It never ceases to amaze me how ineffective and lackluster our follow up emails can be. This is a common malady in every industry what with our casual use of email communication. It’s gotten to the point that many of us consider emailing like text messaging and instant messages. Too often emails go out filled with spelling errors, lack of capitalization, poor or no punctuation and obscure abbreviations. I say change the way you think about emails. They are permanent digital opportunities you should use to confidently demonstrate your value to you potential prospect or client.
Opportunity Wasted!
Think about it, a consumer has taken a monumental leap by giving you their name and email address (and if you’re lucky – a phone number too). Next we begin our email with “I appreciate the opportunity to enclose ….” and we conclude our email with, “I look forward to hearing from you soon.” Come on, we can do much better than that!
Consumers Measure Us by the Way We Communicate – Written & Oral
People judge you by the words you choose – yes even in your emails. Think of your follow up emails like your cover letter for a job. In fact, that’s what it is really is. You are interviewing for a job, to be their agent! I’m convinced you are missing opportunities by using these tired, ineffective phrases. Are you ready to come across more positive and in control? If so, be ready to strike these lame email phrases from your correspondence.
Lifeless Phrases You Must Drop
- Besides the useless phrase “I am forwarding the enclosed list of properties you requested“, one of the biggest waste of digital space and effort is this phrase; “I appreciate the opportunity to …..” While I understand every buyer is a reason to celebrate, I recommend you save and show your appreciation after escrow when you hand your client a closing gift with the keys to their new home. Your buyer has hired you for your “take charge attitude” and your “knowledge as a neighborhood expert.” Be confident, but not arrogant.
- Another feeble, overused phrase I see is the one that goes something like this; “I hope you like these listings …” If you are basing your business (and your clients needs) on your “hopes“, I recommend you change thew way you write your emails immediately. Buyers and sellers want market leaders who “know” how to meet their needs not hope or guess at it.
- Do you lead off your emails with “I am very interested in ….” (fill in the blank with any assortment of services you normally provide)?. Let’s be clear, if you weren’t interested in the prospect or the client and their needs, why would you be writing the email in the first place?
- Have you ever used any of these weak phrases in your emails? “I am energetic” or “I am a professional“, or “I am ethical“. Geez, I thought maybe you were lethargic, unprofessional or maybe a liar and a cheat. Sure the perception of a real estate agent by the general public is dismal, and yes there are a few “bad apples” in our business, but that’s true of any business. I say be a real estate agent who is about the business of confidently changing the public perception of your craft. Demonstrate your abilities to prospects by “walking the talk” and being the high-octane, take-charge kind of neighborhood expert they want.
- I’ve saved the best worst phrase for last, “I look forward to hearing from you soon.” If you’re on my short list of potential agents I’m about to hire, and you include that phrase in your email you will be “looking forward” for a long time. When you have the prospect’s phone number I say take control of the email and state in a very matter-of-fact manner that “you will be calling on Tuesday afternoon at 4PM EST.” Then let the prospect let you know if that time works or not.
The I’s Have It!
What is the one common denominator about every one of these mealymouthed, over used phrases? They all
lead off with the pronoun “I”. Point #1 – your emails should always be about the consumer, the client or the prospect and their needs. Point #2 – consumers deserve to be the focus of our business (OK-major understatement). As much I like every real estate professional I have ever met, this is not about you. The sooner you get this point and focus your email correspondence to the recipient and their needs the better off you will be.
Your Feedback to the Post
What other weak phrases have you seen (or possibly used) in emails to clients and prospects? Admit it, we have all used these at sometime or another.
Helping you communicate more effectively,
Bobby Carroll – Dakno Real Estate Marketing
Bobby – True on all points. For 13 years I’ve been signing off my emails with Cheers! As I entered the Real Estate business I tried different ones; Warm Regards, Sincerely, etc. etc. and nothing fit. This is all about them, the customer, but I can’t help them while trying to cram myself into a box I don’t fit in. I am surely a Cheers! kind of person and decided to keep using it. Maybe Cheers! is not professional enough for some folks, but if my service is beyond ordinary, surely customers will be pleased to have a little cheer!
Bobby ~ I think that one phrase all real estate agents need to lose is “to be honest”. This one kills me. It can only suggest that there are times that one is not honest.
Great post. Avoid sounding like a used car salesmen and more like a professional.
Great article! However, I would’ve like to see more examples of replacement phrases. Another article perhaps?
I personally try to always inject positivism in my messages. For example I use phrases like “Thank you for your inquiry. Please rest assured that you’ve contacted the right person to help you with your real estate needs”. Along those lines.
I also use “Please follow the link below to view some property options that I know you’ll like”.
However, I am guilty of using “I look forward to hearing from you”. Mostly when I don’t have a phone number or feel like my lead might not want me to call.
After some reevaluation though, I think I’ll start using something like “Please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your real estate needs further.”
What do you think of these phrases?
Ryan – Excellent point! If you have to say “to be honest” that might trigger the idea that maybe you are less than honest.
Real Estate Lister – My point exactly. In addition, “hoping you’ll contact me “, “looking forward to hearing from you” and “please find attached” are an absolute waste of your time and effort. I say be more assertive and in control of your communication.
Reunion Resort Resale Realtor – When writing this post I was tempted to include alternative assertive phrases and the post began to take on the familiar “War & Peace” effect (get too long). That convinced me to “save” my recommended phrases for a later post. Stay tuned for Part II!
Remember, the point of your correspondence is to offer “value” and “benefit” to do business with you (benefits=save me time, money, make me money, make me feel better about myself are all benefits.)
As far as the phrase you are using to reference a list of properties, I would tend to say something along the lines of “There are never enough hours in the day to search for homes in (insert city name here). Based on your identified needs, the properties in this link best match your search parameters. The next step is to preview these properties. The “Request a Showing” button on the property details page will allow you to effortlessly schedule a tour of each property at your earliest convenience.”
It’s a little long but the point is to guide the consumer down the logical path of selecting a home in a orderly fashion. The more opportunities the consumer engages with your site, the more connected to you they will be. That’s part of the relationship building process and your website is a critical component of that process.
The one that always makes my teeth grind is “feel free to…” check out the website, give us a call…
Feel Free? Or what?
Bobby, your suggestion to be more assertive in our email communication and take control is excellent advice.
“Feel free to” That’s one I am guilty of from time to time.
Bobby, wish I would’ve read this blog before sending you that last email — the one that ended in “looking forward to working with you”! He he.
So know that we know what NOT to do… what about some fresh phrases to use instead?
Regina P. Brown