Life revolves around connections. Connections that you make during your local interviews, and the people you interview, can do more for your brand recognition than thousands of dollars of ad spending. An interview is a completely different ‘ask’ than a sale, and is invaluable for real estate professionals looking to take their prospecting to the next level!
Now comes (what should be) the easy part: booking the interviews!
Long story short: If you can’t explain why you want to talk to the person in three sentences, you risk scaring them off. But remember the golden rule of persuasion:
You can’t say the right thing to the wrong person, and you can’t say the wrong thing to the right person.
What ARE the Three Sentences To Book Prospect Interviews?
- I’m an entrepreneur helping another entrepreneur because that’s what good entrepreneurs
- I’m interested because I think it’s a great business and it deserves a way for people – local and not local – to learn more about it.
- Everybody’s got a story, and stories connect people. I want to connect people with your story, and I want to connect with it myself.
Play around with the wording, but those should be the foundation of how you ‘sell’ the interview.
Take Off Your Sales Hat
You know that anxiety you get right before the ask? That ‘fight or flight’ weightlessness where you’re about to change the dynamic of a conversation with the reminder that you’re talking business, and that you’re trying to close? If you’re feeling that right before trying to book an interview, you’re doing it wrong, and you’re in the completely wrong headspace.
Imagine you see your neighbor struggling with their groceries, or shoveling their driveway; would you just walk past them without helping? No, you wouldn’t. The conversation leading up to the interview ask should be similar in tone and feel to the conversation you have while grabbing their heavy bags, or showing up with a shovel. Just two people chatting.I’m here to help because I can, and we can pass the time by having a pleasant conversation about your business. I’m interested in learning more about both.
No BS, No Problem
Some other important things to remember from the last blog: the three simple realities of small business ownership.
- I don’t have time for your BS.
- I don’t have the patience for your BS.
- I’m not going to change either of those for your BS.
If you go in ‘pitching’, you’re going to sound fake and the person will sit there waiting for you to try to sell them something. The only thing you’re ‘selling’ is publicity and exposure. Let them know why you invested in the neighborhood, and position the interview as trying to find out more about why they did too.
Other Helpful Tips For Booking Prospect Interviews Fast
- DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Know their busy times and their lulls, and plan your visit accordingly if asking in person.
- Follow them on social media. Interact with their posts; talking about their social media is a great way to open the conversation. If you want to save both of your time, you can always DM them. Just like Gary Vee says, it’s going down in the DMs.
- Be a customer a few times before asking. Face recognition will help you get to yes.
- The ask is for a future time. DON’T show up with a camera and expect them the same day.
- If arranged more than 24 hours from the interview request, ask if they’d like the questions in advance. Nobody likes being blindsided, so let them know the type of questions you’ll ask (for help creating questions, come back tomorrow).
interview of a local business conducted by a community-minded real estate professional
Use this advice and you’ll be conducting professional-quality interviews in no time!