There is a lot of misinformation about the internet and computers and how they truly integrate into the way we do business.
I see three distinct schools of thought with regard to the internet:
1. It is a shortcut which minimizes the necessity of face-to-face contact with the ultimate end being as much automation as possible in the buying/selling/refinancing process.
2. It is a means by which to cast a wider net than ever before and magnify the results of an already existing strong work ethic.
3. It is a fad which will eventually go away.
One agent who commented on my "Do You Talk To Your Prospects Like This?" blog post yesterday said he had it on good authority that the internet is a fad. I hear this same sentiment from numerous agents every week in my coaching, and I would really like to know who this authority is.
The internet and computers are not a fad, and their impact on business is only starting to be realized. Let's not forget that the internet has only been a true competitive business arena for about 8 or 9 years and we're still in the learning stages with regard to web marketing.
Today's consumer is grossly misunderstood by most real estate professionals. Old school sales strategies and pressure tactics just don't work. Consumers today have total control of communication in the sales process and salespeople in all arenas who are used to having control are banging their heads against the wall because he square peg won't fit in the round hole. Truth is, if you don't step back and look objectively at today's consumer and what they want/need, you're phasing yourself out of real estate and your competition will be forever grateful.
The main thing to understand about today's consumer is that they have more information at their fingertips (thanks to the internet) than any consumer in history. They also know all the sales tactics and are tired of being sold. If you tell them you really care, but you're really just trying to get the deal done according to YOUR agenda, they can see right through you.
Because they have so much information at their fingertips, they tend to think they know more than they do. Many agents get defensive at this notion and wind up taking an argumentative stance when they are challenged in any way as professionals by a prospect. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Buyers and sellers are researching online because there have been too many real estate professionals over the years who have misrepresented the facts just to get the deal done and, thus, have bred the skepticism among today's consumers that the rest of us have to deal with. Their challenges (in most cases) are simply because they want to be sure they're choosing the right person to help them with what will probably be the largest buy/sell transaction of their life.
The internet is a fad? No way. It is a filter consumers are using to get rid of all the agents they don't want to deal with in order to find the right agent.
And it's working. Not entirely by design, but it's working. Those agents looking for the easy, "lay down" sale are finding slim pickings. Likewise those agents who are unwilling to do a few minutes work to build value and trust. I'm amazed at the sense of entitlement some agents have. Geez! Unfortunately, some agents are being filtered out simply because they don't understand how it all works. That's why I do what I do.
There are right and wrong ways to integrate computers and the internet into the way we do business. Automated processes, while viewed as impersonal, can be very effective when they're treated with thought and care.
If your intent is to honestly serve your clients properly with greater efficiency, it will show in your verbage and be readily apparent to most prospects on the receiving end. If you really don't care and aren't putting much thought into it (i.e. I guess this is what I'm supposed to do, so I guess I'd better do it), then that will also show in your verbage and be readily apparent to most prospects.
The internet is here to stay and I think my next blog post will be to explain this filter concept in a little bit more detail.
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