I grew up with a lot of positive affirmations. One that resonates with me is, "Do something, even if it is wrong, but by god do something."
I haven't always realized how really powerful that statement is. My dad's point as he would share that with us was really about action. You can't solve a problem by complaining about it so you might as well do something about the problem because doing nothing is getting you nowhere.
When I first started my official mentoring relationship with Cheryl Womack, who if you don't know her off hand just Google her name and you will be impressed, she continuously asked me a similar question.
You see every two weeks Cheryl gave me two hours of her time to talk through the many challenges I was facing in our business. With each story she would ask me, "So Gina, what are you going to do about it?"
Between my dad and Cheryl I have come to the conclusion that sitting still doesn't work. So, as you ponder the current real estate market and as you find yourself tempted to sit in the office kitchen and participate in the morning gripe session - and you know what I'm talking about - remember these two quotes and change your actions...
Do something... even if it's wrong, but by god do something.
and
So, what are you going to do about?
Good luck and make it a great day!
Gina
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
The lesson I've learned is to be grateful...
This post may catch a few people off guard and I certainly don't want to offend anyone, but reality has a way of making you sit up and take notice.
My father died a few weeks ago, June 28, 2007. It was an event that was not unexpected, but it still rocks my world when I think that he is no longer there to give me the gentle encouragement that I was raised with.
What I want to share with you is a bit about how I'm getting through this life changing event. Essentually, I'm working, or trying to work. AND, for once I'm letting people help me. It sad that I had to wait until my father passed away that I realized I can show my vulnerability and people won't kick me in the teeth, but lend me hand and help me keep going.
What I've also learned through this experience is to be grateful. I am grateful to have had a father like Haver C. "Dan" Danner and a mother like Gertrude Danner. Dad's hands were huge and the only thing bigger was his and my mother's love for their family . I'm also grateful for the my brothers and my sister. My friends have been wonderful and supportive. I can't tell you how truly amazing the Mail Print staff has been. They are the best and if you are a client you already know that.
I'm also grateful for my clients. They have been understanding and supportive... THANK YOU.
Finally, I want to share with you that even though my father was just a month shy of 80 years old when he passed, life is short. Be sure to take time to be with those people that are important in your life and tell them how important they are.
My father died a few weeks ago, June 28, 2007. It was an event that was not unexpected, but it still rocks my world when I think that he is no longer there to give me the gentle encouragement that I was raised with.
What I want to share with you is a bit about how I'm getting through this life changing event. Essentually, I'm working, or trying to work. AND, for once I'm letting people help me. It sad that I had to wait until my father passed away that I realized I can show my vulnerability and people won't kick me in the teeth, but lend me hand and help me keep going.
What I've also learned through this experience is to be grateful. I am grateful to have had a father like Haver C. "Dan" Danner and a mother like Gertrude Danner. Dad's hands were huge and the only thing bigger was his and my mother's love for their family . I'm also grateful for the my brothers and my sister. My friends have been wonderful and supportive. I can't tell you how truly amazing the Mail Print staff has been. They are the best and if you are a client you already know that.
I'm also grateful for my clients. They have been understanding and supportive... THANK YOU.
Finally, I want to share with you that even though my father was just a month shy of 80 years old when he passed, life is short. Be sure to take time to be with those people that are important in your life and tell them how important they are.
Five Words to Remove From Your Vocabulary
In her ongoing Inman News series, Bernice Ross outlines five words that should never leave the mouth of a real estate agent.
"Eliminate the word "try"
The word "try" implies failure. For example, when you say, "I'll try to call you tomorrow," the client hears, "I'll call you tomorrow." What you meant to say is that you may call tomorrow, but you also might not call. If you don't call, you failed and the client is angry. When you negotiate, say exactly what you intend to do. Never reference what you will "try" to do. Also, when your clients use the word "try," pin them down. When a client says, "I'll try to get back to you sometime soon." Counter with, "Does that mean I will hear from you tomorrow?" If the answer is "No," then ask an additional question: "How about the day after tomorrow? Will I hear from you by then?"
Eliminate "can't"
Many people use the word "can't" as a catch-all word that has several different meanings. Specifically, "can't" may mean "I don't know how to do that" or "I don't want to do that," Thus, when a client says, "I can't see myself selling for such a low price," respond by saying, "Is it that you can't afford to (doesn't know how to) or that you really don't want to?" The key is to avoid arguing about the situation. Instead, asking a powerful question can help you become closer to your next sale.
Eliminate "but"
"But" is one of the most commonly used words in the English language, especially if two people disagree. As a result, "but" rears its head frequently in negotiations. In many cases, "but" precedes an objection. "We really like this house, but it's too close to the school," or "We know the market is slowing down, but we still want to list the property at a higher price." People use "but" to give the impression that there is agreement, when in truth, they actually disagree. The challenge with using "but" is that it negates everything that comes before it. When you are negotiating, listen for "but"; it will help you to identify what your clients dislike and cope more effectively with their objections. In terms of your own language, substitute the word "and" for the word "but" to provide a more positive result. For example, instead of saying, "I know I should prospect, but it's very difficult," say, "I know I have to prospect, and it's very difficult."
