Have you ever seen a reality TV show where someone was embarrassed? You know, where someone says or does something so out of right field, something so rude, so crazy that you feel awkward – for them? Me too. It happens all the time. It happens when we imagine what it would be like if something was said or done to us.
When we can put ourselves into someone else’s shoes, someone else’s mind, we can better understand them. One of the things I know is that we are all essentially the same. Sure, we are from different places and we all have different life experiences but we are all essentially the same. I know you have had your heart broken, I know that you have been insecure, I know you went through a stage where you wanted to fit in, I know because – so have I.
One of the most effective ways to market to someone is to imagine what they would respond to. Where would they go? What would they look for when they had a need? In the real estate world there are many different marketing mediums to use to market to consumers. Postcards, fliers, print real estate books, sports schedules, billboards, cold calls, craigslist, YouTube, facebook, banner ads, pay per click, video, article marketing and on and on and on.
Ok, you are probably wondering where I am going with this – right? What does any of this have to do with the title of this post “If You Wouldn’t – DON’T DO IT!”? Well, everything. Yesterday I received a Just SOLD postcard from a local real estate agent, at least I think he is local, I have never heard of him, in fact – I don’t know him from Adam, Yet – he is marketing to me in medium that I do not respond to: postcards and direct mail. I check my mail 2 times a week now because it is always full with junk mail. I HATE JUNK MAIL! People, companies that want to SELL ME SOMETHING. What about you?
What about you? When you need something, information, products, services etc, where do you go? Do you go to your mailbox? The local newspaper? Yellow pages? Do you respond to any of them? Do you or would you ever call someone off of a shopping cart ad? A sports schedule? A magnet with a business card affixed to it? A car magnet? A billboard? If You Wouldn’t – DON’T DO IT! Do you like being cold called? Would you like it if a stranger showed up unannounced on your doorstep to ask you a question like “are you or do you know anyone considering buying or selling real estate?” If You Wouldn’t – DON’T DO IT!
I find that real estate agents often spend large amounts of money and time on marketing methods they themselves would not respond to. Now maybe it’s me, but that sounds absolutely crazy! Remember, we are all not that different. The same way you search for something is likely the same way I do. The same way you gather information is likely the same way I do. What is that way? What is that marketing method? What ever that is, is what YOU should be doing.
Put yourself in the shoes if your ideal client. Who is your marketing aimed at? What are their problems? What are their needs? Where would they go when they were gathering information or attempting to solve a problem? Whatever that is, is where you should be, where your marketing messages should be. If you would not search for a real estate agent on facebook – then don’t market your real estate services there. If you would not look for a home for sale of facebook – then don’t advertise your properties there. If you would not be swayed by a car salesman that has 13 professional designations – then stop talking about yours. If you wouldn’t care, no one else would either and let me tell you this – NO ONE DOES.
If you wouldnt care if a car salesman was #1 in his office or sold more cars than anyone else or was a “top producer” or was CHY certified or was a CDCE [I made them both up] then you shouldnt be talking about it either. Do you see where I am going with this?
If You Wouldn’t – DON’T DO IT!
When you need something you go to Google. When you want to know what something looks like or HOW TO do something you go to YouTube. I know you do because so do I, and again, we are not that different. This is where your ideal client goes too. This is where you should be. Today over 94% of consumers start their home search on the Internet and 80% will choose the FIRST real estate agent they find. You can help them find you by making your box smaller.
In the future, leads will go to the best real estate marketers, not necessarily the best real estate agents. No one cares who you are, who awesome you are, your knowledge or expertise – if they don’t even know you exist. How could they?
If You Wouldn’t – DON’T DO IT!
