- Today’s consumers expect a customized approach that fits their needs.
- To make people laugh, look for the unexpected, offbeat or just strange occurrence.
- A lack of authenticity in your marketing will only put people off when they meet you in person.
There’s an old story about a company that decided to create the best dog food ever.
Their research team came up with the ideal combination of ingredients for perfect nutrition; the graphic design team created a great looking package; the marketing department put together a slick advertising campaign; and the well-trained sales force succeeded in getting the food on virtually every market’s shelves.
The dog food didn’t sell.
The CEO convened the top executives to determine why the food wasn’t selling. Each executive claimed his or her team had done its job. Everyone was completely mystified until a new employee said meekly, “but the dogs don’t like it!”
Are you spending thousands of dollars per year paying for internet leads, postcard campaigns or advertising in costly print publications but not getting the results that you want? Have you ever considered that the reason that your marketing isn’t working is that what you’re offering isn’t what is wanted or needed?
7 deadly lead conversion killers
If you’re not generating and converting leads from your marketing campaigns, the probability is high that though your campaign might look great, your intended recipients don’t like what you are giving them.
Here is a list of seven deadly conversion killers that could be costing your business plenty:
1. Falling into ‘me’ marketing
Review your marketing materials. If they focused on you, your accomplishments or how your company is No. 1, it’s time to change from the “me” marketing to “you” marketing.
Today’s consumers expect a customized approach that fits their needs, not information on how great you or your company is. Stop using “I” and “me,” and use “you” instead.
Also, if you’re using this approach on your listing appointments, stop talking about yourself. Ask questions that focus on the seller instead.
For example:
- What have you loved about living in this house?
- When you purchased this house, what was it about it that motivated you to buy it?
- Would you be interested in taking a quick look at the latest tech tools that will help you to obtain the highest possible price for your property?
2. Believing in the celebrity effect
If you are still marketing your services by plastering your picture all over your marketing materials, consider this consumer’s response to a best agent business survey about his or her thoughts on this tactic: “Who do these agents think they are — movie stars?”
Consequently, dump the glamor shots. Instead, make the person receiving your communication the focal point of your communication.
This means dumping mass mailing or any type of “set it and forget it” marketing in favor individualized communication.
This can include a text or Facebook post to your foodie clients about a terrific new Italian restaurant that includes the menu, a picture of what you ordered and perhaps even a quick video of the owner showing off his favorite dish on the menu.
Remember to post these to your Instagram account as well.
3. Failing to engage your audience
Today’s consumers are bombarded with attention-demanding ads in print, online, on social media and almost everywhere else they go. If you are unable to engage the person within a few seconds, they’re gone.
To increase engagement, you must have an attention-grabbing headline or photo. To hone your skill in this area, watch which types of social media posts your contact database responds to best.
Use their responses to tailor what works best for the types of clients that you attract in your business.
4. Being too serious
People share funny pictures and videos that make them laugh. When people laugh, their endorphin levels rise. This, in turn, results in good feelings that will make that person more prone to do business with you.
To make people laugh, look for the unexpected, offbeat or just strange occurrence.
For example, with Halloween around the corner, it could be the “real truth” about a local haunted house or pictures of over-the-top pumpkins.
The goal is to strengthen your personal relationship with the client, not to drone on about your newest listing.
5. Coming off as inauthentic
Generic marketing campaigns can never reflect your individuality. Consumers want a real estate agent that they can trust and whose in-person presence is congruent with how they market themselves both offline and online.
A lack of authenticity in your marketing will only put people off when they meet you in person. Video is one of the best ways to show up as who you actually are.
6. Not giving them a reason to contact you
When it comes to both print and online marketing, many agents lack a clear call to action coupled with an effective landing page.
To achieve this goal, you must first identify a pain point, create a solution to that pain point and then create an effective call to action.
You will also need a simple, clear landing page where visitors can give you their contact information in exchange for the information you will send them.
To learn more about how to create an effective landing page, listen to Jerry Kidd’s podcast.
7. Having a website that loads like molasses
Today’s consumer wants apps and websites that load quickly. They’re gone if you’re site loads slowly. They also want tap and play on their mobile. In fact, one reason that Snapchat is so popular is that you simply tap, shoot and play.
Consequently, make sure your app or site loads quickly, that it requires minimal navigation, and most importantly, responds to voice commands as well.
As the end of 2016 nears, there’s no better time than now to purge your business of these seven deadly conversion killers. Do it now, and track what is and is not working. As the saying goes, keep the best and dump the rest.
Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,000 published articles and two best-selling real estate books. Learn about her training programs at www.RealEstateCoach.com/
