In a business polluted with sales “professionals” it’s so important that we create efficiencies in our day wherever possible. BUT, can you be too efficient?
I would argue … YES!
Nina Hollander wrote a wonderful blog about the Carolina MLS warning folks about calling on expired listings, making sure to check the MLS status before you make a call and an note about the Do Not Call Registry (See her blog here: http://actvra.in/4Mvy) and it got me thinking … when the FTC has to start creating things like the Do No Call Registry … maybe it’s because we (and real estate isn’t the only guilty industry) are trying to get TOO much done in a day.
I get it, life isn’t getting any less expensive but sometimes sales people press so hard that they lose their authenticity.
An example? SURE! Auto Dialers! Have you heard of them? Are you using them? Look, I’m not knocking those who use an auto dialer but when one uses an auto dialer … they’re in some ways saying “you’re on my list for a reason and that’s all the info I need.” What happened to doing the research? What happened to making an informed call? You’re just calling on expired listings because some third party site is telling you that’s the current status of the home … but did you look it up on the MLS before you called ... is the information you PURCHASED even accurate? Maybe not, because we often are too trusting in the third party vendors that we are buying data from and instead of using the data as a starting point we look at it like the Bible and just assume all of the information to be true and accurate.
It’s the same as the Do Not Call Registry … the fines can be up to $16,000 PER OFFENSE! Did you look at the FTC site BEFORE you started auto-dialing … or just “regular” dialing for that matter? Shortcuts can get you into trouble.
SERIOUSLY, take a look at https://www.ftc.gov/ and read the fifty or so pages about the Do Not Call Registry. Even gotten a pre-recorded message that never rang into your phone? Yeah, stuff about that is on there too. In fact, I had a loan officer trying to earn business and “give us access to this great new system that allows a caller to ‘not bother’ someone and gives you back door access to their voicemail so you can go straight there and leave a pre-recorded message with thousands of prospective leads at the same time … if you want to.” Sounded like it was TOO easy so I did some homework … and did you know that according to the FTC it’s a violation to leave such messages whether the recipient of the message is on the Do Not Call Registry or not?! Yeah … I called the loan officer back … he was a little ehhhhh about the call at first but I got one back a few days later with a big “thank you” and he stopped a whole campaign because he didn’t want to risk the fine but didn’t realize he couldn’t make those calls at the time. Just because the service is available doesn’t mean that you can use it … maybe you think it was created for your great little campaign but it’s also possible that multi-billion dollar corporations could use such services and have a qualified reason to do so … again … just because it’s out there, doesn’t mean it’s for you and doesn’t mean it’s intended for your purposes. REMEMBER, the vendor is selling a system but YOU THE COMSUMER/BUYER are the required party to ensure you are using that system within the boundaries of the law … YOU ARE LIABLE! Don’t be “THAT guy.”
There is more than one way to contact a lead … so instead of just saying “oh, sorry … the data I received must not be up to date … I’ll make sure to take you off my list” how about just respect the Do Not Call Registry participants to begin with and stop making Sellers feel like victims and leave them feeling like all agents are just “dirty vultures.”
The end message is just that perhaps there are times we need to stop looking at this business like a “numbers game” and start looking at it more like an “authenticity game.” SLOW DOWN, do your homework … don’t be afraid to make ten less phone calls and dial the number manually but maybe actually know a little more about the prospect so you can add better value to your calls.
YES, there are plenty out there that have made their millions being ruthless … and don’t get me wrong … I’m trying to get there too but I’d rather have my prospective clients have a different experience with me and if that means I work with a few less then fine because their word on referrals will likely be a stronger one than those that got pounded by phone calls for two weeks straight.
So, it's a numbers game YES ... but it's not JUST a numbers game. Do your homework, be authentic and play the game with an educated mind! Let's bring some humanity back to this business.
Good luck out there and HAPPY SELLING!!!
Blue Skies,
James Hoff
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