Eliminate "hope" and "if."
Both words are wishy-washy. Instead of saying, "I hope that we can find the perfect home for you," be positive by saying, "I know we can find the perfect home for you." Instead of saying, "If we get an offer," say, "When we get an offer." Clients prefer to work with agents who are positive, no matter how dreadful the market is. If you hear yourself using "hope" or "if," drop the wishy-washy approach and make a bold statement -- you know you can do it!
The most important word to avoid: "should"
Our society "shoulds" us to death. We should lose weight; we should prospect everyday; we should spend more time with our loved ones, etc. One of the most productive things you can do both at the negotiation table as well as anywhere in your life is to drop the word "should" from your vocabulary. When people use the word "should," typically they are trying to manipulate you or the situation. Many of us use the word "should" to make ourselves feel guilty about what we are not doing. You may accomplish 20 things today and then beat yourself up about the one thing that you did not complete. To reduce the stress in your life, do this experiment for the next week. First, notice how often others attempt to manipulate you by using the word "should." Be aware of the situation and then notice what it is the other person is trying to make you do. Second, notice when you use this word. Chances are you're attempting to use power or manipulation to get someone else to do what you want them to do."
RELATED TOPICS: Image Equals Perception: The Value of Professionalism, Voice-Specific Marketing 101Selling Without Selling Out: 10 Tips
Competing for clients without compromising your professional image and self respect can be a challenge. Here are 10 tips from author Lenann McGookey Gardner. You can read her article in its entirety here."1. Know who you'd like to have sending business your way. A Prospect List is not a list of organizations; it's a list of human beings who could send clients to you, but are not currently doing so. Do you have such a list? There is data saying that writing up a list of those with whom you would like to be doing business, and reading the list daily, increases the likelihood that you will actually establish those relationships!
2. Work your Prospect List. Don't let a single week go by without completing a minimum of two activities related to your Prospect List. Sometimes you can attend a meeting that is likely to put you face-to-face with targeted prospects; failing that, you may have to send an article of interest, and suggest an in-person meeting to discuss matters of mutual concern. Aaron chose to suggest coffee with the cardiologists he encountered when doing his rounds at the hospital with which he was affiliated.
3. When you speak with your prospects, use the word "you" often, and the word "I" (or "we") seldom. Making the conversation more about your prospect and less about you will make conversations longer - perhaps long enough for trust to develop.
4. Begin every conversation with a prospect by adopting a "Clean Heart Position"- a sincere desire to see your prospects get what they want, whether or not they get it from you. Try to understand their practices/businesses, and what they're trying to accomplish; ask questions about that rather than turning the discussion to the fact that you want them to refer people to you. Once you feel you understand their objectives for their practices/businesses, restate their objectives, and be sure that the prospect agrees that you understand. If they do agree, then you can introduce the notion that you may be able to assist them in achieving those objectives, if you legitimately feel that you can.
5. At all stages of the process of cultivating referrals, be sure you are focused on the prospect, rather than on your objectives, your message, or your agenda. The way to make meaningful connections is to understand what your prospect is trying to achieve, and the extent to which he or she has PAIN that you may be able to alleviate.
For example, if you are an accountant seeking referrals from attorneys, you would want to focus a great deal on an attorney sharing with you that she has just had a bad experience referring one of her valued clients to an accountant who failed to return phone calls, thus angering the attorney's client. If that's the PAIN, then talk about that: "Oh no! The accountant you referred your client to didn't even bother to return your client's calls? Gee, that can't reflect well on you! Unbelievable!" Let the prospect know that you HEARD, and that you understand how this behavior works against what he's trying to achieve, rather than talking about yourself and saying something like, "Well, I always return MY calls before sundown." Of course, if you are asked your own protocol for returning calls, answer the question.
6. Keep your voice at the same volume level, and speak at the same pace as your prospect does, to build rapport. Research from Dr. Genie Laborde suggests that these may be the most powerful things you can do to help others to like you, quickly!
7. Express continued interest in your prospect. As Brian Tracy has said, listen as if he could speak for the next eight years, and you would still be here, listening attentively - rather than trying to make your point.
8. When speaking with prospects, make an effort to avoid using words that are rooted in the word "no", such as not, won't, can't, don't or aren't. There's evidence that such negativity will drive prospects away from you.
9. If the conversation gets to the possibility of working together, express enthusiasm for that, without going overboard or losing your professional demeanor.
10. Don't forget the people who ARE currently sending you referrals. In addition to conveying your thanks after every referral, have a regular program of base-touching with them, and put it into your scheduling program so you're reminded when to make the calls monthly, quarterly, or, at minimum, twice a year. And be sure to send business to them whenever you can - the best referral relationships are two-way!
