1. Never show up late for an appointment…what good
is an appointment if you’re not going to keep it.
Just remember all of the times you were on time for an appointment,
but the other party wasn’t. Feels good, doesn’t
it? You are sending the wrong message to your customer or
client about their importance, and that they are not your
number one priority. At least call ahead and let them know
if you’re running behind. Show respect and it will
be given in return.
2. Leave your cell phone in the car or at least turn it
off….how about the last time you were in a retail
establishment and the clerk was either on the phone or took
a call while you were waiting? If you are that busy, it’s
time to hire an assistant.
3. Ask for referrals….you will be amazed at how many
of your clients will gladly give a referral if you just
ask. What are you afraid of? And it often works better to
ask for a specific referral, maybe a neighbor, relative
or coworker, rather than. “Do you know anyone that
wants to buy or sell real estate?” Ask often. “If
at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
4. Send a hand written thank-you note…I’ve
learned that taking 10 or 15 minutes a day proves invaluable
in building long-term relationships. If you want to guarantee
that people think of you as their REALTOR® of choice,
always be the one that keeps in touch with a kind thank-you.
You will find that you could send out dozens of notes everyday
for the simple acts of kindness that are offered to you
on a daily basis that are often left unnoticed.
5. Give a thank-you gift to someone that referred you…when
someone does respond with a trusted referral, personally
deliver some kind gift of appreciation. It could be a gift
certificate or anything that shows your thanks and gratitude.
And by the way, #4 doesn’t count here, unless it accompanies
a gift. It should not matter if the referral actually becomes
a customer or client. Kindness and appreciation show constant
and regular dividends and will be followed with more referrals.
6. Give a business card to everyone you meet…It always
amazes me how often we act as secret agents and just assume
that everyone knows that we are in the real estate business.
Give a card as often as possible. If you are a new agent,
you might even consider setting a goal to give out a certain
number each day. The cost of business cards is minimum and
insignificant in comparison to the expense incurred on newspaper,
radio or television.
7. Become the local real estate expert…with just
a little bit of effort, you can be the invited guest to
speak at dozens of luncheons or meetings that would love
to hear about the local real estate market and trends. I
know REALTORS® that write regular articles for newspapers
or are guests on local radio shows. The sources for your
material are easy to come by with some thought and preparation.
8. Constantly communicate with your sphere of influence…investigate
systems for keeping in touch with the people that already
know you, like you and trust you. Whether it be email, phone,
snail mail or personal visits, just do something! If you
don’t find a method for staying in constant contact,
don’t be surprised when people you think should be
your customer are working with some other agent.
9. Read and get more education…maybe this should
be the year to take that designation course you know you
need to take. Statistics show that agents with designations
make significantly more money than those without. And, find
time to read. It sharpens the mind and keeps you in touch
with trends and current events in the industry.
10. Keep balance in your life…my father died recently,
and I was quickly reminded that “in a hundred years,
it really doesn’t matter what kind of car I drive,
or how much money I make, or the house that I lived in”
but rather the love and relationships that I take with me.
