There are several small businesses that retain hundred-year-old
traditions, Hand-dipping chocolates, fresh flowers on every
table in a restaurant,or mints and roses on a guest's pillow at
a B&B. Loyal customers come to expect these little perks or
tokens of quality in the product and changing your traditions
might mean the loss of evangelical customers. These are unspoken
signs of a companies value system and devotion to the customer.
Then there are traditions that are a little harder to explain.
There are two curious habits in the real estate industry that
have always baffled me. They are age-old traditions and the
public has come to accept them as part and parcel of the
product. But are they a reflection of company values or just a
couple of really bad habits?
The first....Why do real estate agents put their picture on
absolutely everything? Real Estate agents are there to sell
houses, people come to the agent as an expert in the field, not
because they have pretty hair or freckles. The image portrayed
through these headshots is that of an egoistical, self centered,
self serving person. I have asked many agents why they do
it...the answers range from; The company requires it, to simple,
I don't knows, to I need it to stand out from the competition
(If all the competition is doing the same thing, how does that
set you apart?) There are many people who have their own
businesses and are sole-propritors from hair dressers to
contractors, pool cleaners, consultants and lawyers but they
don't put their headshot all over everything that relates to
their business. There could be reasons why they don't. One might
be; that sending a message of conceit or self love is not the
best way to get customers. Yet another reason is that the space
on advertising comes at a premium,(especially if its in color
most business owners think the space on their advertising is
better used for mentioning benefits and services. I think the
number one reason is aging. As people get older they become less
and less satisfied with the way they look, a little less hair,
and few saggy chins, smile lines that have turned into furrows.
Many real estate agents handle the problem by not handling it,
they just leave the same picture on their business card for
their entire 25 year career, a nice youthful look. New Clients
visiting the agent for the first time are in for a shock!
The second tradition that seems more like a bad habit is to have
flyers and doorhanger bags strewn all over a neighborhood. If it
is a particularly popular neighborhood this means you find this
stuff on your front porch 3-5 times a week thanks to 10 or 15
different agents! I've even seen this stuff delivered on
Sundays. It's really convenient for thieves..they know you've
been away on vacation even if the mail is being held at the post
office. How many people pick up What they consider to be trash
while vowing to NEVER do business with the agents who turn their
porch to a landfill's delight!
At some point one's values should win over tradition. Respecting
the client and property, making the client's/prospect's
priorities your priorities must be the focus of a successful
career. Common sense and creativity should come together with
customer service and bad habits should be broken, even if all
the competition plans to continue sowing seeds of badwill.
Be a leader, put a picture of a door knocker or house on your
business card I know its a radical idea, but take the challenge!
Who knows, you might even generate some goodwill by not
cluttering up a porch with flyers that go straight into the
trash.
About Author :
Owner Lasting Impressions 2 - Custom Business gift baskets,
greeting cards, Customer Service Tips
www.lastingimpressions2.com