Developing relationships with those who can refer others to you is possible, but it requires thought about whom you'd like to serve as referral sources—and action to cultivate these relationships. Follow these principles, and develop the referral sources who will support your organization's growth for years to come!"
RELATED ARTICLES: Finding Your Niche, The "P" Word, Keeping Clients For Life
Selling Benefits – What Real Estate Agents Can Learn From Salespeople
A career in real estate can be very rewarding, personally as well as professionally - for those who know what they are doing. However, many agents have never actually studied the sales process. They simply get by on a few memorized scripts and their natural charisma to make their living.
In order to increase potential and negotiation skill, every agent should understand this one point about the sales process - people buy based on emotion. We don’t do things based on logic, reason, or intelligence. It’s just part of being human. We constantly try to satisfy emotional needs and wants.
Knowing this simple point, how do we apply it to real estate? You need to understand the client’s needs and wants. Only by having empathy for the client’s position and specific emotional needs can you help them to see your point of view.
You need to be on your client’s side. Take the time to learn what they need, what they want, and how they feel. Let them know that you understand their needs and that you are on their side. While your job is, strictly speaking, to make a sale, your vocation is to be an advocate for your client.
Show your client the benefits of your service. Show how you can fulfill the client’s needs. If you can do this, the sale is practically complete. Just remember that there must be a material or emotional benefit, preferably both, to earn their business and loyalty.
-Gina
RELATED POSTS: 3 Marketing Tips for the 21st Century, Voice-Specific Marketing 101, Top Ten Real Estate Marketing Mistakes
In order to increase potential and negotiation skill, every agent should understand this one point about the sales process - people buy based on emotion. We don’t do things based on logic, reason, or intelligence. It’s just part of being human. We constantly try to satisfy emotional needs and wants.
Knowing this simple point, how do we apply it to real estate? You need to understand the client’s needs and wants. Only by having empathy for the client’s position and specific emotional needs can you help them to see your point of view.
You need to be on your client’s side. Take the time to learn what they need, what they want, and how they feel. Let them know that you understand their needs and that you are on their side. While your job is, strictly speaking, to make a sale, your vocation is to be an advocate for your client.
Show your client the benefits of your service. Show how you can fulfill the client’s needs. If you can do this, the sale is practically complete. Just remember that there must be a material or emotional benefit, preferably both, to earn their business and loyalty.
-Gina
RELATED POSTS: 3 Marketing Tips for the 21st Century, Voice-Specific Marketing 101, Top Ten Real Estate Marketing Mistakes
Image Equals Perception: The Value of Professionalism
The way you present yourself to the public is perhaps one of the most important considerations any businessperson should make. This is especially true in the real estate industry, where personal appearance and attitude have critical importance in making first impressions. Its importance is magnified for new agents.
Someone who is new to real estate should be especially aware and be sure to exude a professional image. Without years of experience or testimonials from long-time clients to fall back on, the new agent relies on a professional demeanor to earn the trust of prospects.
The way you dress, stand, speak, and carry yourself are all important. You don’t need to have the answer to every question, but you do need to convince your prospect that you can and will get the answer. Confidence is the key.
As far as clothing goes, you don’t need to wear an expensive suit, but you do need to be clean and presentable. You should be clean and pressed. Let your prospects know that you respect them enough to make that effort. The most important thing is cleanliness.
Drop any slang or peer group language that you would use in a social setting. While you are working, you need to be understood clearly, and you want to be perceived as well educated.
Remember that a firm handshake, smile, and eye contact go a long way toward the professional image you want. It’s amazing what little details like this can do.
A logo and slogan can also be effective. If your logo is sharp and professional looking, people will assume you’ve been in business for a while.
Most of all, remember that perception is reality when dealing with the public. You know what you are doing. You are successful. Act it, and your clients will believe it. And soon, you won’t be acting at all.
-Gina
RELATED TOPICS: Which Movie Star are You?, Making Your Logo A Marketing Winner, Voice-Specific Marketing 101
Someone who is new to real estate should be especially aware and be sure to exude a professional image. Without years of experience or testimonials from long-time clients to fall back on, the new agent relies on a professional demeanor to earn the trust of prospects.
The way you dress, stand, speak, and carry yourself are all important. You don’t need to have the answer to every question, but you do need to convince your prospect that you can and will get the answer. Confidence is the key.
As far as clothing goes, you don’t need to wear an expensive suit, but you do need to be clean and presentable. You should be clean and pressed. Let your prospects know that you respect them enough to make that effort. The most important thing is cleanliness.
Drop any slang or peer group language that you would use in a social setting. While you are working, you need to be understood clearly, and you want to be perceived as well educated.
Remember that a firm handshake, smile, and eye contact go a long way toward the professional image you want. It’s amazing what little details like this can do.
A logo and slogan can also be effective. If your logo is sharp and professional looking, people will assume you’ve been in business for a while.
Most of all, remember that perception is reality when dealing with the public. You know what you are doing. You are successful. Act it, and your clients will believe it. And soon, you won’t be acting at all.
