You've heard of the infamous "Sales Funnel."

It's referenced in nearly every sales training course under the sun. It comes in various shapes, sizes and colors. It still holds true and probably always will.

What about consumers? What is their process of choosing? They have their own funnel.

How you work your prospects through the sales funnel has changed and continues to evolve into what I'm calling the Consumer Sales Funnel.

While you're filtering through your prospects to find the best opportunities, keep in mind consumers are doing the same thing as they scrutinize you. Remember that today's consumer requires a much softer sales approach. Today's consumer has their own sales funnel for determining who they work with. There are no fancy Powerpoint presentations for it or diagrams like the one above because it's intuitive, and if you want to experience success with today's consumer you must adopt a softer approach to your communication with them.

It goes like this:

Ask: Ask the consumer real questions ... NOT just leading questions.

Listen: Honestly listen to their answers and try to understand THEIR world. Believe me, today's consumer KNOWS when you're only listening for those opportunities to forward your own agenda.

Service: Give them what they're asking for. If they want a "free CMA" there are many efficient means by which to provide this...it should only take you 10 minutes or so to do. Don't worry that it's not totally accurate, as you're providing a price range. Your prospect (in the majority of cases) KNOWS that you can't be accurate without seeing their house. They just want some indication that you're willing to put out a little effort for them. In their eyes, this tells them that when you look at them you see a person rather than a paycheck.

Follow Up: Be prepared for initial rejection. Today's consumer tends to make first contact with a real estate professional much earlier in the decision-making process. Make sure you have long-term follow-up systems in place.

Respect: This goes back to a question I've asked frequently in my blog - Which do you like better, people or money? If you like money better, it will show in the way you treat your prospects when they don't do what you want. I'm not talking about the typical bumps in the road we always encounter when dealing with other people. I'm talking about being so caught up in your own agenda that you forget that it's a person you're dealing with. Don't be hasty to bombard them with emails every week or every few days. You'll get a lot of "unsubscribe" requests for sure. Once a month is a sensible long-term email strategy...as long as the emails are helpful and not salesy:)

These things are all that today's consumer is looking for. They just want someone they can trust, and these criteria are what will work you through their funnel. The results usually aren't immediate, but if you're willing to try it, you will find your database growing with people who will want to work with you and will happily refer people to you.

Ultimately, check yourself periodically; are you treating your clients and prospects the way you would want to be treated.

Published: January 6, 2009

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Mark was born in left field and continues to live there. He's the Internet Marketing & Strategy Consultant for clients at GetMyHomesValue.com and he has have a coaching blog on ActiveRain, which is gaining in popularity. Mark believes that technology has really brought business full circle back to its roots... people helping people, and this is the basis for his coaching. He is also currently writing his first book, set to be completed by the end of the summer.