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The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that develops better leaders through its exclusive focus on leadership education and research. Founded in 1970 as a nonprofit, educational institution, CCL helps clients worldwide cultivate creative leadership - the capacity to achieve more than imagined by thinking and acting beyond boundaries - through an array of programs, products and other services. CCL is headquartered in North America with campuses in Brussels and Singapore. For more information, visit http://www.ccl.org/ |
| Stop Calling Our Company! |
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That’s the message we seem to be sending. It’s too bad that customers ultimately have to phone a real estate company. To that point they’ve been effortlessly getting information via the web or printed materials. Now they’re ready to connect with an agent but face the daunting challenge of getting a real person to answer the telephone and respond to their needs. Good luck. The days are gone when a happy, smiling, human cheerfully answered the telephone within two rings and offered assistance. Telephone skills in the real estate business have been replaced by an experience akin to harassment. We’ve hit bottom. Phone numbers are on cards, signs, websites, postcards, flyers and everything else to get the prospects to call. How about we do our part and answer. It’s time to develop proper telephone skills as a competitive advantage to gain business and provide superior customer service. FIRST IMPRESSION Your declarations of market share and promises of customer service could all be negated in an instant on the first call to your company. How many rings until it’s answered? How pleasing is the first voice? How is the caller’s request handled? How long did they wait on hold? Whomever answers you telephone needs to be prompt and friendly then provide options to make the caller happy. If you have to put them on hold, ask permission first then check back frequently to gauge the caller’s wishes. INCOMING CALLS Goals: What is the goal of taking incoming telephone calls; selling the home on which they called? or securing them as a prospect? The likelihood of them actually buying the specific home on which they called is low, but the probability of them being a prospect for some home is high. So your primary focus should be to determine their situation and needs. If it turns out that their needs match the home on which they called…then let them buy it. Furthermore, they may have a home to sell so this is a potential listing call as well. Objectives: Objectives describe the behaviors that must be performed to achieve the end result goal. In the case of telephone technique, the objectives are as follows. 1. Build rapport BUILD RAPPORT You have only a few seconds to establish a good first impression. Be cheerful and upbeat as you answer. Smile and visualize the caller. Be a person first, then a salesperson. Without a visual connection, you must rely on your verbal skills. Pay attention to matching the caller’s pace, speech patterns and energy. Make the caller feel welcome and glad they called. “Hello, my name is _____, thank you so much for calling. How may I help you?” There is an ongoing debate whether to ask for their name right away or after you have some rapport. Do what feels right on each call…but ultimately secure their name and information. Early on you might say; “My name is _________, to whom am I speaking?” Remember, because this may be a potential listing call as well, you want to demonstrate the skills you will use when handling calls on their home. GAIN CONTROL In order to learn more about the prospect, you need some level of control. Whomever is asking the questions is in control. Initially they will ask questions about the property on which they called. As you feed them information, alternate asking questions of the prospect. The benefit of this is that you slow them down a bit and give yourself time to establish rapport and determine their situation. This is a gentle dance so be sensitive. Here are some sample questions: DETERMINE NEEDS Your key goal is to determine whether the caller is a prospect for purchasing real estate. So, as you provide answers to their questions, ask about their situation. After telling them the price, ask what range their looking in. When you provide the location, ask what other areas they’re considering. You are not to attempt to sell this home to them. If your answers meet their needs, they’ll ask you to show it to them. In the case where the home is sold, say to them: “The home on which you called is sold but we have X more in that general area and price range. Would you like to hear about them?” They’ll surely say yes, then you can follow up with; “To narrow them down a bit, may I ask you a few questions?” Here is a list of questions in their relative order of importance: 1. How soon do you need to be settled? Regarding price range, consider this. If the caller knows the asking price via the web or an ad, they’re hoping this home meets all their needs at this price. It probably won’t and they will most likely buy up in price. If they drive by a home without knowing the price, they will hope that this wonderful home will be right in their range. It probably won’t and they’ll have to buy down in price. Check this out be keeping a log of all your calls. You are questioning not only to learn their housing requirements, but to seek areas of discontent in their house hunting process in order to secure them as a client. Here are some reasons why a prospect might want to work with you instead of looking for homes on their own: As you discover an area of discontent, say; “It sounds like your frustrated by not easily being able to find properties that suit you. Would you like some help?” PRESENT BENEFITS Before asking them to become customers, you must present benefit that satisfy their needs for help. Here is what you can offer a prospect: “Mrs. Prospect, one of the ways to relieve your frustration is to have a competent real estate agent take on the task of finding you a home. Once I know your needs I will search the market for homes currently available plus those that come on in the next few minutes. Our fees are paid by the seller so there’s no additional cost to you. When would you like to get together?” GET THEIR NAME AND INFORMATION A way to at least get their name and information is to offer to help with their house hunting. Offer to sent information, tantalize them with information on a new listing or send them financing information. It may be easier to ask for their number or email first, then their name. “Mr. Prospect, I remember hearing of a brand new listing south of Summit Avenue, I’m going to check it out to see if it would work for you. How may I reach you?” Here are some other questions: SECURE AN APPOINTMENT If you determine that they are a good prospect for buying or selling, then you want to meet with them. The appointment will be a combination buyer counseling interview and listing presentation.
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