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New Year’s Resolutions - Serve Don’t Sell!

Do you sell or serve? It is a simple question. I believe there is a big difference and your success in 2010 depends on it. Read more to gain a fresh perspective and start serving...

These days no one wants to be sold. We cringe when a telemarketer calls or someone knocks on our door selling something. We are reluctant to give our phone number to anyone for fear they will call us! Selling is just passe. It is the way of the past and a way to scare off your potential clients, that is for sure!

How do you serve? Depending on your target market, there are many ways you can offer yourself with no strings attached (and I mean NO string attached, no daily calls, no desperate emails). Offering your time and educating your potential client is the key. I don’t mean a Free CMA, everyone is offering that (although that is part of it too). In addition to a CMA, why not offer a complimentary home analysis to the home owner which would include a list of improvements you would recommend and the potential financial gain that improvement would have when they go to sell. Who’s doing that? No one!

Is your target market first time home buyers (or home buyers in general)? How about a weekly “Successful Home Buyer Seminar” at the public library. I’ve suggested this to quite a few REALTORS and I am sometimes met with resistance... “Well, I’ve done this in the past and only a few people show up... it just isn't worth my time”. I also here the argument, “Well, those people are never ready to buy”. Wow, that blows me away every time. Two leads that are going to eventually purchase a home are not worth your time? Very short sighted. One of our clients gets every drop of business from his weekly home buyer seminars. He is a top producer and 2009 was his best year! How does he do it? He serves and educates his target market consistently. Consistency is key.

At RealSupport, this is a philosophy that we follow and one that we preach to our clients. Do NOT sell your service/product, SERVE your potential client and they WILL buy through you, they WILL list with you.

Ask your Virtual Assistant to brainstorm ideas for you and then execute those ideas. You just need to show up!

And for your free consultation on what a Real Estate Virtual Assistant can do for you, please contact Erica Parpan, our Operations Manager here at RealSupport. She can be reached at 847-705-1655 or Erica@RealSupportinc.com.

Good luck, and Happy New Year! It’s time to get excited for a successful 2010!

Carrie Gable
President

RealSupport Inc. Real Estate Virtual Assistant

The RealSupport, Inc. Team
1232 West Northwest Highway 
Palatine, IL 60067 
Office: (847) 705-1655 
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Posted by RealSupport Real Estate Virtual Assistant on 01/04/2010 04:22 PM

Comments (58)

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58 Comments on New Year’s Resolutions - Serve Don’t Sell!

JAN

2010

Great blog. You make a fine looking team. I wish you success in the coming year.

Good blog! All the best in 2010!

Carrie: Thank you! I like this very much. It fits everything I aspire to. Again thanks and I wish you well!

Erica...

When it comes to Real Estate if we're not serving, then we're not selling :)

Real Estate is one of those rare sales careers that requires we serve. Those who do not serve are going no where in a hurry :)

The very moment an Agent forgets all about the paycheck is the same moment they've crossed over to the service industry and become successful. It's a shame to see so many people fail because their needs don't line up with the tough job ahead of them.

TLW...ROAR!

Hi Carrie, great post and very informative. I see agents that just "sell" and not serve. The homes just sit there as the agent is waiting for it to self itself.

Hi Carrie ! Many that dont "serve' found themselves scratching their heads at the end of last year wondering why they underproduced and why that 'other' agent in their office was whistling into work each week with another closing check. Many of those confused agents simply never had to "serve" their clients very much in the past, and now are not used to finding these creative ways that you mention !

Great post, and I shall continue to whistle into work ;o)

Cheers !

Sheldon

Thanks for the great post! I love your ideas and have added them to my to do list.

I agree. A great post.

I like TLW's attitude. If you don't serve you don't sell.

Carrie, you make some valid points about "service". We as consumers won't hesitate to complain about poor service. It's all too easy at times to forget that feeling when we're the one providing the service and trying to sell ourselves. We should always walk in someone else's shoes and remember to treat them the same way we would want to be treated. You will reap the rewards of good service.

