One 23-year old woman launches her first pop album in 2008 and within two years is named as one of the 100 most influential celebrities by Time magazine and Forbes. Did she have the best voice?
One struggling entrepreneur breaks out from reality star to best selling author to create a company that sold for a reported $120 million in under two years. Did she have the best product?
One young girl who grew up in an environment of poverty and abuse rises from an average television reporter job to become one of the world’s most admired women. Was she that good of a reporter?
If Lady Gaga, Bethenny Frankel, and Oprah don’t strike you as particularly relevant to the home builder industry, take another look. These examples of unlikely, fast track successes within exceptionally competitive fields share three common traits that can help homebuilders create a lasting (and profitable) legacy:
Empathy. Transparency. Passion.
Is it fair to say that only women possess these qualities? Of course not. But as we reposition ourselves (as people, as companies, and as an industry) for the road ahead, these women have some powerful lessons for how even the most unlikely contenders can transform into megawatt brands:
Empathy: Ask Lady Gaga what drives her and she will tell you that it is about letting every teenager who feels different that they are valuable and perfect the way that they are. By targeting one of the most universal themes of the audience most likely to buy pop music, she aligned her story with her audience and created success.
What is the most universal theme for your buyers? How do you speak to it? (Hint: It’s not “the best price.”)
Transparency: Turn on your tv to an episode featuring Bethenny Frankel (or follow her on Twitter) and you’ll see someone who bares everything, warts and all. It’s not always pretty, and that’s the point. The bestselling author and creator of Skinnygirl Margarita (which recently sold for a reported $120 million) isn’t successful because she unlocked the mystery of weight loss and guilt-free libations. Her audience feels that they know her and they feel like she is relatable.
How real, accessible, and relatable are you for your buyers? This isn’t just a question for salespeople. It’s for builders, marketers, managers, customer service reps. It’s all of us (yes, me too). The days of glossy brochures and models with the plastic fruit glued down are over. It’s time to get real.
Passion: Forget the weight loss stories and the makeovers and the free cars. Watch more than 450 young men who never thought that they could afford a college education march up on stage to thank Oprah for the scholarships that she funded and you begin to understand what it means to professionally create something that outlasts the next house, the next sale, or the next community. What it means to create something that transforms people lives.
How is what you’re doing today leaving a legacy that is bigger than the checks you’re cashing?
Empathy. Transparency. Passion.
These are not simply nice ideas, or peppy little platitudes. These are traits than transform brands in very real ways that mean real dollars for your bottom line. The future leaders of the industry are not going to lead because they have the best floor plan, or the homes that are the most energy efficient, or the best parcels of land (ok, that always helps).
It’s the ones that create something memorable, something extraordinary, something exceptional for buyers.
Where does it start?
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