How to Acquire and Keep Clients for Life with Richard Weylman

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Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE:
Welcome back. And thanks for listening to the Team Lally Real Estate show home and guaranteed sold program. We’ll buy it. I’m Adrienne.

ATTILIO:
and I’m Hawaiian. You’re Attilio and Attilio.

ADRIENNE:
You have any questions you can reach us at 7999596 or check us out online at Teamlally.com. Well,

ATTILIO:
do we have our guests here on the line? I think we do. So I think you can read that.

ADRIENNE:
Okay, so today’s guest is a globally recognized expert who delivers practical, practical, proven ways to acquire and keep clients. He is a

ATTILIO:
keynote speaker who always has a clear voice when he’s on the radio. He has earned himself a spot in the Hall of Fame. He is also the author of two international best sellers. Please welcome today’s guests Richard Weylman actually want

ADRIENNE:
to say welcome back because he has been on our show before Michael Baldwin on Saturday Night Live. He’s a repeat guest and we are so excited to have him back.

ATTILIO:
Welcome back.

RICHARD:
It’s great to be here live and in living color. Adrienne, Attilio, thank you so much for this invitation. It’s a blessing to hear your voices. Thank you. Sure.

ATTILIO:
Welcome, Adrienne, you got it. Let’s let’s we’re gonna hit him high, hit him low get him in the first question.

ADRIENNE:
Well, okay. So Richard, we know that, you know, we had you on the show, and we talked about your first book. And I know you’ve recently just finished up this other book. And we’re all very excited. Yeah. On, on this, this new and reinvigorated story. Yes. So let’s, let’s start with that.

RICHARD:

Okay, well, thank you. The Yes. One of the areas that have focused a great deal of my time on is trying to understand what motivates people to do business with a firm and to continue to do business. So we do a great deal of research, and I’m blessed. I’ve got a great team, we research we don’t just send out Survey Monkey, we actually talk to people and ask them, Why did you choose this individual? Why did you leave that company? What motivated you to do business with these particular folks? Why aren’t you going back to this restaurant for a second time? All those types of questions. And what we really uncovered is that people really are motivated and shall we say, are really looking for a sense of relationship with the people with whom they do business, I think we all know, relationships drive revenue, we knows what kind of business you’re in. So this next book that will be out on March 12, is the title of it is 100 Proven Ways to Acquire and Keep Clients for Life and can take more client up, but the word customer and I used to work because a lot of people speak in that particular language of client, it’s his actions are focused on relationships. So

ADRIENNE:

these are, these are actionable steps that different businesses can take to just hold on to that clientele. Exactly.

RICHARD:

And to acquire business. I think we all know, quite clearly, people love to talk about their experience. If you go to a restaurant. If you do business with Team Lally that’s a great experience. I know I got my household. I’m going to tell somebody when they get ready to sell their house. Guess what you want to call tomorrow because they absolutely got me what I wanted. Done Right. So but on the other hand, people also leave we now go with the research we did with Reuters that one in three clients or customers using will give a brand new company leave up the advisor libo real estate Leave it there dentist after just one bad experience. Wow. That’s the challenge. And the reason is because people have so many options. I mean, we all know that lots of ways and their money. Yep. So we work with Zendesk and what we uncovered. And that’s what got me going on this book is that 87% of people that were polled, that was 1000 people by Zendesk that, that good and bad experiences can share with others, and they become linked to a company or a person and their brand. So that tells us at ease 7% of people like to talk about their experience. It’s a bad one or a good one. Yeah.

ADRIENNE:

Richard, we’ve, we’ve seen that. I think like in general, people are more quick to do a review, like on Yelp or Google when they’ve had a bad experience versus a great experience. It’s been your negative,

ATTILIO:
the the message of a negative message we’ll make it is faster than the fastest human being, because it’ll make it all the way around the world before you even tie your shoelaces.

