Recently, I bumped into a past client of mine at the grocery store. I helped Jeanne buy her first condo about 3 years ago. Since she was single, grew up here in Ventura, and loved dogs like me, we just hit it off right away. I'd been keeping in touch with her via email and my newletter since her purchase, and I had very fond memories from when I found her that adorable little place.
As we stood there in the produce section, chatting about the latest happenings in our lives, Jeanne excitedly burst in that she had just bought a beautiful little 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house, on the next street over from her condo! I was crushed. She just went on, explaining how she loved the corner it was on, and how close it was to the beach and how she loved how the kitchen was in the front of the house... It seemed as if Jeanne didn't catch onto my disappointment, until finally she stopped and explained with a nervous giggle, "Ohh, I'm sorry I didn't call you Temple, when I saw the sign and called, I didn't ever dream that I'd actually buy it! I know how busy you are, and I just didn't want to bother you..."
When a house is listed down the street from one of our past clients, do you think they're curious as to the asking price? When a "Sold" sign goes up in front of that house, do you think they're doubly curious? I found out the hard way - You bet they are!
What I learned from this experience is that, often past clients don't want to "bother" us, by tracking us down and asking for the 411 on the house for them. I learned that Jeanne felt like she would have been imposing on me. Or maybe she had a little bit of trepidation that I might assume she was thinking about a move, and ask questions that would've made her feel uncomfortable. In any event, the last thing I would have wanted was for her to call another salesperson.
Since this happened, I started using a little ad every month in my client newsletters to proactively shape the expectations of my clients. When clients read the ads they see an offer that makes it easy to ask for more information. The ads let my clients know that if they see a home for sale, they don't have to worry about "bothering" me to obtain more information. I have a system in place that quickly and efficiently obtains and forwards information - with no feeling of obligation or hassle...
These "ads" or notices let my client's know that I have a system around the process of delivering information - that it's no bother at all - that it's perfectly normal in the course of everyday business, that technology is doing all the work! Additionally, the ads put me at the top of consciousness in the minds of my dear clients, by positioning me as the "direct information link" - easy, quick, dependable, trustworthy and free.
As a result, my past clients are more likely to call my office and ask for the information, which creates an opportunity for me to deepen the relationship with my client. So far, so good!
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