SalesMotivation.net

by Dirk Zeller

Picking up the phone

In your effort to stay in touch, add value, and generate referrals, you’ll want to pick up the phone and call some of your contacts weekly, some monthly, and maybe some only one time each year. To organize the effort, create phone lists that are segmented by the level of connection and frequency of contact you have with each group.

* Your star clients and closest friends and associates deserve star treatment. These people are sold on you and the service you provide. They want to help you advance your career. They’re happy to hear from you, and they’re likely to send you more referrals than you’ll get from any other portion of your contact list. It’s okay to treat them differently than everyone else. In fact, it’s good business. Call those in this category monthly or at least one time every other month, and weave a referral request into each conversation.

* Past clients and those in your sphere of influence should be called at least once a year. Unless you have an enormous database, anyone you have serviced in your career should hear from you personally and over the phone at least once every 12 months.

Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and make calls just to thank people for their business, see how they’re doing, and ask if there’s anything you can do for them. Most consumers, when called by a service provider, are delighted and honored by the contact. If you got a friendly call out of the blue from your insurance agent, attorney, accountant, or financial advisor, you’d be both surprised and pleased. The same is likely to be the case when you call your clients.

Showing appreciation

The National Association of REALTORS® now includes more than 1.3 million members. Obviously, your clients have a choice! Do you thank them often enough for choosing you?

I have to admit that I’ve become aware of how little common courtesy is extended in our society as the result of our efforts to instill the “magic” words please and thank you into the conversations of our five-year-old son, Wesley. I’m amazed at the positive responses we receive from waiters, grocery store clerks, bank tellers, and other service providers who heap praise about what a polite little boy he is when he displays courtesies that, it seems, should be standard fare in every-day exchanges.

From watching the reactions to my son, I’m more certain than ever that you can set yourself apart by conveying courtesy and appreciation to your clients on an ongoing basis. Express thanks several times during the transaction and again after the closing. Say “thank you” every time clients sign anything like a listing agreement, buyer agency contract, or an offer or counter offer. Frequently affirm that they’ve made a good decision in working with you or choosing to buy their home. And constantly confirm that you appreciate their business.
The power of a thank you note

I truly believe the most powerful force in the business world is a handwritten thank you note. That may sound terribly “old school” to techno-savvy agents, but it’s exactly what you need to send if you want to set yourself apart.

I remember my mother sitting down with her three boys at the kitchen table each year after Christmas to write thank you notes for the gifts we received. Over our protests, she insisted that, by accepting the gifts, we accepted the responsibility to write a thank you note.

“Back then” writing thank you notes was a standard operating procedure. Today thank you notes arrive rarely, and as a result, they carry far more weight. They convey, in essence, the message that “you matter so much that I took the time to craft a message with my own hand.”

Exceeding expectations

The keys to exceeding expectations are few and pretty obvious: extend courtesy, say thanks, demonstrate appreciation, and always be professional and keep in mind that little gestures go a long way toward building strong relationships.

You don’t have to go overboard. Small gifts like ice cream cone certificates for the children, movie tickets for the adults, or coffee shop coupons make the point that you appreciate working with your contacts and receiving their referrals, whether they result in business or not.

My only caution is to be sure that every gesture you make further enhances your professional reputation. A few years back, the Wall Street Journal featured a profile on the service styles of three real estate agents. One bought groceries for out of town clients before they arrived to enjoy their vacation home. Another would personally mow the lawns of out-of-area sellers. A third reduced his fees to accommodate client requests. Each exceeded expectations in a way that lowered the professionalism and status of the real estate agent community. One is a personal shopper, one is a lawn boy, and the last is a discounter. I can’t think of a doctor, dentist, attorney, or accountant that would provide these types of services to exceed expectations.
Keep your efforts in line with your professional image. Getting groceries for out-of-town clients is thoughtful but inappropriate for a professional; helping arrange for a personal shopper is thoughtful and professional. Mowing the lawn is thoughtful but unprofessional; arranging for a professional yard crew is thoughtful and professional.

About the Author

Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 250,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. He’s the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, and over 300 articles in print.
You can get more information by visiting www.RealEstateChampions.com.

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