There is a lot of talk about branding and I want to share my take on it (with the help of some experts in the field. 🙂
Most Home Stagers that own businesses are the “face of their business”. And potential clients decide whether to hire their company based on whether they feel as though they trust the owner to deliver exactly what they want in a way that feels great!
In fact, if you have a brand that instills trust in your ideal clients, you won’t have to compete on price because people will trust that you will deliver in a way that no one else will.
Here is what Seth Godin, author and marketing and branding expert, has to say about trust:
“Competing on Trust is Better Than Competing on Price. Ultimately, building a brand is about building trust. If people trust you, they will keep buying from you and will pay a premium for the privilege of doing so. When you have a choice in what to buy, you will first and foremost (and second and third in fact) base your choice on a simple question, ‘who do I trust to keep the promise that the marketers are making?’ The fact is, people will soon forget if they overpaid for something. They will probably never (ever!) forget if you violated their trust.”
So how do you build trust online? Trust is built over time. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
One of the ways that you build trust is by showing up consistently and being visible where your ideal clients hang out -both on and off line.
Beyond showing up consistently you must provide valuable content that your “tribe” wants or needs so that they tune in, open your emails, read your blogs, etc. You want them to keep showing up so that when they are ready to “buy” they choose you.
It is also important to clarify your message to your ideal clients. What is it about your business and what you have to offer that makes you different? What sets your business apart? What do you bring to the table that others don’t? How do you understand your ideal clients better than anyone else?
Maybe in your messaging you stress that your company focuses on return on investment in a way that others don’t. Maybe you make the staging process fun. Maybe you excel at using people’s furniture, etc and maximize the showing power on a tight budget (as long as you get paid well, of course). Maybe you understand demographics and psychological staging in a way that others in your area don’t. Perhaps you serve a particular niche like the luxury market or working with investors.
Here is an example of how I am developing my brand as a coach:
When I started my coaching practice I decided that I wanted to focus on Home Stagers so I chose to buy the domain The Home Stager’s Coach. This makes it easy to recognize who I serve. But then I had to think about what makes me different than other coaches in this arena and why might my ideal customers choose me?
Here are some things that make me different:
- I am trained as a coach (from Coaches Training Institute)
- I have 27 years experience in Real Estate
- I have owned and operated a successful staging company since 2005
- I love to champion women
- My coaching is laser focused on the particular needs of my clients
- I focus on mindset and marketing in a way that no one else does. This is the biggest differentiator in my humble opinion and I believe that there is a huge need for this in the staging business (or any business for that matter). I am constantly exploring how I can serve this up better.
So think about how your past experience adds to your brand and focus on why you are the best choice for your ideal clients. What is the biggest differentiators? Ask “how can I give my ideal clients exactly what they want or need in a way that no one else does”?
Another way to build trust is to be authentic. Be your most wonderful powerful authentic self. People love working with “real” people-not a “smoke and mirrors brand”.
In this day and age where there are so many choices online, the ones who stand out and build a huge tribe of loyal followers are the ones who are authentic. They don’t try to be something they are not.
Some of my colleagues are doing this brilliantly, like Rachel Moriarty a designer out in California who has built her brand doing “Rachel’s daily riffs” where she shares tidbits of design and her life to her loyal followers on Facebook.
Rachel rocks her signature look with bold head scarves and flowing clothing that leave an impression. Her designs mirror her colorful, interesting, soulful personality. People resonate with her fun quirky personality and I am sure that they feel confident that working with her will be a blast! Think about it, people love working with a designer who is fun, creative and authentic. They want someone who helps them step outside of their box.
You may be wondering “do I have to be really bold to create a compelling brand? What if I am more reserved or shy”?
If this is you, you can still have a powerful brand. A colleague of mine in the Netherlands is an amazing personal and professional development coach. She is a self proclaimed introvert who loves coaching her clients but isn’t really into the social aspect of networking, etc. In fact she calls herself “The Happy Hermit” and no longer apologizes for who she is. Her customers love her for her no nonsense approach and occasional cussing) cushioned with kindness as she helps them cut through their bs to create what they really want in their business and life. I have watched her business soar as she embraced herself fully. She attracts ideal clients who feel completely understood by her and they absolutely love her!
David Avrin, author, speaker and visibility coach says “If you want people to be interested you have to be interesting”.
Ask yourself, what makes me and my company interesting?
You might be surprised at the answer.
Seth Godin sums up the importance of branding from the start of your business:
“Many small business owners tell me they will focus on their own business when they get more clients. But that way of thinking must be flipped on its head: You won’t get the clients until you put the work into your own business. Focus on what you do best by honing and defining your market, and then inhabit and communicate how you service that market in every aspect of your message and branding.”
Isn’t it time you started sharing your unique powerful wonderful YOU?
Now that is what I am talkin’ about!
Cheers to YOU and your success!!!
P.S. If you are a Home Stager or Designer and would like to join my FB Group – Fire up your Home Staging Business-for Home Stagers who want to kick ass in life and business-ask to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1661113244181568/
You will be asked to answer a couple of questions to make sure that you are a stager or designer.
