Video Shopping Tip: Standard, Standard, Standard: The Case of Marcia vs. Jan
I have to admit it; I was a big fan of The Brady Bunch. Yes, I had a crush on Greg and was loyal to him even during all the ‘terrible perm’ years! But to me, one of the most interesting dynamics about the show was the relationship between the oldest and middle of the ‘Hair of Gold, like their Mother’ daughters: Marcia and Jan.
Didn’t it always seem like Jan got the short end of the stick? I mean even Cindy with her cute lisp and blonde curly pigtails got her fair share of attention. Not so with our dear Jan. She just wasn’t quite as popular, perfect or pretty as Marcia. Jan was *stuck* in the land of STANDARD. Remember how she used to say ‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia….why is everything ALWAYS about Marcia’?
So, you might be wondering what in the world the Brady Bunch has to do with the new home sales industry (aside from the fact that Mike was an accomplished architect). Well, if you think about our industry and the way we sell homes, in a lot of cases we are showing our prospects the beautifully decorated, highly upgraded model home (Marcia) when in reality, the version of the home that they are buying is the standard version with the standard features (Jan). So, how do you SELL Jan, when your buyers are looking at Marcia?
Let me introduce you to the JAN concept (in honor of the ‘Standard’ Brady)
- Just because it is standard doesn’t mean it isn’t GOOD. In fact, use this as an opportunity to showcase all of the home’s included features! Shop your competition so you know which standard features of yours are better than theirs. Be proud of your standard features!
- Answer questions about the features honestly and disclose all upgrades. Most buyers know that when they are in a model home, they are looking at the “pimped up” version of the house. That’s OK. Go over the standard features with them. They will appreciate it! And, so will you. There is nothing worse than a buyer thinking that an upgrade was an included feature after they have bought the house!
- Never use the word STANDARD as a negative. In fact, think of new words or phrases to describe your standard features to create a positive impact with your prospects. Think ‘included state of the art features’, ‘included builder’s designer package’. Finally, know your product inside and out. Take the time to fall in LOVE with standard Jan! It will make selling a lot easier!
You see, most of us can actually relate more to the Jan version than the Marcia version of any product. Let’s show our buyers that STANDARD is actually EXCEPTIONAL!
Now, on another note, I want to know if YOU have a favorite Brady Bunch episode. If you do, let me know which one it was! Personally, I am torn between the one where Marcia’s nose gets broken by a football on the night of her big date with Davy Jones of the Monkees; and the one where Marcia and Greg run against each other for student body president! Good stuff!!
