by Mike Brooks

Years ago I was taught a tool that helps me whenever business or life isn’t going my way. While this is a seemingly simple tool, you shouldn’t underestimate the power in it. You can use it anywhere and at any time, and it will always work to restore your attitude and your perspective. It has the uncanny power to improve your mood and your outlook. And it always helps you generate the positive results you’re trying to achieve.

Here’s how it works:

Whenever you’re in fear (any kind of fear – financial, emotional, professional, etc.), all you have to do is make a list of 25 things you’re grateful for. I like to use a notebook myself, but I suppose a computer or smart phone would do. The point is to write down 25 things you are grateful for today.

Your gratitude list can contain many different kinds of items. Here are some of the things you may be grateful for:

• Having a loving family
• Having a job
• Making money yesterday or last month
• Having your health
• Having access to fresh water
• Being in a position to help others through your work
• Going on a vacation or just coming back from one
• Being able to spend time with your kids
• Having your kids be healthy
• Your ability to enjoy a good meal today
• Your ability to be able to afford a meal today
• Working for a company that creates or sells a great product that helps so many people
• Being able to walk without pain
• Being able to sleep without pain
• Having a home to go to
• Having access to all the technology we have
• Knowing that the NFL finally starts in a month!
• Having faith in God
• Being blessed with good friends
• Living in a country where you can do and become anything you want
• Having options to completely change your life
• Having access to great books, CD’s and other material to help you accomplish your goals
• Having money in the bank today
• Being able to read
• Being free to act, think and do as you please

And so many more things. I’m sure you could add some really great things to be grateful for in your life, couldn’t you?

Why it works:

I love writing a gratitude list whenever I’m in fear about business or money. You see, because I’m in sales I sometimes forget that I’m not here for me and for what I can get out of it. Rather, I’m here to offer solutions that help other sales reps and companies do their jobs better and make more money.

When things slow down and I get into fear, I can get self-centered and focus on myself. When that happens things never go well. It becomes hard to make calls and take action when I’m only thinking about myself and what I don’t have.

But as soon as I write a Gratitude List, something magical happens. Suddenly I remember how full my life already is and my perspective changes.  In just a few minutes I transform my perspective, and I remember what I’m here for –  to add value to your life.

Once I’ve completed my Gratitude List, it’s easy for me to take the actions that generate business and abundance in my life – because now I’m thinking about you and how I can help you. It’s that attitude that gives me the energy to keep prospecting. And it’s that attitude that opens up conversations because people can sense when you’re being genuine and want to help.

Hey, sales – and life – isn’t always going to go your way. But when you can stop and appreciate how incredibly fortunate and blessed you already are, and get restored to what your true purpose is, you’ll find that today it’s easy and even enjoyable to take the actions you need to take to help others accomplish their goals.

And when you can help enough people accomplish their goals, you’ll always exceed yours. So the next time you’re struggling or just not feeling it, do what I do: Write a Gratitude List. You’ll be grateful you did.

by Denise Lones

Over the years you’ve heard me talk a lot about service. More times than I care to think about, I’ve seen (or been the victim of) absolutely appalling service.

But occasionally I encounter a level of service that isn’t good, or great, or excellent. It’s extraordinary, brilliant, and incomparable. And that’s the kind of service I want to talk about today.

So what are the ten secrets to extraordinary client care? Here’s my list:

1. Identify what the people keeping you in business want from you. Not what you think they want, or hope they want, but what they do want. Don’t know? Ask!
2. Realize that customers aren’t just purchasing products or services. They’re buying solutions and experiences. Many (if not most!) customer needs are emotional, not logical.
3. Look way down the road. When you drive a car, you aren’t simply focused on the ten feet in front of you. Instead, you are looking at what’s directly in front of you, what’s ahead in the distance … and what’s in the rear-view mirror. Using extended vision in this way will allow you to anticipate client needs, which is part of delivering extraordinary service.
4. Treat clients in such a way that they feel valued. Don’t take them for granted … and say “thank you” on a regular basis.
5. Utilize the power of “yes”. If a client has a special request, and there’s a way to make it happen for a client, agree to do it (provided, of course, that you’re not breaking any laws or regulations). You can always figure out the mechanics of delivery later. Always give more than expected – not only does it feel good, it will differentiate you from your competitors.
6. Make doing business with you easy. The more barriers, the fewer clients.
7. Ensure your clients understand the machinery behind the way you work. Explain the processes, and the reasons behind your actions, so your clients understand “the way things work” and their role in the process.
8. Learn good conflict resolution skills. If there is conflict, be a good listener. Are you paying attention to body language, tone of voice, and the underlying emotions of an upset customer … or are you simply “hearing” their words? Unhappy customers are usually locked in emotion, not logic.
9. Make it easy for clients to complain. Value their complaints. And learn how to apologize sincerely if you have made a mistake or dropped the ball on something you promised. Then take action to make things right.
10. Ask for feedback, and learn from it.

And now let me tell you about a recent (well, really, an ongoing) extraordinary client care experience which has been putting a smile on my face for several months now.

Every month, I meet live with my EVOLVE real estate coaching group. We spend a pretty intense day together, and during that time I work with agents to help them conquer challenges in their businesses.

Each and every month, we are treated superbly at the Bothell location of the Hilton Garden Inn. From Trisha’s smile and friendly attention at the check-in desk, to Jay’s outstanding hospitality set-up and care throughout the day… it’s one good experience after the other. General Manager Chip Peterson sets a stellar example for his staff. I never see him without a smile and a positive attitude, and he’s obviously coached his team to have that same approach when interacting with guests.

But perhaps the finest example of truly extraordinary client care at the Bothell Hilton Garden Inn is Executive Chef / Food and Beverage Manager Navi Mudaliar.

I first met Navi last June. It was our first time at the hotel, where we had rented space for one of our Safari real estate training events. A previous event had been held at the Redmond Marriott, where we had a good experience … so we were actually prepared for the Hilton not to measure up!

If you’ve ever taught a group of people, you know that while it can be exciting, it can also be exhausting. At the end of the first of two days I was tired … and I needed a good meal! I have pretty particular taste when it comes to what I eat, and I definitely need a meal with lots of protein and veggies after a long day. But nothing on the menu looked like it would satisfy!

As I sat staring at the menu after class, Navi came to the table. After a few questions about dietary restrictions and my likes, Navi promised to make something that I would love. This is a line I’ve heard before … and the end result rarely delivers on the promise. But boy, did Navi deliver what he promised!

