Posts Tagged ‘differentiate’
Outrageous!
Sunday, September 18th, 2011
Have you ever felt “stuck” in your business or life? If so (and frankly, most currently do on both counts) perhaps it is time to be, well… outrageous.
Outrageous is not about being goofy or tastelessly offensive for the sake of eliciting the biggest reaction from others. On the contrary, being outrageous is all about letting who we really are come out and shine for all the world to see —without concern or attachment to how others (even close others) see you.
It is no accident that some of the most successful people in the world are considered outrageous. My personal hero is Richard Branson of the Virgin group of companies. I can’t imagine anyone having more fun, while making more money, while changing the world for the better than him. Another favorite of mine is Rush Limbaugh. Regardless of your political leanings, you’ve got to admit that this guy (who I believe never finished college) does and says exactly what he wants and as a result attracts the largest radio audience in the U.S. and “Has more fun than a human being should be allowed to have!”
You see that’s the beauty of being your outrageous self. Doing so will attract far more people to you than any other way. Human beings are almost preternaturally attracted to those who have discovered the secret of just allowing the entirety of who they already are shine through —like moths to a bright flame.
For most people, being outrageous is the purest form of who they are, who they “be”. The jaw-dropping reaction we normally equate with “outrageous” is because almost everyone is so constrained in the way they live and interact that when someone does allow their true “outrageousness” to show, it is a shock to those who witness it.
I have Dalinian thought: the one thing the world will never have enough of is the outrageous.
~ Salvador Dali
Being truly outrageous in the manner described here takes tremendous courage and a willingness and faith to let go of all pretenses. Few are currently willing to do this which is the primary reason being outrageous will cause you to stand out incredibly. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. When you are ready to truly be outrageous, the world will unfold like a beautiful flower and you will surely wonder why you waited so long to be who you already are.
Look Over Your Website Visitor’s Shoulders for Greater Profits
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Ever wonder what prospects did when they visited your Website? What if you had the ability to “stand over their shoulders” and see exactly what they clicked on (whether actually clickable or not), the path their mouse took, etc. With this kind of insight chances are you would have a much better idea as to what’s working on your site, what’s not and what to do about it. Seem too good to be true? It was, until now…
Measuring Your Visitor Behavior
Website analytics (e.g. Google Analytics) provides extensive statistical data about where your visitors came from, how long they stayed, links they clicked on etc. While a powerful and necessary tool for any Web marketer, it’s not enough. Since most Websites are not static, it’s crucial that you also see how visitors react to and interact with your Website. This is called behavioral metrics and there are now a number of easy to use (and inexpensive) tools that provide detailed insights on how visitors behave on your site.
In one of my previous articles I mentioned an online service called CrazyEgg which provides “heat maps” of what your visitors view and click on in aggregate, on your site (see example heat map below —the brighter the spot, the more people clicked).
While very useful, another recent startup company, LuckyOrange, has taken behavioral metrics to a whole new level. In addition to heat maps, LuckyOrange also gives you the ability to record (like a video) what visitors do on your Website, including how they move their mouse, where they scroll, what they click on, etc. This innovative service even lets you “spy” on visitors as they are on your Website in real time!
Now before your brain starts screaming “That’s an invasion of privacy!”, it’s really not, well… in most cases anyway. The reason is that you don’t know who they are, just that they are an anonymous visitor. There is one exception however, and that’s if they start filling out a form on your Website and then decide not to hit the “Submit” button. LuckyOrange will record what they typed into the fields, whether or not they decided to follow through.
The only way to really get a feel for the full scope of what is possible with LuckyOrange is to visit their site and click the “Watch the Live Demo” button near the top. Be ready to have your mind blown as you watch recordings of actual Website visitors move their mouse, scroll, click, fill out forms and so on.
Best Practices
Like any kind of tool, LuckyOrange has no value unless used and used properly. With this in mind here are some best practices to help you get the most out of this one:
- Don’t Initiate Chat – while in real-time “spy” mode you have the ability to initiate a chat session with your visitor, ostensibly for the purpose of helping them find what they are looking for. Avoid that temptation unless you want to scare them away from your site.
- Watch what they click on (and don’t) – use the heat map feature to determine what most visitors find attractive as they vote with their mouse clicks. If they are not clicking on various parts of your site consider changing them to something more compelling.
