It really pays to periodically sit in on real estate meetings and glean the latest strategies around the subjects of recruiting and retention... In a packed house of 50 managers, I witnessed a fascinating presentation regarding the appropriate use of social networking tools. No, I’m not talking about going to the next Rotary meeting... I’m talking about the dreaded, often demeaned, frequently misunderstood tools of Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and others...
I’ve heard and read a great deal of information about the importance of these tools. On a personal front, I've been hearing news from my daughter that her nationally renowned professors focus a great deal on social networking as part of her Journalism/Public Relations education at The University of Oregon. But what caught my attention this time, was a story told by a real estate executive regarding retention.
There happens to be a middle-aged manager from a competing company who has made it his newfound task to learn as much as he can about Facebook. This manager is doing two specific things that have increased both retention and recruiting in his organization. Both of these activities clearly put into practice what I have preached again and again: The importance of building relationship credibility.
Here’s what he does:
- He asks all of his agents and every competing agent he meets to become his “Friend” on Facebook. He does this in a gradual, polite, and non sales-like way.
- He then dedicates a few hours per week to making sure he comments on what these agents post. He comments on pictures and events, answers questions (not related to real estate), and shows that he is interested in each of these individual's lives.
In reality, he is substituting these small “touches” for what would amount to several mini chance meetings, where he has the opportunity to express interest in who these people are. From both his existing and competing agents, he is able to obtain greater familiarity with who they are, what they value, who they are responsible for (family), and thus build stronger relationship credibility. It's important to know, that he never “sells” while he is on Facebook. He merely gets to know the people (notice I didn't say "agents"), and responds to their postings.
Apparently he networks so well, that he eventually asks the competing agents out for coffee, which is so much more natural given the previously established connection, and finally asks them to consider working for him. Agents have left their companies for this competing manager because they feel he actually knows and values them, and more importantly, he has the desire to know them!
If you are a manager and you haven’t yet learned how to Facebook, you may soon find both your experienced-agent recruiting, and more importantly, your retention, in serious trouble. Younger managers are doing this without being told to. They do it naturally, as part of their day, like brushing their teeth.
If you are older than 32, you finally have a very good reason to get yourself up to speed with regard to social networking. If you don't, you're in danger of falling behind in the on-going competition of recruitment and retention.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
A great example of implementing social media to build relationships. I think a lot of people forget that social media is social. He followed the most important rule of socializing: listen. If you are interested in listening to conversations that concern your industry, read this article written by University of Oregon professor Kelli Matthews: http://bit.ly/eo2xV.
Posted by: Katelyn Mashburn | November 06, 2009 at 03:42 PM