Do things differently! That was the theme of Marc Davison’s presentation on “Innovation, Disruption, Destruction” at The Key 2012 luxury real estate conference.
Marc Davison is a founder and principal at 1000Watt Consulting, and he certainly does things differently. 1000Watt was one of the first groups we sought advice from when we prepared to launch Concierge Auctions, and their guidance was spot-on. Marc and his team gave us first-class consulting on how to build a real estate brand… that is different.
Being different can sometimes have negative connotation, but in the sense that Marc speaks, it certainly has a positive ring. To do things differently means to be innovative, which is what we strive for at Concierge Auctions. But even innovative companies can become complacent. Marc’s presentation was a great reminder to keep us thinking about new ideas and always bringing the best options to our clients.
Here are some things I took from Marc that I will be thinking about to keep Concierge innovative and fresh in 2013.
On Companies and Innovation:
“Apple is great example of disrupting and destructing their own products, and continuing to innovate.” “Innovation is a state of mind….whether you are Subway, Ford, Gucci.”
Apple, Subway, Ford, Gucci. These are some of the most iconic brands in the world, while they range from budget to high-end. Apple deviated from their early computers and hardware and totally changed the landscape by launching the iPod and iPhones in the early 2000’s. If these companies can do it, so can you (and we!).
On Personal Innovation:
“Every single thing I have ever done that was great, I had no idea what I was doing.”“Creativity is a process. Make mistakes. They often lead to great breakthroughs.” “Continue to be innovative, continue to put your finger into things.”“Get out of group thing, go hang w/ other people, because if you hang out w/ same people you have no new ideas.”“Do new things. Ride a bike. Take a bubble bath.”
Now, I don’t know how many bubble baths I will be taking, but just follow Marc’s blog to know that his process works. He writes some of the most creative and entertaining marketing-focused content on the web. So, who knows? Maybe I will take a bubble bath in 2013 — and think about transforming the real estate landscape while I do it.
On Real Estate and Innovation:
“The real estate industry is no stranger to innovation.”“Why is RedFin successful? Because they are completely customer centric.”
Funny, because this is the one of the things we see as the most important aspect of selling and marketing luxury real estate – pleasing our clients. In our case, the primary client is the seller. They bring their luxury property to us and trust us to market, sell, and represent them with the service and class they have come to expect as high-net-worth individuals. We, in turn, absolutely follow through on everything that we promise them.
And one for the road:
“You have an idea, then go for it, because someone else will do it.”
You are never going to progress and grow as a company or as an individual if you do not Innovate, Disrupt, and Destruct. If you do things the way everyone else has done for years, the best result you can hope for is average. If you have an idea, large or small, just do it.
Here’s to flipping everything on it’s head in 2013!
Image: Real estate marketing guru Marc Davidson, in his trademark style, presents on keeping your marketing fresh at The Key 2012 luxury real estate conference.
What will you do differently in marketing your products in 2013?
