Hope you're enjoying the weekend, folks!
Here in Chicago, our Cubs won the last game of Spring Training versus the Seattle Mariners, played in Las Vegas this afternoon. Now, it's on to Wrigley Field, on a predicted-to-be-mild Opening Day this Monday.
This could be their year! Well . . . we'll see! (It's been 100 years since the our last WS Victory, you know.)
This morning, on our Team's weekly Objection Handling Technique Conference Call, Jeff, Kathy, Sue and I were brainstorming a better way to get testimonials. Let me know your thoughts on this.
Historically, we have asked for written testimonials at or after the closing. We currently provide a questionnaire asking for comments, with a few specific categories as "idea starters" for our happy clients. We get about a 50% response rate, after the initial mailing and two follow-up mailings.
A few prospective clients ask us for written references. At their leisure, they contact our clients, and question them about our service. They usually respond with very favorable remarks.
Printed comments are always going to be completely positive, and so are received phone calls. We're not fooling anyone here - you're not going to post negative comments on your website, or give them the phone number of a less-than-happy current client.
Here's a new way - and we already tried it today - with success!
Ask your satisfied current clients if they wouldn't mind CALLING YOUR PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS FIRST - of course, after you get permission from the new folks you are speaking with about working with you!
Imagine - your clients contact the newbies, explaining your difference versus others in Real Estate, and strongly advocating you over the competition. Even if your current clients get a voice mail message, this message is a powerful "commercial" when checked by the new prospect.
To keep your current clients accountable to making the call - also get their permission to provide their own daytime phone number to the new prospective clients. Mention you will ask the prospects to call them if they don't hear from you in a day or so. Faced with this, most current clients will call quickly and enthusiastically.
First time out, we got enthusiastic agreement from the loyal existing client. He called the prospect right away (probably, so we wouldn't forget to do so), and had a brief, but detailed, phone conversation with him. Then, the prospective client called us - saying he was quite impressed with the proactive, rave review. He wants to set a time to award us his listing!
Of course, scripts have to be tweaked - but what are your thoughts on this new way to get testimonials, with more ummph, more power?
Please share your take!
And, thanks, Dean's Team Chicago Team Members Jeff Ardito, Kathleen Weaver-Zech, and my wife Sue Moss for helping brainstorm and fish-bone this new, powerful idea!
DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
