“When is the best time to ask a new buyer for a referral (other than all the time!)?

Before I discovered this “secret-best time”, I would have answered, “Right after they close.” I don’t think so anymore. The closing is when they have just signed the 30-yr. mortgage, been just been told what their monthly payments will be for the next 360 months, what will happen if they don’t stay current with their payments, what the taxes and insurance costs will be. It can be a sobering time for a lot of buyers.

I have found the best time to get the best referrals is during the contract to closing period. This is when they are most excited about owning their property. It’s at a time when I am communicating frequently with my client the most, giving them advise and council to help them that will make their purchase easier, all the while I am assisting them in getting something they really want. I become their source of happiness and they want to help me in return.”

It’s no secret we live in difficult times. Dwindling buyers, sub-prime fall-out, foreclosures, negative valuations, short sales, and “bleeding working capital” due to longer sales times have become the language of today’s real estate market.

It’s tough out there, but many agents are still making a good living, and some are doing better than ever. How? They know that if you want to survive or even prosper during this tough market, you need to be on your “A-Game.”

Today I want to share with you one “A-Game” strategy that will position you heads-and-tails above other agents and help you gain a greater percentage of a smaller (and slower) market.

This simple skill will quickly and effectively help differentiate yourself from other agents in your market and generate buyers and listings more easily.

As a real estate professional your job is two-fold: 1) To market your real estate services to generate buyers and listings, and 2) To market and sell homes of your clients.

Yet whenever I see agent marketing (personal or home marketing) I’m constantly amazed at how little effort is placed to counteract the recipients stubborn reluctance to believe anything you say.

Agents create verbal and written marketing messages (ads, letters, listing packages, web sites, etc.) that naively presume they’ll be believed.

Distrust is, understandably, everywhere. People, by and large, distrust nearly everyone and everything. They distrust politicians, their bank, community leaders, government and most businesses.

And yes, they even distrust YOU.

Anytime a person perceives an “ulterior motive” (such as they’re going to be sold, courted for a vote or other obligation), they form a natural resistance to the message. This is true even when they actually desire what is being promoted.

The solution?

Get others to create your credibility and believability for you. After all…

What Others Say About You is 1000 Times More Credible and Persuasive than What You Ever Say About Yourself

Why? Because there’s no perceived ulterior motive, so its easier for people to believe.

I constantly look at agent ads, letters, listing packages and other marketing and I’m shocked to see that 99% of them have absolutely NO comments or input from the very people who have benefited from their services.

Yet the most common comment I hear from agents is, “what can I do to differentiate myself from the swarms of agents out there??”

Thats all going to change for you starting NOW, because today Im going to give you everything you need to create your own powerful testimonial marketing system.

So let’s get started…

Step #1: How Do You Get Testimonials?

Testimonials are easy to get once you simply commit to getting them. The secret is timing. The best time to ask for a testimonial is when your client has just received the payoff or benefit of your services. In most cases it’s at or immediately after the closing of a transaction (for buyers, it’s before they need to make their first mortgage payment).

Smart agents leverage their marketing by asking for a testimonial about their services while the “happy gas” is flowing with their clients. Average agents just walk away looking for another deal.

Would you like a proven letter you can send to clients right after a closing to generate testimonials for your services?

I thought you might, so here it is all written for you…

What you need to know about this letter:

1. Send it as a personal letter right after closing – preferably hand addressed, stamped, etc.
2. Consider sending it by FEDEX. Why? Because everyone opens FEDEX, and it communicates urgency, so your clients will act quickly.
3. Consider using a “grabber” like attach a penny and change the headline to say, “a penny for your thoughts…” or something like that. Grabbers help the envelope become “lumpy” and get opened.
4. Make sure you tell them exactly how to respond – see my next step for the many types and uses of testimonials.
5. Hand sign the letter and consider writing a personal “thanks for your help” in your own handwriting to the right of your signature.
6. If it’s a written response, include a self-addressed stamped envelope to make it easy to reply
7. Use the psychological element of reciprocation by enclosing a few coupons for 2 free coffee drinks or ice cream or movie tickets. This will motivate your client to reply quickly. Make sure you don’t violate any state laws with respect to gifts given. Since these are not related to client procurement or referral you should be OK, but check with your broker.

Now (here’s my overt pitch), you may or not know this, but the letter above is an excerpt taken from our Million Dollar Agent Marketing Tool Kit^™, and it’s been proven to work for agents around the world.