- Watch their mouse movements – by viewing the recordings of individual visitors you will gain insight as to how engaged (or not) they are with your Website. You will find that most people move their mouse as they read, almost like using a finger to underline text as a book is read. Do they appear to be focused and engaged, or distracted? You may need to change some of your site copy to keep them on the edge of their seat.
- Watch for any hesitancy in when completing forms – you may consider redesigning your forms, adding privacy language etc. if your LuckyOrange recordings indicate visitor hesitancy to completing your all-important Website forms. Abandoned forms cost you immediate business.
As of this writing you can try LuckyOrange for two weeks free and after that it is $7/mo per Website. To get started, you (or your Web master) simply put a bit of code on each page you want to record. After that, it’s just a matter of visiting your own site and pressing CTRL + SHIFT + 1 on your keyboard to bring up your site’s LuckyOrange dashboard (after entering your email and password one time).
The more you understand your Website visitors’ behavior, the better you will be able to tweak your site to help convert them into closed transactions. And I know of no other behavioral metrics tool that does a better job of this than LuckyOrange.
NOTE: Mr. Internet®, RUSSER Communications, its staff and officers receive no compensation whatsoever from any third party vendors (unless he/they are directly involved with the creation and/or improvement of a vendor service or product), and make no recommendations as to the suitability of the products or services mentioned in this article. Always thoroughly investigate any product or service before trying or purchasing.
Mr. Internet is the alter-ego of Michael J. Russer, an internationally recognized Internet speaker, trainer, author, and strategic consultant to the real estate industry. He’s dedicated to helping real estate professionals leverage their people skills into profit on the Internet. Send your Internet questions to help@askmrinternet.com or you can visit his Website at http://www.OnlineDominance.com and Facebook page at Facebook.com/OnlineDominance
This article is reprinted in its entirety from the August 2011 issue of REALTOR® Magazine by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved other than mentioned above. Mr. Internet® is a registered trademark of RUSSER Communications.
Generate Business NOW —Even As the World Crumbles
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
The news from Wall Street and Main Street (i.e. the housing market) could hardly be less encouraging. And to put a cherry on that sundae, the “experts” are now saying we will likely be entering another recession (like when did we stop having the first one?). This all begs the question: How are you going to generate new business when everything seems to be falling apart?
The first thing to remember is that no matter how bad the economy gets, people will still be buying and selling real estate. I remember being in the business (actively buying investment properties) when interest rates on 30 year loans were around 17% – 18%. The key is to help those who need to sell –right now! This means aggressively courting the FSBO’s and Expireds of the world. The majority of these folks need to sell, no other option available, which means they need YOU.
I made a lot of money during another recession (in the mid 1970′s) specializing in FSBOs. Here are some proven tips to help you turn these market opportunities (FSBO’s and Expired’s) into cash:
- Sell the appointment, not your service - you have to get “belly to belly” with these folks if you want to list their home. Many agents make the mistake of selling their services over the phone. The only thing you want to use the phone for is to get that in-person appointment. So get good, real good at selling the appointment.
- Be their advocate - FSBO’s and Expired’s tend to be stressed out and just a little bit cynical about Realtors. Make it clear that you are there to help them achieve all of their goals, whether or not you get the listing.
- Have an irresistible marketing plan - you better have something that will make them go “Wow!” when it comes to selling their property. Something that most other agents in your area are not likely to offer. For an incredible example of this review the 2/8/11 GUEST EXPERT “How to Win Every Listing and Have Sellers Pay You Upfront!“ Live Group Coaching archive.
There will always be business. And in times like these when it seems everything has been made that much more difficult, you may just be open to doing things that are proven to work, in any market. And that my friend is the gift of troubled times.
The Tweak That Will Double Your Business
Saturday, July 30th, 2011
Why did one top producing agent suddenly lose four listings in a row when he’s used to about a 98% listing presentation closing rate? He has since fixed this problem, but it’s the same one that most agents have and don’t even know it.
The top producer in question has a nearly unbeatable value proposition for his potential sellers. The reason it stopped working for him is that he “went off script” as he put it. He fell back into the lazy habit of focusing on “features” of what he will do for sellers, rather than the benefits. We witnessed this same proclivity during our recent “Why should I choose you?” listing presentation contest. Nearly every contestant proudly presented the features of what they would do and make them stand out instead of the benefits that would be important to a seller.
