The 4-Step Framework For Earning More Business

The world of consumer facing marketing has changed because the consumer is evolving faster than marketers. Consumers are demanding a more human experience, and don’t want to be treated like just another lead in a database. While there is no silver bullet in today’s world of direct response marketing, here is a thoughtful framework for thinking through your marketing campaigns that will significantly boost the impact and overall conversion of your marketing dollars.

The 4-Step Framework for Highly Effective Marketing Campaigns

1. They have to KNOW you:

People do business with people they know. This makes it extremely important to create an intentional campaign for your target market, to help them understand who you are and what you do as a real estate professional.

Despite all of the money spent on agent branding, 49% of consumers cannot even name a real estate agent off the top of their heads; there are two primary reasons for this. First, realtors continuously change their “look,” and without visual consistency consumers cannot connect with the agent’s brand over time.

Second, in an effort to add immense value, realtors often create marketing pieces that are flooded with numerous messages and have diluted focus. Remember, people connect with people.

Your marketing will be at its most powerful when you stay with simple (your name) and consistent branding over time, and focus on just one message per marketing piece. Just following these two principles will immediately enable more human connection with consumers.

Pro Tip: The concept of “Just Listed” and “Just Sold” is a good one to get consumers to “know” you, as it creates an awareness of who you are and what you do. Our research has shown that dropping the word “Just” can be helpful, as today’s consumers believe that it creates a false sense of urgency in a world driven by authenticity. Instead, consider using “Listed” or “Sold” or other variations to deliver higher conversions.

2. They have to LIKE you:

People do business with people they like. The entire social media revolution has been built on the power of the “like” button. While you cannot move to the “like” phase until consumers have gotten to know you, once you have established that presence you have a huge opportunity to move to the next level.

There are two impactful ways to get someone to like you. One is to share common interests … be it a local sports team, community cause or a local charity. The other way is to contribute your time, effort or generosity to a person or community without expecting anything in return.

Pro Tip: Thoughtfully planned community events have always been a great source of business and personal connectivity, especially if you claim to be the local market expert. Whether it is organizing a trick or treat caravan, a fundraising drive for a local cause, a weekend coffee and bagels party once a quarter, or even just organizing a neighborhood garage sale, your contribution to the greater good will not go unrewarded.

3. They have to TRUST you:

Trust is an expensive commodity in today’s social economy, and many old school marketers believe they can “buy” the trust just through “brag” pieces. But trust can only be achieved through a personal experience or the transference of a personal experience.

This means that the consumer trusts you because of a direct personal experience with you, or because someone they know, like, or trust has had a personal experience with you and provided a testimonial or recommendation. Our research has shown that “proof” and “brag” marketing pieces can be extremely powerful if they are designed with care and positioned with humility.

Pro Tip: Consider balancing out your “brag” pieces with some humanity. For example, if you are going to showcase the quantity of homes you sold in 2015, consider introducing a highly emotional testimonial along with it. Or if you are showcasing yourself as the top agent in a marketplace, mention how you give back a portion of what you make to support the community that supports you.

4. They want to do business with you:

If you have followed the “know,” “like,” “trust” pathway, you are guaranteed a seat at the table when it comes time for the business conversation. It also gives you the unbridled power to ask for the business, because you have built social rapport in a deeply impactful way. If you follow the 4-step process, you will start to see higher conversion rates, lower cost per lead, and significantly improved ROI metrics.

Pro Tip: One way to circumvent steps 1 through 3 is to take the route of “content” marketing. While this is a shortcut in a world where there are technically no shortcuts, you will be rewarded for being a generous contributor. For example, you could create great content pieces such as a “2015 Fall Sellers Guide” or “The Trusted Homebuyers Guide” and drive traffic to that content either through direct distribution or digital marketing. If the content is good, it instantly establishes you as an expert and puts you in the “Trust” zone, as the consumer is thinking about solving that particular need at that point in time. However, for the best long term results, I would recommend tying in content marketing to all the phases of “know,” “like,” and “trust” to help you build a repeatable business and cement you as a true advisor.

Need help applying these 4 steps to your business? Our coaches can help you close out the year strong. Click HERE to request a complimentary coaching consultation with a Tom Ferry coach.

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