As a second generation agent, Jess Lenouvel now helps realtors go from six to seven figures, by creating relationships that scale.
In this Over a Pint episode, Andrew and Jess talk about why it’s important to be a prolific content creator, which three content buckets to focus on, they remind us all that a Facebook boost is NOT a Facebook ad, and they discuss why Clubhouse should maybe just be a spice in your cupboard for now, and not a place to hang out in for hours.
“Whenever there is a new platform, the first question that people need to ask themselves is, ‘Who is my ideal client and how can I grow an audience of those people?'”
There are so many gems to be gleaned from this episode! Play the video above and get out your favourite pen because you’ll be jotting these down.
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us on Facebook and Instagram.
“Images help build relationships. You need to have a balance between being a superhero and being relatable.”
For this Over A Pint, Andrew heads outside of the real estate industry and sits down with John DeMato, a branded lifestyle, portrait photographer and virtual photographer. John works with speakers, trainers, experts of all different kinds, and business owners looking to create an emotional connection with their audience through “persuasive visual storytelling.”
John talks about creating a balance between content that positions the client as the authority in the space of their expertise. A combination of powerful images, whether in person or online, and mixing that with a look behind-the-scenes. Showing your day-to-day and process into becoming that industry authority.
When the pandemic hit, John quickly pivoted to virtual photography while he was sick with the virus.
Below, Andrew and John discuss photography during COVID, John’s professional journey up to now, and more.
How did you develop the idea to start doing virtual photography, and how did you execute it so quickly?
The idea came to me while I was sick with COVID and feeling terrible. I watched a national speaker association event for the New York City chapter online, which I’m a photography sponsor for. It was during that event that I thought I could feel useful again and do something. So I grabbed my camera, and while I’m slumped in the chair, I started snapping away. Pleasantly surprised at how the images turned out, I shot the rest of the two-hour program and posted about it on social the following day, tagging all speakers and participants. The responses were so positive that I knew I was on to something! But mainly, I was just happy to feel useful and more like myself again.
How did you develop your specific niche and messaging as a photographer?
So, once upon a time, I worked in the television industry, and I was ready to jump out of a window from the monotony of doing the same thing for nine years. I didn’t know what I was doing with my career, and I didn’t want to own a business, but I ultimately concluded that I wasn’t doing something that was lighting me up inside and fulfilling me creatively.
I started my venture as a headshot photographer, but again it didn’t satisfy me creatively. So I started searching for other options, and I found every photographer that inspired me and tried to emulate them. However, I had no clients, to begin with, except for one. My one client was someone I met about four years ago. She met me at an event that I was photographing and hired me to take some photos to promote her book. During that conversation and during that shoot, I realized I could package this idea and gear it towards experts who have a lot of intellectual property that needs to be promoted.
Over these past four years, various iterations and refinements have happened to my business, mainly how I create the experience for my clients and maximize the value of a session.
Watch the video above to find out more!
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Want to connect with John? Visit his website here.
You can also catch this episode on Youtube or listen to the podcast here!
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us on Facebook and Instagram.
“If you want your employees to deliver remarkable experiences, you have to expose them to what a remarkable experience looks like.”
In this episode of Over a Pint, Andrew sits down with Joey Coleman, author of Never Lose a Customer Again, to discuss client relationships and elite customer service.
Starting as a Criminal Defence Lawyer, Joey gained an in-depth understanding of why humans do what they do and how we can influence them to do what we’d like them to do.
Joey then went on to be a business consultant, teaching students at the postgraduate level, running a promotional products company and an ad agency, and being a full-time speaker, writer and consultant on all things customer and employee experience.
Joey has an innate interest in human beings and the experiences that we create for people, whether that’s in a courtroom, pitching an ad or selling a home, the experiences that we create dramatically influence how people feel about us, how they think about us and how they talk about us. Using these factors, Joey has pieced together his experience and interactions over the years in a variety of different careers to create a formula and methodology for creating remarkable experiences that keep your customers coming back for more.
Does automation take away from the customer experience?
Automaton is not bad or good. From a business owner’s point of view, or from a salesperson point of view or a real estate agent point of view, there are some real benefits to automation. It allows you to serve more people in a shorter amount of time or at the same time. The problem is when automation does two things, it diminishes personalization or eliminates personalization. When automation is not done transparently, you can make your customer or your prospect or your lead feel less than personally connected to you, which will have a long-term detrimental effect on your business, on your operations, on your goals, on whatever you’re trying to accomplish.
If we use automation to increase our response time, I think automation can be incredibly useful. In terms of transparency, a chatbot should immediately identify itself as a chatbot and a robot, so there’s no illusion of what’s happening, and the customer can accurately manage their expectations. It’s also essential to have a human checking in on conversations and responding before the individual escalates out of it.
Combining automation with personalization is the key!
How much personality and fun can you include on your website? Where is the balance between fun and business?
The research shows that websites with a personal spirit, a personal voice, convert exponentially better than those who are “professional.” Your website should become a character of yourself and accurately capture your spirit. Also, your team should have a bio page on the website that includes their photo and a description of what they do professionally as well as some highlights of what they do personally.
Sharing this type of information allows the viewer to make a personal and emotional connection to your business. The more personal information we share with our prospects and with our customers, the more connection we’ll be able to create.
What are the biggest mistakes businesses make when it comes to customer service?
Saying that they care about customer experience and customer service, but none of their company structures are indicative of that care.
Putting too much emphasis on gaining new customers and not allocating any money to create remarkable experiences for current customers.
How to get your team in the mind-set to provide excellent service
Well, if your team doesn’t know what excellent service looks like, they won’t be able to provide it.
The biggest problem with getting employees to deliver remarkable customer experiences is twofold. Number one, they’ve never had a remarkable customer experience. Number two, the experience they’re having as an employee of that organization is anything but remarkable. If you want your employees to take care of your customers, you have to take care of your employees. If you want your employees to deliver remarkable experiences, you have to expose them to what a remarkable experience looks like. It’s that simple, but it’s not easy.
Should you brand gifts you sent to clients?
If the item has your logo on it, it’s not a gift. It’s a promotional product. It’s a marketing tool. I’m not against promotional products. I’m not against marketing tools, but let’s stop diluting ourselves to think that it’s a gift.
Instead, I like the idea of giving a present that is so thoughtful. That is so carefully conceived that it lets the recipient know that you were paying attention. Even when they thought you weren’t paying attention, you’ve observed something. You’ve investigated something. You’ve paid attention to know that something would really move the dial.
How to know if you’re sending too much information or over-communicating with a client
So many entrepreneurs, in my experience, flood their new customers with information. Recently working with a coaching client, we found that in the first 30 days, they sent 78 pieces of content, and their target market felt overwhelmed.
It’s important to look at the communications you’re having and give your audience time to breathe between communications.
What’s the difference between client reviews and feedback?
Reviews and feedback are two separate, yet similar things. Often, businesses confuse whether it’s more important to go after the review or go after the feedback. I would say it’s first and foremost important to go after the feedback because the feedback is a real-time evaluator on how you’re doing on delivering a great experience to your customers.
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Joey’s book is called ‘Never Lose a Customer Again,’ and it’s available in hardcover and as an e-book. Joey also has a podcast where he discusses all things customer relationships and experience.
You can also visit joeycoleman.com to connect with Joey or download a free starter kit to show you how to implement remarkable experiences in your business.
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us on Facebook and Instagram.
