Your Last Action Speaks The Loudest

February 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Your Last ActionIt is SUCH a great feeling isn’t it? When you complete a huge project successfully, or hit that major goal it feels like nothing can stop you – and there certainly is no reason to hold back on the celebration. In fact, celebrating big achievements properly can encourage us to tackle the next assignment with the same energy as the last. Time marches on though, and those who allow the celebration to last for weeks… months… years… (I knew someone who celebrated for decades!) may be brought back to the present with a rude awakening.

Please don’t confuse what I am trying to describe for mere “remember the good old days” talk. No, that is nostalgia and a different (if not equally unhelpful – in business) feeling altogether. Nostalgia wishes for different circumstances around a person, while what I am describing is someone wishing to be a different person… to be the person they felt like during a past win, even though they are now facing a new and different challenge.

To avoid the trap described above, always remember that your last (most recent) action speaks the loudest. It is the most true depiction of who you are as a person, and more importantly how finely tuned your skill set is to meet current challenges.

I’ll prove it to you in just two words. Lance Armstrong. Ok, maybe that was a cheap shot. How about… General Petraeus. Ok, ok… imagine instead for me the BEST new home marketer in the world… in 1995. Lets say he stopped learning and interacting with the outside world until we dropped him in 2013. Would he still be the best marketer in the world? His skills have not kept up – he is no longer competitive. He’s never even heard the words “online lead” before. Yet, if you called him to a meeting he would likely reference his domination of the marketing world… back when news print was king. No one would care… and they shouldn’t! Past successes more than three years ago do not indicate any better chance of future success than someone who is unproven but well prepared. Yes, the world is changing that fast. The answers for the test back then will not work on today’s final exam.

What to do then? Focus on continually increasing your skills, and not on telling others how you’ve “done this before” or “did that once.” Always be analyzing the surrounding landscape and asking “do I have the skills to appropriately tackle this challenge should it arise?” Again, if you succeeded at the same task more than three years ago, you are likely to be blindsided without careful self evaluation.

True experts will focus on skills that will serve them well forever. Can you learn quickly? Can you teach yourself? Are you disciplined? Can you interact well with other people? Can you lead them? Motivate them? Motive yourself? Can you analyze? Strategize? Take action? Are you self aware? Those will serve you much better than becoming a MySpace expert (even if it seemed important in 2006), or an expert App developer (in 2012).

So today take some positive action, and don’t coast – because tomorrow your new boss won’t have anything else to judge you on. He certainly won’t care what you did 3+ years ago.

PS. Your resume is not a piece of paper in today’s world. It is the connections you’ve made, how you’ve treated them over time, and your last few actions. That’s it. (this goes for companies too! Mind your brand.)

Filed Under: Customer Loyalty, Marketing Psychology, Marketing Strategy Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Traffic Units”: A Poem for New Home Salespeople

August 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Based on “Traffic Light” by Shel Silverstein – adapted by Kevin Oakley)

 

The traffic units did not come

So the sales rep stopped to wait

As competitors rolled and the wind blew cold

And the hour grew dark and late.

 

Signage, meetings, EMAIL!!

Specs and model homes,

(but no phones)

Prospects’ drive on by!

Won’t that traffic come?

 

But the days turned weeks, and the weeks turned months

And there in the model he sits

Twiddlin’ his thumbs till the traffic comes

His managers losing their wits

 

And if you walk by that model now,

You may think it’s rather strange

To see him there with a hopefully gaze

With the very same smile on his very same face

As he patiently wonders if he’ll be replaced

And waits for the traffic to come.

Filed Under: Selling Strategy Tagged With: , , ,

Extended Weekend? The Perfect Time to…

May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Take the time to invest in yourselfMemorial Day has a great history, and a great purpose. However, for far too many people it is simply an extended weekend perfect for a short getaway. So what will you do with your extra time? According to two of the wealthiest people in the world you probably should consider reading.