RICHARD:
Have you found that in your studies? Absolutely. And that, again, is another reason I wrote 100 Proven Ways, because what we did is we talked to people, you had a bad experience, how was it resolved? Oh, yeah, now you’re sharing the experience about perhaps an issue that you had with a firm or an individual or a company, there’s a case by people but you’re absolutely right. 87% of people shared good and that others and it becomes linked. So all the more reasons. So that’s when I talk about 100 Proven Ways, these are really what to do followed immediately. I wrote them as number one, number two, number three. And I did it in a way that this is what to do. This is why it’s important and how it resonates with people. And by the way, here’s exactly how to implement this into your business. Now,

ADRIENNE:

these seems like some very helpful topics that, you know, maybe you would be teaching on. I know that you’ve talked to some of our our team events in the past, and we are looking forward to having you come speak to our team here in the next several weeks. On this topic. Yeah. Thank

RICHARDl

you. Thank you. Yeah, it’s just it’s just to give you a couple of things to think about how would that be just

ATTILIO:
Yeah. Give us some nuggets? Yes. The curtain a little bit.

RICHARD:
Yeah. What got me going is when we started talking to people, you know, or research based consulting firm, as I mentioned, I speak and I would ask people, why do you do this? When you have great experience? Why do you continue? And people said, well, I like to have more emotional chemistry with a company. I have a stronger relationship with that financial advisor. I really set want to send my doctor more business because she did a great job for me. And really, I’m just an advocate for these people. And I want everybody in my network to know about them. Yeah. Well, when I started hearing down, I’m like, Okay, there’s some fundamentals here. And some things that can be done that could be a game changer. So I began to craft those and talk about a couple examples. We asked people how do you like your when somebody sent you an email? What’s important to you? And there’s so many people said, I wish they had my preferred name. My name is David, but I like Dave are My name is Samuel. I want to be called Samuel. I had an actor say my you know, I’m Dr. Donna Wilson, but don’t call me done. I earned the doctor. When it’s okay to call me Donna. I have a friend of mine in Atlanta. Her name is Elizabeth. She gets crazy when somebody calls her Elizabeth because she goes by lolly. That was her nickname that her grandfather gave her because she liked lollipops. Oh, wow. So but how many of us have gotten communication dear client or you know, my first name is Charles at sea. Richard, I get lots of email dear see, what that tells me is that’s not personalized. So I just got it when I talked to T. Boone Pickens before he passed away. He said, Richard, I never went by T. And I got all kinds of people that sent me email, your tea. It’s the same when you sign your emails, if you sign your emails, people all the time sign it best. Well, we, you know, I actually asked people in our intern calls we would ask them How do you feel about these particular shall we say ways that emails or letters are closed? Sincerely yours? Yeah, way too institutional. That would be something that I would expect from some institution. Nothing personal there. How do you feel about best I will tell you people I can’t repeat on the air what some people said over the phone. They just feel like best what? That’s to you. I mean, people get snarky Yeah, so like okay, well, what would you like it well, like for regard they’re kind regards. Are kind disregard. Why can’t they speak this? Since a great point now, why don’t they speak with us instead of at us? And we ask this to be one more than that we can move on. But as another example, I get this all the time I get emails, you know, feel free to call or reach out. But why would we say that we say feel welcome to call or reach out, we pulled it 71 basis points higher feel welcome to call or reach out. People felt like it was okay to call, feel free to call or reach out was a throwaway line. Yeah, well, point. And again, we want to connect with these. So we say customers, clients prospects in a way that says we care about you, we personalize we humanize we engage. Yeah, thank you.

ATTILIO: 
I was thinking back to T. Boone Pickens, you know, when they put Mr. In the front of that it might have gone to the guy from the 18 tells Mr. T, but the, ya know, everybody, I mean, the on personalized stuff. We go through the exercise every day when we’re opening our mail. And where do we open our mail over the garbage can. And if you got about a half a second to grab my attention. So with a name like Attilio, I know exactly what you mean. Because I know a lot of people that have met me and don’t know me, they Personalize My name by misspelling in all kinds of different ways. And then the other way is I know when someone they know my name, and they met me, but they’re not sure how to pronounce it. So my other nickname is Hey, buddy.

ATTILIO:

Hey, ready? But yeah, and then it kind of like in the back of my head. I’m like, yeah, let it go. But it is like not like, it creates what we call it. We have this other matrix that we use to to create acting connection. Yeah, so we call that called Creating disconnection. When a connection killer or Yeah, well, so we call it a connection killer. So you’re talking about connection builders, to avoid connection killing. Why? So let’s talk about the elevated experience. And that’s just that’s not just for the oddest elevator repair people. Were talking about what the what does that mean? An elevated experience? And why is it important?

