Are you using these personal marketing weapons?
Riddle me this… What am I? I cost nothing to acquire, yet I’m priceless and last forever.
A solid ‘army’ of awesome testimonials can be found in every top agent’s marketing arsenal.
Rate My Agent founder and CEO Mark Armstrong recently told me the company’s success (and that of their thousands of subscriber agents) is built on the power of testimonials and recommendations.
“Given the opportunity, most people will base an important decision on the opinion of a trusted friend.” He said. “Rate My Agent simply gives real estate professionals the platform to make these recommendations public.”
The raw power of social proof and a positive opinion is hardly new to marketing, which makes it all the more surprising as to why more agents don’t use them.
So how do you get them and how many do you need?
If you’ve ever asked for a client testimonial, you’ll know it can often be a bit awkward.
And sometimes it can go a little like this:
The sale went really well and you provided your client with an awesome real estate experience and while everything is fresh and there are good vibes all round, you pop the question.
“So how would you feel about giving me a short testimonial?”
“Of course.” The client says. “Love to.”
Three weeks later, said testimonial is yet to materialize.
“Yes I’ll get on to that. It’s on my list. Leave it with me”
Are you really going to call a third time?
So try this:
“I’m a big believer in offering potential sellers and buyers feedback from former clients. I was going to ask you to write me a testimonial but I’m sure you have enough to do so would it be okay if I just emailed you a sample paragraph and if you’re okay with it, let me know”
There. It’s done.
Here’s the science behind this approach:
Who wants the testimonial the most? You do.
So why don’t you take the responsibility to get it done?
Besides, I’m sure you’re going to write a better testimonial that your client. You’ll be sure to include you had multiple buyer interest and the sale result was fantastic (if that was the case of course)
Get 25 and stick them on your website under a tab on your nav bar called ‘Client Feedback’ (don’t call it Testimonials)
Then include the link in an email to a potential client as part of your pre-listing message with your Rate My Agent profile.
After getting the good oil from all your happy clients, why the heck would they list with anyone else?
Let me give you some real examples. You don’t need to say much. In fact, the less the better. Just use power words and phrases like I’ve used in these testimonials:
Feedback from property sellers who used the book to sell for more. (If you’re a Bestagents member feel free to use these testimonials to promote y0ur FREE BOOK offer
“We saved $100,000 by learning real estate’s trade secrets. How To Sell Your Home For More was a guaranteed shortcut to success. Well done and many thanks.” Paul and Jo Hickman
“We have just sold a property for 1.6 million dollars. The advice and suggested guidelines in How To Sell Your Home For More worked perfectly for us. I’m sure no other selling method would have achieved such a great result.” Ken Morris
“I followed the steps set out in How To Sell Your Home For More and it seemed to have all the answers. I’m sure I achieved a result that was at least ten percent higher than I would have otherwise achieved. The book covered everything from presentation of my home to agent selection. My property sold in less than a month for a great price.” Jodie Blight
“Getting the best price for my property was extremely important to me. I only had one chance to get it right. The How To Sell real estate book broke everything down into simple steps. I just followed the steps to a great result.” Fraser Martin
“Thanks for getting me a copy of your amazing book (How To Sell Your Home For More) I can see how it has truly added dollars to my sale price. The presentation suggestions are so effective. I’ve read dozens of how to property books but yours is by far the best. Thanks for everything!” Pamela Darling
“WOW! I had to see it for myself to believe it! How To Sell Your Home For More has changed the way I look at selling (and buying) real estate. In tough market conditions, the process, as explained in the book, worked brilliantly. Thanks for the best real estate experience I have ever had.” Mark Borthwick