Your Thursday Morning Coffee?
Firstly please let us apologize for the late edition of Tuesday Morning Coffee this week. While the episode was delivered Tuesday morning as schedules to those subscribed via RSS feed, iTunes Podcast, www.DNJ.com, our www.JohnCJones.com homepage, and all the various video and social media outlets, we know many of our viewers prefer to get their weekly fill of Tuesday Morning Coffee right here on our blog. The good news is the late posting to the blog is due to a very exciting (and hectic) week here in Murfreesboro. The annual Star Power real estate conference just wrapped up at Embassy Suites here in Murfreesboro. As the host city our team was able to play hosts to a large contingent of the nation's top Realtors, as well as a number of local real estate agents who were in attendance to gain inspiration and network with a Who's Who of the real estate industry. We certainly came away with a renewed vigor and intensity after spending four days sharing and learning from the best in the industry in sessions covering every aspect of real estate, six of which featured members of The Jones Team and a very inspired keynote address by middle Tennessee's own Dave Ramsey. You can expect some great content in the coming weeks. So without further adue here's this week's Tuesday Morning Coffee.
In this continuation of last week's episode Murfreesboro Realtors John Jones and Debbie Flowers sit down to discuss lead generation and follow up.
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Transcript
JOHN: All right. Hey, John Jones back with you from last week. We’ve got Part 2, Debbie Flowers, the broker team leader with Keller Williams here in town and my old colleague. We used to work together for many years at Snow and Wall Realtors. And last week, we touched on lead generation.
DEBBIE: Right.
JOHN: But we really didn’t go in depth. Talk to me about what you’re training your folks on lead generation. When we say “lead generation,” how are we generating these leads? I know it can be different for everybody. Tell us a little bit about what you guys are doing.
DEBBIE: Okay. Well, first off, I want to say that lead generation is very, very critical to your business. You and I both know that. Lead generation it’s your business. It’s what you do.
JOHN: Sure.
DEBBIE: You have to go out and get the lead, but you’ve got to find ways that work for you. One of the things we teach our agents is you have to talk to 10 live people a day about real estate. Now you’ve got to find what works for you. Is it social media? I have agents that love Facebook. They get a lot of leads from social media. Is it past clients? Is it going out passing out your business cards every day, meeting people in the community? Is it door knocking or cold calling? We have agents that do nothing but cold call all day until they get their leads.
But you’ve got to talk to 10 live people a day, 50 people a week.
JOHN: Right.
DEBBIE: That’s one of the things.
JOHN: And I agree with that. I remember when I was new in the business, there was another agent that started the same time I did and she was a female. And she was excellent on the phone. I mean, she would just call for sale by owners daily and she could work them. I wasn’t so good on the phone, so I really used open houses. I was more a face-to-face person. I did better in front of people.
So like for instance when we’re talking about this, I would be someone that would probably want to do more social events or breaking breads, taking people out to eat, open houses—wherever I could get in front of people, that would work better for me. There’s some other people that they’re animals on the phone, and I think you do have to find the perfect fit.
DEBBIE: Right.
JOHN: Database follow-up.
DEBBIE: Wow.
JOHN: Or touches. Let’s talk about touches. Everybody has a different thing on this. All right. Let’s say that you meet somebody at open house.
DEBBIE: Right.
JOHN: You have a pretty good rapport. They’re not working with another agent. What do you guys say as far as how many times do we have to touch somebody before we’re going to bring them in to build that trust?
DEBBIE: Thirty-three touches.
JOHN: Thirty-three touches.
DEBBIE: Yep.
JOHN: In 33 touches, how long is that spread out over? What kind of timeframe?
DEBBIE: I’d say in a year.
JOHN: You want to touch them 33 times.
DEBBIE: Oh, yeah. Immediately, they need to get a thank you for coming to your open house.
JOHN: Sure.
DEBBIE: You know, immediately. And then follow up with them. And one of the things too is you’ve got to categorize your buyers that you meet at these open houses. They might not be an A buyer. It doesn’t mean as an A buyer they’ve got to buy and be in a house tomorrow. But they may be a B or C buyer where they have a house to sell. They’re going to move in the future. You’ve got to categorize your buyers. But you’ve got to set them up in a touch program so when they get ready, they think of you.
JOHN: Yeah.
DEBBIE: Does that make sense?
JOHN: I think one of the biggest mistakes we make as agents, and I know I have over the years, is I work my A buyers real, real hard.
DEBBIE: Oh, yeah.
JOHN: And if I’m working a lead and I realize they weren’t an A buyer, then I put them over here and eventually they’d fall into the garbage can.
DEBBIE: Yep.
JOHN: But then I’d look around 10 months later; I’d see these folks buying a house somewhere. And boy, it just hurt my feelings, but then I’d just have to go look in the mirror because I did nothing to stay in touch with them.
DEBBIE: Oh, yeah.
JOHN: The key is plug them in the system because some people might walk through an open house and then it be 18 months before they’re a buyer.
DEBBIE: Before they buy.
JOHN: But if they’re in a system—and I think you have to have a system—
DEBBIE: You have to have a system. I do Top Producer.
JOHN: Top Producer is a great one.
DEBBIE: Yeah. Top Producer’s great.
JOHN: And I think what we’re both saying is it doesn’t matter if it’s Top Producer, Agent Office, Real Pro or whatever—even ACT!—have something where it systemizes a way for you to touch them. Today I’m supposed to call them.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: Next Thursday, they’re getting an e-mail.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: The following Wednesday, they’re getting a postcard, whatever.
DEBBIE: I think one of the things that agents forget too is when you’re out there selling, you’re not selling a product; you’re selling yourself. People like to know if they like you. They want to know if they can trust you, and really you’re selling yourself. You’re not selling real estate or a product. You’re selling you.
JOHN: Right.
DEBBIE: So I think that’s something you have to remember.
JOHN: I think we all want to do business with people we like.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: You know what I mean?
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: I think you and I both know we could probably go out and find somebody that could give us a little bit better deal on a haircut.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: Or we could go find somebody that might give us a little bit better deal on a car somewhere or clothes.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: But we end up gravitating back to people not so much because it’s the best deal or whatever.
DEBBIE: Yeah.
JOHN: Because we like them and we trust them.
DEBBIE: Because you like them and you trust them. Absolutely.
JOHN: That’s right. That’s right. Well, this is great stuff. We could go on and on for hours.
DEBBIE: We could.
JOHN: But we don’t want to spend too much time of your day. But thank you, guys. Thank you, Debbie for all that you do for your industry here, constantly doing things.
DEBBIE: Thank you, John. Thank you for being a leader.
JOHN: So anyway, thank you guys. If you need us, JohnCJones.com. Thank you.
