competing with your Local Home Stagers - 02/01/11 02:34 AM
One of my mentors always told me to look and see what everyone else in your industry is doing and then, to achieve your greatest home staging success, do the opposite.I have to admit that I am inclined to do this anyway. I have never been all that concerned with competition, always knowing there were plenty of houses to go around for as many Home Stagers or Home Staging Training and Certification companies that wanted to toss their hats in the ring.Of course, there is always work ethic to be considered. If you hold something in your heart, then you will … (2 comments)

home staging: Home Staging Success Stories from APSD Certified Professionals - 01/27/11 10:50 AM
Hello All!
You know how much I like to brag about our members...well here I go again! Our recent team of APSD Certified Stager Pro's (which included some of our APSD Certified Trainers and Property Scene Designers) did such a great job I put together this video about them. Really, it was amazing to watch both houses that they staged, go under contract within 9 days and 12 days of the staging! Watch the video and hear about their success! Also, I just wanted to let you know if you are an APSD Home Stager, Stager Pro, Property Scene Designer or … (0 comments)

home staging: Make Them Cry, Make Them Laugh – Make the Sale - 01/17/11 06:48 AM
In today’s real estate market, if you’re selling a home you are up against a lot of competition. That doesn’t make it impossible to flip a property; however you are going to know the secret behind home staging training in order to make your property stand out from the crowd.If you are like most people, you have heard about what home stagers do before. You will know all about smell of baking bread, and scented candles. Now I want you to forget all of that. I’m sure that some of it works, but in order to make your home stand out … (5 comments)

home staging: 'STAGE' is Open for Registration - Early Bird Special begins Now! - 01/14/11 05:14 AM

 
Well, here it is, the long promised, much anticipated announcement of the Home Staging, Design and Real Estate event of the Year.... "STAGE!" REGISTER NOW"Get Ready...Get Set..."STAGE!!!"Well, here it is, the long promised, much anticipated announcement of the Home Staging, Design and Real Estate event of the Year...."STAGE!"Whether you are a new Home Stager, already a Pro, an Interior Designer, Decorator, Real Estate Agent or Investor, or a Professional Organizer, this is the event you have been waiting for! "STAGE" will be unlike any event you have ever attended before! Imagine 3 full days of Home Staging, Design, Business … (0 comments)