The reason it is so easy for salespeople to sell features is that we are so familiar with our services that we “collapse” the benefits with their respective features. In fact, it is hard to imagine why anyone doesn’t immediate “get” the benefits of those wonderful features we so readily and excitedly expound upon. The problem is that most prospects won’t get it, and in fact may feel intimidated by not understanding why those features are supposed to be so valuable.
People buy with their emotions and justify it with their intellect. Benefits are the shortest distance to the heart of the prospect, features are the roadway that support that journey. If benefits are even mentioned in a presentation, they usually follow the feature (the old “features / benefits” selling script). This is ass-backwards. Always, always, always share the benefit first, then justify how it will be delivered via the feature.
High-powered selling is not magic or even hard if you understand and apply basic human behavioral principles. Prospects are only interested in what you can do for them from a benefit perspective. They don’t want to know about the drill, they just want the hole. Learn this well and have the discipline to apply it to every sales situation and watch your closing ratio shoot skyward.
Go Where Eagles Gather
Monday, July 25th, 2011
As I write this I’m in San Diego speaking to the Corcoran Coaching Mastermind and STAR POWER conferences. Both of these event tend to attract the “best of the best”. And as a featured speaker, it gives me a unique opportunity to see the shared qualities that make these folks so successful.
Here’s the short list:
- They think like business people – most of them strive to make their business run successfully without them doing all the work;
- Their hunger for new ideas is insatiable – they are constantly looking for the “edge” in sales, marketing and operations;
- They are wary of “bright shiny objects” – too many of them have already been burned by the “Just buy this and all your problems will be solved!” pitches. They know that building a successful business is marathon, not a quick sprint using some fancy new tool or service;
- They freely share ideas – no small-minded “I’m going to keep this idea to myself.” behavior found in these groups. In fact, they are down right excited to help each other;
- They consistently implement - this group knows that great ideas not put into practice are worthless;
- They are very coachable – they really get that the potential size of their business success is inversely proportional to the size of their ego when it comes to being open to new ways of doing things.
And one more thing. Eagles gather with other eagles on a regular basis just like at these kinds of events. So if you are tired of hanging around the turkeys and want to really soar, start showing up where the eagles hang out and grow a few –eagle feathers that is.
Why Should I Choose You?
Saturday, July 16th, 2011
It’s not too often that I get to be on the “consumer” side of real estate. Yesterday I helped my wife evaluate two Realtors for the possibility of listing her mother’s home for sale. We asked a series of questions starting with “Why should we pick you over all of your competitors?” and that’s when the fun began.
The look on the face of the first one (who had 31 years in the business) was priceless. After composing himself he shares that he’s in the office every day at 8:30am and returns all his phone calls in a timely manner. No really, that’s what he said.
Then we asked “What is your marketing plan that will make this home stand out from all the others and give us the highest value in a reasonable time?” At that, he points to his very nice (customized and hard-bound even!) presentation package and says: “It’s in there, read it –or do you want me to read it for you?” At which point we quickly (yet politely) ended our meeting.
The second one wasn’t much better. He was quite a bit younger and more hip to technology yet he still stumbled all over the question as to why he should be chosen over anyone else. When asked about his marketing program he started rattling off his budgets for print and online advertising, yada, yada yada. When asked why he spends so much money on print when most people use the Internet he said: “I only do the print to satisfy the sellers and to promote my company, we’ve actually never received any business from it.” When we requested that he put together a comprehensive marketing plan for my mother-in-law’s home, he nods at the folder in his hand then gives it to us. Unlike the first agent, it was not customized, had only examples of mostly print advertising and no formal plan whatsoever. We’re still looking…
Granted, most consumers are not going to be quite as, well, thorough as we were. Never-the-less, if they can’t quite articulate the question, they are thinking it: “Why should we chose you over everyone else?” If you can’t answer that in a powerful and straightforward way (while avoiding the typical bromides of “I work hard!”, “I already have buyers interested in your home!”, “I have tremendous experience?”, etc.) then you are working way too hard and earning far too little.
You already have your answer if you are specializing in a niche. Otherwise, take the time to come up with a powerful response. Take it from someone who has just experienced it first hand from the consumer side, you will quickly appear to be head and shoulders above your competition within the first five minutes of any listing appointment.
