A successful real estate agent who has been in the business 18 years runs up to me and says:
“I lost a sale.”
I said, “What happened?”
He tells me that he was referred to a woman who was a prospective buyer.
They had a great conversation but she was one of three people she was referred to.
So after the call, she Google’d him and found nothing.
No website
No testimonials
No social media presence
NOTHING.
Keep in mind, his average client is worth $7,500 before referrals to friends and family.
It’s not uncommon in the real estate industry for a satisfied client to refer you to 3 other home purchasers or sellers over the next few years.
So one client relationship is not just worth $7,500, it’s potentially worth $30,000-$45,000 in revenue.
He didn’t lose one sale.
- He lost one year’s college tuition for his daughter.
- He lost the down payment on an investment property that could increase in investment cash flow
- He lost the purchase value of a car for his teenage son.
All because he didn’t have an internet and social media presence.
Whether you are aggressively trying to get new customers from Google or not, today you must have:
- A search engine optimized website that will get found when people Google YOU! (and they will)
- A social media presence that quickly matches your website and let people know you’re in the game
- A set of testimonials of other people saying how good you are
It’s not good enough anymore to believe that a stranger is going to do business with us just because they were referred to us.
Some of the referring party’s authority will pass over to you but the days of someone taking someone else’s word 100% are gone.
Smart consumers are going to:
- Research
- Consider
- Purchase
If you are a professional service provider, that means they are going to research YOU!
But what will they find?
- Will it elevate your trust and authority?
- Will it get them to know, like and trust you?
- Will it convince them that you’re the one to help them?
Or will it t convince them they should take their business somewhere else?
Many old-school business professionals are stuck in quicksand and slowing dying because they won’t adapt to change.
Meanwhile, their industries are being disrupted right under their nose by companies that are adopting the web and social media.
It’s not just the VC backed tech startups making all the noise. It’s guys and gals running businesses just like you who realized:
- I’m not getting the same results at the networking groups.
- I’m not getting value out of the Chamber of Commerce
- TV, radio, and billboards are too expensive (and I can’t tell if they are working)
- My previous customers bought from someone else
- My phone isn’t ringing like it used to
- My company isn’t growing.
- etc, etc.
The epiphany is simply this:
“I don’t have to understand it. But, I’d better get serious about this internet and social media thing and find someone who can help my company.”
Look. You can get a website set up in 24 hours for free using sites Wix.
This is not to say that Wix is where I believe you should set up your website if you’re serious about business, but it’s a start.
My recommendation if you’re just getting started online is WordPress.
At the very least, you should build out your LinkedIn Profile as a customer facing page and not a resume.
If you didn’t know, your LinkedIn profile will have more SEO power than your brand new website on any platform and can instantly get your found when someone searches Google for you.
Next, you need to head over and set up your Facebook business page, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
The point here is this:
If your prospects Google you and can’t find you (even if they were referred), they will likely take their money elsewhere.
Sit down and calculate what one client and all of the potential referrals could cost you over a few years.
If the number doesn’t bother you, then you should probably stop doing business.
If it does, take action today and get a website (and your social channels) up as soon as possible.
Have you built your online presence? Is it driving you sales and profits every day? Drop a comment below in the comments and let’s discuss.
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