WORD MAGIC: (full story)
Let's Have Some Fun! ...Friends,
Realtors, Countrymen…lend me your ears…and eyes…and
throw in a rubber nose, while you’re at it. Why are we
all so darn serious? I say, “lighten up!” How about
adding a little levity to your copy? It won’t hurt, I
promise. And you might even entice some new clients who
will be intrigued by your sense of humor. After all,
selling real estate is not a deadly serious business.
It’s serious business, of course, but not on par with
balancing the federal budget (which could be considered,
by some, to be an ongoing joke. But I digress…)
Using humor is one way to
differentiate yourself from the masses of real estate
professionals all saying the same thing in the same way.
I’m not suggesting that you add “yuks” to all your
communication material, but a judicious use of levity
can add some spark and help set you apart. An example: a
client recently asked me to write a “re-introduction”
letter to her farm. She wanted to let them know that she
is going to be sending them information about the local
market and to remind them about her business. Since
she’d been out of touch with them for quite a while, I
decided to make her letter an amusing one.
Instead of starting out with, “Well
it’s been a while since we’ve been in contact,” I began
with a “Did you know?” list of fun facts about her
state, which I picked up from the web site
www.legendsofamerica.com. I chose some of the
wackier items, e.g. that it was illegal to go fishing
while riding a giraffe’s back! After listing three
interesting tidbits, I added, “Did you know that (agent
name) is the new construction expert in (community
name)?” I also used some clip art illustrations
(freebies from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx).
Now, she has a fun and memorable letter that’s bound to
capture readers’ attention, which didn’t cost any more
than writing a conventional letter.
Try popping a little wit onto your
web site. It can be done through copy or by developing a
graphic character who acts as a guide. If being funny is
really not your style, try for a conversational mode.
Select one section of your site where you write from a
personal point of view, putting yourself in your
reader’s shoes. Anything you can do to make yourself
accessible to potential clients makes them more likely
to establish contact with you.
Another of my clients sends out Just
Sold cards with the headline, “Your neighbors got what
they deserved” as the only copy on the front. Who could
resist turning that over? On the back he explains how
his agency helped that seller get top dollar for his
home. Brilliant! (I’m not tooting my own horn—he wrote
it.)
So, don’t be afraid to lighten up
and make your material a little more memorable.
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