Jeff Dowler is hosting the Active Rain February 2018 Challenge for February 2018. We all market ourselves and this challenge is to evaluate our marketing techniques and the value we offer. I’m taking time to contemplate my marketing Losers, Winners and what I’ll be doing in the Future. This is my entry.
Part I – The Loser
I look at all marketing as learning experiences. When I first started in real estate I was a single mom and had to make a go of it. I was embarrassed with my divorce so didn’t reach out to the people that knew me best from all my years on the PTA board and community activities I so freely contributed to with my time, energy and resources. Trying to start from scratch without marketing to my sphere group was a big mistake. My business would have spring boarded faster had I swallowed my pride and reached out to my sphere. I learned a valuable lesson and adjusted my marketing to include this sphere.
Part 11 – The Winner
After several seminars and a good course from Floyd Wickman (yes I was a sweat hog) it dawned on me I had to understand who I was, what I had to offer and define who I wanted to work with. Like a lightning bolt it hit me I was indispensable as a commodity and had to offer value if I was going to be a success. I made the decision to reach out to my community and establish a geographical farm area. My focus was to provide exceptional service and become the trusted resource.
In earnest I began marketing to the community..offering something of value utilizing my time, energy, knowledge and resources. I became the voice of authority and residents were drawn to me. I’m overjoyed with so many trusted connections and relationships I’ve formed over the last 25 years. I have systems in place, references and am a good listener and communicator. Marketing is 24/7..giving something of value and in return I am proud to say I’m the most frequently hired Realtor® in my community.
I’ve learned from Peter Drucker in his book “The Effective Executive”:
“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”
There is a difference!
Part 111 – The future
Concerning the future I’ve learned from Peter Drucker:
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
I know my personal connections and relationships work for me, therefore that is what I will continue to nourish. I will continue to work on social media and more on videos but at the end of the day my focus will be to nurture my relationships and continue to service my community, past clients and personal referrals.
As Zig Ziglar so appropriately stated “Success is not a destination, it’s a journey.”
