Can you spot a "bad client" a mile away? For years, I struggled with this and still occasionally let one slip through. After assessing my own misjudgments (late night worrying about how on earth I got my team into such a predicament, basically) and after speaking with many of you who have generously shared your "nightmare client" stories, I thought it was worth an episode. If you are new to the home industry, or if you keep working with PITA clients (that's pain-in-the-ass, in case you're wondering), you might be relieved to know there are clear red flags, and even some yellow caution flags, that should alert you to proceed with caution or simply end the interaction. Let's talk about them.

10 Client Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore as a Home Professional

The Kate Show is a marketing podcast for interior designers, home stagers, professional organizers and window treatment specialists.
In every episode, Kate explains simple, no-nonsense ways to effectively market your business online. To learn more or read the show notes, go to www.katethesocialite.com.

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Bad marketing advice is the reason I am developing frown lines. You should see me sitting at my desk, squinting at my laptop screen and doing a double-take. “They’re telling designers to do WHAT?”I’m pretty protective of you guys. I want your businesses to succeed. But when I first started, I fell for (and probably promoted) marketing advice that didn’t fit the home industry, too.You might have realized in the course of running your own business that design firms, home staging companies, and pro organizing businesses aren’t like other companies. You’re offering, most often, an in-person service that is tailored to each situation and further customized to each person in that situation. Some of you are literally sorting through your clients’ underwear drawers (love you, organizers!).Marketing such an intimate, high-ticket business means that general marketing tips might not be as effective for your business as they might be for the bookstore or restaurant down the street. If you’re wondering which marketing tactics you can avoid, this episode of The Kate Show is for you. Today, I’m reading through and reacting to some really poor marketing advice. And I’m providing alternative advice for every bad piece of advice that I address.

Professional Marketer Reacts to Terrible Marketing Advice

“Marketing feels gross,” I used to think. In the early years of business, I didn’t know how to communicate my brand message…and I didn’t even know what a brand message was anyway. I felt so overwhelmed and drained by one steady thought: “How do I know if I’m doing any of this correctly when I can’t see the results yet? Am I just wasting my time and money on marketing?”Ruminating on those negative thoughts felt awful, as you might have also experienced, and I knew there had to be a simpler way to find and convert clients that I actually liked working with. Fast forward a decade (yes, it took that long), and I finally had answers.After providing countless marketing consultations, marketing plans, and strategies for interior designers, home stagers, professional organizers, and window treatment specialists, I was able to lay out a framework of marketing laws that can help nearly any home industry business make marketing easier. If you’re ready to apply these laws to your own business, let’s dive right in.

The 4 Laws of Marketing that You Need to Start Following Today

Knowing what to say in your marketing is only half the battle. What about the words, phrases, or ideas you should completely avoid? Today on The Kate Show, I’m talking about the two key phrases you shouldn’t include on your website, your blog posts, your email marketing, or your print advertising. I’m also sharing exact verbiage you can use to market your business in other ways, beyond everything you might already be doing online or in print. So, today, I’m laying it all out there…no fluff, just tough love and action steps that will benefit you and your business long-term.Ready for some real talk?! Here it is…

Avoid These 2 Self-Sabotaging Phrases in Your Marketing

Have you made a monthly blog part of your marketing strategy yet? I could tell you all day long why you should, but until you see the results play out in real-time, you might wonder if you’re wasting time or you might question whether you're even doing it correctly. I get it!With the majority of Google search results being blog posts, it is safe to say that blogging is still a relevant and smart way to get more of the right traffic to your website. But…blogging can also feel like one of the most tedious marketing tasks to check off the list. Today’s episode aims to show you a better way to blog.Do you know why you should blog, how frequently you should publish a post, what to say, and how to make sure you are talking to your ideal client versus just producing content?

Whew — lots of questions and, on today’s episode, we have a lot of answers. Long-time listeners of The Kate Show might recognize today’s interview from a couple of years ago. I wanted to re-air this episode because the tips that my guest, Jaquilyn Edwards of Ochre & Beige, provides are still relevant today and they are things that every home pro should know.You’ll hear Jaquilyn share helpful insights on topics such as why a massive readership of your blog should not be your goal, how long it takes for a single blog post to gain traction, and (this one is still a very hot topic today) what to do with a blog post after you publish it.

Feeling Stuck with Your Blog Marketing? Use These Transformative Tips

I’ve had the honor of working with home industry professionals across the globe, and what I’ve recognized is this: Whether you are an interior designer in Dubai or a home stager right here in Wisconsin, you (we?) all have similar challenges to overcome. Often, our biggest challenge is ourselves. While this should be the easiest to fix, it’s often the most difficult because, first, we have to be self-aware enough to accept that perhaps we are the bottleneck, the sticking point, or even the saboteur of our own businesses.In today’s episode of The Kate Show, I’m sharing the eight key phrases that people will say to me on discovery calls that help me predict whether their business is headed for success or failure. It is especially gratifying to work with these clients when they are open to self-reflection and committed to changing their mindset. If you hear yourself in any of the eight phrases I’m sharing today, don’t lose hope.

10 Client Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore as a Home Professional

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