Using Your Book On A Listing Appointment
Increase Your Listing Appointment Conversion With Your Book
You can dramatically increase your listing appointment conversion rate by bringing books to those appointments. If you’re not struggling to get appointments, but you are struggling to close deals, the books can make all the difference.
There are a few ways you can get your books into your potential clients’ hands during listing appointments.
- 1Hand it to them as you walk through the door.
First impressions are everything, and immediately handing someone a book makes a great one. When you're meeting the seller, simply say something like:
“Hi! Thank you so much for meeting me today. I brought you a free copy of my book, {INSERT TITLE HERE}. It’s full of techniques to help you sell your home for more money. I will be referencing it throughout our appointment and want you to have it as a guide to the selling process.” - 2Slide it across the table during your appointment.
When you’re giving your presentation, bring up your book at an appropriate time. If you’re referencing a specific marketing technique, pull out your book and show them where they can read more about it. Don’t forget to leave it with them to keep after you’re done referencing it.
You can also leave your book sitting out on the table during the appointment and let your prospects bring it up. At this point, you can give them the book to keep and reference. - 3When you do a walk-through of the home, offer your book to the sellers and ask them to glance through it. You can also leave your book sitting out on the table during the appointment and let your prospects bring it up. At this point, you can give them the book to keep and reference.
- 4Hand it out at the close.
If you’ve given a presentation and you can tell the clients are on the fence about hiring you, hand them your book as a parting gift and ask them to look it over. This is a great strategy if you want to be more strategic about handing out your books to people who are more difficult to convert. Your books can help you overcome any listing objections you might face. Say something like:
“Thank you so much for meeting me today. I really appreciate the opportunity to show you how I can sell your home fast for top dollar. In fact, I want to give you a free copy of my book, {INSERT TITLE HERE}. It’s full of techniques to help you sell your home for more money.”
The key to this method is to consistently follow up after you’ve given them your book.
Results in Action
Mark was already a successful agent, but in one year, he doubled his close rate using books.
“The percentage of listings that I now get when I go on these appointments is up to about 90 percent, when it had been trending at about 45 percent a year ago. The book is an amazing tool to use.”
He called the book his “secret sauce” — the added component that helped him differentiate himself from a crowded field of real estate agents. A former brand manager, Mark understands that the books are an important component in an integrated marketing program.
“Brand management isn’t about one thing. It’s about total reinforcement. It’s the total package. It’s the total marketing effort, and so to me, the book is what seals the deal.”
He’s been using the book as the final piece in his pre-listing package.
“When I meet with my potential listing clients and I show them all the stuff I do to market their home, I throw in that we have a book as well that shows you how we list homes and sell them for more money.”
When you give someone a book, you leave it up to them whether they actually want to read it, but it fortifies the position that you’re not the same as every other Realtor.
“I’m a Realtor that now looks like I’ve written books on the ability to sell homes for more money — or the most money. Fortified by all the things I do when I’m marketing a home, I think it’s a one-two knockout punch.”
So far, Mark has used the books primarily for re-targeted marketing. He works hard up his brand awareness. He hasn’t used the books to fish for clients.
“I’m getting enough appointments and I’m pretty busy, and as a result, I’m using the book to reel the fish in,” he said.
“The advertising for my brand alone, let alone for my business, helps me to get a lot of leads,” Mark said. He got into the business in 2009, in one of the toughest real estate markets, but he made it work. During a recent year, his firm took in $40 million in revenue.
“I have referral companies — referral agents — that connect with me because of my profile. Once again, I still go back to the proposition, if I’m almost doubling my capture, I think the book is hugely related to that.”
He added that he wants to go back after people he met a year or two ago, before he started using the books. If they haven’t listed but are ready to list now, he’ll use the books as a tool for those sellers, too.
To Summarize:
Take Action:
Now that you know the best ways to use your books on listing presentations, turn your next one into a listing by positioning yourself as an expert. With a book in hand, you don’t have to sell yourself — you’ve already shown the value you bring to the table.
