Being "instant" with your customers
Younger customers are expecting agents to be more accessible and frequent in communications. I am interested in how many of you establish your "communication strategy" with these customers, and what tools/methods you use to accomplish that.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Andrea Farrell on -
I am working with several younger clients and we communicate my email and phone texting the majority of the time. This is what they like
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Permalink Reply by Darian Jacobs on -
Andy, I have made it a point to be as available to clients as possible and with younger buyers(and some not so young buyers) there is almost an expectation that everyone is instantly available. Tools of the trade; I would recommend the blackberry and the iphone. Email and text communication is vital and the better equipped you are the better you will be. There is also twitter, I am not a big user of twitter but I believe our business could use such an application. The one thing I would like to add is the more access that people have to reach you the more time you will likely spend working with your contacts.
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Permalink Reply by Monika E Dorfman on -
Same as Andrea - with some of my clients I use txt and email. Blackberry will keep you on track. Although, I do suggest Email - you can keep copies, when with txt is not as easy to keep the records. You can always send copies of your txt to you email though......Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Pat Moyer on -
Andy,
I'm a trainer too so my answer goes along with what I say in training about good buyer/seller counseling. You need to establish and manage expectations. How do you prefer to communicate? What is the best way to reach you? What time is best/most preferable? Will your preferences change if you're travelling? on weekends? in a negotiation?
For "seniors" sometimes we need to start with the basics? Do you have access to the Internet? Do you use it frequently? Do you have an answer machine? Do you have a cell phone? Do you use it every day or just turn it on when you want to use it? Of course, "seniors" can be anyone 55 to 100, so ask and phrase questions accordingly.
E-mail and text seem to be the most favored ways for the Internet Empowered Consumer. I think a Realtor without a "smart phone" is at a distinct disadvantage.
Social networks are really becoming key as well. LinkedIn and Facebook, for example, are powerful tools that a lot of us have begun to use in the last year. Facebook isn't just for young faces anymore either. There's a great sounding conference in San Diego next week that sounds interesting so if any of your are going to be out that way check this out http://marismith.com/sd_socialmedia. I've been on a teleseminar with Mari Smith and she really knows her stuff. If you can't click just copy and paste it into your browser.
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Permalink Reply by Suzette Webb on -
I find the blackberry to be a great tool for quick response time with clients, young and old. The Y Generation will take the time to text or email far before answering their phones. As discussed, one of the reasons is that they can respond anytime, at work, home, or whereever!
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Permalink Reply by Terry Kinkead on -
I'm looking to invest in a smart phone. I see the majority of agents are using the blackberry, any negatives or tips that I should know about? Any recommendations for other phones? Thanks for your input.
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Permalink Reply by Rajeev Sajja on -
Terry,
There is a separate discussion on "What smart phone is best for you?" Please read that and hopefully that will lead you to an informed decision.
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Permalink Reply by Carmella Jones on -
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Permalink Reply by Allan Potechin on -
Terry, a couple of years ago I bought a Nokia E series because it had a qwerty keyboard for easy texting and was a great phone. While it did allow me internet access to check email, I never felt we were in a profession that required instantaneous response - quick was good enough. I receive client texts and respond immediate but have Outlook 2003 (synched to my phone of course) running all the time on my notebook. Responding that way allows me to add other information...even animated GIF's that some clients love.
So, do you really need to spend a lot for the monthly fee of a Blackberry or Trio just to periodically check email? My next phone will have the same functions I now have and hopefully without the fees.
Terry Kinkead said:I'm looking to invest in a smart phone. I see the majority of agents are using the blackberry, any negatives or tips that I should know about? Any recommendations for other phones? Thanks for your input.
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Permalink Reply by Suzette Webb on
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Andy, you are so on with the blackberry concept; I sold a home to buyers moving here from Germany because I was "flexible" with my responses; many responses being short and to the point on the blackberry but they loved the promptness of the replies. On the flip side, I currently have two sellers that do not have email and one does not have a cellphone! So, setting the tone and communicating with the client is extremely important. I personally am still very gray to the concepts of all the various websites that the consumers are using, the blogging, the numberous options available for communicating, etc. It's not that I cannot learn, it's that I don't always have the time to sit and concentrate on the computer because of the nature of our business. We are out there prospecting. I would be open to learning more but not always sure where to go to learn. I need quick references to explore. Any thoughts on this? Thank you!
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