Reading?! Yep. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet gave an interview in 2005 at the University of Nebraska where they both struggled to contain their love for reading and what it brought to their lives. Bill Gates famously takes a “reading vacation” where he removes himself from day to day activities for two weeks to do nothing but read books on business, technology, human behavior, etc. Buffett agreed and said reading books were an important part of his “daily work.” At one point the interviewer asked Bill if he could be a superhero, what kind of power would he like to have? Bill replied that he would like to be the fastest reader in the world, and Buffett quickly agreed.

So why is there a disconnect between what we know can improve our lives dramatically – even more than exercise (although also important!) – and what most people typically do? Ironically, all this reminds me of the title of a book I read in college: Fit Bodies, Fat Minds. Do you let your mind get “fat?” How about those who work around you? Or more convicting, those who report to you?

Two quick personal examples:

1. The first regional president that I worked for in Columbus, Ohio would copy articles out of Builder or Professional Builder what seemed like every week with a short note and leave it in my mailbox. I was a 22 year old rookie in charge of doing not much more than making the Sunday newspaper ad each week (wow times have changed)… but I loved it. It felt like he was mentoring me simply by saying “hey – this is something I think you’ll enjoy or will one day be helpful.”

I do my best to continue this legacy by copying articles out of these same publications and leaving them in mailboxes of employees in all parts of our business – even though many of them also get the magazine. You’d be surprised how many times someone thanks me for thinking of them or sharing an article. The chances of them reading it goes way up, and everyone gets better as a result. Don’t hoard great ideas you find from reading - share them!

2. This past month we kicked off something at my builder that is part homework assignment, and part challenge – The Amazing Race: Heartland Edition. We challenged the sales team to brush up on some market research, list their current top objections and write our their own scripted response, and most importantly to pick a book on new home sales to read by the end of June. I told them they could even order Jeff’s new audiobook if they like!

 

Do you foster a passion for reading in your organization? Do you think you should? What will you be reading this Memorial Day Weekend?

PS: Unsure of what to read? Check out my suggested reading list for 2012.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Stop Negotiating to Make Your Brand Great

May 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

Don't negotiate on attitudeNope, I’m not talking about negotiating on price – although that still would apply. I’m talking about your most important asset, your people. You must stop negotiating with attitudes and behaviors at your organization and you must have core principles that everyone agrees to follow. John DiJulius, author of What’s The Secret  calls these your organization’s non-negotiables, and they transcend job descriptions.

Before I explain in more detail, here is the list I created for my builder’s marketing, online sales, and design studio group:





S.P.I.R.I.T.

SERVICE: We are all here to serve others, not to be served.
PROBLEMS: Never share your problems without also sharing a potential solution.
INFLUENCE: Develop relationships that allow you to get things done because of who knows you, not what your title is.
RISK: Taking risks is not optional; it is required to invent something better – for change to occur.
IMPROVEMENT: Improvement in yourself and your work must be a daily goal.
TIME: Put in the time needed to get the job done – including the extra 15 minutes to make it great.

Job descriptions do serve a purpose in describing the deliverable expectations of a position, but they often ignore the importance of how you arrive at those deliverables. Do you have an employee who consistent produces good work, but leaves bodies in their wake? Do you have a sales person who always hits their goal for the month, but is always complaining to everyone they interact with? Are you nervous to have conversations with people about their behavior or attitudes because you’re not sure how to have them without making it feel like a personal attack?

By publishing this list and making all new hires agree to follow them, you now have something to reference and hold people accountable to and in time it will have an enormous impact on your corporate culture. I’m not sure what should be on your list, but you do. Resist the temptation to re-use someone else’s – it has to be something you own and individual to your goals. Finally, remember that you can’t hold anyone accountable to something you don’t hold yourself accountable too as well.

What would be on your non-negotiable list? Share in the comments below.

