Helping Staging Diva Graduates stay motivated through the winter season can be a challenge. November through January are always less busy times for stagers in the US and Canada— unless you’re also doing interior redesign, color consulting and holiday decorating. Get ready though because we’re heading into the best time of the year for home stagers. This time of year is when home staging opportunities get real exciting.

I did a coaching call with a home stager yesterday who was losing hope. I asked, “Would you close your ice cream store in early June because business was slow in the winter?” She thanked me for “talking her off the ledge” and left our call with a solid marketing plan to put in place right now as the spring real estate market gets underway this month. She’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of it. Sometimes you need to take a step back to see the bigger picture.

In this month’s posts: you’ll learn 3 tips to get the media to promote you, how to put your marketing in high gear for the spring real estate market, how to choose from so many yummy paint colors, and you’ll enjoy the work of two Staging Diva Graduates celebrating their 5th year as home stagers! Make sure you subscribe to receive updates from this blog by signing up using the box on the right sidebar.

Also, don’t forget to send me any questions or story ideas you’d like to see covered in this blog. Without that input, I’m only guessing about what you want to learn!

I hope you’ll continue to let me be the Voice of Possibility™ for you as we push past our fears and self-limiting beliefs and find our passion!

Best wishes for your continued success on your journey as a home stager!

“When we conquer our fears, we discover a boundless, bottomless, inexhaustible well of passion.” – Steven Pressfield

Congratulations to these Staging Diva Graduates who renewed their Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers membership for a 2nd year!

Visit their profiles and get inspired:

Noel Storm is the owner of Noel’s Home Staging and Redesignin Illinois. Noel’s listing serves as her home staging website since it has all she needs to showcase her talents as a home stager. It features three sets of before and after pictures, sales copy about her business and her company contact details

Winnipeg, Alberta Home Stager Miriam Neuman owner of Reveal Your Homealso uses her Directory listing as her main web presence. This allowed her to get her business on the Internet fast!

We would also like to welcome two new members of Directory of Home Stagers:

Lisa Paquette Yee owner of Resourceful ReDesigns Home Staging and ReDesign serving areas in Central Alberta.

Victoria Eves of The Home Staging Touch in Ontario Canada.

To find out how you too can enjoy the benefits of a listing in the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers visit: http://www.stagingdiva.com/stagingdirectorygetlisted.html .

My house doesn’t always look like a home stager lives here (especially since I don’t have a cleaning lady), but for the most part my environment is free of unnecessary objects and the usual dust collectors you’ll find in most of your clients’ homes. As most of my students and readers know, I hate clutter.

I don’t buy gadgets, lots of clothing, purses or shoes, but I compulsively collect information and ideas! I’m afraid to throw any of it out because “I might need it later!” Yes, that does sound like the usual excuse people give for compulsively hanging onto thousands of pounds of “stuff” they’ll never need! It’s really all hoarding.

It was a personal breakthrough as a home stager when I finally began to see that hanging onto too many To Do items, or ideas, was in fact what was getting in the way of realizing my dreams.

Feeling overwhelmed too often means we just don’t move forward at all. We become paralyzed by the myriad of choices and opportunities available. There will never be enough hours to accomplish everything.

It’s important to make conscious choices about how we spend our time and what we put on our “stop doing” list to make room for what’s truly important to our dreams. This requires a lot more discipline than most people realize. As a home stager, being able to filter out the noise of “shiny objects” and focus on what’s essential is a skill that must be developed.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m heading into 2012 with many of the same piles of paper I’ve had on my desk since this time last year! I’ll be sharing my strategies for dealing with this in the weeks ahead on my blog, Home Staging Business Report.

> Read the full article on getting rid of too many To Do items

Opportunity works in mysterious ways. On my own journey of reinvention, I’ve read hundreds of books, listened to more hours of inspirational recordings than I can count and traveled across the country and back in search of “my home.”

Along the way, I’ve heard this sentiment repeated in various forms but it generally goes like this, “When you decide your mission and start moving in the direction of your dreams, the universe will rise up to meet you half way. Opportunities will suddenly appear because you’ll be ready for them.”

It’s really a variation on Louis Pasteur’s quote about “chance favoring the prepared mind,” and an underlying principal of the whole Law of Attraction movement.

Depending on whether I’m feeling depressed and pessimistic, or inspired and hopeful, this whole idea hits me differently.

In my darkest moments I just think, “That’s just magical thinking, real life sucks.” At other times, I can be more receptive and open and easily see countless examples of its truth in my own life. I agree with Wayne Dyer’s observation that “I will see it when I believe it.”

