How To Close More Sales By Thinking Like A Realtor

Disruptive technologies like chatbots and AI are changing the game for millions of sales reps around the globe. Industry pundits have predicted that over 1 million sales jobs will vanish by 2020. And while there are some important nuances to a statement as bold as that, it’s an undeniable fact that selling in today’s tech climate brings a whole new pressure to stay relevant.

How Do You Stay Ahead Of The Game?

It’s not as hard as you think. In a world of automation, nothing’s more valuable than the human touch. And who knows how to connect with people better than an ace Realtor? For real estate agents, the entire job is about building trust and rapport with their clients and community. Plus, they have very efficient sales productivity to maximize their earnings.

If you want fresh inspiration help raise your game and crush your number in the face of all the bots and robocallers, look no further. These winning sales strategies from the best real estate agents in the business will help you rise above the rest, no matter what it is you’re selling.

Put Caring Before Closing

Counterintuitive as it may seem, the rise in tech means most reps will have to go back to basics. Moving forward, the name of the game is to connect. Whether you’re dealing with a potential future customer or a past client you haven’t heard from in years — you need to give your full attention. A common mistake salespeople make is they focus solely on closing new leads and neglect past and current customers.

How can you do it?

• Switch your focus from closing sales to nurturing leads.
• Replace (or at least, supplement) your automated messages with personalized emails and check-in calls.
• Designate an individual or team to work with customers after the close.
• Become an expert in your field to add value to the existing client experience.
• Take the time to connect on a personal level before you ask for anything from your leads.

Nurture Your Network

You’ve heard it a million times: your network is your net worth. But many reps still shy away from approaching friends and family with a sales opportunity.

Listen, there’s no shame in letting people know who you are, what you do and why that matters. In fact, a study reported that 92% of buyers trust referrals from people they know over people they don’t. Never underestimate the power of your network.

How can you do it?

• Create a targeted campaign focused on a small cohort of contacts (e.g., past clients, friends, family, etc.).
• Every month send an email to everyone in the database.
• Follow this up the next week with a postcard or mailer.
• The week after, share a short video message.
• Once every quarter, pick up the phone and call them.

Work Smarter

In sales, time is a precious commodity. A famous realtor realized he was spending too much time fielding leads and not enough with his family. So he automated his entire business to the point that everything — from new team member onboarding to the entire sales process — could be handled in one seamless digital flow.

But despite becoming almost fully automated, the realtor refused to let technology alienate his customers. He created smart, customer-centric content to incorporate a level of personalization at each stage of the buyer’s journey. The result?

Customers relished the relevant content and his team loved the fact that they could now make a living within 40 hours a week vs. the 50-60 hours that’s considered standard in other teams. With the right balance of automation and personalization, the realtor and his team nearly doubled their transactions to 240 deals in 2017, while he himself worked a 25-hour week.

How can you do it?

• Block off time to prepare relevant content for your customers.
• Integrate your CRM with your transaction management tools to create a business intranet and help your team manage workflows more efficiently.
• Choose tools that give you more control over how you automate workflows and personalize lead correspondence.
• Keep your focus on providing value to leads and clients.

Pick Up The Phone

We live in a world of instant messaging. So the idea of using a phone to drum-up business (let alone close a deal) might seem a bit old school. But the classic phone call is your ace in the sleeve for boosting sales rates.

Sure, spending a day cold calling isn’t going to change your pipeline management overnight but consider this — how often do you ask for people telephone details via your website? When people willingly give you their phone number, they expect a call. In fact, failing to call your leads sends a clear message that you don’t care. That’s a huge competitive advantage for reps who aren’t afraid to pick up the phone.

How can you do it? 

• Call all newly qualified leads within a 24-hour window.
• Follow up with a quick email summarizing your conversation and make sure you send any information discussed.
• From there, plan your follow up schedule based on the lead’s buying timeline.
• If a customer is planning to buy within the next month, schedule weekly calls. If they won’t be ready to buy for another 6 months, reduce callbacks to every six weeks.

The days of following the herd are over. No matter what business you’re in, your sales strategy has to be personal and unique to you. It’s always a great idea to seek inspiration from the other proven approaches, but make sure you choose a strategy that makes sense for your business and your unique sales philosophy. After that, all that’s left to do is make sure your technology is working for you, and not the other way around.