Developing
a Great Tag Line
How
long do you have to capture the attention of a potential
client with your brochure, website or postcard?
It's a matter of a few seconds. Most clients get a
endless barrage of marketing materials from Real Estate Agents, and
rarely give
each piece more than a quick glance. But you can use a tag line to
quickly
identify your services and establish a presence and reinforce your
brand image.
It's
a Description
Take a
look at some other businesses brochures or websites.
Almost all companies use a tag line, a simple one or two sentence
description
that follows the company name or logo. A tag line captures attention
and simply
sums up your mission.
“Above
the Crowd” www.remax.com
“Higher
Standards Agents… Higher Results” www.homelife.com
“Banking
can be this comfortable” http://www.tdcanadatrust.com
“Selling
Toronto
Since 77" Eric Robinson http://www.sellingtorontosince77.com/
What's
Your Point?
The
first step in developing a tag line is to determine just what
you want to communicate to potential clients. Ask
yourself how
you can best convey your unique selling position.
Think about:
* Who
are your preferred prospects?
* How
do your services benefit them?
* What
emotions do you want to trigger?
* What
action do you want the agent to take?
* How
do you differ from your competition?
Incorporate
at least one of the above into your tag line. There
should be something in it that is compelling and inspires further
action.
Finding
the Right Words
Look
at your competitor's tag line.
Is it appealing? Does it create an emotional appeal?
Is there
specific words that
work really well? Certain
words demonstrate the kind of image you want
to project and align your unique position statement. For instance,
terms like
professional representation, security, full service, referral-driven,
and
consulting could be important parts of your statement. They may not all
work
together, but these words may jump start your thought process on how
you want
to structure your message.
Write
words or catch phrases on individual post-it notes.
Keep adding to it and start moving the post-its around in combinations
until
you find the right phrase or words that sparks your imagination.
Do you
have an unique hobby,
niche market
or last name? These are
all great sources of inspiration for a tag
line, best of all the
client will now have a greater
reason to remember you and your services by.
Brainstorm
Sometimes
the best way to start is throwing ideas around.
Take some time to write down every idea as it occurs to you. Don't edit
yourself.
Some of your ideas will be great,
some will be
ridiculous, and some merely mediocre. But even the silliest idea can
hold the
germ of an idea that will help you market your services to agents and
develop
an effective tag line.
Keep
working until you are out of ideas.
Take a break, then come back and review.
Put
it Together
Start
to consolidate some of your favorite
ideas together. This may be a good time to bring in a fresh pair of
eyes for a
different perspective. Ask a co-worker, a peer, or your manager for his
or her
thoughts.
Think
about the old computer expression, "Keep
It Simple, Stupid".
Your tag line should reflect your business in as complete and simple
fashion as
possible. It should be easily summed up in a few words.
Remember,
the goal isn't to tell clients everything about your
business; it's to
capture their attention, to make them ask, "What
can he or she do for me,"
or get them to say, "I want to know
more."
The
right tag line can capture attention and inspire imagination.
Just think what the tag line, "Just
Do It," has done for Nike. With a little creativity and work,
you can
develop a tag line that gets clients talking.
