But now… I’m reconsidering that thought.

Why? Because yesterday she wrote a persuasive email introducing her followers to one of her colleagues.

She wrote quite a build-up about this person, then invited us to download a free report guaranteed to contain some of the same kind of good information that she’s been providing.

Well… she was wrong. She was either being deliberately deceptive or she hadn’t read the report herself. Either way, her credibility with me is ruined.

Now I think she was just doing some affiliate marketing to earn an extra buck – and hadn’t even looked at the materials she was promoting.

The report consisted of 30 pages – in about a 24 point type. But the only “information” it contained was several reasons why we needed to buy what the man was selling.

I have nothing against someone trying to sell me what they have to offer. That’s what commerce is all about. But when they promise information and only give an advertisement, then I feel like they stole my time.

So what’s my point?
If you’re going to recommend something – be honest about what the person is offering. And always read it first, just to make sure it delivers on the promise.

Why not send each of your clients an email and ask them to keep it handy for easy contact information. (If your clients don’t use email, give them the same information in a hard copy.)

In that email give them instructions on how to reach you by phone, cell phone, text messaging, and email. Give them a link to their listing on your site, too.

Then tell them your policy and your business hours.

Let them know that you turn your phone off during the dinner hour or after a certain time of night. And don’t give excuses or reasons – just state your business hours. (Do you know of any other business that has to make excuses why they close the doors and go home at night?)

Tell them that you don’t answer calls while you’re with a client or on another call, but will return their call within X amount of time. (Of course, then you do have to do it.)

If you set your own appointments and have left them a message, ask listing clients to leave a message verifying appointment times – so you don’t have to call back.

Then, if there is such a person, give them an alternate person to call if they need immediate help.

It seems to me that many communication difficulties could be avoided if your clients knew exactly what to expect – and what NOT to expect.

Now that blogger may or may not care if people respond and post comments. But I see the same thing happening when I try to purchase something on line. And…you guessed it… by the time I get to the 3rd or 4th screen I’ve decided I really didn’t need whatever it was.

Are YOU setting up that kind of roadblocks?

Do you remember when a 3# can of coffee was filled to the brim – so when the can opener cut into the top the delicious aroma of coffee grounds wafted up to give your nose a treat?

Did you notice when that 3 pound can was no longer full to the brim – and instead of holding 48 ounces of coffee, it held 46 ounces? Did you notice again when it went to 44 ounces, or 42 ounces?

Then did you notice when the can got a bit shorter?

Have you noticed that the “big can” of coffee now holds only 26 ounces? And that yes, it costs a bit more than the 3 pound can used to cost.

Of course coffee isn’t the only product that is being offered in smaller and smaller containers while the price rises. Mayonnaise is another one. The jar looks the same, but that big bump in the bottom means a couple less ounces inside. What still appears to be a quart is now only 30 ounces.

I could understand and even accept seeing the prices go up. We all know that it costs more to produce goods and get them to market when fuel prices keep rising. But why try to hide the fact by offering a little less and a little less while trying to pretend that nothing has changed?

Why not come right out and say “We need to charge more now” – and then do it? At least consumers wouldn’t feel like the manufacturers think we’re fools who can’t tell the difference between 48 ounces of  coffee and 26 ounces. At least we wouldn’t feel like they were deliberately trying to deceive us.

What does this have to do with your business?

As independent marketers, we need to do just the opposite of what these major corporations are doing – which is giving us less for our money than we’ve come to expect.

If we want our independent businesses to thrive, we need to give a little more service than customers expect.

This week I visited a store where every employee was on their toes, watching the customers and offering assistance any time someone appeared to be searching for something. They were busy doing other things, but with one eye on service at all times.

What a refreshing contrast to the “big box”  stores where getting help almost means tackling an employee as they hurry past with their head down – avoiding a chance at eye contact.

What you can do to give a little extra depends upon the products or services you sell. But my bet is that if you think about it, you can find a way to give an extra bit of service that will come as a welcome surprise to your customers.

