A Belated Thank You to General von Choltitz: History Meets Digital in Paris

The Club e-Luxe conference in Paris was held at the historic Meurice Hotel.  During the Second World War, the German headquarters were housed in the Meurice Hotel.  It is in this hotel that General von Choltitz delayed Hitler’s order to destroy Paris.  The Germans had wired the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks with explosives to deter the Allied Forces.  General von Choltitz privately felt that Hitler was insane, and opted instead to surrender shortly after the Allies entered the city. 

Thanks to von Choltitz, Paris lives on in all its splendor intact for all of us and future generations to enjoy. Decades later, Ron and I are sitting in one of the loveliest meeting rooms at the Meurice Hotel, Salon Pompadour (note her portrait on the wall), among the top representatives of the world’s premier luxury brands discussing the importance of the latest innovations and strategies in digital media. 

This week we will be covering the highlights of this event as it applies to luxury real estate marketing and personal and company branding.  We were inspired, delighted, and honored to meet our counterparts in the industry.

Reporting from Paris--Ron & Alexandra Seigel,Partners at Napa Consultants, International & Co-Founders of the Language of Luxury

Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Love Your Competitors!

 

Novak Djokovic:  Photo by:  Olga Besnard

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, how to you really feel about your closest competitors? If sustaining or gaining market leadership is your quest, you should love them for bringing the best out of you.   That is the mindset of true champions. If you are indifferent or they are bringing the worst out of you, it is time to shift your mindset!

In the men’s semi-final tennis match in Paris at Roland Garros (The French Open) #4 ranked Rafael Nadal defeated #1 ranked Novak Djokovic-9-7 in the 5^th set. There were ups and downs for each player. But, the match was won by just a couple of points! When Nadal was interviewed after the match, he stated that he loves to play tennis with Novak because it challenges him to be at his best.

Think about your own competitive landscape in the game of marketing luxury real estate in your area.  Does the market leader out-distance the rest of the pack by a substantial margin?  Or, are the top two or three agents almost neck and neck? 

Market leaders are most complacent when they have a healthy margin.  That is when they are also the most vulnerable to challengers. 

Take the 2013 #1 best ranked basketball team, for example.  The Heat (percentage won = .805) won the Eastern Conference Championship, handsomely defeating #3 (percentage won = .605) Indiana in game 7. But, what was the Heat doing in Game 7 to begin with? The Heat certainly did not expect such a valiant challenge from the Pacers. 

Most significantly, Miami won Game 1 by only one point!  Had the Pacer’s been just slightly sharper they would have upset the Heat in Game 6. The Heat should love the Pacers for the wake-up call!  The Pacers should love Miami for bringing out the best in them and elevating them to become a major contender for 2014.

The “prize money” and prestige that comes from being the champion or the market leading luxury real estate agent can be significant.  But, appreciating the opportunity to work with the degree of focus and concentration that it takes to be at your own peak level is a reward unto itself.  That is the inner game.   

Rafa Nadal went on to win his history making 8^th French Open Championship after overcoming career-threatening injuries through physical rehabilitation.  Yes, he made a bundle of money and tennis fans the world over admire him. But, consider his inner victory.

Find a way to love your competition for spurring you on to greatness, if only in your mind. Then, you too will have the mindset and the heart of a true champion.  

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 5

Providing Stellar Customer Service, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, sparks word-of-mouth advertising because it is remarkable. And, it engenders client loyalty, which is the cornerstone of market leadership. Best of all, it is something that you can train yourself to provide.  Mastering the art of Stellar Customer Service can help you run circles around your competition. 

In Part 1-4 of this article series we discussed the first four steps to train yourself to provide Stellar Customer Service. Step #5 is the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” 

To dwell means to live; to dwell well means to live well. But, to dwell also has another very important meaning: to fasten one’s attention, to think, speak or write about at length or with persistence; to linger over. If sustained market leadership is your quest you must be absolutely fastidious about what you dwell upon. You must dwell well!   

Choosing what you fasten your attention to on purpose, keeps you on purpose. Allowing outside influences to determine what you focus upon can distract and derail you. This is the biggest secret of the most successful athletes, sports champions and market leaders in all fields of business. 

