By Ron & Alexandra Seigel, Partners--Napa Consultants, International
Be Interested, Not Interesting
Luxury real estate marketing is not just about selling homes it is all about building high trust relationships. Right up there at the top of the list of most important marketing skills is being interested, not interesting. It is the companion skill to being a good listener. Nothing is more flattering or shows you care better than receiving a fun note or gift about something of particular interest to a client.
Pay attention to what interests your clients. Make notes about their interests in their contact record in Outlook , Act or whichever contact database you use. Keep a file of unusual things you stumble upon on the internet. There are many bookmarking sites expressly for this.
When it comes time for gift giving, or sending a fun note just to stay in touch this is what you do. Match clients with items of special interest. This can be a wonderful conversational ice breaker for those you have not heard from in a while. Here are two examples:
La Bibliochaise
We have a friend who loves books, and has built book shelves all over his house. We recently saw a chair on the internet known as La Bibliochaise. A bibliotheque is a library in French, and chaise is a chair. We sent our friend a picture of this wild looking functional sculpture that holds 119 books. The chair could stands on its own as an art piece. It is the brainchild of Italian designers, Nobody and Company, who have a quirky outlook.
La Bibliochaise is water varnished in white, black, aubergine, and is also available in others colors upon request. The cushions are made of cotton and are washable. Currently, the chair is sold only in Paris and Tokyo, not in the United States. But, it certainly sparked a spirited conversation with our friend.
The Buddha Mold
Another unusual design item that we discovered on the Web was the perfect answers for reconnecting with some other food-loving friends. It is a Buddha mold that you can use as a pudding mold. The company's view for this Buddha mold is to "add spirituality to taste". Having ice cream shaped like a Buddha will certainly liven up any dessert table.
As a luxury real estate marketing professional, be interested, not interesting. And, watch your practice grow.