Monday, June 21, 2010

ARE YOU AN "AUTHENTICK"?

Saw an absolutely fascinating article in Realtor Magazine recently about psychographics, the study of backgrounds, lifestyles, beliefs and aspirations to develop portraits of consumer behavior.

Years ago, Tony Robbins educated me on "Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic" learning. In other words, all people learn differently, and if you can tell whether people learn and communicate best by sound, sight or touch, it will greatly improve the quality of your communication and presentations. It's a high level skill and one I really enjoy applying in my business. (I'm a visual, by the way)

Psychographics seems to take it to the next level.

Dennis Cahill, who runs the Ohio-based company that created psychographics, uses the following chart to educate salespeople on how to communicate with different types of clients:

ACHIEVERS - are ambitious, hardworking and family-oriented. They often want a high-end home that reflects their success. They are looking for a sophisticated, low-key marketing approach that appeals to status.

AUTHENTICKS - are individualistic, community-oriented, environmentally conscious and aware of world affairs. They tend to like open, airy floorplans with large windows and plenty of space. They choose an agent based on relationships, driven by personal connections and referrals.

HEARTLANDERS - are guardians of traditional values, like family, country and community. These people are often drawn to established subdivisions and put an emphasis on community, but they do not like dramatic change.

TRENDERS - are early career strivers who want to grow up to be ACHIEVERS. They like popular neighborhoods and convenient urban locations that offer lifestyle as well as a place to live. They're often techy, and want you to be techy too.

SELF-SUFFICIENTS - are often blue collar workers or tradespeople. They lean toward traditional styles, but are not averse to fixer uppers. They like value and comfort, and don't want to be dazzled with statistics.

Of course, there are variances to all of these generalities, but the conversation is interesting. The goal is always to communicate clearly and deliver the information your clients need in a way that connects with them.

If ours is a service-based business, then part of that service has to be learning to communicate in the most effective ways possible. It means being a lifelong learner in all areas - not just in market statistics and home design, but in communication methodologies as well.