My meal that evening was outstanding.

Not only was the food wonderful, Navi personally checked back with me several times, to be sure that I was happy with my meal.

Even more than the taste of the food, I’ll always remember the fact that Navi could see my exhaustion, and cared enough to take care of me. That’s extraordinary client service.

So when I needed to commit to finding a location for the twelve-month EVOLVE group which began in July, where do you think I went? That’s right – the Hilton Garden Inn!

Now each month, I see Navi when we’re coaching our EVOLVE students. He never fails to come to my table at lunch, ask how I am doing, and offer to make me a special meal. He always asks if I – or my team – need anything. What is it about this client care that I love so much? Yes, it is the personal care. And yes, it is the attention to detail shared by every staff member we’ve encountered.

That’s the service that makes me come back for more.

There are a lot of different hotels, conference centers, and meeting spaces between Seattle and Bellingham where I could hire space to coach my EVOLVE group. But I’ll continue to return to Bothell’s Hilton Garden Inn because of their great client care – and because of Navi Mudaliar in particular!

by Paul Pastore

 Home staging is not a substitute for proper pricing. It is only one leg of the ‘home selling stool’.

Pricing, staging, and marketing all must be correct for a property to sell.

This week I viewed a property owned by a seller who thought he could fool ‘all of the people all of the time’ with home staging. He hired a local expert and a stager from California to ‘cutify’ his property. The seller felt he could overprice the house by 50k after spending a few grand on staging cosmetics.

The seller purchased the property about a year ago for 390k & rolled his costs into a VA loan. His balance is around 400k. The current market value is 375k. After costs he is about 50k under water. He could short sale the house, bring cash to closing, or ‘doll it up’ and ask 425k in an effort to break even. He foolishly chose the latter strategy.

A sage once said that you can put lipstick on a pig, but you still have a pig. An agent can stage an overpriced home, hold open houses every day, give out free hotdogs on the weekends, dress up in a clown suit and spin a sign on the nearest corner, have the Boy Scouts hand out flyers, have the 13 dogs that set the Guinness book of records jumping rope for the neighbors, have the Blue Angels do a fly-over, use the property for a charity Christmas boutique, offer a free petting zoo in the back yard, free car washes in the front yard by scantily clad cheerleaders, and have the home featured at half-time on Monday night football.

If the home is overpriced it still will not sell.

Home staging is to selling as red robes are to Catholic cardinals. They both look great.

Few people buy a book based on its dust jacket. Few home buyers overlook relevant comps because the home looks great and smells like vanilla extract.

by Denise Lones

 Even if you’re not interested in social media, I want you to read this Zebra Report.

I’m going to show you how to dip your toe in the social media waters, without being intimidated or overwhelmed.

Regardless of whether you’re a brand new agent, a seasoned agent, or somewhere in-between, there are tools that you simply cannot ignore if you want to have a healthy and successful business. And social media is one of the newest and most important tools you must take advantage of.

I talk to agents all the time who say, “Denise, it’s just too much. I can’t possibly keep up! I don’t know a Twit from a Tweet and I don’t understand what all the hoopla is about.” Other agents tell me, “I know it’s probably important for my business, but I don’t know how – or where – to begin.”

For all of you who may feel this way, I’d like to explain social media in terms that you can understand. And I think you’ll quickly see the value that it has for your business.

First, let’s start with a positive mindset. Don’t say “It’s too hard,” or “I don’t see any value for me.” Even a small change in your attitude will create a huge difference in how you view social media.

The easiest way to understand social media is to recognize that it’s simply a new way for people to communicate.

If you think about the technological advances in communication, it looks like this: First there was the telephone. Then, there was the fax machine – which was just another way of communicating back and forth. Then the mobile phone was invented. Many of us scoffed at the thought of carrying a phone with us 24/7. But would you be without your cell phone today? I know I wouldn’t!

Social media is exactly the same. It’s nothing more than another new way to communicate; another way to connect with people and build relationships.

The power of social media is immense!  It’s just as impactful as the original telephone – if you use it consistently and correctly.

Do you need to stay abreast of every social media avenue available to you? Does that mean you need to be on every site, all day, every day? Absolutely not! But you do need to become familiar with the opportunities that exist.

Here’s an easy way to think of social media: pretend you are watching television and you have many different channels to choose from. What networks do you prefer? Are there particular shows you like to watch? Do you like comedy? Drama? Reality TV? Think of social media options as “communication channels”.

The only way to find out what social media outlets you prefer is to tune in to different “channels”. Play around with them! Experience their differences. Discover what you like and enjoy, and what’s of no interest to you.

I know agents who are seriously plugged into Facebook. I know agents who absolutely love Twitter. I know agents who choose LinkedIn, or who regularly communicate with colleagues via Active Rain.

Regardless of the “channel” or “channels” that attract you, it’s important to get involved. Please don’t be intimidated – social media can add so much value to your business! Embrace it at a level that you are comfortable with. Participate, even in small ways at first, until you determine the best way to use it in your business.

The beauty of social media is that it takes communication to a level that you never had before. Using Facebook to connect with your friends and clients gives you an opportunity to know what is going on in their lives, and to stay connected with them on a consistent basis — much more than if you occasionally send them mail or call them on the phone.

Social media also gives you an opportunity to reach out to your sphere when a change in their lives might lead to a real estate need.

Whether you are new to social media or an experienced veteran, there are two key thoughts I want to leave you with:

Social media can add huge value to your life, and to your business! When you engage consistently, and respond to people who reach out to you, you add value to the relationships you have built. Your life can become richer because of it, and your business will benefit as well.

Social media can also have serious consequences. First and foremost, think before you type! What you write online stays online. Secondly, please never attack a person’s character or beliefs. If they have an opinion that you don’t agree with, disagree respectfully, and keep to the issues. Do not let it get personal. Lastly, if there is a hot topic being discussed, know your facts before you speak, and never verbally harass or criticize someone. Social media is definitely about engagement; that engagement needs to be respectful.

If you’re not currently plugged into social media, don’t be afraid of this powerful communication tool. Consider it as your new and exciting “television” with many exciting “channels” and take advantage of it. If you’re intimidated, start slowly and just dip your toe in … then dive in when you’re ready!

It’s a whole new communication world – and you need to get on board!

by Joe Stumpf

Have you heard the expression, “Talk is cheap”?

