Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Meet the Henrys!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Do You Speak Vastu?

June 7, 2012

Photo by Samrat 35/Lotus Temple in New Dehli, India

As a luxury real estate marketing professional it is important to stay focused on the luxury market and its trends. One of the emerging countries in the world is India and its appetite for luxury goods and services has been insatiable. Our nation’s Asian Indian population has exploded over the past decade, far outpacing the growth of other Asian groups, according to 2010 Census figures. So if you are working with an Asian Indian individual or family, you need to know about Vastu.

In Sanskrit the word “Vastu” means dweller/dwelling. It is India’s form of FengShui. “In Indian architecture, the dwelling is itself a shrine. A home is called manushyalaya, literally, "human temple". It is not merely a shelter for human beings in which to rest and eat. The concept behind house design is the same as for temple design, so sacred and spiritual are the two spaces.” From Wikipedia

Add Vastu to your vocabulary as we say in The Language of Luxury. Get Fluent, Get Affluent.™

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Staying Unforgettable with Quality Cues

June 5, 2012

Quality cues are indications of quality in packaging, displays, product features, collateral materials, website design, messaging, etc. The more quality cues you can offer in your luxury real estate marketing practice the more your personal or company brand will become distinctive and unforgettable.

Here is an example of a quality cue we noticed when we visited the newly opened REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) store in Santa Barbara. We immediately noticed the door handles picture above. They are actual mountaineering pick axes with resin encased heads and points for safe usage. This quality cue reinforces their motto, “Get outside, yourself”. It also communicates that they are known for a wide variety of quality outdoor gear and equipment, and great service.

Here is another example from one of the luxury real estate marketing professionals we have met. This individual always hands their client the keys to their new home on a Tiffany key ring in the iconic blue box. This gesture is a WOW moment for the new owners, and one that will be remembered and talked about.

For luxury real estate marketing professionals, small things can make a big difference in terms of standing out from your competition. These small things add up to make you unforgettable. What are some small things you do to make you unforgettable?

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Luxury Real Estate Website Design: Are You Unforgettable?

June 4, 2012

More often than not the first impression you make with new prospects, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, occurs the first time they encounter your website. Are you making a lasting first impression or are you forgettable?

It is human nature to rely more on sight than any other mode of sensory perception. That is why excellent graphic design is so important in capturing and holding the attention of your website visitors. Great design is your sure-fire method of making a lasting first impression. It is an integral part of capturing significantly more leads especially when it sparks a positive emotional response and resonates with the values of your website visitors.

In the course of marketing luxury real estate, how can you expect to capture an online lead if you cannot first capture the attention of your prospect? People do “judge a book by its cover” or wine by its label or products by its packaging This is true particularly when a recommendation from a trusted source is not a factor in the buying decision or when choosing a service professional.

We recently found two wineries that exemplified this principle by incorporating metal in their labels, something we have never seen before. These bottles definitely stand out which is exactly what you need to do if you expect to capture and hold the attention of your web visitors.

Keep in mind that your competitors’ sites are just a click away. That is why it is imperative to grab your visitors’ attention with compelling graphic design. But, even more important than a great look, your graphics must communicate the essence of your brand values. Ideally, your graphics should tell the entire story of who you are in a nano-second! That is the true test of great branding!

If you want to be the standout in your marketplace your website must make a strong, positive first impression. Otherwise, you and your website become forgettable.

Are you unforgettable?

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Luxury Camouflage in Beverly Hills 2

May 31, 2012

This photo is what Van Cleef & Arpels deemed appropriate for their remodel on the corner Rodeo Drvie and Dayton Drive in Beverly Hills. Unlike Bulgari, Van Cleef Arpels' jewelry is classic in its luxury appeal. It is an old world French jewelry company, founded in 1906 on the venerable Place Vendome in Paris. The brand is known for its signature mystery settings where the prongs are concealed. Van Cleef & Arpels' customers have included the Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. Their remodel facade is subtle and understated like their mystery settings.

Last month we wrote a post illustrating how remodeling is creatively camouflaged in Beverly Hills. We featured the Bulgari jewelry store who, in keeping with their brand identity, had designed a bright golden opulent camouflage while remodeling their store. True to their identity, the store board was colorful and attention getting. We feel it is spot on its brand signal. It is perfect for who they are.

Every company has its point of attraction for their target market. It is clear how two brands selling jewelry have a different approach because they understand their ideal client. We happen to like and appreciate both because of their clarity in communicating who they are. What do you think?

