Oh, man…
I don’t want my clients to think: Oh man, it’s her calling again. I want to bring value to their lives. You know: Give, ask, receive.
Every month I print my client list and get on the phone. Sometimes I’m just calling to say hello, I’m thinking of you. Sometimes I actually have something to say, suggest or advise.
According to this month’s Fortune Magazine, Joe Girard – Guinness World Records’ top salesman sold 13,001 individual cars (six cars a day) in 15 years at a Chevy dealership near Detroit. Every month he mailed cards to his clients (they called them customers – nasty word) that read, “I Like You.”
Most are struggling…
Most companies who make their money via the real estate transaction are struggling right now so how about helping them too? When was the last time your clients had a pest inspection? I called my favorite inspector, asked for a special discount for my clients and -bingo – I’ve got my call for this month.
My one fault: sometimes I forget to ask for a referral. Oh, well. There’s always next month.
Bill Lublin
September 24, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I love that you quoted Joe Girard – I read his book “How to Sell Anything to Anybody,” in the 1979 recession – and you know what – it worked then too – Technology may change but the job remains the same
😉
Paula Henry
September 24, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Vicki – I bet they are always glad to hear from you too! People like knowing they are remembered and thought of. Sounds like a great practice I may just start. How easy to just print out the list and touch everyone.
ines
September 24, 2008 at 8:31 pm
We all have our ways and we can’t forget we are in the people business – we don’t do it every month though….maybe I should take notes.
Tyler, The Wealth Creation Guy
September 24, 2008 at 9:09 pm
@Bill – Thanks for reminding me of that book! I’ve been wanting to find it for a while. I think Vicki just pushed me over the edge.
Seriously, he just wrote cards that said “I like you.”!!!?
Genius. Agent Genius.
Nice.
Vicki Moore
September 24, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Bill – Thanks for the info. I didn’t know he had written a book. I’ll have to check that out.
Paula & Tyler – We all like to be acknowledged. Can you believe how simple he made that?
Ines – Consistency isn’t my strong suit but I try to contact them often enough that it doesn’t drive them – and me – crazy.
Brian Brady
September 25, 2008 at 12:59 am
What is the difference between a customer and a client and why is customer a nasty word?
Poppy Dinsey
September 25, 2008 at 7:11 am
I love it when a company remembers me, I remember getting a nice card in the post a while back which said happy anniversary on the front…this stunned me a little as it wasn’t my anniversary and I knew my other half wasn’t stupid enough to get the wrong month entirely!
I opened it and it was from a company that I’d been doing business with for one year exactly 🙂 I thought it was really cute and it had something funny inside about how they hoped we’d have many more happy years together! They send out birthday cards as well, very sweet.
Boston Condo Guy
September 25, 2008 at 9:06 am
The happy anniversary card is something that we do as well, it’s something small, but at the same time, thoughtful and unique.
Kelley Koehler
September 25, 2008 at 10:44 am
@Brian – are you asking for the literal difference between a client and a customer? Day 1 agent school says a client is someone we have fiduciary duties towards. A customer is anyone else.
To call my ‘client’ a ‘customer’ is sort of a dis on my agency relationship with them. As in, not everyone gets to be a client, but anyone can be a customer.