3 Principles of Creating a Space to Sell

One of the biggest challenges I face is explaining to people “what I do.”

When hearing my different roles, people sometimes get confused. They will ask me:

So, are you a real estate broker, a coach, or a yoga teacher?

My answer: YES.

These titles are just roles. You might think of them as the contexts through which people come to me.

What I actually do is deeper than the title.

The Art of Creating Space

Underneath the roles, what I do is support my clients as they navigate life’s biggest transitions, I help them move with confidence, ease, and I help them move in flow with their personal rhythms and the rhythms of nature.

Sometimes this looks like helping a client buy or sell a home. Sometimes it looks like helping a client improve their productivity and performance in their work, business, or parenting. And sometimes it looks like teaching a yoga class or private.

One of the core elements of my work is what I call “Creating space for your best work.”

It’s a core principle of my practice and a foundational pillar of my work with my clients.

A Space Designed to Sell

The art of creating space is about setting up the conditions of the environment to achieve a desired outcome.

Well-crafted and staged spaces are designed to sell — whether its a tangible product or an activity.

Sometimes, like in the case of a store, the desired outcome is to sell a tangible product. Other times, like in the case of a yoga class, a workout, or your work, the outcome is to sell you on the concept of doing a task.

A well-designed kitchen pulls you into it and makes you want to cook.

A dedicated craft room sells you on the idea of crafting.

A gym sells you on the concept of working out.

A yoga studio sells you on committing to your yoga practice.

A spa sells you relaxation.

In any context, a well-staged space is designed to sell you on the possibilities and potential that await you.

3 Principles of Well-Staged Spaces

In any context, a well-staged space is designed to sell you on the possibilities and potential that await you.

Whether it’s staging a home for sale, staging the yoga studio for my weekly yin yoga class, advising a client on how to set up a space to do their work more effectively, or even setting up my workout equipment for a better flow in my workout, the same principles apply.

You can use these principles to create the space you need for your “best work.”

That work may be cooking dinner, relaxing, selling a product, writing your next novel, forging a deeper connection with a your child, partner, or anyone else.

The space you’ll need for any outcome will be different, but these principles will always apply.

(1) It directs your attention to a point of focus.

A well-designed space makes it clear what the intended action or outcome is.

A well-staged space is designed to direct your attention to a specific point of focus to facilitate a particular outcome.

That outcome could be selling a home, writing a novel, connecting with a loved one, doing a great workout, cooking dinner, or anything else.

In a well-designed space, it’s clear from the moment you enter the space what the intended outcome is.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that in a supermarket, the milk is always at the far back corner or back wall. That’s no accident. Everyone comes in for milk. To get there, you need to go through the market. That allows the store to tempt you with other things along the path.

The same is true of a well-staged home. It’s designed to pull your attention to the best features while distracting you from the less desirable features.

➡️ TIP: When creating a space, consider what the core function or purpose of that space is. Does the design of the space help direct your attention and keep your focus on that purpose?

(2) It creates safety for your nervous system.

A well-designed space creates an environment that feels safe and nurturing to the nervous system so that all other cognitive and physical systems can work effectively.

If you’ve ever walked out of a store because the music was too loud or disconcerting, you know that environment can be a turn-off.

Being effective in any task begins with a regulated nervous system. When the system is under stress, it activates the sympathetic response of fight or flight mode, or an extreme parasympathetic response of “freeze” mode.

In those states, we cannot focus well, plan effectively, or make clear decisions. In a sympathetic state we also cannot connect with ourselves or others, nor can we engage in proper rest or healing.

A well-designed space creates an environment that feels safe and nurturing to the nervous system so that all other cognitive and physical systems can work effectively.

➡️ TIP: When creating a space, consider all the sensory inputs of the space: including sights, sounds, and smells. How do they impact your nervous system?

(3) It holds you in an experience.

A well-crafted space gives you an experience that feels welcoming, nurturing, and supportive. You want to stay in it.

A well-crafted space gives you an experience that feels welcoming, nurturing, and supportive. You want to stay in it.

Shopping in a well-designed store isn’t a chore. It’s a fun activity.

Going to a beautiful spa is an experience you want to stay in.

When the space you’re in is conducive to the activity you’re doing, you can find more flow and ease in doing that activity. You might even discover joy in doing a task you otherwise don’t love, just because the space is well-designed for the experience.

For example, when I stage a client’s home to sell, I seek to create a welcoming environment that encourages potential buyers to linger in the home. I don’t want them simply to walk in and walk around. I want them to sit in the space and take it in — to imagine themselves living there. That’s what creates the emotional connection that leads them to make offers.

➡️ TIP: When creating a space, consider how it facilitates the experience you want to have or facilitate.

Apply This to Your Spaces

Your best work is simply the task or job you want to get done in that moment.

How can you apply these principles to your environment to create space for your best work?

Share your takeaways in the comments!

Need Support?

I help my clients create space for their best work, both in their outer environment and their inner environment. Need help creating space? Connect with me to schedule a call to discuss how I can help you.