HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Publication
JUNE 2022 IMAGE COURTESY OF MODEL MY HOME
IN iTHIS ss ue
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FROM THE DESK OF JANA USELTON HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
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5 STEPS TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION
HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
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WINNING IN OUR INDUSTRY HSRA MEMBER: SUSAN BOURASSA
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CLEANING OUT YOUR CRM CONTACT DATABASE HSRA DIGITAL DIRECTOR: JILL JOHNSON
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WHAT IS HOME STAGING ANYWAY? HSRA STAGING BUSINESS ADVISOR: JENNIFER GAINER
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BRINGING ON A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT HSRA VP OF OPERATIONS: LAURIE GRAHAM
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
H O M E
S T A G I N G
&
R E D E S I G N
A L L I A N C E
FROM THE DESK OF
Jana Uselton
BIG VISION B u s i n e s s
B u i l d e r s
Keynote Speaker, Author, Thought Leader, Industry Influencer, Business Women, Wife, & Mother
CLEANING OUT YOUR CRM CONTACT DATABASE
“WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY DO. EXCELLENCE, THEREFORE, IS NOT AN ACT BUT A HABIT.” – ARISTOTLE
JILL JOHNSON DIGITAL DIRECTOR
We are officially halfway through the year and boy am I excited for what’s to come! As you know, we are all about setting goals every quarter and one of those goals is to clean out our CRM contact database. If you already have a game plan for this, you are on it and a total rockstar, but I know for many this can be a daunting task.
First, I want to say that HubSpot has been a major help when it comes to not having duplicates of contacts in our system. I know that is one thing every business seems to struggle with when it comes to the contacts portion of a CRM. Sometimes the same client will get added because they purchased a different product or they've worked with you before but it was a couple of years ago and they just get readded. There are plenty of explanations as to why duplicates exist in the system, but HubSpot does a great job of flagging you by tracking their name, email, or phone number. That’s just a little side note for this article. Overall, cleaning out your CRM can be a bit overwhelming, but keeping it clean is a total game-changer. I wanted to share this tip we just recently discovered about how to make sure your database is always clean.
The first step is to determine whom you want in your contact database and who shouldn’t be in it quite yet because they are just taking up space. The 3 main categories of people you want in your database are: 👋🏼 Warm leads 🔥 Hot leads 💰 Clients that are currently working with you or have worked with you within the past 2 years. Anything past 2 years will become a cold lead and need to be put in a different pipeline.
Determining these different types of categories may take a while if you have a large number of contacts, but trust me, it will be worth it in the end. Once you
have determined what contact goes into what category, it’s now time to move some people around to a different platform. What do I mean by this? For example, let's assume that you use HubSpot as your CRM.
We want to keep those warm leads, hot leads, and current clients in HubSpot, but the rest, we want to delete from the system. However, do not delete the contacts altogether! Export a file with the list of the people that need to be removed and save that for our next step. In the next step, we are going to create a Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or other email provider account. Next, you’ll take that exported list and upload it to the email provider. In this new email provider platform, you will want to send out an email that promotes something for FREE! Yes, free. It does not need to be something big. Maybe it's something like a quick 15minute Facetime walk-through of a property with a shorter consultation report or something that seems reasonable. From here, you will wait to see who takes action on this "free give". Whoever takes action will now get moved from that email provider platform to HubSpot! Simple as that!
This is something you will want to do every year and if you stay up to date with it, your CRM should never get too cramped! Try to make this a goal this month. This is also a great thing to have a Virtual Assistant do if you have one! I hope you have an amazing June and we’ll see you back here next month!
-Jill
Cheers!
5 CONFLICT STEPS TO
RESOLUTION 1. ESTABLISH A REPORTING METHOD 2. ASSESS THE SITUATION 3. ADDRESS THE TEAM MEMBERS INVOLVED 4. PROGRESS WITH A ROAD TO RESOLVE 5. HIRE PEOPLE WHO DISPLAY YOUR COMPANY’S CORE VALUES
GROWTH GDP | MENTORSHIP Experience the Growth Development Program with daily mentorship and Squad placement. INCLUDES: Coach & Private Group shared with up to 10 Business Owners.
