The Super Market May Give You Food Samples but You Don’t Expect Them to Give You the Whole Enchilada, Do You!
Most of the Stagers I know are in this because (1) they are creative and enjoy the challenge and (2) they sincerely want to help people with their homes. And most of the Stagers I know have had this same experience at least once when they were just beginning in the business.
I am no exception. When I first started my staging business, I was excited with every prospect that called. Most of my first projects were for Staging consultations. Typically the home was occupied and the sellers were going to do the work themselves.
So when I got the call to stage a vacant home I couldn’t wait to see the property. I was
on a road trip when my client called. Her house had been rented for the last year while she was out of state and when she returned to sell it she was horrified at the condition of the property. She was so upset, I agreed to see her as soon as I got back into town that day. And she was not mistaken.... the property, inside and out needed a lot of work. The seller had done most of the landscaping herself and showed me photos of what it had looked like. When I arrived there were workers everywhere... replacing bushes, re-sodding the lawn, pressure cleaning. It was a bee-hive of activity. The seller and I hit it off immediately. To sell her house she knew she had to get it back into tip top condition.
As we walked through the house I began taking pictures and getting a feel for what would be needed to stage the house. And... as we walked through, she began asking me questions.... “What would you put here?” “Do you think I should put a table over there?”
Those are very benign questions and I would expect a client to ask them. And, most stagers would provide a generic answer ie the sample!
However the more we walked, the more specific the questions became. And that is also when my inexperienced, eager- to- please big mouth pretty much gave away my product. I was pointing out items that she had not noticed... items in need of repair, lighting issues, flooring gaffs, and so it goes.
By the time my client received the bill from her landscaper and got an estimate to do all of the items on my “free” list, there was no money left for paying a fee for staging with furniture. Well.... let me explain... there was “no money left “ to pay me to stage the house. The seller, with my “help” had rented the furniture and staged it herself. I can’t really blame the seller for this.... who wouldn’t take something if it were given away for free?!
What I’ve learned from this and with the help of other Stagers is that the “product” I sell is my training, experience and ability. You may not be able to place it in a box, sell it on eBay or Amazon and have it shipped to you but that is what I sell. As such, I have to protect my product. I continue to improve it by educating myself and surrounding myself with other professionals.
I learned from my early experience that I have to set the tone and pace when I’m providing a complimentary bid for a staging project. My purpose at these appointments is to take photos and gather enough information to complete my bid. Providing information such as noting areas that need attention on the property, what updates the property might benefit from and detailed information about exactly what I would place in each room fall under a staging consultation..... a “for a fee” consultation.
I’ve learned while giving a bid to provide the sellers with little tips as a courtesy and to show them that, yes, I do know what I am doing. But I’ve become more comfortable in letting them know that I would be happy to provide more detailed information via a Staging Consultation and then explain what the fee is.
I think this is something most Stagers encounter and after 1 or 2 times of giving it away, we learn with the support of other stagers how we can handle this.
This is not particular to just the Staging profession but to any field whose primary product is what they can do.
What I’ve learned from this and with the help of other Stagers is that the “product” I sell is my training, experience and ability. You may not be able to place it in a box, sell it on eBay or Amazon and have it shipped to you but that is what I sell. As such, I have to protect my product. I continue to improve it by educating myself and surrounding myself with other professionals.
I learned from my early experience that I have to set the tone and pace when I’m providing a complimentary bid for a staging project. My purpose at these appointments is to take photos and gather enough information to complete my bid. Providing information such as noting areas that need attention on the property, what updates the property might benefit from and detailed information about exactly what I would place in each room fall under a staging consultation..... a “for a fee” consultation.
I’ve learned while giving a bid to provide the sellers with little tips as a courtesy and to show them that, yes, I do know what I am doing. But I’ve become more comfortable in letting them know that I would be happy to provide more detailed information via a Staging Consultation and then explain what the fee is.
I think this is something most Stagers encounter and after 1 or 2 times of giving it away, we learn with the support of other stagers how we can handle this.
This is not particular to just the Staging profession but to any field whose primary product is what they can do.