I’m going to go one better and say, “Talk is free — and generating leads can be, as well.”

How?

With a simple real estate dialogue you can master in minutes and use forever.

Let’s say we’re in a social setting. Someone introduces us, and during the course of our conversation I ask you what you do. You identify yourself as a Realtor or Lender. My next question will probably be, “How’s the market?”

How do you answer that? Would you say, “It’s slow” or, “Not bad” or, “It’s picking up” or, “I’m keeping busy”?

The truth is, when people ask “How’s the market?” what they’re really asking is, “How is my market?” They’re not interested in how many homes you’re selling or how many loans you did this month. So instead of saying the market is “slow” or “not bad” or “picking up,” you can use my Magic Words That Get Referrals dialogue to begin a relationship, lead with a giving hand, and offer to send free information specific to their market.

If you’re a Realtor your response would sound like this:

“Experience shows, it all depends on where you live. I would love to do some research for you and send you an email that will tell you what homes are for sale now, what homes have sold recently, and how long homes are taking to sell in your neighborhood. So you can feel secure in the knowledge that you have the most accurate information. This timely information will tell you right away how your market is right now! I imagine that information would be of value to you, would it not?”

If you’re a Lender your response would sound like this:

“Experience shows, it all depends on what the interest rate is doing at a given moment and if there are government programs that affect you. I would love to do some research for you and send you an email that will tell you about interest rates, government programs, and some of the loans that are available now for both purchasing and refinancing. So you can feel secure in the knowledge that you have the most accurate information. This timely information will tell you right away how your market is right now! I imagine that information would be of value to you, would it not?”

Now, you’ve just asked someone for their email address, so be prepared to write it down. Tell your potential client when to expect an email from you — and then, most importantly, follow through.

You’ll need a system in place so this person is receiving an email from you on the same day, every month, that includes:

• For Realtors:
• Homes for sale.
• Homes sold.
• How long the sold homes were on the market.
• For Lenders:
• Examples of purchase and refinance loans available.
• Current interest rate.
• Any government programs that may affect them.
• For Realtors and Lenders:
• Specific to their market.

Be sure to include your telephone number in your email so it’s easy for the recipient to contact you. And they will contact you, because you’ve been leading with a giving hand, providing them with valuable, free information, and demonstrating that you are the go-to person when they, or someone they know, has a real estate or mortgage need.

So: How’s your market?

The next time someone asks you that question, picture yourself using this dialogue to begin a relationship.

Begin a relationship, which can lead to referrals…transactions…repeat business…and it didn’t cost you one penny.

by Michael Russer

There is no question that blogging can be a powerful tool to help you and your Website stand out from the crowd and generate new business. And, as many have already discovered, it can be time consuming and a lot of work –until now.

Here’s an innovative way to post compelling content to your blog in just seconds that will also help propel your site to the top of the search engine results.

Photo Blogging: Cell Phone to Blog Post in 90 Seconds Flat

Photo blogging is a way to leverage what you do best every day, look at properties and use your cell phone, to create fresh search engine relevant content for your blog even several times a day. Here’s how it works:

STEP 1 – Snap a cell Phone picture of a listing in your market area.

STEP 2 — Compose an email with the address of the listing as the subject line and just a sentence or two describing the property.

STEP 3 — Send the email to a special address that once received will instantly post your subject line as the blog post title, insert the photo and follow it up with the descriptive text as the main body of your post.

There you have it, about 90 seconds total (unless you are all thumbs like me, then figure 2 minutes). And what is really cool is that you haven’t broken your daily routine to do it. And no more staring at a blank computer screen trying to figure out what to post while you could be out, well… looking at property.

Now at this point you are probably thinking “Awesome, I can do that! Ahhh, what’s that special address I need to send these emails to?” As you might have guessed, there’s just a little bit of set up you have to do before you start photo blogging yourself silly…

Getting Started

The first thing you want to do is set up a free account at Posterous.com. Once set up, you will be able to send your cell phone posts to post@posterous.com and it will “know” who sent it (it also works with email sent from any device, including your computer). Now if this is far as you go, Posterous will automatically create your blog and handle updating it via your emails. However, if you want to maximize your “Google Juice” that a frequently updated blog can give you and have a look & feel that is consistent with your brand, then there are a few other things that you want to do:

Create a sub-domain from your main Website domain that points to your photo blog. For example, if your main site domain is “LuxuryMountainHomes.com” then you may want to set your photo blog URL as “photoblog.LuxuryMountainHomes.com” with links to it on every page of your site. By doing this, search engines like Google will attribute the new photo blog content to your entire site. And since you used the property address as the post title, your site’s relevancy for your market area increases with every submission.

Have your Web designer modify the look and feel of your Posterous blog to be consistent with that of your main Website.<!–[if !supportLists]–>
By doing the above, you now have a way to constantly be adding high-relevancy blog content to your site throughout the day, day-in day-out without breaking a sweat. IMPORTANT: if you already have a blog with more traditional content, be sure to make your photo blog separate from it. Not everyone subscribed to your current blog will want to receive your photo blog posts throughout the day. Remember, the main benefit of a photo blog is quickly and easily adding search engine relevant content to your site on a regular basis, not necessarily to inform a reader base.

From $250K to $600K Average Sales Price in Just a Few Months

Walter Burns is a condo specialist with Weichert Realtors in Hoboken, NJ. Thanks to his social media efforts (a large part of which is his photo blogging) his average transaction prices have soared from $250,000 to over $600,000 in short period of time. You can see his photo blog by going to http://photos.livingonthehudson.com/. You will notice that in addition to his photo blog he has a traditional one as well, both of which are seamlessly integrated into his main site www.LivingOnTheHudson.com. If you examine both, you will see that the frequency of his posts to his photo blog is far greater than his regular one. And for good reason, it’s so darn easy!

Whether you are brand new to blogging or a seasoned social networking pro, photo blogging is one tool you should be using on a daily basis. If you can take photos and text with your cell phone, you can photo blog.

by Dirk Zeller

The key to securing the face-to-face appointment with the Buyer is persistence. A Champion Agent knows that persistence will create the payoff.

As a child and throughout my high school years, I personally witnessed one of the greatest stories of a salesperson’s persistence. Many salespeople know the story of Bill Porter because he is a legend of sales. His story has been profiled in newspapers, books, magazines, and even an Emmy award-winning movie about his life titled “Door to Door”.

