We all have things we don’t like to do; things that are not pleasant, but are not difficult either. Shoveling dirt, picking up after your dog, and changing a diaper are a few examples. Another example is picking up the phone and calling your previous clients. Many people are systematic about sending out the occasional newsletter, mailing, or email, but personal contact is by far the most effective way to build and maintain a relationship. Keep in mind that it is SIX TIMES more expensive to get a new customer to buy from scratch than it is to get an existing customer to buy again or refer their friends to you. How does this apply to you? These are the market data:
– People move very 4.9 years
– Have a “Major Life Event” every 39 months (marriage, divorce, baby, move, death in the family)
Well, what does this mean? Here are colder, harder facts. In any group of 100 owners, 3% are buying RIGHT NOW. An additional 6-7% are starting to watch, or seriously considering. Another 30% do not watch, but are open to it. Below that is 60% who are not interested, to slightly different degrees. Why is this important? If you have 100 names in your database, 3 of those people are buying now; Hurry up, you may be too late! Six or seven of them are starting to watch; they are great people to talk to. Below them, 30 others are thinking about it in the next year or so and signing up will get you Top of Mind Awareness, or TAKE. Would you make 100 phone calls a month to talk to people who know you and may need to talk to you? What if it meant an extra $4-7 million in sales per year?
So when you pick up the phone, sit up straight, throw your shoulders back, be confident and KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY! Don’t you dare call and try to solicit them to see if they are buying or selling: this is too obvious and destroys the relationship. Instead, assuming you have a genuine interest in your clients’ lives, you need to show it. You can start by simply saying, “I stopped by your house the other day and I was thinking of you.” Ask how he has been, how his family is, etc. And you must be genuinely curious. I GUARANTEE that if you’ve sold 50+ houses in your career, when you start calling your clients regularly, you’ll close an extra deal or two a month. Be smart, educate them if they ask questions, be a resource, and care. It will change your life and it will change your career.