Aliso Viejo – October 31, 2008 One of our Mentors at iSucceed, Nelson Zide from Framingham, MA, reminded me the other day that the basics haven’t changed … we have just failed to stick to them as we hurriedly run from one new solution to another.  Nelson has been practicing the same thing since 1976 and his very successful career reflects that it works.  He maintains that nothing can replace the importance of true customer service.

Superior client service is crucial in the real estate business and it’s Nelson’s personal philosophy that you need to return every single phone call or personal email (no matter who they’re from) and do it within 24 hours. Today clients expect and demand that type of service and if you aren’t delivering it … they won’t be there when you get around to it.

NAR reports continue to tell us that year after year there are still too many Realtors^® returning e-mails and phone calls three to five days later that can’t figure out why they’re not gaining business. If you don't call them back, you'll never get them back. The way to increase your business and have superior client service is to make sure the communication you have with your clients and contacts is immediate. Most likely they won't be in, but you can leave a voice mail message and or send an e-mail. As long as you return their correspondence you've done what you needed to do.

But Nelson takes his service philosophy beyond just communicating; that is a given.  He says that what you communicate is the critical element and there are 3 things you “must” communicate:

 

1.      Tell your clients what you are going to do for them - If you say, "I am going to advertise your home in print everyday," then you better make sure it's in print every day. If you're going to put it on two Web sites, it better be on two sites. And if you tell them you're going to put a lock box on their door and it's not going to be put on that very day, tell them the exact date it will be ready. With everything you tell them, be as specific as you can … when, why and what you're doing.

2.      Tell them what you want them to do - I tell my sellers that every time someone shows their home, whether my office sets up the appointment or another agent, to call me and tell me who was there and when. Then I can contact that agent and get feedback back for my clients. Now I may know who was there but I still want the seller to be involved in the transaction and I want them to know they can call me at any time. It keeps me in the loop, keeps them in the loop and it ensures that the key to superior service is working; communication.

If you don't want them in the house when the showings are there, tell them they should leave. Tell them how you want their home to be shown. The more you ask of them, the more they will appreciate your desire to do the best job for them. By including them, they feel part of the team.

3.      Tell them what you won't do – Clients don’t don't want any surprises. It’s personal, but one thing I will not do is open houses because they are not effective in my marketplace. Now, if a client demands an open house we will put one on but I inform them from the beginning that I will not be there. I'll have my assistant there because I have better use of my time than to be there for two hours. They may not be happy about this but I would rather they know up front so when the open house is held they won’t be surprised when someone else shows up.   You can't have your clients assume anything and to make sure that doesn’t happen, be specific on what you will not do. 

You can tap into literally thousands of tips, tools and strategies like this at iSucceed and it’s not too late to enjoy free membership for the rest of 2008.  You have the rest of the year to explore the iSucceed vault of information on every aspect of the real estate business … just click here for the details and enjoy the benefits of membership: