A bunch of years ago, I did a Joe Stumpf "By Referral Only" seminar. And I was totally blown away by a lot of what he said. But one of the legs of his program was not answering your phone. No, never under any circumstances! There was a very long winded message he recommended we record for our voicemail. It would change every day and give the caller a couple of windows during which you'd return phone calls. Oh, yes! And I totally love your referrals!
He didn't care if you were busy or playing some mindless computer game. When that phone rings, don't touch it!
While I learned a lot during his presentation, I decided to forget about the phone thing.
Then I started to notice something. Every time I called a colleague, I'd get this obnoxious long-winded message talking about how busy they were and saying they'd call be back between their 2:00 pm settlement, which they expected to end at 3:00 pm, and the 4:30 contract presentation on the listing they had on Northampton Street. Yes, there was always a settlement in there someplace!
Pul-eeze! I just want to show your damn listing at noon! It says to call you!
Then, as I was preparing a listing presentation, I got an inspiration. I was competing against an excellent agent who I knew would be able to blow me out of the water - except for one little thing.
When you called her, her voicemail message gave you her daily schedule, but she absolutely never ever, under any circumstances, answered her phone.
So guess how I distinguished myself?
"Mr. & Mrs. Seller, I answer my phone when it rings, unless I am driving, praying in church, playing my flute at someone's wedding reception, or totally indisposed. If I don't answer it, I normally call you back within a few minutes. If I don't return your call within an hour, I'll take you to lunch at The Palm."
The next day, they called the mega-agent and got her schedule, complete with the hour window for returning calls - much later that day. I answered my phone.
I got the listing.
It wasn't just that I answered their calls. They knew if a colleague called with a question, I'd either pick up or call back with the answer. If someone called on the sign or on an ad, I'd pick up an talk to them.
And there are times, I explain to them, that even I will not answer.
Once, I picked up a call I'd been waiting for for months. I was in a ladies' room, and you guessed it! Someone flushed!
If I'm at my niece's wedding, I'll turn off the phone. Same thing if I'm doing a radio interview or making out with my sweetie.
But the point is, my clients know I take communications very seriously. And if I take them to lunch at The Palm, it's usually to celebrate something festive, not to make up for not calling them back with the hour!
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thats perfect - so when you come up against your competition using that to differentiate you - love it!..........you do tell your clients that 'sweetie' time is off limits though...right? :-)