To quote a line from the Oliver Stone film Nixon, "nothing sells like sincerity".

Some can fake sincerity. In fact, I know people who take pride in their ability to fake it. This, in my opinion, is as dangerous (if not more so) than not caring at all.

We've all been in situations, most likely in retail stores, where we've encountered the stereotypical "bored" employee who is just there because "it's a job", and really doesn't give a hoot about anything, least of all you.

Now, that's not necessarily insincerity, but it's a lack of concern or even "light caring" about a job or responsibly, and it shows.

As a marketing person, I work with many clients. More often than not, we work on projects to "jump start" their marketing efforts. Perhaps this is a "makeover" of some kind, a new approach or a different take on an existing one. What I see across the board is that once we've stoked the fires of imagination, excitement heats up, passion brews and the rest follows is so much easier after that.

If you care; if you're passionate; if you believe in what you are marketing, whether that's a product or a service, it will show.

Marketing begins with you. You have to believe in the product. You have to market it to yourself and then, as the customer, you have to believe it's a good thing. If you don't believe it, then why should your potential clients?

I firmly believe that the real estate relationship is less about you representing your company than with you representing the person. If you leave your broker and go somewhere else, will your clients follow? One would hope so. (I hasten to add that this isn't meant as an encouragement for people to leave their brokers, take clients etc – please put down those rocks and rope)

Imagine if you don't believe you're doing the right thing...it's just "a job"..."I hate it, but it pays the bills"...do your (potential) clients deserve that? If you answer "yes" ask yourself why they deserve it.

As a Realtor, your product is you.

I write about different marketing strategies and techniques, both traditional and non in my online newsletter Webby's Updates which you can read at www.JDELtd.com and subscribe to if you so choose. You can download this and other articles from by Small Business GENetics site, www.sbgenetics.com