Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Generating Leads with The Right Message

This Saturday at the Farmer’s Market, I noticed an ad on the back cover of Edible Santa Barbara, which was that of a burger that suits our exacting standards of what a burger should be. Here is the description that made me call the winery and ask for the photo, so that we can share it with our luxury minded friends.

This burger is served at one of the local wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley, which is home to outstanding wineries whose pinot noirs have gained kudos statewide and are rivaling the Napa & Alexander Valleys, our former home. Roblar winery and cooking school prides itself on sustainably grown estate wines. To differentiate itself from the usual winery with its tasting bar, they have added a restaurant serving lunch daily,, dinner every last Wednesday of the month, and a wonderful brunch on Sundays

Here is a description:.

1. Locally baked toasted bun

2. Localy Grown Organic Romaine Lettuce

3. Locally Grown Organic Heirloom Tomato

4. Local Grass Fed Ground Sirloin

5. Estate Grown Organic Onions

This description not only encouraged us to drive to Santa Ynez (45mns) for a burger, but also demonstrated the standard of excellence this company stands for. We are now looking forward to tasting the wine.

Unlike our previous post on the Burger Wars (Carl’s Junior vs McDonald’s), this $15.95 burger does not factor in competition of other wineries. It stands alone on its merit. We found rave reviews for the burger on line, and the marketing manager, Chelsea Pence, told me that people travel long distances to feast on this culinary delight. We plan to do that soon, and we will keep you posted.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Significant Advantage of being the “Top-of-Mind Brand”


Photo by Francesco Sgroi

Which luxury real estate marketing professional would be the first to come to mind, for the majority of consumers, in your marketplace? The “top-of-mind” brand in any category of product or service enjoys a significant competitive advantage: the lion’s share of the business. In real estate, that professional would most likely do the highest volume of business.

Therefore, an important strategy to consider, as a luxury real estate marketing professional is, if you want to gain top-of-mind status, is to discover a niche or a specific sub-category of the marketplace where you can be the dominant player. Then focus your entire marketing efforts on becoming identified with that niche or category.

Here is an example of how top-of-mind works in branding terms. In Napa Valley there are over 500 wineries (and over 500 real estate agents). If a consumer wanted to select a great Sangiovese wine only a few wineries come to mind. These wineries found a niche that was not crowded with competitors, at least in California.

Sangiovese's claim to fame is its role as the heart of Chianti, Brunello and many Super Tuscan wines though it is gaining ground as a varietal wine around the globe. When grown in a suitable location the grape's soft tannins, succulent acidity and moderately intense cherry and herb flavors make Sangiovese very easy to drink as well as supremely versatile at the dinner table.

One of the first wineries to come to mind for most Sangiovese fans who know Napa wines is Luna. Luna is one of the first stops heading north along the famed Silverado Trail and is well worth the stop.

Another outstanding, but perhaps lesser known winery that produces Sangiovese is Benessere. Many feel Benessere is the finest Sangiovese in the region. But, Luna might come to mind first because of its high visibility along the famed Silverado Trail (location, location, location). The position known as top-of-mind is what we call the prime “real estate of the mind”—a good position to own.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Art of Creating A Brand


Lake Itasca, Minnesota , the source of the Mississippi

In luxury real estate marketing, creating a brand is an exercise of finding your essence as an individual or a company. It must authentically reflect your core values and what you are passionate about. Ultimately, your brand must express, explicitly what is distinct and inimitable about your identity. Here is an example that illustrates this point.

The University of Minnesota (one of Alexandra’s alma maters) sends a quarterly journal which often features a story that illustrates life on campus. The latest issue tells of a fine arts student who devised an ingenious program as part of her master’s thesis. In the process she discovered her unique voice, carved out a new distinctive, uncontested niche as an artist, and thus established her personal brand. Anna Metcalfe is a passionate artist as well as an environmentalist. She combined both of her passions in her master’s thesis and created a newsworthy story that is both heartwarming and creative.

Inspired by Mark Twain’s classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the Mississippi River [the Mississippi also flows through Minneapolis] she enrolled 50 teenagers who had summer jobs through an organization known as the Green Team, to join her on an adventure exploring life on the Mississippi.