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate Tip: Are You Playing Chess or Checkers

May 30, 2012

Brand strategy for luxury real estate marketing professionals is all about achieving top- of-mind status. That takes superior, long-range, strategic thinking. But, what is at stake? The lion’s share of the business in your market place or a niche therein, that is what is at stake!

Who Needs Brand Strategy?

The only players who have a use for brand strategy are the ones who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership Incumbents or Challengers. Everyone else is fighting over the crumbs, doing the best they can. To seize or maintain the lion’s share you must think strategically.

Have you been watching the NBA Western Conference Playoffs with San Antonio and Oklahoma City? San Antonio is proving to be in a league of their own. Their teamwork is impeccable and their strategy is brilliant. They just won 20 straight games! Kenny Smith, the retired NBA star and TV announcer, covering Game 2 said something that explained the difference between the two teams: “San Antonio is playing Chess while OKC is playing Checkers”.

Chess or Checkers?

That comment perfectly summarized what we have been saying about brand strategy for luxury real estate marketing professionals. If you are bent on the “unabashed pursuit of market leadership”, it is imperative that you become a master of brand strategy. Like Chess, brand strategy requires well-thought-out, long range thinking.

You can make a lot of money by mastering internet marketing strategy by being the first to capture buyer leads. Many incumbent market leaders are very vulnerable in this department because they are not up to speed yet and, in most cases, it is still a buyers’ market. But, in the long run it is the agent, team or company who consistently wins listings that makes the most money. Being a master of both disciplines, is the surest way to become the dominant player and significantly outdistance your closest competitors.

Even though it appears that you are playing on the same game board, the true market leader is playing Chess, while everyone else is playing Checkers. However, If you want to challenge the market leader you need to outthink the incumbent at their strategic level and beat them at their own game. The battle may ultimately be a fight for market share. But, you first have to win the battle for mind share. And, that takes strategy.

Are you playing Chess or Checkers?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Maintaining Your Orbital Marketing Perspective

May 28, 2012

As a luxury real estate marketing professional it is easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day activities of“transaction engineering” and neglect the life-blood of your business: promotion and marketing. Sometimes you need to step back from your practice to regain your “orbital marketing prospective”. It is only when you view your practice from a broader perspective that out-of-the-box thinking is possible.

Opportunities to out-think and out-market your competition abound. This weekend we noticed that not a single real estate firm or agent sponsored one of the most well-attended community events of the year in our town of Santa Barbara, California. What an great opportunity for standing out this was!

"I Madonnari, or street painters transformed the Santa Barbara Mission Plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images. The festival benefits the Children's Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education offices. "The project serves 50,000 children in more than 100 schools with visual and performing arts workshops and performances throughout", according to their website. This event is in partnership with Santa Barbara's sister city in Italy, Grazie di Curtatone.

The opportunity to promote your name or your company as a sponsor was affordable. It ranged from the smallest ($125 for 4' x 6' format vertical format) to the largest (12’ x 12’ for $650). In addition, your name is on the festival poster, it is inscribed on the pavement at the base of the Mission steps, it appears in full-page newspaper advertisements and also appears on the festival kiosk. The local news covers the event on TV which amplifies the effectiveness of your sponsorship.

You could either provide the painter, or the Children's Creative Project would provide the painter. Given what most luxury real estate marketing professionals spend to promote themselves, this was a no brainer.

As hard as it may seen at times, you simply must take the time to regain your orbital marketing perspective. Step back and identify opportunities to out-smart your competition. That is the surest route to soaring in your luxury real estate marketing practice.

Like the kids represented in this year's pavement pastel chalk painting, being backyard orbital explorers and looking out of their box/spaceship it is time to explore your own backyards for out-of-the box opportunities to promote yourself. That means to make yourself well known and well thought of!

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Happy Memorial Day From Santa Barbara

May 26, 2012

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day, and it is honors US men and women who died in the military Service. The first Memorial Day was celebrated to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War 1. It is important to take a moment and reflect on all those who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy.

If you happen to find yourself in Santa Barbara, here is an annual event that is fun and benefits children in Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo Counties.

"I Madonnari, or street painters will transform the Santa Barbara Mission Plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images. The festival benefits the Children's Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education offices. The project serves 50,000 children in more than 100 schools with visual and performing arts workshops and performances throughout."--from the website," This event is in partnership with Santa Barbara's sister city in Italy, Grazie di Curtatone.