-Gina
RELATED TOPICS: Which Movie Star are You?, Making Your Logo A Marketing Winner, Voice-Specific Marketing 101
Become Massively Successful Through Specialization
What is the one quality that most massively successful people share?
Specialization! Think about it. Doctors specialize in every part of the body imaginable. Podiatrists, cardiologists, neurologists, and many more specialized doctors pursue successful careers. Attorneys also practice a multitude of disciplines within the profession. Many lawyers make great livings dealing with only one narrow area of the law. By doing one thing extremely well, all these people make their careers. They use their strengths to full advantage.
Businesspeople are really starting to take on this concept, particularly in real estate. Today, many of the top agents are specialists in one field or another. One markets luxury homes only. Another spends her efforts helping people buy their first homes. They take time to gain certifications and other ongoing training in their specialties. They focus their marketing efforts on one to three niches, around which they center their business.
The benefits of a highly specialized mindset are far reaching. First and foremost, as a specialist, you are able to provide the very best available service in your specialty. Great service leads to repeat business, which leads to less effort spent on prospecting. Marketing costs are also lower when marketing a niche rather than city-wide mass marketing.
Of course, there may be aspects of business that an agent just doesn’t care for, but are necessary. That’s where teams come into play. Great team leaders learn to delegate the duties that they are weaker at or simply do not enjoy. A smart agent will spend their time doing the tasks they are strong at, like dealing with clients and negotiations, and will delegate escrow or some other task he or she doesn’t enjoy to a team member that excels at it. By funneling tasks to the team members who enjoy or are skilled with them, the team maximizes its strengths. Its energy and enthusiasm is raised, too, because everyone is working on the things they enjoy.
Life is short. Why not make the most of it by creating a business that nurtures your skills and desires? Hire and train a team that complements your skills. You’ll have more success, more happiness, and more time for your the things you care most about.
-Gina
Related Posts: Finding Your Niche, Strategies for Brand Development, Find the Right Prospects with the Right List.
Specialization! Think about it. Doctors specialize in every part of the body imaginable. Podiatrists, cardiologists, neurologists, and many more specialized doctors pursue successful careers. Attorneys also practice a multitude of disciplines within the profession. Many lawyers make great livings dealing with only one narrow area of the law. By doing one thing extremely well, all these people make their careers. They use their strengths to full advantage.
Businesspeople are really starting to take on this concept, particularly in real estate. Today, many of the top agents are specialists in one field or another. One markets luxury homes only. Another spends her efforts helping people buy their first homes. They take time to gain certifications and other ongoing training in their specialties. They focus their marketing efforts on one to three niches, around which they center their business.
The benefits of a highly specialized mindset are far reaching. First and foremost, as a specialist, you are able to provide the very best available service in your specialty. Great service leads to repeat business, which leads to less effort spent on prospecting. Marketing costs are also lower when marketing a niche rather than city-wide mass marketing.
Of course, there may be aspects of business that an agent just doesn’t care for, but are necessary. That’s where teams come into play. Great team leaders learn to delegate the duties that they are weaker at or simply do not enjoy. A smart agent will spend their time doing the tasks they are strong at, like dealing with clients and negotiations, and will delegate escrow or some other task he or she doesn’t enjoy to a team member that excels at it. By funneling tasks to the team members who enjoy or are skilled with them, the team maximizes its strengths. Its energy and enthusiasm is raised, too, because everyone is working on the things they enjoy.
Life is short. Why not make the most of it by creating a business that nurtures your skills and desires? Hire and train a team that complements your skills. You’ll have more success, more happiness, and more time for your the things you care most about.
-Gina
Related Posts: Finding Your Niche, Strategies for Brand Development, Find the Right Prospects with the Right List.
Becoming a Billion-Dollar Agent
What does it take to become a billion-dollar real estate agent? Logistically, it requires you and your team selling 50-million dollars every year for 20 years. However, the systems and mindsets such prodigious success requires are somewhat easier to achieve.
Bernice Ross lays out some of the key traits of real estate's biggest earners in her Inman News review of Steve Kantor's new book, Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned. Let's look at some excerpts from the review.
"What does it take to sell a billion dollars worth of real estate? Steve Kantor's new book, Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned, contains a revealing series of interviews with elite agents who have sold a billion dollars worth of real estate or are en route to do so. What's particularly intriguing is how forthcoming the agents were in terms of how they built their businesses, what their ratios were of referrals to new business, and most importantly, what they actually did to achieve this level of success.
A key theme in the book is to build your business on your passion and to delegate everything else. You cannot succeed at this level without a strong support team. Another important theme is that the billion-dollar agents wished they had hired their first assistant sooner. A sizeable majority saw an immediate increase in their business when they hired their first assistant.
Another shared trait is having written goals. According to Brad Korb at RE/MAX in Burbank, Calif., 'Ninety-seven percent of those who have written goals achieve them. Only 3 percent of those without written goals achieve their goals. Write down your major definite purpose in life every day and write 10 ways to get to it. … I have business goals, workout goals, spiritual-time goals, family-time goals and financial goals.'