Service is everything.....

Patricia/Seacoast NH

Carrie, I love the attitude. They will come if you SERVE! I have gotten a number of clients this way, where they liked that I was happy to provide concrete helpful information with no strings attached! It's all about serving the customer, in every business! All the best in 2010! Michelle

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

Serve, and the sales will follow.

I think this is a very helpful suggestion. I keep thinking I would like to do a seminar at the library but feel clueless about how to do it! Thanks for the encouragement!

Hi Carrie, you are absolutely right! As agents, we need to forget about the paycheck. If we fail to provide wonderful service, no one will be happy.

I keep thinking about doing seminars but I never do it. I need to start!

I always say this business is about people, building relationship and very much indeed service. The selling will eventually come but building the relationship is where it begins and building the relationship is core part of servicing people. Great post.

Hi Carrie,

Great post, with a great attitude. I feel the same way and get such a great reward from my clients when we finally find the perfect home for their wants and needs. It's sometimes hard to convey the "Servant spirit" as Andy Andrews refers to it without sounding salesy. I put so much heart, soul and elbow grease into each of my clients and the tools I create for them, by the time we achieve a closing I am so invested in their successes that that I feel rewarded as much by their satisfaction as I do the pay day... Lets keep our families so overwhelmed with satisfaction that they can't help but be Raving Fans!

Hi,

Great post!! Customer service is your future pipeline...so you do need to serve.

Tinker

Great Post, Yes, It would be very nice indeed, if realtors got back to providing a professional service instead of commission seeking sales people. Oooh the lure of easy money.

I think a good many of those have (attempted) to move on to greener pastures, there are businesses that thrive in every economy. Hopefully, those of us who provide a high level of service will prevail and set a new "higher" standard. That is NOT the same as GIVING OURSELVES AWAY.

Certainly some of the work we do and provide should be fee based...why not?, and a credit towards next transaction. If we dont VALUE or put a VALUE on our knowledge and services, who will?

just food for thought, Good service and FREE service and DISCOUNTED service are NOT the same things.

Carrie, nice post and Happy New Year!

Sid and I look forward to working with in the new year and continue to refer clients your way.

JAN

2010

I do both, serve and sell. People need to be served and they need to be sold. I enjoy both.

So true. Its not about selling, its about getting people what they want and need. Thanks!

It always is and always be about service. Sales is a benefit of service

Tony

We are a service industry.

The two words go hand in hand for anyone in any industry that sells.

Have a great year, serving and selling.

I will check out your offering. Thanks for the post.

Super post....always looking for new ideas to serve my clients....thank-you!

Carrie:

This is a business of long term relationships. When you try to sell, people walk the other way. We need to provide as much service to the public as possible.

I love your post, Carrie.

How can we "sell" something that does not belong to us? The listing belongs to the homeowner; they call the shots. It is not ours to sell.

We offer guidance to our clients. We are consultants; therefore, we serve.

I don't know about anywhere else, but in Ontario our Rules and Regs absolutely INSIST that we put Sales Representative beside our name in our advertising - AND THIS SO WRONG, WRONG WRONG!!!!!

The title "Sales Representative" just perpetuates agents to "sell" and gives the public the wrong idea that we are sales people.

You are so right about people not wanting to be "sold" to. "Serving" means you are providing meaningful information to buyers and sellers, thinking outside the box, and showing them the value you bring to the table, and guiding them through the process. "Cookie cutter" just doesn't cut it!

Serving and educating the potential client is very important. Thanks for the reminder and have a great year!

Carrie

I concur 100%!!! You are right - will keep you in mind if I have any clients looking your way! Here's to a great 2010

I do both. Seeling with substance is what i call it. I come from a father who was a natrual borb salesman and i go his genes. However, he always told me that it is wrong to make it about me, not about the client.

This is definitely an idea or two that you've given me that should be easy to implement. I'll keep you posted as to when I do and what the results are.

