PBP? What does that mean?

The papers in Dubai recently seem inundated with news about new real estate projects, each one tries to be better than the other and superlatives shout out in their print ads and on billboards across the city. So, how do I as a customer, navigate my way through the clutter in information and choice to make a decision that would be appropriate for me?

I see the same royalty-free stock shot and promises of utopia in the desert with a fake smile or a staged family sitting around a kitchen table, then I see the 0% down-payment message & an obscure company's logo that's recently been incorporated. Hardly the sort of thing that instills confidence... and to make it more appealing they throw in a free car!

Real Estate companies need to look inwards first and understand that buying a house is one of the most expensive investments an individual makes in his life time, so why not engage me as an equal in the communication and acknowledge the many questions that need to be addressed. Be direct, be original, don't show a piece of Italy in Dubai or promises of English countryside. Convince me that your development will be a reliable one, that you'll deliver on time and not have any hidden charges.

Typically, companies that successfully make this leap have a PBP in their core culture; Purpose Beyond Profit. This allows organisations to sell without trying to sell - they make a connection by telling their story with real people to real people. Disney's purpose is to be the happiest place on earth - selling fun then becomes easier.

Amnesty International's purpose is to protect human rights, getting onto the government panels of various countries and generating revenue becomes easier because of their unfaltering purpose.

I think all organisations need that little something that exceeds what's the stakeholders see in their bank, after all, not everything that can be counted actually counts.