Is your client communication up to ‘snuff’? That is, do you believe it is sufficient to keep the client’s ‘customer engagement’ intact? (That’s the client who says, “I would never work with anyone else”).
We know the name of the game today is keeping the client. Really, not only keeping the client, but keeping the client so happy that the client becomes an ‘evangelist’ for us. However, we’re way behind other industries in tracking our customer satisfaction levels—and exceeding client expectations. We have rather blithely stumbled onward, telling ourselves that we’re doing fine with our clients. Recent studies, though, show otherwise, as we’ll discuss here.
What The Consumers Said About Their Agents’ Communication Habits
Here are some disturbing statistics from Leading Research, San Clemente, California. Their recent survey of 100,000 buyers revealed that less than ½ of all home buyers and home sellers are satisfied with the quality and frequency of communication provided by their real estate professional. So, less than ½ would use the same agent again. We work so hard for that sale. It’s a shame not to work just a bit harder to assure that we’re meeting the client’s expectations so we’ll create an evangelist, not just get a check–once!
Speaking of Getting that Check…………..
In the Leading Research survey, buyers and sellers said that, about 1/3 of the time, they never heard from the agent after closing. Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer or seller. You’ve just paid them thousands and thousands of dollars in commissions. Then, you don’t hear from them again…………you must think that agent took the money and ran! (Well, that agent did just that!).
Your Best Customer is the Customer You Just Sold
That’s what the marketers tell us. Stop thinking about the next new one. Start thinking about the one who was nice enough to work with you and give you all that money.
Remember what Lee Iacocca, who pulled Chrysler from the brink, said, “Never rest on your oars. If you do, the whole company starts sinking.” This year, make it part of your business plan to create a customer evangelist program. In other words,
treat your customer like an appreciating asset.
They are, and you will have a much more pleasant, cost-effective business—and one that’s saleable, too.
How would you rate your system of client follow-up after the sale? How would you rate other agents’? What have you thought of to keep that client for life?
