International Institute Of Home Staging

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How to Network Like a Pro

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We’ve all heard of networking – but how exactly do you do it and why is it essential for running a successful business?

While technology has made networking easier, you still need to get outside of your comfort zone and meet people for success in your business.

Networking is a great way to get your name and business out into the world, find new clients and expand your affiliates.

networking for your business

Regardless of the type of business you run, networking is achieved in similar ways – here’s some ideas to get yourself out there!

Attend Events

Going to events is a great way to network. Not only can this lead to new clients but it also has the potential to lead to affiliates and possibly even partner brands. Being around like-minded people is great too as it allows you to meet other inspirational people, expand your knowledge and give you fresh ideas.

Business Cards

Carrying around business cards is still a great way to network, especially at events. You can even drop your business cards off at cafes and restaurants so you have the potential to reach a wide range of demographics! Putting your key social media handles, phone number and email on business cards is absolutely essential nowadays. People want to be able to research your business before directly contacting you.

Social Media

Networking through social media is another great way to network when you are time poor but still want to chat to people. Even if you have no time to post, comment or message in the moment, you can communicate via paid advertisements and using scheduling programs so you always have content going live across your platforms and live chats.

These techniques will allow you to connect with your audience and potential clients or partners – and you can mix it up with what’s going on in your biz calendar! Trial different ideas and techniques to figure out what works best for you, you never know who you’re going to meet and what opportunity could come your way!

 

 

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4 Tips for Convincing Your Clients of the Value of Home Staging

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So you want to increase your customer base and convince more clients about the value of home staging? A part of any professional home stagers job description is selling their services.  Part of selling is showing how your services add value and create a win-win situation for your clients. So how do you show this value?

These are my Top 4 Tips for convincing your clients of the value of home staging:

  1. Show them the stats

The majority of clients enjoy hearing and analysing the statistics around home staging and its results or return on investments for vendors.  There is a lot of literature on the internet that is floating about to support the use of home staging and pre sale property styling – the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) has a yearly publication as do a few other American and Canadian Associations.

However presenting off shore data to clients that has been derived from what they may consider to be a completely unrelated market often results in objections and questions about the transferability of the data.

The best way to counter this is to collect your own data.  When you collect your own rigorous and consistent statistics based on local sales and your workmanship, there can be little challenge to their relevancy.

2. Assess your business model

I constantly get asked how can I increase my customer base. Sometimes it is less about selling, and more about assessing your business model. The first thing you need to do is ask yourself the following questions!

Q1 – “Do you have a database, or a list of your customers?”

Q2 – “When was the last time you connected with your customers online and offline to re-build your relationship with them?”

Q3 – “Can you re-structure your payment options and make it more attractive for existing customers to pay upfront, in advance or on a monthly payment plan?”

Q4 – “Have you considered a low cost referral program that could reward your current customers who introduce their friends and family to your service?”

Q 5 “Are you testing and measuring your marketing efforts to gauge the best ROI on your marketing dollar?”

Armed with these five simple questions, you can now assess your current situation and take the appropriate action towards increasing the sales in your business.

Record your answers and have them ready for your next business planning meeting.

  1. Network like a boss

Networking is a cost effective way to generate new business leads and make connections with other like-minded people. I strongly believe networking is an important part of having a successful business. Here are some tips I always follow:

  • Always have business cards with you. You can build your network anywhere! Waiting for the kids to finish school, at a birthday party or at the shops.
  • Listen! Even though networking is about you, it is important to listen to what somebody else is saying in case you can help them.
  • Be interested. Showing that you are interested in somebody is a vital part of networking.
  • When you have to speak, make sure you have a speech ready to go, introducing yourself smoothly and confidently.
  • Follow the top communication rule: giving eye contact!
  • Do not stay talking to the same person for hours at an event, make sure you make the rounds giving everyone a piece of your time, allowing you to meet new people and possible business associates.
  • Following up is essential – send everyone you met a card, email, Facebook message, tweet, text or even give them a call.
  • Make sure you stay in touch with people you felt like you could work with in the future because chances are, you probably will.