Few people can say that they experienced it first hand, though. You would have been blessed, like I was, to see it first-hand by growing up in an upper-middle class neighborhood on the Westside of Portland, Oregon. For more than fifteen years I watched Bill Porter come to our door to sell household products in the rain, snow, and summer heat. He always had a smile on his face, shoes neatly shined, suit and raincoat on, and a glove on one hand to carry his large briefcase up and down the hills of his territory.

Bill Porter’s remarkable journey in life started with a tragic accident at birth that caused cerebral palsy. His condition affected his speech and his motor skills of walking and using his hands. He can’t even tie his own shoes or button his shirt, yet there he was everyday, walking several miles each day going door to door to sell his household products for about $1200 a month in income. His steel will and persistence won over his inability to verbally communicate clearly. He had his clients write out the orders since he struggled to write legibly. He would type out the orders one finger at a time on his manual typewriter to ensure his clients received the correct products on time. Bill Porter is truly a Champion in sales and a Champion of persistence.

There are two areas of persistence. The first is the willingness to continue to call for days, weeks, and even months until a prospect is ready to move forward in a purchase. Most Agents quit long before they call a few times. Be persistent with prospects during your lead follow-up process. The second and most important area of persistence that only Champion Agents possess is continuing to ask for the appointment on the initial call even in the face of a no from the prospect. Only a Champion Agent would ask for an appointment multiple times on the same call.

Champion’s Rule: Ask for the appointment more than once.

Most salespeople quit long before the sale is made or even the appointment is booked. Salespeople quit when they receive the first “no” or first rejection.

When Salespeople Quit

• 44% 1st time the prospect says “No”
• 22% 2nd time the prospect says “No”
• 14% 3rd time the prospect says “No”
• 12% 4th time the prospect says “No”

92% of salespeople quit before they acquire the appointment or the order from the customer. Only 8% of salespeople will ask more than four times. 60% of all sales made or appointments set occur after the prospect has said “no” four times. The net result is that 8% of Salespeople control 60% of the business . . . just for asking. Persistence will create the payoff.

We need to ask for the appointment more frequently on each call that we make. My philosophy is: get beyond the “four” threshold right on the first call!

by Denise Lones

Don’t let the end of the year sneak up on you without holding a “Client Appreciation Event”. I know it’s only early October, but before we know it the holiday decorations will be up and we’ll be preparing for the New Year…and your opportunity to hold an event this year will have passed you by.

If you’ve read my materials for any length of time, you know that I am a big fan of client appreciation events. Not only are they a great way to thank past and present clients, they are an amazing marketing tool that will generate referrals for your business.

Client appreciation events can create a monumental impact! Agents connect with clients and prospects on a level that just can’t be done when working on a transaction.

So why do most agents not hold client appreciation events?

Three reasons: Work, planning, and the need to be social. So let’s talk about these perceived challenges!

Yes, events are work. Yes, they require planning. Yes, you need to put in some effort to be social in a way that you may not be used to.

Many agents prefer to keep communications business-like. Planning and hosting an event where you interact with people on a very personal basis frightens some agents because it feels like it blurs the line between “client” and “friend”.

The truth is that no line is blurred at all. This is a client event–not a bachelorette party. It has a slight air of formality because you are not best friends with these people. Yet, it also breaks down the barrier between agent and client just enough to make a connection.

Think about a politician holding an event. Most people leave the event with a stronger sense of connection with him or her, just because they heard a live speech or ate dinner in the same room. That’s why candidates still hit the road instead of just making television commercials or posting videos online.

The same principle is at work at a client appreciation event. People get to see you not in the role of salesperson, but as a generous host. You’re not there to become their best friend. Instead, your goal should be to thank them for their business — and to give something back to the people who selected you as their agent.

The benefits of a client appreciation event far outweigh the work, planning, and social effort you put into one.

Some of the most successful events I’ve ever seen are held in December, because people are in “holiday mode”. I can’t fully explain it, but I’ve seen it enough times to know it’s true. More people show up at events in December than at any other time of the year.

And the single most successful type of client appreciation event is “Breakfast with Santa”. I’ve seen many of these events — and they work like a charm!

If you’re at all nervous about hosting an event, I always recommend this one. The beauty of it is that you are not the focus. It is, after all, breakfast with Santa. People bring their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews — who are enthralled with the fact that they get to meet Santa Claus. You may be the planner and organizer of the event, but it’s not about you. This fact alone removes some of the pressure you may feel.

There are other reasons people come to Breakfast with Santa. It’s usually early in the day, so there’s no “dinner event” feel to it — there’s no need to dress up or find a babysitter, and the time commitment is minimal. Plus it’s so much more personal than visiting Santa at the mall.

If your clients don’t have children, don’t worry! An agent once presented me with this very problem. I advised her to try a Breakfast with Santa anyway. The event was a wild success! People who don’t have kids generally have other family members who do–other family members who become future prospects for you. Encourage your clients to invite any family members they may have who do have small children … and watch your sphere of influence grow.

Another great client appreciation event is involves photo ops for pets and children. You simply hire a photographer to take pictures of their kids with their pets, and invite your clients to attend. And again, if they don’t have children, encourage them to have their photo taken with their pet. Americans are crazy about their animals, and the turnout at these kinds of events proves that!

One of my clients came up with a brilliant idea this year. He’s hired a photographer to take family holiday photos. He will then provide those holiday photos to his clients to send out with their cards. Now, that’s creative! I’m very excited to see how great that event is going to be for him.

Be as creative as you want. Just get out there and do something. Find something your clients may enjoy–a movie night, wine and cheese party, a present-wrapping party where you hire someone to wrap your presents for your clients. There are so many ideas that could be adapted into great events.

So now that you’re excited about the event and have an idea, how do you actually make it come together? It’s easier than you might think! The steps to getting people to attend your client appreciation event include:

Sending out your first “Save The Date” card in October. Yes, that means NOW.

Two weeks later, send out the official invitation.

Two weeks later, send a “Countdown Card” that reminds them it’s only five weeks until the event.

Two weeks later, send out directions and a three-week reminder.

Two weeks later (one week before the event), get on the phone and confirm.
Even if they haven’t sent an RSVP, it doesn’t mean they’re not coming. Your phone call is the final spark that can make them decide to come.

Yes, all of this involves money, time, and effort. But a client appreciation event is worth every dime you spend, and every detail you sweat. It’s a phenomenal way to connect with your clients.

