Why Are Appointments So Important?

Quite simply, appointments are the leading indicator of a healthy sales business.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not aware of too many deals that get done without some sort of an appointment being part of the process.

You need appointments to do business.

And whatever you focus on expands.

So…

If you focus on making your calls, you get more calls.

If you focus on leads, you get leads.

But if you focus on booking appointments, you get more appointments… which lead directly to getting more deals done.

 

 

Defining 6 Types of Appointments You Should Be Going On

Not every appointment needs to be a traditional listing appointment. Far from it. Here are six different types of appointments you should be conducting with prospects and past clients.

  1. Pre-Listing Appointment – This is a meeting with someone who knows they want to move 6-12 months down the road. It’s your chance to establish rapport, educate the owners, provide advice on how they can maximize their sales price when the time comes, and deliver insight into market conditions and the current value of their home. Don’t sleep on setting up these opportunities… If you dismiss it as being “too far out,” you’ll likely miss the chance when they are actually ready. Want more Pre-Listing Appointments? Try this Instagram Story sequence.
  2. Listing Appointment – Show up prepared to set yourself apart from the competition, share your pricing strategy, your marketing strategy and more. For a deeper dive on how to maximize every listing presentation, click here.
  3. Buyer Consultation – Notice the word “consultation” here. This appointment isn’t about rushing to show people homes as soon as possible. It’s about sitting down together and taking your time to determine their goals, their lifestyle, their needs, their desires, their dreams… Getting to know the real people so you can educate them about the realities of the current market and provide the ultimate level of service to them throughout the home search process. Taking this step will build rapport and create trust and loyalty that will pay big dividends in the long run.
  4. Showings – Showing properties to buyers is a great use of your time as long as they’re pre-qualified (with verified funds) or all cash and are serious about making a legitimate offer when they find the right home. Be sure to keep your radar up for those who aren’t serious, are hesitant to take action or who insist on low-balling every offer.
  5. Referral Partners – Who sends you the majority of your referrals? A lunch date or meeting for coffee with these individuals is always wise… to show your appreciation, strengthen your relationship and keep them up-to-date on current happenings.
  6. Coffee Meetings with Past Clients – Think of all the people you worked with between two and five years ago. These are people who have built some equity and are prime candidates for another move. Treating them to a cup of coffee at your local Starbucks can go a long way toward re-establishing yourself as their go-to agent… and you might just discover that they’re thinking about making a move, long before they actually signal their intent. Even if they have no desire to move, a quick meeting like this shows you really care about them and provides fantastic referral opportunities.

Now here’s an important question for you: With these six definitions clear in your head, how many appointments can you conduct each month?

To bring more intentionality and accountability to your Hours of Power, download and print this worksheet we created for you. Use a new sheet for each Hour of Power you conduct. Click on the image to access the full-resolution version.