Billion-dollar agents also take time to 'work on' their business rather than just 'working in' their business.... This process is especially important in achieving high levels of production. Taking time to plan allows you to create systems that save time, create order in your business and improve efficiency.
Kantor draws an interesting distinction between what he calls 'hunters' and 'farmers.' Hunters actively prospect for new business by calling on expired listings, for-sale-by-owners and door-knocking, and continuing to call Web leads until they make personal contact. In contrast, 'farmers' rely more on regular contact within their sphere of influence. Based upon the interviews, a sizeable majority of the billion-dollar agents were hunters. As Kantor puts it, 'Almost every billion-dollar agent is a hunter -- an extreme hunter. You would not go hungry on an island stranded with a billion-dollar agent. If there is meat running around the island, they will hunt it down, close the deal and bring home the bacon.'
Another shared characteristic is that these agents are voracious learners. They are always hunting for the next idea that will improve their business. Many of them also have both personal and business coaches. A high percentage attributed their success to the coaching they received.
It's not all business for these agents, however. Over half are actively involved in charity or in other events that allow them to share their abundance with those who are less fortunate than they are.
What holds ordinary agents back? According to Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned, the most commonly cited reasons were:
1. They fail to follow-up.
2. They lack negotiation skills.
3. They don't put the clients' interests first.
4. They lack listening and communication skills.
5. They don't stay in regular contact."
Related Posts: It's About Speed, The "P" Word.
Bernice Ross lays out some of the key traits of real estate's biggest earners in her Inman News review of Steve Kantor's new book, Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned. Let's look at some excerpts from the review.
"What does it take to sell a billion dollars worth of real estate? Steve Kantor's new book, Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned, contains a revealing series of interviews with elite agents who have sold a billion dollars worth of real estate or are en route to do so. What's particularly intriguing is how forthcoming the agents were in terms of how they built their businesses, what their ratios were of referrals to new business, and most importantly, what they actually did to achieve this level of success.
A key theme in the book is to build your business on your passion and to delegate everything else. You cannot succeed at this level without a strong support team. Another important theme is that the billion-dollar agents wished they had hired their first assistant sooner. A sizeable majority saw an immediate increase in their business when they hired their first assistant.
Another shared trait is having written goals. According to Brad Korb at RE/MAX in Burbank, Calif., 'Ninety-seven percent of those who have written goals achieve them. Only 3 percent of those without written goals achieve their goals. Write down your major definite purpose in life every day and write 10 ways to get to it. … I have business goals, workout goals, spiritual-time goals, family-time goals and financial goals.'
Billion-dollar agents also take time to 'work on' their business rather than just 'working in' their business.... This process is especially important in achieving high levels of production. Taking time to plan allows you to create systems that save time, create order in your business and improve efficiency.
Kantor draws an interesting distinction between what he calls 'hunters' and 'farmers.' Hunters actively prospect for new business by calling on expired listings, for-sale-by-owners and door-knocking, and continuing to call Web leads until they make personal contact. In contrast, 'farmers' rely more on regular contact within their sphere of influence. Based upon the interviews, a sizeable majority of the billion-dollar agents were hunters. As Kantor puts it, 'Almost every billion-dollar agent is a hunter -- an extreme hunter. You would not go hungry on an island stranded with a billion-dollar agent. If there is meat running around the island, they will hunt it down, close the deal and bring home the bacon.'
Another shared characteristic is that these agents are voracious learners. They are always hunting for the next idea that will improve their business. Many of them also have both personal and business coaches. A high percentage attributed their success to the coaching they received.
It's not all business for these agents, however. Over half are actively involved in charity or in other events that allow them to share their abundance with those who are less fortunate than they are.
What holds ordinary agents back? According to Billion Dollar Agent -- Lessons Learned, the most commonly cited reasons were:
1. They fail to follow-up.
2. They lack negotiation skills.
3. They don't put the clients' interests first.
4. They lack listening and communication skills.
5. They don't stay in regular contact."
Related Posts: It's About Speed, The "P" Word.
The Power of Being Nice
I just returned from a four-day tradeshow in Las Vegas. We were presenting Mail Print’s products and services to sales people in the real estate industry. I “worked the show” with 5 of my staff. 
The common term last week was, “boy my dogs are barkin’.” Basically, "my feet sure do hurt!"
Working a tradeshow is an interesting experience. Every sales person should do it at least once. AND, working a show where the attendees are salespeople themselves adds an interesting twist. People are generally nice to vendors. They generally know what they are interested in and spend time talking to people they connect with.
Then, there are the other people. These are people I wonder why they ever went into sales in the first place. They are rude, inconsiderate and pretty wimpy. At various times I’ve had people who have stopped and asked me questions about our products and then been extremely rude when I answered them politely. My common response at that point is, “Boy, Mail Print isn’t for everyone.” I just wonder what type of lead generation these folks do to build their businesses.