By providing your clients with something that will be unforgettable, you stay in their memory for a very long time. In addition to being an enjoyable occasion, the client appreciation event can generate referrals to for years to come.

Start planning your Client Appreciation Event today!

by Ginny Lee

Don’t let the media and news paper’s Gloom and Doom get you down… Homes are still Selling!

There is so much Gloom and Doom on TV and in the news papers that some days you just want to throw in the towel and quit but please don’t give up…just find new ways to succeed…remember that old saying if at first you don’t succeed…Try, Try, Try Again?

Look at your MLS there are still homes selling…do you know why? You have to do a lot of research so you can inform your sellers what will make their house sell. First you have to see all the homes that are on the market in your seller’s price range and see how they compare to your listing. Are they more or less expensive…do they have better or worse street appearance and how do they compare inside? How many are foreclosures or short sales are in the neighborhood?

I find that the foreclosures and short sales are ruining our market in Naples. Most buyers do not know that these homes are bought “as is” with no warranty and trying to get the banks to agree to anything is next to impossible if you can never reach them…there are so many disclosures it is incredibly hard to get them closed. Buyers also need to know that some of these homes might have liens on them and after they close the buyers will be responsible for those liens. There could be unpaid condo fees or home owner fees. You better make sure you have a great attorney to protect these buyers because they could be in for a lot of surprises and it could cost them a lot more money to make these homes safe and sound and free and clear of all liens…most of them do not turn out to be the best buy on the block like the buyer originally thought it was going to be. Remember buyer beware? It should be Realtors beware too or you might get into trouble if you don’t make sure you protect your buyer. So be scared when you are out there and be careful. There are lots of booby traps out there.So what do you do to sell more homes in 2009 become an expert in the market.

I have found that these 5 things help me be more successful.

1. Write Letters To The Editors… of all the news papers letting them know what you find. If the market is good in one neighborhood let them know it. Let them know about how hard it is to sell foreclosures and short sales. Let them know all the pitfalls…make them know if buyers want to be safe in their home purchase they need a Realtor that knows the neighborhoods and all the markets. You will be surprised how many people read the editorials and it is Free advertising for you. You could even send them Press Releases when you make a sale…they are always looking for new things to report on.
2. Make Sure You Price Your Listings Right… it doesn’t pay to price it above the market unless it has features that can support a bigger price. Like a pool or lots more square footage or a big beautiful yard or it has been totally updated and is gorgeous. Why waste your time and money on an over priced home. Let another Realtor take it and when it doesn’t sell you can go make and get the listing and price it right and sell it.
3. Stage Your Listings… to make sure that they show the best that they can…if you don’t know how find someone to do it for you. You can take a Course at http://www.realtyuonline.com/ahscourse/splash_page.htm

   It is easy if you know how and you can take this fun course on the Internet and it is a lot less expensive then going to a school. You also get great credentials to tell your buyers that you took the course and you can make their home sell faster. Some agents even charge for the service or at least make the seller pay for the accessories to make their home look better.

4. Learn Social Networking… Online Social Networking Works!

   According to NAR’s 2008 Realtor’s Technology Survey 53 percent of the real estate agents and Brokers say they participate in social networks and blogs for business purposes. They say they participate in social networks to reach consumers (62%) other Realtors 46% and Realtor organizations 35%. On a daily basis respondents are likely to participate in Facebook 10%, Active Rain 8%, Self Hosted Blogs7%, MySpace 6% and Twitter 5%. On a weekly basis respondents are likely to participate in Linkedin 16%, Active Rain 14%, Facebook 14%, Self hosted blogs 9%. You must me Internet Savvy to be in real estate today! NAR also says that 84% of home buyers and sellers go to the Internet before they ever call a Realtor so you better have a great website too!

5. Be Creative Give Bonuses… to the selling agent if they bring you an acceptable contract that closes within so many days. You will get a lot more showings because agents are hungry and if the house is priced right, shows great and is in the right location you will get more sales. Another Great Idea is to give away trips and vacations to the buyer seller and real estate agent… that gets a lot of attention…you can even advertise it on your listings in the MLS and it your print advertising. I have been doing it for 30 days and it really works! You can find out more details about it at http://findfreevacations.com You can also give your news papers a press release about it and get more Free advertising! I even had a magazine write about me doing it in an article about what innovative things Realtors are doing now to sell more homes!

We have all been through slow periods before in our real estate businesses, I remember when the interest rates where 18%! Interest rates now are the lowest ever and the home prices are lower now then in the last 5 years so now is the time to buy!

All you have to do to sell more homes is stay tuned up with the market, make yourself an expert, make sure your listings are priced right and they show better then the rest, get more Internet savvy and get creative and you will have the best year ever!

by Mike Parker

The Internet has been the game-changer in real estate.

Be honest: did you ever think–back in 2005, even– that more than 80% of all homes sales would begin on the Internet? Well, that day came years ago, yet most of the agent base continues to miss out on Internet sales. This shows why new methods and technologies need to be investigated and considered by any agent serious about succeeding online, because one glaring question remains unanswered: Simply put, how can it be that 80+% of home sales begin online but that 90+% of agents are unhappy with their online marketing results?

Part of the reason is that they keep believing old precepts that may have been relevant in the then, but that are long gone, today. Another reason is that they truly don’t know what is important today. Here are few things that are should no longer be the centerpiece of anyone’s successful online strategy:

“Success is all about the brand”
No, it isn’t. The Internet has reduced the power of Internet corporate real estate brands. Never before has so much information been so available to anyone with a PC. Consumers today are more attracted to individuals than entities: no one cares about being friends with a company and no one thinks a company will treat them as well as a real person will (i.e., a buyer will search for “Wasilla AK Real Estate,” not “International Behemoth Real Estate agent in Wasilla AK”). Buyers search for what they really want in the way that requires the least navigation and the least effort. The Internet shopper resists and resents any effort to make them go through even one unnecessary step to acquire the information they want. That’s because the Internet is all about total intellectual freedom in the privacy of one’s own home or office and that’s part of the reason that a large part of Internet success is all about response time and service (among other things) and not about “the brand” or what franchise you belong to. Besides, with many of America’s oldest and best known brands hemorrhaging money of late and that fact all over the news, who benefits from that kind of affiliation?