When she met with the teenagers, they discussed the importance of the river and its function in their lives: watersheds, transportation, pesticides, the health of the river, and how it connects millions of lives in the United States. She also asked them to write their own stories about the river with drawings. These stories were silkscreened on porcelain boats that Metcalfe had molded and fired. Some students told illustrated stories about their first boating adventure with maps of the river. Others included stories about indigenous river plants that they were growing in the Conservation Gardens. One of the most poignant stories was about a student’s family escape across the Mekong River in Thailand contrasted with their crossing of the Mississippi River into a new land of opportunity.

The students met to launch their boats in the Mississippi. Later, the boats were gathered and exhibited in a studio, where the teens were encouraged to regale the visitors with their stories. Metcalfe says. “They were excited to see their drawings turn into objects.”

For the students it was a defining moment in their lives as they may never look at the Mississippi in the same way. For Anna Metcalfe it was a remarkable expression not only of art as a means of communication and enrichment, but also as a definition of her unique brand.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Virtual Virtuosos- Part 2


Michael Marquette & Simon Turner--Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

In Part 1 of Virtual Virtuosos we featured Jim Walberg’s virtual company, Caribbean Islands Realty. Clear across the globe another virtual company is breaking new ground and changing the face of luxury real estate marketing as we have come to know it.

At the Luxury Real Estate Awards (Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate)held on September 18th in Vail, Colorado Marquette Turner Luxury Homes (MTLH) was awarded “Best Luxury Real Estate Brand Integration”, ahead of more than 1700 companies from more than 65 countries around the World. MTLH is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in Melbourne and Brisbane that are used only as needed to service clients in face-to-face meetings, vs. over the phone or internet.

Like Jim Walberg, Michael Marquette, Simon Turner and Christine Watson are virtual virtuosos. The MT team has mastered the fine art of high net worth buyer lead generation. MarquetteTurner.com is one of the highest trafficked websites in Australia with a significant percentage of traffic coming from the United States.

By leveraging technology, the wealth of free or close to free net services, plus utilizing office space “on demand” they have deconstructed previous assumptions of high overhead associated with brick and mortar real estate offices. And, they have achieved profit margins that would be the envy of most traditional real estate companies.

This dynamic trio has developed a lead generation strategy that exemplifies the power of blogging and content distribution over social media. Their system is far superior to any large luxury real estate firm that we have seen, so far. Because they are nimble, in terms of their operating methodology, Marquette Turner is the company to watch on the leading edge of the luxury real estate industry.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Virtual Virtuosos, Part 1


Jim Walberg (Carribean Islands Realty) Ron Seigel (Napa Consultants) Simon Turner (Marquette Turner) Alexandra Seigel (Napa Consultants) Michael Marquette (Marquette Turner) Chris Watson (Marquette Turner)

“The Future is here. It’s just not widely distributed, yet”

--William Gibson, Science Fiction Novelist

Pay close attention to this blog series because we are featuring the luxury real estate marketing model of the future and those companies who are on the leading edge of this very important new wave. We call these superstars of luxury real estate, the Virtual Virtuosos, as they have cracked the code on the virtual real estate office. They are each stars in their own right because they each won prestigious awards at the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate conference held last week in Vail, Colorado.

Meet Jim Walberg. He and his wife (and partner) Anne Marie, own Caribbean Islands Realty (their virtual company) and also the most successful real estate team at Keller Williams Realty Danville (California, east of San Francisco Bay) . A couple years ago, Jim and Anne Marie pursued their big dream: owning a real estate firm in the tropics and spending more time there. They purchased this company which included the brick-and-mortar building that housed the office. Eighteen month later they sold the building and went 100% virtual.

The Big Ah-Ha!

Jim and Anne Marie realized that by forging commission agreements with over 30 developers of upscale properties in the Caribbean, they could work “remote-control”. Most of the developers have on-premise, in-house staff that can show the properties to the clients that the Walbergs cultivate as web leads and pre-qualify.

The Walbergs’ big “ah-ha” was a total paradigm shift, a complete deconstruction of the luxury real estate business model. They shifted from listing and showing real estate to being expert LEAD GENERATORS. In the process they cut their overhead to zero and thus, exponentially increased their profit margin. By leveraging the powerful technology of blogging and other content generation methods via social media, plus extensive profession-social networking, Caribbean Islands Realty.com ranks on top of Google searches, naturally, without any pay-per-click advertising expenses.

