Santa Claus is more than just a jolly fat man in a red suit. When you think about it, he is a marketing genius. Everybody knows him or knows about him.

You think Christmas... you think Santa. Think reindeer...think Santa. Think sleigh bells ringing”...you got it...you think Santa!

Santa is synonymous with Christmas, toys, trees, candy canes, and gum drops all kinds of stuff, yet he accomplished this without a press agent, or even a press kit for that matter. He never made a single, solitary cold call to sell himself and his wares. And he never ran an image ad, not even a small classified.

And publicity? Santa generates lots of publicity - movies, cartoons, satellite tracking on the nightly news....

You name it, Santa's got it.

What does Santa have that you don't? What is responsible for his phenomenal success, credibility and celebrity? And more important, what lessons can you learn from him to increase your own efforts toward achieving success? Could you ever hope to become as synonymous with real estate as he is with Christmas?

Maybe you can. Let's examine what he does that you can do, too.

1. Santa is unique. One of the first things glaringly apparent about Santa is his unique persona. He does things a whole lot differently than most of us - it's pretty hard to lose Santa in a crowd. There's just something about that red suit that's hard to ignore.

How about you and your business? Are you getting lost in the crowd? Are you just one of the ordinary? Are you an average real estate agent? Or have you somehow done something to set yourself apart?

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is all about setting yourself apart from the pack - positioning yourself and your business as so incredibly different and unique... people are literally compelled to notice and to seek you out.

Think about it. Santa's red suit immediately demands your attention every time you see it? It's one of Santa's unique selling propositions. What's yours?

2. Santa does something no one else can do.

Santa dons the red suit to do a job that no one else can do, and he is better able to do it than anyone else. He lives in the North Pole where he and his elves can work uninterrupted all year to prepare for the one night he brings toys to all the girls and boys in the world.

You can do something that no one else can do, too. Find that one thing you can do better than any one else. Perhaps it's understanding and addressing the particular housing needs of a certain demographic such as the elderly, singles or first time homebuyers. Perhaps you are (or can become) the expert within a certain neighborhood or homeowner's association. Do you have a hobby you love that could relate to the homeowning experience? Are you a golfer or a skier? Maybe you can use your expertise to develop a following for customers who are interested in golf or ski resort homes.

3. Santa knows what children want. Santa learned that children want toys for Christmas. Find out what your clients really want and provide it. Conduct a survey of all your past clients and ask them what they thought about you and your service. You need to know if you actually did address their wants and needs or if you left them lacking. Then resolve to make their desires the heart and soul of your marketing efforts.

Think about how you can distinguish your business from the hundreds or thousands of agents competing in your market. Make identifying and/or creating your "little red suit" a definite priority if you haven't already done so. Why don't you start now? Your goal: get noticed!

4. Santa has repeat business. You may have noticed that Santa enjoys an incredible volume of repeat business. Year after year after year the same people--starting from when they were just tiny tots all the way through adulthood--continue to look forward to receiving a visit from him. He visits you one time and that's it...you're hooked for life.

What's so special about that? Does Santa give value-added service perhaps? After all, he does go through an awful lot to please and to deliver what he has promised. He flies around the world in one night, squeezing through chimneys and keyholes to deliver goodies to the children.

The secret may lie in the fact that once he's paid his first visit, he did such a bang-up job of giving you what you wanted that he is confident that you know him, trust him and like him.

Do you have that kind of confidence? Do your customers know you, trust you and like you? Your centers of influence, your family, friends, acquaintances, and business associates all have one thing in common - they like to do business with someone they know and trust.

Your job is to keep reminders of yourself in front of them. Scratch pads, newsletters, birthday cards, calendars and other specialty reminders will help, but so will a personal phone call. How are you? It's simple, inexpensive, and shows you care.

5. Santa rewards good children. Santa rewards good children and gives a lump of coal to bad children. So how can you use this concept to create more business? Well, how about designing a certificate worth $100, $200, even $500...redeemable at closing...and make them available to every FSBO, expired listing, your centers of influence, within your farm area and/or targeted niche.

Maybe you could even increase the value of this certificate by offering a referral reward. This can turn your previous clients and contacts into your very own mighty sales force.

6. Santa never sells himself. He doesn't have to. Word-of-mouth has always been his greatest marketing strategy. Is it yours? Are you getting your fair share of compliments, kudos, and referrals? If not, you need to devise a plan that will. Improve your customer service, fill an unrepresented niche or work harder on maintaining your contacts.

Are you aggressive in your pursuit of referrals? You should be. Referrals can comprise 50, 60, even 70% of your business or more. They also come to you without the high cost of advertising to draw them in. They tend to buy faster and are more willing to listen to and heed the advice of their expert (that's you) whom they've come to know and trust. up a number of programs to aggressively pursue this very, very lucrative business.

7. Santa is a giver. Santa is first and foremost...a giver. His popularity can be traced back to his unfaltering attitude of being a giver...without recourse...without reservation.

Are you being perceived as a giver? Or as a taker? Are you a salesperson seeking to get something...a commissioned agent looking out for his or her best interests? Or, are you a consultant seeking to provide answers, solutions and benefits to your clients and everyone else you come into contact with...without recourse, without reservations?

Imagine the impact on your business the simple act of giving could impart. You may have represented the seller, but when the buyer moves in, why don't you bring them over a homecoming gift? Why don't you go out of your way to make sure they have all the local information they need... school locations, recreation facilities, shopping centers? Why don't you make it a point to discover where they work and route the best way to get there from their new home?

Always seek to give to everybody. Make it a point. Make it an integral part of your USP.

Give and you will reap ten-fold. It's one of those universal principles that made Santa who he is, and it can help you become the agent you want to be.

Merry Christmas to all!

Published: December 24, 1998

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