“I can count on our corporate IT department for the best guidance on how to succeed online”
No, you really can’t. Just recently, one of the major franchises in real estate completed a new arrangement with their third provider of websites. In years past, they had endorsed one company, then, another, and now they endorse yet another. All three companies are fine companies, yet the online marketing success corporate tried to implement failed, partially because the website is not able to produce success for an agent without certain factors that have nothing to do with websites. It is very hard for any corporate entity to “get it right” because the corporate entity and the individual agent have different goals and a single standard does not work across the agent spectrum.

For example, in 2008 I wrote about an agent’s experience with ‘corporate Internet planning’; here’s an excerpt:

” As all this was happening, the Brokerage’s IT manager came to see Walt to show him the team’s ‘exciting’ new website–where everyone gets a page on the corporate site. “With my new knowledge, I asked him how I was going to get found on the new site”, Walt (Straub) related, “and when he responded ‘We’re still working on that’, I knew my decision was made. I knew I could not count on corporate to make my online marketing work and I knew that I did not possess the specialized knowledge to make it work. ” Walt hired professional online marketing services help; a decision that has paid off handsomely for him.

Corporate has different goals than you do. Corporate isn’t looking to protect your marketplace for you, they are looking to protect your marketplace for them.

A real world example of why the old way corporate loves so much doesn’t work today

A few months ago, a large franchise contacted me and asked my advice on a complete redesign of their Internet Marketing. They offered me a substantial sum just to submit a proposal, and more if it were accepted. I declined, but not before talking with the earnest (but constrained) head of the program. I told him how online marketing success must be done one agent at a time; it simply is not capable of being mass produced. It can be standardized, but it must also be customized. Big software companies (which are what website companies really are) are not interested in individualization; they want to sell their already produced software (the website template) over and over again. They want you and/or a web designer to do all the work, all the customization. It’s a brilliant and profitable strategy.

Unfortunately, the Internet is all about localization and proper (and exact) delineation of what you sell; the better to help the consumer find the right thing when searching online. Few agents or web designers know how to accomplish the foregoing. As for website companies, the process is too labor- intensive and time-consuming to undertake economically. You just can’t make a profit holding hands for $39.95 a month–the client has to do the heavy lifting themselves. The head of the program agreed with me, but said “That won’t fly. They want a traditional approach to Internet marketing.” Folks, the “traditional approach” to Internet marketing just doesn’t work; like everything else in life, methods that were “new” five years ago are now being supplanted by new and more effective methods. Big franchises are lots of wonderful things, but they aren’t nimble, and they just can’t have uniformly super results for their myriad agents. They want ‘standardized’, not ‘customized’.

Many large real estate corporations are stuck in the same old approach to Internet marketing when– if they were paying attention– they would know that it is no longer about building encyclopedic websites that give all information about anything a consumer might want to know and every listing in all fifty states and Canada; it’s not about the website, it’s about the agent and their relationship with the prospect– it’s about getting the consumer to ask the agent for what they really want. Online marketing success is about four things:

1. Maintain a good marketing platform with information available to the consumer upon request; get them to tell you what they want and give it to them;
2. Make certain that people searching the web for homes can find your site;
3. Build traffic and convert visitors to your site into registrations;
4. Learn the proper way to follow up these leads; the timing, the methods and the follow-up techniques.

Unfortunately, most corporations prefer to keep on doing it the same old way they always have. It’s up to you to do better.

“Get all the technology you can and you will succeed”
Not really. Technology does not sell houses. Real Estate agents sell houses. The only purpose of technology is to help buyers find you and to help you find buyers and sellers and service them better. Do not waste your time on any “tech advance” that will not improve your ability to accomplish the four goals listed herein and make certain that the advantage that new “tech advance” brings is realistically evaluated. There are a great many “tech advances” that do nothing to increase your ability to sell houses to Internet shoppers.

To make an analogy, the greatest medical diagnostic equipment ever conceived cannot save one human life. It takes a Doctor–one who can interpret the information that equipment provides and devise a proper course of treatment that fits the condition.

And so it is with Online Marketing: you can have video, $50,000 websites, designers bleeding you of thousands of dollars each month, lead management systems, all that–and fail miserably. Why? Because all that is worthless if you have no leads! Most websites do not provide their users enough real leads. Most websites give all sorts of information out, but get nothing in. Companies have figured out that agents want leads, not websites. Agents are tired of fruitless efforts to make their online marketing work. More and more, they are simply hiring someone else to do that for them.

If websites could sell real estate, there would be no need for real estate professionals. You must realize that websites and other technology exist to bring you buyers. Once you–the Doctor–have buyers to talk to, you can sell real estate. All the rest of these “everybody knows” are a form of misdirection. Leave the whiz-bang stuff to others: the path to online success is simple.

The Internet can level the playing field

You should embrace the Internet and learn how to make those four techniques reality. By doing so, you can join the hundreds of agents making great commissions from Internet sales each month. Those nimble agents outperform the corporate approach in every way and they outperform the average corporate agents’ income by a factor of 3X!

With the right help, you can outperform most agents, too. You see, the Internet has the buyers. Everybody is trying to land them, but only those who know the four steps and can put them into action ultimately do so. Perhaps if you re-think that which “everybody knows” you can break out of the 90+% of agents who can’t succeed at online marketing. For certain, if you don’t re-think these things, you won’t succeed online anytime soon.

by Rich Levin

Question: What could be more important than your business plan?
Answer: Your habits.

An Agent’s daily and weekly habits are more important than the quality of their business plan. Both, plan and habits are best. But of the two, habits rule.

Consider these two Agents. Which would you rather be?

Amy Agent has a great plan and lousy habits. She is really excited about her plan. But… her lack of habits means that she does not consistently take action. Her lead generation and follow up are mediocre. Her marketing is random. Her service and communication with her Clients is hit or miss. It is easy to imagine how these lousy habits limit Amy’s success and add to her frustration.

In contrast Annie Agent actually has no formal plan but she has great habits. She always feels like a better plan would help her. But… on the same days of the week, at the same times, in the same place, in the same way she consistently follows up her leads; sends direct mail, e-mail blasts, and blogs. She communicates with her Clients on schedule. It is easy to imagine how Annie’s habits feed her success, create personal satisfaction and a better quality of life.

Habits Work. Consistency Works. Consistency Wins. It’s Universal.

Habits ensure success in every endeavor. The athlete and the team with the better habits win. The marriage with the better habits thrives.

It’s Not Time Management. It is Priority Management.

Time management seldom works. Priority management always works.

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey wrote, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

There are eight priorities that guarantee success in a Real Estate career. Scheduling them is remarkably easy. Developing the tiniest bit of discipline around them, one at a time, turns them into habits.

