by David Chapman
Staff Writer
In the seas of change that swirl within the current real estate market, being a shark will get you nowhere. It’s an octopus you want to be, according to Butch Grimes, the speaker at the recent Wells Fargo “Center Stage” event at the University of North Florida.
Grimes, whose resume includes being a real estate broker, entrepreneur, radio talk show host, motivational speaker and media corporation founder, offered his advice and inspiration to the almost 350 Realtors in attendance. His message of Realtors becoming eight-tentacle mollusks might have confused some initially, but Grimes explained in detail.
“Octopi are social,” said Grimes, “They can survive and adapt.”
The eight arms of an octopus, he said, represent the eight actions that every Realtor should be doing in order to succeed: planning, strategizing, moving, hunting, adapting, retaining, surviving and conquering.
Grimes also discussed some of the marketing and branding techniques that have made him successful in Los Angeles.
“I’m in the sky’s the limit club, the endless possibilities club, the thinking outside the box club,” he said.
An optimist, Grimes said the focus of Realtors needs to be a change in focus and not think and act like other Realtors.
“When you focus on the obvious, you’re like everyone else,” he said. “Most times, we tend to limit what we do. We don’t add value, we fear and fight change.”
You can shake things up, he noted, by getting outside your comfort zone.
“You’ve got to be Younique,” he said.
Grimes kept the crowd thinking and interacting through a couple of exercises intended to help them loosen up. On one occasion, Realtors were told to pair up and give high-fives to one another, then create their own handshake. Shortly after, they paired up again and did listening exercises. One of the two in a pair were told to discuss real estate for a minute while the other did nothing but stare and listen — no smiling, no nodding, no communicating. The purpose was to listen effectively without the use of body language that might alter a conversation.
Grimes also discussed different marketing tools he uses that has made him successful and recognizable and urged Realtors to “think outside-the-box”, too.
“I take all of my clients in a limo,” he said, “Most of my clients haven’t been in a limo since high school.”
The limousine is decked out with signs and stickers of his face and company to help brand himself constantly, Grimes noted. He even takes senior citizens to the polls during election times in the limousine. The reason? It generates a buzz and it gets his product talked about.
But that’s not the only sweet ride he rolls around in– he also has a company-branded ice cream truck. Free ice cream for children who run from their houses make parents follow and bridge the gap and creates more buzz, he said.
Not all of methods are as flamboyant or costly, as Grimes also advocated using technology that’s available that many Realtors neglect to use or don’t know about, such as:
• Skypecasts: “A new form of conferencing worth looking in to.”
• Text messaging: “It’s easy, effective and can reach a huge client base.”
• Video e-mail: “I don’t even send normal e-mails anymore.
• Virtual open houses: “You need a camera but it’s worth the investment.”
• Teleseminars: “Host an educational seminar on the phone.”
• Podcast: “Keep them 10 minutes long and 10 megabytes.”
All these technologies can help Realtors create a buzz about themselves to attract new clients but it’s not a sale that Realtors should be concerned with, he opined.
“Focus on the relationship and not the sale and you’ll have a lifetime of business,” he said. “People don’t buy homes... they buy you.”
He also advocated educating clients on a myriad of issues and used a 2006 Harris Poll to illustrate his point about trust and relationships with clients. The poll revealed that out of 11 varying professional fields, real estate agents were second from last in terms of trusted advice, above only stock brokers.
“We’ve got to get that up there higher to where doctors and dentists are,” said Grimes. “You can do your part by educating.”
The advice he hammered home throughout his seminar the most, though, conflicted with an old business adage about success. Grimes even sang the advice later with the help of a few audience members.
“It’s not what you know, it’s not who you know,” he said, “it’s who knows you.”
The business cards you receive are better than the ones you give, he said, because it builds a database for later marketing and referrals and lets you contact others instead of relying on others to contact you.
To close the seminar, Grimes showed a video that reiterated his point about the octopus. Lying in wait on the ocean floor, a giant octopus grasped and captured a passing shark. It’s that type of cunning and adaptability that Grimes preaches to Realtors to help get them through the turbulent times.
“You have to have a whatever it takes attitude,” he said. “Go out there and get it.”