arscherer
01-25-2008, 07:49 PM
I am going to break down my marketing plan to all of my Realtor business partners when I originally started out approx. 5 years ago. This is strictly for WN'ers, but will go into each week in detail on my Loan Officer Tips (http://loantraining.wordpress.com/) blog. Let me know what has worked for you, or what you have seen that works (or doesn't work) if you're a Realtor:
Real Estate Agents and Brokers live and die by their wallet. In most cases, if you cannot provide something that is either saving them money or making them money they will not remember you. Bottom line, you need to stand out and make yourself a known entity within a that office. That is, essentially, the overall goal here, right? Here are some SPIN ideas for a 12 week marketing campaign, and please keep in mind that you will most likely spend a little bit of your marketing budget here:
Week 1 (9:30 am) - Brief Intro and drop off business cards. You should stay in the office no longer than it takes you to shake everyone’s hand, get a general feel for the layout of the office, and get to know one personal piece of information about one of the agents. This agent will be a “promoter”; Make sure that you get that person’s business card and that they have 2 of yours. Also, tell them that you will be making a stop in every week on (Day). This will set the expectation for you to be there.
Week 2 (12:30 pm) - Re-intro and drop off business cards. Intro yourself to people that weren’t there in your first visit. Make sure that you ask for the "promoter" that you met last visit; this will make it an easier transition from doorway to office space. If they aren’t there, start a brief conversation with the Realtor you are talking with (network!!!). Make sure that you pick up both of their business cards (that means you will have two of the first agent’s). Also, let them know that you are working on sales tips for Real Estate Agents article to give them in the next couple of weeks).
Week 3 (3:30 pm) – Ask for the two Realtors that you already know (similar to Week 2). This will take down the gatekeeper’s guard and sort of ease the anxiety of letting another LO into the building. Again, if you speak with a different Real Estate Agent, make sure that they have 2 of your cards, and you have one of theirs (2:1 ratio). Give the Agents an update on the sales tips (I always preferred giving out an update flyer which said when I was going to be done with the article). Leave the remainder of your flyers (or whatever medium) on an open desk in the middle of the office).
Week 4 (4:45 pm) – You should have made contact with at least 3 agents so far out of that particular office. Make sure that you know their names, and ask for them when you enter. If it’s the same secretary, he/she will know who are you there for by now. If it’s yet another agent, get the card and drop off 2 of yours. Drop off the last update flyer saying that you will be handing out the sales tips article next week when you come in; this will show them that you are good at hitting deadlines and are willing to provide something that will increase their business.
Week 5 (10:30 am) - Give out a Real Estate sales tips article to the two agents that you have already met, and ask if anyone else might want a copy of them. If not, leave them on a desk out in the open, and make sure that you have your contact information on the sheet (or staple your business card to the article). This is going to show the agents a couple of things: (1) You hit deadlines, (2) You follow through on expectations, (3) You are willing to sacrifice your time to boost their sales techniques, (4) You are not going anywhere, and really want to help them succeed!
Week 6 (1: 30 pm) – Bring by more copies of the sales tips article so you can leave them in the office again, but here is where we start to get into their business. We have been introducing ourselves for a month and a week, and we really want to start seeing an increase in referrals from them. Ask your “promoters” if it would be ok to meet with them in a conference room the following week for about 15-30 minutes. Make sure that you tell them that you don’t want to sell them anything, but you want to get to know how they work. Confirm this appointment as soon as you get back to your desk via email, and confirm it once again a day before the appointment.
Week 7 (4:30 pm) – This appointment should be with at least 3 Realtors if not more, and at least try to have the Broker available for this – not necessary, but a good addition. This informal meeting is all about them, and nothing about you or your work. Ask about what their business has been like over the past year, over the past 6 months, over the holiday season, etc. Ask about where they want to be for 2008 or the following years to come. Ask them if they do anything that would separate them from the competition in the area, and what the competition is doing that is taking clients away from them. Set up a follow up meeting with all of the agents (preferably in the next week), and follow up like you did for the initial meeting.
Week 8 (9:45 am) – This appointment is, again, informal, but you want to start to get into who they currently refer their business to. However, you are still relatively new to them, so your intro statement should include everything that they said in the past meeting. Yes, that means that you should rehearse prior to getting into this meeting! It will only make you more prepared, so invest in yourself and find a mirror! I would only ask what qualities they look for in a lender/broker. Who they currently send their business to, and why they like sending the business to them. Also, ask them what their biggest “snag” is with the lending process, and/or what they wish they could change in the lending process. Make sure that you write these down! Follow up with the agents via a thank you e-mail as soon as you get back to the office.
