REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-7 Tips for Being More Persuasive

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Search REALTORMag...

OR FOCUS YOUR SEARCH

NEWS & COMMENTARY

Inside For Brokers

Connect

Social Networking

Follow, fan, or friend us online.

Your Magazine

Magnifying your voice and celebrating your accomplishments

CURRENT ISSUE

PAST ISSUES

Daily Real Estate News | November 16, 2009 | 7 Tips for Being More Persuasive
During the first two minutes of his 2009 NAR Conference & Expo session Sunday, U.K.-born Peter Knight, founder of Phoenix plc and chair of Estate Agency Academy, played a telling video filmed with a hidden camera. A sign was placed on a door to a public building that read “women only,” and on the adjacent door was a sign with “men only.” These doors had nothing to do with public restrooms, but people still obeyed the signs.

Knight’s video demonstrated the persuasiveness of authority. “We listen to science; we become conformists,” said Knight, who connected how conditioned responses that are reinforced at a young age can be effective in marketing.

Authority was the first in Knight’s presentation of seven principles of persuasive marketing. Here are the other six:

Liking–Australia real estate firm McGrath has found success by offering its Web site visitors the ability to search associates by face, and includes personal bios and photos that humanize the staff.

Scarcity–Foxton, a U.K. real estate company, markets “fresh” properties by giving them tight listing windows and 30-minute open houses. Foxton sells 97 percent of their “fresh” properties, said Knight.

Reciprocity–When Mexico helped defend Ethiopia against Italy in the 1930s, Ethiopia never forgot. When Mexico City was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1985, Ethiopia sent aid, showing the power of reciprocity.

Commitment & Consistency–An example of this is loyalty cards given out at coffee shops or restaurants. These are stamped at each purchase and are eventually redeemed for a free food item, which keeps customers coming back.

Social Proof–Everyone remembers the McDonalds signs with the number of hamburgers sold—a great demonstration of how to use public means to emphasize success.

Contrast–First class vs. business class. Original price vs. sale price. When side-by-side, contrasting comparisons can be persuasive, Knight said.

—Erica Christoffer, REALTOR® magazine