Is your listing process focused on the best interests of your client? The five questions below will help you evaluate your process, and update it for today’s client.
The “Client-Centered” Approach
If what the client wants from us is a “sold” sign on the property, and that’s the only way they rate us highly, then, we must change our methods of listing and marketing properties to create higher levels of customer satisfaction. By the “client-centered” approach, I mean to keep the client’s best interest first at heart—not the agent’s!
Here are five questions to ask yourself, to see which kind of process you use—and tips to change your process to true ‘client-centered’.
1. Do you have an ‘information-loaded’, prioritized listing system? If you don’t have a complete process, you aren’t instilling trust and confidence in the seller.
2. Do you educate from the beginning, or do you just sell, sell, sell (tell) ? A pre-first visit package educates seller and shows your professionalism.
3. Are you a ‘property information gatherer’ or a ‘people consultant’? An in-depth questionnaire focusing on their needs proves you care more about them than getting a sign on the property.
4. What’s your objective? The statistics prove that most agents’ objective is to list the property. That is not in the client’s best interests. To change to client-centered marketing, you must focus on listing only saleable properties.
5. Do you provide the seller a written marketing plan? A professional marketing company always provides the plan in writing. Shouldn’t you?
Catch Up with the Business Principles and Trends
The principles I’ve outlined above are reflected in the bigger, and more real, world of international business. They’re how you and I like to be treated as real people. Step your business up to the next level now by catching the trends, not by trying to copy what worked in yesteryear.
For a method to polish your presentations for today’s challenging clients, see Your Client-Based Marketing System.