To understand how this works, think about a time you were driving on a highway to an important appointment and there was an accident on the OTHER SIDE of the road. The traffic flow on YOUR SIDE of the road came to a complete standstill because the people in front of you were rubbernecking; they were not dwelling well.  

Although, the dwell well principle applies to all aspects of your life the area of customer service is a great place to practice it.  When you encounter sub par customer service notice how much time you spend grousing about it. See if you can train yourself to keep that time to a minimum.  Instead of dwelling upon it by complaining, faultfinding, grumbling or griping about it to anyone who will listen, redirect your attention to Step #1-4 of the Stellar Customer Service training cycle.  

Start dwelling on what you appreciate about the brands to which you are loyal. Acknowledge those who provide you with Stellar Customer Service.  Practice the “I’m worth Stellar Customer Service” mindset. And, start spreading the word about others’ Stellar Customer Service.   

Don’t put up with sub-par service; take the time to switch to the best because you know you deserve it. Fasten yourself to Stellar Customer Service as a recipient and you will become a rising star yourself, an expert at providing it.  By insisting on Stellar Customer Service from yourself and from others, you are certain to dwell well. By doing so, you will be able to run circles around your competition.  To dwell well, dwell well! 

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 4

Van Gogh's Starry Skies

In Part 1, 2 & 3 of this articles in this series we covered the first three steps for TRAINING YOURSELF in the art of Stellar Customer Service. Here is STEP #4:  Spread the Word about Stellar Customer Service. 

We all know that referrals are, by far, the best source of business for luxury real estate marketing professionals or any business for that matter.  How can you increase the probability of receiving MORE REFERRALS so you can consistently run circles around your competition?

By offering remarkable, Stellar Customer Service you are more likely to spark word-of-mouth advertising.  But, there is more to the story than that. You can become a very powerful magnet for referrals simply by being a person who consistently spreads the word about OTHERS’ Stellar Customer Service.

The most exciting aspect of this is that you can actually test this out for yourself. You can measure your results as you amp up the power of your magnet based on the frequency of your own word-of-mouth advertising and the amount of referrals you GIVE! 

Make it a game; it really can be fun. And, IT FEELS GOOD to do it! By looking for examples of Stellar Customer Service that you can spread the word about you BRING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE!  You EXPECT TO FIND IT in every encounter you have with service providers.

This phenomenon became very clear to us one day when we received Stellar Customer Service from a waitress at one of our favorite restaurants in Beverly Hills.  We were awestruck when we overheard the people at the table next to us complain that they received horrible service from the very same waitress.

We watched as they brought out the worst in her by hurling insults with a very derogatory attitude. Before we left the restaurant we spoke with the manager and praised the same waitress, not on her behalf to defend her, but because it felt good to do it.

It does not take that much extra time in your day to go out of your way to spread the word about Stellar Customer Service.  The rewards are TANGIBLE when your intentions are genuine and you come from a GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT.  Those who share this value will naturally gravitate to you. And, they will go out of their way to promote YOU. Running circles around your competition then becomes the inevitable outcome.

Watch for Part 5 where we will reveal the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” (Step #5).

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 3

In Part 1 & 2 of this article series we referred to the importance of training yourself to provide excellent, superlative, and remarkable customer service. Now, we are upping the ante by referring to the very best service imaginable as ‘stellar”.  If you want to gain or sustain market leadership as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you must aim for the stars!  This is what it takes to run circles around your competition.

Here is the coolest thing about Stellar Customer Service: It cannot be imitated because it must be genuine! When it is authentic, sincere, unaffected and unpretentious it is palpable and indisputable.  That is why the ONLY way you can truly learn to provide Stellar Customer Service is to train yourself to deliver it.  While Stellar Customer Service is an art you can master, you must consistently practice it and perpetually improve your skills to stay on top of your game.

These are the first three steps to providing Stellar Customer Service:

STEP #1:  Identify Why YOU are Loyal to Some Brands

Make a list of the brands and service providers to whom you are particularly loyal. Ask yourself: What keeps you coming back for more? Why would you go out of your way to refer these brands? 

Then, make a list of those who you would switch away from if you found a better alternative that offered Stellar Customer Service.  Make the effort to find alternatives BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT!

