I have to admit to a guilty pleasure!
Guilt because so many people appear to dismiss it as an irritating distraction that I don’t want to admit my appreciation of it and pleasure because… it’s simply so much fun!
I speak of course of Celebrity Traitors – the TV phenomena that attracts a massive audience from all socio- economic classes and age groups and a must view for many of us on Wednesday and Thursday evenings for the last few weeks.
In perhaps a desperate attempt to further justify my addiction to this compelling bi-weekly televisual event (yes each and every episode really is an event!) I honestly believe that there is so much to actually learn about human behaviour from Celebrity Traitors. Lessons that estate agents and other professional sales people would, in my humble opinion, do well to be reminded of if not discover something new. So as is my preference, and in adherence to the famous “rule of 3”, here are three lessons from Celebrity Traitors that every agent should be aware of…
People make decisions based on emotions not facts – Most psychologists tell us that when people have to make a buying decision, it is often initially made on the basis of emotions and subsequently the brain attempts to justify that decision by searching for facts to back up that decision. That is certainly my own personal experience and if most people are honest I would suggest that they would agree – all be it reluctantly.
Participants in Celebrity Traitors, particularly the group known as the “Faithful”, definitely behave in this way. They frequently make decisions as to who the “Traitors” are based on intuition and feelings and not on facts. Sure, there is precious little actual data and evidence for them to work on but they still make a decision based on their emotional responses and then try to support that decision by imagining or just simply inventing evidence that is not there.
The lesson here is that when attending a marketing appraisal or viewing, remember that your potential customer will make their decisions largely based on emotions. So speak with them using reflective emotional language and have the facts ready to either challenge or support their contention. How many times have you heard a prospective home buyer say “ I KNEW this was the property for me as soon as I walked through the door. It just felt right!” ? A ludicrous statement really and based purely on emotions.
Social proofing really is a thing – We all like to think that we make our own decisions (based on evidence) not necessarily influenced by what others do or say but this is rarely the case despite protestations to the contrary. Social proofing is on full display in every episode of Celebrity Traitors, particularly if the participants are unsure as to who they will nominate for eviction at the dreaded round table.
Whilst participants are forced to make their own decisions and vote accordingly, they are frequently and surprisingly easily influenced by the group. Joe Marler’s “Big Dog Theory” is an excellent example of this. Plausible and brilliantly explained, this theory was certainly supported by many of the participants and became an accepted wisdom that ultimately led to the unfortunate demise of Stephen Fry.
As estate agents we rely on social proofing to maintain a successful business and brand, be it from reviews or word of mouth recommendations.
As Steve Jobs said…
“If a customer buys once, you made a sale. If they come back, you built trust. If they tell others, you built a brand.”
Authenticity counts (or does it?) – Honesty, transparency and openness are traits that everyone says they look for in both personal and business relationships. The problem is that it is sometimes VERY difficult to assess authenticity – particularly in a short period of time.
Ironically, Celebrity Traitors is littered with examples of both deceptive and authentic behaviour, it’s at the very core of the whole show. For what it’s worth, I believe that the celebrities in this series have actually been themselves – well within the rules of the game! I suspect that the “market value” of each of the participants will have increased subsequent to this show due mainly to the fact that they have genuinely been themselves – for good or bad. This will be particularly true for actress Celia Imrie, famed for her “posh” persona.
The now famous incident when Celia not only noisily broke wind on camera but actually owned up to it with no embarrassment will no doubt become part of TV folklore. Millions of people witnessed a real moment of authenticity and whether we thought it was disgusting or simply funny, we all knew that this was real and not contrived. In the game of life, Celia will benefit from this.
Whether the apparent authenticity of the Traitors will triumph over the Faithful is an interesting question but in the long term authenticity I believe, really does count.
Whilst I would not recommend breaking wind at a marketing appraisal or viewing appointment, perhaps strongly challenging the sellers perception of value or openly discussing a negative aspect of a property you are seeking to sell will go some way to demonstrating authenticity.
Perhaps you still consider Celebrity Traitors to be an example of trivial TV unworthy of respect or in my case adulation! If so, good for you. I still believe that there is much to learn from and use those lessons in our business and personal life… oh it’s great fun too!
What do YOU think?
PS
As I write this piece, I have no idea who will win though by the time of publication the winners name(s) will be public knowledge. I will be watching the final with my Mum at her home in Lincolnshire supported with a glass (or 6) of wine and I simply can’t wait!
Simon Bradbury is a consultant specialising in securing new instructions and runs a (very) small estate agency powered by eXp.