ISSUE 192
MY BUSINESS GREW
HANA LATYN | EURO STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
MELISSA MANNING | HEARTLAND REVEAL
MY BUSINESS GREW
ASHLEY CHERRY | STAGING THE NEST
MY TEAM GREW
JEANNE WESTMORELAND | CLASSIC STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
JILL JOHNS | TRANSFORMATION BY JILL
180%
100% 50%
The GDP program gave me all of the tools and confidence to launch my business. The continued support from HSRA and from my peers has been crucial.
Completing and implementing GDP has been such a huge benefit for my company and our team. We bonded as a team, learned and implemented best practices per department, and our team members not only improved but began owning their department and became truly accountable! DESIGNER SONYA BUNGGI
30%
COPYRIGHT ©2022
50%
GDP has turned around not only my business performance but also helped me to be a better leader to my team. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to improve performance on all levels of home staging business.
I absolutely believe that the GDP program was fantastic for our team. GDP helped us re-examine so many different aspects of our business and were able to grow together as a whole unit instead of as individual people. I absolutely recommend the GDP program to every one of our colleagues.
The growth development program was such a great educational tool for me and my team. We were able to tighten up administrative processes and procedures, educate our team on specific skills and duties, while giving me a bigger vision to look forward to.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
JENNIFER GAINER STAGING BUSINESS ADVISOR
WHAT IS HOME STAGING ANYWAY? We call ourselves professional Home Stagers, but what does that actually mean? Have you been in business for so long that you have almost forgotten? Perhaps you are just getting started, and you are asking the questions that will help define your company and profession.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Home Staging, also known as property styling, is a way to improve the overall look and feel of a home in order to appeal to more potential buyers. This is done by incorporating furniture, artwork, and other accessories into the space, as well as carefully planning the layout of each room in order to create an emotional connection between the buyer and the property. By doing this, we are able to reduce the time it takes for a property to sell while also increasing its price point. We need to remember that the true nature of Home Staging is "space planning". How you arrange your furniture and decor can make a big difference in how large or small a room feels. It can also affect how inviting or uninviting a space is. Good Home Stagers will take these factors into account when they are working on a project
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
They will often move furniture around or even remove some pieces entirely in order to create the most appealing space possible. I am sure that at least one of you has stood in the living room moving the couch for the 10th time because it just doesn't feel right. At the end of the day, our goal is to help sellers get their home sold as quickly as possible and for the most money possible. We do this by making sure that the property appeals to the widest range of buyers and by creating an emotional connection between the buyer and the home. If you are thinking about becoming a Home Stager, or if you are already in the business, I encourage you to continue learning and growing.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
There are always new trends and techniques to learn, and it is important to keep up with the latest industry standards. In addition, Continuing Education will help you stand out from the competition and show potential clients that you are a true professional.
We are now offering Continuing Education as a part of your membership, that will dial into every facet of your business. We hope you will take advantage of this amazing training to gain better insight into the business and build yourself! We are here for you!
HSRA exists to help you build your business and to grow your understanding and connection in the industry
- Jennifer Gainer
What does it mean to be winning in the Home Staging Industry? I think we can all agree that the Home Staging Business has changed over the last few years.
NEW IN 2022
Winning in Home Staging
Every month we will be highlighting our HSRA Members and how they are winning in life and in business!
Celebrating our Wins
We want to hear your story! If you currently have a win you would like to share, email your story to the address below.
Reach out to info@myhsra.com
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Susan Bourassa Coast to Coast Interiors
HSRA recently contacted members about any new wins they have celebrated in their business so we could celebrate along with them! Susan Bourassa, Coast to Coast Interiors, responded and shared some amazing things her company has experienced in recent weeks. We would like to share, in her own words, so you can celebrate with their team:
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
We never foresaw the outcome the process of submitting for awards would have for us. As we reached out to a few Realtor clients we had not heard from for a while, as well as their photographers to buy the rights to their photos, we actually opened the door to new business opportunities.
This is the first year we submitted for RESA awards! That was something I was never able to do on top of all of my other obligations. Thanks to a team member asking if there was anything she could do for me during a slow staging week, together we got it done!