STEP #2:  Acknowledge Other’s Stellar Customer Service

Take the time to compliment those service providers and store owners who deliver Stellar Customer Service.  IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD and it make them feel appreciated.  You are also increasing the likelihood that the next customers or clients that they serve will receive Stellar Customer Service!

STEP #3 Practice the “I’m Worth Stellar Customer Service Mindset”.

Take the time to let service providers know when you receive sub-par service, even in “insignificant” ways. There is no such thing as an insignificant instance of sub-par service. It is important feedback for those who value providing impeccable service. And, it also keeps you sharply focused on the fact that you not only deserve Stellar Customer Service in every detail, YOU EXPECT IT IN EVERY DETAIL!

When you consistently take the time to make yourself feel good, you discover that you always deserve Stellar Customer Service. You come to expect it in every encounter you have with restaurants, hotels, stores, etc., and each interacation you have with service professionals.  It is only by cultivating this mindset and this attitude that YOU can truly provide genuine Stellar Customer Service.

In Part 4 we will cover the importance of spreading the word about other’s Stellar Customer Service (Step #4) and how that can ELEVATE your level of expertise as a luxury real estate service provider beyond your competitors’.  In Part 5 we will reveal the biggest secret of all, the key that can take your practice into the stratosphere!  In the game of luxury real estate marketing we call it “Dwell Well!” (Step #5).

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition - Part 2

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, do you have clients who essentially tell you “wild horses couldn’t drag me away” from doing business with you and sending referrals? If you are willing to master the art of deepening customer loyalty you will definitely run circles around your competition. 

In Part 1 of this article series we stated that the best way to become an expert in luxury real estate customer service is to TRAIN YOURSELF!  The best place to start is by identifying the brands to which you are most loyal. Ask yourself, why you have not switched to the competing brands?  What keeps you loyal? 

In preparing for our trip to Paris to cover the Club e-Luxe International Summit on Language of Luxury, we spent the day getting pre-travel errands done.  In just one day we counted six examples of superlative customer service.  Acknowledging and appreciating each encounter of great service is another way to train yourself on being an expert at engendering client loyalty. 

Here is the simplest of examples of how customer loyalty was either won or reinforced that day. A local peach grower at our Tuesday Farmer’s Market personally selected the best four peaches for us that we have tasted so far this season. She took the time to ask when we would be serving them to adjust for the ripeness in her selection. 

We loved these peaches and our experience of this particular vendor so much that we returned Thursday for more, bypassing every other peach vendor. Certainly, there were other delicious peaches available from competitors. But, we went out of our way to be loyal to this vendor because of the personal care she provided. 

What do you think is the variable that made it possible to experience superlative service across the board that day?  We trained ourselves to EXPECT great service.  It is a mindset and an attitude that you are worth receiving remarkable service that can actually be practiced.   

“Remarkable” is the operative word here because there is a flip-side to receiving remarkable service:  You need to express your appreciation and also tell others about your experience to complete the cycle of extraordinary service.  Stay tuned for Part 3 as we offer the other tips to train yourself to run circles around your competition by providing superlative client service.

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: How to Run Circles Around Your Competition, Part 1

Way, way, way too much advice has been offered about providing excellent customer service as a luxury real estate marketing professional.  The point is this: Great customer service is not a technique that you can mimic.  It can best be learned through you own direct personal experience. But, to run circles around your competition with superlative customer service requires a complete shift in attitude and also a shift in your fundamental ground of being or mindset.

One of the cornerstones of Apple’s meteoric raise to the top is their exemplary customer service.  Their approach is helping their customers solve their problems rather than trying to sell them products, and also listening carefully about their frustrations without being judgmental, i.e., just let them “vent”.  That is a shift in attitude and mindset not a technique.

To the contrary, we recently walked into an upscale department store only to be greeted by 6 salespeople eagerly applying a technique that Wall Mart made famous with just one greeter at the door. We cringed on the way out as the same salespeople robotically greeted us, not remembering that we just walked through the store from the front door (not from the back entrance).

By far the best way to become an expert in luxury real estate customer service is to TRAIN YOURSELF! In Part 2 of this article series we will provide the quickest way to train yourself on this vital component of a successful practice and how to run circles around your competition by doing so.

-Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: More Gatsby Co-Marketing Art Deco Style!

