One thing is for certain today, people like convenience. People love the advancements in technology that allow them to do their shopping from their living room, and run through the drive thru to pick up dinner. It makes things easier for many people, and of course there is our favorite thing, convenience.
But real estate is and always has been a people business. In the end it is people that you are here to help. People buy homes and sell houses and it's their best interests that you are here to protect. And since you are in a people business, and it's people that you represent, then in the end you have to be around people. Every time you interact with people, it creates an opportunity to get to know someone and a chance that they or someone that they know may need the services that you provide.
I know how nice it can be to pull into the gas station, pull out the old debt card, and pay at the pump. Then jump back in your car, drive away, and go on about your life. But when you do this, you don't interact with people. You don't walk in, talk to the cashier, or anyone else who may be waiting in line as well. Like I said, you never know who will need your help or where you will meet them.
The same can be said for anything else that has a drive thru. I know what a hassle it can be to get out of your nice comfortable car to walk into a place, but there are benefits to doing such a thing. First and foremost is your opportunity to interact and engage other humans. And even if you don't meet your next client, you benefit from a few extra steps in your day and burning a few extra calories. So since you represent people, try taking every chance to put yourself in front of people.
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JL Boney, III - Columbia, SC Realtor - Russell and Jeffcoat Real Estate
I specialize in Columbia, SC real estate and the surrounding areas, including Blythewood, SC, Kershaw County, Fairfield County, and Lexington, SC. If you are in the market to buy or sell a home in Columbia, SC or any of the surrounding areas, I would love the opportunity to speak with to see how I can help. Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me if I can be of service to you.
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Everything has a drive thru in todays world.
JL, how true.
As an agent, I am guilty of relying on technology all too often and not getting out there meeting the numbers.
JL - Technology is mandatory. But nose to nose and toes to toes are how my clients are handled.
JL...I rarely will pay at the pump or use any drive thru. You never know when you meet your next sale! Rarely happens sitting in the car!
Some good points here - maybe I'll re-think a few of my drive throughs, thanks.
JL...
This is so true ... we are in a people business after all! Congrats on the feature.
OK, JL, good point. I need gas tomorrow so I will go inside to pay. And maybe talk to someone else at the pump about the impending snow storm we having coming and how it affects the local real estate market. :-)
How often do I use a drive though? Every single day, some times more than once.
While I agree that face to face is the best, I know my clients love the fact that they can have everything at their fingertips, upon demand so to speak.
Great post and congrats on the feature. I have to sometimes stop and think to go into the bank instead of the drive thru.
JL,
I couldn't agree more! I go to Walgreens because I can drive-thru 24 hours a day. But ...... as you point out, we need to be out with the people! I do like to give the clerk at the window my business card and have a chat. I recently went into AT&T to have my phone looked at and ended up selling the guy who helped me a house! Thanks for reminding us to get out with the people everyday! You may be too young for this, but we also used to go the loan application with our buyers and actually hand deliver our offers to the listing agent! I have decided I liked that way better, and am going to start doing it again when possible! Happy serving and selling in 2010!
I could not agree more.
I could not agree more.
Lets hope that they dont come up with drive through hand gun shops or drive through cutlery stores.
I almost always park and go inside. I like to get out of my car and besides I can't eat and drive and check my email at the same time.
Amerititle used to have a drive thru. Back in the day, the builders used to use it all the time.
I like being in front of people. I'm not much for fast food, so I'm not big on drive thrus except for the occasionaly Starbuck's when I have my little one in the car.
JL- Great point! I am not big on fast food, but I am guilty of drive-thru banking or the pay online for anything I possibly can. Without fail, though, the times that I go inside a business to drop off a payment or do my banking, I asked about real estate. Thanks for the great reminder!
You make a great point. By going in you have more of an opportunity for someone tosee your name tag and the possiblity to strike up a conversation.
I don't use a drive through that often....I'm too busy thinking of how I can meet new people to see if they might need help buying or selling real estate. Great points, JL!
JL~ I'm with you on this one!! BUT I do like to use the drive-thru for In-N-Out Burger...their help is amazing and very courteous! :)
I'm too 'green' to use a drive through, and I drive a Prius! It's a waste of the earth's resources to idle while waiting in the drive-thru line.
We love drive throughs -- especially at banks.
Belly to Belly. I dont' use drive thrus much. I even get out of the car when I hit a Starbux that has drive thru. I'll have to think about why I do that. But point well taken get out and meet the people.
Wow! I have to say that probably isn't something I really thought about until now!!
Thanks!
I once tried to walk thru the drive thru at my bank and they said I had to be in a car.
I picked up a client at the bakery/deli I like to frequent for lunch. Good thing I go there often and they DON'T have a drive-thru. Great post!
I use drive through a couple times a week to eat and get gas two to three times a week. When I change my oil I drive in and sit and drive out.
I do wish they had a grocery store drive-thru for when I just need some milk! Great idea about myself in front of people more often!
Hi Jl ~ Glad to see some fellow drive-through holdouts in the comments. I rarely use them and I never pump my own gas except in emergencies. I don't bag my own groceries either - not my job - and people need jobs!
Liz
JL:
Here in Massachusetts where it is cold so many of us just want to stay in the a warm car to pick up prescriptions and do banking. But, it is a good point that we should get out and interact more with people.
