What color is a stop sign? It's red (with white letters, yes). What color is a yield sign? It's red and white.
The ActiveRain commenters were far better at knowing that they the people I asked. At the seminar, nearly everyone, including my husband and I, said Yellow. We were amazed to learn that yield signs haven't been yellow for
27 years!
Our first impression lasted for 27 years! I thought it might be age related, so when I got back to the office, I asked my 30s daughter and 40s son - both said Yellow. Almost 100% of the people I encountered that I asked also said Yellow.
I think the real lesson is more for real estate than for safe driving (as long as we do Yield, it doesn't matter what color we thought the sign was). We tell our sellers how important a first impression is. Curb appeal is needed to draw the potential buyers inside. If a property is dark when the prospects first go in, that's their perception, and it takes much more to overcome that than if the drapes were open and the lights on when they first came in. Many people need a hook or a story to remember things, or to put an idea into perspective. Share the above questions with them if you think it will help.
Sharon,
I remember back when Jim Weichert bought my old company, and we were all horrified when we saw our new company's gaudy yellow signs - you know, the color that attracts bugs at night? Our old green and white signs were so much more tasteful!
Well, within a week after the old signs were replaced by the less than subtle yellow ones, I noticed a huge increase in the number of sign calls I got from a listing I had on a very busy street. Then I drove by it at night. I could read my phone number at midnight in pitch darkness whizzing by at 40 MPH. And no, I was not driving!
So, yellow says to me "Slow down and notice!" And you're right, they remember.
I left Weichert soon after the merger, and I sort of miss the yellow!
Jon - yet another significant point for real estate - the first impression WE make on potential clients.
Nancy - Most people think they are trick questions, and are hesitant to answer.
Missy - Guess we're a Yellow Fellows group.
Charlie - in our market you need every advantage.
Patricia - very interesting color observation. When we changed from Prudential Florida Realty to Arvide, tens of thousands of signs "popped up" overnight. The signs were half blue and half green, and they brought lots more calls than our previous maroon and navy ones did.
What way to simple way to bring a point across to a seller. It find it funny as I show homes to buyers inevitably the item that captured the buyers attention will be what they refer to the home as during the buying selection process.
ie: the house with the dog, the house that smelled like air freshener, the house with the big bathroom, the house with disney colors....
Sharon: I still want to argue that yield signs are yellow. I swear the are...
Love your analogy to real estate.
(mumble: I still believe yeld signs are yellow, at least in California~~)
Michele - I make that into a game for buyers and have them name any house that they want to keep in consideration (and sometimes they name the ones that they throw out as well). One that I remember is "The Grumpy Lady's House" from many years ago.
Katerina - yes, indeed. First impressions are so hard to change and overcome.
Roberta - when I'm out there to teach your CLHMS course I'll check (or will you paint the ones I pass yellow before I get there??).
Ashley - I love it. You and Roberta have started a competition - which of you will find the most still-standing yellow yield signs? I want photos of the ones you find!
Kim - it's important to relate the things we learn to the things we do, to our own lives.
Sharon, dark homes definitely a turn off. Now every time I drive by a yield sign, I'll be looking to see if it's red and it will remind me of you. Now, who's making an impression?
WOW - Great point- I thought yellow and so did Bill!!!!! It was when we took our driving tests back in the 60's!!
That really reinforces that first impressions are SO important!!!
Wow. The power of first impressions are reinforced.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, You Can't Get to the Right Place by Going the WRONG WAY!, and thanks for making a comment.
Virginia - not called the Old Dominion for nothing! Yellow yield signs here! Stop signs? Don't have them anymore - at least people don't see them anymore.
Dan - it's always good to hear from you!
Ed - interesting. Your stop signs must be like our red lights - in the Land of The Ignored.