Your Personality is your Niche

I accept the fact that not everyone will like me.  That is okay and I use it to my advantage.  You should too.

I know...weird way to start a post....it's okay with me if you don't like me.  Makes me sound anti-social or something, but really I'm not.


Everyone has different values and different ways of looking at life...all you have to do is scroll through about 10 posts on ActiveRain to see just how different we all are..  The online world is your local coffee shop, but you have the good fortune to have coffee with people in Texas, New Orleans, Georgia, and California, all at the same time.  Within your local community you have good friends and people...well, people that you dread seeing because they just rub you the wrong way.  Your personalities just don't mesh.  It's not a big deal in your local world because you have other friends who think you are fabulous.  


I know, I know...you're thinking, Melina...you're rambling....hello, get to the point because if you are like me, you have the attention span of a flea and you need to be enterained or you're moving on...


Niche...that seems to be the real estate word to be successful.  "Find a niche," coaches scream at you...horse properties, condos, or a local neighborhood.  I agree that is a good idea.  Know something and know it well.  I think this applies to your person. Know yourself and know you well...because in the blogosphere, your personality is your niche.


If you read my posts they are filled with data because I like it.  I'm not a perky chick...not a lampshade wearing at a party kinda gal..  Me...I'm a great listening,  sarcastic, analytical data geek.  That is who I am, and I use that to my advantage by sharing my personality in my posts.  I don't pretend to me someone I am not which brings me good business, and GOOD business is what I am after.


I have limited time in my life for work which means I need to maximize my earning power. As a owns my own brokerage, working full time, married for 17 years with two young children woman, I don't have a lot of time.  Time is very valuable to me and is not something I can just go get more of at Target.  As such, I am cautious about how I give it away.  If I am going to give my time away, it has to be because I think it will get me what I need which is GOOD business.
 

What is GOOD business?  It's simple...working with clients that value me and what I have to offer them.  I can't be everything to all people.  I already know I can't, so I don't try.  Some people look at my massive amounts of data charts and want to run away.  My charts scare them.  Others think they have found their perfect real estate agent.  GOOD business is trying to find those clients that think I might be their perfect real estate agent.   If you are who you are on your posts, then people will like you or hate you...either is okay, because there will be enough people who like you.  You want to interact with those people who like you, your style, your way of doing things.  I personally believe that it is better to only get 50 leads in a year and close 30-40 transactions off that, then get 250 leads and only close 30-40 transactions.  The less time I spend on converting leads to clients the better off my personal life is.  I'd like to have a life outside real estate...


Most real estate agents can name those clients that they have dreaded....you know the ones that the name comes up on the caller ID and your hand jerks away from the phone like it is on fire.  Chances are there is nothing wrong with that client...what is wrong is the personality fit.  Their perfect agent has a different personality.  Why spend your time working with people who aren't going to glow about how great you are?  That's what you want.  You want client evangelists...clients who think you are so great that they will preach to their friends that you are the best thing since the iPhone (and as an iPhone loving geek, that is saying something)!  


Real estate is in a tumultuos time and it makes no sense to expend energy on people who rub you the wrong way.  They aren't going to have a good customer experience and  you will dread working with them.  Not a good combination for future referrals...and that is the goal because future referrals are free and are essential to the vitality of a successful long term business.  


You want to surround yourself, whether online or in your local community, with people who mesh with you.  You want to network with agents in the online world that have similar values to you.  If their clients like them, chances are they will like you and have a positive consumer experience.  You won't have to harass them for referrals because they already think you are awesome.  


So remember...the next time you write a post...go out and be yourself.  Whether you are an aggressive person, data loving geek, or everything is rosy kinda of person, don't make excuses or back down because someone doesn't like your style:  Be yourself.. You'll be better off in the business world and your personal life for it


Remember, your personality is your niche, the rest is irrelevant.