Lessons From the Wild

Lesson 1 - Don't Be a Peacock

During the mating season, the male peacock wins over the female by displaying a shimmering spectacle of gold, green, blue, bronze and purple tail feathers. Though these feathers look multicolored, they are actually brown. Each feather is made up of thin transparent layers of keratin and melanin pigment that have grooves and ridges that catch and splinter the light. Light is reflected back in a dazzling array of copper, bronze, gold, blue-green and violet. Like the colors in a soap bubble, the colors in a peacock fan are pure illusion.

The peacock is of all birds the most proud, and indeed his body and feathers are beautiful. When he walks about he admires himself greatly, but when he looks down and sees his feet he gives out a loud cry, for they are very ugly.

I liken the peacock's enjoyment of his beauty and the success it has afforded him with the opposite sex to that of a real estate professional today. Just as the peacock cries out when it sees his ugly feet, so will the man cry out when he sees the illusion of a foundation beneath.

Don't Puff-up or Blow Smoke

Success in the market place is determined by a positive perception of you and your company. What perception does our customer perceive about us and our business? Are their perceptions consistent with what we desire them to think and feel? What are some ways we can guard and guide the client's perception? Never puff-up or blow smoke. Instead be authentic, be you...quirky, silly, real. We like working, playing and doing business with folks who are 'real'. Real people feel trustworthy and crediable.

Next blog let's talk about the 5 C's of Creating a Positive Perception.