You can view the art work on the 26, 27, and 28th. Admission is free.

We wish you a wonderful relaxing long weekend, Cheers, Ron & Alexandra

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Luxury of Simple Pleasures

May 23, 2012

One of the subjects that comes up often as we advise our clients in marketing luxury real estate is the fine line between specializing in the top tier of the marketplace and not wanting to alienate previous clients whose home sold in the mid price range, our clients are concerned that they may come accross as too pretentions or aloof. Inherent in that concern is a misconception of the meaning of luxury, because it is often associated with elitism and conspicuous consumption, whereas we firmly believe that this is a limited perspective because there is luxury in simple pleasures, for example, the luxury of tasting the first crop of sweet corn.

Corn on the cob is a quintessential American food of summer. The first crop is here at our Farmers' Market in Santa Barbara, It reminds us of Richard Rodgers' song, Oh, What A Beautiful Morning, from the quintessential American musical Oklahoma, written in 1943. Here is our favorite excerpt about corn.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
An' it looks like its climbin' clear up to the sky.

Chorus:
Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling,
Everything's going my way.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY, WE WISH THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING YOUR WAY

Cheers, Ron & Alexandra

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: A Great Housewarming & Closing Gift

May 22, 2012

As luxury real estate marketing professional, it is a great idea to keep a list for closing and housewarming gifts. Our criteria for gifts of this nature are gifts that create a buzz and get people talking about you in a positive light. We spotted these pineapple plants at our local Trader Joe’s.

This beautiful plant has throughout the history of the American continents symbolized a warm welcome and hospitality. In his writings Christopher Columbus described landing on the Caribbean island of Guadalupe where he and his sailors were served pineapple.

In Colonial America, the pineapple expressed the warmest welcome a family could extend guests in their homes. A pineapple was used as the center piece of the dining table and would be served as the dessert. The pineapple symbol of friendship and hospitality was adopted by architects, artisans and craftsman of this era. Mansions and homes adorned with carved wood or sculpted stone pineapples on its gates or doors announce the hospitality of the owners.

Although this plant will not ripen as a fruit indoors, (they may outdoors in a warm climate) its beauty and symbol will be appreciated, and you will be remembered.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: It's Time to Spend More Time in the Real World - Part 2

May 20, 2012

Dennis Hanlon, Park City Utah

Professional networking on Facebook and other social media platforms can contribute to your success as a luxury real estate marking professional. But, participation in these venues simply does not replace in-person face time and consistently staying in touch with your colleagues in meaningful ways. We think it’s time to spend more time in the real world.

One of the best examples of professional networking in luxury real estate is the Western Mountain Resort Alliance (WMRA) that was spearheaded by Dennis Hanlon, a visionary broker in Park City Deer Valley, Utah, in 1996. Dennis, who was the president of his local board, suggested a meeting of six ski resort board presidents to explore ways that they could benefit from an alliance.

According to Dennis, who also served as president of the WMRA through 2010, “ We all discovered that we had so much in common and that we faced the same kinds of issues. We realized that marketing and selling resort real estate requires specialized knowledge and our clients demand a high level of expertise”.

It became apparent that sharing sales information from the various resorts would benefit all members. Another benefit is sharing best practices for resolving common problems.

Hanlon said, “An example of a common issues in mountain resort areas is finding suitable employment housing. We typically have limited space for development. Some other important challenges include how to address minimum revenue guarantees imposed by the airlines and how to obtain financing for condominiums”.

One of the great outcomes of WMRA was bringing their network model to the attention of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) who started their own resort committee in order to help resort REALTORS® gain resort specific education.

Professional networking can help you solve problems that are also faced by your peers in their luxury real estate markets. It can also exponentially expand your referral base. Facebook may be a good way to facilitate professional networking. But, there is nothing better than in-person, face time and staying in touch in meaningful ways. It's time to spend more time in the real world!

View our articles on some of the WMRA members: Park City/Deer Valley, Telluride, Big Sky, Steamboat Springs and Jackson Hole. These articles are part of our series, 50 Top Luury Real Estate Markets in the USA.

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50 Top Luxury Real Estate Markets in the USA: Big Sky & Bozeman, Montana

May 17, 2012

The great outdoor lifestyle, with its myriad of recreational activities, is highly revered among those who live and play in Big Sky and the nearby, upscale enclaves of Bozeman, Montana. The spirit of this area was captured in the film, A River Runs Through It. Shot on location in Montana, it starred Brad Pitt and was directed by Robert Redford. You get the sense that nature actually takes on the leading role in the story and fly fishing, becomes a path to zen-like meditation.

