Let’s use an example of the local butcher vs. the large grocery store.  Large grocery stores have about everything you need. They certainly have a large selection in the meat department. Time is a very important commodity in our busy lives; most people do not want to go to the grocery store for some items but then go to their local butcher for others. 

I will tell you why I do go to the grocery store for my main items and my butcher for the meat items. My butcher is an “expert”. Let me explain. During the holidays my inner “Martha” comes out with a vengeance.  This year was our first year in our new home and our first opportunity to entertain for the holidays. It was very important for me to have amazing food.  While I am quite good at cooking, I need a great product to begin with.

Thanksgiving rolled around and of course I have the same questions everyone typically has, is free-range turkey better than traditional Butterball turkeys?  I always ask at my local large chain grocery store and I really never seem to get “expert, passionate” advice. They really never seem to think much about anything we ask nor do they care. This year a new meat company popped up in my small town.  It’s called TW Meat Company.  It’s a very quaint small shop in a town of less than 8,000. The owners are very nice and if you come in often they get to know your name.  It’s like the “Cheers” of meat products.

I asked about turkeys and I get great answers.  Not only do they help me pick the right turkey, the right weight for the people I need to feed, they give me the time and temperature to cook etc.  It was the best turkey we have ever had.

So, Christmas comes around and I decide I am having a “Food Network” Christmas.  All Food Network recipes.  Paula Dean Crème Brule, Martha Stewart Cranberry Sauce etc. I decided to get ambitious and I really want to “do it up” and I am going to cook Prime Rib.   So, I have no idea what I am doing. I run down to TW Meat Co. and ask them if they sell Prime Rib. Of course they do!!! They again, helped with portion size, weight, etc. They even pre-season it and give me the times and temperature to cook it.  TW Meat Co. made the extra effort to become the “expert” when they very well could have just sold it to me and told me to Google a recipe.  By them becoming the “expert” they made me look like a world class Chef to my family. We had the most memorable and tasty Christmas dinner.

So, what does this mean for all of us in business for ourselves? Do you want to just sell meat? Or do you want to be the meat expert?  Which is more valuable to your customers?  Do your customers view you as an expert? By becoming the expert you give your customers more value.

Becoming the expert tips:

1. Know your product and services inside out.
2. Get to know your customers. People want to do business with people they like and they feel they can trust.
3. Have a website that has a blog and write articles that give helpful insightful information.
4. Set up RSS Feeds on your site and do a newsletter.
5. Use fusion marketing (cross promotion)
6. Be passionate about what you do.

Becoming the expert to your customers is priceless. Bring value to what you offer and keep your customers for life.

© 2009 Shell Brodnax, ShellBelle, Inc. All rights reserved.

Shell Brodnax is a business coach and consultant specializing in marketing, brand development and customer retention. www.ShellBrodnax.com 209-623-5809
About Shell Brodnax

When staging first started, it consisted of simple de-cluttering, removing personal items and photos and moving around your furniture in occupied homes. A vacant property was staged by using just enough furniture to give the appearance the rooms were large and spacious. The concept of appealing to the masses rather than figuring out the buyer’s demographics were paired with vanilla walls and neutral everything. 

Real estate staging has evolved over the last ten years into a legitimate profession and is the number one marketing tool used to sell property.  

With the emergence of TV shows on HGTV, featuring staging, flipping and selling homes; agents have realized they can’t do it all anymore. Sellers are better educated and buyers are savvier and know they can hold out to find exactly what they want.  

Agents are realizing it’s in their best interest and their client’s best interest to work with a professional stager rather than simply giving some “tips” to get the property prepared for market. Professional stagers have an unbiased eye and are able to prepare a plan to properly “market” the property. Professional stagers focus on the demographic of the buyers and they create a marketing plan specific for the property and the buyers in mind. 

Staging has evolved from the vanilla basics to well crafted beautiful spaces that leave the buyer wanting to move in. Staging is more than just de-cluttering and removing personal items. Furniture and color are now used to show off space and architectural features. Stagers understand the importance of upgrading appliances, fixtures, floors, paint etc. While staging is not decorating, this doesn’t mean that a property shouldn’t have the look and feel of a beautifully designed room.  Staging design aspects have been taken to a new level. The old “less is more” theory doesn’t cut it with today’s buyers. Buyers want their dream home and it’s a stager’s job to design the home with that in mind.  Staging has gone from carrying a few accessories in the back of an SUV, to arriving with a moving truck full of furniture and art that transforms a plain property into a beautifully showcased move-in ready home. 

With the evolution of staging, agents have realized there is no way they can bring the same value or resources to the table as a professional stager. Agents do not have time to develop relationships with furniture rental companies and they are not going to buy a warehouse full of furniture and buy a box truck to transport the furniture to stage their client’s homes. Stagers do this as a profession and are fully equipped to stage the property. 

More and more agents are focusing on developing relationships with a stager. Finding that one stager that an agent can rely on and work with on a regular basis is priceless. They are relying on their stagers to hell them sell more properties. Agents sometimes bring their stagers to listing presentations so they can show their clients everything they bring to the table.  Stagers work with agents to develop the marketing plan for the property and agents can focus more on getting the property sold and get the best price and contract for their clients. 

Now, just because agents are getting staging, it doesn’t mean that homeowners are always willing to make the initial investment in staging their property. While HGTV has done an amazing job at peaking homeowner’s interest in staging, statistics and cold hard facts seal the deal and get homeowners on board.   Click to download the full report
About Shell Brodnax
© 2010 Shell Brodnax All rights reserved