We only have 2 days left of 2008. When I look back on the year I evaluate the growth and success of business by certain standards - profitability, volume of projects, and monetary revenue. But this past year, I think a new standard needs to be applied for businesses that were/are tied to the real estate market: Still Standing.
Those business owners that have managed to weather the storm and are still standing after the turmoil and terrible financial mess - should be very proud. The market took a toll - we lost a lot of very creative and talented Home Stagers who were not able to sustain enough income to remain viable. Other industries suffered the loss of talented people as well - many are still reeling from the impact of losing so much in such a short period of time.
Home Stagers sold off their inventory, shut their doors, and went back to what? A JOB - a way to earn money that they may sort of enjoy but does not really fuel their passion. My hope is that when the market rebounds - and it will - those people will find their passion again, and get back to the roots of what makes them truly happy - creating something out of nothing, and helping all parties realize their goals of selling a house in a shorter time and at the best price.
It has been a learning experience as well - for those that have never run a business - weathering storms economically is a normal process - maybe not to the degree we all experienced collectively, but no business is on a growth upswing its entire time. Learning to plan carefully and tuck funds away for the hard times - is a good idea - and one that with 20-20 vision looking back- we would have done more.
For me - I hope that 2009 brings prosperity back to the homeowner, the seller, the realtor - the investor, and the builder - as those are our clients. Without them out there moving, selling, buying and building, we have no business.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Posers - All Talk but Little Walk
I was watching this media segment on some celebrity nonsense, and they kept referring to people as "Posers." In fact, one urban dictionary definition of "Poser" is:
A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another.
Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't.
I know we all have Staging Posers in our markets. I ran across one that was hired to do a Staging project, and turns out he was a Realtor "Posing" as a Stager - who picked out rental furniture that was a total mish-mash, but was cheaper than a real Stager. End result - the house did not sell when it should - and the client ended up spending way more money to have it done right the second time around!
These Posers are people that claim they know how to Stage but really don't. This person could be anyone from the homeowner who thinks because they watch HGTV they can successfully Stage their house, to a person that reads a book or a "how-to" pamphlet created and all of a sudden is an "expert" on what to do, to someone that actually starts up a Staging business, but really has no idea what Staging is all about. Although some of the media shows and publications help, the GIFT of Staging is not something you can just wake up one day and claim to have. To me it is a God-given gift was have from birth - the abiltiy to see things in a new way, to picture and envision rooms, yards, houses transformed. Not everyone has it - so not everyone can be a Stager.
According to one website: Calling someone a poser is the same thing as accusing them of being fake or inauthentic. They may talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk
How do we overcome the Posers in our own industry?
First, I hate to say it here on a blog site, but just because someone is writing about it - does not mean they are actually doing it. The public has to be savvy about not just picking someone because they have a bunch of points. Sadly, some are impressed by that, but as I blogged in the past, http://activerain.com/blogsview/371376/If-You-Are-In-Here-You-Are-Not-Out-There if a person is always in "here" blogging, and on numerous other sites posting things, they could not possibly be out "there" as much as a they claim, unless they literally never sleep. That, to me, is a Poser.
Writing about it and DOING it are two totally different things! Now I know Blogging can be like a full-time job - and it IS for some that actually get paid to comment on life, websites, etc., or for those that want to parlay their blog sites into publiciations. . . However, when our full time job we "blog about" is Staging - how can we be wearing both hats and be legit in our business? I know there are some that make it work, but a non-Poser will have a balance - not spending all their time on a blog site, and have real examples of productive work - which brings me to the next point.
Hopefully the public is savvy enough to actually look at the portfolios of the potential Stager - and makes sure that the photos included are of their work. And a Stager that is really out there running a business will have RECENT examples of successful Staging work, and statistics they track. Or at least they should. If they are promoting the same old photo from a year ago, chances are they have not really been "out there" Staging and are "posing" with those that have been out there working.
I know the tough market has meant business slow down for many markets - mine included - and yet because we are in this long term, we have recent examples and success stories we could share. A Poser will not have those.
Next - ASK for Credentials. A Poser won't have any. That is a pretty simple solution there. A Home Staging Poser will most likely talk about how much they love decorating, or perhaps they even came from a different parallel field, but they really won't be able to talk too much about how they have self-educated themselves in this field, or reference classes they may have taken.
How about ASKING for Insurance: A Poser probably will not have made the investment to insure a business that does not really exist. They want to be considered a Home Stager, but they don't really want to make the investment in a business. Not only does it leave their clients at risk, but they are putting their own family at risk by not insuring their business.
