Posted by Wendy Forsythe

“Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. It’s a Purple Cow. Boring stuff is invisible. It’s a brown cow.” Seth Godin, author Purple Cow. (www.sethgodin.com)

At the National Association of Realtors Conference in Las Vegas I anxiously sat in the audience as Seth Godin spoke about being remarkable. As I listened my internal thoughts kept circling around the notion that we are all striving to create a Purple Cow every day. Real estate sales professionals need a Purple Cow to attract buyers and sellers. Brokers and managers need a Purple Cow to recruit and retain sales associates. Franchise companies need a Purple Cow to attract affiliates.

Here are three Purple Cow elements that Seth’s talk and a subsequent rereading of the Purple Cow book left me with.

First: We are selling our ideas. For agents our ideas consist of compelling reasons why consumers should utilize the services and expertise we offer when buying or selling a property. For brokers and managers our ideas are what cause real estate professionals to partner with us in the operation of their business. For franchisors our ideas are what cause brokerage owners to partner with brands like Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in the operation of their business. What ideas do you have that make you valuable to your target market?

Second: We need to be remarkable. The notable part of this word is “remark.” The products, services and expertise we offer need to give people a reason to make positive remarks about us. Is it your great service, your negotiating skills, your website or your wonderful personality that will make people remark about you?

Third: We need to spread the word. Experts agree that word of mouth is the most effective way to grow a business. How will the news of your Purple Cow get distributed amongst your potential clients?

So, how do you create a Purple Cow in an industry where the general notion is… been there, done that?

That’s the question that the team at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate starts each day with. Our mission is to create the real estate brand of the future. Stay tuned to learn more about the tools and services we are developing as we create our Purple Cow.