RICHARD:
Because you know, most people think, well, I give good service. Well, good services, a minimum expectation today. Yeah, I mean, it’s gonna McDonald’s personnel fries, I think are $3. But you spent $3 For fries and their quote, I mean, they will replace them at no additional cost. We were grateful. So we in all of our work, I’ve asked people what has been elevated experience. And what we’ve really uncovered, is it’s a perception. It’s based upon how people feel and how they interpret the sum of all the interactions with you and your team or your staff, how you interact with one another in internet with them. So it’s a really a perception, which of course, makes it even harder, because we have to realize everybody’s perceptions a little different. Yes. So we say, Okay, we need to put in a baseline here on the interaction with people that’s personalized. humanize, gracious, there are four things people are looking for. They’re looking for someone that’s kind, gracious, caring, and empathetic. And that should be the base of your culture of your all your communications, that you want to be the kind of people you want to be caring, and you want to demonstrate empathy for them. And when you do that, the perception is you’re on their side. Now I say they’re the client or prospect or customer side of the table. So they feel like you’re working with them to resolve or to solve, as opposed to something that is more about you and less about them is a

ADRIENNE:

collaborative and a team approach by using those those skill sets. Yeah.

RICHARD:

It’s like empathy. You know, people have a hard time with empathy, particularly when they’re asking questions. But what I realized is as a writer and which I don’t wish on anybody, it’s an affliction. But I will come from the night because I’ve been really struggling with this with people people say, How can I be more empathetic? And yes, them all kinds of psychological stuff. But I woke up in the night is that it’s the predicate the predicates, what’s the problem? It’s not empathy. It’s the predicate. To give me an example, if you don’t mind me ask you how much money do you guys make? As soon as I said, if you don’t mind me asking. I’m gonna say now. Okay, if you don’t mind me asking how much money you want to spend on a house. Oh my god. You don’t mind me asking how much money you got in my bank? Yeah. Who is proud when you use that is a predicate which is normal. You think what you’re really doing is different to them. But what you’re doing is putting them on guard. If I flip that around and put the predicate on the back illustration, you know, how much money do One of the best in the house if you don’t mind me asking.

ADRIENNE:

Yeah, it’s a completely different tone. And you’re coming at them in a different way. Yeah.

RICHARD:

All right, I ran focus groups by flipping the predicates, and 80% of the people push the button empathy, empathy. Empathy is the same question. We just flipped the predicate.

ATTILIO:
Okay, let me try that out. Okay. So instead of saying, if you don’t mind me asking, Why are you so rude? Okay, let me flip it around. You know, you really rude. Why are you so rude? If you don’t mind me? Like that. And either way that no, that’s like a really harsh question. So front or back in it ain’t gonna help. But

ADRIENNE:
in a script that would be like relevant in the real estate world. Yeah.

ATTILIO:
Where are you coming in with practice? Professional question. But I want to circle back though, to the four things you talked about kind, graciousness, caring, empathy. Can you explain the difference between being kind and being gracious? Well,

RICHARD:
sure. Another word says, if you think about the word kind is just as it’s a mindset that you’re always going to do something on the other person’s behalf. You’re going to be thoughtful and considerate. Yes. So as an example, if you see somebody struggling coming out of blows with their card, you can be gracious and stop. So oh, you go first, ma’am. You go for? Or you can say, let me get that for you. Well, if I take the card and wheel it out to your car, can say yes, you’re so kind. If I let you push through the door, that’s been gracious. But on the other hand, if I now let you go first, but more importantly, I hope you get through the door and out to your car. That’s kindness demonstrated. Another thing is to say, you know, well, I’m very gracious I give to the food bank. That’s great. What kind people never work at the food bank.

ATTILIO:
Yes. That’s a great example. Yeah, I think it was the Dalai Lama, who said, If given the choice between being right, and being kind, choose kindness. Because I think that I think people get so fired up on being right, that they win the debate or the conversation, but then the person is like, I never want to do business with you.

RICHARD:
That’s exactly right. I mean, so that that’s a book don’t get me started.

