Put On Your Salesman Hat and Do Some Open-house Prospecting

by Amy Kleptach September 1, 2016

Editor’s note. After Amy Kleptach attended ASHI’s InspectionWorldTM in San Diego in January 2016, she submitted this updated article (which originally appeared in the Reporter in May 2012) to share these marketing strategies with all the new inspectors joining the industry, as well as those who might need some fresh ideas or reminders.

If you want business, you have to go out and create it! Being a home inspector and being a salesperson are two different jobs, and you should treat them as such. As a home inspector, you’d never go to an inspection without all the tools, supplies and information you need to complete the job. The same is true with sales—you must have a plan and be prepared. By doing so, your “salesman hat” will fit comfortably and may even become enjoyable to wear. 

When the topic “open house prospecting” comes up, it definitely strikes a chord with home inspectors. My partner, Terry, and I have heard many reactions when we tell others that we go to open houses to meet real estate agents. Any sales coach will tell you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. This type of marketing can be successful for you, too, and success is more likely if you approach it correctly. Remember, going to an open house is essentially making a sales call on a prospective referral source, so you must approach it as such or it can end up working against you. When we first started out, the majority of referrals we received from real estate agents came from the ones we met by going to open houses. It worked for us, and it can work for you.

Here Are Four Keys for Preparing to Attend an Open House:


Have a Positive Attitude and Smile

This sounds simple and easy, but when you are thinking of something else (like what to say to a real estate agent), you can forget to smile. So think about this before you start. Stop and smile at yourself in the mirror before you get out of your car. Wear your smile whenever you wear your salesman hat! 

Plan Who You Want to See

This kind of planning is critical for time management. Look in the newspaper or online at the company’s website for dates of upcoming open houses. Pick an area and go see the agents in that area. I make a list of 10 to 15 potential stops. Remember that not all advertised open houses are actually “open” to anyone; therefore, put some extras on the list just in case you end up with extra time. Each item on my list includes the time of the open house, the agent’s name, company name, open house address and town. Before we go, I look up each address on a map and make a plan for whom to see first, second, third and so on. On average, we meet six to eight real estate agents each Sunday. 

Don’t try to plan too many for one day. Remember that the point is to develop relationships to get future referrals, not speed prospecting.


Plan What to Take

It’s no surprise that real estate agents enjoy getting sweets and chocolates, so take along some treats to give them with your business card, brochure, flyer or whatever you have. Put everything together in something that’s easy for you to carry and access. We use a small wooden basket with handles to carry our chocolate-covered strawberries as well as our business cards, brochures, newsletter and a pen. If carrying a basket is not your style, you could pack a small toolbox for a creative way to tote your prospecting items, and it certainly would be a conversation starter. 

Plan What to Say

This is extremely important! Be ready for your sales call by thinking ahead about these five tips:

Greeting: Your greeting to the agent sets the tone for the conversation. Be upbeat and smile as you say, “Hi, I’m Robert Smith, and I’m a home inspector. I came to see you!” If the conversation stalls, you can add, “I heard that real estate agents like gifts, so I brought you a treat.” Hand them the gift and watch them smile.

Quick Company Story: For your company story, write out a few sentences that you’d be comfortable saying, memorize it and use it when an agent asks about you. A quick company story could sound something like this: “I’ve been an inspector for a few years now. I’m an ASHI member based out of Smithville and I serve the surrounding counties. I’ve worked in the construction field all my life and have many years of hands-on experience building and renovating homes. Becoming a home inspector was a natural fit for me.” (Don’t forget to smile!) 

Questions: Asking questions is your opportunity to find out important information. Especially when you’re wearing your salesman hat, you should remember that the person asking the questions is in control. You also should know that people like to talk about themselves. Therefore, ask the agents specific questions about themselves to get them talking. Here are some sample questions: 

• How long have you been a real estate agent? Have you always been an agent? 

• Out of which office do you work? 

• How do your clients choose a home inspector? 

• Do you have a home inspector whom refer regularly? 

• Does your office have a list of inspectors? Who would I contact to be added to the list? 

• What day does your office have their staff meeting? 

