Posts Tagged ‘Differentiation’
Why Fitting In Can Kill Your Business
Monday, December 20th, 2010
How comfortable are you in being “different” from others? If you ask this question of someone still in high school they’d look at you like it was the worst possible thing that could happen. You’d think that most adults would grow out of the “I have to fit in!” phase of their life. Yet from my perspective as someone who deals with thousands in an industry that supposedly consists of independent contractors, I just don’t see it very often.
Take a look at their Websites, print marketing materials, even the way most real estate sales people dress. Stand back far enough and they look exactly alike. The herd mentality is alive and well in our industry. And that my friend is your window of opportunity. Effective marketing today, more than ever, is all about standing out, being different, getting people’s attention through all the noise and cacophony of the thousands of marketing messages that besiege us daily. In fact, if you want to have any chance at all of being a break-out producer, you have to strive to be perceived completely different from your competition.
One of the top producers near New York city is a coaching student of mine, part of my ULTRA eTEAM. When he came on board he said: “I want to have the UGLIEST Website in the industry!”He was dead serious from the standpoint of wanting a Web presence that completely stood out from all the “pretty” REALTOR sites that don’t do jack online. This guy really gets it…
Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.
Cecil Beaton
Without question every salesperson wants the benefits that come from being a “standout”. Yet most deep inside are frightened of being seen as such. That’s because to be “different” means a separating oneself from the perceived safety of the crowd, and a lot of people just can’t handle the personal responsibility that comes with that.
Well, here’s a little secret for you. Each and everyone one of us is already completely unique. And until you fully embrace, celebrate and shout it from the roof tops, you will never achieve your full potential.
Differentiate For Success
Monday, July 26th, 2010
What are the qualities that define a top producer from just another real estate sales associate struggling to keep it all together?
There are two primary ones that really make these folks, well… stand out from the crowd:
- Implementation – they consistently put into practice proven strategies and tactics. You never hear excuses as to why they didn’t do something.
- Differentiation – they strive to be different, stand out from everyone else.
This second one is so interesting because while most agents will talk about “standing out” their actions say something else. Many agents clearly become uncomfortable if they do or even consider doing something that will make them stand out. Maybe it’s a throw-back to the days when we were in high school and “being like everyone else” was social survival rule #1.
When it comes to being consistently successful however, being perceived as different from the rest (ideally in a good way) is absolutely essential both in business and life…
America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered.
Louis D. Brandeis
(American Supreme Court Justice, 1856-1941)
We are all unique beings with unique talents, perspectives and gifts that can positively affect our world. It just takes willingness and courage to allow them to flower.
(NOTE: click on the image above to view a short video about the importance of differentiation in marketing)
