Dave Robison

By Dave Robison

The Average Marketing Scenario

A couple years ago a loan officer asked me a brilliant question that they should have asked themselves before they spent $30,000 on a failed marketing campaign. “Dave, I have had a billboard for the past year on I-15 and I don’t get any calls off of it.  What is going on?”  I sat there for awhile trying to think of his billboard and I couldn’t remember it.  Later that day it hit me. It took me all day to remember it.  The loan officer had a prime location with his name and phone number and his company name on it. It said something like “your loan officer” or “call me for a mortgage.”

His marketing wasn’t working.  He wasn’t getting any calls.  I had that same marketing plan before.  I had that same marketing on a moving van for three years. It was typical agent marketing that consists of: name, phone number, and how cool you are — it doesn’t work.  I rarely got any calls, and nobody knew who I was.  Then, I changed it and my business started to change.

There are two keys to smart marketing:

1. Can people remember you or  your marketing?

Have you ever heard that famous statistic that the average home buyer/seller forgets their agent’s name within six months? I tested it out once. I met someone who said they just bought their home four months ago with the president of the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®.  I said, “Ohhh, awesome! What is their name?”  Of course I knew their name, but I was wondering if the statistic really worked. They couldn’t remember. They said she is the president and surely I must know who they were talking about. Of course I knew, but how was this person going to recommend her to any of their friends and family?

Now lets talk about the loan officer’s billboard. After I drove by the sign, I couldn’t remember his phone number, name, or website. What a waste of money. His only chance of being remembered would have been if I wrote down his phone number the next time I saw the billboard, and kept it for when I had a need.  Fat chance at that.

So what did I do to change my marketing after unsuccessfully advertising on a moving van for three years? it came down to branding. First, I created a scene of a desert in the background with my picture on it, and a Web address: UtahDave.com.  Why in the world is there a desert when I’m trying to sell a home?  Because every agent has a home on their marketing materials. I wanted it to be different, and the desert scene goes with Utah.

I don’t think the desert is key to your success, it just happened to work for mine. Maybe if I was “AlaskaDave” I might have an igloo instead of a desert.  Geico has  a Gecko, and the last time I checked they don’t sell geckos. The main thing is finding a special branding or memorable image…just don’t be like everyone else and have a home be your background.

The proof is in the pudding.  I just got a listing appointment…and where did the listing come from? Continue reading »