The Importance of Marketing Like a Professional

The marketing pieces I receive in the mail on a daily basis amaze me…but not in a good way. It feels as if as the world gets more and more technologically savvy,people become lazy and less professional…real estate agents are not the exception (in fact, they are one of the biggest culprits). Your first point of contact with a potential client, whether via your website, an ad, email, video or mailer, is the only first impression you get to make. If you lose the client at that point you usually do not get a second chance.

 The good news is that it is not difficult to be professional – it just takes a little more effort and patience. Here are the best ways to make sure your marketing materials make you look professional:

1. EDIT. I cannot say enough about the necessity of editing, and I have written entire blogs dedicated to its importance. Honestly, some of the nice glossy pieces I get in the mail every day from real estate agents look horrible… the information presented is useful, but many are filled with spelling and grammatical errors, and poor quality photographs. If you are a real estate agent who wants to be seen as a professional, you need to be able to demonstrate that you understand the English language.

There is nothing more frustrating than reading these poor marketing pieces. Many come from “big” area agents who spend lots of money on advertising. With all that money you’d think they’d hire an editor. If you can’t afford to do that then you need to have several educated people check over whatever you send out, before you do so.

2. Preparation. Just like a face-to-face meeting with a client, you need to show you are prepared through your marketing materials. Your marketing pieces reflect your preparation and attention to detail. If it is sloppy, has grainy images and typos/grammar errors, that is a reflection on your work ethic (even if in reality you are a hard and dedicated worker). Take the time to lay out the piece and get a proof before printing anything in bulk. It takes extra time and may cost a bit more, but it is time and money well spent.

3. Appearance. I don’t care what anyone tells you to the contrary – if you want to be perceived as a professional you need to dress the part. Showing property in your gym clothes might be convenient, but it doesn’t portray a professional image, and the same rule should apply in your marketing. It doesn’t matter if the recipient is a casual person or is coming from the gym herself. You should always dress professionally – it is not only a statement that you care and that your clients’ needs are important to you, but also that you take your job seriously.

In marketing, as in everything you do to promote your brand and your services, there should be no corner cutting. What you put out there is a direct reflection on yourself, your business ethic and your ability to represent your clients professionally.