If you don’t have your own copy of the Million Dollar Agent Marketing Tool Kit^™ you can click here and get it. Why would you want to do such a thing?

Because it contains over 35 sales and marketing letters similar to the one above and will quickly boost your production and make your marketing infinitely easier and more effective, all for less than you spent on lunch last week.

Plus you can get 4 incredibly valuable bonuses Free with your tool kit. You can work hard or you can work smart – this tool kit is a “smart agent” resource.

Step #2: What KINDS of Testimonials Should You Get and HOW Should You Use Them for Maximum Impact?

I combined this question because I want to show you how to get testimonials that will be 1) believable, and 2) will clearly differentiate you from other agents.

Here are some great ideas for the types and uses of testimonials you can create for your practice…

The Written Testimonial.

You can send the above letter after each closing you have (and you can even send it to existing clients and friends if you like), and ask them to complete an attached sheet and mail back to you.

Then, once you get the testimonial you can use it 1) with your ads, 2) with any sales letters you create, 3) with your pre-listing package, 4) place them on your web site, 5) use them with your home brochures, 6) with info-tube flyers, or anywhere you need more believability about your services.

The Photo Testimonial.

Agents frequently take a camera with themselves to visit their client’s new (or old) home and take a photo of their clients happily in front of their home.

If it’s a listing you sold, take a photo of them in front of your “SOLD” sign with a thumbs up. If it’s a new home, take a proud photo of them on their new door step with a thumbs up. Then use your photo testimonial in the same places as your written testimonial (above).

The Photo Sign Testimonial.

This is similar to the idea above, except this time you create a sign that your sellers or buyers hold with an important (quoted) message from them. Once you get their written testimonial, have it produced on a sign (rolled paper) using a local printer, then take a photo of your client holding their sign. This is a very powerful tool.

Want to see an example we use?

I teach the very same real estate systems I personally use. Here’s an example of a photo testimonial for our Service For Life!^® prospecting and referral generating tool. I think it’s adorable and it sends a powerful message.

Imagine having many photos like this in your inventory (I do!), then you can create prospecting (or just listed/sold) post cards, or put this on your web site, or integrate it into your pre-listing package.

Are you getting the “picture” here? (OK, that was really corny!)

The Video Testimonial

Take your video camera and get first hand video comments from your clients. Then use the clips on a personally created DVD (to give to prospects), load them onto your web site, or play them during a listing presentation. Powerful? You bet!

Audio Testimonials

In your letter (above) you can make leaving a testimonial easy by asking your clients to call your hotline, enter a special extension, then they can record their comments for you. Take the audio and use it on your web site, transcribe it and use it as a written testimonial, put a series of them on a CD, or even put on your web site.

We use audio testimonials all the time at ServiceForLife.com check them out right on the home page.

Step #3: What Makes a Good Testimonial?

The best testimonials reveal a strong and relevant benefit your clients received by working with you.

When I say “relevant” I mean that the testimonial translates a benefit that your prospects consider important – such as saving money, avoiding hassles, getting an advantage other buyers or sellers don’t get, etc.

That’s why the letter I wrote guides them and helps them communicate the benefits you want to use. Did you help save them money? Did you overcome a specific obstacle or solve a huge problem they were facing? Were you easy to work with? Were you better than any other choice they could have made?

Step #4: Just DO IT!

You’ve just received a powerful marketing system that can make a huge impact on your real estate success.

It’s easy to use. It’s fun. And you’ll be amazed how much your clients, friends and others who know you and use your services will be thrilled to help you. Seriously, just try it and you’ll see.

I hope you use this system, get your “A-Game” going, and profit like never before!

“I recently learned some excellent ideas on communication that I can beneficially apply to my interactions with my clients.

“There are 3 different ways people view communication. The first is the 1-way interaction. The speaker speaks and the audience listens. The second is the 2-way interaction. The speaker gives information, the listener responds to the information (questions, etc.), then the speaker gives more information, and the listener responds again to that information, and so on. This second way was how I personally viewed communication with my clients. I was the information giver, they were the information getter. The success of the conversation was still on me as the information giver.

“The best form of communication is a more circular model. Both sides of the communication are equally responsible to give and receive and respond to each other. Let me give you an example.