Co-marketing is a great way to create a buzz about your luxury real estate marketing practice and expand your sphere of influence.   The key is to find the right non-competitive partners who share the same target market as you.  

In our previous post, we had mentioned that Tiffany was co-marketing with Gastby by designing the jewelry worn in the movie, which is available for purchase on their website.  The inside of the store pictured above, has a wonderful art deco period couch with deco rug, wallpaper and a TV screen featuring clips from the film.

Another window features long strands of pearls, very fashionable jewelry of the era with glasses of champagne, yes, another co-marketer the champagne in the movie is Imperial Moet & Chandon, which can be seen in the picture below in the Brooks Brothers window.

While strolling through Beverly Hills in the wee hours of the morning prior to our appointment, we noticed another co-marketer of Gastby's, Brooks Brothers.  Brooks Brothers designed the menswear for the movie.  Their store windows showed of the clothing of the Gatsby era, which can be purchased in store or on the website.

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals should think outside the box of the usual suspects with whom to co-market.  We hope you are inspired by The Great Gastby movie co-marketers which are many, and include The New York Plaza Hotel with their Gatsby themed suite, iTunes with the sound track of the movie on their home page,& American Idol who featured their finalists singing a track from the movie as well as Will- I- Am who performed a number from the movie.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Are You Spinning Your Wheels in Social Media

Without a focused strategy and a unique “point of view” as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you are just spinning your wheels with social media. And, this becomes a colossal waste of time! Without original content, you might as well re-channel your energy on more productive means of developing new business. 

Originality and innovation can be rewarded handsomely with viable business leads, but only when you consistently publish buzz-worthy, follow-worthy content through social media. To exercise your original thinking process you need to extrovert and see innovation everywhere you go. 

When you think of a hamster in a cage exercising what image comes to mind first? Do you think of an exercise wheel made of wire mesh? Think again! 

We recently took a trip to our local pet store to pick up some food for our cats, Zoe and Kobe. There we spotted a new and improved twist on an old product for small animals (not cats):  A better exercise wheel!  Instead of the typical wire mesh version, this blue plastic “flying saucer” exercise wheel has a unique value proposition not only for pets, but also for their owners.  Both products promise better health and freedom from boredom for pets. But, this one is toe and tail safe and pets love the solid running surface. Best of all, it is easier to clean for you than the mesh version. Both wheels cost the same.

You might liken the wire mesh version of the exercise wheel to the incumbent market leader in your luxury real estate marketplace.  The market leader enjoys top-of-mind status.  That is, until some challenger comes along with a superior value proposition.  

If you did not know, about the “flying saucer” exercise wheel until now (like us) it will be fairly difficult not to think about this product category challenger going forward.  A shift in top-of-mind status can literally happen instantly, like it did for us in a flash! But, you need a strategy, an original approach, to pull this off.  The plastic version of the wheel is most likely less expensive to produce. 

This goes to show that you do not have to out-spend the incumbent market leader, you need to out-think your competition.  This is exactly what we help our clients accomplish in our luxury real estate strategic branding practice. 

When you publish original content, social media gives you the opportunity to show your target market how you think before they even meet you. But, out-smarting your competition requires strategic thinking.  Conversely, social media can also show just how unoriginal you are if your content is canned.  Given the psychographics of those who can afford to buy luxury real estate, you can be assured that these high net worth individuals are more prone to value innovation and originality.  

Stop spinning your wheels with social media. Get focused. Be original and innovative.  Or, get off the wheel.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Co-Marketing Art Deco Style!

Chrysler building in New York, photo by kts

Co-marketing is a great way to create a buzz about your luxury real estate marketing practice and expand your sphere of influence.   The key is to find the right non-competitive partners who share the same target market as you.

Tiffany’s has a strong tradition of co-marketing with the movie industry.  The classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, certainly created a buzz about the jeweler when it opened in 1961.  The hit song Moon River gave the terrific press about movie (and Tiffany’s) “legs”, meaning that it continued to stay “top-of-mind” for years.  Because the movie became a classic it is still viewed by generations of fans via Netflix and other online distribution channels. 

Tiffany also co-marketed with the movie, Sweet Home Alabama to reach new generations with their primary marketing message, “buy your engagement ring at Tiffany’s”.  Now they are co-marketing with the newest version of the Great Gatsby opening in May 2013. 

