I've been reading many posts or comments lately that create the question as to why some stagers succeed and other's do not. I don't think there is a concrete answer to this, but there are some indicators. I know many say that it's the lack of training, or industry standards. To some degree this is true, but that is such a small piece of the equation. Others say it is because the industry is new and consumers aren't educated - there is no demand. This is perhaps a larger piece of the equation, but it still does not fully answer the question. The truth is that the stager themselves 9 times out of 10 determines whether they will succeed by their own actions.
Does that seem harsh? Let's look at other industries to show the truth behind ours.... How many women join Mary Kay each year? How many succeed? Yet Mary Kay is often listed as one of the top 100 best companies to work for and no other company has more women making more than $100K a year. Hmmm..... how can that be?
How many restaurants open each year? How many succeed beyond the 1 yr point? How many beyond 5 yrs? Come on, some of those had to have great food, great locations, and yet they still failed? why?
My husband is in medical sales. Every year his company comes out with new products - products the doctors have never heard of - his job is to sell their benefits (create a need & market). Some products rise to the top, others are dropped after a year or two. Some are even improved year to year. Some of his collegues don't succeed while others break records year after year. When he has an awesome year in selling capital equipment the first thing the company does the following year is to raise his quota for them! His customer base rarely even changes... how does he stay in business? I mean as stagers we have new clients all the time...
Real Estate Agents - they have everything, right? They have an organization (NAR) to help educate consumers, uphold a code of ethics. They have big companies that do much of the marketing & educating for them. Their training is standard virtually from state to state and they are fully regulated. They must submit to ongoing biannual training & most offices offer monthly or even weekly ongoing training & mentoring. Yet some succeed and others do not. Why?
The fact of the matter is that the staging industry is like any other. Some will succeed given the best resources, others will succeed who had no resources. Some will have great training, others will begin completely on their own. Training only offers advice, guidance & business modeling most of the time. Some will offer ongoing education, mentoring, etc but even that doesn't guarantee success!
HARD WORK, EDUCATION & TENACITY will usually determine your success. Like any other sales position (let's not mince words, we are in sales) educating the consumer is paramount. I hear stagers complain that their agents or homeowners don't even know what staging is. GREAT! Teach them! You will be the expert & they will rely on you. Stagers (and other sales people) spend a lot of time pushing paper and calling it work. Unless you are direcly engaging your client you are NOT working!
Here is the problem as I see it - when we finally reach equilibrium - a point where as many sellers want their homes staged for sale as those who don't, stagers will complain that the industry is now saturated. They will have to SELL their services over another stager - just like agents currently have to do. It is all about sales & education. It always will be. If you don't currently have a market in your area, create it! Imagine the sales pitch when contact lenses came out - we are going to stick this little piece of glass in your eye & you'll want to buy it! Sure glasses are cheaper & safer, but hey, buy this anyway... What about paying more for HD telivision? Home computers? Bottled water? There is a market - sometimes you have to work to bring it out though....
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Melissa Marro, a published artist, now turned staging advocate and national speaker speaks her mind about real estate and the home staging industry. In her 'no holds barred' approach, audience members find real answers to the industries pitfalls and learn how to overcome them with tried and true information and guidance. With marketing as her passion, she turned a small home based business into one of the nation's largest home staging and training facilities. Selling her successful home staging company in January 2012, Marro is now a full time speaker and instructor for Staging And Resign and Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)'s trade events.
For more information on having Marro speak at one of your real estate functions, please contact her at 843.619.1593 or email at marro.melissa@gmail.com
Excellent Post Melissa, as always you have put a lot of things into perspective.
~Kimberly~
Very nice post, Mellisa, with a most positive message.
You are right, and if you love what you are doing, and believe in it and yourself, you will succeed. There will be mistakes made along the way, but that is part of the learning process as well.
Stage it Forward is such a good place. For all Stagers. The wisdom of the experience brings so much to us just starting.
Thank you!
Thank you for pointing out that there are just as many professionals not succeeding in all the other industries as well.
Last I heard, 60% of new Realtors don't make it through their 2nd year.
Melissa, you took the words right out of my head. Nothing in life is guaranteed.
"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry David Thoreau
Melissa,
Great post! You certainly made some very valid points about what it takes to succeed in this business. I agree that it is through direct contact that we can make the biggest impact....most people need to be shown how a concept works and need to be educated as to how it will be beneficial to them.
VAL
Melissa,
You hit the nail right on the head! You can choose to do whatever it takes or you can sit around and complain about it. Either way it is your choice. If you want to be successful you will, but you have to really want it.
Hey Melissa
Great point. It is sheer determination and drive that will sell us and our product. This is a tough business but one that we can all do very well at. Education is key. I have always said that we need to get out there and meet and greet.
Phyllis Pafumi
Mellissa this is an excellent post, and absolutely accurate.
I love this article.
I am a firm beliver that you will suceed only if you really want to. There will always be obsticles out there but there are also many encouraging people that will assist you out there if you only go and look for it.
We are here to encourage and cultivate the ground for others so that our work has not gone to waste.
To have any business that is looked upon as respectful, encouraging and most importantly worthy we should be proud. I hope someone takes something away from me or my business to help them floursih as I have.
Be the best you can be and the best will come to you.
Debi Stephenson
room2organize
Melissa-
Great post and absolutely true. Take it one step farther to say that adding ethical behavior, quality of product and extraordinary customer service are required in addition to hardwork, education and tenacity to be really successful. It adds to the credibility of the entire home staging profession.
The staging profession, to agents, is like other contractors (home inspectors, roofers, etc.), their business will spread by word of mouth and referrals. But like the others, good marketing and getting your name out there is just an additional part to the puzzle.
Sharon - yes, you are correct, talent is definately important! Unfortunately some people with exceptional talent still fail because they don't sell (market) themselves well while others with less talent succeed because they do market themselves well.
Tamara - in order to get to the point of having referrals one must gain business through education and marketing! Once achieved then they can fall back on past clients and referrals...
Excellent points, Melissa.Thank you for the post and the reminder. By the way, my husband is in medical sales as well....and I ALWAYS ask him for sales advice!
Melissa,
With over 12 years in outside sales (and winning many top sales awards, she said modestly) I've realized that the very best way to sell your service is just to help your client solve their problem....this can be transferred to any field, including staging. We don't really have to "sell" staging when the service we offer is top quality. We just need to deliver the best service & staging work possible, do more than your client expects, and word will spread. I've met a lot of stagers who are timid at promoting themselves, and some who go over the top in self-promotion. There's a happy medium where you portray quiet confidence.....people need our service and many more are now realizing it. Stagers MUST be able to walk into a real estate office, or a client's home, knowing that their first obligation is to show them how we can help them....this is a much easier method than "selling" in the traditional sense. Just my two cents worth!