In the property inspection industry general business logic tells us we need to keep the Real Estate Agents informed about both our existence and the quality of our work so the Real Estate Agents continue to use our services. The million dollar questions become; at what point does the communication transform from information to annoyance and at what point does the annoyance equate to a loss of business. Everyone of us have a threshold before we begin to think “oh come on, take me off your list!” The question is how do you determine the “oh come on” threshold and how do you create a business system that applies to the masses?
Consistency is key. If you park your car in any city with parking meters there is a general understanding of the system. Insert coins and the time you are allowed to park without penalty increases. Wait awhile and the system needs more time and thus more coins. The penalties are obvious as well. Opt not to feed the meter and end up with a penalty. Now, what happens to the system if we have a meter with random results? What happens if you cannot see the meter to tell how much time is really left? Now there is a communication breakdown between you and the meter! Now, you literally have a system you cannot easily read. Add one of these random meters for everyone of your customers and you have a street full of unique challenges with inconsistent results. Can you feed a street full of random meters with the same consistent process and keep them happy?
Communication is an awesomely unique challenge. Most of us now live in a world where email is truly becoming the dominate standard for communication (for now anyway – if you disagree watch the 10 minute video on Google Wave). Even as early as five years ago the clunky fax machine dominated the internal real estate system and it still plays and important role but has taken a back seat to a faster system. What about other systems of communication? The simplicity and remote availability of email has created a lot of questions: are facsimile and direct mail a dying breed? Is there any power in direct mail at all anymore? Who uses fax and direct mail?
Does everyone want the same type of communication now? I bet the farm the answer is No!
I am a firm believer that communication style has a direct correlation with the recipient’s age at a gross level. My father recently sent his first text message and has fantastic email access, however, he would rather fax an invoice for his business than email it. A quick query to him yields “it’s just easier and that is what I know, why?” A student in college or someone buying their first home in their mid-20′s would look at a fax machine and think “you are kidding, right?” There is even a joke in our company that the paper files are not in Chris’s office. This near cultural separation creates a huge complication on how to market, especially with email.
This is further complicated by what I call the Internet patience reality. An older audience group would be thrilled to sit down with a newspaper and page through it. A younger audience will start a fire with it and seek the Internet. The terrific decline of the newspaper media outlets is proof of this. In my neighborhood, the Tribune automatically delivers the weekday paper to my wife and I for free (a last ditch effort for readers?). Everyday, it goes into my recycle bin with the rubber-band untouched. We simply do not want to read it and we are not alone, (besides you get ink on your fingers)! Younger users are simply impatient, they even have an acronym for it TL/DNR which stands for Too Long / Did Not Read. Keeping in mind the younger audiences are impatient…
Interesting facts (figures are from 2008):
- We all know our substitute customer is a real estate professional. The average age of a real estate agent in the United States is 51.
- The average age of a home inspector in the United States is 51.
- The average age of a home buyer in the United States is 39.
Thus, if I am only partially right on my hypothesis of communication systems as a function of age (f(age)) we have a problem at hand. Our substitute customers (ex. the agents) enjoy our desired model of communication but a majority of our new and real customers like a “younger” style of communication.
Ok, now Insert $200
Recently, I have read about marketing campaigns that will email your customer over 20 unique times over a period of time. Is this a successful approach?
From my perspective: if someone emailed me twenty times they are going in my “annoying pile.” The service provider is now in the “annoying pile” not because they did a poor job but rather for the fact they started to annoy me at the smallest level. Certainly, I will probably call them again, however, subconsciously I will entertain… “oh, yeah, they are going to annoy me; I may call someone else who my friend recommended to me.” Am I odd, am I unique? What is the answer to this question? We need to know because if it works; every customer we work for we should be hammering with emails over a studied time period! However, if it does not work we may slowly, but surely, be annoying our customers away from us.
Guessing what the Meter says
If you tell someone about an upcoming service’s date and time and inform them on the service you are going to provide there is literally zero chance you have annoyed them.
If you perform a great service and later thank them for allowing you to perform the service there is literally zero chance you have annoyed them.
Warning; now entering the Grey Area…
If you ask 60 days later for additional business you start down the path of feeding the blind meter! Did the time expire? I know for a fact this is when I start looking for the unsubscribe button; so… did I already subconsciously think “oh man, come on Inspector Bob, leave me alone already!”
I am, however, a firm believer you can ask for the additional services down the road after the event of your service is out of the short-term memory of the client – a significant time period from your last service. I have a water filter company who reminds me each year about service; perfect! However, if they would have reminded me about how great water tastes every 30 days there is a chance I may try a competitor if I hear about a different company! Besides I just subconsciously thought “that company annoys me and if I call them again I have to deal with their annoyance!”
Yes, I could have simply deleted it; besides what is the friction in the quick swipe of the delete key. But the core problem has already occurred, I mentally associated the service provider with “annoying!” Not so good if you are the service provider. Furthermore, there is no chance at all I am calling the service provider to share my experience with them so they are left with another random meter they fed incorrectly.
Uniquely, the Inspection Support Network (ISN) will let you do anything from sending a single email to sending an email every day after the inspection. Heck, the ISN will let you send no emails! The ISN does not lock you to a single model at all and it will let you feed your meter the best way for your business! We have VERY successful clients who feed their meter a single time per inspection and one client who sends emails each month after the inspection. Both successful; both feeding their meters with different ideas!
Inspectors often ask my personal opinion on how to setup the ISN to inform their customers. Here is the model I suggest:
- Two hours after you book an inspection tell the client, the buyer’s agent about it. Waiting two hours is smart in this case as it allows the dust to settle for two hours after the inspection is confirmed. We have all had the agent who calls back frantically realizing they have a golf game scheduled the same time as the inspection!
- Four hours after you book an inspection tell the seller’s agent about it. This provides another two hour buffer after the buyer’s agent and client have been notified.
- Twenty-four hours before the inspection remind everyone of the appointment.
- Two days after the inspection thank everyone for the inspection and ask the seller’s agent for business.
- Eleven months after the inspection ask for additional business from the client (maybe because their warranty is about to expire).
That is my recipe for notifications. Low annoyance, great communication about you and your service, and a clean follow-up to ask for additional business. Low impact, high visibility, a good attempt at feeding the random business meter!
If you have a better idea, let us know! I would love to hear it. My musings are designed to get everyone thinking about their models and not a provision of fact! How are you feeding your business meters?
