Demonstrate Value Now to Create Agent Loyalty
Managers, take heed: The value you add to your agents’ businesses this year will be remembered. While everybody’s inboxes are being flooded with industry updates, company policy changes and tech tips, your agents still only have one manager that intimately knows their business on a personal level, and that’s you. Will your agents look back on this time and remember how valuable you were to them?
Being your agents’ advocate and mentor through these challenging times will not only create opportunity now; it will build the trust and loyalty necessary to keep your agents on your team for years to come. Ask yourself these questions to ensure that happens:
Who’s doing business now?
It’s not enough now to say “nice sale” when a new contract comes in. You have to know exactly what is going on with each deal and every agent, and here’s why: Behind every sale is either a success story to recognize and share, or a subject of concern that you can address. You need to ask your agents how they won the listing or sale, what tools or strategies they used and what challenges they overcame. Additionally, you should know where that deal puts the agent on their current and year-to-date goals. Once you have the answers, you can appropriately add value to their business.
For instance, let’s say an agent turns in two new sales in a week. That’s great, right? Yes, if the agent is still productive and comfortable in the current market environment, in which case you give them the recognition they deserve and use their success and strategies as an inspiration for others. On the other hand, if the agent struggled for those two deals and is having difficulty working remotely or virtually, you can show that you are not taking them for granted, and review available tools or give them other guidance that they need to keep going. Either way, you will be actively engaged in their success.
Who’s not doing business?
Equally as important as the deals that come across your desk are the deals that don’t. You should be keeping daily and weekly tabs on all of your agents, and know who hasn’t turned in a new sale lately, whose listings aren’t selling and who isn’t calling you or using company tools to generate new business. Find out what’s holding your agents back and what you can do to help them, then be the spark to return them to action. Suggestions include doing a quick rework of their business plan, helping them time-block their remote business activities or reintroducing a useful company program or system that they can use right now. Whatever you recommend, they will know and remember that you were personally involved in a way that broad communications will never replace.
Don’t let your agents rely solely on company-wide emails and Zoom meetings to keep up with the times. Step in and step up with every deal and every agent so that your unique involvement will both add value in the present and build loyalty in the future, because you are irreplaceable. Agent retention will be positively impacted if you do, and the deep personal and professional bonds you enhance right now will remain long after stay-at-home orders and social distancing are things of the past.
Request free access to my exclusive How to Leverage Social Media webinar to drive more leads to your business through social media.
Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. She is also an RISMedia 2020 Real Estate Newsmaker as an industry Influencer. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.