The Priorities of a Successful Real Estate Career Are:

1. Look at and Update Your Measurable Results Daily
2. Make Appointments with new Clients
3. Conduct Your Technology Marketing
4. Implement Your Traditional Marketing
5. Provide Quality Service to Your Listed Sellers and Pending Clients
6. Think and Strategize
7. Improve Your Presentations (as necessary)
8. Learn Inventory by Previewing Property (as necessary)

Presentations, handling pending transactions, showing, offers, negotiating, etc are also priorities but they are dependent on other people’s schedules. Therefore they are difficult to build as habits. Turning the above eight priorities into habits guarantee the presentations, showings, offers, etc that result in your success.

Four Critical Keys to Turning the Eight Priorities into Habits

1. Schedule the priorities, for 30 minutes (at the beginning); first thing in the morning as soon as you sit down at your desk. That’s not the real key. This is; complete the priorities for that day before you open your e-mail!
2. Schedule each priority on the same day of the week, at the same time, in the same place, and get started in the same way.
3. Start with one priority at a time. Once you experience the value of having one habit. You will be motivated to add the next.
4. Start with 30 minutes or less. This feels less burdensome. It motivates efficiency. And the fact is that you can accomplish a lot when you are really focused for 30 minutes on one priority.

In all of my workshops, on every topic, I teach Agents to create habits. I teach Agents to implement the topic of the workshop through better habits.

Let me be clear. Business planning is very important. In fact planning is a main focus of my coaching and teaching. But I know that your habits, not your plan, dictate your success. And it is your habits that will guarantee the implementation of your plan and the success of your business and your life.

by Julie Escobar

Time Management Tactics & the Difference an Hour Makes

Time – as they say is LIFE.  It’s also a powerful stepping stone to success.  Sales professionals eager to get more than just “now” business and instead build a reliable foundation for longevity know one thing for certain – time management – is a MUST do.

On the road to time management master, consider the difference just one hour can make in terms of repeatable, sustainable success in this business. This business, like most sales industries is above all else, a people business, which means if you want to STAY in business, you’ve got to make staying top of mind with your customer base a priority.

What hour you ask? Real estate expert and Coach Bernice Ross once shared with me, “Just about every top producer that I know starts their prospecting first thing in the day. They know that of the activities that are closest to the income line for them – prospecting is right there in the top three. Getting those things done first allows them to continually grow and stay connected to their book of business. Secondly, it really gives those agents a sense of control, power and self-accomplishment – and isn’t that the BEST way to start a day?”

Many agents choose to stagger their prospecting time and map out their week in advance, selecting 8:00-9:00am three days a week, and evening hours from 6:00-7:00pm two to three days per week. It’s a good way to maximize their ability to reach prospects and past clients, and for many successful professionals – it’s the smart habit to take a look at their schedule in ADVANCE of the week.  That way everything gets put on the table.  And don’t forget family and personal obligations in that task setting process.  Prospecting time, showings, open houses and listing appointments are all vital – but so are soccer games, recitals, date night and lunch with friends.  With a  nod to wanting to be in this industry for the long haul – it’s the little things that will help you stay on the top of your game, avoid burn out and find that slippery thing called balance we all strive for.

Sherry Chris, CEO for Better Homes and Gardens shared with me in a previous interview that in her experience, top producers generally still can be found sticking close to that old rule of thumb investing about 80% of their time getting face-to-face, on the phone or online sharing with both past and potential clients. “Things have certainly changed in our industry and prospecting has truly taken on a new pace with the advances of social media. It’s definitely developed into a more ‘give before you get’ mode of contact. Whereas our old methods of prospecting meant picking up the phone and offering a service, now we can feed valuable information, fun facts as well as personally connect with our clients.” Sherry, for example, spends roughly 60% of her time building the Better Homes and Gardens brand and shares some valuable tips when it comes to building ‘social capital.’ “To be truly effective you have to successfully balance business information with personal touches, photographs, upcoming events, career milestones, etc. If the only thing you have on your Facebook or Twitter is your listings, you’re missing the boat. Let’s not forget too, that as valuable as social media is in today’s prospecting world, there is still no substitute for getting face-to-face or on the phone with your clients.”

How do you stick to it? While not always easy, it is important to find the motivation to continuously invest the time in building and maintaining your business.  Consistency and repetition are certainly a start.  Habits – both good and bad are rooted in those two components.  Start forming the good habit of blocking your time by making an appointment with yourself on the same day every week, to plan the week ahead.  You’ll feel more in control, more accomplished and more balance.  And again-don’t forget YOU time.  It is the key to sticking with it because there’s a reward for you!  It’s like “time off for good behavior” every week – and a way for you to re-charge your batteries  As keynote speaker and change expert Connie Podesta shares in her new book 10 Ways to Stand Out From the Crowd, “Make an appointment with yourself to be by yourself – even if it’s just for a few minutes a day.  When it comes to balance – you don’t have a personal life and a professional life – you have a LIFE.  Achieving that balance is not about making things equal in terms of time but having a sense of well -being in your life at all levels.”  That little re-connect with yourself every day helps give you the resolve to see the week through.

Another good strategy is to connect with an integrity partner.  Someone with whom you can share that same high level of goal setting and stick-to-it mindset – after all, where you may find it easy to put off your tasks for the day – it’s not QUITE so simple when you know someone else is counting on you to hold up your end of the agreement.

Having an effective system certainly helps as well. For busy agents, it’s no longer a ‘should do’ but a ‘must do’ if you expect to keep up. What’s interesting is to note how these systems still run the gamut from complex contact management systems to good old fashioned 1-31 files. Bernice Ross shared a story of one agent who is among the top in the business who makes it his goal to talk to fifty clients a day. “Sometimes he talks to 5-10, leaves messages for a few more and uses social media options such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to send out links or messages to 25 or more additional clients. The point is that every day he’s making that commitment to sustain contact with his clients. When you consider the average person now knows at least six REALTORS®, you can be sure that the one they’ll do business with is the one they’ve heard from the most.”