As you work through your day, there will be times when you are the service provider and there will be times when you are the client. Remember, always, that everyone you interact with may be a referral source, if not a direct client.
Part of your personal brand and personal commitment should be to always be extremely nice, even when things aren’t going so well and you want to be mad. It isn’t worth it. That person you want to be mean to or rude to, may very well deserve it, but then again, that person my very well be the son or daughter of your largest client.
Next time you go out in public and the next time you go to a tradeshow, do so with a little different attitude. Instead of seeing all those people there to do your bidding – or to sell you something – see them as possible leads and future raving fans.
Never under estimate the power of being nice.
The common term last week was, “boy my dogs are barkin’.” Basically, "my feet sure do hurt!"Working a tradeshow is an interesting experience. Every sales person should do it at least once. AND, working a show where the attendees are salespeople themselves adds an interesting twist. People are generally nice to vendors. They generally know what they are interested in and spend time talking to people they connect with.
Then, there are the other people. These are people I wonder why they ever went into sales in the first place. They are rude, inconsiderate and pretty wimpy. At various times I’ve had people who have stopped and asked me questions about our products and then been extremely rude when I answered them politely. My common response at that point is, “Boy, Mail Print isn’t for everyone.” I just wonder what type of lead generation these folks do to build their businesses.
As you work through your day, there will be times when you are the service provider and there will be times when you are the client. Remember, always, that everyone you interact with may be a referral source, if not a direct client.
Part of your personal brand and personal commitment should be to always be extremely nice, even when things aren’t going so well and you want to be mad. It isn’t worth it. That person you want to be mean to or rude to, may very well deserve it, but then again, that person my very well be the son or daughter of your largest client.
Next time you go out in public and the next time you go to a tradeshow, do so with a little different attitude. Instead of seeing all those people there to do your bidding – or to sell you something – see them as possible leads and future raving fans.
Never under estimate the power of being nice.
What is Your Time Worth?
Do you feel like you need 30 hours in the day just to catch up? Many agents find themselves stretched thin with responsibilities, without seeing the financial payoff for their efforts. Dirk Zeller shares steps to making your time worthwhile in his article in Broker Agent News:
"The first step to time mastery is knowing what you are worth per hour. By knowing what you actually get paid per hour, you will be able to make wise decisions about your activities. To figure out what you make per hour, take your gross commission (that's before company split) and divide it by the number of hours worked. To find hours worked, take the number of hours you work in a day, multiply by the days you work in a week and the number of weeks you work per year, and then divide that into your gross commission.
If we know our value per hour then we will be able to evaluate what we do on a basis of "Does it really pay me that amount per hour?" Let's say you make $50 an hour. There are only certain activities in selling real estate that will pay you that $50 per hour. The rule is if you would not pay someone $50 to do it, neither will anyone else—which means that you will not be earning your $50 an hour doing those specific activities. For example, making flyers, inputting listings into magazines, putting together bulk mail, and typing letters are all activities that I think would not pay anyone $50 an hour. We all know these have to be done. The question is do you have to do them? The second question is can I spend less time doing them?
We are all squeezed by time. We all can feel there are not enough hours in the day. We all feel the tug of our family and business and the battle for abundance in both areas. If you truly want to find a few hours daily, do this next action plan.
We call this exercise "Task Analysis". What you are doing is taking a look at what you clearly do each day. Not guessing what you are doing but knowing what is happening. Take an old day timer page and make a few copies. Then every 15-30 minutes, write down what you are doing. Track this process for 2 weeks. This process will enable you to know with certainty where you are investing your time. You will be amazed as to the allocation of your time. For most Agents who have completed this task, they find 10-20 hours weekly that can be better spent. That's anywhere from 25%-50% increased efficiency when fully implemented. To know what that really means to you in dollars, multiply your gross commission by 25%. That is what you can earn in addition this year without more expenses and without the latest marketing gimmicks. The best part is that you are in total control of that number. The market, your broker, the buyers and sellers have no effect on your ability to increase your income by the amount you wrote down.
Work diligently on the task analysis process. Really track the activities and the time invested in each. Then, at the end of each week, add up the time spent in each activity. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Am I getting paid ____ per hour for each activity?
2. How can I reduce the time I am spending in each activity that pays less than ___?
3. Do I really need to do this activity?
4. Can I get someone else to do this activity?
Knowing what you are worth per hour and what you are investing your work time in are the first two steps to time-mastery. Once you have started down the road to time-mastery, you are moving toward sales mastery and then life mastery. Know that your time is the most valuable resource you have. Start the process to reclaim more of it today."
"The first step to time mastery is knowing what you are worth per hour. By knowing what you actually get paid per hour, you will be able to make wise decisions about your activities. To figure out what you make per hour, take your gross commission (that's before company split) and divide it by the number of hours worked. To find hours worked, take the number of hours you work in a day, multiply by the days you work in a week and the number of weeks you work per year, and then divide that into your gross commission.