In November I spoke at the Stevie Women in Business Awards in New York where I was a finalist in 4 categories, including: Best Coach/Mentor of the Year and Best Entrepreneur of a Service Business Under 100 Employees. It was an expensive trip but I went with the belief that being there would lead to new opportunities for me— even though I had no idea what those would be.

After my presentation the head of PR and Social Media for Century 21introduced himself and asked me to write for their blog. This is a huge opportunity because they’re the largest real estate company in the world and it will bring tons of traffic to the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers which will benefit my graduates.

I didn’t speak at this event hoping to meet that particular contact, but it only happened because I was there. Read my first C21 article “Less is More When Selling Your Home Over the Holidays Says Staging Diva”.

Staging Diva Graduate Imogen Brown of Home Staging Brisbane saw a tweet from Century 21 on Twitter linking to my first blog post for them and tweeted congratulations to me.

A real estate/social media consultant in Australia saw Imogen’s tweet back to me and contacted her with an invitation to write a blog post for him that is syndicated across 40 real estate offices.

Imogen writes:

“Two lessons from all this:

1. You’ve got to love Twitter

2. Just keep connecting with people and great things will happen!”

If you’re feeling intimidated by the idea of being on Twitter or blogging, I have two products to help you.

The Home Stagers’s Guide to Twitter is written for absolute beginners and also contains advanced strategies as you get more comfortable with this medium.

Staging Diva Chronicles Volumes 1 and 2 include 24 articles/blog posts that are already written for you! You can use them in full or use parts to liven up your own writing in your blog, newsletter, etc.

Home stagers quite often get frustrated in their efforts to promote home staging to real estate agents, and are left with the feeling that agents just don’t “get it” and, worse, don’t even want to get it.

Many new and aspiring home stagers even allow themselves to be talked out of starting a home staging business in the first place by the misguided and misinformed advice of an often well meaning real estate agent.

It helps to remember that all these agents and brokers are sales people working on 100% commission in a market where it now takes far longer to sell a property than it used to. Here are 5 key selling points you will want to communicate to real estate agents to help them realize “what’s in it for them” when working with you:

1. When dealing with listing clients, Home staging is something you can recommend to them as a faster way to sell their home, but it’s not a service you personally have to be responsible to pay for.

2. As a home stager, I will tell your clients the changes and improvements you don’t want to mention for fear of offending them and losing your listing. Plus, as an unbiased independent third party, I save you from having to get in between spouses who have different opinions about how to best show their home for a speedy sale.

3. With 70% of US home buyers searching online (that number is 90% in Canada) before ever calling a real estate agent, you will attract a lot more leads with better looking photos, not only for the staged listing but from active buyers who will want you to show them other properties as well. Attractive listing photos do a lot to increase your own agency’s status and credibility.

> Read the rest of this story here

Donna Dazzo on HGTV episode of Selling New York explains how once you're selling your home it becomes a product, and getting rid of the hundreds of baby photos is part of what's needed to depersonalize.

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Donna Dazzo of Designed to Appeal on her appearance on HGTV’s Selling New York where she provided her staging advice for a $5.75 million townhouse.

I have to admit I’d be intimidated by a client’s home with that high a price tag!

The funny part is, when I saw the clip, I realized that even people “with more money than God” (as my mother would say) have the same problems as the rest of us/our clients.

Here is Donna explaining to the owners that they have too much clutter and why they need to depersonalize. Then she’s out on their deck discussing the need to paint over a rusty railing, and add attractive outdoor furniture and flowers to the barren concrete space.

Let’s face it, what we do as home stagers isn’t rocket science— but it may as well be because we bring an eye and a vision that the average person just doesn’t have! For proof of that you only need to look at all the ugly homes on the real estate market owned by people hoping to sell at the highest price, like these New York clients with a $5.75 million townhouse and absolutely no clue!

Donna has been a member of the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers for more than 5 years now. She became a stager after losing her financial services job in her 50s. I’m sure at that time she believed it was the worst thing that could happen to her. But, that was before she discovered all the new adventures and unique experiences that lay before her once she decided to reinvent herself and use her creative talents to make a new living, and a new life! I’m sure she could never imagine all the that lay before her.

If you’d like to learn the exact home staging business formula I taught Donna, these products will help you:

Staging Diva Home Staging Training Business Program

Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers – Profile Listing with Free Brochure

Staging Diva Ultimate Portfolio Guide

Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide

If you’ve just joined the 20,000-member Staging Diva community, welcome and if you’ve been here for awhile, thank you for your participation! I look forward to helping all of you make 2012 your best year yet!

