You have been a real estate appraiser for years. Or maybe you’ve just got six months under your belt. Either way, each of us needs to determine how we will build trust with our customers, continually be seen, and win the top pick when someone new is in need of an appraisal. If you’ve been at this for a while, then you are familiar with the many venues of marketing in the appraisal world: blog posts, vlogs, speaking at functions, taking attorneys to lunch; the list could go on. Maybe you have tried a lot of these. For you newbies out there, don’t go stick your smiley face on a billboard and expect a phone call. Because people don’t typically need your service until they need your service, there is a reason why a blog post might be more effective than a billboard. It’s all about the path.
How often will someone need an appraisal done while you’re standing in front of them (or when they are driving down the road and pass a billboard)? Not often. Appraisal needs most often arise from another external situation, be it divorce, bankruptcy, people wanting to sell their home, or looking to get rid of their PMI. And because every customer starts out as a non customer, you have to lead them there. You create a path of familiarity and security through your marketing means, and they see you and learn to trust you. They need an opportunity to get to know you, get to know your expertise, and then they need to remember you. But how do you keep them on this path? What will set you apart is utilizing a principle called the purpose of the first word.
Take this blog post, for example. Why did you keep reading? Did the title intrigue you? Did that lead you to the first word and on to the first sentence and on to the first paragraph? In your business and marketing, take a look at your first word and where it is leading your customers. The purpose of the first word is to create a path to your blog post, which leads to your podcast, which leads to your facebook page, which leads to positive information they want to hear, which leads to them hiring you when they have an appraisal need. Put simply, the purpose of the first word is to lead them to the next word. That’s the goal.
As you implement the principle of the first word, you will begin to pave a road your customers will confidently walk. You will become known and become known as the expert. People will trust you and open up their wallets to your services without a second thought. Keep blogging, vlogging, speaking, posting on social media, making connections, and using any and all marketing skills that work for your successful appraisal business, but from here on out, consider the path you are creating and the purpose of the first word.
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