Week 9 (11:45 am) – Use this as a “just stopping in” time. Tell them that you were in the area visiting other agents, and thought you would stop in to say hi really quickly. You want to schedule a meeting the next week (week 10) just to go over a couple of things. Again, you want to invite your “promoters” and anyone else that they want to invite as well
Week 10 (2:45 pm) – This meeting is where you shine! This is where you completely SPIN selling everything that they have told you in the previous two meetings and sell them on using you on a trial basis. Make it clear to the agents how you work (your turn time between application and pre-qualification letter, the difference between your pre-qualification and your pre-approval, and essentially how you coordinate your business so it will easily mesh with theirs). Play to the likes of the current lender/broker and exploit the current dislikes of who they currently use. You need to be sure to tell them that you will do everything in your power to help them close more loans even if that means working open houses and weekends. Tell them that you will be in next week, but you don’t know what time, and if they have anything that they need you to look at right now.
Week 11 (4:45 pm) – Again, quick stop in right here. Make sure that you try to meet with at least one of your “promoters”, and tell them that you will be in the office every (Day) around 11:00 am to look over anything that they might need help with. Leave a note for the ones that aren’t there that you have a relationship with, and make sure that you write them all an e-mail verifying the time and day that you will be at their office. Again, this is setting an expectation of you as a permanent fixture and an asset to their business.
Week 12 (11:00 am) – This is your first morning in the permanent time slot for this office. Make sure that you bring something like magnet business cards with a reminder on the card for the day and time that you will be in their office. Also, make note that you are available to talk about any scenario, and that you are willing to help them. Make note that you can provide some joint marketing material for listings, open houses, post-cards, letters, etc. This is, again, your first morning, and you most likely won’t get a great result of this in the first week, but be patient. Keep this time slot and day solidified unless you are asked to move it by the broker or the agents to help them more.If you spend 12 weeks consistently in their faces, you will see an increase in your referral business. It might not be every single loan to begin with, and you will have to prove yourself when you get the horrible scenarios. However, never over-promise and under-deliver. Always UNDER-PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER! Be up front and honest with every one of their clients, and follow through with everything that you said you would do for them. Empty statements don’t make for a good relationship.
Overall, your goal is to get into these offices as a permanent fixture, and to potentially (if you really want to) have a desk in these offices so you can get the incoming business from all of the agents.
I will put together another post with regard to using the “promoters” to get you more business within their office as well as how to narrow the “3 business card scramble” in my LO Training blog.
Real Estate Agents and Brokers live and die by their wallet. In most cases, if you cannot provide something that is either saving them money or making them money they will not remember you. Bottom line, you need to stand out and make yourself a known entity within a that office. That is, essentially, the overall goal here, right? Here are some SPIN ideas for a 12 week marketing campaign, and please keep in mind that you will most likely spend a little bit of your marketing budget here:
Week 1 (9:30 am) - Brief Intro and drop off business cards. You should stay in the office no longer than it takes you to shake everyone’s hand, get a general feel for the layout of the office, and get to know one personal piece of information about one of the agents. This agent will be a “promoter”; Make sure that you get that person’s business card and that they have 2 of yours. Also, tell them that you will be making a stop in every week on (Day). This will set the expectation for you to be there.
Week 2 (12:30 pm) - Re-intro and drop off business cards. Intro yourself to people that weren’t there in your first visit. Make sure that you ask for the "promoter" that you met last visit; this will make it an easier transition from doorway to office space. If they aren’t there, start a brief conversation with the Realtor you are talking with (network!!!). Make sure that you pick up both of their business cards (that means you will have two of the first agent’s). Also, let them know that you are working on sales tips for Real Estate Agents article to give them in the next couple of weeks).
Week 3 (3:30 pm) – Ask for the two Realtors that you already know (similar to Week 2). This will take down the gatekeeper’s guard and sort of ease the anxiety of letting another LO into the building. Again, if you speak with a different Real Estate Agent, make sure that they have 2 of your cards, and you have one of theirs (2:1 ratio). Give the Agents an update on the sales tips (I always preferred giving out an update flyer which said when I was going to be done with the article). Leave the remainder of your flyers (or whatever medium) on an open desk in the middle of the office).
Week 4 (4:45 pm) – You should have made contact with at least 3 agents so far out of that particular office. Make sure that you know their names, and ask for them when you enter. If it’s the same secretary, he/she will know who are you there for by now. If it’s yet another agent, get the card and drop off 2 of yours. Drop off the last update flyer saying that you will be handing out the sales tips article next week when you come in; this will show them that you are good at hitting deadlines and are willing to provide something that will increase their business.