If people are going to talk about you and your business – and they will – wouldn’t you rather they told friends and family how you surprised them with more, instead of with less?

This morning the Fundraising Success magazine arrived, and there was yet another article on this subject. It’s one that all too many fundraisers ignore, so all of us who write for them harp about it. The two little words that make all the difference in the world in fundraising – and in any business or personal relationship – are “THANK YOU.”

Small non-profits tend to ignore them because it costs money to mail a card – and so they lose donors.

But the value of a thanks extends to our for-profit businesses as well. thank you notes

For small storefronts and service businesses (like real estate, copywriting, insurance, plumbing, hairdressing, etc.) it can mean the difference between a customer returning or not returning.

It can also mean the difference between a past customer sending referrals or forgetting our names.

And when it comes to networking, it can mean the difference between getting referrals and being placed on a “This person is rude – don’t refer” list.

A friend wrote me yesterday about someone she knew through business who had switched careers and opened a new office. She hoped the new venture would succeed, so sent a note of congratulations and “Best wishes for success.”

And she never got a reply. Not even an email with those two simple words: Thank you.

So now my friend has decided that she won’t send referral business to this person. She no longer has that “warm” feeling that prompted the note.

Maybe that’s unfair because the woman is starting a new business and has a lot to do. But I don’t think so. A reply takes only a minute, and it can ensure that you maintain a good relationship with those who wish you well.

Failing to say thank you for past business, referrals, or expressions of goodwill can cost you business.

But going out of your way to say thanks where it isn’t expected can gain you business.

Tom Hopkins, in his book “How to Master the Art of Listing and Selling Real Estate” tells how he learned the “thank you habit” from his Mother. When she came home from a party she always sat down and wrote a thank you note to her host or hostess before she went to bed – to make sure it would be in the next day’s mail.

He advised agents to have a thank you note written and ready to drop in the mailbox after every listing presentation – whether they got the listing or not. And then he advised sending thank you notes to buyers who allowed you to show them homes. In fact, he said to mail a few notes every day, even if you had to reach a bit to decide where to send them.

When I read that book and we started the practice in our office, the effect was amazing. People called – and some wrote thank you notes thanking us for thanking them!

Why? Because so few people send those notes! When you say thank you, you definitely stand out from the crowd.

Quite often, when real estate agents think about communicating with customers they think of what they need to tell the customers. And, most of the advice written about the subject does look at it from that point of view.

Agents do need to tell their listing clients the truth about pricing for current market conditions, even when those clients would rather hear larger numbers. They also need to have those difficult conversations about condition and presentation.

One of a real estate agent’s most difficult tasks is telling a listing client that they really must do some “house beautiful” work if they expect their home to sell.

In a down market agents must also be consistent in staying in touch with listing clients, even when there’s not much to report. That’s another difficult task. It isn’t fun to call a homeowner and tell them that there has been no interest in their house for the past two weeks, or even for the past month.

But those are all things that an agent must communicate to their client. And communication is really a two way street.

Effective communication, like an effective conversation, involves listening as well as talking.

This really came home to me a few days ago when I spent some time talking with my son’s neighbor when we were all outside watching the kids play. I commented that it was nice to have so many children in the neighborhood so close in age, so they had someone to play with. And then I mentioned that it was fun for the kids to be in a cul-de-sac where it was safe for them to ride their bikes and play catch in the street.

The neighbor told me that it hadn’t been easy to find that perfect location. He said he “went through 4 agents” before finding one who would pay attention to his “want list” and show him the right houses.

He said, “I told them I wanted a two story house on a cul-de-sac, but they kept taking me to see homes on busy streets – telling me how beautiful and well-appointed those homes were.” He related asking those agents what part of his two-item list they couldn’t understand, even after he repeatedly refused to get out and look at homes that didn’t fit.

Finally he found someone who would listen and he purchased the house.

This man had something specific in mind, and he had a good reason why he wanted it. He wanted his children to be safe. But the first 3 agents paid no attention and instead showed him the homes they wanted to sell instead of homes he might want to buy.