How to Avoid Being BOPPED By Your Competition
Sunday, June 19th, 2011
The media recently highlighted the fact that IBM just celebrated its 100th anniversary of being in business. So what does this have to do with you and your career? Well, actually quite a bit.
The latest issue of the Economist magazine did the best job of analyzing why IBM lasted so long in such a tumultuous and ever-changing field of technology. The writer addressed the very core of what makes this company great and why it is likely to be around for another 100 years. This “core” is known as a Basic Operating Principle (BOP), which for IBM is: “We invent and use technology to help businesses become more productive.”
A powerfully effective BOP is simple, well defined and so fundamental that it will work no matter how much things change. It is the “True North” of highly effective businesses.
We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
If you look closely at other great companies, their BOP will shine through. For example, Apple’s is: “We create insanely cool personal technology and sell it for insanely high profits.” All of this of course begs the question as to what your BOP is, and is it powerful and fundamental enough to last through all the market changes going on today and in the foreseeable future.
Those that specialize in a particular niche already know their BOP. However, that’s less than 2% of the real estate sales population. Most of the others likely use: “I try to get business any way I can.” as their BOP. Needless to say, some BOPs are more effective than others. Yet here’s the thing; if you are not clear about what your Basic Operating Principle is, you will likely be BOPPED by those that are.
Increase Website Profitability by Instantly Testing It
Saturday, June 18th, 2011
When you build your Website you hope that it will be effective in engaging visitors so they pick you over your competitors. Perhaps you included several unique offers on your site that you hope will catch their eyes and cause them to start clicking on their way to doing business with you. This is all well and good except for one thing. You really don’t know how your visitors are going to react to any particular part of your Website until you test it. Typically, this was a process that only the “big boys” could afford to do. Now there is a way you can instantly test any aspect of your site’s ability to engage visitors, so you know for certain what works and what doesn’t.
A/B Testing on Steroids
A/B testing is the process of creating two or more versions of your Website that are delivered at random to your site visitors and then measures the click-through rate for each version. This is a proven way to have your visitors vote with their mouse as to which version engages them more. The traditional tool for this is Google Website Optimizer which is free. However, it requires that you (or your Webmaster) create the different versions of your Website that need testing which is time consuming, requires a fair amount of technical skill and therefor is definitely not free.
That has all changed now with a new online service called Optimizely. With Optimizely you can create different versions of any part of your Website instantly right from their Website. Its online WYSIWYG editor allows you to make create alternative versions of your site’s copy, images and even move whole sections around in just a few minutes. And the astounding thing is that this can be all done without creating different versions of your Website’s code.
After you have created the alternative versions of your site, you simply add a bit of Javascript code provided by Optimizely to the pages being tested. Once your A/B test is active, Optimizely will automatically and randomly send the different versions of your site to visitors and measure the click-through rate of each one. You just let it run until you’ve had sufficient numbers of visitors to give you a reasonably certain statistical answer to which version more effectively causes visitors to click or convert. And don’t worry about trying to remember your Statistics 101 class because Optimizely automatically calculates the statistical significance for you.
Since videos are worth a thousand screenshots, the following will demonstrate just how easy and powerful this new service is to use:
Your first 30 day’s use of Optimizely costs nothing, after that it is a very reasonable $19/month. Now here’s the thing, you can turn this service on and off at any time which means that for about $19 you can determine what kinds of changes to your site will produce greater conversion of visitors to new transactions. Not a bad ROI.
Of course all of this begs the question as to just what you should consider testing on your site…
Offers, Offers, Offers
Ideally your site has one or more “Irresistible Offers” that are designed to attract your visitors’ attention and compel them to take action. If you are a little fuzzy about what irresistible offers are just check out my earlier REALTOR Magazine article “Make An Offer They Can’t Refuse”.
Often what we think is irresistible is anything but from the consumer’s perspective. So creating different variations of your offers is the first thing you would want to test for conversion effectiveness. Here are some other things you might consider testing as well:
- Copy – create alternatives to copy that compels visitors to take action. For example, one Pennsylvania REALTOR found that he received a far greater click-through by changing “Featured Listings” to “Best Buys”.
- Images – perhaps a different kind of image in the body of your home page will cause more people to click on getting your special report or check out your IDX listings.
