Effort. It all comes down to effort. If you want to reach a certain goal (like, perhaps owning the New York Jets someday), you have to expense the time and patience now. In today’s world, the pace is faster than ever and with technology changing the way we do business, you have to move now.
Yesterday, ERA Real Estate’s top producers had the pleasure of hearing from author and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. His passion is selling things (like wine) and his goal is to buy the Jets. With great enthusiasm and a whole lot of entertainment, Gary shared these ideas for growing your business.
Do what you are good at. Gary learned at an early age that he was good at selling baseball cards and later discovered that people collect wine, too! Understanding the mindset of his customers, led to a series of business ventures including his own online wine show. Find what you are passionate about and go for it.
Have patience. Now is the time to invest in the future. If you spend the time and effort to learn how to use technology and social media now, it could very well pay off in 24 to 36 months, as it did for Gary. The world has never moved at a faster pace and it is our job to latch on and move with it. Start now.
Use time and effort vs. cash. You can build awareness for free. Start a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, shoot some videos or use Tumblr. These are all storytelling platforms where you can inexpensively (often at no cost) start conversations with people who are interested in what you have to say and eventually turn them into followers, believers and even customers. Traditional media no longer reaches people. So, fish where the fish are swimming – the Internet.
Tell a story. Sell through context. Understand why your customers buy and tell them a story that will fit into that psychology. Use a flip cam or your phone to easily create a video that tells a story and aligns with your value proposition. In real estate, this could be a story about the neighborhood around a home. What is the school system like? What does the block look like? How do residents feel about the neighborhood? Tell the story and then pick the right platform to share it – YouTube? Tumblr? Information and knowledge are a commodity. Share what you know and watch your reputation grow.
Be authentic and transparent. When you’re telling your story, it is important to earn trust through honesty. From time to time, Gary pans his own products on the internet. From one point of view, he could be hurting business but in reality, he’s building credibility and loyalty.
Audit what you do. We’re all busy – too busy to learn about social media, right? Wrong. Audit what you do each day and you’ll find you spend about 25 percent of your time on “dumb stuff” as Gary puts it. Take stock of your day then reallocate the time spent on dumb stuff to learning how to use social media to tell your story and ultimately sell your product. It will become time well spent.
Sync these six tips together with commitment and you’ll be off and running in no time. Make storytelling your priority now to win in the future. As Gary put it, if you don’t get on the treadmill now, you’ll never run the marathon that’s coming in five years. Grab these grapes, then crush them!
