Impressions mean a great deal to your clients. Your website, your email and even your voicemail message can leave a lasting impression on you and your business. If you've made some mistakes, it's not too late to correct them. Make the right impression! Of course your business has to be different to stand out, but don't get caught up in common mistakes. Your business can stand out and still be professional. Here are a few more tips to help bring your level of professionalism up

Your Website (part 2):

• Be different, but don't lose your identity - It's long been a unwritten rule of real estate to make yourself stand out from the other agents; take a picture with your dog, holding the world or sitting comfortably on top of your city. Unless you have something truly unique or proven response from your customers, it could be a waste of time and money. Remember, a gimmick is a gimmick - it may get the door open, but it can also close them.
  
• Don't give your business away - A recent study in Knowledge Management World publications cited 62% of all information seekers started with the internet. Make sure you are giving your potential buyers and sellers the information they are looking to find. If you are sending your web visitors to other websites, you are giving away your business. Keep them on your website with relevant information.
• Plan your marketing approach - As part of your Annual Business Action Plan, you should have written your marketing plan including website, email, direct mail, and personal contacts. All of those mediums should be related - have your website and email on all marketing pieces, and when possible, use the same colors and images to create a familiarity between your direct mail postcards, business cards, website, and email.
  

Your Email (part 2):

• My email signature... Anyone using an email program probably has a signature set-up. You can put anything you like in your signature, but the more you put, the less will be read. You should include: your name, designations, phone number and office name.
  EXAMPLE:

Joe Agent, Realtor®
Direct Line: 239-437-3777
Sellstate Corporate Office

          You can get fancy and ad images and web-based links, but if the person you are sending the email to only reads text email, they'll never see the fun stuff.

• C.Y.A. - Covering Your Assets - You should always include some form of disclaimer to your email. As a business owner, you should include a disclaimer just to protect yourself from potential litigation or problems - email is considered communications, even if you delete an email, a client or customer can dispute your records if they have have a copy or even say you sent a copy! Need help? CLICK HERE

Voicemail and Messages:

• "I can't come to the phone right now...." - Really? I never would have figured that out when your message picked up. Come on! Have some common sense when you leave a message. How about "I'm in a meeting until 3 pm and will check messages after that time." You're not even promising to call them back!

• "I'm out selling beautiful .... please leave a message." - Ha ha ha ha!  We know better, and anyone calling you probably knows that too! Let's be realistic. If you can't change your voicemail message on your cell phone, you probably shouldn't have a phone.

• TIP: Change your message every day! - "This is Joe Agent, thank you for calling. Today is Monday, March 10th and I will be with clients showing homes until 2PM. Please leave a message." - Now wasn't that simple? Just remember to go back to your voicemail after 2PM to change your message.

• TIP: Don't use automated voicemail voices - If you decide not to change your voicemail every day, then at least use your own voice. If someone does leave a message, they should know it's you who is answering and you who is going to follow-up (or an assistant).

 
Keep working your plan for success!