Week 5 (10:30 am) - Give out a Real Estate sales tips article to the two agents that you have already met, and ask if anyone else might want a copy of them. If not, leave them on a desk out in the open, and make sure that you have your contact information on the sheet (or staple your business card to the article). This is going to show the agents a couple of things: (1) You hit deadlines, (2) You follow through on expectations, (3) You are willing to sacrifice your time to boost their sales techniques, (4) You are not going anywhere, and really want to help them succeed!
Week 6 (1: 30 pm) – Bring by more copies of the sales tips article so you can leave them in the office again, but here is where we start to get into their business. We have been introducing ourselves for a month and a week, and we really want to start seeing an increase in referrals from them. Ask your “promoters” if it would be ok to meet with them in a conference room the following week for about 15-30 minutes. Make sure that you tell them that you don’t want to sell them anything, but you want to get to know how they work. Confirm this appointment as soon as you get back to your desk via email, and confirm it once again a day before the appointment.
Week 7 (4:30 pm) – This appointment should be with at least 3 Realtors if not more, and at least try to have the Broker available for this – not necessary, but a good addition. This informal meeting is all about them, and nothing about you or your work. Ask about what their business has been like over the past year, over the past 6 months, over the holiday season, etc. Ask about where they want to be for 2008 or the following years to come. Ask them if they do anything that would separate them from the competition in the area, and what the competition is doing that is taking clients away from them. Set up a follow up meeting with all of the agents (preferably in the next week), and follow up like you did for the initial meeting.
Week 8 (9:45 am) – This appointment is, again, informal, but you want to start to get into who they currently refer their business to. However, you are still relatively new to them, so your intro statement should include everything that they said in the past meeting. Yes, that means that you should rehearse prior to getting into this meeting! It will only make you more prepared, so invest in yourself and find a mirror! I would only ask what qualities they look for in a lender/broker. Who they currently send their business to, and why they like sending the business to them. Also, ask them what their biggest “snag” is with the lending process, and/or what they wish they could change in the lending process. Make sure that you write these down! Follow up with the agents via a thank you e-mail as soon as you get back to the office.
Week 9 (11:45 am) – Use this as a “just stopping in” time. Tell them that you were in the area visiting other agents, and thought you would stop in to say hi really quickly. You want to schedule a meeting the next week (week 10) just to go over a couple of things. Again, you want to invite your “promoters” and anyone else that they want to invite as well
Week 10 (2:45 pm) – This meeting is where you shine! This is where you completely SPIN selling everything that they have told you in the previous two meetings and sell them on using you on a trial basis. Make it clear to the agents how you work (your turn time between application and pre-qualification letter, the difference between your pre-qualification and your pre-approval, and essentially how you coordinate your business so it will easily mesh with theirs). Play to the likes of the current lender/broker and exploit the current dislikes of who they currently use. You need to be sure to tell them that you will do everything in your power to help them close more loans even if that means working open houses and weekends. Tell them that you will be in next week, but you don’t know what time, and if they have anything that they need you to look at right now.
Week 11 (4:45 pm) – Again, quick stop in right here. Make sure that you try to meet with at least one of your “promoters”, and tell them that you will be in the office every (Day) around 11:00 am to look over anything that they might need help with. Leave a note for the ones that aren’t there that you have a relationship with, and make sure that you write them all an e-mail verifying the time and day that you will be at their office. Again, this is setting an expectation of you as a permanent fixture and an asset to their business.
Week 12 (11:00 am) – This is your first morning in the permanent time slot for this office. Make sure that you bring something like magnet business cards with a reminder on the card for the day and time that you will be in their office. Also, make note that you are available to talk about any scenario, and that you are willing to help them. Make note that you can provide some joint marketing material for listings, open houses, post-cards, letters, etc. This is, again, your first morning, and you most likely won’t get a great result of this in the first week, but be patient. Keep this time slot and day solidified unless you are asked to move it by the broker or the agents to help them more.If you spend 12 weeks consistently in their faces, you will see an increase in your referral business. It might not be every single loan to begin with, and you will have to prove yourself when you get the horrible scenarios. However, never over-promise and under-deliver. Always UNDER-PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER! Be up front and honest with every one of their clients, and follow through with everything that you said you would do for them. Empty statements don’t make for a good relationship.
Overall, your goal is to get into these offices as a permanent fixture, and to potentially (if you really want to) have a desk in these offices so you can get the incoming business from all of the agents.
I will put together another post with regard to using the “promoters” to get you more business within their office as well as how to narrow the “3 business card scramble” in my LO Training blog.