I am in Florida with my boyfriend helping the family deal with the disposition of his grandfather's estate after his death this past weekend. As part of this process, I needed to get a quick idea of who the likely buyer would be for the property his grandfather had owned so that we knew whether we had to clean the place out completely (first time buyer) or we could leave stuff in the house for the contractor to clean out.
I started with my mailing list - surely I'd find someone with the ability to quickly tell me what I needed to know. No such luck. Out of the four people who had listed Tampa as their area, only two provided phone numbers. The first call yielded someone picking up the phone, holding their hand over it and then hanging up on me. When I called back, I got the answering machine. The second person went straight to voice mail. Then I did a Google search on the other two people and couldn't find them anywhere on the net. Not good. I searched my LinkedIn group and no one was from Tampa. I was running out of time for ordering the dumpster, so I finally gave up on giving the business to someone who knew me and went with a straight Google search for Realtor, Tampa, FL. It took four phone calls, from the top of the list to get a human on the phone. Funny thing - within one transfer, I ended up with the #1 agent in the market I was in. Does anyone wonder why that is? I don't.
Not one of the agents I called will know that they missed out on the business. I didn't leave a message. But all of them did lose out on a listing that will be priced right and sell quickly with the minimum amount of fuss and muss.
Here's my question for you today. What experience does a prospect have when they call you? Are they greeted by a live human? Or are they relegated to an answering message that gives no idea of the time frame for a call-back? Or, worse yet, do people in your office pick up the phone by accident and then hang up on them?
If someone is trying to find you on the web and they type in your name and city, will they find you?
It only takes a few minutes to put on the shoes of a prospect and see if they are getting the loving care they deserve when they try to get in touch with you. You really should try it out today. You never know what business you're missing out on - just like the agents I called today.
It is the good and bad of our web 2.0 world. Discovered that since using a iphone I am more accessable. Much more functionaly product then anything else I have used for programs and size. Of course I still have to answer it.
Tony
Hi Kelle,
I am reachable! Many agents who are active here are that way, too. But, I agree that many agents out there do not take calls. More and more agents have other jobs and can't take call during certain times.
You have made a number of good points!
So true!
I always have my "leash" phone with me
your friend in Charlottesville Virginia!
I know my husband often scoffs at me when the phone rings as I carry it with me-- but that is the beauty of it-- We do not have to be at the office-- as long as we do business when it calls.
Interesting, No one on A/R in that area. I try to be totally reachable between 9 am and 7 pm, sorry voice mail after that. I may even get rid of my cell after this year. I have built my business around me not everybody in the world or town for that matter that can't sel a home.
I stopped being a POP TART agent (you the phone rings and the POP rght on over because they have no business or life) about eleven years ago. Oh how I love my business and thank you Lord.
Charles S. - I totally agree that being a pop-tart is the wrong way to do business. But if I'm calling mid-day on a weekday during normal business hours, I would have expected that at least an OFFICE line would have been answered, I'm not certain that I would have passed my own test, but I can guarantee I wouldn't have hung up on the person.
Montana - My ex used to hate the phone for that reason. I had to learn to put some good boundaries on my time. Charles S. has the right idea with a "quitting time" concept.
Charles M. - Looks like you'll be the one going home with the gold
Marzena - yes, the part-timers do sometimes have a challenge getting things done in a timely fashion
Tony - Don't feel bad - I resisted getting a cell phone when they first came out because I didn't want to be that accessible - I didn't want people to expect to get me just anytime. Turns out the problem wasn't that I needed to not get a cell phone. What I really needed was better boundaries around my time.
We agree -- we have called and if no one answers , we don't, leave a message -- but instead we move on. Such is the age of the mobile agent.
Wow...call and move on??? Did I read that right? I am reachable by cell or office UNLESS I am with a client, then you get my voice mail, to do otherwise would be rude to the client that I am dancing with.
I think it is just courtesy to leave a message. You can still move to the next name, but that is how I look at it.
So if I am looking for a coach and call your cell number, are you saying I should move on? I wish I could answer every call, but simple economics, that being I am only 1 person, I can't. I can, if given a message, can follow up in a reasonable time.
Who knows, you may have missed a great agent