In order to convince someone to hire you for a staging or redesign project, you're probably going to be involved in the art of persuasion. Whether you talk to the person or have them read something (or both), most people need to be persuaded to make a purchase or to hire someone. I've said often that you've got to do an excellent job of educating them on the benefits of staging or redesign and then you've got to make it affordable for them. So let's discuss briefly some of the components that go into making persuasive arguments, reasoning, pitches or claims.
Give and Take - Tit for tat. I do for you - you do for me. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. This type of give and take has been around since the dawn of time and we all engage in it. But are you consciously applying the power of this tactic in your business dealings? While not everyone has an attitude of reciprocity, it does compel many people. So the question becomes - who gives first? Well you do, of course. You've got to do it wisely, and hopefully in ways that do not cost you dollars, but I know from personal experience that giving first, and giving more than expected, is a powerful tool in motivating someone to respond favorably to you.
Consistency and Commitment - I've been publishing 2-3 newsletters per month for nearly 9 years now. You can count on them coming without fail. I am committed and I am consistent. Are you? What are you doing over and over and over again that makes prospects and clients take notice of you and believe in you and know that you will continue to do so, month in and month out? If you're not engaging in some (or several) kind of consistent contact and if you are not committed to the regularity of that, then you are missing one of the greatest assets to marketing your business that you possess.
Social Proof - People want to be assured that other people have found the service to be valuable. There is comfort in doing business with someone others have found to be valuable. This is where having testimonials and statistics is so powerful. If you look on my website, you'll find I've posted hundreds of testimonials about everything from my courses to my books to my newsletters to my response time and to anything else, such as awards, press releases and on and on. I take advantage of everything that comes my way to make it easier for people to feel comfortable doing business with me. So should you. I've even created powerful booklets full of statistics that really grab people's attention and have made them available for purchase. Quite honestly I don't understand why more people have not scooped these up for their usage. They provide all the social proof you'll ever need for home staging.
Liking - Students often ask me what the most essential requirement is for success. They think it's certification or knowledge or talent. While those are essential, the most important ingredient you need is to be likeable. People want to do business with people they like, because they'll find it pleasant to associate with you and they will more likely trust you. No one wants to hire someone they dislike. So you've got to be kind, patient, understanding, complimentary and on and on. These are the traits that will increase your likeability - and therefore your success.
Authority - People want to do business with people who appear to be an authority - people at the top of the industry - at the top of their game. While certification is not the be-all, end-all, it certainly will help gain you the authority you need in their eyes to help them feel confident in you. So how many of you have even bothered to complete your certification? The percentage is small. Many students never start. Many start and don't complete. But it is such a powerful achievement to claim in your marketing materials, website and when you talk to people. I'm very particular who I designate certified with our designations, so those that do finish up have a lot to be proud of and can really use that achievement prominently and effectively.
Scarcity - If you have little competition in your area, you're probably enjoying success just for that fact. But you also have to do more educating of the public. If you have a lot of competition, you have less educating you need do, but you do have other people you must outperform or outshine. Are you using scarcity of time as a marketing tool? If you only have 2 openings this week, a prospect starts to feel pressured to act now and grab one of them. If your whole schedule is wide open, there is not much pressure to act and you appear unwanted, making you less desirable to hire if your competition is "booked up".
Fear - Well, we all know fear is a great motivator. Fear of losing money. Fear of losing valuable time. Fear of paying too much. Fear of missing out. You'll find it very advantageous to have some kind of motivation based on fear in your marketing attempts. This is one reason clever marketers usually have a dead line for an offer, an urgent call to action or some other anxiety stimulus built into their pitch. Many base their whole pitch on fear tactics. Everyone responds to some element of fear or apprehension or anxiety.
Greed - Whether we admit it or not, we always want more than we have. The grass is still greener elsewhere and it always will be so. The more we get, the more we want; the more we want, the more we make sure we get. So appealing to someone's thirst for more is always effective no matter what you are offering. So do people buy more readily out of want or need? Does it really matter? Both wants and needs are powerful motivational factors and you should take advantage of that in marketing your business.
Author of 16 books on home staging and interior redesign at Academy of Staging and Redesign
Comments(1)