Seth Godin and Glenn Twiddle discuss his three step marketing post

The MAN, Seth Godin wrote this recently on his blog, and I wanted to give my thoughts on how right he is, and how his principles apply to us in real estate.

A three-step marketing ladder

Seth – Probably worth reviewing at your next marketing meeting (or every marketing meeting)… There’s a three-step ladder:

Awareness

Education

Action

GT- I love it, nice and simple and he is so right, consumers put far less thought into this than we do, so we have to understand this simple three step process and inject ourselves right into the middle of it……

Seth – Awareness is when someone knows you exist. The knock-knock part of the knock-knock joke, the person who has another interest and trust to want to know more. 

  • Awareness is sexy
  • You don’t need to be known by everyone (or even most people) merely the right ones
  • Awareness probably isn’t as much of your problem as you think it is
  • Awareness-seeking is addictive (and easy to measure)

GT- This is by far the step we fail at the most. Because many agents are what I call’professionally invisible’ meaning many of us dress the same, market the same, make offers the same (“would you like a free appraisal” – unlike all those PAID appraisals that competitors offer), we all look the same, except those rare exceptions, and I’m honoured to say many of those, what Seth would call ‘Purple Cow Agents’ come from my training programs.

But the main reason we don’t get listings is that the consumers don’t know who we are, despite putting out countless brochures, emails, social media posts, etc, but because the look like ads, and consumers get smashed with thousands of ads a day, ours do not even make a breeze when they sail past the consumers, and are completely and utterly ignored, because most of it is invisible to the consumer.

Seth – Education is the story we tell, the transfer of information and emotion from us to the aware consumer. 

  • Most marketers are too self-absorbed to educate well
  • Education takes time
  • Education takes many forms, but without a doubt, experience is the most trusted and high-impact way to educate

GT- Many of us do a fair job here. Because there has been a bunch of great training over the years, in listing presentations, skill development and the like, plus we got into real estate because we are, for the most part, nice people with a genuine concern and we do want to do the right thing by clients, basically we do ok, once we are nose to nose, toes to toes with a client, and even though sure, we can improve in many ways I’m sure, but our ability to educate inmy opinion, is not the first place we need to start, it’s awareness that we exist. 

Seth – Action is the last step, but the only one that the CFO is measuring. If you sacrifice the first two steps to boost this one, you’ll regret it.

  • Natural actions happen more often than ones that require a leap
  • Anticipated action generates fear
  • “Later” is a much more likely response than “no”
  • Most people aren’t going to act, but if you treat them well, they might just tell their friends (see awareness & education)

GT- Wow, Seth, hitting the nail on the head mate. Having observed first hand, in formal mystery shop exercises of real estate agents, plus in countless informal observations, this is where we fall down. 

If any one of us was to be paid to program a ‘real estate robot’ who would do whatever we told it to do, and we were told to program it to do the things that will create a million dollar agent, we could input the 100% correct instructions. We ALL know what to do pretty much, but we don’t do it ourselves. 

One of the sayings I am well known for is 
“Don’t let PERFECT get in the way of DONE” 

And it’s absolutely the case. A good marketing piece, or book, or letter or video or any marketing piece, in the hands of your consumer and being read, watched or listened to, is better than a perfect one, still on the drawing board or on your hard drive. 

Take massive action, manage the responses, do the best you can with the information you have. Correct any errors and adjustments along the way, and be confident that your competitiors who are perfecting their every move will be so far behind you when they do take some action, that they’ll never catch you. 

Get a bias for action into your world, and reap the rewards. 

Thanks Seth for the inspiration !! 

Comments 6

  1. Peter Spiga

    Your so right Glenn, you and Seth hit the nail on the head so to speak when it comes to how we operate and I know I need to give myself a constant upperct because I’m constantly guilty of it. “I know what to do but don’t do what I know”. Purple Cows rule and I am going to be one.

  2. Peter J

    There’s nothing better than someone simplifying a process that many tend to complicate. As you say, ACTION is the big one … Most of us know what we’re supposed to do.

  3. leigh

    Great stuff Glenn and Seth, Seth is a god at marketing for the new age and Glenn for everything you teach I see so many similarities and you are clearly changing the game for real estate agents across the globe. Keep it up, you are teaching me heaps and clearly dedicated to continually learning yourself

  4. Susi

    Excellent Glenn!

    One extra important point I would add that effects both Awareness & Education is that it isn’t about ‘you’ its all about ‘them’. Building trust & rapport is sexy!! Listen to the client & get to know their story. You are providing the tools to give them the benefits. Find out what that is & make the connection. Build their vision of a successful outcome by asking & listening.
    Just my experience to date in the NM industry & it’s GOLD 😀

    All the best mate

  5. Adam de Jong

    So with true in all the above comments actions and awareness Glen & Seth…

    Going on the recommendations from Glen… I bought Purple Cow, I have just finished reading the book 2mths later (OK I am a slow reader). It was extremely helpfully – it made me stand up, turn around and slap myself – and understand that my marketing had to change. Glen understands the concept of purple cow – and embraces the teaching and does what he preaches… (Sometimes to well – jokes)

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