Getting a Commitment from the Commitment-Phobic Maybe you've run across one, maybe you are one, or maybe you have some of their tendencies: the Commitment-Phobe. The person who hesitates before responding to invites, doesn't like to be 'tied down', avoids giving email addresses or phone numbers, thinks through possible scenarios before entering into a new activity, may regularly talk to lots of people yet only have ten friends listed on Facebook. Sound familiar? Did faces spring to mind? Are you thinking "guilty!"? Being a Commitment-Phobe isn't a bad thing. Everyone likely has some of these tendencies, and they usually surface themselves during online searches. Think of the last time you were online and the website asked for your name and email address. Did you fill in that form or did you prefer to remain anonymous? Anonymous? Welcome to the Club! 
Hi, my name is Tanya, and I'm a Commitment-Phobe.
When faced with a pressing commitment to enter in personal information online, I click the "back" button. When asked for my email address, I "x" out of the website. When forced to go through a series of pages and complex searches for the information desired, I go back to Google. I am not a 'good' online visitor...but I am not alone. In a society where the Internet is the gateway to a myriad of information, it is becoming increasingly easier to become Commitment-Phobic.
Remember a time where if you wanted to look up particular information you had to either go to a library or talk to someone who was an 'expert' on the topic? It may have taken hours to find the specific information you desired, if you found the answer at all. You had to commit not only time and resources to the task, but also have a genuine willingness to announce that you were looking for that data. Now, though, fire up your computer and you have access to websites from around the world, with endless bits of information on that topic, all within seconds. When was the last time you went to the library or asked someone about a particular topic? In this digital age, Google has become my best friend. It completes me. Don't like the information you found? Search again. Didn't find what you wanted? Search again. Don't want to enter in that personal information to obtain the answers? Search again. You'll find another site willing to provide the answers and ask for nothing in return. Ah, the Commitment-Phobe's dream.
Hopefully you have the following questions burning inside your head: "Considering that I have a Point2 Agent website, not only how do I attract those Commitment-Phobes, but how do I get them to commit?". Considering that the Commitment-Phobe Club's mandate is to never give you their personal information or make a commitment to you, this can definitely be a daunting task. There are ways, though, to simultaneously satisfy and entice members of the Club.
- Provide No-Commitment Information
As selfish as it sounds, online Commitment-Phobes want something for nothing. They want the information they are searching for, and they desire access to it without having to provide their life story to obtain it. Registration forms make them bolt. Even the promise of hand-delivering cash money will not entice them to put their address into that little box. Any form of commitment, or anything that seems like a commitment, will make them skittish. Considering that people going online to search for real estate is looking for listings, consider providing this information, or an easy path to it, immediately on your site. Studies show that people will quickly leave websites where they cannot find pertinent information within seconds. Look at your site. If you can't find either the listings or access to them within three seconds, adjustments may help you decrease your bounce rate and keep those visitors on your website.
- Provide Enough Information to be Informative and Entice
There are definitely real estate professionals who have registration forms on their websites who see success with their forms and the completion of personal information. How does this make sense? When it comes to websites, content is king. Providing the essential information that online visitors are looking for, getting them interested, and then asking for registration can sometimes work. This will, of course, depend on the level of Commitment-Phobe that is viewing your site. Personally, I don't fill out registration forms, and there are a lot of Agents who agree and never have them on their site. Other Commitment-Phobes are willing to enter in their personal information, provided that they will receive more of the relevant and specific information that they have already seen on your website.
- Provide Additional Relevant Information
Ever been to a grocery store with the intent to buy milk, only to find yourself walking out with three other items? The reason: strategic marketing and placement. In the case of stores, it is often sales and pricing too. With websites, though, providing additional information that is relevant to the initial search can increase the chance of the online visitor will stay on your website longer than they initially anticipated. A Commitment-Phobe who becomes increasingly comfortable in viewing your site and building a 'relationship' with that information, and in the process, you, will start to relax and realize that providing some information won't mean you'll be sitting on their doorstep the next time they come home. What types of 'additional relevant information' will be enticing? Check out www.VegasHomesGuide.com . Doris does a great job of not only providing real estate in the Las Vegas area, but also maps, neighborhood information, a link to school district information, jobs, and senior living complexes. Buyers and sellers can find almost everything they need all on one site, making it enticing for them to consider her site 'their' site for beneficial and relevant information.
 Commitment-Phobes are hesitant to provide information, which can mean it is incredibly difficult to attract these Buyers and Sellers. Once you have them, though, they will likely be one of the strongest leads and clients you will experience. They carefully and extensively think through their decisions, weighing their options and the information they have collected, prior to taking action. You'll find that by the time members of the Club contact you (or you respond to our emails), that we are further down the sales funnel than others who put their names into every online form. Therein lies the challenge, but applying the strategies discussed earlier can help you gain access to us Commitment-Phobes, and in doing so, give us a better feeling about commiting to you...but only when we're ready!
- Tanya Spilchak, Education Coordinator |