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
We learned that we share several mutual Realtor clients with one of the photographers, who just so happened to start his own Real Estate group and "was" actively looking to include a Home Stager! We are now talking about collaborating in the near future! We also reconnected with a Realtor we had not heard from in a while She was a regular client of a Home Stager I mentored into the business years ago. Whenever Maureen, the Stager I mentored, was unable to do the stages, she would refer them to us. She has now decided to exit the industry, leaving a multi-million dollar property in need of almost immediate Staging! Thanks to that moment of outreach, CCI is Staging probably the sexiest new build I have ever seen and possibly our highest priced listing to date!
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
We have supersized our "dividing and conquering" from 2-3 projects/day to 4-5! Whew! Three of my Stagers were offered higher pay incentives! I am one chapter away from finishing 10X and have completed 2 audibles of the Rich Dad Poor Dad series with my husband!
Our sizzle reel production with an Emmy winning producer is complete and as she finishes the final package to submit to the networks, she already had interest waiting to see it! May is looking to be our highest producing Month-to-date!
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
WOW!! We are so proud of Susan and her team, and hope you will join us in celebrating with them! Be sure to keep us posted on your wins, so we can spotlight you as well!!
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
LAURIE GRAHAM VP OF OPERATIONS
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BRINGING ON A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT Are you ready to get to the next level in your Home Staging Business? Hiring a Virtual Assistant from Sphere Rocket may be the right answer for you. We have successfully onboarded 6 full-time Virtual Assistants. They have become a game-changer for both Model My Home and HSRA. However, there are some things you should know to be fully prepared for a successful onboarding with your company.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
First of all, a successful onboarding starts with a clear and concise job description. Sphere Rocket has a huge database of qualified candidates waiting for the perfect opportunity. Keep in mind that you may request a "HUBSPOT SPECIALIST" and they may bring you a "CRM SPECIALIST" which has been the case in some of our hires and has worked out fine even if they don't check the exact box they will bring the next best thing. You will have the opportunity to interview several people at a time. Think of speed dating for employment LOL! During the interviews it is very important to ask a lot of questions and be clear on your expectations.
For example, at HSRA we require the following things for every staff member VA or otherwise: Be logged into our virtual zoom office every day with cameras on Complete a beginning of the day report and end of day report Install a Screenshot Monitor to their computer to do time tracking End of day update and round up To work during our office hours, which is overnight for them.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
For 95% of the applicants, this was not an issue but for a small percentage, they did not feel comfortable being on camera all day which ultimately was their loss because we are an amazing company to work for. Once you choose the VA, the next step after Sphere Rocket’s onboarding is probably the most important part of having a successful virtual assistant and that is setting aside time every day to train with your Virtual Assistant.
I understand that you most likely are hiring the VA to put more time back into your calendar instead of taking more time away from it, but remember it is only for a small amount of time. I would recommend at least 23 weeks of daily training with your VA to be successful. Having your processes and procedures in written form (“if it's not written, it's not real” - Jana Uselton) or video, will be a life saver for you, plus it is probably time for you to update them anyway.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Sphere Rocket also offers you onboarding training that is very helpful. They will literally walk you through all of your questions like, “How do I pay my VA?”, “How do they log onto our social media without getting flagged from Facebook for being in the Philippines?”, “How do I monitor what they are doing?”. Sphere Rocket has thought of everything and has a training video for exactly what you need. Before bringing on our first VA, I watched every video and would say 100% that is why we are so successful.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
How do you jumpstart your VA for success: 1. Meet with your VA and share with them your vision, mission, core values and expectations before their first full day of work. 2. Make a daily plan for them. Make training videos for them to follow for times when you cannot be present with them. 3. Give them access to your files and provide them with all the tools they need to be successful such as websites, logins etc. 4. Be very clear and concise with them. Make it clear that they are always allowed to ask questions. 5. Meet with them every morning and every afternoon to check in. The more time you spend upfront with your VA (2-3weeks), the more successful they will be, the more confident they will feel, and the happier you will be in the long run. If you have any questions we are always here to help! Let’s grow together!
-Laurie Graham
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IN 2022! TRAINING FOR YOUR TEAM!
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