What a wonderful and timely idea. We were just discussing ways to increases our client base and to improve our presence in the community.

This is really aservice industry and we all need to realize that. Good to see it in print!

Carrie,

We need to do both but our focus throughout the time we work with our clients should be about serving them! That is our number one priority! Thank you for your post!

Wendy

Hi Carrie,

Everyone that has ever worked a short sale to the end, or shown abandoned, cold and dark bank owned homes for days on end or better yet.... not gotten paid for these endeavors knows that our business has to be about "serving." Otherwise, they would be out of this industry within 6 months!

I have a lot of respect for realtors stilling "serving" in this business and closing transactions. Hats off to you all and lots of pats on the back. It's not easy work, but at the end of the day, it sure feels great when you know you have truly served your client. I would not want to be doing anything else right now!

Sounds interesting, worth consultation. Thank you!

Goog Blog Carrie. I have found that there are more people in our business who speak about serving these days. Maybe I just didn't pay to much attention to it back in 2005 but it seems to me that the agents who were only 'Selling' either got out of the business or had an epiphany regarding what it means to serve. Anyway, however it happens, I think it is great that our industry is elevating their game and in the long run maybe it will change the perception of Real estate agents in the general public.

You are so correct, as soon as you start to sell you stop thinking of your client.

I have been much more successful letting the buyer discover the right house with my help.

Definitely a philosophy for success! Thanks for sharing!

Some great advice and wonderful ideas! Thank you and as a new comer I hope to be serving some clients soon!!!

My friend who encouraged me to go into the Real Estate profession when I was looking for a new career knew it well. I told her I didn't think I could sell anything. She said, "That's fine, you don't need to sell, simply serve." She was right.

I love your suggestion to offer a free report on improvements! That's a great idea - Happy New Year!

Great ideas! I do offer the complimentary CMA and the home analysis to sellers -- it is usually helpful, but I do think that sellers are worried you are going to stalk them for the next two years! :-) I think that reinforcing the 'no strings attached' would help to put them at ease.

FYI to do a seminar at the library you have to be a non-profit company, organization or situation. That's not realtors, at least I think not!

Hello Carrie and I have to agree with most of the other comments, wonderful post and I wish you all the best in 2010.

VB ;o)

Hi Carrie,

Thanks for your great post. I really like the idea of a home analysis. I like to do different things. Thanks again.

The idea of a home analysis is clever and of great value to a potential Seller!

Those who don't understand that they need to serve their clients probably need to be finding a new field of endeavor.

JAN

2010

Hi Carrie,

I think that your post is very timely. It really seems that the more successful Real Estate Agents are always looking for ways to serve their clients better by "going the extra mile". In a referral based business, it is really important to "wow" the customer with good service and follow through but there are certain things that really can set you apart.

One of the things that savvy agents in the Northeast are offering as part of their marketing plan is a staging consultation and report by a professional stager. It serves many purposes. It wows the Sellers as an extra value added service. Pictures on the internet look better and statistically staged houses sell faster and for more money. Having a report and consultation is an affordable way to achieve these goals and since not everyone is doing it (yet) it really impressses the Sellers (and they tell their friends).

Good post - thanks for bringing up the topic. Of course we must serve - I totally agree.

But, personally, I love to be "sold." I have found that most people do. In fact, when I quit "selling" - that's usually when deals fall apart. When deals fall apart, most people are extremely upset.

A huge part of a Realtor's job is leadership. Leaders are similar to politicians - they "sell" every day. When selling stops, capitalism grinds to a screeching halt.

Just my opinion...

I agree with you 100%! I have not ever "sold" a home. I sell service. Great blog!

JAN

2010

Happy New Year to You!

Service is the key.

You are so right. I know I hate to be sold, whether it is for a car or an appliance, so I know my buyers don't want to be sold either.

JAN

2010

Nothing to add to all the great comments other than to thank you for the post and everyone else for what I learn here in the rain.

JAN

2010

It's the difference between being transaction based and relationship based.

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