As I do most every weekday, this morning I watched ESPN Sportscenter during my 5:30a.m. workout. During a commercial break I saw a relatively new advertisement. To the backdrop of a Christmas jingle, there was an individual, actually you could only see their hand, squeezing two different solutions into two glasses of water. Actually it was the same solution, one was colored green and the other red. It’s called Mio, another energy soft drink on the market.
Doomed To Failure
I thought about a friend of mine who began a business twenty years ago. He was selling water purifiers that one could attach to their kitchen sink. I had feelings of ambivalence. On the one hand I wanted to help him out and purchase one. On the other hand I knew that I would seldom use it. At the time my exercise routine was much different. It was comprised mostly of jogging and playing tennis. After each of those activities I simply wanted bottled water or a sports drink. I couldn’t see myself going to the sink and pouring a glass of water as I did before bottled water became readily available.
Convenience
It just wasn’t as convenient to walk outside, or do whatever, with a glass in my hand. Now more than ever, people want convenience and practicality. The notion that the water purifier was going to save me money in the long run, as my friend suggested, just wasn’t a driving factor. I question whether it is to most people, I don’t know. I do know, however, that the bottle water industry continued to boom. Looking back at the time, one was a fad and the other became a trend.
I’m thinking that unless Mio is bottled, it will likely live a short life.
The Parallel
The similarities to what we face as Realtors are striking. There are so many applications, so many venues and marketing platforms from which to choose, it’s overwhelming to most. Keep the example set by the water industry in mind when “scrubbing down” the choices before you. Our clients want convenience. Avoid acknowledging that fact and appeasing them at your own peril.
What conveniences do you offer your clients that are out of the ordinary?
Expand your mind, increase your business and receive your dose of “The Daily Tonic” every M-F. It’s always brief, informational and thought provoking.
Simply go to the top of this page or the home page of thedailytonic.com, enter your email in the navigation bar to the right and click “subscribe.”