Following these tips will has countless benefits including greater exposure for your business and further opportunities.

  1. Use social media

Facebook… one of the most popular social media outlets on the internet. Most of us carry it with us everyday on phone and tablet devices. Facebook is a great way to market and attract more traffic to your business in so many ways, no matter how you run your business or what type of work you do!

Promote your business by getting friends and family to support your work and like the page, and also liking and talking to other business owners in a similar area of interest to you. While creating a social stir you may find that your page gathers more attention from different people/businesses, more likes and comments, and more general interest for what your business is really all about! (Eventually leading up to larger numbers of clientele!)

Ask your social media audience questions and engage them in your work! This is always fun and puts the spotlight on the audience, rather than only talking about the business itself. You can gain insight into what your clientele like and dislike through this method by asking the questions and getting the feedback, ultimately building confidence for your business due to the market needs! Always keep in contact with your clients and audience by answering any questions that they may ask – do not ignore them!

These 4 tips will help you on your way to strengthening your business and legitimizing the value of home staging for clients.

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Business – Growing Your Social Media Audience

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Facebook… one of the most popular social media outlets on the internet. Most of us carry it with us everyday on phone and tablet devices. It is accessed by millions of people around the world and is great for keeping in touch with friends and family! Facebook is a great way to market your business, in a way that Facebook allows you to talk freely about your business any time of the day, any day of the week. A Facebook page for your business can attract more traffic to your business in so many ways, no matter how you run your business or what type of work you do! Here are my three top tips to using Facebook to grow your social media audience!

A smartphone user shows the Facebook application on his phone in the central Bosnian town of Zenica, in this photo illustration, May 2, 2013. Facebook Inc's mobile advertising revenue growth gained momentum in the first three months of the year as the social network sold more ads to users on smartphones and tablets, partially offsetting higher spending which weighed on profits. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Tags: SOCIETY SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS)

Setting up a solid Facebook audience is an important thing! Promote your business by getting friends and family to support your work and like the page, and also liking and talking to other business owners in a similar area of interest to you. This is going to get your business name out in the marketplace a lot more via word of mouth as well as showing enthusiasm for other businesses which is always going to be a huge positive! While creating a social stir you may find that your page gathers more attention from different people/businesses, more likes and comments, and more general interest for what your business is really all about! (Eventually leading up to larger numbers of clientele!)

Ask your social media audience questions and engage them in your work! This is always fun and puts the spotlight on the audience, rather than only talking about the business itself. You can gain insight into what your clientele like and dislike through this method by asking the questions and getting the feedback, ultimately building confidence for your business due to the market needs! Always keep in contact with your clients and audience by answering any questions that they may ask – do not ignore them!

Link what you are posting on Facebook to other social media outlets like websites, blogs and twitter along with other media attention to gain more traffic through your other sights at the same time! Keep the audience interested in what you are doing by showing them more of your business talent through other sites.   Most importantly don’t forget that facebook is only one of the social media channels, there are loads out there and it is essential you discover what social media channels your potential clients are looking at and how you can engage them.

Make your social media count!

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Do you have a business in the interior design or homewares industry that needs a little help in the social media department? Jen offers an affordable Social Media Healthcheck service for just $347.

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She’s an expert in social media for business, often asked to speak, write and comment on the topic. Coupled with her passion for, knowledge of and contacts in the Australian interiors world, she is the perfect person to help you on your social media journey.

What you’ll learn Jen will review your social media presence and, if applicable, its relationship to your business website. She’ll tell you what you do well, what you could do better and what’s missing. Above all she’ll let you know how to make the most of your digital presence and your online brand. All this in a personalised, comprehensive report, emailed to your inbox within 10 days.

Whether you’re yet to start experimenting with social media or you think you’ve got it covered but want advice on maximising its impact for your business, Jen can help.

Interested? If you’d like to find out more about this or more in-depth, one-on-one social media consulting, please contact Jen.