One strike and you are out: the importance of first contact
Not just real estate, but practically all sales and service businesses, yet how much attention is paid to who answers the phone?
I have to call agencies all over town to get information, make appointments, run down an agent, and the experience is definitely hit and miss -- I always imagine myself as a potential client when I call so I can judge and learn.
When I hear a friendly voice who is willing to help, I melt a little -- it's just so nice to hear good energy in the voice, a concern to solve a problem, an offer to serve and handle.
Then when I call and I hear a voice that sounds like I've just interrupted their Snicker bar break, or as if I'm intruding on a private affair, I bristle, walls fly up and I'm as turned off as if a date started scratching her underarm and burped in a 5-star restaurant.
How much business is lost on first contact? It's hard to tell, but I venture to say it's significant. In a tight market, first contact can be the difference between survival and failure. All parts of a system are important, but I think first contact is probably the most important.
From what I hear all the time, people are fed up with poor service response, automated messaging that's cumbersome and confusing, or if a live voice answers, rudeness, apathy or snootiness.
A good first response is worth it's weight in gold. This is one part of the system that HAS to be top quality, responsive, intelligent and consumer/service-oriented.
Mike Farmer
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It's been so long since I've read/heard someone speak about this so well.
When I began my career selling homes, I called FSBO's like a demon possessed. My ratio of calls/appts./listings was surprisingly good for a teenager. Why?
Mostly because of what you're saying here. Though I was calling them, it was what they sensed in my voice that gave me the edge.
I too become irritated when calling someone who'll financially benefit from a decision I make in their favor, but whose voice sounds bored or distracted.
How difficult is it to sound professionally/humanly interested and helpful?
Yes, I ahve been in the middle of an argument, get a phone call, and because I've trained myself to sound interested on the phone, automatically go into another mode.
You can train yourself to develop a phone persona -- i don't think that's phony, just separating business from whatever mood I might be in.