The REAL Team Eric – and what my boys teach me about marketing…

by Eric Blackwell

The Real Estate Group, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake VA

Author website

You have probably noticed me talk about Team Eric–a group of Real Estate Agents who work with me as part of the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World contest. (Thankfully, this effort concludes in two weeks! It has been fun!). But here is the REAL Team Eric.

That would be the lovely Mrs Eric (codename: Jen) along with our 4 kids. Why am I getting personal with this post? Well, because I have learned MUCH about marketing from THIS Team Eric. (and would like to share some of it.) Especially the one in the upper right (Cameron ,16 ) and the lower left (Jordan, 9).

What do a 9 year old and a 16 year old know about marketing? Actually quite a bit. You see, they are in the business of marketing real hope to parents and other kids with Autism. Cameron has Asperger’s syndrome and Jordan has classic Autism. They speak at seminars nationally on the subject. Yes it is kind of wierd to be the parent of kids who regularly can comfortably get up in front of hundreds of people and talk about “their life with Autism” and “Autism Mythbusters” and other such fun.

So, anyway, here are some quick things they have taught me:

1. Be online. Promote it. They wanted me to help them create AutismNotes.com. So we did. They wanted to give up their anonymity (to a degree) to help others. So we did. They are NEVER too busy to let someone know about the site and are always talking with people about it.

2. Manage your Reputation. Google “Cameron Blackwell autism” or “Jordan Blackwell autism” you will see quite a bit about stuff they are doing. If you Google your name, how are you doing? Cam has 6 of the top 10 for ‘Cameron Blackwell’.

3. Make Friends. That has been the theme of what I have tried to do with the Google contest, but the idea was NOT original. Cameron over the years has actually befriended SCORES of the worlds leading minds in the field of Autism. Many have had dinner at Casa de Blackwell! His example has inspired me to not worry about what people think. He is at a point where he could pass in society as NOT having Asperger’s Syndrome and yet he explains it this way, “I am who I am. If they don’t accept me with Aspergers, then I don’t want them anyway.” (He does not lack for friends…who accept him just fine)

4. Use ALL of the media at your disposal. If you click this link, you will see newspaper, here’s some TV, etc. Cameron writes for the newsletter of the leading Autism Publisher. They are never too busy to talk with a reporter.

5. Don’t be afraid to say what you think. To anyone. Greg’s post from a while ago struck me with the same feeling that these two give me. Don’t bow to the pressure to conform. Be authentic. Be who you are. I remember two things about a conference in Phoenix last year. Jordan told one of the reporters who asked, “How is it different having Autism?” Quote: “I didn’t walk or talk much when I was little and just scooted around on my butt..(followed by a big grin,almost daring the reporter to put that on the Channel 5 news at 6pm)..It’s not a big deal, I just learn differently.” and my favorite line when he saw a banner in the hallway that said “We will find a cure.” — Quote “I don’t NEED a CURE, there is nothing WRONG with me.” That, friends is being unbowed. As a dad, I couldn’t have been prouder. The words ‘I will not kneel.’ keep coming to mind from that post, Greg…thanks for writing that. My new mantra after that was “You fix things that are broken. You remove obstacles from out in front of things with infinite worth and potential. As a dad, I am in the obstacle removal business. I am NOT in the fixing business.”

6. Know your strengths. They know that on camera or in front of a crowd, they can “wow” people with their speaking ability and use that to show people that it CAN be done. They also innately ‘get’ the fact that people now call them because of past speaking engagements that they have done. (90 minutes off of a powerpoint in front of a crowd, no notes…seriously) This works as well in the real estate business where we KNOW our strength is on the phone and face to face. We need to provide online resources that will make people come to our strengths, where we can truly CONVERT them (or better yet, have them come to us pre-converted or referred!)

The fun part is that they measure their results as well. While in business, our return is measured in dollars and cents, ROI, and pure revenue…theirs is a breakeven at best proposition. People pay them to speak around the country, they get out of a few days of school here and there (not much, but a few days…), it basically covers their travel (and Jen’s) and provides them with some really neat opportunities along the way.

Their REAL return is in the relationships that they have been able to create and the hopes that they have raised for parents of the newly diagnosed little ones…Jordan said it best at the last Autismm rally that he spoke at. “If the parents lose hope then the child will lose hope.” They count those, believe me.

As good as I get at marketing, I have the feeling I will still competing with these two of my kids and their efforts. Yeah…I am a doting dad and all that (darn right!)…but I still have a lot to learn from everyone. Especially my kids.