I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions because I know how often we fall off course and think, “Oh well, never mind, it’s too late now!” Instead, it’s important to remember that every day can be a new beginning. There really is no “magic” to January 1st.

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” – W.M. Lewis

This quote by W.M. Lewis holds special significance for me because I’ve worked with thousands of women (and a few men), who have let fear stop them from moving forwards on their dreams and really living.

For example, I spoke to a 54-year old woman yesterday who just lost her $70,000/yr job, knows she won’t get another in her field, feels a calling to use her passion for decorating but asked me, “Do you think it’s better to do a job you hate because you know it will pay the bills or is it better to do something you’re passionate about?”

Frankly that’s like asking me, “Should I close up my box of dreams, stuff it in the attic along with my God-given talents and continue living someone else’s life?”

Believe me I understand how important it is to pay the bills but I also know that the biggest regret people have at the end of their lives is not for things they tried (even if they “failed”), but for all the paths they never took.

Throughout my childhood I was taught, “Don’t ever depend on anyone to take care of you.” I took that to heart; got 3 college degrees, including a Masters in Business and Marketing, had an unfulfilling career for almost 20 years, and was (at best) mildly depressed for much of it.

It wasn’t until I neared my 40th birthday that I finally decided my life wasn’t a dress rehearsal and I’d better get busy living and enjoying it. That was 1999 and I never would have imagined where stepping off my familiar path would take me!

In this month’s posts, you’ll learn 5 secrets real estate agents need to hear from you, how the owner of a $5.75 million town house isn’t that different from a typical staging client, how to declutter your desk to make way for achieving your dreams, how a speech I made in New York led to a big marketing opportunity for a Staging Diva Grad in Australia, plus you’ll meet 6 inspiring home stagers!

As we start this new year together, I suggest that we all make 2012 the year we make decisions from a place of strength rather than fear. I too have many new dreams and challenges and plan on taking baby steps to gradually accomplish them. I hope you’ll continue to let me be the Voice of Possibility™ for you as we move towards a life we want and discover the magic that awaits us on the other side of our fears!

Once you’re a Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers member, it’s easy for agents and home sellers to hire you! PLUS, members enjoy FREE project referrals, notification of guest speaking opportunities in their area, as well as media interviews!

Congratulations to these Staging Diva Graduates who renewed their Directory membership for a 4th year and to our two newest members! Visit their profiles and get inspired:

Dolly DeWald, NE Year 4!
D3 Dolly DeWald Designs

Gloria Salvetti, VA/MA Year 4!
East Coast Stager

Jodi Whalen, NY
Year 4!
Pear Tree Home Designs, LLC 

Red Barrinuevo, ON
Redesign4More

Loi Diaz, ON
Changes by Stages Home Staging and Redesign

NEW Benefit!

You can add these Social Media icons to your Profile Listing and link them to your profiles on these sites:

Sample of the Social Media icons you can have as links on your Profile listing. Choose any or all of these: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

This is a FREE perk if you commit for a full year, or $75 if you’re on the quarterly billing plan.

Extra Benefits for Profile Listings!

You can have a free brochure produced by Staging Diva for your company when you have a full year Profile Listing.

Sample front & back of custom brochure

Plus, you’ll get a download link on your Directory Profile Page so your customers can access your company brochure instantly!

Sample download button that goes on your Directory listing Profile Page

Get top listing for your area

The sooner you join, the higher up on the list you are for your locations. If you’re first to join the Directory for your areas, your listing will always come out on top in a Directory search!

> How to get your own Profile Page

> How to get a Mini Listing

Home Stagers often overlook this but a new baby’s arrival is a common reason for people to put their homes on the real estate market . Because of their needs (and the urgency of listing, selling and moving), new parents represent a very lucrative market segment. They desperately need our help!

Most new parents’ homes look like my client’s that you see at right. (Glad the staging consultation (or new baby) didn’t disturb Dad!)

Home staging for new parents is a great business opportunity for home stagers because these clients:

• Are totally overwhelmed.
• Want to sell their home quickly.
• Don’t have the time or energy to do what’s needed themselves.

I always turn my first meeting, or Home Staging Consultation, into a working session so that my client isn’t left with a bunch of tasks they won’t have the time or energy to complete.

This makes the consultation run several hours and it’s a rare mom who doesn’t hug me at the end in relief because of the obvious transformation of her home.

Did I mention I generally earn about $700 or more for an afternoon spent this way?

> Click here to read the full article and get more tips for dealing with new parents.

Course 3 takes all the mystery out of how to handle a home staging consultation and make sure you get paid. Includes the Home Staging Consultation Checklist Free!

