You’re after connections now, not traditional sales goals.
Our dialogues and our marketing materials in our business plan are designed to bring us leads. All business plans also have a ‘results’ component: That’s listings taken, listings sold, and sales. That’s not what you’re after now. You’re after making connections. What does that mean? That means our communication needs to be
Supportive
Positive
Helpful
Meaningful
Relationship-based
That means we’re not looking for that big, money-making result. We’re really in a
“pre-lead” phase.
Why Connections?
Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? It states that we must meet the lowest unmet need before we can meet higher needs. What are our needs now?
Comfort
Shelter
Enough food and supplies (toilet paper!)
Fear of sickness
Fear of losing one’s job—or of making payments
Where are we on Maslow’s Hierarchy? We are close to the bottom—that drive to meet very basic needs. Maslow calls those Safety or Security needs. That’s why your messages have to be reassuring. You have to establish trust. You have to provide a safe harbor for your clients and potential clients.
Re-Designing that Business Plan
Instead of thinking ‘how am I going to get leads’? Think ‘how am I going to connect’? Re-design your messages to your best target markets with connection as your goal. That means, too, that you must identify those markets and make your messages meaningful to those markets.
On April 30, I’m doing a webinar for real estate professionals called “Build Your Business Right Now to Position for Success Later.” We’ll explore in detail how you re-build your business plan to pick the right connection messages to the right markets for you.
Outcomes of your Re-Designed Plan
The irony of this re-design is that you’re going to create listing and sales opportunities because your client base is looking for that connection now. When they find it, they will walk one step closer to a transaction with you—even when you didn’t ask. The danger in ‘laying out’ (as we say in the music performance business) is that you’ll be way behind the curve when the market comes back. Those people you considered clients found you were a ‘secret agent’ when they needed connections and information. They have turned to a new source of connections because you didn’t communicate. Don’t let that happen.
Start Today
From working with hundreds of real estate professionals during this time, I know clients are so grateful for these connections. You have something to offer. Don’t keep it a secret. Share your information, your compassion, and your unique value to your potential and present clients. They will appreciate you, and you will feel that you have been contributive in a difficult time.
Click here to register for Build Your Business Now to Position for Success Later.
