I went onto a website today (I'm not going to tell you who - I don't want to give them any credit for this) to look into their CRM software. I had heard that it integrates with Google Apps and I wanted to see what it had to offer. But when I got there, the site had demos - which I thought would be a great way for me to determine if I was interested enough to take the next step. The problem is that they wanted my information before they would show me the demo. This was NOT OK with me. Why?
It's a Trade
They were trying to get me to buy their product. Letting me see the demo is part of the sales process. It provides no value to me other than determining whether or not the product will work for me. It's something that I shouldn't have to pay for with my contact info. If I am to turn in my contact info, it needs to give me something of value in return - and a sales pitch isn't of value to me.
The Lesson
If you want someone's contact info, give something that is of value whether or not someone uses your services because they haven't yet decided whether they are using you. Otherwise, you're asking for people to do what I did - leave your site and never come back.
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Kelle Sparta, author of The Consultative Real Estate Agent, is one of the top innovators in the industry. She thinks outside of the box and she does it with style, which is how she managed to sell 25 houses her first year in the business in a market just like this one in an area where she had no sphere of influence! Kelle's innovative techniques took her to the top of the market in 1993 and they can take you there now. Kelle has coached agents from around the country who have been producing as much as $45 million per year in gross volume. Now she brings her unique style of real estate to you. Her dynamic presentation skills, high energy approach, and brilliant new ideas are sure to be the highlight of your day. Kelle is the founder of Sparta Success Systems, a real estate training company that provides products, coaching and training to empower agents and brokers to create lives and businesses they can love. For more information, visit her website at http://www.spartasuccess.com/. © 2009, Kelle Sparta.
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Kelle Sparta
Thought Alchemist
I've never been a fan of You show me and then I'll show you. Seems somewhat deceptive. I like kicking tires and then when I decide you have something I want I'll tell you. Why wouldn't I.
I shopped for cars a few years ago and made the mistake of leaving my number. I thought I would need a restraining order to get them to stop calling. Even after I called them everything that can't be written here they still called. This went on every month for two years. The last time they called I told them I lost my job, claimed bankruptcy, my dog died, my husband left me, and my children hated me. He would try to give me a sells pitch inbetween breaths and I treated him like a therapist. I wouldn't let him off the phone. This went on for about 45 minutes. I even called him back later in the day and started telling him my parents are old and sick, they can't remember who I am, someone took all their furniture because I couldn't make the payments. By this time my husband and kids were home and knew what I was doing. It was great watching them trying not to laugh so he could hear them.
I'm laughing because I so often get invitations to "try" this or that. However, if they want all of my contact and other information, that's not a "free" demonstration. Consumer information has value.
I pass on these things all the time.
Good for you.
Kelle - I'm like you.... hate to give info out about me for anything!
Denise - You crack me up. I used hang up on folks that didn't take 'no' for an answer. Now I just let them talk and talk and talk and talk. When they're done, I still say no. :-)
Denise - you're too funny! I had a friend who went blind from complications due to his diabetes. While he was waiting for the surgery to correct the situation, he got telemarketing calls at the house. He was bored, so he kept everyone who called on the phone for as long as possible to keep him company. Then he didn't buy anything. Within a month we were off of the telemarketer's call lists. It seems that somewhere in the backwaters of telemarketing hell is a list of people who waste their time, so they won't call. Too bad. Turnaround is, after all, fair play.
Lenn - YES! I know exactly what you mean! My favorite is the timeshare places that give you a "free vacation" but then force you to listen to a sales pitch for hours until you buy something. My ex and I went to one of those places, but we lucked out. They had all of these "tours" you could take for really cheap. But when I asked some of the other guests about the tours, they said that all of the tours ended in a sales pitch that you couldn't leave because they had driven you there and you had no idea where you were. Good thing we weren't interested in the tours - we avoided the sales pitch altogether!
Nancy - I'm with you!