Technology is rapidly changing the way we live and work by creating disruption. As a great real estate agent your task is to put the human in the technology whilst providing that progressively higher level of service. In this week’s Coaching Tip I’ll tell you how to put the nail in the coffin on would-be disruptors by ignoring what they’re doing and focusing on your customer.
First let’s understand that a disruptive technology is one that substantially improves the customer experience by changing the way systems work. The advent of the mobile phone is a great example. As more people adopted mobile technology it fundamentally changed the way we live. In the real estate industry, when someone rebrands they may claim to be a disruptor, but most of these “disruptors” are focused on earning a higher percentage of the fee even though their level of service remains the same.
You set your fee at a certain level in order to have profitability. Substantial profit allows you to provide the best service, deliver the best customer experience, and ensure a smoother and easier sales process. A big part of that success is the ability to give your internal customers – being your sales and property management teams – the resources they need to provide those quality customer services.
A current example of a disruptive technology is the new BP petrol stations. The entire transaction of paying and fueling happens right at the pump. There’s no need to ever enter the convenience store, which means you won’t be buying any other products. That process has been disrupted, creating a new technological opportunity – such as huge convenience machines vending whatever else you might buy at a service station.
If you want to create some real, positive disruption, then be that agent who works from a center of care, empathy, skills and knowledge. It’s ultimately what you do for the customer and how you change what happens in your community that drives industry-wide progress.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Coaching Tip, and I look forward to seeing you here again next week.