This old saying is particularly relevant in today’s fast-paced business world. Innovations in technology enable us to send and receive information at record speeds. When I first got started in commercial real estate in the mid-1980s, assembling market research took weeks. We had to go down to the local courthouse to view sales and leasing records on microfiche. Now if I need comparables for a sale or lease, I send an e-mail with the specs to our research guy, and he sends me back several pages of comps with all the relevant details within minutes!
The speed and flexibility offered by technology has done wonderful things for productivity, but it has also made it even more important to keep your brand and/or product visible to your clients on a regular basis. There is so much competition, and so many marketing opportunities, that if you don’t do this someone else will. In my business, you not only have to get hired, you have to stay hired. I’ve found that one of the best ways to stay hired is to check in regularly with the client and provide them with updated market information. Remind them of the things you have already done, and keep them apprised of the steps you are taking to accomplish their goals.
Our technology has also contributed to a shortening of attention spans, which means you have to work harder than ever to be memorable. In my business a good way to achieve this is by sending the client information about the market which is specific to their needs. Another technique is sending out some kind of blog or newsletter like this one. Whatever you do, make sure it is something that provides value to your clients without asking for something in return. These days, everybody wants to sell you something. Be a giver, rather than a taker, and you will stand out from the crowd.
When I was first starting out in this business, an older broker gave me some good advice. The best way to get hired, he said, is by helping your clients improve their business on an ongoing basis long before they put out a bid for your services. Establish the relationship before they need your business, and you will be much more likely to get the call when they do need you. This means you’ll be following the principle above of giving rather than taking; it may also mean you’ll be working for free for a little while. But it only takes one or two of those calls coming in to make a huge difference.
A friend of mine who used to run a big-time law firm downtown told me once that when they were building a new building, the firm brought in six of the very best commercial brokerage firms to bid for the assignment. The brokerage firms all put on an impressive showing, but there was one problem: the owner had already made his decision about whom to hire before the interviews even began. One of those firms had developed a relationship with the firm over the years, and through those actions they had already earned the business before the official pitch.
Develop a relationship with your clients before they need your business. Keep yourself on their minds by providing some kind of good or service to them. Keep in touch even after you’ve been hired to assure them that you are working for their interests. These three things are key to getting and staying hired.
Have a great weekend,
Ro