My New Outside Blog

Are You a Go Giver in Your Home Staging Business?                      

In the book Go Givers by Bob Burg and John David Mann, the authors take us through a parable of a young ambitious man trying to make a sale. Placing value on money and sort of pushing through ambitiously , he learns through a series of mentors that being mindful in business and giving before you get is what makes people most successful, both financially and spiritually. It is sort of the "give,give,give...GET" philosophy.

According to the authors, there are 5 premises that guide the Go Giver. They are:

1) The Law of Value- Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take      in payment.

2) The Law of Compensation- Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them

3) The Law of Influence- Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first

4) The law of Authenticity- The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself

5) The Law of Receptivity- The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving

As home stagers we bring enormous value to both Sellers and Real Estate agents. Statistics have shown that staged homes sell faster and for more money. However it is important that Sellers and Real Estate agents understand that value. After all, that is how we grow our business. Have you thought about what added value that you bring to the table, over and above what other stagers might? What sets you apart?

For me personally, I believe that my career in Real Estate gives me added insight into what goes into the marketing and sale of a home. It also makes me even more empatico to the struggles that Real Estate Agents face. But all that means nothing unless the client sees that value. So in order to exceed the client's expectations, I offer to go back free of charge to look at a house that has been staged by the client after I have done a report and consultation. Ironically, the clients that have hemmed and hawed the most at my suggestions are often the most proud to show me what they have done. Another value that I like to give is to my Realtor colleagues. I will do a blog on their listing, for SEO, and plug the agent, giving the agent's contact info.

As far as the law of compensation, it is pretty obvious that the more people that you serve well, the more you will be compensated. When building a staging business,you want each person that you work with to refer you to their friends. Or even better, you want repeat business from the Real Estate Agents or their peers.  Exceeding customers expectations by doing the extras like ordering paint samples for them and following up on their progress, etc. will let the customers know that their success=your success!

When we put the customers best interest first, we are compassionate but honest when telling them the hard stuff. And we do everything we can to help them achieve their goals. People can tell if you care and they know if you genuinely have their best interest in mind.

And that brings us to the Law of Authenticity. If you are truly yourself and genuinely want to help your clients, you will feel such satisfaction when they achieve their goals!

Last but not least is the law of receptivity. We must stay open to receiving as well. I find that woman,especially have a hard time placing value on their finest gifts. We have to know when it is ok to receive and when we should or should not "give" away the farm. This is sometimes where I as a woman struggle the most. It can be a tricky balance, especially in the staging and design business where many people would like us to give our expertise away for free.

On the other hand, sometimes I believe that we mindfully should give away our services. For instance, if we want to work with a successful agent because we admire their business ethics and would like to be part of their "team' we can offer to do a free staging report and consultation so that the agent can see the value that staging will bring to their business.

I have even done things like a free color consult for an agent's own home who had never used my services. When she offered to pay I simply told her that the way she could pay me was to refer me to her customers. She has "paid' me many times with referrals.

However, we must value what we do and charge for our expertise as any other professional does. We must create incredible value in what we offer, continuing to grow and learn and give our  knowledge to our customers so that they will succeed in selling their homes for the most amount of money that they can receive in any given market.

What are other ways that we can be Go Givers in our staging business?

P.S. Giving the book Go Givers or Go Givers Sell More to your top Real Estate Agents is a great idea this Holiday season!