The Triumph of Substance Over Hype: What Color is Your Bus? #2

Making the shift to the “good to great” mindset requires dedication and a mindset of constant improvement.    There are many good real estate agents in this industry, and very few great real estate companies, teams, or individuals.

In the book, Good to Great, Jim Collins emphasizes getting “the right people on the bus, and in the right seats.”  First of all you have to know who you are, and what you stand for.  You have know your brand, so that the right people with the same core values can relate to and join your brand. 

In the case of the San Antonio Spurs, their brand is trust, humility, and teamwork. This is the driving force of their bus.  These are the core values, which their ownership, general manager and coaches embody.  The players are carefully selected in accordance to these values.   Other teams have other approaches.  There is no “right” approach, or “wrong” approach.  

What is important in the “good to great” journey is the discipline to maintain your core values and brand, and not deviate from them, when selecting your teammates.  The key is to know the color of your bus.

In your real estate practice, congruency of shared core values creates substance.  Substance does not need hype; it shines on its own, like a diamond.   

“It is hard to be a diamond, in a rhinestone world.” Dolly Parton

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: The Triumph of Substance Over Hype! Part 1.

In watching the NBA finals, and the widely unexpected results of the San Antonio Spurs beating the Heat, we were amused how the sportscasters are now embracing the concept that the coach of the Spurs, Greg Popovitch, had instilled in his team.  

Keep passing the ball and look for the “great” shot instead of the “good” one.   The result of his “good to great” strategy has ushered a new era in the sport of basketball, “the triumph of substance over hype!”

The Heat had their big three superstars, all great players in their own right.  In our opinion, they expected their success, and progress stopped on their team causing their resounding defeat.  Once again, David had defeated Goliath!

Good to Great is the title of a management book written by Jim Collins, one of our favorite authors.  The first sentence of the book is: “Good is the enemy of great.”  He goes on to explain that it is easy to settle for good.

This is not a new concept.   Aristotle said:  “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”  Thomas J Watson of IBM expressed it this way:  “Whenever, an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.”

In part 2, we will be discussing the anatomy of a good to great mindset, and how it contributes to the triumph of substance over hype.  We will explore the conditions necessary to achieve these types of results, and our passionate stance on the subject.    In our luxury real estate branding strategy and marketing practice, we only work with those professionals who want to make the leap from good to great.  They are not satisfied doing things that are “good enough”. They are looking to practice excellence as a habit, and then keep improving on that.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

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Every Property Should be Luxuriously Marketed Regardless of its Price!

We have often pondered why every property is not being marketed luxuriously.   After all, everyone in real estate talks about the fact that purchasing a home is one of the most expensive assets that someone will buy. And yet, we are befuddled when we see flyers printed on substandard paper with bad photos, no staging, etc.  Regardless of the price, one is not acting in the sellers’ best interest.

A great example of luxurious marketing can be found in the auto industry.  When selling a Kia, a Fiat or any car at the lower end, the companies print beautiful brochures, create an advertising campaign, and treat the budget conscious buyer courteously and respectfully.   It is no different in the luxury car arena.  In Buying a Mercedes, a Porsche or a Rolls Royce you will still be treated luxuriously, the only difference is the number of zeros in the purchase price.

Can you imagine Tiffany’s snubbing a customer because they want to buy a silver item for $600, or a diamond for only $2,000 or $20,000?  Can you imagine their paying attention only to the customer who is willing to pay $100,000 for a diamond?  

What is different about Kia or Tiffany’s marketing versus real estate agencies is that they are thinking long range.  They understand the value of repeat business.  The buyer of the $600 silver necklace may become the buyer of the $100,000 diamond one day.  The buyer of the Kia, may come back and buy their more expensive model, or return to buy one for his/her children bound for college.

Kia and Tiffany’s have the same goal you do.  They want a customer for life who refers business to them and would not think of buying anywhere else.  To do that, you may have to invest into marketing every property luxuriously regardless of the price.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

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Succeeding with Social Media Strategy: Crowdsourcing: Ten Do’s

If you want to succeed with a social media strategy, here is what has worked for us:

When writing a blog post, be genuine.  It is so obvious, when someone is faking it.  Take notice of media professionals you like, and why you like them.  Think Maria Bartiromo, CNBC financial reporter, Dianne Sawyer, Walter Cronkite, Anderson Cooper, Larry King, they all have large followings of fans.  Why? We are naturally attracted to authenticity, which resonates with who we are.

Do talk about yourself in the First Person, and not in the Third Person.  That smacks of artificiality and the assumption that your reader is too stupid to figure out who wrote the post.  Let your clients (real ones, not your friends and other imaginary persons) write your praises.

Be discerning when you ask someone for business.  Today, we received an email from someone we briefly met 4 years ago, asking us to refer him to our French partners, and “would we put him into touch with the proper people?”

Be modest about your achievements!  There is nothing more boring than someone who talks about themselves and their successes endlessly.  In the movie “Beaches”, you will not doubt remember Bette Middler’s immortal line, “Enough talking about me, let’s talk about YOU, what do YOU think of me?”

Do expand your conversation on line beyond real estate.  Let people know you have more than one-dimension. Look to connect on many levels of interest: gardening, cooking, collecting, etc.  

Do avoid the subjects of politics and religion.  Sell property not politics. Why lose clients because you don’t like their party affiliation?  It is none of your business what people think.

Do read the post you are commenting on, and know the authors’ profile. Your sincerity is on the line here, and people do read comments and form an opinion based on comments.  

Praise your profession.  Every profession has its bad apples. One gains nothing by pointing out someone else’s faults and lacks.

Do Teach instead of Preach.  Assume that your readers want to learn and appreciate your expertise.  Preaching is a turn off, appeal to their eagerness to learn rather than be force-fed.

Remember you are here to interact with others.  Follow the etiquette of social interaction.  Kindness is key.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

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Code of Ethics, Sharia Laws, Beverly Hills & Voting with Dollars!

Our code of Ethics, as real estate professionals emphasizes equal opportunity and equal housing opportunity. To obtain and renew our licenses, it is required that we regularly review this ethical foundation, and those who do not abide by this code can lose their licenses.

Given our busy schedule, we were not able to attend the Club E Luxe conference in Paris this year.  What made us proud is that this organization moved the venue of the conference from the Meurice Hotel to the Park Hyatt in Paris, in protest of the recently enacted Sharia laws by the Sultan of Brunei in his country. The Sultan owns the Dorchester Hotel Collection, which includes the Meurice Hotel.  Here in Southern California, he owns the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel Air hotel.

The Sharia as explained by CNN “Islamic criminal law is set to include punishments such as flogging, dismemberment and death by stoning for crimes such as rape, adultery and sodomy.” Worldwide protests followed which included the United Nations, whose spokesperson for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, expressed in a briefing, "Under international law, stoning people to death constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is thus clearly prohibited."

Moving an event is an expensive undertaking, as it involves the loss of a deposit and scrambling to find another location.  The prestigious Fashion Prize Award usually held in London’s Dorchester hotel has been canceled.  In the last two months several organizations have canceled their events at the Beverly Hills Hotel, including the Beverly Hills Bar Association.  The City of Beverly Hills went as far as passing a resolution urging the government of Brunei to divest itself of the Beverly Hills iconic hotel. 

We must note that the Sultan has the right to pass any law he wants in his country.  However, he is operating businesses in the United States, where our laws clearly state equal opportunity.  We can express our concern by not patronizing his businesses and voting with our dollars. 

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace. 

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 Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  

Personal Branding Case Studies   Company Branding Case Studies  

About Language of Luxury 

 GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNTIY