Do you have an ideal client?
Think about the types of customers you most like to work with. The ones who make your heart sing a little bit when they walk through the door. Those who are open-minded yet know what’s important to them; who are genuinely excited about their move to Spain.
There may be different shades of them – Julie and David who have just retired and are looking for a new build home in an English-speaking expat community with a golf course within easy reach. Or Sophie and Rich who want a beachside location in family-friendly surroundings. But the key thing is you know you can deliver a great service to these buyers, and that it’s easier and more enjoyable to work with them than with others who may come to you.
Creating buyer personas
Once you’ve identified your ideal clients, it’s time to capture them and record them as buyer personas. This is where you go in depth, pool the knowledge of your co-workers, and research the likes and dislikes, wants and ambitions of these people. Give them names, give them ages, give them family members and hobbies.
Then take it further, find out about their values, what’s important to them and what keeps them awake at night. And, crucially, work out where you can find them. Which types of social media do they choose? Do they prefer email or telephone? How do they get information and where do they physically spend their days?
By getting to know these people and learning to understand and empathise with them, you’ll learn exactly where to look for them, and how to provide the highest levels of personalised service once you’ve found them.
How to use your ideal client persona to increase sales
Once you’ve created buyer personas for the different types of client you deal with, you’ll find they’ll come in useful in almost all areas of business. When you’re writing an email newsletter, talk directly to your buyer persona, create marketing campaigns and social media updates that speak to these specific customers. Set up processes or workflows that will provide exactly what’s required. And when you’re training your agents to deal with customers, make sure they know who they’re addressing as well.
For each property on your books, consider which of your buyer personas it most suits and then market it in such a way that it’s sure to attract the attention of the right people. And when you’re showing prospects around a property, continue to think about everything from their point of view.
Demonstrate your understanding of your customer, talk to their pain points and needs – if they’re moving in retirement perhaps they have health concerns or worries. If they’re moving with little ones, maybe they’d appreciate reassurance about local schools.
Stay in ‘ideal client mindset’ at all times and you’ll find this approach will pay off in terms of both the quantity and quality of leads you attract and convert.
Don’t lose sight of the numbers
Of course, at the end of the day whether you commit Sophie or David to paper or not, creating ideal client personas is about getting to know your customer, and thinking about what it is they’re looking for, not just in property but service levels too. And it’s about learning to demonstrate your understanding and provide a consistent message in everything you do.
Keep your efforts focussed on what delivers; check back every so often that the clients you’re pursuing are the ones that will bring in the money. It’s great to only work with the people that make your life a little easier, but remember you do have to make ends meet too!
