|
Round and round the wheel goes, where it will stop no one knows...
Evidently the more I talk about Realtors and taglines the more people come here looking for the information. So, let's play the game. Can you name the companies that have selected the following taglines?
And... they all sound exactly alike. Is there a single one of these taglines that is unique? Is there one that you would think, "this could only be representative of the service provided by one company?" I'd argue that every single one of these could be ripped from the current company and put on another without a blink. One way to tell if a slogan is meaningful is to attempt state the opposite and see if anyone would proudly proclaim that. If it does then this means that your slogan speaks to an area of specialization, and not something that everyone in the industry attempts to provide. So - by this measurement I think that every single slogan fails. See for yourself when the meanings are reversed:
Re/MAX, Realty Executives International, L.J. Hooker, GMAC Real Estate, Century 21, National Association of Realtors, and Coldwell Banker. Did you get any right? (If you only got the one you work for that doesn't count.) Are the little guys better off? I'll list out a few taglines from smaller Realtors. See if you'd select them over the generic bravado of the big boys: (Names withheld to protect the young'ns)
...and of course, I left out the tens of thousands offending taglines using the "Dreams into Reality" pitch (or a variant of it.) If everyone sells a trustworthy, caring, informed, and high-quality service, then what would make you select any one of them over any other? It becomes a blur of choices where every choice is the same. If there are 200 agents serving your farming area and you have a message that focuses on a standard Realtor quality then logically you'll get approximately 1/200th of the business available in the area. If that's good enough for you, then by all means go for it. However, if there are 200 agents with the same message and a few that have a unique perspective or service then the 200 agents stand to lose a large amount of business to the few. When given a choice of ice cream do you choose vanilla every time, or do you want something more suitable to your particular taste? There are a whole bunch of people looking for other flavors - all you have to do is come up with one and you'll gain access to people and markets you probably never knew existed. More on taglines and realty soon. Tate Linden Principal Consultant Stokefire Consulting Group 703-778-9925 |