If we know our value per hour then we will be able to evaluate what we do on a basis of "Does it really pay me that amount per hour?" Let's say you make $50 an hour. There are only certain activities in selling real estate that will pay you that $50 per hour. The rule is if you would not pay someone $50 to do it, neither will anyone else—which means that you will not be earning your $50 an hour doing those specific activities. For example, making flyers, inputting listings into magazines, putting together bulk mail, and typing letters are all activities that I think would not pay anyone $50 an hour. We all know these have to be done. The question is do you have to do them? The second question is can I spend less time doing them?
We are all squeezed by time. We all can feel there are not enough hours in the day. We all feel the tug of our family and business and the battle for abundance in both areas. If you truly want to find a few hours daily, do this next action plan.
We call this exercise "Task Analysis". What you are doing is taking a look at what you clearly do each day. Not guessing what you are doing but knowing what is happening. Take an old day timer page and make a few copies. Then every 15-30 minutes, write down what you are doing. Track this process for 2 weeks. This process will enable you to know with certainty where you are investing your time. You will be amazed as to the allocation of your time. For most Agents who have completed this task, they find 10-20 hours weekly that can be better spent. That's anywhere from 25%-50% increased efficiency when fully implemented. To know what that really means to you in dollars, multiply your gross commission by 25%. That is what you can earn in addition this year without more expenses and without the latest marketing gimmicks. The best part is that you are in total control of that number. The market, your broker, the buyers and sellers have no effect on your ability to increase your income by the amount you wrote down.
Work diligently on the task analysis process. Really track the activities and the time invested in each. Then, at the end of each week, add up the time spent in each activity. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Am I getting paid ____ per hour for each activity?
2. How can I reduce the time I am spending in each activity that pays less than ___?
3. Do I really need to do this activity?
4. Can I get someone else to do this activity?
Knowing what you are worth per hour and what you are investing your work time in are the first two steps to time-mastery. Once you have started down the road to time-mastery, you are moving toward sales mastery and then life mastery. Know that your time is the most valuable resource you have. Start the process to reclaim more of it today."
The "P" Word
What's the key to building your real estate business year after year? Prospecting. Unfortunately, many agent's suffer because of their fright of prospecting. Jerry Pujals describes "the p-word" phenomenon and identifies key prospect groups in his article in Broker Agent News:
If there were one word to describe the ability to produce at higher levels, it would have to be "the p-word." That's right? Prospecting! Unfortunately, prospecting is probably the one task 95% of real estate agents avoid. Why? Because they're terrified of it.
We've all seen it: an agent who spends the majority of his time wondering what to do next, walking the halls, making water cooler talk, and babysitting the one or two deals he has in escrow. Deep down he knows he should be prospecting to generate new business, but he's just too scared to do so.
Whether you are a new agent or a veteran who wants different results, you must learn to love prospecting. Answer this: If you could earn an extra $200,000 per year by spending a mere two to four hours per day prospecting, would you do it? For most people, the answer is a resounding "yes."
However, most agents do anything possible NOT to create additional business. As simple as prospecting is and as handsomely as it pays off, it's still the single most difficult thing to get people in the real estate industry to do. But when done effectively and efficiently, prospecting can change your career.
Who to Prospect
Prospecting is actually simple when you know what to do. Following are some suggestions for focusing your prospecting activities.Past Clients. The first category of prospecting should always be your past clients. That's obvious, yet many people neglect their past clients, even those they had incredible transactions with. This leaves the client with a negative impression. They think all real estate agents care about is getting the prize (the check), and then they're done. The ripple effect of this negative impression is huge. Therefore, you must prospect past clients on a regular basis.
Current clients. The second category is to call your current clients. Most agents forget to call their current clients even though they're talking about client loyalty all day long. But you must call your current clients, especially while they're happy with you. Sometimes, at the end of the transaction, they might not be happy with you anymore. So why not get a referral out of them when they're happy with you?
SOI. The third category is your SOI, which stands for Sphere of Influence. These are the people you refer business to who should be referring business back to you, like the lender, the title company, the insurance person, the home warranty company, etc. You refer these folks a multitude of transactions every month. Have you ever prospected them and asked if they would refer people to you? If they do not refer others to you, maybe you need to consider hiring somebody else who might reciprocate.
FSBO listings. The fourth category is FSBO listings. Any property that has a For Sale By Owner sign is being sold directly by the seller. We know that over 87% of properties that are for sale by owner will eventually be listed with a real estate agent. Therefore, you must call these people, show the value you can offer, and get the listing.
Expired listings. The fifth category is expired listings. Any listing that's expired becomes open season. If you have a lot of expired listings in your area, you must call them. If their property didn't sell and they didn't re-list with their current agent, it means one of two things: Either they decided not to sell for some reason, or they have a reason not to re-list with their current agent and are actively looking for a new agent. Why shouldn't you be the new agent for them?
