13 Reasons I Won't Hire You - A Solution To Problem #3

Committed to Making an Impact: How the Best Become that Way... Response Article #3

I recently wrote an article titled “13 Reasons I Won’t Hire You” that detailed some of the many reasons I’ve passed on real estate agents who wanted to work at IMPACT Properties.

This is a multi-part series where I am providing advice on how to overcome them. Having been in the industry for over 20 years I have great hopes for everyone that darkens my door looking to have a great career in real estate. I believe most people can succeed if they know what to do and if they work hard. Let’s continue:

See Problem #1 and Response Here

See Problem #2 and Response Here

Problem #3 - You Don’t Respond Quickly

You might find this odd, but if you don’t respond in a timely manner to my text messages, emails, or call me back when I’ve left you a message, you aren’t going to be hired by me.

Why do I make this such a big issue? Because your response time to me is an indicator of your response time to clients and to leads you receive. Your response time also reveals your philosophy on communication as to whether or not it’s really that important to you. REALTORS have a horrible reputation for not returning calls or following up so this issue is vital.

Study after study now shows that when you are working with the public, your response time to their requests for information is one of the most important factors in developing a working relationship.

Homebuyers and sellers are now starting their searches online and are given contact information for dozens of agents as they search on popular sites like Zillow.com and Realtor.com. When a consumer asks for information, they may ask for information from two or three agents simultaneously as they browse for properties of interest. The first person to make contact is usually the one that converts the lead into a client.

As a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (ELP), I know the lead received by the Dave Ramsey Organization is automatically and simultaneously delivered to two other ELPs. We are asked to respond within five minutes but the first person to respond usually gets the client. My average response time is under two minutes.

On a side note, if your phone voice mailbox is full and people can’t leave you voicemails, you need to empty it ASAP. It’s not acceptable.

So how do you fix this?

Set Up Alerts

When you get calls, voicemails, or text messages, make sure your phone notifies you. I set up a secondary alert on my phone for text messages if I don’t look at them within a minute and I have a special buzz pattern for different types of alerts.

Hire An Assistant

If you are too busy to respond to everything, you need to make sure it happens anyway. Hire an assistant or use a different phone number that forwards to someone who can answer the phone and respond to others in a timely fashion.

Forward Your Calls When You Are Unavailable

If you are in a meeting or driving, make sure to turn on the notification that lets people know you are unavailable so they don’t expect a return call ASAP.

Establish Boundaries

Almost 10 years ago I changed my voicemail to say that I would return calls the next business day if calls came in after a certain time at night. I needed the boundaries and I needed to spend time with my family and by changing my voicemail it clearly set a boundary. Some of you may be afraid to do that, but it really helped me and my business has not suffered because I established this boundary. If anything, it has helped my business grow.

Summary

Only you can make it a priority to communicate effectively with your customers and potential clients. When people reach out to you, respond quickly. Your business will grow as you become a quick responder.

In the next article, I’ll share about how to overcome Problem #4 – You Lack Confidence