To create a buzz for the movie and the company, Tiffany’s reproduced some if its art deco jewelry worn by actors in the film.  You can actually purchase these pieces on their website.  They also have temporarily transformed the look of their store in New York by adding art deco applique to the exterior of the building and by designing Great Gatsby window displays.

The Great Gatsby story took place in the “Jazz Age” when the art deco style flourished.  As a luxury real estate marketing professional, this is one of the architectural styles that would well be worth studying.   The iconic Chrysler Building in New York is still a monument to that era.  Let the Great Gatsby and Tiffany’s co-marketing venture inspire you seek your own co-marketing partners.

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Nature Can Inspire Extraordinary Design -Part 5

www.RodgersandBurton.com

Authenticity, in communicating your personal or company branding through luxury real estate website design is paramount! Your colors need to be authentic not only in expressing your personal preferences but also in reflecting your local environment. For example, if you use a photo of a beach in the Bahamas to represent your New England shoreline, the colors of the sand and the ocean will portray an unauthentic marketing message.

For our client’s, the market leading team of Neena Rodgers and Diana Burton, it was important that we researched and found the right image of a Chesapeake Bay oyster to incorporate into their brand identity. Connoisseurs of oysters would have spotted the difference immediately, if we used a non-local oyster. Of course, for research purposes, these ladies treated us to some of the best oysters we have ever tasted, harvested that morning, when we visited them in Virginia.

Inspired by the local natural colors that reflected the Virginia luxury waterfront lifestyle we chose a color palette and brand theme that also reflected the personalities of these accomplished professionals who represent well over 50% of all top tier listings in their area. Had we used an oyster from another locale for the color scheme, the “DNA” of their brand identity would have been completely different and unauthentic.

Rodgers & Burton Brand Identity Color Palette

Check out the difference between the  Virginia Chesapeake Bay Oyster color palette and the palette from oysters from another locale depicted below.

Chesapeake Bay Oyster Color Palette

Other Oysters- Not Virginia Chesapeake Bay Oysters

Other Oysters Color Palette

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to read the entire series that was inspired by a behind-the-scene tour of our Santa Barbara Natural History Museum.

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Nature Can Inspire Extraordinary Design -Part 4

This article series on Luxury Real Estate Website Design was inspired by a special behind-the-scene tour of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum and a private viewing of their sample collection of sea shells and other mollusks.  In Part 3 we showed an example of creating a Wine Country personal brand identity based on the colors of red and white wine: burgundy and gold. Here, in Part 4, we circle back to our samples of shells and focus on the texture of the sea scallops that are also variations of burgundy and gold colors. 

In the same way a change in one minor component of DNA creates an entirely different species, so it is true that slightly different combinations or variations of colors and textures can create an entirely different brand.  Certainly, there are a number of luxury real estate marketing professionals in the Wine Country.  But, expressing one agent’s personal brand by factoring in unique gradations of colors and textures that reflect personal values and personality traits, results in a brand identity that stands out from all rest. 

Texture is created graphically through light and shadow of colors and also the repetition of patterns.  Notice how the proportions of burgundy and gold seen in the stripes and the spaces between stripes of these two scallops depicted above create two distinct designs and identities.  The difference in DNA between the two is minor yet the outward appearance is quite dissimilar. 

Scallop on Left

Wine Country Burgundy (from Part 3)

Scallop on Right

One of the greatest challenges of luxury real estate marketing professionals is expressing their unique promise of value. In our luxury real estate strategic branding and website design practice that is exactly what we help them to do. In Part 5 we will show how an oyster, from the Chesapeake Bay, inspired the team brand identity of the luxury real estate market leaders in Virginia waterfront homes.

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Nature Can Inspire Extraordinary Design -Part 3

In luxury real estate website design and personal branding, we “dial-in” to our client’s DNA, their unique brand identity as expressed through their favorite colors, their personality, their values and other dimensions of their personal brand that make them stand out from the competition.  In selecting brand colors it is important to also dial-in to the environment of the marketplace, which is what we covered in Part 2. Tempering one’s personal color favorites with the influence of one’s natural surrounding can create the perfect harmony of colors. 

