Visceral
I am woefully, hopelessly and – sigh – permanently addicted to the book authored by Simon Sinek called “Start With Why.”
If you read this blog, you already knew that. This is at least the fourth (I can’t even keep track!) blog post I’ve written that has been inspired by that book.
Today, I want to focus on ONE WORD that keeps sticking in my thoughts as I continue to process all the great information Simon Sinek lays down in this epiphany creation machine of his.
Deep-Seated Emotional Response
And that word is “Visceral.”
His point: UNLESS you make a visceral connection with your customers/clients, you will NEVER instill any level of long-term loyalty in them.
Here is a quote from the book (see on page 125) that makes the point:
But we know that people often go out of their way, pay a premium or suffer an inconvenience to buy a product that resonates on a visceral level with them.
And “features & benefits” DO NOT evoke that visceral response which is so fundamental to creating the long-term loyalty that creates companies, brands and people that have lasting success.
Non-Visceral, “Features & Benefits-Based” Messages
Examples of “features and benefits” ideas that create no visceral response in people:
We’re cheaper- We have more (insert bell and or whistle here)
- We’re the biggest
- We’re the best
- We’re number one
- We are extremely successful
- We have the most people/agents/offices/sales
- We have the best idea/plan/concept
Visceral, Inspirational Messages
Examples of messages that inspire and create visceral response in people:
“I have a dream” (Martin Luther King)- “We challenge the status quo and empower the individual” (Apple)
- “We make decisions at the top that have the best interests of the group at heart” (Continental Airlines)
- “I am a renegade” (Harley-Davidson)
- “The Ultimate Driving Machine” (BMW)
Allow me to give you one example in real estate of an individual successfully building a brand and a reputation based on making consistently visceral connections with everyone he meets: Jay Thompson (@phxREguy) of Thompson’s Realty in Phoenix, AZ. I cannot explain exactly HOW he does this, but I can tell you THAT he does it. Start reading his blog and you’ll quickly understand what I am talking about.
I’ve included some additional commentary specific to real estate in the video below. The bottom line: if you want to build a lasting business – whether as a brand, an office, a broker, a team or an agent – you absolutely MUST start connecting with people on a visceral level…
Link to Video featuring Simon Sinek: Click HERE
Comments feed
