Would you say your agents are ‘clutterers’ or ‘systematizers’? What do their desks look like?A� If IA� walked into your office, what would I see? Could I see processes and systems your agents use in providing top quality customer service? Could I see checklists, posted, so that I knew they followed a regular, proven procedure for each group of activities? Could I see pre-made, replies to use, presentations for buyers and sellers? Could I see binders labeled with each subject (like a�?listing processa��), and filled with a�?how-tosa�� for assistants (or agents) inside? Or, would I see stacks of disorganized papers?
Until your agents meet the organizational challenge, they cana��t really move forward.
There are two reasons to organize.A� The first is that it provides much better customer service. If Ia��m the consumer today, I want to know that your agents are trustworthya��that youa��re good for their word. If I can see that they have systems, I know that they will have a much better chance of keeping their word to me. Ia��m using the word a�?seea�?, because we believe what we see, not what we hear.
The second reason is that it provides agents much better time management. The agenta��s biggest challenge is to find a way to make the same amount of money and quit working 24/7. Creating systems will take a long way toward that goal.
Take system inventory now.
Here are the minimum systems your agents need:
For sellers:
- Lead generating system (should be run with contact management software)
- Automated process for following the lead from first contact through listing
- Visual marketing presentation and a system for having them pre-done and always ready to go
- Pre-first visit presentation and a system to have them packaged, ready to use
- System for following the listing from first listed to after closing (can be automated with use of a contact management program)
- After close/client retention system (can be automated)
- Your personal marketing systema��a marketing plan that can be automated and delegated to someone
For buyers:
- Lead generating systema��driven by contact management
- System to follow the buyer from first contact to sale (can be automated)
- Visual buyer presentationa��packaged and ready to use
- Pre-first visit presentationa��packaged and ready to use
- Checklists: process during buying/before closing/after closinga��client retention
- Your personal marketing system
How to begin. Real estate professionals are doers. We talk our way through processes.A� We dread organizing things, and frankly, wea��re not good at it. So, how do we begin?
Lead Your Agents to Systematize
Start with one system or process at a time. Help your agents make a list and prioritize it for the systems you need first. Put a date to start, and a date for completion (I know, therea��s that organization again!). Youa��ll find that the first is the hardest, and then, it starts to actually get easy! Ita��s a skill like anything else. Bottom line: Systematization allows you to actually run a business, not just run after buyers and sellers.
Managers: What about you? Are you systematized too? I’ll address this is a later blog.
Note: If you want to make it easy on yourself, get The Complete Buyera��s Agent Toolkit and Your Client-Based Marketing System, the complete buyer and seller systems, with dozens of checklists, processes, and presentations already created for you.
