Stand Out In Your Marketplace: Highlight Your ASP® Designation
Just the other day I came across a wonderful website by an ASP®. She had posted wonderful before and after pictures, descriptive case studies of some of the work she’s done in the past, and the website even featured testimonials by some of the clients she’s served. Yet nowhere at her website could you see proof of her credentials and information about her earning and holding the ASP® Designation.
Your ASP® Designation is proof of your commitment to your trade and the training you took to become an Accredited Staging Professional®. Being a member of IAHSP® is a testament to how you abide by our ethical standards and your continued pledge to further your skills for the benefit of those you work for.
Potential clients will most likely do some research when they consider hiring you; providing them information about the ASP® Designation course you completed and your membership of IAHSP® will give you credibility.
Here are a few tips on how you can build credibility when you present your business.
1. Reference Stagedhomes.com
When you give a presentation of your business, include a description of Stagedhomes.com and the course you completed in order to earn the ASP® Designation. Let your prospect visit the Stagedhomes.com website and blog to learn more about the training you completed.
2. Highlight your Membership of IAHSP®
Always mention your membership in the International Association of Home Staging® Professionals®. Most prospective clients and even real estate agents may not realize that by hiring a member of the International Association of Home Staging® Professionals® they will work with a professional who’s committed to follow a Code of Ethics.
3. Use Statistics Provided by Stagedhomes.com
Prospective clients want to know what to expect when hiring a Staging professional. By sharing Staging statistics provided at Stagedhomes.com you will be able to showcase exactly how Staging helps seller reach a higher sale price faster than non-Staged homes.
4. Include Information about Your ASP® Designation and IAHSP® Membership Everywhere
Include your affiliation in all your marketing materials, including brochures, flyers, ads, news releases, and always reference Stagedhomes.com and IAHSP® as your source of your training and information resources, especially Home Staging® statistics.
An important mistake I often notice is that many wait to provide the information listed above until they meet in person with a prospective client. Since many find the person they’ll work with online these days, that may be too late. Instead, consider highlighting your affiliation with Stagedhomes.com and IAHSP® where your first connection with clients may occur: online.
From your website, make sure to include information about Stagedhomes.com and link to the Stagedhomes.com blog, Facebook fan page, and the videos Stagedhomes.com has posted at YouTube.com.
Facebook has become an excellent way to network and prospect. Have you added information about your ASP® training on your Facebook page? If you use LinkedIn, have you listed your ASP® training?
5. Add Logos at Your Website, Facebook and all other Networks
Did you know that the ASP®, ASPM®, IAHSP® logos are available for you to download at the Staging University®? Add logos so that visitors to your website, Facebook page and any other online network you’re on immediately recognize your affiliations.
Consumers and real estate agents look for a credible professional. With your ASP® Designation and membership in IAHSP® you’ll earn their trust. I encourage you to make the most of your affiliations.
Barb Schwarz, ASP®, ASPM®, AB, IAHSP®
The Creator of Home Staging®
President & Founder, StagedHomes.com
President & Founder, IAHSP® and IAHSP® Foundation