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Always be closing — isn’t this what we’ve been told? (I’m sure right about now you are replaying that famous scene in your head from “Glengarry, Glen Ross” with Alec Baldwin in front of a chalkboard: A – Always, B – Be, C – Closing.)
Courtesy of New Line Cinema, GGR and Zupnik Cinema Group II
The real estate sales tactics of previous generations do not always translate into the right tool for the job of educating and empowering today’s savvy online consumer.
Connected consumers are smarter, better informed and have access to almost all of the data and information that years ago, would have been available only through a real estate professional. This approach to selling is often referred to as a numbers game, also known as prospecting through attrition.
Prospecting through attrition is a process of pushing your message in front of as many people as possible until the consumer either becomes familiar enough with your product or service to use it or develops a blind spot to your message because it is not timely or relevant.
For most of our adult sales life, we have been given tools, scripts, training and techniques for using persuasion tactics and saturation marketing as the basis for making a deal. But imagine how many more consumers we could reach by using the “ACT” method.
Always creating trust
As consumers in today’s information-rich marketplace, we enjoy almost total control over the sales process. And we almost never have to speak to a salesperson unless we choose to.
The real estate industry is not exempt from this monumental power shift toward consumer empowerment. Communicating and connecting with empowered consumers is not as much about attrition, as it is about educating consumers and helping them to make more informed decisions.
A – Always, C – Creating, T – Trust is the mantra of the new millennium and the cornerstone of communicating value in today’s market. Let’s look at a few ways you can ACT now for better results:
Be present
You must be present to win. The first rule of the trust game is the ability to be found when potential clients research you online.
You’ve heard for years about the importance of managing your online reputation? I cannot stress enough the importance of being findable through a simple Google search and quickly contacted.
To an online consumer, your absence on the Internet could raise suspicions about your experience, ability and expertise.
Be empathetic
Savvy online consumers are fine-tuned to sniff out and avoid any information online that feels like they are being sold to.
Your ability to put yourself in the client’s shoes and empathize with their privacy, questions and concerns will help you to stand out above and beyond any of your competition — those who aren’t following this golden rule.
Be consistent
There is nothing new here. Consistency is the key to earning trust both offline and online. When you choose a centralized communication hub from which to educate and empower, it should be current, timely and relevant to the needs of your consumer.
The goal is not to move your entire marketing message online but to seamlessly integrate your offline and online messages and amplify your exposure and accessibility.
We are not talking about reinventing the wheel here. We are talking about adapting your message and opening up your communication channels to appeal to new generations of educated, informed and empowered consumers.
When you achieve a position of being virtually embedded in your community, you will find that your online presence is one of the most cost-efficient and consistent marketing and conversion tools in your repertoire.
If you have challenges getting your online presence off the ground, consider this perspective. And re-evaluate your online presence, message and reputation by asking yourself: Would I be motivated to do business with me?
In what ways do you create trust with your clients? Please share in the comments section below.
Scott Schang is a branch manager at Broadview Mortgage in Long Beach, California.
