As Recruiters for Real Estate, the biggest thing we look for in candidates is their ability to pick up the phone... simple. I hear it all day form Agency Principals..."the Agents are not picking up the phone enough...find me someone who isn't afraid to dial".
Did you know that people who actually pick up the phone consistently, and dial out, sell 9x more property than people who post Ads and wait for the phone to ring?
So why are people so terrified of picking up the phone? Everyone wants to sell 9x more right? You'd be mad if you said no to that. If you're in Real Estate and allergic to picking up the phone, your in the wrong game!
Building relationships with contacts you reach out to yourself on the phone, has far more impact than shooting an e-mail off hoping for the best...
I use the term "terrified" loosely. Really what I'm saying is, more people are hiding behind other mediums. Technology is a beautiful thing, but it's not a silver bullet that solves all sales problems.
Automated messages, emails, lead systems, online marketing, posters at bus stops, even wraps on the side of busses, radio Ads etc...it's just supporting your brand so people may recognise you when you finally reach out and call, but, if you never pick up the phone...what's the point?
All the tech is nice to have and great addition to support your calling activity...but the Agents hitting the phones daily are the ones doing deals...
Not many people know this, but when I first started in Banking Recruitment in Sydney as a young 21yro, way back in the day, 25 years ago now, I worked nights in North Sydney for the Westpac Careflight Helicopter Rescue Service, selling Careflight Teddy Bears. You can order them here https://shop.careflight.org/collections/careflight-bears
My job was to dial out to 100 - 120 households in a 4 hour shift, every night and offer them to support Careflight and help keep the Helicopters running by buying a Teddy. What this job did for me in my Recruitment career cant even be quantified...
I had so many hang-ups, not interested, thanks but no thanks...that it just became normal, but the phone was on an automatic dialling system...so there was no stopping it...it just moved on to the next call, regardless if I felt like making that call or not!
I'd eventually reach some lovely family who would take 3 of them. Then the next call someone would take one or more. I realised I wasn't looking for the 80% of people who were always going to say no, I was just looking for the 20% who said yes. I had to dial through the 80% to find the 20%...relentlessly...
As my skill got better and I made it fun, I sold more. This had a direct impact in my day job as a Recruiter. Bashing out 100 calls in a day was child's play...and I felt lazy if I didn't because at night I consistently reached 100 in 4 hours and I became one of the top sellers of the Bears, consistently racking up 50 or more sales in a shift...and as a result, I became one of the top billers in my Recruitment Agency...
It is definitely a skill I am glad I learnt and I could say that those cuddly Careflight Teddy's did way more for me in learning the trade of picking up the phone, than any course or certificate could possibly offer.
Sales in any industry is a pure numbers game and more so in Real Estate. If you want to sell, there is no better tool than the phone. You have to be completely comfortable dialling like a machine to reach the volume of people you need to get the numbers.
Moral of the story:
Pick up the bl@@dy phone and dial. ;-)
If you are looking for a new role or talent in Real Estate, call one of our Recruiters @ Placed Australia Real Estate Recruitment for a confidential chat today - www.PlacedAustralia.com.au
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