I drive through to pick up whatever I can. Burrrrrrrrrr it is cold in Michigan and I hate to get out. But excellent point on engaging with people in a people business. Oh at the pharmacy I engage as I have to sign.
JL,
The real problem with a drive through, is that it's much slower. And, if there's a problem. you're in a real mess. Have you ever seen 20 cars trying to back up?
If you drop in the building to pick up a coffee, if there's a problem, you can leave, you're not trapped there for 40 minutes.
Brian
We use the drive through lots during baseball season but most of the time I walk in. I meet so many out and about.
Since McD offers that cafe line, I love to drive-thru and order a large black coffee. That's it. No burger and fries, thank you. Just a large black coffee. But, sometimes I can't help myself and get a bag of cookies or an ice cream cone. I mean, what the heck, it's a reward for getting rejected by for telling the truth to a seller, or, showing 15 houses to a tire kicker Buyer.
Just the other day I drove through the drive thru at my bank, dry cleaners, Chick-fil-a, utility company, and even the post office boxes. I realized that I ran all of my errands without leaving the car.
This reminds me of another post I just read about Re/Max opening up offices in Stop and Shop Supermarkets in Massachusetts.
JL,
Can't tell you how often I hand out a card or two in Dunkin Donuts! One owner used me to find his new home.
What the internet allows us to do is make it easier to connect with strangers. After that, our task is to make them friends.
OUCH! I've been busted. And for all the whining I have done about how hard it is to meet people.....thank you for the much-needed kick in the rear!!
I rarely use a drive-through because, believe it or not, it's often faster to park, get out of my car and go into the store to get what I want. Try going to Walgreens sometime. Those clerks are on the phone or helping in-store customers while the cars in the drive-through are backed up.
Alas, the truth hurts. Unfortunately I have yet to find any clients on my doorstep or jump into my car at a stop sign (or a drive thru). Time to get out there and meet my public!
JL, nice post. I guess it is a personal thing. I never ever go through a drive through. I always park and go in. Even when I get gas, 75% of the time I go in and get a bottle of water and talk to the attendant. It's just habit.
Thoughtful post. I think I will go in more often whether it is fast food, the bank or whereve! Although not a drivethrough, makes me remember one of my first sales in real estate came from the laundromat. Sunday afternoon, my washer broke down, I was NOT in the mood to talk to anyone while waiting for wash to finish as I was in the rattiest sweats, hair a mess, no makeup and in a foul mood! I was trying to watch TV and ignore everyone else when this young woman started talking to me about her brother selling her an old mobile home (I had my REALTOR pin on my sweatshirt). I was cursing myself for forgetting to take off the pin thinking that she was going to spin my wheels and never buy anything from me (she looked all of 15 - was early 20's). Well, I sold she and her husband a house shortly after. You never know!!!
Great Post. Sales is a contact sport, got to contact potential customers to be successful.
This is a good post. I think a lot of REALTORS don't take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.
my wife never understood why I always go inside the bank to make deposits until the teller bought a house from me.
Very true!! I have come across a lot of prospects while standing in lines. We all seem to get comfortable, sitting behind our computers, and we forget to interact. You'll gain more business if people really know who you are, not just your face and name.
JL - very true. Getting in front of people is what it is all about. You never know who you are going to meet.
Good post, JL. Get out of the car and meet people! It's good for our business and also helps burn a few extra calories. A true win, win.
Good points. I will need to put this into action. Thanks for the kick in the pants.
JL - great points here. I only use drive-throughs for gas, although we seem to have it for about everything you can imagine here in SoCal. You are so right - driving through the Internet and the social media and blogging world is important but cannot take the place of face-to-face interaction for most folks. We are seeing more and more stsuff being handled only through on-line, though.
This was a good analogy.
Jeff
Just like in everything else, it is important to take time and smell the roses, per se. Rushing through everything from a hamburger to a listing appointment is not the way to live life.
I totally agree with you on this post -- make daily connections, even if they are not directly related to getting new business. They will help you.
I never really thought about this. I have missed many opportunities rushing around and trying to move to the next thing. Sometimes you got to stop and smell the roses and i am one that needs to apply that. Maybe it will bring me more business.
JL,
I seldom use a drive through for anything. Talking to peopl allows me to hand out another card.
Great points! I do tend to do the drive-thru thing at the bank when it's single-digits co-o-old outside, but otherwise I usually park, walk, and interact with folks. It seems like such a simple thing but it's so easy to get so wrapped up in our own heads that sometimes the best thing we can do is make human contact. Not necessarily to generate sales, but to simply reconnect with the outside world.
Technology is great, but it can be pretty darn isolating. Great post and good "fast food" for thought!
Face Time. It is our job.
Evening JL, I remember the story of an agent who would do a drive through and leave a couple bucks and his card and ask the clerk to use the money to pay part of bill for the next person in line and to include his card .
JL, sometimes going INSIDE the restaurant the lines are SHORTER. Don't believe everything you think. Beer barn drive throughs are my favorite LOL.
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You can get married in Vegas at a drive up window by Elvis. Really! There are also drive up mortuaries where you can pay your respects to the departed one from the comfort of your car. Ugh
JL - Great post. Maybe I impressed on that fellow at the gas station that I was honest...by trudging back in??? My broker tells me to get out more, too...I make acquaintances quite easily. Thanks for the reminder...
I was shocked a few years ago when in New Orleans that has drive-thru daiquiri places!