Experienced real estate agents know that sometimes buyers choose a home that doesn’t really fit the description they’ve given of the perfect home. But they won’t buy a home that doesn’t fit when there’s a strong reason why they want what they want.
Agents need to listen and pay attention to those reasons why. Agents must ask questions and learn the buyer’s true motivation.

And they need to learn to tell the difference between “must have” and “it would be nice to have.”

Is this a sign that Realtors are not marketing their listings, or is this a sign that Realtors are not communicating with their listing clients?

The reason I ask is because an article that I wrote and posted to EzineArticles.com back in January of 2006 is once again in the monthly “most viewed” articles category. Over the past 4+ years that article has been viewed 6,218 times – keeping it consistently in my overall “top 3” category.

The title? “How to Fire Your Realtor.”

In April it was viewed 219 times – coming in 2nd to an article entitled “How to Choose the Realtor Who Will Really Sell Your House.”

Interestingly, that article hasn’t been in the top 3 monthly for a long time – But it has been viewed 3,392 times since I posted it back in February of 2007.

What does this tell you?

It tells me that some agents are listing homes and hoping someone else will sell them, but it also tells me that agents who are working hard to market their listings might need to give similar effort to communication with clients.

It’s hard to call someone and tell them you don’t have any news – like an offer. But those listing clients do want to hear from you. They don’t want to feel like they’ve been forgotten, so hearing bad news is better than hearing nothing.

Plus, if you’re working to market their homes you should let them know what you’re doing. Don’t let them think their listing is just sitting there in MLS waiting for a buyer to come along. Tell them about the times you’ve suggested their home to a buyer or an agent. Tell them about inquiries you’ve answered. Tell them about ads you’ve placed or new photos you’ve added to their virtual tour. And… tell them about feedback from buyers and their agents, even if you know they won’t like to hear it.

The truth is, most clients have no idea what you’re doing behind the scenes. That’s one of the reasons why so many people think Realtors are overpaid, by the way. So let them know.

Then confront the tough issues:

• If the price is the problem, go to them with a current market analysis and lay it on the line. If they need to sell in this market, they absolutely must be realistic about the price.
  

• If the condition of the house is the problem, you need to confront the issue – even though it might be even harder for you than discussing their unrealistic price.

I know it was always gut-wrenching for me when I had to say “You need to clean your house.” Saying that just feels so – rude.

But if you want to keep the listing and get it sold, you do need to insist on your sellers’ cooperation. Otherwise you can work day and night and the house won’t sell – and it will be your fault.

Create a relationship of trust with each of your listing clients – then they won’t be looking at articles about how to fire you.

If so, business probably isn’t increasing at a very rapid rate. So try these three simple steps to connect with more customers and build loyalty from your current customers:

• Write thank you notes
• Hand out more business cards
• Send “how did I do” letters

Thank you notes will create a buzz about your business that may surprise and shock you.

Why? Because nobody does it any more. Sure, store clerks are trained to say “thanks” when a customer spends money. And stores that use e-mail might have an automated thank you note they can send at the touch of a key. But hardly anyone takes the time and effort to write a thank you note, put it in an envelope, and mail it.

So when you make it a habit to send at least one thank you note every day, people will start talking – and the talk will be good.

At first you might not have an easy time thinking of who to thank. But if you put your mind to it, you will. Of course you can thank people for coming in to your store or for allowing you to give a presentation. If you sell on a party plan you can thank your hostess – and you can thank every person who attended a party. You can even thank the clerk who works in the local deli for slicing your cheese just right!

It takes a little effort to get some names and addresses, but when people start talking about how thoughtful you are, the effort will pay off.

Take the time to be specific in your thanks, so the people who receive your notes will know the thanks are genuine.

Next – hand out more business cards. Hand them out to people you know and people you don’t know. If you’re in your store, hand them to customers and ask them to let you know if there’s something they wish you’d stock, or if they ever spot a problem with your store. If you provide a service, hand them to everyone and say “Please call me when I can be of service.” If this is the 2nd or 3rd time you’ve given them a card and they ask why, tell them it’s in case a friend of theirs needs you.