Be comfortable asking questions. Be patient and listen to their answers. The more your prospective referral source talks, the more you’ll learn about him or her. Write down all the information you learned as soon as you get back to your vehicle. 

Company Benefits, Storytelling and Countering Objections: Every company has their own benefits. For example, Terry has a strong background in HVAC and construction, so we like to discuss how we are able to give our clients extra knowledge about the HVAC system in the home. Also, because the two of us both attend our clients’ home inspections, we mention that to the agents we meet and explain how it helps us with our time and people management. You can tell a short, positive story or two about your business to paint a visual picture and make a solid memory. 

The biggest concern agents want to talk about is how a home inspector can be a “deal killer.” (We know this even if they don’t bring it up.) Instead of ignoring this concern, why not discuss it and get it out of the way! Say with a smile, “I can’t change what I find at a home inspection (for example, bad roof, broken furnace), but what I can do is make sure that I deliver any concern in a professional and non-threatening manner. I have a lot of experience working with people, and I know how to talk to them without scaring them.”

A second common objection that comes up with agents is when they nicely tell you that they won’t use you. You can respond by telling them that you know that! You could say: “I’ve heard it takes five to seven times meeting an agent before I’ll get a referral.” (You will have their attention now.) Continue with this: “I’m hoping that it only takes three or four times meeting you before I get a referral.” (Don’t forget to smile!) Then, shut up and let them talk. This is when they tell you a story about how they met the home inspectors they currently work with and how the agent-inspector relationship works for them.

Wrap-Up and Good-Bye: Before you leave, be sure to get the agent’s business card or contact information. By this time, the agent should have all of your literature and treats, but if not, hand it out and ask for their business card. If you need to, say, “Do you have a business card I can have?” And if they need to run out to their car to get a card, let them. You want their contact information! 

Shake hands, tell them it was nice meeting them and that you are sure you’ll see them again in the future. (And…smile!)

Most open houses have few visitors so, for the most part, the agent will be glad to have someone to talk to when you walk in. Respecting the agent at the open house is critical. There are three rules to follow to show your respect to the agent at an open house and to make your trip worthwhile.

Rule 1. Never let the agent think you are there to see the house. I carry a basket with all my supplies. Most times, the real estate agent will notice my basket and know I’m there for a different reason. If they do start their sales presentation about the house, I tell them, “It looks like a nice house, but I already have one. I’m here to see you!” (Smiling, of course.)

Rule 2. Know when to leave.

• Leave on a high note. Get out while everyone is smiling and laughing. You can hope that, after you are gone, the agent will read your literature while eating the chocolate.

• If the agent is involved in a deep discussion with a possible client, leave your information, get theirs and leave.

• Some agents can handle multiple groups of people at an open house; others cannot. If there are several people at the open house and the agent is acting nervous, leave your information on the counter, get their business card and leave.

• If there’s no agent at the open house; be friendly to whomever is there and leave.

• If the agent isn’t being friendly, be sure that you remain courteous as you leave.

• If, for some reason, you feel like you won’t have a positive attitude about meeting new people on the day you’ve been planning to check out the open houses, do not leave your home. Wait until next week instead.

Rule 3. Always get the agent’s contact information and be sure to keep and organize the information you collect. Make a Real Estate Agent Contact Book, which can be a tool for your marketing plan. A quick way to do this is to use a notebook and tape the agents’ business cards on the pages, adding a few handwritten notes about them and your perspectives of your first and any additional meetings with them. Keep these pages organized by offices. This will help you remember whom you met and when and, most important it will document the results that open-house prospecting produces for your business and bottom line.

Good luck in your prospecting adventures! Take this information and create a prospecting presentation of your own.

Amy Kleptach is co-owner of TK Home Inspection with her inspector partner, Terry Kleptach. Before becoming a home inspector, Amy was the director of sales training for a 12-office, 125-person sales force based out of Cleveland, OH. Next, she applied her sales knowledge and tactics to grow their home inspection business 447% from year 1 to year 2. Contact Amy at terry@tkhomeinspection.com or visit www.facebook.com/tkhomeinspection or www.facebook.com/radoninstarkcounty.

 

 


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