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Architecture Guide
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Take a Quiz
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Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus |
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DEVELOPING A FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM |
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Note: Due to the implementation of the National Do-Not-Call Registry on Oct. 1, 2003, this article needs to be revised and edited to conform to the new rules. This page should remain "not live" until these changes are made. For the Advanced Salesperson: Frequency Without Boredom Most experts, including Stephen Canale, The Competitive Edge, Yslipanti, Mich., and a columnist for REALTOR®Magazine, agree that frequency is more important than creativity when it comes to follow up. Don’t feel you have to reinvent the wheel every time you contact someone. Instead, develop a set group of contact ideas that you use on a rotating basis. Q: You suggest that sales associates contact past clients every three weeks. Don't you run the risk of turning people off with that level of contact? Canale: Not if you vary the way you do it. Think of the way great brands like Coca Cola and Pepsi are marketed. They impact most people on a daily basis, but they're not perceived as overwhelming because they use a lot of different vehicles-contests, in-store displays, billboards, event sponsorship. Salespeople can use the same idea by rotating the type of contacts they send. For example, let’s say in a given year you use two letters, four postcards, four newsletters, eight e-mails, two phone calls, one client event, and one personal visit. Q: That sounds like a lot of work. Canale: There are ways to streamline and automate the process. Computer programs such as Top Producer will not only remind you when it's time to do a mailing but will automatically print letters and envelopes on the appropriate day. The key is to standardize everything as much as possible, without making it seem too standardized to the recipient. For example, letters, postcards, and e-mails should all have a similar logo and format. Similarly, your personal marketing theme and contact information should always be inserted near the bottom of the piece. Q: What should your message be? Canale: It depends on the vehicle. You can't really call someone on the phone to remind them to clean out their eaves before the first frost. But that kind of tip would be fine in a newsletter. For phone calls, it needs to be more immediate and practical. Maybe you or your company recently sold a house in the neighborhood. If that's the case, call clients in the same area to tell them what the house sold for; everyone is interested in property values. As long as there's a valid reason for the call, people will be willing to speak with you. For the Advanced Salesperson: Tracking Referral Responses As with any other form of marketing, you want to concentrate the bulk of your marketing efforts on your best customers. By tracking both your sources of referrals and the outcome of these references, you can pinpoint those contacts that bring you the most business.
Post-Closing Strategies > |
Keep It Ethical When you call prospects to tell them about recent sales in their area, be sure that you make it clear which sales you made personally. Standard of Practice 12-7 |