ADRIENNE:

Yeah, for a while. For

RICHARD:

a while. Anyway, I always say that. And then the good Lord puts one of my head and gets me nuts. But anyhow. But you’re exactly right. And therein lies the issue that people just like, if somebody doesn’t buy, you know, either in a panel buy a house from you. Or let’s say you want to buy a house for me? Well, I’ll give you a better example. I spoke to slice January for a group in St. Charles, Illinois. They’ve invited me to come back this next year, too. But five years ago, they reached out for me to speak and went back and forth and they didn’t work out. So I sent them a thank you note. I just said thank you. I’m disappointed. We’re unable to do business. Now. That’s not sorry, of your point. We’re unable to just I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and your team in the future. Always be Always welcome that feel free welcome to reach out. Now the reason this was important is because five years goes by he asked me to come in and speak this year for his group. But when he got up on stage, you certainly tell you while Richard Wellman’s here, yeah. And he held up that notecard.

ADRIENNE:

Because you know what the words that we use matter,

ATTILIO:
well, and you and you left the door open. I tell you, and you remind me when you’re saying that you’re describing to me what my life belief is, is, you know, how you are when things are going well, is not really who you are, how you who you are, when things aren’t going well. That’s who you are. That’s really shows me who you are. And so, everybody that applies for the team, I take them camping on the highest mountain, and I purposely run out of food and make sure that it’s rainy and muddy. No, I don’t do to go through all that. But Gary Keller, interesting story. Gary Keller, 20th wealthiest guy in the world. He’s the owner or the CEO of Keller Williams. When he was looking for people to get into business. He would they would come fly into Austin, Texas. And he would take them to a restaurant and he would give instructions to the waiter to screw up their order. And the people that be rated and flipped out on the on the service staff. He would finish the lunch you would be polite, but he would not get into business with them.

RICHARD:
There you go. What a great story. Yeah, no, I totally totally get it. I think it’s wonderful. Because it to your point, it’s who you are, when nobody’s around or who you are, when things are going well. Those of us that are, shall we say define how you’re going to interact with people.

ATTILIO:
You Yeah, I think our greatest agent and I, they’re our greatest learning opportunities. We’re not perfect, we’re not for everybody. And it’s okay. And that’s okay. And so when we’re going up against competing for business with other agents, there are some times where they decide to go with another realtor. And I always circle back and just say, hey, feedback is a gift. We’re always looking for ways to improve. I’m not trying to trick you into going with us. I just want to know if there’s any blind spots, or opportunities for growth that we have, that you could be so gracious to share with us, I will not take it personally, please, please, please share with us the feedback on why you decided to not go with us. And and and what did the other agent do that knocked it out of the park? Because we want to learn?

RICHARD:
So brilliant. It’s right on it right under what else can I do for you today? Yeah, you know, and I’ll give you a secondary point you might think about too, for anybody is, if you’re an air conditioning business, and you do the reply, and a great repair for this company, and these couple, and then you can say, put something on Yelp. But wouldn’t it be better if I picked up the phone and I call that couple and said, You know, I really appreciate the fact we did business? What else could we have done to elevate

ATTILIO:
the experience I had with us? That’s a nice, great

RICHARD:
nugget to make people say, well, it was really good. But you know, if it was me, and you get these now, obviously, they’re an adult, but what it is, is inside the, shall we say the buyers perspective, whether whenever your type of business, so, you know, that’s what else could we do to elevate your experience with me and the team? And of course, in the real estate business, that would be very useful as well. Because it gives you great insight into the individual. Yeah,

ATTILIO: 
like our president will go out and check on those situations and find out what we can do better. And what I find is that the quality control quality control, here’s what I find, is that a lot of business people that I talked to about something like that are afraid that the client is going to ask for the moon, the stars and everything above. But I wouldn’t say most of the time. It’s something small or tiny, that little tweak a little tweak that little tweak. Yeah, because everybody’s afraid to be like we did terrible and what we got to get better at what? No, you got to be open to it. Yeah,

