How To Good-Gossip Your Way To The Closing Table
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” ~Liz Smith
Want to look whip smart, spark conversation, boost your Top Of Mind Awareness and create a sweet flowing stream of commission checks via referrals from your friends? Without annoying them? Please say yes, because then I can share how weaving good gossip can accomplish just that.
Now we know that most gossip is mean-spirited, a breach of trust and the kiss of death for a real estate agent. I want you to avoid mean gossip at all costs. What I’m talking about in this chapter is good gossip, the kind of gossip that is positive, friendly and appreciated.
What I want you to do is share good-gossip with your cheerleader friends. But before I tell you how and why, let me ask you this. How many cheerleader friends do you have. Cheerleader friends are your true and beautiful friends who root for you unconditionally, are eager to support and help you and are always happy to hear from you. So how many of those do you have? Seven, 19 or 57? Do you have your number in mind? Great. With your cheerleader friends in mind, let’s look at how we can strategically share good gossip and enrich our friends and ourselves in the process.
Our good gossip strategy begins with a look at human behavior.
Let’s Explore Human Nature
Let me ask you four about questions human nature in general:
1. When a fresh “For Sale” sign sprouts up in neighborhood, do the neighbors wonder what the list price is?
2. When a neighborhood listing goes Under Contract and the listing agent slaps up a red SOLD sign rider, would that event be viewed as interesting news by the neighbors?
3. When a property in their neighborhood is “Sold” and “Closed”, are the neighbors cat-curious about how much the property sold for?
4. Do people enjoy juicy gossip? Gossip, like pictures of what the inside of their neighbor’s house looks like, listing prices, price reductions, and sold information ?
When I ask these question in a classroom setting, most everyone agrees, curiosity about real estate activity in his or her neighborhood is a natural human behavior. This is proven out because if you’re using Take One Flyers on your listings, why do you think they all disappear and you get zero phone calls for more information? It’s because the neighbors snuck down and grabbed a flyer. Most of the neighbors want to know what their neighbors are up do, including all the juicy real estate related details. Agreed?
Now let me ask you three questions about yourself, then I’ll share what and how to take advantage of human behavior and enrich you and your friends in the process. The three questions are.
1. Would you like to be THE good gossip news provider for real estate activity in your cheerleader friends’ neighborhoods?
2. Would providing your cheerleader friends with real-time neighborhood market news make you appear even more majestically savvy, plugged in and supremely worthy of referrals?
3. Would you enjoy a positive and comfortable reason to engage in appreciated chit-chat (aka good gossip) with a true friend, a friend who delights in referring you business?
More On Good-Gossip Strategy, Cheerleaders and Commission Checks
About now you may be thinking, “My cheerleader friends may never move, what’s the point?” No worries, this isn’t about your friends moving, it’s about these three things:
Three Things That Matter:
1. The 3 People Principle – Everyone, including your cheerleader friends, knows 3 people that move in a year.
2. Your cheerleader friends are curious about real estate activity in their neighborhood, as everyone else is. Providing real-time, in their neighborhood, real estate updates (good gossip), enhances your professional image, strengthens Top Of Mind Awareness and creates an opportunity for in-person and on-purpose conversations.
3. Conversations with friends deepen relationships and provide a relaxed and natural opportunity for your cheerleader friends to share referrals and recommendations.
With these three things in mind to keep your cheerleaders informed and in the know all you need is a simple three-step strategy to get your good gossip campaign started.
And Here It Is:
Step 1. Identify your Cheerleader Friends. Confirm you have their phone numbers, emails, and mailing addresses. (I know, “duh”, work with me here.) If you don’t have this contact information, get it.
Step 2. Using Matrix, set-up an email auto-notification/alert for any real estate activity on their street and immediate neighborhood (Use the polygon mapping feature). Yes, that’s right; all activity, by which I mean new listings; price changes pending sales; closed sales; expired listings; and price changes. Do not have your auto-notification/alert program send the email directly to your friends. Have the auto email notification/alert sent directly to you.
Step 3. When you receive an auto-notification/alert, pick up the phone, call your cheerleader friend and share the information. After you hang up, write a quick note, include two business cards, and drop your note card in the mail.
Pretty simple, eh? If you’re already doing something like this, Rock ON. If you’re not gossiping your way to the closing table, get to it and let me know how it goes.
Remember the idea here is to keep your friends informed, demonstrate that you have your thumb on the pulse of the market, strengthen your Top Of Mind Awareness, and position yourself to receive referrals via The 3 People Principle.
Oh, and by the way, it’s a fine idea to set auto-notifications/alerts for all your active listings as well. The last thing you want is for your seller to call and ask you about the new listing down the street, and you don’t have clue what they’re talking about! Remember to set up your buyer clients with this gift after closing and move in:-)
Using MATRIX, here’s how:
First, make sure your Portal/Profile information is complete and looking good. Click HERE for detailed instructions on How To.
When creating your neighborhood search, use the Map feature and draw a polygon around your cheer leader friends neighborhood. Other Criteria should include Acitive, PS, OP, Pending, Sold and Expireds. Do not include any other search criteria.
Thanks and don’t hesitate to see me if I can be helpful.
About ken@kenbrand.com
Ken is the General Sales Manager for The Woodlands Area Marketing Center for Better Home And Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene.
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Paradox. Surprise. Uncommon Sense. Irony. ELBs. Impressions. Observations. Less Blah Blah-More Ah-Ha.
If I can be helpful, call, text or eMail - Ken Brand | 832-797-1779 | Ken@KenBrand.com.
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