Marketing Luxury Real Estate Tip: It’s Time to Spend More Time in the Real World - Part 1

May 17, 2012

Luxury real estate marketing is a people to people business at its core. Most of the top luxury real estate marketing professionals have succeeded because they understand the importance of maintaining in-person face time in the read world and consistently staying in touch in meaningful ways. Many of the market leaders that we have consulted or interviewed for our article series, 50 Top Luxury Real Estate Markets in the USA, spend a minimum amount of time in the virtual arenas of Facebook, Linked-In, Twitter, etc.

The Facebook IPO is debuting tomorrow. Among all the excitement and predictions of astronomical valuations and financial gains for its investors, some interesting data has emerged about the actual effectiveness of using Facebook for attracting a loyal audience of raving fans. Our research has revealed that the global marketing community is questioning the validity of social media’s promise of value for business: “word of mouth on steroids”.

For example, Dr. Karen Nelson-Field from the University of South Australia’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, says,

“Many brands moved quickly onto Facebook when it emerged as the new frontier for reaching an audience but it has since proved a challenge to engage with those who claim to ‘like’ them.”

In her 6 week study of the top 200 brands, she found, that the reality of spreading news “like wild fire” is theoretically possible. However the reality shows that most links are shared with not more than 5-10 people. Furthermore she adds,

“The huge legions of Facebook fans, it turns out, are not so actively engaged with the brands they once “liked. Less than 1% of brand fans on Facebook have any type of active involvement, bringing those huge numbers down to earth”.

Dr Field concludes that, “Facebook is an important part of the marketing mix , we simply encourage marketers not to spend a disproportionate amount of time and money trying to facilitate engagement or drive loyalty when we know that’s not going to happen with the push of the ‘like’ button.”

It’s time to spend more time in the real world and get back to basics. There is no getting around the fact that in -person face time and keeping in touch in meaningful ways works! In Part 2 of this series we will discuss why real face time out-markets Facebook for business, according to our research.

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Ultimate Service- Providing Peace of Mind

May 14, 2012

Recently we were reading some of our clients’ testimonials, and one of them inspired this post. Here is a direct quote, “This individual (agent) is truly a professional who can manage all the details involved in selling my home, and does it so effortlessly that I never had to worry about a thing.”

Given the rapid rate of our lives, we all want someone who gives us service at the level where we do not spend time worrying. Worry is defined as: “ thoughts, images and negative emotions in which mental attempts are imagined and discussed to avoid anticipated potential threats.”

What is peace of mind? The dictionary defines it as: “The absence of mental stress or anxiety, and the presence of serenity, calm, quiet, comfort of mind." That is exactly what a buyer/seller wants when working with you.” Ultimately, they are signing with you because they feel that you will provide them with a seamless flow in reaching the grand finale of selling or buying a house.

How valuable is peace of mind? It is so valuable that many agents who give this type of service are given a constant stream of referrals. And, in many cases their clients are also giving them a closing gift.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Put a New Twist in Your Marketing Approach

May 10, 2012

Remarkable service with a twist that distinguishes you from your competition can create an indelible impression and enchant your clients.. Look for evidence of enchantment, times when you have enjoyed exemplary service in your daily life, and reach for ways that you can incorporate enchantment into your own luxury real estate marketing practice.

Saint Alexandra’s Day (Alexandra’s Name Day) provided the perfect opportunity to seek out evidence of enchantment marketing. We googled “the best steak house in Thousand Oaks” (nearby Santa Barbara and close to Malibu) and found an entire page dominated by great reviews of Mastro’s. Since we very rarely order beef we wanted to find the best place.But we were seeking an restaurant just outside of town so we could turn it into a new adventure.

Mastro’s, we discovered, has multiple locations in Arizona, Nevada, California and Illinois. It definitely lived up to its reviews. Here are some of the quality cues that lead us to a very favorable opinion of this fine establishment:

We were served an assortment of scrumptious artisan breads that were fresh out of the oven. That could have been a meal unto itself. Our favorite was the pretzel bread.

Our server reminded us of a European professional waiter who really knew his wines. We were allowed to taste a couple of them prior to ordering and the dialogue was educational.

He was equally knowledgable about the extensive menu. He had definite personal opinions about it when asked.

