Smorgasbord for Lunch
I'm getting ready to head down to Florida on Monday evening, so today my sweetie and I sat down to eat everything in the refrigerator that would go bad while we were gone. In short - we had a smorgasbord. It was a totally unbalanced meal. It was the leftovers of everything we hadn't eaten all week: some leftover Chinese food, some red sauce with meat, a few stuffed grape leaves, and a whole lot of cole slaw. And I loved it. Why? Because it was something new and different in every bite. It spoke to my ADD hedonisitc soul.
And Then I Started Thinking
This is how a lot of agents do their marketing. They take a little from here and a little from there and then they shake it up completely by doing something utterly different (even if the other stuff was working) because they were bored with it. Let's face it, as a group we're an ADD crowd. We like variety. We like change (if it's our idea). Honestly, we have the attention span of a gnat.
How Coherent Is Your Message?
The problem is that the message that our prospects and clients get from all of this constant shifting is unfocused and incoherent. They get a little bit of humor, a little bit of earnestness, a little bit of "look at me!" and God knows what else. Is this really what you want to be telling your prospects (that you're all over the place)?
What The Pros Do
People ask me all the time what the top producers that I coach do to be so successful. The answer is this: they find what works and then do the same thing over and over again until it stops working. When they see the need to change and innovate, they do - quickly. And then they test to see what works best. And then they do that over and over again until it stops working. See the pattern?
Consistency of Message
There is one thing that I can say is consistent with all top producers: they have a consistent message and they deliver it consistently. You won't see a top producer who sends out newsletters when they aren't busy. (They are always busy because their marketing is not dependent upon their ability to get it done - they outsource it.) You also won't see a top producer who says that they specialize in 50 markets or are available 24/7. They have a niche and they work that niche. They stand for something.
What Do You Stand For?
If I took a poll of your clients and prospects tomorrow, would they know what you stand for? Really. Honestly. Would they? If not, then you have some work to do cleaning up your message and your brand image.
What Kind of Lunch Will You Be Having Tomorrow?
So, what's it going to be? Will you be cleaning out the refrigerator tomorrow? Or are you going to craft a gourmet meal that anyone would be lucky to eat? The choice is yours.
It makes sense to stay on message and to market consistently with the things that work.
It's hard to convince newbies that getting the basics down is far more important than putting a bunch of letters after their name with no experience....the basics are the bestest.
Consistency isn't just a buzz word in child rearing. It is a critical part of 'branding' one's business. Thanks for the fun article.
I agree- as agents we want to try something new often! Problem is, that isn't what works! Thanks for the message.
Matter of trying many items work in concert with each other to earn business. Have a great weekend.
Great post I need a niche but can't seem to figure that part out.
Sally & David - Yes, newbies can be challenging in that way. What I find works for me when training them is to remember that they feel like they don't know anything and that they are messing with people's lives. It's an awesome responsibility, so they feel like they have to get it right and to them that means more education. What it really means though is being able to listen, ask questions, and find out answers. If you can bring them to the understanding that they don't need to know everything, they just need to be able to find it out by asking someone else, then they are usually OK.
Charles - Remember, a niche doesn't have to be a particular kind of house or area, it can be a personality type that you like to work with. Something like "The Workaholic's Realtor" or "Specializing in working with Geeks, and Freaks" or "Real Estate for a Time Crunched Life".
Lynn - Yes, having an integrated marketing plan that spreads the same message over multiple channels is the ideal model.
Susan - I'll tell you a secret - sometimes I write posts like these to remind myself of the exact same thing...
Lyida - You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! The interesting thing about branding one's business is that most people in real estate don't do it. They don't even think about it. Thanks for being conscious of this topic.
Christine - I totally agree