….When I Started In Business
The slap on the back of the head caused me to pause my woe-is-me tirade. And good thing because what he said next changed the course of my business success forever.
The Slap, as I now refer to it, came at a time when I had my brick-and-mortar shop for about a year and I was looking at the grim reality that it may be going under.
I was meeting with the owner of my building, telling him why the lease payment would be late again and how tough things were… folks just weren’t coming in like they used to. In the blink of an eye, the right arm of this squat and portly man lashed out and smacked me on the back of the head.
“You may be giving away diamonds, Mark. But, if no one knows about it then all you’ve got at the end of the day are more diamonds.”
I Saw the Lesson…
The Slap made the words ring around inside my noggin for a bit and I saw the lesson…
Success and marketing are forever intertwined.
That lesson affected me pretty deeply and led me to learn a few things about marketing since then.
For my first post here at agentgenius I thought I’d take note of a few of the more important lessons I’ve learned since then… and what I wish I had known long ago that would have made things easier.
1. Marketing Is Not Rocket Science
Folks tend to avoid that which they find difficult which is why they make themselves “busy.” But, marketing isn’t a difficult beast. It’s really a science as much as it is an art. Which means, you can apply basic fundamentals to a step-by-step process and get results without having to be a “jenius.”
2. You May Be Giving Away Diamonds, But If No One Knows…
Sure, you may give presidential-level service or know more about real estate than your entire office combined, but if folks don’t know these things… you don’t have a business.
Business is when a transaction occurs, and the only way to generate transactions is through marketing.
3. What’s The Next Action?
The purpose of marketing is not to make a sale, it’s to get the prospect to take the next action. Sometimes that next action is a sale, other times it’s simply to take another step towards the sale.
4. Relationships Are Key
Your market is looking to make human connections. This isn’t limited to the web 2.0 social media space, this is in relation to everything. Folks want to connect with people and they’re attracted to personalities.
The more of your personality you show, the more people will gravitate to you. Extra bonus: you’ll attract folks that are more enjoyable to work with, too.
5. “Whatchu Talkin’ About, Willis?”
One thing experts tend to do is immerse themselves in the language of their expertise. Problem is, the public doesn’t know the language of “expertise.” And no one likes to feel like the stupid person in a conversation.
Speak to prospects in a language they can understand and not only will they trust you more, they’ll more easily see the value of your service.
6. Speak As An Authority
When in a discussion, speak as if you are right. If you hesitate or show uncertainty you lose your position, authority status and ability to persuade people to take action.
7. Fail As Fast As Possible
Marketing is not a pass/fail, win-lose activity. True marketing success is when you have a scorecard of 55% successes and are able to use those to dominate your market.
Oftentimes, the best marketing comes from a string of “failures” because, if you were paying attention to those failures, you learned a heck of a lot. So, fail as fast as possible so you can win more often.
8. Be Willing To Adapt
What you thought was right will often turn out to be incorrect. That’s okay so long as you take the new insight, adapt, and apply.
9. Yes, You’re Worth Whatever You Charge… & Probably Much More
You are a professional real estate agent with a head full of facts and insights that average folks just don’t know. Couple that with the fact that we live in an information economy and what you know becomes priceless. Chances are you’re currently undercharging for what you know and can do.
10. Leverage Your Untapped Resources
Make full use of the resources at your disposal. Moneys is just one of them but you also have time, energy, and imagination.
11. Don’t Waste Time And Energy Scavenging
This may come off a bit like mystic mojo, but the more you look for freebies or cheap and cut-rate solutions the more you’re going to attract cheap prospects. We all know how much “fun” those people are to work with.
12. The Magic Bullet Is A Myth
Next time someone attempts to peddle you the all-in-one or push-button solution have them give you a nickel instead. You’ll be better off.
There is no magic bullet in marketing. The real money is made through the continuous implementation of basic fundamentals. No rocket-science degree required (I’m proof of that!)
What lessons have you learned about marketing your business that you’d like to add?
