My name is Lee Gray, Senior Account Manager for Tidemark. Working side by side with our two blog masters, Ben Hess and Dave Mashburn, has inspired me to step into the blogging foray. Part of my job is to research relevant business related information and share with my partnering managers. In doing so, I came across a topic of special interest to me, given that I train and consult with managers on a regular basis regarding recruiting matters…the importance of “follow-up.”
Recruiting is fundamentally “selling.” As a hiring manager, it is your job to inspire/sell a career in real estate to your new-to-business candidates…or inspire/sell your company and/or office to experienced agents. You should be going about recruiting in much the same way you would expect your existing agents to prospect. Would you tell your agents to have one conversation with a potential customer and leave it at that? I think not.
Ali Brown, founder and CEO of Ali International LLC, an organization committed to empowering female entrepreneurs globally, validates my philosophy in her article, “Your Fortune is in the Follow-up.” Given that my primary focus is in the area of recruiting consulting, I read her article in that vein, however it clearly can be shared with existing agents or anyone in a similar industry.
“Most business owners are good at pitching clients or reaching out to new customers. It’s the follow-up where they fall down. Why? Because they figure, 'If they wanted my product, they’d finish the transaction,' or they worry that, 'If I bug them too much, I’ll come off as needy.'
Here’s the thing: while you’re worrying about bugging a prospective customer or telling yourself that maybe 'they’re just not that into me,' someone else is following up and sealing the deal!
'No' is just a little bump on the road to 'yes.' When someone expresses interest in your business, but they aren’t quite ready to sign on the dotted line, they can often be persuaded with a polite follow-up.”
After you go through all of the time and effort to sit down for an interview with a potential hire, why would you leave it at that? You wouldn’t. Here is my mantra: “If you interview someone and you want to hire them…treat them as though they are hired.” Many of you have heard me say this, and I don’t think I can say it enough. The more a candidate feels like they belong/fit in your company, the more likely they are to follow-through with the licensing requirements and join your office versus signing on with a competitor. In the case of experienced agents, the more they feel courted by you and welcome in your organization, the more likely they are to recognize your value-proposition…but they will never get the chance to realize that value if you are not staying connected.
So, how do you treat a potential hire as a hire? You can invite them to your training classes…yes, even before they have their license, or before on-boarding an experienced agent. It is a potential risk, but worth the investment. Invite them to sales meetings, events, open houses, tours etc. The more they are in front of you and inspired by your office and business, the more likely they will, not only convert to a hire, but be a quick-to-produce hire, especially with the early onset training. A couple of other ideas, discussed in Ali’s article are worthwhile to consider as well:
“Ask if they’d like to be added to your email newsletter.
Creating an email newsletter is a great way to keep in contact with prospects and update them on new promotions or offerings. Since nobody likes getting spam, ask their permission first and include useful content in your newsletter so it's not a pure sales message. Once people expect timely and insightful information from you, they'll become more likely to open your emails and conduct business with you.
Send useful links.
If you know the prospect pretty well, you could email her sporadically when you find articles that might be useful for her business or see networking events she might like to attend. That way you’re keeping the lines of communication open without pressuring her.”
It is this kind of diligent, meaningful, value-added and credible follow-up that will lead you to be a successful hiring manager. Yes, it is hard work, but nothing truly worth having comes easy…
Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