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: , , , ,

Case Study: Home Builder Billboard Part 2

April 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

Schumacher Homes BillboardThe message on this billboard is not a new one in any industry. It attempts to gain awareness by saying your product is the most affordable and deserves consideration. Let me start off by saying that it is a legitimate strategy – IF you are dedicated to it no matter the cost (pun not intended – but I’ll take it). Once you lead with low price it is more likely that your business will no longer be in business than to later successfully change that strategy.

There is always someone hungrier and less risk averse than your company who will offer something cheaper. I once had someone tell me, “Yeah, but no one will trust those cheaper guys. Look at the Chinese drywall scandal – you get what you pay for.” He didn’t see the irony in his own statement, but that is your prospects mindset too.

What about resale? What about foreclosures? Might they offer a cheaper price per square foot? If they do, then the sales person will have to backtrack and explain why value – not price – is what they really need to be thinking about. While I’m thinking about it – do people really purchase by square feet? As they walk through your model home can you see their lips move as they silently count off their steps? When I showed a photo of this billboard to a friend of mine he asked “Is he a home builder or a shoe cobbler?”

Sure – everyone starts out with a desired threshold number. 2,000 square feet for example. It’s a nice round number… why not? The reality is that it is just like a mortgage amount to them. Ask someone how they came up with their square footage threshold and they’ll tell you the same way they came up with their mortgage limit. “I don’t really know – it is what we’re comfortable with.” Let me suggest that when a prospect brings up price per square foot to you that you should only internalize it as this – they have been to a low price competitor already. They are only asking you to defend your value (not your price!). Remember that they are in front of you because they love your home (or else they would have just bought what was cheapest).

So that this post doesn’t go on forever let me list three quick downsides to this message in terms of buyer psychology:

1. Which Side of the Brain Are You On?

Focusing on price takes people to the analytical left-brain and away from their emotional right brain. You are trying to prime the sales pump – but you are more likely to stall out the engine. We all feel long before we think. A recent IPA database study of hundreds of advertising campaigns found that emotionally oriented ads generated twice as much profitability as hard-sell ones.

2. You Get What You…

Price and quality are linked incredibly close during the initial exploration and information gathering part of shopping. Everyone wants the highest quality – however they are not sure they can afford it (or if it would be wise even if they could). However in the United States today there are more people who will rule out the cheapest right from the beginning than will rule out the most expensive. Stories of recalls, safety notices, and worse have all caused the consumer – especially the female consumer – to look for safety in quality. Those who keep the lowest price in their consideration set will be more skeptical and potentially harder to convert. They will keep the more expensive options open longer when searching for a home because it is what they aspire to, and are hopeful they can find a way to make it affordable.

This brings up an interesting side topic of surprise. Let’s say your company was committed to being affordable, but you didn’t lead with it. Instead you started with how beautiful your homes are, national quality awards that you have won, and an innovative home design process that is fun and pain free? After all that, then you proved that you were also extremely affordable. How would your prospects be likely to react? Never discount the emotions of surprise and delight. Timing matters – a lot.

3. Is That All?

Leading with a low price leads consumers to believe you have nothing better to talk about, and without experiencing or researching your product – price has no meaning. I’ll prove it to you. Do you want to buy this really cool thing from me? It’s in my pocket and you can have it – and it’s only $50. The skeptics out there are saying “that’s not the same at all. At least in the billboard people know you’re talking about a house. I have no idea what is in your pocket.” Touché. Ok, I have a ring in my pocket and it’s only $50… no do you want it or not? I could have a 2ct. diamond ring or a my two year old’s costume ring but because you don’t know enough about it you can’t even begin to determine if you are getting more or less for your money.

The words I don’t care for in the message on this billboard are “price per square foot.” I do like the word “best,” but that alone wouldn’t make a very good… wait a minute.

Billboard Redesign

(If you missed the other post discussing the use of billboards as a medium and the creative design of this particular one, you can read about it here.)

 

Filed Under: Branding, Case Study, Marketing Psychology, Marketing Strategy, Selling Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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