| You won't find "talkability" in any dictionary. But it has | | | | it seem like something they would want to share? |
| everything to do with your personal marketing | | | | Can you imagine them saying, "Tom, you won't |
| program. This article explains what it is and how it | | | | believe what my agent did for me..."?If so, you've |
| can help you grow your business.Let's start with a | | | | achieved talkability.Marketing Alone is Not Enough |
| definition:Talkability (noun) - 1. The ease with which a | | | | A remarkable service with average marketing will |
| product or service can be talked about. 2. The | | | | outsell an average service with great marketing. |
| likelihood that a product or service will be talked | | | | Remarkable products and services have talkability, so |
| about.Ever experience a product or service so | | | | even with average marketing their messages will |
| incredible, so above and beyond the norm, that you | | | | reach farther and wider than the average product |
| couldn't wait to tell someone about it? That's | | | | with great marketing.Talkability Success Stories |
| talkability. Talkability is more powerful than | | | | If a product or service has extremely high talkability, |
| "noteworthy" and more interesting than "interesting." | | | | it hardly needs any marketing at all. Red Bull and |
| It lives in the "remarkable" neighborhood.So what | | | | Starbucks had high talkability when they launched (still |
| does it have to do with real estate? Well, if you | | | | do).As a result, they grew to epic proportions with |
| realize that most real estate business comes from | | | | virtually no initial advertising. Red Bull only started |
| referrals, you'll begin to see the true power of | | | | advertising a couple years ago, and Starbucks still |
| talkability in helping you grow your business.Increasing | | | | does virtually no advertising. Yet people couldn't resist |
| Your Talkability Factor | | | | talking about these products. These products surfed |
| To increase the talkability of your services, you | | | | on waves of talkability.Those are products. Now let's |
| must offer something so unique it's virtually | | | | look at a service with talkability. Here in Austin, |
| impossible for people to keep to themselves, | | | | Texas, there's a barbershop called Sexy Scissors. |
| something they cannot resist talking about. A first | | | | Their name says it all, and their motto drives it home: |
| step is to ask yourself the question, "If I were my | | | | "Hot stylists. Cold beer. Great haircuts." They have |
| own client, what would be remarkable to me?"This is | | | | sports on all the TVs and a beer keg built right into |
| the fun part. It's called the "What if" game. First, turn | | | | the receptionist's desk!See what I'm doing right now? |
| off your internal critic, that little nagging voice that | | | | I've succumbed to the talkability of this service. As a |
| says things like "That's silly" or "That will never work." | | | | result, I'm giving them free publicity. Whether or not |
| Next, make a list of "What if" statements about your | | | | you agree with their "angle," you have to |
| services: | | | | acknowledge the talkability of it. Can you imagine the |
| What if I found a way to offer free interior design | | | | number of men who've said, "Hey, Joe, have you |
| consultations to buyers, redeemable for 30 days | | | | heard about that place called Sexy Scissors?"Has it |
| within move-in?What if I offered "around the town" | | | | worked? Well, as of this writing, they're building a |
| tours to relocation clients, showing them local schools, | | | | new location in Houston and putting out the call for |
| shopping and recreation?What if I offered sellers a | | | | additional franchisees. I predict their growth will |
| free "Curb Appeal" consultation from a local | | | | continue for years to come.I'm not suggesting you |
| landscaper?What if started a monthly home-buying | | | | start a sexy real estate service. (Although, if you're |
| seminar and promoted it on the news?What if I took | | | | in Los Angeles...) I'm suggesting you find a way to |
| a photography course and offered clients professional | | | | put more talkability into your service. Think of it as a |
| home photos for their listing? | | | | way to recruit an army of marketers for your |
| What if ... what if ... what if.The point is to keep | | | | service. The higher the talkability, the more people |
| going until you exhaust your imagination. If you | | | | there are to spread your message.Brandon Cornett |
| produce nine ideas and keep only one, you haven't | | | | has worked as a writer and advertising manager |
| lost anything. You've gained a great idea that will | | | | within the direct mail industry. He now dedicates his |
| create talkability.When you're screening ideas and | | | | time to helping agents and brokers improve their real |
| deciding which to keep and which to cut, imagine | | | | estate marketing programs. |
| somebody telling their friends about each item. Does | | | | |