Do you think running around from property to property using up your valuable time (not to mention gas) giving free estimates is just a part of doing business?
More often than not, when you finally arrive at your home staging consultation, before you even get your jacket off, you’re bombarded with questions from the homeowner: “Does this couch make the room seem small? Should we do an accent wall? Is the dining room table too big for the space?”
While these are valid questions, you shouldn’t be giving your advice away for free. If you do nothing but drive from free consultation to free consultation all day, what happens if those homeowners take your expert advice and simply apply it themselves?
You’re basically allowing people to take your suggestions and implement them without your help. If you charge for your consultations, this doesn’t matter one bit! You still get compensated for the time and advice you give to homeowners about what you feel needs to be done to stage the home to sell. On the flip side, if you’re doing it for free, you’ll be broke before your business makes it past the infancy stage.
The Staging Diva® Sales Script: How to Avoid the Free Estimate Trap and Turn Homeowners into Home Staging Customers in One Phone Conversation will help you conduct a phone call with a potential client so that you feel confident charging for your first visit to their home.
You’ll be given the exact script that I use when speaking to homeowners for the first time.
I’ve never given free estimates, and I live in a city where there are dozens of home stagers who do. However, I was making up to $10,000 a month just in fees for my time within my second year of business.
In the next post, I’ll discuss an extremely important component of your home staging business: marketing.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
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