Madonna has it. So does Mick Jagger, Elvis and Miley Cyrus.
What is IT?
STAR POWER.
How do you get it?
Let’ s look at some of the great rock icons and uncover their secrets for success year after year and what separates them from the lounge lizard singer at the local Holiday Inn. Let’s look at how these rockers can teach us something about our “act”.
Mick Jagger
If you have ever experienced the Stones in concert, you know you are in for an amazing experience. Mick Jagger is prancing around like a 20 year old giving the audience everything he’s got with his hammy performance, exaggerated gestures and hyper exuberance. Watching Jagger singing, “What a Drag It Is Getting Old”, you can’t help but notice that The Stones are singing these 40 year old songs for the 10,000th time for an audience of their fellow 60-somethings. They are playing with heart and soul and when you leave, you know you got your money’s worth. This is far from the “has been” bands that are still trying to look hip and just look scary and old. The STAR POWER here is MEMORABLE.
Are YOU memorable? When your prospects come in your model center do they remember you the next day or are you reduced to “what’s her name” and ABC Homes? How do you stand out in a very crowded marketplace? You need to create excitement and think of different things to do and say that will be memorable. In order to stand out, you need to provide more value than your competitor down the road. You need to become a valued trusted advisor, not a pushy, obnoxious salesperson. In order to provide more value, you need to empathize with your prospects and see the home buying experience through their eyes. How can you help? What information or resources could you provide? How can you make the transition smoother? Instead of focusing on the sale, the close, the check, focus instead on helping your prospects with this enormous decision to go ahead and purchase a brand new home. If you are willing to go all out, not only will you Rock your Sales, but you will Rock your Referrals!
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer was a runner up on American Idol and was kicked off. Simon Cowell told her she did not have what it takes to succeed. What does Jennifer do? She auditions for Dream Girls and then wins a best supporting actor award at the Oscars for her first role! How’s that for handling rejection?! Jennifer’s story is amazing. She sang in her church choir and was writing lyrics to songs. Her songs were always something positive. One was penned, “Thank You”, which was a song about how much gratitude she felt about her life. Another song was “I Take You Just the Way You Are”, which is a song about her boyfriend, a maintenance man. She believes there was a direct connection between the songs in her head and her life. Does rejection motivate you to move forward? Do you have positive lyrics in your head? With the market conditions now, we all should have the hit song “I’m a Survivor” in our heads.
Madonna
Love her or hate her, Madonna knows how to market herself. She continually re-invented her image to stay in the game of rock and even now at 50; she’s as hot as ever. Madonna was always controversial and took bold moves to get her message out there. She did things her way and was not concerned about being “politically” correct. Madonna is always coming up with a new look, a new sound, a new direction. Things are always changing. I f you are selling like you did in the 90’s, you are out of the game.
Today’s buyer is a savvy negotiator and this requires that you are fully prepared to deal with them head on. Do you know your community inside out? Have you, yourself, visited with the principals of the local schools? Are you an expert in the area of town your community is in? Have you thoroughly studied and visited your competitors so you know how to sell against their offering? Always changing and being on top of your game is critical to Rock your Sales.
We can learn critical lessons from the rock star world and use some of their strategies to not end up in the discount bin or performing for free at the local county fairs.
About the Author:
Melinda Brody, MIRM has been inspiring and evaluating salespeople for over 2 decades. She offers sales seminars, keynotes, training products and video mystery shopping for builders internationally. She just introduced 2 new CD’s, “Entrepreneurial Marketing-Creating Endless Traffic” and “Turn Ring into Bling.” Visit her website for info on these products and sign up for her FREE E-NEWSLETTER. www.MelindaBrody.com or call 407-294-7614.
Tags: Home Builder Marketing, New Homes Sales, Real Estate Sales
