Attracting Agents (Free Mini-Training Part 2 of 3)

By now, you already know that having CLARITY is the key to creating authority, capturing attention, and attracting more agents.

…and when you just look at where the industry is going, (more competitors, i.e. more noise!) becoming CLEAR is more important than ever!

So, if you haven’t read through PART 1 of my “Attracting Agents” Mini-Training, click here to start:

www.occupiedconsultationspecialist.com/blog/attractingagentspartone

Today, I’m going to walk you through the ‘3 Foundational Keys to Attracting Agents’

Ready?

#1. Understand Your Value and Seek the RIGHT Kind of Agent!

Honestly, if you talk about your business like everyone else, provide the same exact services like everyone else and price your business like everyone else,

WHY in the world should a savvy agent choose YOU?

Let’s face it! Every day someone else in your market wakes up and says, “Poof! I’m a stager!” and they race to find out what everyone else is doing and they put up a sign that might as well read, “Me, Too, Staging and Design.”

And agents know this. 

Through the years I have seen two main types of agents:

The first is the type of an agent is the kind I seemed to attract before I discovered the power of clarity. They:

…ticking off a generic checklist so they can say they “provide staging”

…”do” real estate as a hobby

…only bring in a stager for the problem house/expensive listing/ or for picky sellers who insist on having someone come in

…do the least they can get by with in order to get a house listed and sold

…look for the lowest price stagers (and they still try to talk you down on price!)

…throw you over for another stager who is cheaper.

Do you want to be on THAT agent’s call list?

OR, do you have bigger dreams for yourself?

Would you prefer to collaborate with the type of agent who is:

…professional

…career minded 

…interested in developing a comprehensive marketing plan that ALWAYS includes the benefits of staging

…focused on finding a staging professional whom they can count on to provide consultations for each and every listing

…respects what you bring to the table and doesn’t balk at your pricing

…is interested in helping you build your business by collaborating on how you can both improve your businesses over time

If you’d rather be on THIS agent's list, then your first step is taking the time to become clear on how you are the solution to their staging needs. 

But I’d like you to consider that you are not meant to work with all agents. Understanding this is smart business.

Consider the following:

The agent who has listed only three houses in the last two years (...their mom’s, sister’s and best friend’s house.)

If they haven’t been able to list outside of their immediate circle, do you really want to team up with someone who clearly hasn’t shown much initiative? Experience has taught me they are oftentimes the very agents who take the most of your time without creating opportunities. 

The agent who averages 30 listings a month. 

You may be surprised when I say this agent may not be the best fit for you. 

And here’s why:

An agent who has created a listing machine that is as effective as their numbers indicate, well, they don’t really need you. 

Harsh, right?

But think about it. They are obviously doing SOMETHING that works for them. What I discovered is they often want you to come in and work in a way THEY want you to work and it may not be a fit.

True story.

I was summoned by one of the largest producers in our area. I was so excited as I was going to strut my stuff and earn her business. I was going to show her how every single one of her listings were going to be the best in the entire city.

When I entered her world, my big dreams were dashed. 

She didn’t want to hear what I did, how I did it or why I did it that way.

She wanted me to do it HER WAY, in one hour and for $50 bucks. 

It was disheartening.

But I did it. You see, I thought she would see what I could do in that one hour and be so impressed she would change her process to do things my way and she would then become the bell of the ball.

But she already was the bell of the ball.

I soon came to realize that even if my work were to get her 5 more listings each month, she wouldn’t see it as being a result of my efforts. She would see it as a continuation of her successful system.

I didn’t want to be part of a “Google Consultation” business plan so we parted ways.

So, Bobbie, what type of agent should I be looking for? 

The agent who has a pipeline of 5 - 12 listings in the last year.

This is what I’ve discovered; they are obviously working outside the mom/sister/friend circle and actively doing SOMETHING to get additional listings.

And I have to tell you something…if you think getting agents to call you back is a challenge, getting listings is even tougher.  So, if you find an agent that is making it happen at this rate, this is who you search out.

When you connect with the '5-12 listing agent' they will be able to quantify the increase in their business as a result of working with you. They will see the direct benefit of what you bring to the table. 

Why make your business so much harder than it needs to be?  

Place yourself where you can be VALUED. 

Voicing your value to agents does not need to feel like pulling teeth. When you get clear on this, talking to agents becomes a whole lot more appealing. 

#2. Stop Being “Beige”

Many home stagers hang their value on “I help homes sell faster and for more money.” 

Faster than WHAT!? More money than what!? More money than who?

Understand when you say the same thing the same way as everyone else you disappear into those beige walls. (This makes me think of the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons. You never hear what they actually say. You merely hear an annoying “Waa, waa, waaaaa….!” Does anyone else out there know what I’m talking about?)

Look, I know we do provide faster/more $ results. But we provide MORE than that. We provide the opportunity for an individual agent to custom brand themselves in their very competitive industry.

So… why should they choose you?

Your promise must speak to a very specific result for those agents savvy enough to partner with you… because THAT is key to being able to Voice your Value to Attract Agents.

Trust me on this one…open up that crayon box and color their world!

#3. Give up “Perfection Paralysis” 

One of the most devastating BELIEFS I’ve seen stagers have (and I’ve been guilty of this one as well!), is the idea they need to have everything in perfect order BEFORE they can get out there and BE the stager they want to be.

It usually sounds a little like this…

”If only I could solve/finish/complete “THIS THING”, then I’d voice my value and be unstoppable.”

STOP! You are being your own road block.

Do you hear the voices in your head saying…

…“I MUST find the perfect business name”

…“I MUST create the perfect logo”

…“I MUST create the perfect website”

…“I NEED to add more services so more people will call me”

And anything else you are telling yourself that simply isn’t true?

Let me ask you this. Have you ever tried to steer a car while it's parked? 

EXACTLY. You try to steer it but it locks up on you. That is what happens when you try and do all of the above before understanding your unique value. 

Voicing Your Value actually turns on that car, unlocks the steering wheel AND allows you to move forward.

That’s why in Part #3, I’ll share my '4-Part Voice Your Value Formula' that you can use to STAND OUT with CLARITY - no matter how crowded your market may feel right now!

So… stay tuned!

Best,

~ Bobbie McGrath