DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/1191332
30 DIGS.NET | 12.13.2019 Prevailing Opinions You know what they say about opinions right? But what about "prevailing opinions?" For marketers, they're the path of least resistance as everyone is caught up in the momentum of the moment. It's easier to follow the herd and do what everyone else is doing – it feels safe. In reality, it's the exact opposite. As Warren Buffett has so perfectly stated, "Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can't buy what is popular and do well." When marketers are all doing the same thing, using the same tactics and distribution channels for their messaging, the overall impact and effectiveness is diluted for everyone. The more a marketing opinion prevails, the faster it becomes a commodity. Real estate agents – are you looking for a breakthrough in your business? Don't sheepishly follow prevailing opinions – the real opportunities may lie elsewhere. What if you did something different? I'm fortunate to work in Hermosa Beach a few blocks from the beach, so I try to take advantage of that whenever I can by taking walks to the beach during lunch, listening to podcasts, and giving myself some quality time to think. A few weeks ago, I made it a point to smile to everyone I crossed path with on my walk, and something interesting happened. They smiled back. They also paused and greeted me, asked how I was doing, told me to have a great day, and so on. A simple gesture like smiling caused our busy worlds to pause for a moment, unlocking the most precious, scarce and coveted thing marketers crave most – unbridled attention. Marketing legend Jay Abraham speaks to this profoundly when he says - "If you want to be interesting, be interested." Real, in-person, one-to-one human interaction – imagine the marketing possibilities! If you're a real estate agent, explore for a minute this most basic, yet remarkable concept. What if you took the time out of your busy social media and interruptive advertising schedule to make it a goal to meet five new people a day? I'm not talking about sending five more emails, postcards, etc. – I'm talking about in person, human-to- human communication. Not just a handshake greeting, a conversation. And not a one-way conversation – one where you ask questions, listen deeply, and seek a greater understanding while realizing that everyone has a story to tell, and if you're sincerely interested, they would be willing to tell it. I love words. Words tells stories. Stories stand the test of time. Great stories captivate, enrich, educate, enthrall, enlighten – they change us. Why don't brands and marketers tell more stories? Because stories take more time, effort, introspection, authenticity, and courage. And, that's exactly what's lacking in the marketing of today. The emphasis for marketers has been in generating more media impressions versus creating lasting ones. And, with all of this data we have today – what is it that we're measuring exactly? Attention? Engagement? Click-through? Opt-in? Page views? Subscribers? More importantly, how are we defining success? By a few cleverly named KPI's (that's "key performance indicators" for those of you that don't follow the cool and in vogue marketing lingo of today)? Forgive me, but I'm not impressed. Disconnected I'm equal parts amazed, bewildered, frightened, and excited by the impact of the new connected world we live in. Have you noticed, that despite our new-found real- time connectivity, in a way it feels like we're more disconnected than ever? The communication of today seems more superficial, lacks depth, and critical thinking. Mostly, it's a put on. Our narratives have changed, as well – tending to be more self-serving, attention- seeking, getting "likes" and "comments." What is it that we are seeking? Validation? Authority? Approval? Fifteen minutes of fame? In the end, I think the last decade will be looked back on as the "great marketing experiment," when consumer psyche was forever altered, content became ubiquitous, demand for consumer attention reached a critical mass, and trust in the advertising world forever changed for the worse. You can already see the ill effects in the short- term and tactical thinking that dominates today's marketers, forever impatient and beholden to the metrics of the day that defines their worldview. For this to get better, something has to change. IMPR ESSIONS P U B L I S H E R ' S M U S E Warren J Dow | Publisher wdow@Southbaydigs.com | 310.373.0142 Remembering Ray Kappe. Back in 2013, Ray Kappe's personal residence in Pacific Palisades was our cover home and feature article in our year ending Architect | Design | Build special edition. I had the opportunity to meet Ray and spend half a day at his home chatting about architecture, and it was one of the most special and rememberable moments of my life. Ray was a true architectural visionary – a rare treasure of a man who pushed the boundaries of what's possible - that dreams can come to life. Ray's home was one such dream. We hope you enjoy our celebration of architecture and design in this special edition, and may all of your real estate dreams come true in 2020. Until next time, PS – It's often said that true success is found in the journey or process, not the outcome. If the process is hard, scary and unknown – it's probably worth doing (like storytelling). The alternative of course, is to take the easy path and keep doing what every other agent is doing, go unnoticed and remain a commodity. Or, you can do something entirely different. Photo by Paul Jonason What would that conversation look like to you? What impression would you make? What if this becomes your most important KPI and marketing metric? Do you think that would change your business? Back to Jay Abraham, who states, "Change your strategy, change your results." Five people a day, five days a week, that's 25 per week, or 100 per month, and 1,200 people per year. The implications and possibilities are endless.