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When it comes to reaching your clients — old and new — it’s all about going deep, not wide, according to real estate coach John Cheplak, who strode through tables at Inman Connect New York on Thursday, belting out his message like a professional wrestler hyping up a frothing arena.
Cheplak’s hyperactive presence is not easy to miss, nor is his understanding of what agents need to do in a market no one is really able to define.
Cheplak spouted client case studies, citing reductions in Zillow ad spends in lieu of custom, individual emails. He wants agents to get back to basics, hand-write notes and emails and be consistent.
“I’m sorry vendors, I love tech, but you automated your way out of relationships,” Cheplak said.
The coach asked the audience to remember what it was like when they were first in the game, having to do the uncomfortable work to gain traction. Work works, he said.
“I want you to think about the first years you were in the business, those years when you were making the cold calls, you were door knocking, or you were prospecting at a very high level. You were doing the uncomfortable work.”
“And then you got comfortable,” he said. “Amnesia is killing your business. You need to be reminded more.”
The difference between high performers and those struggling right now is work ethic, Cheplak said. But there’s more to work ethic than working hard.
“Guess what? Work ethic has a second silo and that’s the willingness to do the things you don’t like doing.”
Cheplak cited the success of a client who sends 40 messages — emails and texts — for every client, earning a 50 percent conversion rate.
“It’s really, really simple,” he said. “Avoid the new things you’re only saying you’ll do and get back to the basics. Send a video once a week that educates and informs.”
Cheplak pointed out the industry concerns itself more with the demographics of the consumer and not the psychographics, the emotional aspects of needing information.
“You guys analyze stuff, you make it so, so difficult, I mean really … you’re in the human behavior business.”
He pointed out the state of buyers during the 2021 market activity spike, getting the audience to shout back at him and affirming that the consumer was in a state of urgency. “Right? Yes or no?”
“The consumer today is in a place of uncertainty,” he said. “Now, raise your hand if you have changed in the last nine months your automated, stale, tired drip email that goes out to them?”
Few hands found the air. “Look around … four.”
“You have an overdrawn business relationship equity account, you’ve got to make deposits in the business relationship equity account,” he said. “Those buyers and sellers are uncertain.”
Cheplak said consumers don’t need any more reminders that you’re an agent.
“It’s going to take less dialogue about buying and selling. Listen cheeseballs, they know you’re an agent. I want you to wake up.”
In email communication, he said spam is not defined by frequency, spam is the lack of quality in your message.
“Wake up every day and write and post, sit down and write, there’s nothing more powerful, go deep, not wide.”