Send “How did I do” cards. This little card needs only about 4 or 5 questions – which must relate to your business. If you have a storefront you can ask if they found what they needed, if the store was clean enough, if your help was friendly. You can mail these, or hand them out when you ring up a purchase. If you ask customers to mail them back, bribe them with the offer of a special coupon or a free something.

If you provide a service, ask if you answered all their concerns, if they felt that you understood their needs, and if there’s anything else they’d like to know. You can even ask if there was something they wish you had done that you didn’t do.

People like to be noticed, they like to singled out as someone special, and they like to be asked their opinions. So build relationships with your customers and future customers by giving them what they like

To help you build your local business, I’ve written an e-book outlining a simple plan using these ideas and more. Whether you have a storefront, sell on the party plan, or sell your services, this e-book will help you build your client list faster and easier than expensive ads could ever do. So find out How to Build a Local Business…

Back when I had the real estate office there was one particularly annoying sales person who wanted to sell us things like imprinted pens, notepads, calendars, etc. She also carried flyer boxes, sign frames, and other supplies.

This woman had two tactics, one of which was to FAX her message to the office. Then she started FAXing it to individual agents in the office.

Did this rude person realize the cost of FAX cartridges? Every time she sent her message she cost us money. I got so fed up with it that I started taking a fat marker and writing “NO” across every one of her FAXes and sending it back to her.

Childish, I know. But I did feel a need to spend her money as she was spending mine. My retaliation didn’t stop her, by the way. She kept sending those flyers long after we had all decided that we would never buy from her.

Her other tactic was just as rude.

She’d call and ask for one of us by our first name. If we happened to be with a customer she’d say “Interrupt her please, this is really important and I need to talk to her right away.” So, generally we’d ask the customer to wait for just a minute while we found out what the crisis was.

Then she’d start giving her sales pitch. I think every person in the office told her not to pull that trick again, but she kept it up. Finally, when she said her name, we’d just hang up.

When it came to customer relations, this woman just didn’t “get it.”

If you have a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope, and a stamp, you can do just that. You can write a thank you note.

In fact, you’ll do even better if you write a dozen thank you notes. And if you make it a daily habit, you might just be amazed at the results.

Even if your business is already doing well, those notes will give it a boost.

Taking the time to send a hand-written note of thanks will set you apart from your competitors, and it will lift you up in the minds of every person who receives one. That’s because hardly anyone does it, and because a hand-written, well thought-out note shows that you actually thought about the recipient – and that you do appreciate whatever they did.

Your notes don’t need to go just to people you do business with, but can be just as effective when sent to people who perform services for you.

Why? Again, because this has become an unusual practice. So unusual, in fact, that people will talk about it. The mechanic who repaired your car might be sitting at the lunch counter visiting with other patrons and start to brag about getting your note.

“Hey, I got a thank you note today – you guys ever get one of those? Mrs. Jones wrote to thank me for getting her car in and out of the shop so quickly – and for not leaving any grease on her carpets like the last guy did. You know Mrs. Jones don’t you? She runs the …. down on ….”

A thank you in person does leave a warm feeling – and you should hand one out at every opportunity. But a written thank you is something people can show their spouses and friends. It’s something that gives them bragging rights along with that good feeling.

Thanking customers and would-be customers…

Remember that there is a difference in thank you notes. A printed card that says “Thank you for your business” and bears your signature is not very special.

A blank card with “Thank You” printed on the front or a hand-written note on a blank sheet of paper is special – but only when it contains a specific thanks.  So think before you write.

What did that person do? Did they give you some of their valuable time to present your product or service? Did they follow your recommendation about something? Did they refer a friend to you? Did they alert you to a problem in your business? (Yes, that one deserves BIG thanks!)

Try it right now – and you’ll be glad you did.

Not only will you feel good right away because you know you’re making someone else feel good, you’ll be activating the powerful law of attraction. That law says that when you feel gratitude and give thanks for something, you’ll attract more of the same. So the more people you thank, the more people you’ll have to thank.