Here, in Part 3, we discuss the opposite approach in color selection:  Taking color cues from the environment and amplifying the theme to express the DNA of the personal or company brand. 

The use of texture combined with color can change the entire mood of the brand identity  and reflect what is unique about the brand.  For example, it can express a full range of nuances in the spectrum between an informal brand and formal brand, between a contemporary brand and more traditional brand. 

Maurice Tegellaar LogoOur client, Maurice Tegelaar, is a leading Wine Country expert in Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley. Inspired by just the colors of red and white wine, together we chose a burgundy and gold theme for his personal brand. However, if you look closely you will notice that there are many subtle shades and hues of red and gold in his brand identity. 

Together, these colors create a more formal mood, a level of sophistication that contrasts with the rather casual and informal environment of the Wine Country. Yet, the contemporary font provides an edgy detail.

Prior to becoming a top luxury real estate marketing professional, Maurice was a CPA involved in financial management operating out of San Francisco. He also has extensive experience in interior design and a keen appreciation for architectural details. Maurice’s brand style is understated, unconventional, contemporary sophistication—timeless and elegant, yet with a charming wit.  

To express Maurice’s brand we used gradations of color to create a clean, smooth texture.  If you look closely you will see many nuances of burgundy and gold colors, although at a glance it looks like just two colors.

In Part 4, we will circle back to the environment as the dominant influence of color selection.  We will show how an expanded palette of burgundy and gold tones express themselves in sea scallops and also how an oyster, from the Chesapeake Bay, inspired the team brand identity of the luxury real estate market leaders in Virginia waterfront homes.

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Nature Can Inspire Extraordinary Design -Part 2

Many luxury home markets are in vacation destinations, which means buyers are seeking a relief from the stress of their current environment when they purchase a vacation home. Therefore, using intense colors in your personal and company branding may be jarring to your target market.  In our fast-paced world of luxury real estate marketing it is a good idea to slow down to a snail’s pace every so often to appreciate the exquisite subtlety of colors in nature that can be more soothing to the eye. 

It is important to select colors for your brand identity and website design that are your personal favorites.  However, tempering the shades and hues of your favorite colors to harmonize with local colors is often advisable. Conversely, if your personal favorites are subdued and your marketplace is more likely you may consider amping up your color scheme.

Some of the obvious colors that are associated with luxury goods are burgundy, forest green, gold and black. Although, the simple use of two or three colors is often effective, an expanded color palate can add a rich diversity to the visual experience. 

Green shells (left)

Snail shells (right)

In our luxury real estate strategic branding and website design practice, we often look to nature for inspiration when selecting a color palette for our clients based on their basic preferences. These snail shells provide some examples of non-obvious color schemes that depart from burgundy, forest green and gold.  

Always keep in mind that everyone has personal color preferences.  These colors may not resonate with you. There is an entire psychology of colors that we will delve into in future articles. Stay tuned for Part 3 where we take our color palette inspiration from sea scallops.

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Nature Can Inspire Extraordinary Design - Part 1

In a recent article series, A Whale of a Good Time, we talked about the importance of setting aside time to get out, meet new people and pursue new interests that can broaden your knowledge base just for the joy of learning.  On our behind-the-scenes tour of Santa Barbara’s Natural History Museum one of the curators showed us samples of the millions of sea-shells and mollusks that they keep for research purposes.

We had a wonderful time on this outing, and we were also thoroughly inspired by this particular exquisite collection.  In the following articles in this series, we will demonstrate how Nature can be a fabulous source of inspiration for luxury real estate website design and branding.

Part 1   l   Part 2   l   Part 3   l   Part 4   l   Part 5

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Have a Whale of a Good Time!

One of the keys to being successful as a luxury real estate marketing professional is having a wide range of interests, which enables you to connect on many levels with your clients and referrals sources.  Being more interested than interesting will serve you well in your career.  Setting aside time in your busy schedule to develop new interests, and meet new people, is just as important to your own health and well being as it is to your career.  And, you will have a whale of a good time in life if you do!

Recently, we were invited to join a select group of people for a private, behind the scenes tour of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.  The absolutely fascinating tour was conducted by two of the curators of the museum, both of whom are biologists.  Dr. Krista Fahy is in charge of vertebrates and Patricia Sadeghian specializes in invertebrates, particularly crustaceans. 

