” A ‘speciality goods’ purchaser is well aware of what they want and are willing
to make a special effort to purchase that item or service. If it means
going to the next city for a special car, pay a premium price or even travel overseas
for medical treatment they will, and “to hell with the cost”. Speciality
goods are often higher priced (think Commission) and have unique characteristics
(fine marketing, superior negotiation skills, outstanding service). Agents,
property managers & salespeople can all be perceived as a ‘speciality good’ if
they offer distinctive services where their potential clients will seek out their
skilled services without shopping around. If you develop an image of the
“only" person or agent in your area of speciality you can develop and importantly
maintain a unique market position and continually differentiate yourself from
the majority of agents.This will substantially increase your income for a relatively
low outlay. Public perception in a lot of marketplaces has it that most
agents look the same, market the same and the only real difference is lower fees!
We utilise the scarcity factor when marketing property but do we do it
when marketing ourselves? Creating an effective ongoing marketing
plan is essential but the critical factor is an impeccable reputation and
a strong successful image. Begin with marketing and continually marketing those
key factors. Create a series of action
plans. Do you fully understand the intimate characteristics of your
target market? For example age, income profiles, family size, demographics, cultural
background, market trends and how they best receive ongoing communication is important.
Therefore which delivery method should be used ie SMS, MMS, letterbox, direct
mail, email and so forth is critical. Are your marketing strategies based
on your clients needs? What strategies do you have in place to obtain more
repeat and referral business? When was the last time you reviewed your
customer care and long term customer retention policy and the method of delivery.
If the newsletters are hardcopy are they printed on recycled paper. Should the
newsletter be email based? Or a blending of the two. A technology review
along with software from database tools to trust accounting, telephony and communications
devises should be conducted soon. To maintain the ‘speciality good’ proposition
the publicity machine needs to be working in overdrive at all times. Items such
as editorials, syndicated news releases,
guest speaking, seminars, panels, charity support and boards and awards are only
a few of the high exposure items you can utilise. In order to differentiate
yourself from the competition continually market yourself as a ‘speciality good’,
the agent vendors and landlords seek out in the hope that you are available to
handle their business. Your reward, apart from excellent satisfaction will be
low stress levels and a vastly improved bottom line. | 