Last week, Jim Walberg won the award for Best Industry Networking, at the 14th Annual Luxury Real Estate Conference of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. This was an award that was well deserved. We met Jim in the “Luxury Lounge” on luxury realestate.com, the exclusive professional networking arena only for members and affiliates (Napa Consultants International and Luxury Real Estate.com are business partners). We became fast friends with the Walbergs and have started a mastermind of brainstorming virtual virtuosos as Napa Consultants, International is also a 100% virtual company, with partners in all corners of the globe.

In Part 2 of Virtual Virtuosos we will feature the team from Marquette Turner, headquartered in Sidney Australia.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Monday, September 21, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing : The Element of Surprise

Ritz Carlton Hotel (residences) in Vail, CO with Autum Colors On the Mountain

In luxury real estate marketing we refer to quality cues, those small things that communicate volumes about exemplary service. Surprises, those unexpected gestures of warmth and hospitality can easily win over clients and generate buzz. Here is an example a quality cue that was a complete surprise.

This week we attended the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate conference in Vail, Colorado where we were guest speakers. This wonderful conference was held at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Bachelor Gulch, which was elegantly designed in the tradition of a mountain chalet in Europe. What was remarkable about the hotel, in addition to the sumptuous amenities in our room, was the truly outstanding service.

Daniela, the Barista

Each morning, we visited the coffee bar where scrumptious breakfast pastries were served. The croissants, baked in the hotel early that morning were particularly tasty. They were crispy and flaky on the outside and supple on the inside, in the authentic Parisian style. Daniela, the barista, was from Slovakia. She was warm and extremely hospitable. She brewed fresh organic coffee, provided by Wolfgang Puck that was rich and aromatic. Daniela was eager to engage in conversation while the coffee was brewing, and wanted to make sure we were enjoying our stay.

The service at the event itself was excellent, as well. Sylvia D’Amico from Poland, was a standout. We told Sylvia about our delightful experience at the coffee bar with Daniela and raved about the coffee. Sylvia and Daniela turned out to be close friends. The next evening we were totally surprised when three packages of Wolfgang Puck’s coffee and a box of croissants were delivered to our room as a gift, compliments of Sylvia.

Quality cues are important before, during and after you provide service. Surprises can sometimes be the best quality cues. How can you surprise and delight your prospects and your existing clients?

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Friday, September 18, 2009

There is No Place Like Home

After attending and speaking at two international real estate conferences in Colorado, we arrived home, late in the evening, at our tiny local airport in Santa Barbara, California. The moment we disembarked on the tarmac (too small for jet bridges), the sweet ocean air filled our lungs. We were back in our cozy home town. We realized that there was a powerfully obvious message that we wanted to impart to luxury real estate marketing professionals.

Today’s jets are like time machines or modern versions of Dorothy’s red shoes in the Wizard of Oz, whisking us away to new locales in no time. With only carry-on luggage, we were on the freeway in just a few minutes heading home.

It was delightful to be greeted by our cats as we walked in. Although, we had stayed in wonderful hotels, there is no bed quite as comfortable as our own. We slept soundly.

A home can have a deep emotional connection to our hearts, a feeling that is unique to each individual. One of our friends in Los Angeles loves her home because the architecture is reminiscent of Cape Cod where she grew up. The backyard, with its tropical vegetation and pool, is her late husband’s favorite area because it pays homage to the Southern California lifestyle. Another friend in Santa Barbara loves her view of the ocean from her second story bedroom and the fact she is a block and a half away from the beach where she walks every morning.

Coming home, we realized just how important it is, as a luxury real estate agent, to understand what “home” means to each of your clients, personally. Although, they often speak in terms of the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, fixtures, etc., what they really want is an emotional connection with the place they are buying. Whether it is the admiration of others or a profound inner sense of peace, reach for a clear understanding of your client’s personal meaning of home. Listening for that intangible desire of comfort or ego-gratification can make your job easier. In fact, it can make you a hero in your clients’ eye when you satisfy their emotional need by finding them the right home.

It is also important to understand the emotional attachment (or lack thereof) that the sellers have to their home. By discovering what moving on will mean to them personally, you may just find that you have won the listing because your competition overlooked this crucial piece of the puzzle.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies and Company Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Friday, September 11, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Speak to Me in My Language! Part 1

One of the most important aspects of personal and company branding for luxury real estate marketing professionals is messaging. That is, how you tell the story of your brand of doing business. The key is to be authentic, be genuine and speak to your target market in their language.

