When "Different" is Good

Remember when we were children, if anyone called you "different," it hurt! We wanted to fit in, be included, and generally keep the status quo.

Not anymore! As a small business owner (which is really what we are as Real Estate Agents), we have to find a way Stand Out from the crowd! But how to do this? That is the question.

Here is where it gets exciting. You know you have to do it.  You have to find a way to Be Different. Be The One they remember after interviewing several other agents before and/or after you. Saying "I'm Different" won't cut it. (Like I tell my 3 year old when he apologizes and says, "I'll listen now," - don't tell me, SHOW ME!)  This is what sellers need. They need us to Be Different. But we can't just say it.  We must show it. In this Buyer's Market, Sellers need more than the average agent. Don't be average.  Be different.

So, how do you learn how to Be Different?

1.  READ, READ, READ!!!

• There is a wealth of knowledge out there! You know I am the wife of a former teacher, so forgive the cliché, but seriously- Knowledge is Power! Find books, blogs, magazines- anything you can & SOAK IT UP!
• FYI... I have been blown away by how much FREE information is here in the Rain! GO FIND IT!

2.  Brainstorm- put yourself in their shoes and think about what would make you choose your Realtor if you weren't one.

• We've been cold calling, calling FSBOs and Expireds, and handing out business cards like crazy. All with mediocre response. Suddenly, I said to Chris, "You know, if our house was listed and just expired and an agent called me at 7am I'd bite his/her head off! (I am not a mean person, really. But I'm just NOT a morning person, and with 3 small kids - sleep is priceless and all too scarce.) If they call at 5pm, I'm trying to get dinner ready. At 6pm, dinner, 7pm bedtime routines, 8pm - YOU'LL WAKE THE KIDS!!!!! Get my point? So why on earth am I calling these people at those times?!?
• Business cards I've been given - no clue where they are.
• Strangers who knock on my door - we pretend we're not home.
• If I was the homeowner, an agent would have to do something different. Calls, cards, and knocks on the door would not get my attention. Why should I think my sellers are any different? We have to start brainstorming other ideas.

3.   Take it for a Test Drive - after you've gotten a few Different ideas, go try them out!

• Take stock of what works and what doesn't. Then, adjust and try again.
• Did you know Abraham Lincoln had more unsuccessful runs for office (at least 5) than successful ones (3- In 1834 for Illinois State Legislature; 1846 for Congress, and 1860 for President)? The moral of this story: Don't be afraid to fail.

This post is the first of a series of Why Different is Good and How To accomplishes it. We are blogging what we learn as we learn it in hopes of helping others in the same boat float. (Rhyming pun intended, sorry! :) Stay tuned for a list of what we've learned, tried, failed and succeeded with!

Blessings to all and Happy Selling :)

Dianne :)