What made this an extraordinary experience was the level of passion that these professionals feel for their work and their commitment to excellence. We had no idea of the extent of research in which the museum is involved. Nor, did we realize the level of cooperation within the international community of Natural History Museums and universities throughout the world.

The skeleton of the 76-foot long, 10-12 year old blue whale (depicted here) weighs about 7000 pounds.  Live, this whale weighed 140,000 pounds. Adults can live into their nineties and grow to 96 feet.  Their calves consume 110 gallons of milk every day, and gain 200 lbs a day.

Blue whales, the largest known mammals, are found right off of our Santa Barbara coastline during their migration. At that time,(July-October) you can participate in a whale watching expedition by boat.

Get interested! Take the time to explore some of the wonders that are accessible in your own community. And, have a whale of a good time!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Great Marketing is Matchmaking - Part 2

In Part 1 of this article series we indicated that, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, a marketing mindset is an abundance-based mindset. A selling mindset is a scarcity-based mindset.  A shift to a marketing mindset can make all the difference in the world to your bottom line.  But, where do you begin?  

1. Shift Your Focus and Your Attitude 

First, you must shift your focus to a marketing mindset where you are OPEN to perceiving an abundance of potential new clients in your marketplace. Here is the catch, however:  If you do not also shift your general attitude, that is, your mental mindset from scarcity-based to abundance-based, then you simply will not perceive the new opportunities! 

2.  Narrow Your Focus.  Identify an Uncontested or Under served Market Niche That You Can Dominate 

You must identify a lucrative uncontested or under served market niche that you can dominate and also be passionate about serving better than anyone else.  By shifting your mindset from selling to marketing, you will discover that this niche has an abundance of potential client matches for you, a demand, in fact, for someone just like you. Here is how this principle played out in the field of online relationship matchmaking. 

Match.com and eHarmony.com are two of the biggest online relationship matchmaking services.  The competition is fierce at the top for customers in this field.  Does it make any sense to start another matchmaking service? Why fight over crumbs that the market leaders leave behind?  That would involve a scarcity-based mindset. 

Three companies answered this question by identifying an under served segment of the overall market and set out to serve their niche far better than the big brands.  OurTime.com specializes in the 50+year olds seeking a mate.  BlackPeopleMeet.com serves African American singles. And, ChristianMingle.com is the online community created specifically for Christian singles looking to find friends, romance or marriage. 

The customers of these online matchmaking services are more likely to find the right matches because the focus of the service is more aligned with their particular needs and values. It is highly unlikely that the big brands can serve these customers as well as those who specialize in their niches. 

By offering a superior value proposition to customers in these segments, the new companies are watching an abundance of “fish” jump into their boats rather than going fishing for prospects with a scarcity-based mindset.  Customers believe that the likelihood of finding like-minded matches is greater within a more focused niche. Therefore, the trust factor starts out high and trust accelerates sales. 

Can you see why you would not have to sell a 50-plus -year-old single on the value of using OurTime.com vs. Match.com?  That is the difference between a marketing mindset and a selling mindset, between an abundance-based mindset and a scarcity-based mindset.  It all begins with a shift in focus, a shift in attitude and a shift in mindset!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Great Marketing is Matchmaking

In marketing luxury real estate ideal transactions are those where buyers feels that they have found a home that is a perfect fit for their needs and wants at a price that is mutually acceptable to the seller.  The same principle applies to marketing you; that is, finding clients who are an ideal match to your core values and your personality. When like-minded people who share similar values and compatible personalities do business together business relationships and transactions just flow more smoothly.  

People like to do business with people they trust, those who share their values. People trust people like themselves. Trust accelerates sales. Mistrust introduces resistance and slows things down.  

Great luxury real estate marketing is actually great matchmaking because, when you find clients who are the right matches, selling becomes irrelevant.  If you find yourself selling, you are trying too hard to convince someone with dissimilar values that they should forego their own values (or buy something they actually do not need or want). It is like trying to pound a round peg in a square hole.  It is stressful to you and the client.

