I know what's about to happen when I send out my next eZine.
How do I know?
Because it happens every time--like clockwork... And there's a chance that it's costing you commissions.
Here's what I'm talking about.
Whenever I send out a newsletter, this is what happens:
I get a whole lot of them back.
Not because the addresses are bad, but because the addresses are hooked up to autoresponders that spit back a message like this:
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This is Joe Realtor...
Thanks for contacting me.
I'm sorry I'm not available to respond right now to your message. I check my email twice a day at 7AM and 4PM.
I'll respond to you as quickly as possible.
Thank you,
Joe Realtor
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So what's wrong with that? Just a good customer service move, right?
In fact, it's a wasted opportunity to do the very thing that could mean the difference between a new client and endless prospecting...
Let me explain what I mean.
The goal is to use every contact with a prospect as a way to BUILD VALUE. To separate YOU from your competition. A plain vanilla autoresponder message like the one above doesn't do that at all.
You get more clients by setting yourself apart from the crowd. So why not start doing that right away?
Plus... the message above doesn't tell you if Joe Realtor only checks his email twice a day because he's doing it from the local library or because he is so busy with clients that's the only chance he gets.
Which situation would make YOU want to work with Joe?
From the very beginning, your goal is to control the perception of your prospect. To convey the perception that you can deliver something of great value. Something that is in great demand. Something that they really want.
Of course, the easiest way to build that perception is to make it your reality. You WANT to be hard to get a hold of. You WANT to have more demand than time to fill that demand. You WANT to attract tons of qualified prospects.
How do you do it?
By offering MORE value than your competition.
And you can start right away, with that first autoresponder message.
So let's redo Joe Realtor's message. Here's how it might look:
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This is Joe Realtor...
Thanks for contacting me.
I'm sorry I'm not available to respond right now to your message. I work with a select set of clients and am only able to check my email twice a day--at 7AM and 4PM.
But I understand that emergencies do happen. If that's the case, you can contact me right away on my cell phone at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
Also, before we speak, take just a moment to read through my quick guide, "10 Things You Must Know to Buy or Sell Fast in Any Market."
It's full of everything I've learned about real estate in the past few years. What works, and what doesn't work.
And even if we don't end up working together, it's yours with my compliments.
I make it a point to deliver value to my clients first.
You can get your guide here:
[LINK]
I'm looking forward to talking with you soon.
Thank you,
Joe Realtor
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Of course there are no hard and fast rules about what you "must" say. Just put yourself in your prospect's shoes.
How would YOU like to be treated if things were turned around?
Jason Leister, the Real Estate Technology and Marketing Guru, helps real estate professionals market their businesses.
Visit the Real Estate Technology Guru to get the free monthly eZine, PROFIT, and receive a FREE copy of "The Truth About Real Estate Websites and Search Engine Optimization."
Source: www.isnare.com