Who or What are You Selling?

The most effective sales people tend to be very clear about their product or service offering. They can clearly articulate what they are offering and more importantly the benefit to the customer. Real estate brokers make me scratch my head about the whole sales process and what they are selling.

The real estate market seems super hot once again with limited inventory putting pressure on prices and it appears to really be a sellers market. I keep hearing about multiple offers and prices being bid up. As I was walking the dog in my neighborhood the other day I couldn't help but notice the "For Sale" signs. There are about ten homes in my 400 home neighborhood for sale. One happens to be a waterfront home with a pool. Surprisingly the price on that house has been reduced after one month on the market. Below is the real estate sign outside the house.

Are you selling a house or yourself?

The sign makes me question whether the realtor is trying to sell the house or sell themselves? From the street one cannot see the pool or lake. If the goal is to sell the house why not swap the photo of the realtor for a photo of the pool and lake? To make matters worse the brochure box was empty. (I guess that means people are interested)

I highlight this because it isn't just realtors that let there ego get in the way of the sale, it happens in many other industries. When hiring someone to represent your product or service you want someone with a track record of success and someone who connects well with the buyer. Making it about the salesperson rather than the product or service is doing a disservice to the person or company they are representing. So many real estate listing put as much emphasis on the selling agent as they do on the property. This is not the approach I would want someone to take when representing my property, yet it is common practice.

Next time you are cruising through your neighborhood take a look at the "For Sale" signs and ask yourself, "Does the sign represent the property being sold, or the person selling it?" If you are a sales professional, please put your ego aside and focus on the product or service you are selling. Do that well and your sales and reputation will both increase a lot faster than through self promotion.