Essentially, if you feel you have to resort to selling, you need to step back, shift your mindset and re-examine your marketing. At some point you have convinced yourself that there is a scarcity of clients who are a match to your values and personality. That is ALWAYS an erroneous assumption, even though it appears to be the case from a scarcity-based mindset.  Shifting to an abundance-based mindset, you suddenly discover an abundance of clients who are looking for you as ardently as you are looking for them because you have the potential to be a perfect fit.

A marketing mindset is an abundance-based mindset. A selling mindset is your clue that you have slipped into a scarcity-based mindset. Stay tuned for part two of this article series to discover how shifting your focus from a selling mindset to a marketing mindset can make all the difference in the world to the bottom line of your luxury real estate marketing practice. 

Part 2

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Celebrate the Luxury of Diversity

America is known at the melting pot where different cultures live and work together. As a luxury real estate marketing professional it is paramount that you understand and appreciate the nature of your clients’ backgrounds, including their countries of origins, their cultures and the holidays they celebrate.  This is a great time of the year to celebrate the luxury of diversity!

Springtime is a time for holiday and religious observations. Here are some of the holidays to be aware of this time of the year:

The month of March ends with the observance of the Christian celebration of Easter.  In some countries (Central, and South American} the whole week prior to Easter Sunday is known as Santa Semana (the holy week). Many observe the holiday during the entire week by not working and going to church. 

Nowruz, the Persian New Year begins on March 31^st.  Nowruz is celebrated by the people of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Kashmir, Azerbaijan, the Kurdistan regions of Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Syria and Georgia.

The  Jewish Passover began on the 26^th and will be observed through April 2^nd.  The Bahá'í Faith celebrates Ridvan (a twelve day period from April 21-May 2), signifying when Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed His Mission as God's Messenger for this age at a garden in Baghdad, which became known as the Garden of Ridván (Paradise).

This year, the Christian Orthodox faith celebrates its Easter on May 5^th, as they follow the Julian calendar, instead of the universal Gregorian calendar.  One of the reasons the Christian Orthodox celebrate Easter according to the Julian calendar is that Christ died after celebrating Passover, so it makes sense that their Easter would follow after that.

In our commercial real estate practice, we had clients of all faiths and cultures.  They were always delighted that we knew their holidays.  We were often invited to celebrate with them, learn their beliefs and taste their celebratory foods.  Personally, (Alexandra here), I had the luxury of celebrating 2 Easters as my mother was Roman Catholic and my father was Greek Orthodox, and the same was true of Christmas.  Ron and I also celebrated Passover with Jewish friends, and Nowruz with Iranian clients.

We wish everyone of every faith and culture a very happy celebration during this wonderful time of year.  Celebrate the luxury of diversity!

* The illustration above is known at the diversity tree of love.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Define Your POV (Point of View)Part 2

In part 1 of this article series, we discussed the importance of having a Point of View (POV) as a journalist via the media of your blog.  This is essential if you want to engage online readers and build a loyal audience of raving fans who are interested in what you are writing about, and are inspired to refer you, list with you, and buy from you. 

Your goal is to engage the attention of your target audience.  Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Think of all the online marketing that is vying for their attention.   Your audience is actually voting with their attention.  Why should they vote for you?

People give their attention to people and things that resonates with their values and with their personality.  That is why it is so important to have a distinct Point of View that amplifies your values and your personality. With a distinct POV that is clearly articulated your target audience will be able to discover that you are attention-worthy, faster.  With all of the competition for attention, this is now an imperative.

If you are a fan of seafood as we are, you have many choices as to where you buy your fish and shellfish. Every major supermarket chain has a seafood section and also sells frozen fish. 

Here in Santa Barbara, we are very fortunate to have local fisherman who sell their catch of the day at the harbor and also at our local Farmers Market (when conditions are favorable).   We also have a spectacular wholesale seafood distributor, Kanaloa, which sells local and imported seafood to restaurants and markets all over the country.

The quality and variety of Kanaloa’s fish is unparalleled in California.  Lucky for us they are open to the public as well.  But, what is their POV as a company?  Here is their mission statement that thoroughly resonates with us making them worthy of our attention, our customer loyalty and rave reviews: 

“Doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, for the right individual, for the right reason, with the right feeling…every time.”

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals and companies strive for excellence. But, few attain it consistently. Let Kanaloa be an inspiration to you. It certainly has inspired us.

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