Just listed/Just sold. The sixth category is those people who live in the same neighborhood as a house that has just sold or listed. On these calls you're just letting the person know that a neighbor's property got listed or sold, and you were calling to find out if he or she was thinking of moving.
Looking Towards 2007 and Beyond
I use to be jealous of my sister. She is a professor at an east coast university, Old Dominion in Norfolk, VA to be specific. Every year she has three opportuntities to start over: January, June and September. She gets to put a lesson plan together and then gets to follow a path to educate her students. If she follows the lesson plan, her semester has been a success. Wow, a plan that doesn't change every 4 hours. I think I miss that -- sometimes.
I use to think that in business you never really got to start over. You just kept plugging away. But, reality is, in business we get to start over each and every month, day, and in some cases each and every hour!
My goal moving forward is to look at each moment as a NEW YEAR. I get to come in to the office and focus my efforts on doing the things that I need to to do to reach my goals, whether they be yearly, monthly, weekly or daily. (It's a sickness, I know.)
Whether I like it or not, in business you have to focus on the moments. You have to focus on doing what you need to do today... this day... to reach your numbers for the year. If you don't do what you need to do today at this moment, your numbers on December 31 will be off. It stinks, but it is reality.
I equate this feeling to running a marathon that never ends. I think that goes back to how I was raised. My dad would pat us on the back and tell us what a great job we did on whatever it was... winning a racquetball tournament, or making good grades. The next thing out of his mouth was... "what's next?"
In business, stopping to relish in your success too long just gives your competition the chance to pass you by. While we all need the time to rejuvenate and refresh, just remember, that if you get stuck in what you just did, that allows someone else to take the opportunity and run with it. If it isn't me, it will be someone else... and frankly... it should be me. AND, it should be you.
Have a great New Year... I mean day... I mean moment!
I use to think that in business you never really got to start over. You just kept plugging away. But, reality is, in business we get to start over each and every month, day, and in some cases each and every hour!
My goal moving forward is to look at each moment as a NEW YEAR. I get to come in to the office and focus my efforts on doing the things that I need to to do to reach my goals, whether they be yearly, monthly, weekly or daily. (It's a sickness, I know.)
Whether I like it or not, in business you have to focus on the moments. You have to focus on doing what you need to do today... this day... to reach your numbers for the year. If you don't do what you need to do today at this moment, your numbers on December 31 will be off. It stinks, but it is reality.
I equate this feeling to running a marathon that never ends. I think that goes back to how I was raised. My dad would pat us on the back and tell us what a great job we did on whatever it was... winning a racquetball tournament, or making good grades. The next thing out of his mouth was... "what's next?"
In business, stopping to relish in your success too long just gives your competition the chance to pass you by. While we all need the time to rejuvenate and refresh, just remember, that if you get stuck in what you just did, that allows someone else to take the opportunity and run with it. If it isn't me, it will be someone else... and frankly... it should be me. AND, it should be you.
Have a great New Year... I mean day... I mean moment!
Black Friday / Cyber Monday... Let's NOT go shopping...
Consumerism has run amuck. I was talking with friends over the weekend and the conversation went to holiday shopping and gift giving. The stress levels were elevated. One friend recounted the stories of shopping at one of those big box stores and getting knocked over and landing on the floor.
Another recounted a visit to the mall that resulted in a 20 minute search for a parking space. A third friend told of how he nearly came to blows with someone over some electronic gizmo.
Holiday and shopping conversations are always a bit strange to me. You see about 18 years ago my family decided to stop exchanging gifts at Christmas. That's right, no gifts. Everyone thought we were strange, but in reality we were able to get back to what the holidays are really about.
The holidays are about spending time with family and friends. They are about kindness and joy. My personal stress level this time of year is non-exsistent. I don't fret about money or time. I don't worry about whether or not I can get that one electronic gizmo my brother can't live without. I worry about spending time with those that are close to me.
Introduce a new little holiday tradition to your family... go giftless. It is amazingly refreshing and it means so much more!
Another recounted a visit to the mall that resulted in a 20 minute search for a parking space. A third friend told of how he nearly came to blows with someone over some electronic gizmo.
Holiday and shopping conversations are always a bit strange to me. You see about 18 years ago my family decided to stop exchanging gifts at Christmas. That's right, no gifts. Everyone thought we were strange, but in reality we were able to get back to what the holidays are really about.
The holidays are about spending time with family and friends. They are about kindness and joy. My personal stress level this time of year is non-exsistent. I don't fret about money or time. I don't worry about whether or not I can get that one electronic gizmo my brother can't live without. I worry about spending time with those that are close to me.
Introduce a new little holiday tradition to your family... go giftless. It is amazingly refreshing and it means so much more!
Financial Heros from YouTube
I was tripping around YouTube the other day and found a great little video that follows the Real American Heros theme produced by Budweiser. I think you will enjoy it just a bit, even if it does hit a little too close to home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxylHPnoloI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxylHPnoloI
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