Steve Craven did a great job on the listing presentation conference call he gave last month. Steve and I work in a very similar manner, in that we both believe in thorough preparation before making an appointment and sitting down to do business. My business is one that is 100% referral based, so it is my goal from thevery first contact with a new client to make them a client (and therefore a source of referrals) for life. I feel one must start with a very strong and positive first impression and then deliver exemplary service for the balance of the relationship. What is normally first contact? Well, for us, as realtors, it is usually a phone call, or an open house. Both should be handled the same way. Be prepared to ask questions that show your level of sincere interest and pay attention to the answers. Show the client that you are doing this by repeating back to them some key points in summary from time to time during the conversation. When I started in the business, many years ago, I had no training at all and came from a completely unrelated field. At least I had some good sales experience though! I started at a company where I was getting 20 or so buyer leads a day but I had no idea what to do with them. Quickly, I learned that asking pointed questions to gather information was the key to turning these calls in to real leads, or moving on to the next. I designed a form, that would keep me on track in my conversation with the potential buyer. To this day, I use that form every single time I get a phone call and I am speaking with a potential buyer for the first time. Feel free to contact me and I will send you a copy of the form. bobcarrier@bellsouth.net) Even in today's challenging market, it amazes me that many phone calls (particularly sign calls) continue to go unanswered. Being prepared to show the caller that you are organized, and truly interested in helping them with their housing needs, is the key to turning a caller who may just be curious about a price, in to a long lasting source of referrals. During this first call you need to accomplish two things. Show the caller you are a true, organized professional, and get them headed for a face-to-face meeting with you so you can really dig in to their needs and impress them with your knowledge. Remember with everything you do and say....it is not about you, it is about them! At the face to face meeting (preferably in your office) you need to show that you paid attention to what information they gave you on the phone at first contact, and impress upon them that the more they answer your thoughtful questions, the better you can serve them. You want to show them clearly how you work differently than most agents and make sure they are aware that you are going to give them service that will make them happy. Just as you would for a listing presentation, you should have a buyer's package ready to go, full of useful information. When I do my conference call in September, I am going to spend a lot of the time telling you about this buyer's package and how it should be organized. I will also role play with my partner on that call so you can pick up some actual dialog that I have developed over the years that will get you on the right track with your buyers. I promise....follow these simple steps and you'll have happy clients from first contact to close, and a source of referrals for life. You'll end up with a lot of great new friends too!