Having read Persuasion, it actually doesn’t surprise me that Arlene is a very humble, down to earth, highly perceptive woman, despite her massive success. Most highly successful people needed precisely that attitude to get to where they are today. Ego and selfishness are what prevent most people from getting that level of success.
“Over the years in marketing, I’ve learned that customers are persuaded to reach for a particular brand in the store because it represents something larger to them: good health, or happiness, or sophistication, or whatever the case may be. People who gravitate toward a Nike running shoe, for instance, aren’t focused on the quality of the rubber used to make the sole or the strength of the reinforcements around the shoelace holes. They’re not attracted by specific features, but rather by the benefit the shoe promises: victory. Their connection to the brand is primarily emotional.” – from Persuasion
In Greek mythology, Nike is the Greek goddess who personifies victory, a very fitting marketing symbol and idea for sporting people who are naturally competitive and always want to win. So when you’re thinking about suitable homes to recommend to your buyer clients, think more about the big picture ideas your client is drawn toward rather just focusing just all the details about a given home.
Real estate professionals can learn a lot about marketing in this business from how residential developers market their projects. When a developer offers a new project to the public, take a close look at the ‘big picture’ ideas they’re offering. If it’s urban condos then they’re often trying to portray elegance, sophistication and wealth in various ways because many people will identify with and readily buy into those ideas. If it’s a retirement community their marketing wants to stress things like happiness, health, peace of mind, new found youth, and so forth, anything but the things that normally accompany a retirement home: sickness, disease, sorrow and the constant reminder of death.