> Download your Course and Checklist now!

When you decide to follow your dreams and do work that you love, there are so many fears that can stop you in your tracks, if you let them. That’s one of the reasons I write so much about mindset, confidence, fear and more. I’m sharing how I conquered one of my biggest fears in this article with the hope that it will help you conquer your own fears (whatever they are). Along the way, I learned the importance of:

• Forcing yourself to move forward even when it’s easier to hang back.
• Taking baby steps to ease toward the scarier thing.
• Realizing everyone else has similar fears.
• Understanding courage only means taking action despite your fear.
• Watching little kids learn. Do they give up walking when they fall down? Do they give up climbing monkey bars when they fall off? Should you give up just because you’re worried it will be too hard?

Back in college, I was the student who woke up with strep throat the morning of a class presentation. Not once, but repeatedly! How powerful is the mind/body connection that I would cause my throat to literally close up just to avoid looking like an idiot in front of my class.

I knew I’d have to get over this fear or it would forever hold me back in my career.

To force myself to get used to making public presentations, I got involved in the Student Council while I was pursuing a graduate degree. That meant I’d have to make a short class announcement every week (in other words, take baby steps).

The second year I ran for a position and was elected Social Director— which meant I had to make an election speech and forever put myself out there as I organized all social events for the students, including the Graduation Formal (rather like planning a wedding but I didn’t get presents or a spouse out of it!).

Once I was working for huge corporations like Nabisco Brands and American Express, I had to make presentations in corporate boardrooms. Later, working for advertising agencies and in my own marketing consulting business I had to make lots of sales presentations where my livelihood was tied to how well I performed.

While my child was very young, I didn’t have to make presentations anymore and gradually my unease returned.

When I launched my home staging company in 2002, I started small by answering decorating questions in mom’s groups, which I found “non-threatening” and a chance to practice! Then I joined networking groups and did mini-presentation about home staging. There were never more than about 50 people but still my palms were sweating and my heart was pounding.

I must have sounded OK, because I always picked up at least one client whenever I spoke (that’s a tip for how you can grow your own staging business!).

Speech in Marriott Marquis Ballroom NYC to audience of 350, November 2011

Out of 1300 entries from around the world, I was a finalist for:

* Best Mentor/Coach of the Year

* Best Entrepreneur of a Service Business Under 100 Employees

* Best Blog of the Year for Home Staging Business Report

* Best Canadian Entrepreneur

To this day, it never feels comfortable to go to big events that have a networking component. I hide in the bathroom powdering my nose and re-applying lipstick for about 5 minutes when I arrive, mustering up the energy to turn myself into an extrovert for the next few hours.

Last May, I started to toy with the idea of getting up on larger stages after a very vivid dream about inspiring women to follow their own dreams. I’ve certainly been inspiring large groups of people for the past 7 years, but it’s been through blogging, teleseminars, courses and group coaching calls.

Once I imagined speaking to hundreds of people from a stage, all my teenage fears returned.

So I spent much of the past summer taking various courses and watching the masters— people who actually make a living from public speaking. I soaked up their tips, watched how they behaved on stage, etc.

I wrote a pitch to speak at NLP Canada’s HOPE Symposium in September which was to a group of about 150. After that event, I entered the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, knowing that a win would mean a speech to a very large group from a Manhattan hotel stage! As it turns out there were 350 people, including the cast and crew from Real Housewives of New York(Ramona Singer won the Mogul of the Year Award and they were there to film her for their show).

I got up and made a speech thanking the Staging Diva Team and the thousands of women (and a few men) who have trusted me to help guide them on their journey into home staging. I also congratulated all the business women in the room for having the courage to think big and go for their dreams. Despite my nervousness, it REALLY wasn’t such a big deal!

It feels amazing not to be worried about this particular fear anymore!

After my speech, the Director of PR and Social Media for Century 21 offered to feature Staging Diva on their blog with a regular column. This is the world’s largest residential real estate companywith 121,000 agents in 71 countries, and an opportunity that would never have come about had I not taken the steps to place myself where I could be “discovered” by new audiences.

The Century 21 connection, which will lead to tons of exposure for Staging Diva and all members of the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers in the coming year, is not something I could have foreseen. But that’s just it, you just never know what opportunities might “fall in your lap” in advance!

So take baby steps to overcome one of your own fears and discover the magic that awaits you too! How about declaring 2012 as the year you make decisions from a place of strength rather than fear?

Related articles:

> Is Negative Self-Talk Killing Your Home Staging Business?

> Why Did You Become a Home Stager?

> Home Stagers – 5 Steps to Boost Your Confidence