Reach more people, attract new clients
Even in a no-call world, there are plenty of ways to contact people who need you.

Is it safe to dial
the phone?

by Allen Tappe The people have spoken. At least, 55 million have, and that number continues to climb.

These folks have identified themselves as people who do not want to receive an unsolicited call from you or any other selling professional. That is your new reality. The question is, how do you intend to respond to it?

The good news about the no-call rules
I would suggest that the public has just done you a great favor. No longer must you make call after call to people who do not want to talk to you, many of whom rudely make that known. You have been set free from their rejection.

So, now what are you going to do? If you are hiding behind this legislation as an excuse not to prospect, you are making a move sure to be detrimental to your career.

You are a selling professional. Selling professionals have to make contact with people every single day or they do not succeed. Most people who refuse to seek out this contact will not survive in this business. The do-not-call legislation does not restrict you from actively and aggressively making contact with the people who may very well need your services at some point in the future. It simply says that you are not to call a certain segment of society without their permission.

Purposed prospecting: a strategic approach
For those who are trying to develop a strategy of response to this new twist, here are a few suggestions:

Respect the voice of the people. To begin with, strategically prepare yourself not to violate the rights of the people you might one day seek to serve. Know the rules and abide by them. Software has already been developed that will help you comply with this legislation. You can also find compliance help from the National Association of REALTORS®, the Texas Association of REALTORS®, and, perhaps, your local board.

Continue to call those who are not on the list. While you might choose not to “cold call” your community, for those just entering the business it remains a meaningful place to begin. As a selling professional, you are in the numbers game. You have to do the numbers every day in order to succeed in this business. It is your job every single day!

A Harris Interactive poll released in February indicated that 57% of adults have signed up for the do-not-call registry. While that certainly represents a lot of people, don’t overlook that 43% who have not signed up. That percentage also represents a huge audience.

Enlist your clients to help you. One of the great things about this no-call legislation is that everyone has heard about it. This is a case where the media have truly done you a favor. You need to invite your clients to help you help them in responding to this challenge. Make it part of your presentation to sellers to discuss the need to expose this property to as many people as possible. In order to do that, you will need their creative participation. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

• Just-listed announcements. Help your clients send announcements to all their neighbors about the listing of their home. Include a perforated response card neighbors can send in that gives you permission to contact them with information about the sale of a home in their neighborhood. People love to be in the know. This way, you have a far more receptive contact and the potential for reaching beyond them to others they might know.

• Just-listed receptions. You can take things one step further by asking your sellers to host an open house for their neighbors, where you can meet them and solicit their help in selling the home. This strategic approach to an open house holds more promise than most you will attempt.

• Just-sold neighborhood celebrations. Once you have sold a home, ask your seller to host a celebration that will give you the opportunity to meet their neighbors and discuss with them the success you had in selling the property. There will be a lot of interest in their neighbors’ successful sale and in the possibility of the same thing happening for them.

• Just-purchased welcome celebrations. Hosting a reception for the new kids on the block will give you the opportunity to meet the block, while at the same time providing a great service to everyone involved. Many times, people have a hard time making those initial introductions. This way, you are establishing yourself as a resource for the neighborhood.

None of these receptions or celebrations needs to be expensive or involved. They are simply a creative approach to making contact with people in the immediate area around any property that has recently been listed or sold.

Meet FSBOs face to face. Don’t forget the people with the for-sale-by-owner signs in their yards. While it’s clear they have chosen to sell without professional representation, you need to meet these people in person. They obviously have some reason they don’t want to deal with a real estate agent. However, they have not met you yet.

This kind of relational challenge requires a personal visit. Just a few of these people strategically won over and served professionally can open the door to significant referral opportunities in the future.

Knock on their door. Ask them about their decision not to use a professional in selling their property. Listen actively. Learn about their reasons why not, and be passionately and professionally prepared to provide them reasons why. It is an old challenge that is still worth the effort.

Be first to expireds. These people whose contract has expired need you. They have just had a bad experience with your profession. It failed them in their opinion. They are not happy people, but they still need to sell their house.

They need to hear from you that you are not there just to list their house. You are there to help them get it sold. Consider taking a shorter-term listing with your broker’s support. Most expireds will price their properties in such a way as to help them sell the second time through. They will typically sell within a much shorter time period. Be there to accept the challenge.

Be sure to cross reference their names with the do-not-call registry. If they aren’t on the list, give them a call. If they are on the list, go knock on their door.

Connect with the connectors in your community. Read Malcolm Gladwell’s insightful book, The Tipping Point. Learn the science behind the “six degrees of separation” concept, and then identify the people in your community who can put you in touch with the greatest number of people in the least amount of time. This is clearly a strategic move closely aligned with networking, yet it’s different. You certainly want to network with people. This part of your strategy will challenge you to meet the right people, at the right time, in the right place. Remember, your time is valuable. You really can’t afford to waste it on efforts that hold no real promise of producing results.

Host team/client focus groups. Identify the people in your client base you would love to have as clients again and again. Make sure they are also people who have a similar feeling about you. Host a reception for them at your office in the early evening. Keep your groups limited to no more than 10 people. Thank them for their support and ask them for their help. It’s really that simple. People like to help people. People love to be part of building something they believe in. Give them the opportunity to help you build your business around people—friends, family, colleagues—just like them.

Hold monthly affiliate team meetings. Invite your affiliate support teams to come together with you once a month to discuss how you might improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your business. Having title and mortgage companies who are committed to your success is essential. You need their help just like they need yours. They obviously are regulated in the part they can play, but they can play a very real part. Ask them for their creative support in making personal and professional contact in this no-call environment.

Grow with distinction
Many people have voted against what they consider an invasive abuse: sales calls in their home. You should respect that view not only because you might have to pay a fine if you don’t, but because you must find ways to reach consumers on terms that will favorably predispose them to hear your message.

The very existence of this new no-call protection provides a great opportunity for you to establish your distinction in the marketplace. Some of the suggestions in this article might not work for you. I hope, however, they have at least given you the opportunity to sharpen your own strategic response.

Do not call those who don’t want to talk to you on the phone. Rather, spend your time every single day making creative contact with the people who need and want the service you offer. They are waiting for your call!

Allen Tappe is a professional speaker, trainer, and coach, and the president of the Tappe Group (TappeGroup.com). His Purposed Performance system includes the booklet Selling Real Estate on Purpose, which teaches real estate professionals how to create selling habits that build success.

Photo © BrandXPictures.

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