We ordered creamed spinach and the crunchiest snap peas as our vegetables. We asked if the creamed spinach was made with bacon. Our server said, “No. But, everything tastes better with bacon”, and he disappeared only to return with some of the best bacon we had ever tasted.

We did not order dessert. But, we were presented with an enormous slice of St. Alexandra’s Names Day cake and a side of whipped cream that must have been more than a pint. With only room for a couple of nibbles, we were more than delighted.

When we left the restaurant, the valet brought our car and handed us some bottled water for the road with the Mastro’s logo on the bottle. We had previously been given a shopping bag with handles to cary three box full of food items that we could not finish.

Seek out quality cues, evidence of enchantment marketing in peripheral aspects of your life, not just in your field. Get a sense of how it feels when you are treated exceptionally well. Then incorporate as many ways as possible to enchant your clients. It will put a twist in your marketing approach that will help you to standout from your competition.

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate Tip: Staying on the Leading Edge Part 2

May 8, 2012

Fear of change is another of the top vulnerabilities of market leaders. For luxury real estate marketing professionals who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership you need to keep evolving as an individual, a team or as a company. The common adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, or “I am doing well, why rock the boat” does not apply if you intend on maintaining your position.

We are experiencing a tidal wave of change on a daily basis in every aspect of life. If you want to successfully keep moving forward, you have to keep reinventing yourself. One of the most important elements in this process is to be willing to break down your business model on a regular basis and reexamine every aspect through a magnifying lens. You may have to throw out what “ain’t’broke” altogether and adopt and adapt consistently. You have to stay nimble and be able to turn on a dime. If you don’t do it, your competition will rapidly surpass you without any hesitation, or find a way to profit from your passivity.

Some companies capitalize on the “fear of change” and develop business models which take advantage of this mentality. An example of this is “show rooming”. Many consumers visit showrooms note model numbers, and then find the identical item on line using their Smartphone’s and purchase them for a lot less. What caused this? Fear of change and the unwillingness to adapt. Companies such as Best Buy are now looking for ways to prevent the show rooming epidemic. In real estate lending, companies such as the Lending Tree captured consumer leads for loans, routed them to the banks and received a commission. They understood that banks are not quick to respond to change, and they could step in and profit.

What must not change are your core values, your integrity and your commitment to superb service for your clients.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Staying on the Leading Edge

May 7, 2012

Photo by Chris Dorney

Complacency is one of the top vulnerabilities of market leaders. For Luxury real estate marketing professionals who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership staying on the leading edge is not an option, it is an imperative. Harrods’s department store in London exemplifies this principle.

Harrods is already known for its outstanding service private client service and was recently given an award at the Luxury Briefing awards for its customer service. According to Luxury Briefing, “Beyond is an extension of Harrods’ service available to private clients and goes above the realms of what consumers expect from a department store.” So why would they send their employees to study with Minding Manners (etiquette and protocol consultants) to learn about etiquette? The employees enrolled in a two full-day sessions that emphasized etiquette aspects of multi-cultural awareness.

Global capital cities as well as globally known luxury resort destinations are regularly visited by buyers of goods and real estate from all parts of the word. What is considered to be great manners in the European or American cities can be interpreted as an insult in other parts of the world. Since Harrods has an extensive VIP clientele from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas, the training by Minding Manners covered all aspects of meeting, greeting and interacting with cross-cultural respect.

At one time, every shopper entering the store was greeted with a handshake and a glass of champagne. Now this tradition has been revisited as many cultures and religious sects practice alcohol abstinence, and do not shake hands with women. Also the friendly Western physical touches are not necessarily welcome, particularly when it comes to opposite genders. How to dress is also important when meeting customers from other countries if not in a standard store uniform.

Whether or not you are dealing with an elite global clientele or culturally integrated Americans, it is important to avail yourself of the knowledge of every community’s cultural and religious preferences. In order to stay on the leading edge and successfully earn the trust of global communities, take the cue from Harrods. Impeccable cultural etiquette is one way to differentiate you as a luxury real estate marketing professional. To stay on the leading edge avoid complacency at all costs.

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: 100 Bottles of Tequila on the Wall

May 4, 2012

On the eve of Cinco de Mayo we thought it would be appropriate to discuss the iconic brand of tequila which is associated with Mexico. Mexico has the international rights to the word “tequila”, and they have made it clear that they will take legal action against anyone or any country that uses the word to describe blue agave spirits. Mexico law also states that tequila can be produced in the state of Jalisco (Tequila is a city in Jalisco), and specific regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas.

