Uh, actually, the piece was called, “Advice for real estate agents (quit now!”
Here’s just one tidbit from this good post for us:
“It turns out (according to the National Association of Realtors) that 91% of all Realtors never contact the buyer or the seller of a home after the closing. Not once. Wow. Someone just spent a million dollars with you and you don’t bother to call or write?” –More here.
I’ve heard from countless networkers on Network Marketing Central who have bought product from other networkers in the network. They wanted to let me know they never got a call, a note, or anything else after the sale to say “Thanks” after. (Check out NMC here, at iGaggle.)
In this very competitive marketplace, calling someone personally to say “Thanks” AFTER the sale is one thing you can do to stand out from the rest.
Dear Kim,
Isn’t the fortune in the follow up? Wow, that realtor stat of 91%selfish dummies blows me away.
Kim, weren’t you a commercial realtor for a while? I’ll bet you were in the top 9%.
We have heard of the 400 pound phone when it comes to calling. Why would someone be nervous or reluctant to call a customer to say thank you and “how are things going?”? My guess is they are afraid of fielding a complaint or criticism. So what. Is it going to kill them? The buyer-seller relationship gets cemented when the seller continues to show an interest in the buyer after the sale has closed. Quality referrals are a nice by-product. So if a couple of uncomfortable moments can yield many happy returns, we ought to bite the bullet and pick up that 400 pound phone. A hand written thank you helps a bunch, too.
Just gimme the noney,
Tom Doiron
Kim,
Thank you so much for highlighting this. So many wanna-be network marketers make the mistake of neglecting their downline, which is probably why there is such a high turnover in NM today.
After sales care is such an underestimated and overlooked aspect of our business.
You’ve just inspired my next article. “Building your business is like raising a family”
Your #1 fan,
Dora
http://www.dora.simpleonlinesystem.com
Hi Kim…Couldn’t agree with you more about thanking someone after they make a purchase. I personally thank each person after the sale is completed. Then I check in with them a few days after their product arrives to see how they’re doing taking it, and if they have any questions.
If my customers give me a referral that buys from me, I reward that customer with a gift from my company’s skin care line. Last week one of my customers made a purchase over $1,000, so I’m sending her a nice big gift as my thanks.
Everyone likes to be treated as though they matter, right? So it just makes good business sense to shower our customers with attention and our gratitude.
Have a great week!
Achiever Karen
http://www.age-slower.com
If this statistic is indeed true, there are many people who sell that could follow the lead of people who sell items on Ebay!
Ebay sellers may not be the real powerbrokers of the business world but many do understand the importance of supplying great customer service and satisfaction. It leads to great feedback. Potential repeat purchases. Builds trust in other buyers who view transaction comments on feedback forums. And some really put smiles on their customers faces after the sale, that makes the customer quietly say (sometimes loudly) this is what a great buying experience is all about!
Ebayers are great at writing out a simple thank you on a printed statment. Sometimes they send you a sweet little card with a smiley face on it. Other times you might find a handful of lollipops or some other treat. Simple thank you’s can lead to long-lasting, positive impressions after the sale and transaction is completed.
Cheers!
🙂
The reality is most people in business don’t really understand business.
The real money in business is in repeat spend not in one sale, but unfortunately a lot of us don’t understand this so when we go out to ‘get’ a customer or business partner, we are so focused on the money we make when they say yes we neglect building a relationship with them.
If only people understood that building a business is not just about getting a sale but building a community of raving fans who like you and refer you to others then getting back to people to say thank you or checking to see how they are enjoying the producs would be happening more often.
But I am sure we all follow up with our customers, we’re not like those horrible realtors,lol.
DJ Sobanjo
This is exactly the sort of thing I teach my recruits about. treating the customer like royalty makes a tremendous difference. When you respect them enough to say thank you and check in after the sale, it really DOES go a long way.