PROView - November 2008 - (Page 6) Are you available to answer your phone 24/7? You probably aren’t. Yet customers will leave you messages at any time day and night and they expect some level of response, even if it’s just a live person taking down a question or contact information. Solution? Hire a virtual assistant that can serve as your backup when you’re not able to cover your phone. Meek has noticed an increased number of requests for text messages rather than phone calls and emails. “I now make sure to include my text message address on my business card, giving consumers yet another way to reach me.” The benefits, Meek points out, are that you serve them in a manner they prefer while also giving you a rather non-intrusive way to stay in contact Each day, he says, new technologies and solutions come available, and the old days framed by the old saying “keeping it simple” are, according to Busse, gone. “Consumers expect comprehensive information yet easily available.” While eager to stay on top of new technologies, Meek still points out the importance of relationship-building. “As electronic as our ways of communications have become, though, business comes from established relationships. New technologies merely provide an additional convenience. Technology should never replace the personal touch; it should complement it.” As an example, Meek mentioned that he always makes a phone call to his past customers on the anniversary of The main point of a consumer-centric website is to make it all about the visitor. with them. Meek uses a text message mass distribution system for those who specifically have requested that he stays in touch that way. According to Meek, text messaging shouldn’t just be viewed as a customer contact tool but also as a way to communicate with other REALTORS®. “Text messaging allows you to effectively and efficiently ask or answer questions about properties and provide quick instructions for showing properties. You can send and receive all the necessary information you need by text message without picking up the phone to make a call.” Meek says that he’s even handled a negotiation over text messaging. Busse agrees that text message technology is the next big communications tool for REALTORS® to take advantage of. And, looking beyond the simple automated return text message, Busse is currently exploring a solution that will go a step further. “We are considering adding a technology that will send all property data to the home buyer’s phone as well as information about additional property listings resembling the one they’re inquiring about.” All leads, Busse says, are fed directly to their Blackberry phones, allowing his team to respond immediately. “Our prospective customers are always impressed by how quickly we responded to them, making for an excellent first impression. the purchase of their home. The Basics of a Consumer-Centric Website There’s a strong likelihood your website may be the first opportunity you have to make an impression on your prospective clients. With that in mind, take a look at whether you feel your website accurately portrays who you are. Even further, make sure your website is at the forefront of your efforts to be consumer-centric. Have you taken a look at your website through the eyes of your desired customers? If you were searching for a home, or a REALTOR® who will assist you with buying or selling a home, what would you want from a website? A critical assessment of your website from a consumer’s perspective, not your own, will most likely open up your eyes to ways you can improve it. November 2008 6 PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - November 2008 PROView - November 2008 Contents Chairman’s Notes Feature Story PROActive Brokerage Design Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report MLS Update MLS Mind Your Manners 2009 REALTOR® Dues New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members Calendar of Events & Programs PROView - November 2008 PROView - November 2008 - PROView - November 2008 (Page Cover1) PROView - November 2008 - PROView - November 2008 (Page Cover2) PROView - November 2008 - Contents (Page 1) PROView - November 2008 - Chairman’s Notes (Page 2) PROView - November 2008 - Chairman’s Notes (Page 3) PROView - November 2008 - Feature Story (Page 4) PROView - November 2008 - Feature Story (Page 5) PROView - November 2008 - Feature Story (Page 6) PROView - November 2008 - Feature Story (Page 7) PROView - November 2008 - PROActive (Page 8) PROView - November 2008 - PROActive (Page 9) PROView - November 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 10) PROView - November 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 11) PROView - November 2008 - Marketplace Analysis (Page 12) PROView - November 2008 - Home Sales Report (Page 13) PROView - November 2008 - MLS Update (Page 14) PROView - November 2008 - MLS Mind Your Manners (Page 15) PROView - November 2008 - 2009 REALTOR® Dues (Page 16) PROView - November 2008 - New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members (Page 17) PROView - November 2008 - New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members (Page 18) PROView - November 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 19) PROView - November 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 20) PROView - November 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 21) PROView - November 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page Cover3) PROView - November 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.