Furthermore, the Tequila regulatory Council has stated that authentic tequila must be made from 100% agave. Only then can it be designated as “100%” agave. Everything else is“mixto” tequila.

Artisanal tequila is a thriving industry. Recently we dined at the bar of Cielito, a wonderful restaurant in Santa Barbara, and learned that they carry over 70 brands of artisanal tequila. Like wine, the producers of tequila create variations in taste based on the extent of aging and also on the type of wood used in the barrels where the tequila is aged. Other varietals can be created using agave that is grown at high altitudes giving it a sweeter taste, as opposed to lower altitudes which can give tequila an herbaceous taste.

While we were dining, we noticed that there were three bottles of tequila on the shelf shaped like human skulls. Our friendly bartender told us that these bottles of tequila were made of hand-blown glass. The black skull bottle with hand glued rhinestones is the most expensive ($70 a shot) because it had been aged the longest.

ENJOY CINCO DE MAYO!!

CHEERS, RON & ALEXANDRA

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Perform a Time-saving Audit

April 30, 2012

In a time-pressed world, time becomes the ultimate luxury. Affluent consumers will pay a premium if you can save them time and the aggravation of wasted time. As a luxury real estate marketing professional, think about how you can save your clients time and aggravation every step of the way. Perform a Time-saving audit on all aspects of the service you provide.

Saving time applies to the user experience on your website from their first encounter with you. And, it applies to every other encounter they have with you or your team. Here are few items to consider when you perform your Time-saving Audit:

Does your website navigation save the user time in finding exactly what they came for?
The simple act of listening to your client’s specific needs and only showing them the properties that match those needs saves them time. Do you preview the homes you show your clients.?
If you are the listing broker, do you prepare detailed home-showing instructions for cooperating brokers so that they do not waste their clients’ time? Their clients may be the perfect buyer for your listings.

This will get you started with your Time-saving Audit. Your high net worth clients will certainly appreciate you for doing these things because time is the ultimate luxury. But, just as important as it is to save your client’s time, you should also be including, in your audit, all of the ways you can save yourself time. Value their time and value yours as well. Only then will you see that the time your save can turn into money. Does that make "cents"?

Let us know some of YOUR questions that you think should be included in the Time-saving Audit!

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The Two Biggest Thieves of Time in Our Digital Age: Tech Support & Learning Curves

April 29, 2012

When marketing luxury real estate, understanding the priority values of your high net worth clients is one of the keys to your success. Fine craftsmanship, innovation, elegance of design, uncompromising quality of materials, and superlative customer service are standards of excellence that must be understood by purveyors of luxury goods and service professionals who cater to this demographic.

No one understood these benchmarks of luxury better than Steve Jobs, who infused these values into every aspect of Apple, the organization and its products. But, the one luxury priority value that Jobs knew that still baffles Apple’s competitors is the luxury of time saved. He understood that tech support and the learning curve are the two biggest thieves of time in the digital age and he set out to counter this by saving customers time.

How does Apple save you time and aggravation? Apple controls the customer experience of using computers and digital devices from end to end. Moreover, every product they produce is fully integrated with the others. An integrated product line saves you time in tech support because there is only one tech support number to call. It also saves your time on the learning curve because the various devices become more intuitive to learn having already understood the basics. According to Jobs,

“People pay us to integrate things for them, because they don’t have time to think about this stuff 24/7. If you have an extreme passion for producing great products, it pushes you to be integrated, to connect your hardware and your software and content management. You want to break new ground, so you have to do it yourself.”

Think about what your time is worth in dollars.Then, the value of saving time and aggravation will become crystal clear. Here are some questions to ponder:

How much time did you spend in tech support last year? How much did that cost you in time if one of your hours is worth $100-500.
How many different tech support providers did you need to go to for help because your computers and devices use separate operating systems or were manufactured by separate companies?
How much time did you spend on the learning curve to use your various computers and digital devises?

If you are lucky enough to live near one of Apple’s physical stores you can have unlimited one-on-one sessions with an Apple expert for $100 per year! If you have a specific project that you are working on and have questions you can also join a group session and get the personal help you need as needed.

Tech support via the phone is with support representatives who reside within your country and speak your language the way you do. This costs Apple 50% more than outsourcing tech support. But, the user experience is superlative.

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, how can you save time for your clients and for yourself? Perform a Time-saving Audit. See our next post to learn how.

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