By Terri Murphy
Do you know how wellor notyou’re doing out there every day? In fact, have you ever asked?
What if you think you’re doing just great, and then somebody posts a negative comment about you and/or your business on a site like Zillow?
If you’ve been in real estate for any length of time, you can count on the fact that not all transactions go perfectly. Housing transitions are highly emotional and stressful transactions for most people, and, more often than not, a challenge at best. With so many variables that can impact a perfect closing, there are bound to be some occasional glitches; however, such a public trouncing can hurt your career and mangle your hard-earned reputation.
How can you ensure you’re doing a great job? Smart agents harness the power of monitoring a client’s satisfaction with the process from start to finish using a customer survey.
Longtime super producer Paul Wheeler in Tulsa, Okla., has mastered the art of monitoring the pulse of his clients by developing a Happiness Index report. The report is scheduled to monitor his client’s satisfaction during the listing period on a monthly basis. He offers a $25 gift card drawing to help solicit their response to four short questions and encloses a self-addressed, stamped envelope to make it easy and convenient. The last option in the report is to ask if the client knows anyone who would benefit from his services.
This system works in that it checks monthly and checks often. By being timely with his Happiness Index survey, Paul can ensure that his clients are touched every month in order to garner their sentiments about the progress of their experience during the listing period. If something isn’t acceptable, he can be proactive in addressing the issue and show interest and concern to the client before the issue progresses.
Although getting a digital response is highly efficient, it’s important to realize that the personal touch will always trump the experience of a quick and less personal digital report. Depending on the generational group and the client’s preference, the more opportunities you have to personally interact with your clients, the better the chance to sustain and advance the relationship. Especially in big teams, letting that seller know you’re involved and inspecting the process goes a long way toward promoting a satisfied customer.
The next step is soliciting the feedback after the transaction. Paul and his team send out a Performance Evaluation survey to their clients after the transaction has closed to solicit their feedback on their performance. Once again, he includes a drawing to win a $25 gift card as an incentive to send the report back in a postage-paid envelope, and, of course, asks for a referral.
The process of monitoring the transaction is a strong and impressive differentiator in your service model, as it shows that you’re interested in taking care of your clients and getting the transaction completed. When you have happy and satisfied customers, referrals are more likely to flow in.
For an impressive way to monitor and measure your clients’ happiness factor and your performance rating, consider using surveys to make sure you’re on target to meet and exceed your customer’s expectations for more sales and endless referrals.
For a copy of both the Happiness Index report and the Performance Evaluation, visit http://bit.ly/2BQPpB6.
Terri Murphy is a communication engagement specialist, author, speaker, consultant and master coach with Workman Success Systems. She is the author of five books and radio host for KWAMtheVoice.com. For more information, please visit TerriMurphy.com or email [email protected].
