by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Hesitant to give out a personal e-mail address to clients? Don’t be, according to Roger Fiehn. He says it’s just fine and that it adds a more direct line of communication with your client.
Members of Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council heard from Fiehn at last month’s breakfast at the University of North Florida.
His company, Fiehn & Associates, Inc., assists builders, developers and real estate companies in developing a management structure that ensures consistent growth and profitability, according to the company.
Fiehn is a principal instructor for many management related courses sponsored by National Association of Home Builder’s University of Housing. He promoted “doubling sales while working half as hard.” Fiehn also gave tips on increasing sales in a declining market.
“It behooves you to work more effectively,” he said to the group. He notes that Realtors and others in the real estate industry has the second highest occupational divorce rate behind doctors, and working more effectively could prevent family lives from falling apart.
Other tips from Fiehn:
• Assume everyone is (or will be) a buyer and treat them with respect...remember the law of reciprocity.
• Your personal e-mail address is your gold mine.
• Set up data files of contacts by source — i.e. referral, Realtor, church, carwash, ball game, party wedding, continuing education class, etc.
• On second contact with a client, get his or her birth date and the dates of significant others.
• Set up computer programs to flag your contact list for quarterly updates and reminders to follow up with clients.