“I previewed my client’s home and wrote out a list of things I felt could be improved to help sell the home quicker and for more money. One of those items was painting a bathroom. My clients informed me they were not going to repaint. I could have just thought, ‘I know what I’m doing…I’m the professional…you need to listen to me’.

“Instead, the appropriate response for me was to process why they responded this way, and then respond to them. Did they not have time to do it? Did they think I was insulting their choice of color? I also needed to explain why I felt it needed to be painted: Previous buyers reactions to colors, possible price decreases because of it, etc. Maybe they reacted this way because they didn’t understand me. This communication was not just a 2-step exchange. It was a fully encompassing interaction I was engaging in, an experience. Leave your expectations at the door.

“If you follow this process, it will take the burden off you as a communicator, and will let the other side know that you equally value them as a communicator. There are so many factors that go into communicating, we can never take it for granted that we are being understood or that we fully understand. Good communication is serious business, but the rewards are endless!”

Here’s a piece of valuable business wisdom: Regardless of what they say or what you think, people act primarily for their own self-serving reasons.

That sounds like a shocking admission of a self-absorbent society, doesn’t it? Many who hear it snap back in disagreement, citing many examples of altruistic deeds.

But for 99.9% of all humans walking the earth – it’s true.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an ambitious real estate agent or a charitable volunteer; you are motivated to do things based on your desire for personal benefit. Even people who make charitable contributions do so because it makes them feel better. Makes them feel they are making a difference. Or perhaps they get their name on a plaque for everyone to see.

This is actually good news for you, because knowing this little “fact of life” can change your level of success almost on the spot.

Here’s how…

If you want to sell a product or service…if you want to persuade people toward your viewpoint…if you want anything out of this world, you must tie your request or offer directly toward satisfying the desires and solving the problems of other people. That’s because people buy things for the selfish end-result benefits they will get by using the product or service.

So how can you take this simple little truth and turn it into multiplying your income in real estate? (See, I just got you interested, didn’t I?)

It’s easy. Simply change the way you communicate. Train your mind to constantly think of how your communication (oral and written) will BENEFIT the person with whom you’re talking (or writing).

It requires you to step out of your own shoes, and into those of your prospects and clients, and deeply understand their problems and desires. And remember…

You Cannot Create a Desire or a Problem in Someone…

You Can Only AWAKEN One that Already Exists

To do this, you want to listen, and identify the emotional hot buttons they have. Then tie your product or services into credible ways you can solve their problem, or make their desire come about quickly and easily.

Would you like some examples that apply to real estate?

I thought you would. Let’s say you’re showing a home with an alarm system to a client who values security. Don’t simply say, “This home has a 21 point perimeter alarm system with fire monitor and cell back-up.” You want to communicate the BENEFIT in a way they’ll understand.

You want to say, “This home has a state of the art alarm system, so you’ll feel safe when you’re husband is away and you’re home alone with the children.”

Here’s another one: Let’s say you’re showing a home to a couple you know value social interaction with others – such as parties, events and entertaining. If the home has a wonderful floor plan for entertaining with flowing patios and wonderful conversation spots, don’t just mention the amenities, make them come to life by giving your prospects a mental picture of how their friends will enjoy their home (and make them look respected) when entertaining.

How about an example about your services…

If you’re promoting your real estate services to, say, a potential buyer, you want to say something like, “My platinum buyers program will perform an automatic computer search of the entire marketplace each day to give you the inside-track on the perfect home (before other buyers), at the most competitive price. Plus, I have over 17 ways to save you thousands when financing your next home.”

Do you see the difference with all these examples?

It’s not about the alarm system. It’s not about the computer search or the financing program or the flowing patios and conversational spaces. And it’s not about you or your computer search system. It’s about BENEFITS. It’s about their feelings. Their fears. Their desires and dreams – and how you can help.

Would you like to know a “short-cut” for training your mind to think this way?

Next time you mention any feature or service to someone – whether it’s the features of a home or your services – always answer the question (which is quietly being asked in your client’s minds)…

“What Will This DO For Them?”

Features (the alarm system, spacious patios, your computer search system, etc.) are what something IS.

Benefits are what something DOES.

People buy because of the perceived benefits they’ll get by using your product or service (what it does for them in terms of solving problems and fulfilling desires). Features are how they justify their purchase from a logical standpoint, after they’ve made the decision to buy.

Practice this little technique in your real estate business, and watch your conversion and closing rates (and your production!) take a huge leap forward.