How about this important distinction: A Poser will not have success. Because they really don't know what they are doing, their houses don't sell and they cannot toot their horn over fabulous Staging transformations that result in record sales, or other stats that help sustain the Staging market.
Finally I think this question really weeds out the Posers from the Home Stagers that really plan on doing this as long as their minds will allow . . . Ask the Poser "How long do you see yourself doing this and why?" The Poser usually looks at Staging as a quick buck, and gets out as fast as they got in when the going gets tough. Or the Poser does not understand truly how Staging can work to sell a house - and will just dump in basic decor or a ton of greenery and call the house "Staged."
Posers are all talk and very little walk. They want to be like those that are successful in this fun, exciting, roller coaster ride of a business we call Staging - but it's time to identify the Posers so that the public does not get led down a primrose path of false expectations.
Jennie
A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another.
Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't.
I know we all have Staging Posers in our markets. I ran across one that was hired to do a Staging project, and turns out he was a Realtor "Posing" as a Stager - who picked out rental furniture that was a total mish-mash, but was cheaper than a real Stager. End result - the house did not sell when it should - and the client ended up spending way more money to have it done right the second time around!
These Posers are people that claim they know how to Stage but really don't. This person could be anyone from the homeowner who thinks because they watch HGTV they can successfully Stage their house, to a person that reads a book or a "how-to" pamphlet created and all of a sudden is an "expert" on what to do, to someone that actually starts up a Staging business, but really has no idea what Staging is all about. Although some of the media shows and publications help, the GIFT of Staging is not something you can just wake up one day and claim to have. To me it is a God-given gift was have from birth - the abiltiy to see things in a new way, to picture and envision rooms, yards, houses transformed. Not everyone has it - so not everyone can be a Stager.
According to one website: Calling someone a poser is the same thing as accusing them of being fake or inauthentic. They may talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk
How do we overcome the Posers in our own industry?
First, I hate to say it here on a blog site, but just because someone is writing about it - does not mean they are actually doing it. The public has to be savvy about not just picking someone because they have a bunch of points. Sadly, some are impressed by that, but as I blogged in the past, http://activerain.com/blogsview/371376/If-You-Are-In-Here-You-Are-Not-Out-There if a person is always in "here" blogging, and on numerous other sites posting things, they could not possibly be out "there" as much as a they claim, unless they literally never sleep. That, to me, is a Poser.
Writing about it and DOING it are two totally different things! Now I know Blogging can be like a full-time job - and it IS for some that actually get paid to comment on life, websites, etc., or for those that want to parlay their blog sites into publiciations. . . However, when our full time job we "blog about" is Staging - how can we be wearing both hats and be legit in our business? I know there are some that make it work, but a non-Poser will have a balance - not spending all their time on a blog site, and have real examples of productive work - which brings me to the next point.
Hopefully the public is savvy enough to actually look at the portfolios of the potential Stager - and makes sure that the photos included are of their work. And a Stager that is really out there running a business will have RECENT examples of successful Staging work, and statistics they track. Or at least they should. If they are promoting the same old photo from a year ago, chances are they have not really been "out there" Staging and are "posing" with those that have been out there working.
I know the tough market has meant business slow down for many markets - mine included - and yet because we are in this long term, we have recent examples and success stories we could share. A Poser will not have those.
Next - ASK for Credentials. A Poser won't have any. That is a pretty simple solution there. A Home Staging Poser will most likely talk about how much they love decorating, or perhaps they even came from a different parallel field, but they really won't be able to talk too much about how they have self-educated themselves in this field, or reference classes they may have taken.
How about ASKING for Insurance: A Poser probably will not have made the investment to insure a business that does not really exist. They want to be considered a Home Stager, but they don't really want to make the investment in a business. Not only does it leave their clients at risk, but they are putting their own family at risk by not insuring their business.
How about this important distinction: A Poser will not have success. Because they really don't know what they are doing, their houses don't sell and they cannot toot their horn over fabulous Staging transformations that result in record sales, or other stats that help sustain the Staging market.
Finally I think this question really weeds out the Posers from the Home Stagers that really plan on doing this as long as their minds will allow . . . Ask the Poser "How long do you see yourself doing this and why?" The Poser usually looks at Staging as a quick buck, and gets out as fast as they got in when the going gets tough. Or the Poser does not understand truly how Staging can work to sell a house - and will just dump in basic decor or a ton of greenery and call the house "Staged."
Posers are all talk and very little walk. They want to be like those that are successful in this fun, exciting, roller coaster ride of a business we call Staging - but it's time to identify the Posers so that the public does not get led down a primrose path of false expectations.
Jennie
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