Do you ever watch the London Marathon or the Great North Run? I do, with a mixture of awe and guilt. Awe that so many people had taken on such a momentous challenge, of their own free will, and guilt, that I was enjoying the event from my sofa, while many people less fit than I, ran 26.2 miles in the sweltering heat, for a charity that for those few hours, meant the world to them.
Pacemakers play an important role in running races. Their job is to make sure that no dirty tactics are used, but also, to help pace the race so that the runners complete it in the best time possible. In 1954, Roger Bannister used two pacemakers to help him break the four-minute mile. His two ‘rabbits’, as they are sometimes called, helped him by running at the right pace , then dropping out, leaving Bannister to smash the world record, and becoming famous overnight.
Who’s your pacemaker?
As an estate agent, you are surrounded by your competition, sometimes literally. Who do you look up to? Which agent is doing the business you want to do? Are there any who are using technology, social media or other innovations to keep themselves out in front, while you simply spectate, like me, watching on with awe and guilt?
They are your pacemaker, and they can help you win the race.
When I started on Twitter, I looked around at the Twitter accounts of people in the industry I admired. One had 3000 followers. At the time, I had less than 100. I couldn’t imagine reaching the heady heights of 3000, but I decided to aim for it anyway. For the next year or so, I used Twitter as the cornerstone of my marketing efforts, learning everything I could about the best way to use the platform, and being the most helpful, engaging Tweeter possible. Of course, the 3000 was a moving target, as this Tweeter’s numbers were rising every day.
When my numbers finally matched theirs, I was delighted; I felt that I’d really achieved something. But I didn’t stop there; I picked another target, then another, always using an industry professional as a benchmark; as a pacemaker, in fact.
What’s your Rightmove ranking?
If you’re not first, who is? Look at everything they’re doing: their adverts, print advertising, social media, property marketing – how does yours compare? Are you struggling to keep up, or are you about to overtake them with a flourish? (Before you all comment on how irrelevant Rightmove ranking is, what’s the alternative?)
I’m working with a great independent estate agent in Eastbourne at the moment. With my help, they’ve risen from 14th in the area, to 3rd. We’ve still got some work to do, because our pacemaker is still number 1, and we intend to overtake him very soon.
Without a pacemaker, how do you know where you are, and more importantly, where you want to be? If my Eastbourne client had simply said he wanted to be better, how would he have known when he’d reached that goal? Whatever it is that you’re trying to achieve, look around you – who has done it already? They are your pacemaker. Do what they do, but do it better, and make it your mission to overtake them and win the race.
Remember, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
I help estate agents be all they can be and sometimes more. I’d like to offer two agents this month a free 30 minute marketing assessment. If you’d like to grab this before your competitor does, drop me a line sam@samashdown.co.uk
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