The Ugly Duckling in a Barrel of Monkeys…Mixing Metaphors in a Mixed Marketplace

No that is not my picture next to my name. I wish I looked as classic and old-fashioned in black and white.

Joining the ranks of salesmen and attorneys, I have always considered myself as different than the last-resort-joke portrayals. As a real estate agent, broker, professional I am often challenged with the task of differentiating myself from the rest of the crowd of folks out there that share the same occupational category and often unfortunate reputation. I vowed not to smear my face all business cards, billboards, notepads, fridge magnets and calenders only to have people give you that half-cocked, one eye squinting look of “I know you from somewhere” but never really making the connection until they scribble over your face while taking a phone message. I also vowed that I would do things differently. I spent too long of a very short period of my life selling a product to people who did not really need it to find my deep desire to be ethically and practically useful, a.k.a. valuable. I personally like sleep at night too much to provide a product, service and business that provides nothing less than great service, the ability to fill an actual need and to perform said services for a more than competitive price.

Enter the Ugly Duckling. I was taught that ad homonyms, hasty generalizations and the contrast effect are often the worst forms of persuasion and communication. Instead of contributing to these bad approaches to salesmanship in overtly obvious ways, I will attempt to subtly insert them into the following text.

When you bring a better product and service to the marketplace and provide it for less you don’t make friends out of your counterparts. I have made a long catalog of “oh, your one of those guys” from other folks in my field who give you the same squinting-eye look as the before mentioned. My motivation, I make just enough income while sleeping like a newborn with my valuable services. Everyone wins, right? I won’t be nominated for the local board’s popularity contest. When I drive by in my ‘53 Willy’s Wagon you definitely won’t recognize me, although I will get the “wait a second..I think I….that is a cool car….I wonder what kind it is” look from this point forward (that is from the 2 people who actually read this blog from the Kansas City area). I will gain the trust of my clients one at a time. Referral business has been my only business until my brother Trent (the attorney) convinced me that I need to Blog. I will be patient, establish myself as an ethical, moral and trustworthy person and let me business take its form of success in the long run. Having a good deal of experience in many aspects of my business helps while serving as a steward, educator and advocate for my clients, friends and family.

I am surrounding myself with people who have the same beliefs and perspectives to provide a truly valuable service and name association. Just as my approach to my own clientele is patient, I will build a business one team member at a time until we have the best representation of actual needs for the consumer adequately provided for in each of the various arms of real estate segments.

In an attempt to differentiate our business from others, we become just like everyone else. I recognize the great contradiction in this prose that our great desire to be different makes us all the same. I really wish our word and our handshake meant something like it used to. This is my attempt to shake your hand and to set the stage for our first conversation together. This should establish a brief history into the who, why and how as it pertains to our future business. My chance to do the talking so that our meeting isn’t filled with long-winded grandstanding. For that, this Blog is important when there are plenty of monkey out there to choose from.

Sometimes being the ugly duck in a barrel of monkeys can pay off. Those who desire to learn more about any of the above mentioned might actually see man behind the curtain and I guarantee I will bring you a valuble experience.

~ by T. Marcus on June 23, 2008.