Keep Things Simple by Focusing on the Basics

Basic Training - instilling the simple and basic foundation for success - is something we all need to go back to from time to time.  I just completed another Staging class and had a Stager that had been trained a while ago that was really struggling with what to do next.  She was stumped on the whole business building side of Staging.  She had all the information on what to do - just could not connect the dots.  The Creative Side - she has it figured out - that's sometimes the easy part for us!  Most of us - we have an "eye" for Staging that goes back to when we were very young - and have been Staging our whole lives really.  But to wrap a business around this gift is hard for some.  When we have not run a business before - it can actually be scary to think about setting it up!

We tend to get wrapped up in the HOW and begin to complicate the process by thinking we have to have all these fabulous marketing pieces or have to say the very best marketing talk or spiel to an audience of 1 or 50.  We see and hear about these cool new devices or ways to do a presentation and feel like we are missing out if we don't learn how to use them too . . . It's hard not to compare ourselves to the next person we see or hear about.  Then we get intimidated or fearful - and when that happens, paralysis sets in and we end up doing nothing because we second guess everything.

In reality - it's the details that can COMPLICATE things and going back to the basics of building our business is what helps to bring peace of mind and remind us that we do know what to do.  Not that cool new marketing techniques and ideas aren't great and an added bonus to what we do - but it's easy to get intimidated by what we hear someone else is doing to succeed - and then try to replicate what we hear, but if we don't get it quite right, we end up getting frustrated at our lack of the same success they seemed to find so easily. 

In an instant society where our generation has the ability to get instant food, instant hot water, and instant messaging - do we think we deserve instant success too?  In reality each of our paths to success will be different based on our backgrounds and effort.  So comparison is futile.  Some have been handed "blue-birds" - that's sales-speak for an un-deserved gift.  A windfall that has nothing to do with marketing or longevity and everything to do with just happening to be in the right place at the right time and being the one to get handed a great opportunity.  For most of us - our paths to success are in direct proportion to how much effort and belief we have, and the blue-birds may come once in a while, but mostly it's our sweat equity that yields results. So there is no getting around putting in time in order to see results but always time to stick to the basics of what we know works.

Any time I have had a client where things may not have gone as smoothly as possible, I go back and review the basics of what I was taught, and see how I measured up in the process.  Invariably, I neglected to explain some basic principle of Staging to the client and without educating the client about what I do - my process - so I am then relying on probably some TV show or article or mis-guided conversation this client had about Staging - to frame the expectation. This leads to misguided expecatations, and backtracking to explain that which I should have been clear about from the start.

What are some basics? These are just my ideas - what do you think?

PLAN - Figure out what you want as a result of your business and then set activity goals to help make that happen.  Is it just the income - or what the income will allow you to have and do?  For me - the money is great - but it's the flexibility of being able to pick and choose what I want to do, and be home with my kids that I love.  I could never go back to an 8-5 job where I had to watch the clock and answer to one manager. 

Once you have identified that - it could be one thing or several - that becomes your primary motivator.  Once you have that identified, then you will know your WHY for having a Staging business.  We all love the Creative High we get after Staging, but we need to know WHY we do what we do - and each of us could have a different motivator.  When we lose our focus and take our eyes off the WHY - we will see our efforts wane and results slow down.

NETWORK - Work your warm referral base for business.  We don't have to cold-call and build everything from scratch - unless you are like I was and moved away from a 14-year base of friends and colleagues to an unknown area.  Most people have lived in an area for some length of time - use your warm network to bring in business.  People want to help others succeed - and all it takes is one nice person to offer to share your info and help you get in the door somewhere.  Persistence is KEY as well - not giving up - even when we might hear a few No's. . . There is always someone that can lead you to someone else. .  .it could be a colleague or someone you just met - but it's all about the ASKING - asking the right questions and finding the right people.

BUSINESS TOOLS - build a Business with a capital B from the start meaning put in professional systems in place to help you as your business grows.  Being efficient on the paperwork and maintenance sides of things means we will have more time for the creative side - which is what we love the most.  When these systems are not in place from the start, as business grows, we will not be able to track things efficiently and it will eat into our ability to serve our clients.

SHARE INFORMATION - Ours is a PEOPLE business so truly it's our ability to find the people who need our help and sharing effectively about what we do that will make the difference in how our business grows.  We need to be really good at explaining what we do in a short period of time.  All the other activities and efforts are really secondary to this.  When we share our basics with clients - it comes across as easy for them too.  I learned a long time ago, a confused mind says no - and so when we complicate things by adding too much detail or getting off track or giving too many options, the client gets confused and just walks away.

I have also learned along the way that when I help enough other people get what they want I get what I want - so helping others achieve their goals allows me to achieve mine.  For Staging - I am helping the Seller achieve their goal of moving, I am helping the Realtor achieve their goal of getting a house sold, and I am helping the Buyer achieve the goal of finding a new house to move into - so with all 3 getting what they want - I get what I want - which is success - money - and freedom to pick and choose my work.

It's Simple - really.  Staging simplifies the house - and helps the buyer make a simple buying decision.  And sticking with the basics of what we know works and keeping our WHY out in front Simplifies our business path.  The basics work - simply stated.

- Jennie