Don't Be Afraid To Toot Your Own Horn

Don't Be Afraid To Toot Your Own Horn

You are the best, aren't you? Well, if you don't believe you are, then you should seek another profession. Real estate is a competitive industry and selling ourselves is one of the most important skills we need to survive. As kids, we were all instructed to "Play fair," "Don't rock the boat," "Be nice," and "Don't brag." In business, however, we need to learn to toot our own horns and let the world know that we are the best.

You are the best, aren't you?

Well, if you don't believe you are, then you should seek another profession. Real estate is a competitive industry and selling ourselves is one of the most important skills we need to survive.

As kids, we were all instructed to "Play fair," "Don't rock the boat," "Be nice," and "Don't brag." In business, however, we need to learn to toot our own horns and let the world know that we are the best.

It's dirty out there. Real estate is still a sales business. Anything sales-based can get cutthroat. It's just the nature of the beast. The victor is the agent who learns how to sell him- or herself effectively.

But tooting your own horn does not mean you need to become a pushy pest. While you do need to proclaim to the world that you are the best agent with whom to do business, you must do it in a way that doesn't irritate people. Gracefully and respectfully.

It all comes down to one word... benefits.

The best way to sell yourself is to remind people of what they get, the benefits of selecting you to represent them.

What do you do better than your competition? What do you have in your toolkit that other agents don't have? What results do you get that others don't?

In this dog-eat-dog world, you need to stand out. And not just in your marketing materials. You need to highlight exactly what you do differently from everyone else.

When people talk with you, they should get a sense that there is something that makes you different - something that nobody else does. Something special. Something better than the competition.

Have you ever sat down and made a list of everything that's different and unique about what you do? This can be a daunting task, because most of us feel like we're just doing the same job as every other agent out there.

But when you sit down and make a list of your unique qualities, you may surprise yourself with some discoveries you never noticed before.

Here are three questions to get you started. Ask these to yourself to determine what you do better than anyone else:

  1. "What is my average days-on-market number?"

    This is incredibly important. Sellers want to know if you can sell a house faster than your competition. When you have it all printed out with examples, you have something that makes your clients say "Wow!"

  2. "What is my list-to-sale price ratio?"

    Of all the properties that you list, what do they really end up selling at? 100%? 99%? 95%? 92%?

    The more you track these numbers, the sharper you get at pricing and selling quickly. Your brain starts to subconsciously get better at it when you focus on it.

    And when you whip out examples of how many properties you sold at 99% of listing price (as compared to your competition whose average is 87%), you have something else that makes your clients say "Wow!"

  3. "What services do I have that my competition doesn't?"

    For example, if you work for buyers, do you have a concierge search program? This isn't just like the search that everyone else is doing where they just send endless internet links to their clients.

    A concierge service program is a package you deliver on a weekly basis with all the new goodies on the market-based specifically on your client's wants. Now that's something that makes your clients say "Wow!"

    Do you have a customized marketing plan that you can visually show to your clients? (Remember, this is a "show and tell" business.) Pull out your binder and show them exactly how you do it - the listings, the specifications, the research. An agent who can clearly articulate details of the process makes clients say "Wow!"

When you ask yourself these questions and learn to toot your own horn in a dignified and respectful manner - by showing results - clients will love you.