Attracting Agents (Free Mini-Training Part 1 of 3)

In 20 years of running a staging business, I may have made just about EVERY MISTAKE in the book, but in hindsight, I know  THIS mistake was the biggest.

It is the one mistake I wish I could go back and change from day one. It was the one mistake that held me back on so many levels until I finally saw the light. It cost me time, money, and the ability to connect with agents sooner.

It kept me struggling longer than I needed to. 

What WAS this HUGE MISTAKE?

Lack of clarity. 

I wasn’t clear on why agents should be interested in talking to me - I didn’t understand the importance of getting beyond blurting out, “To sell faster and for more money!”

I remember many of the rookie mistakes even as I am writing this. 

…I’d describe my services in broad strokes

…I’d use flowery words that created beautiful word pictures but didn’t highlight what I brought to the sales table. (They even confused me and I had written them!)

…I’d list EVERY SERVICE possible I could think of because I was going to be “the one stop shop” for EVERY agent!

And why did I do it?

Because, as far as I knew then, THAT was the way to “get an agent.”

After all, I’d done  my research and “they” said I needed to do all of those things so I could “capture the market.” 

Looking back now, I realize I lacked the  foundational confidence  that would allow myself to speak competently about my business in a way that would resonate with the type of agents I actually wanted to team up with.

As I kept missing my mark I finally asked myself, what DID I want to be KNOWN for?

What was I searching for? What was the ONE THING that would allow me to build the kind of business I had dreamed of? The kind of business that would get me out of bed with a spring in my step, provide me with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, allowed me to feel as if I was adding something to this world. 

What WAS I lacking?

C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.

You see, the big mistake I was guilty of is what most struggling home stagers do, as well. I was attempting to  “do all and be all” within my business from day one. 

In other words, in an effort to attract MORE agents, I tried to be ALL things to ALL people. 

And, I soon discovered,  when you try to be everything to everyone… 

…you end up being nothing to NO ONE!

Choosing to hang your hat on one thing makes it easy for you to BE the best!  

Think about it, being the BEST at everything is impossible… But what about ONE THING?! 

Are you willing to  commit to getting EXTRAORDINARY at one thing?!

This was brought home to me when I attended a brokers’ open being thrown by Londa,  one of my first agents, after being in business for a few years always struggling to be “seen” by the agents as a home staging expert. I provided both vacant and occupied services although I couldn’t get the traction I would have liked with my occupied work. .

In my market, and I dare say this is still a challenge in many markets, most agents thought of occupied home stagers as “glorified housekeepers.” Instead of allowing me to provide a comprehensive consultation,  they themselves would provide what I still to this day call a “Google Consultation”; pick up the house, clean up and paint everything  Agreeable Gray. The agents would then arrive on photo day, move the trash cans to the garage, make sure the beds were made and call the house “staged.”

I wanted to change that impression in the worst way. Could I do it?

I anxiously arrived wondering what the agents would think. I had put my heart and soul into this house. I was hoping they would “get it.” My agent, Linda, was in the kitchen pouring mimosas and talking with the agents as they arrived.

An agent approached me and asked me if I was an agent. I explained I was a home stager. I watched in despair when I saw his eyes glaze over and he quickly walked away.

I continued to walk through the house wondering what I could do to change things. I finally wandered into the kitchen where Linda saw me for the first time. She said, “Bobbie! Everybody, this is Bobbie, the stager I’ve been talking about!”

Imagine my surprise when the very agent who had so eagerly dismissed me earlier turned and said, 

“Oh! You’re the occupied gal Linda was talking about! We need to talk!”

You see, my agent had been talking about her ‘secret weapon” when it came to her occupied listings. While other agents were starting to utilize vacant stagers, most of them were unaware stagers even worked within an occupied listing. She had been singing my praises because she understood the benefits both she and her clients were enjoying by working with her “occupied gal.”

(You may already know that I am the “occupied gal” and literally wrote the course on it.  …even though I do far more than just “teach occupied staging.”)

When he saw me as “just another stager” he didn’t see what benefit TO HIM I could be. It was only after he had a clearer understanding of what unique offering I provided that he was interested in talking with me.

It was then that I realized I needed to be different from the other stagers in my area and I needed to be clear on what those differences were. 

Focusing on one main service doesn’t just make becoming an authority easier,  it makes it easier for you to communicate what you do so agents can CLEARLY GET IT.

SO, with clarity of service in mind, how CLEAR are you?

These following questions really boil it down:

Can an agent explain what you do and the benefits you provide in 10 seconds or less?

(I’d like you to think about that for a moment).

Listen, if an agent isn’t clear about what you do, or how you do it...

...how do you ever expect them to embrace your services, make you a part of their comprehensive marketing team or confidently refer you to their clients? 

Would you buy from someone who couldn’t clearly explain what they do?!

Look, it took me quite some time to figure out all of this and, more importantly, what to do about it. 

And that’s why I’m here today.

If you find yourself struggling to voice your value, struggling for clarity, confidence and certainty…

 (I’m guessing you are relating to this and that is why you are still reading this)

…here’s how to get started!

In (Part II), I’m going to reveal ‘3 Foundational Keys That Open The Door To Talking To Agents’, THIS will help you embrace your value and move forwards towards that business you envision!

Then, on Wednesday (Part III), I’ll share my “4-Part Voice Your Value Formula” so you can walk away knowing exactly what to say and how to say it!

So… keep an eye on your inbox for tomorrow’s email!

Happy Staging,

~ Bobbie McGrath