RICHARD: 
exactly. Right. You can’t get better if you don’t get input. And I read about this and 100 proven ways to acquire and keep clients for life specific, that you get that feedback, but don’t comment, say, well, we couldn’t do anything. I can tell you that right now. Miss Murphy, we what you need to do is take the information make it happen. I’ve got a guy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been a massive business. And he’s in clients that very point. He had a lot of individuals that he met with during the winter that were either widows or elderly, and couples and they didn’t like driving in the winter. They hated the snow. So what did he do? He held the car service company. And this was even with Uber, he said, I don’t want to use Uber, I’m gonna send a car for him. Voted because they start telling their friends about oh, no, no, no, no, Greg doesn’t said Uber. Yeah, he’s got a car service and this guy comes and picks up but that’s up in a Cadillac SUV four wheel drive and takes us to the office. Well, game changer in perception, but it would have never happened heading that start asking the question. What else can we do to elevate the experience? Or is there anything else we can do? To your point? And

ATTILIO: 
I know that did a follow up survey with this client. These clients are so dedicated to this guy. They actually had the company logo tattooed on their shoulders, their clients for life, their clients for life.

ADRIENNE:
That’s right. Yeah. So

RICHARD:

I would say that’s right. Clients for life. One other suggestion in Sarasota, Florida. I have a home there as you know, and because I travel a lot over the world speaking so having a home here and having a home there. I’m kind of bipolar in the sense of going around the world or by global I guess, to work but there’s a little company there. There’s no longer little they now I think are not in locations. But I can tell you on August 4, five years ago, I bought my first donut there. And the reason I did is because it’s right next to least agents a little tiny donut shop. Yeah, very Hawaii and name and its name of it is five oh donut company. And there and there, shall we say value promised is arrestingly good donuts.

ATTILIO:
Do they have a book on Donald Dona?

RICHARD:
Like Gannett? Right, exactly. Anyhow, I wouldn’t have been a donut August 4, this will be six years coming up now in 24. And the reason I know that because every August 4, I get a text from them. Yes. Congratulations for being a loyal customer $5 off your next order. Guy, but that’s a big deal, but it blows my mind that I caught I get my aircon. Now my air guy here in Hawaii is really good. Yeah, I get an anniversary card from him. But people make investments they go to the bank, they buy real estate, they have all types of things. They do interactions with companies, and they never hear from them again, what a great time to remind me of congratulations, another successful year as a client of ours at Teamlally. Come get your pie. Whatever. But those people remember. Yeah. So your point about how do you make it continue? And because remember, as we said earlier, it’s relationships that derive revenue. Always had always well, there’s lots of choices out there to commoditize world. So people are going to have an experience. You You’re the ones as a business owner, sales, professional marketing, Assistant receptionists, you’re gonna want to decide what that experience is gonna be.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, we call it the director of first impressions. But, Adrian, you got last question. I

ADRIENNE:
was just gonna say, Richard, we are going to be wrapping up the show. So if there’s any last and final thoughts you want to share with our listeners, Now’s the chance to do it. No,

ATTILIO: 
forever hold your peace,

RICHARD:
your peace as they say? Well, first thing first, thank you both very much. It’s such a blessing to kind of hear your voices and be together again, if you’re interested, you can go Amazon, you have to type in the title because they haven’t even got the cover finished yet. But for the book beds, you can just go to Amazon and type in 100 Proven Ways to Acquire and it’ll pop right up, you’ll see my other books there too. But you can order their shipping in March the 12th. And I know that you will, it’ll be an opportunity for you to get the first edition of the book. The most important thing though, in all of this is my I think my Angelou is perhaps she famously and accurately has been given credit for saying you have learned that people will forget what you said they’ll forget what you did. They never ever forget how you made them feel exactly where people are today. You know, this pandemic made people realize that the relationships they have with providers, professionals, who with their own families, is the key to a fulfilling life. And they want to work with people that they feel really are personalizing humanizing their time. They’re caring. They’re gracious, and they’re empathetic. That’s what people are looking for, for providers today, regardless of what business or profession you’re in. Thank you both very much.

ADRIENNE: 
Thank you. Thank you, Richard, and all of our listeners go to Amazon and type the book right now. 100 Proven Ways to Acquire and Keep Clients for Life.

ATTILIO: 
Thank you, Richard.

RICHARD: 
Thank you, Richard, we appreciate you.

RICHARD:

I appreciate you all very much. God bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank

ADRIENNE: 
you. Aloha. Aloha. All right. So again, Richard Weylman. He’s an amazing speaker, trainer, author. Order his books.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, you can levitate off the ground at least one foot. He’s so awesome. Yes. I don’t know if that last part is true. 

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