- Action Buttons – this is a subtle yet potentially very powerful test. Consider changing the shape, color and/or copy of your clickable buttons and see which version receives the most clicks.
- Reassurance Language – test different variations of the copy above your important forms that reassure your visitors that their privacy will be protected and see which ones cause the form to be filled out more often.
Avoid Build and Forget
The most profitable Websites are under a constant state of refinement. Far too many people just have their Website built and then do nothing to improve its ability to convert visitors into new business. The main reason for this is that it was just too time consuming and expensive to do it the old way. Now with Optimizely you have no excuse for having a site that “doesn’t work”. It’s just a matter of testing different variations until it does.
NOTE: Mr. Internet®, RUSSER Communications, its staff and officers receive no compensation whatsoever from any third party vendors (unless he/they are directly involved with the creation and/or improvement of a vendor service or product), and make no recommendations as to the suitability of the products or services mentioned in this article. Always thoroughly investigate any product or service before trying or purchasing.
Mr. Internet is the alter-ego of Michael J. Russer, an internationally recognized Internet speaker, trainer, author, and strategic consultant to the real estate industry. He’s dedicated to helping real estate professionals leverage their people skills into profit on the Internet. Send your Internet questions to help@askmrinternet.com or you can visit his Website at http://www.OnlineDominance.com and Facebook page at Facebook.com/OnlineDominance
This article is reprinted in its entirety from the June 2011 issue of REALTOR® Magazine by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved other than mentioned above. Mr. Internet® is a registered trademark of RUSSER Communications.
Multiple Custom Facebook Tabs That Cost Nothing!
Monday, June 13th, 2011
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how to make a Facebook Welcome Tab that helped convert visitors into fans. It depended on the ability to create a custom Facebook tab which back then was not free. I’ve now discovered a way to do this that costs nothing and even allows you to create up to 12 custom tabs on the same Facebook page. Here’s how…
Static HTML is a free Facebook app that let’s you create these custom tabs very easily. It also gives you the ability to create “fan” and “non-fan” versions of each tab with any kind of Web content you can imagine. And, just as importantly, these tabs are still visible to those visitors who have logged into Facebook via the secure method.
Using this app to create custom tabs is very straightforward. However, if you would like to see a brief step-by-step tutorial on how to use this app to create your custom tabs just go to www.Facebook.com/OnlineDominance and click the Free “How To” Videos! tab (yes, I created it with Static HTML) and watch the first video.
Your ability to stand out and generate new business via Facebook is changing almost daily. I will continue to do my best to help you discover and implement the best of these. The key word here is “implement”. The only useful tool is the one you implement.
Why Many Realtors Fear Standing Out
Saturday, June 11th, 2011
Striving to stand out from your competitors can be a scary thing. It means that you have chosen to “break from the pack”. At the very least it can feel like you may be shunned, or, perhaps even have a target painted on your back as they go gunning for you. Here’s why giving in to those fears can cost you plenty and hold you back from your full potential.
During a meeting the other day, a group of agents were asked what they thought of a particularly new and rather unique presentation that was designed to help each of them stand out head and shoulders above their competition. I was completely blown away when one of them said they felt it was berating other Realtors (which it wasn’t). There is a huge difference between pointing out one’s own unique capabilities and putting down the competition, a distinction this sales pro seemed to have missed by a mile. While still trying to shake off my bout of incredulity, a flash of insight occurred that made it clear what the real problem was.
Sales associates are very social animals and most feel uncomfortable standing out from others in the industry. This is a phenomenon I’ve witnessed time and time again as a coach and trainer. It’s like their emotional right brain is saying: “It’s not nice to try to dominate the market by being different or unique because others are not going to like you.” Meanwhile their logical left brain is screaming: “You better stand out from the crowd or you’re going to starve and die!!” Imagine how effective you would be with those two conversations going on in your head.
Be different, stand out, and work your butt off.
~ Reba McIntire
Marketing 101 says you need to differentiate your services so that a) you are seen, and b) you are chosen. Striving to dominate a particular niche or stand out from your competitors does not make you a bad person. It makes you someone who gives the consumer an easy choice to make as to who they are going to use for their real estate needs. You can still stand out and be a great person. Giving in to the need to “fit in” and not rock the boat may make you feel more comfortable, until you realize that it will also make you poorer.
