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What are we so afraid of?

By
Home Stager with www.Staged-to-Sell

Do you watch the news?

Do you read the papers?

Do you listen to radio shows talking about our economy?

If so, it's enough to get you down in the dumps and a bit of stomach ache isn't it?

We'll pick up those shoulders, lace up those boots and get moving. This is the time to be marketing yourself, your company and to introduce new aspects of your business.

If you run your business in fear you will be left with no business at all.

Yes the economy is rough right now, but I am old enough (46) to remember when it was rough before. Unlike our children who only remember the good times, many of us have been down this path before and we have survived and thrived.

We just need to be better then ever before. We need to increase our marketing, tweak our business skills, add to our knowledge of our industry, and come out fighting!

Remember our clients are scared. We need to be the EXPERTS. Let them know we are here for them and can get the job done because STAGING WORKS! Now, more than ever before, if a property is not fully staged, and I mean fully, it does not sell. 

Get your teams together including painters, contractors, window washers, cleaners, furniture suppliers etc and find ways of marketing with each other and referring each other. Before now business came to you, as well as your teams, without much thought. We'll times have changed and we must change with them.

I for one see it as a challenge.  My painter, Dave Casteel Quality Painting, is now officially green.  We are marketing ourselves as the Green Team and clients are loving it! 

My window washers Eric and Eric are more appreciative of the referrals I am giving him then ever before and is open to some co marketing as well.

Don't sit back - make it happen. Find a new niche, find a new service, find a new channel of marketing and you will grow your business, even in these times there is money to be made.

Now go get'um!

Kym Hough, CSP, RESA, LGLS CT

www.Staged-to-Sell.com

www.StagersLIST.com

www.GreenTRainingCSP.com

www.stagingexpo.com

Full Service STaging Professional of the SF East Bay

Complete Green Team

Comments (10)

Elaine Manes Gage
Home Staging Online Services - Denver, CO
Staging done ONLINE!

Kym- Great advice in these "sink or swim" times! What could be a better goal than to be the company that SURVIVES this economy! And what better way to survive than to offer more than the competition!

Oct 27, 2008 04:57 AM
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Kym - YES! YES! YES!  Educating agents and sellers is of so much importance.  Let them know that we can keep their properties from being one of the statistics!  This actually has been our busiest month ever.  Clearly there is still money to be made in this market.

Oct 27, 2008 05:10 AM
Michelle Finnamore
Toronto GTA, Alliston, Newmarket - Vaughan, ON
Preparing your property for sale

Hey Kym, I hear you. Having lived through three recessions with the 90's being the worst I learned to sharpen my marketing skills through the years.

I remember in 1981 my manager was listening to me lament how there was 13% unemployment. Boy were times hard. You know what he said and I will never forget it...... "well then why don't you try selling to the other 87% that have a job."  

That was all I needed to hear to set me on the path to success. For the next 6 years another lady and I in our office were the top salespeople in our province. This was in a profession that was dominated by men so we had the glass ceiling to contend with as well.

So if you are listening to the people that see the glass as half full you will do yourself and your business a favour.

Find your niche and go for it. :)

Oct 27, 2008 07:08 AM
Michele Hess
Simply Staged Inc. - Rockford, IL
Home Stager Rockford - Simply Staged Inc

Now that is the right attitude Kym!  Act - don't just sit around and place blame.  We have the power to make positive changes.  Thanks for the motivation!

Oct 27, 2008 07:28 AM
Robyn Guinn
StageAZ - Phoenix, AZ
Home staging, Arizona

Hi Kym, great advice, the tough do get going.  What would life be without challanges, BORING is my guess!

Michelle, that's a great line sell to the other 87%!  Smart man!

Oct 27, 2008 07:40 AM
Laurie Logan
Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Broker Associate - Madison, WI
South Central WI Real Estate

Hey Kym,

when the going gets tough - the tough get going!  We make business happen!

Oct 27, 2008 08:18 AM
Kym Hough
www.Staged-to-Sell - Danville, CA
Staged to Sell East Bay - Danville, CA

Elaine - I know you are one of those go getters too! I feel sorry for your competition :)

Michelle - what a great story I love that. I know your new level of service with Being Green and training Stagers and Real Estate Agents in your area the techniques is one of your secret weapons. you go girl!

Michele Hess -don't you know it!  there is nothing worse than sitting around moaning. I love the energy and excitment of a challenge and having the others around me feel the same way.  If I become stalled I just pick up a book, go to a seminar or get more education - something to charge me and open my mind to new opportunities.

Robyn  - I am sure that Michelle would be happy to have you use the 87% saying. How true - glass is always full!

Laurie - so true. business never falls in our lap for very long. When we make things happen its so much better. I never forgot my husband telling me a few years back how amazing he thought I was because every penny I received was actually money I earned. I never sat back and just collected a paycheck  - I earned it and made sure that it kept coming. He is so right! Now he has his own business and he knows better than ever how to make it happen.

Kym

Oct 27, 2008 11:30 AM
Donna Schoby
Liberty Bank of Arkansas - Bentonville, AR

Kym, Great post! I had so many people tell me that this was NOT the time to start a new business, but I figure that if I can make it in this market then look out when the market turns around...I'll be established and ready to go.

Oct 27, 2008 01:42 PM
Terri Lucas
Exclusive Home Staging - Redondo Beach, CA
Exclusive Home Staging Los Angeles

Kym, I agree.  Find your niche, give added value and keep educating.  Currently I am working on a new website, new marketing and continued networking.  Thank you for the post. 

Oct 27, 2008 01:50 PM
Kym Hough
www.Staged-to-Sell - Danville, CA
Staged to Sell East Bay - Danville, CA

Donna - I hear you.  It actually is a good time because many of the stagers who are not focused on their business will end up out of business. You will be there with business focus to pick up the slack.

Terri - good for you.  I love marketing material...a fresh look at what our marketing is important every month. We try never to get stale but continue to keep the branding.

Kym

Oct 28, 2008 03:38 AM