The clearer you are about your ideal client’s psychographics, i.e., what makes them “tick”, the easier it is to connect with them in a way that is personally meaningful to them. Your potential clients are saying “please speak to me, to my personal needs, in my language, and I will give you my business”.

Recently, Ron was looking for a new hair salon in Santa Barbara to get a great cut and found exactly what he was looking online, because the hair salon spoke his language on their website. Having lived and worked in Los Angeles for most of his life he was used to the “cutting edge” in haircuts, a standard that is demanded by the entertainment industry in L.A. and many big city dwellers in general.

In big cities the competition in most services sectors is fierce, which is a good thing for consumers because choices are plentiful. Here, innovation is the norm in order to stay ahead of the game. Outside of the metropolitan areas there is plenty of talent but less of a demand for what is ‘current’. Finding this “big city” level of service can be more challenging in smaller towns.

River Blue in Montecito (Santa Barbara) used the magic words on their website to describe their salon: “Before coming to Santa Barbara, Tuan and Suni (husband and wife salon owners) were stylists in San Francisco. River Blue Salon is a full-service, high end, boutique salon. With its exposed brick walls, chic decor, and full lines of Bumble and Bumble, Yon-ka, and Youngblood products, River Blue Salon feels like the best of San Francisco or New York right in Montecito”.

Think of River Blue when you craft your luxury real estate marketing message. The messaging on the website got Ron in the door with an appointment. The web lead was converted. But, did Ron become a convert—a raving fan, once he experienced the actual service? Watch for Part 2 of: Speak to ME in my language! What followed in his appointment exemplified another extremely important principle in marketing: Be Congruent!

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

COMMENTS? Please use form in left column

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Spinning A Good Yarn

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, one of the most important, yet overlooked ingredients in building a successful practice is being congruent in your actions, your business systems your marketing message, in your website design (and content) and in your collateral material. Your entire story must be consistent.

It is essential that you “spin a good yarn” by telling a compelling story that invites people to select you over your competition. Even if you come up first on Google you are not assured new business if consumers are dissatisfied when they arrive at your “store”. Before you spend money optimizing your website, be sure that your entire story is congruent and your store is in order.

Alexandra was searching for a local yarn online so she could knit an afghan as a baby gift. The website that came up first in the Google search was aesthetically pleasing. The company’s slogan was appealing. Their messaging was right on Alexandra’s wavelength which prompted her to take action and visit the brick and mortar store. They described the luxurious fibers of Alpaca, Angora, Bamboo, Organic Cotton and Wool that were sold in the store, which was exactly what Alexandra was seeking.

When Alexandra arrived at the store it was in disarray, it was dirty, and uninviting. That was just her first glance through the window. On top of that the store was closed during business hours. There were too many incongruent signals for Alexandra to return to the store and shop there.

There may be a logical explanation for the disarray. However, time restraints prevent most consumers from giving service professionals the benefit of the doubt. That is why you only have a nano second to make a good first impression. There is no excuse for disarray on your home page of your website. But, the entire website must be congruent. Your superlative service must follow suit.

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Importance of Brand Consistency

As a luxury real estate marketing professional your brand is the lifeline of your business; it is the land on which you build your house, and it is the look of your house. Your brand is also the foundation, the well spring of your marketing plan. It stays constant throughout your plan. Consistency is the hallmark of good branding. I.M Pei, the famous Chinese born architect exemplifies consistency in style. So should you!

When I.M. Pei, also known as the last master of modernism architecture, proposed an inverted glass pyramid as an iconic symbol for the Louvre in Paris, he was adding a modernist touch to a national heritage. The construction for the Louvre began in medieval times and was subsequently added to in the Renaissance period. The lesson here is that modernism can co-exist with traditional style. Pei did not have to alter his brand identity or conform in order to gain acceptance.

Pei’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (depicted at left) borders Lake Erie in Ohio. It is a demonstration of his distinctive style and his brand. Working with abstract forms using stone, concrete, glass and steel is his trademark. What is yours?

Check Out Personal Branding Case Studies

GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT!

JOIN OUR LANGUAGE OF LUXURY GROUP ON:

Proxio, BrokerAgentSocial, Plaxo, Linked In, ActiveRain, RealTown, Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: LuxuryMarketing