I Don't Let FINGERS Do the Talking Anymore!

Leanne ~ that is a great idea!  I prefer to do Verbal consultations and have my clients take the notes.  A few have recorded my suggestions as we talk.  The written consultations I've done in the past ended up taking me an average of 4 hours each just to type them into a nice format, adding photos, etc.  MUCH too time consuming for the amount I was charging!

Just wondering though, how would you handle it when the discussion includes personal subjects -- I wonder if clients would be hesistant to speak freely if they knew that everything you both said is being recorded?  Just yesterday, a client of mine shared some very personal challenges she's recently overcome during our Verbal consultation, but I doubt we'd have had that conversation if a recorder was on.  Sometimes these more personal conversations end up being what helps the client connect with you, so while I love the ease of the handheld recorder, it would probably have limited use for me.

Leanne, LOVE this idea.  I immediately thought of a reasons why this would be really useful for me, beyond your reasons.  1)It might help me focus the conversation.  Then I thought about Maureen's comments and I can see having to turn the recorder on and off for those personal asides that are sometimes very important for us to hear and for the clients to let us know. 

Will have to upgrade my recorder to a model like yours but it's worth considering.  Thanks for sharing this.   

I think this is a great idea!  What a nifty little techno gizmo.  The last hand held recorder I used had an actual tape!  Maureen makes a really good point about the client's reluctance to speak freely, knowing the conversation is being recorded.  Ginger's idea of switching the recorder on and off, as appropriate, seems like a good solution.  As a client, I think receiving this audio would be invaluable.  You could even copy in the realtor, if there was one.  They may appreciate hearing how you handled their client, and what suggestions you made.  Thanks for sharing this.

Leanne- I love this idea.  I have offered the written consultations and they do take up too much time for what I'm charging. I've also had my sellers follow me and write while I talk which is easier but I'm never sure they're getting everything; or if they are they're so busy focusing on writing everything down that they forget to see the big picture.  One of the features I would look for is a good "pause" button so that if they did want to discuss something "off mike" then I could just pause the recorder.

Please let us know how it continues to work for you.  In the meantime, I'm going to look for a recorder.

I like your original use of the recorder.....time/trip info for mileages to/from and why.  Love this for tax purposes!!

Some stagers are using small video cams for the same reason.  I haven't gotten that sophisticated yet, as most of my business is vacants as well, but I'm open to it.

I use my iPhone for notes to myself and my investors. I use my digital camera for any videos. I also have the clients write in my comments as we walk thru for a consultation, I don't have the time to go home and type it up like I used to do. Great idea Leanne.

Great idea and great post, thanks for sharing. I am going to give this a try as taking notes, typing them up takes alot of time for the fee that I am charging

Leeanne,

You are really thinking outside of the box.  Good idea and we have a good discussion re: pros & cons to go with it now.

I don't think I would use a recorder for reasons stated.  I attempt to take notes and encourage my client to take notes, and I take lots of shots.

When I get home I do a summary of our meeting in point form, which takes me maybe an hour - usually less.  I include photos of the room I am referencing and the name of the paint colour we discussed.

My Apple laptop gives me lots of opportunity to be creative in how my reports look, as the photos download quickly and there are many formats for me to choose from in stationery.  I send it to the client by email the same day and keep a copy in the file I have created.

Thank you for sharing.

I have thought about using a recorder but haven't actually got around to getting one.  I like the idea of the USB option and will definetly get one now. 

Thanks for the post.

I have a small digital recorder that I carry around with me when I am doing a verbal consultation. I keep the recording as a digital file on my computer in case the client decides they want me to do the staging work for them. I also take a quick set of digital photos of the home. That way I don't have to go back to the house if I wind up staging it.

I haven't offered my clients a digital recording of our meeting, but might consider doing that. I only turn the recorder on when I'm speaking about what to do, so no sensitive information is recorded.

Some recording tips: Make sure to mention where you are in the house and each time you enter or leave a room. Be specific when talking about items so you know what you are talking about later. Saying "move this over here" is not much help when listening to a recording.

Great post.  I have been doing a lot of consultation over the past few weeks as people prepare their homes for the Spring market and I too find them very time consuming for the $$$ 's I charge.  I always take photos and include the photos in my written report but I am think I could use your suggestions along with the photos by using a flipvideo camera.  I could then email the video along with a generic staging flyer and my personal flyer.  I am all for anything that makes me more productive and saves time :)

I agree on quite a few points here. I use a room by room booklet that allows me to indicate common things to do by a check mark system, it has a place for suggestions outside of the common things to do, a place for paint suggestions and a blank page beside each one for room diagrams. It is completed on site and left with the client. All done in one visit, no typing afterward.  It has a page for the quotation for the work to be done in whole or in part by my company. This can take from 30 minutes on a vacant to 1.5 - 2hours on an occupied.

I have only done one consult with a recorder the client provided. They did not go forward with the job and phoned 7 months later asking for a written report. That was something I offered to do on another visit that would be charged again. They didn't take me up on it. I think that the audio version may not allow for enough detail unless, as suggested, you indicate which room you are in at the time and very specific details like "sofa on west wall".

I have also conducted a consult with the clients partner on a cell phone listening in as she could not be there. I talk and then write, she kept asking if she had been left behind in a room as she couldn't  hear anyone. It was very unusual to say the least.

The suggestion that personal details come up during the consult is a valid one. I wouldn't want that recorded either.

Lots of great ideas and comments. I do mostly vacants but am always looking for ways to give the occupied staging client a better consultation while keeping the price the same.

I think the recording is a great idea if it works for you. One of the things that popped into my head while I read through the comments was following up with just highlights or verbal or video "bullet points". I wonder how hard it would be to edit?

Another thing to consider is not all audio files are created equal. I guess if its an MP3 anyone can listen to it but those can be HUGE files!

I've been recorded, but haven't recorded yet.  I always forget about my phone!