Do you HAVE to get involved in social media? Well, you certainly don’t HAVE to do anything you don’t want to, but in terms of keeping pace with today’s consumers, it’s a step in the right direction. Reggie Nicolay, Director of Social Media for Cyberhomes.com wisely pointed out, “It’s interesting to note that Facebook was originally designed to be an online address book, which perpetually updates itself so it’s always evolving as opposed to an offline solution such as Outlook which is always out of date. It’s also a tremendous resource for changing the face of how you prospect. Where in the past, building rapport may have been difficult or cumbersome and time consuming, social media allows me to market on a more one-to-one level with my target audience. Clive Thompson said it well when he called it an ‘ambient awareness’ that occurs. You’re offering bite-size pieces of information and solutions with your customers and getting to know them better through these social networks. It’s kind of like making deposits and withdrawals from a social ‘account’ if you will. You get to know your customers better and they get to know you better, and in doing so, you build that trust that’s necessary to grow your business.”

Sherry Chris added, “Technology has really allowed us to become more specialized in that it makes it easier for agents to identify their niche and build a network around it in a far faster, and easier way than ever before. That’s great news for all agents, but especially for those just coming into the business.” In talking with agents every day, I couldn’t agree with her more. With time, energy and marketing dollars all in short supply these days, it just makes sense to pick a niche you’re passionate about, find those groups both in your community and in all of these online communities and build your business that way. It’s less time, less money and a whole lot more fun!

“If you’re looking to engage with Gen X and Gen Y consumers, social media is by far the way to go,” shared Mrs. Ross. “It’s important to communicate with people in the manner and method that’s most comfortable for them. Social networking is also a great way to get outside the box a little. I’ll give you an example. I had an agent tell me that she met a new doctor in her community who was obviously just getting started and looking to spread the word. What did she do? She went over and interviewed him then wrote about him in her blog. Soon after, she heard from the doctor who was happily getting referrals from her article, and he was happily referring customers to her as well. That’s a classic case of ‘giving to get,’ of helping first and reaping the rewards for a long time to come.”

What I loved about speaking with all of these talented experts is that while all brought wonderful new ideas and insight to the table, is that they all did seem to find common ground on three major points:

1. You’ve got to be willing, in today’s market, to make a friend first and a sale later. Take the ‘get by giving’ approach to your business.

2. Whether its one hour a day, ten hours a week or 80% of your time, make and KEEP your prospecting appointments with yourself. Put them right up there with a payday in terms of importance – because they are!

3. There’s still no substitute for personal contact. Getting on the phone, meeting face to face and getting to know your customers will ALWAYS be tops on the ‘to-do’ list.

I hope you’ve picked up few lessons along the way. Our customers need us now more than ever, and it’s up to you to let them know that you are there for them, with answers, with integrity and with resources they can trust. It’s incredible to me to hear story after story of agents who are literally having their best year ever despite tough economic times and sometimes shaky markets. Why? They know that it’s a people first business and they do just that – put people first.

by Van Deeb

The following four ways to do more business without spending more money may seem simple and easy to accomplish, yet over 97% of us don’t do these things. Yes, we’ve read about these strategies in motivational, inspirational self-help articles and thought about doing them, but we still don’t do them. My challenge for you today is not just to read this list but actually print it out and do what it says! THEN, after you have experienced the incredible results that I know you will, please email me about how these four ways have produced more business for you without requiring you to spend more money. I will feature your triumphs in a future newsletter.

Here they are:

1.     Tell more people what you do for a living.

If you don’t tell people about what you do for a living, then you are basically keeping it a secret and guess what—it will remain a secret. People in business who don’t talk about what they do are usually broke, they don’t stay in business very long, or they make very few sales. Why? Because they keep their business a secret! Not only do you need to tell everyone over and over again what you do for a living, but you also need to ask them to do business with you. People want to help people who ask for their business. It’s not that difficult. When was the last time you asked someone to do business with you? If your answer is anything other than “Every day…all day,” then start doing it. Ask more people to do business with you and you will do more business without spending more money.

2.     Stretch your business day.

Add 30 minutes to each business day and then gradually stretch it to an hour if you can. Either start work 15 minutes earlier and stay 15 minutes later, or take a shorter break or lunch hour. Spend less time visiting unproductive social websites that have absolutely no benefit to your career. If you really want to make your business day more productive, you may not have to add any time at all and may even work less hours if you are willing to pick one average day and keep a journal on your desk and document everything you do and how long it takes you to do it. This is one of the most effective ways I know to figure out how much time you are spending in certain areas. You will have to be your own best critic and make adjustments accordingly. You might be surprised how much time you spend doing unproductive things, which could be time better spent doing more business without spending more money.

3.     Quit complaining.

You may ask what complaining has to do with doing more business without spending more money. Complaining takes time, it depletes your energy, and it is most definitely unproductive, which ends up costing you money. Where does it say in any manual that complaining is a positive business characteristic? It doesn’t, and not only will it make you less productive but it will also bring down the people around you. I know complaining is part of human nature, but we all have the ability to complain less, especially if we are trying to be more productive in our careers. If you are a complainer, work to eliminate this habit because it could end up costing your business. No one likes to be around a complainer. Use the time you spend complaining to do more business without spending more money.

4.     Schedule time to accomplish everything on your “to do” list.

Most of us motivated business types have a “to do” list of things that we want to accomplish the next day or week. To get results, you have to turn your “to do” list into a series of appointments. Take each item or task and write it into your calendar as a scheduled appointment, just as you would do with anything else. I have been guilty of having a “to do” list that just kept getting transferred to a new list. When I started making each task into a scheduled appointment, I actually would get it done and see it through. The more tasks you can cross off your “to do” list, the more business you can do without spending more money.

by Joeann Fossland

In these challenging times, going back to basics, as many suggest, just doesn’t cut it! While many of the foundational prospecting activities are still important, most agents are finding they need to be thinking creatively and coming up with innovations and new strategies to have a business that thrives.

With every challenge, come opportunities. As I work with my clients, every year when we do the annual business planning, a review of the current challenges, trends and opportunities is a crucial part of designing a plan that will create business in the current climate. This, however, is not a yearly activity that is not monitored ongoingly. I strongly recommend a month assessment of the goals and results as well a quarterly reviews of what is working and what isn’t. Brainstorming with your mastermind group, your team or a few other agents the opportunities of today’s challenges is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.

Here are a few ideas to get you started with strategies to increase your bottom-line:

1. Challenge: Fewer buyers and sellers. Buyers are either still waiting for prices to hit bottom or buyers that cannot qualify for today’s loans. Sellers are choosing not to sell now unless they have to because of price competition with foreclosures and REOs.Opportunity: To increase business from areas that are not the traditional buyers or sellers. Consider showing your sphere of influence and others interested in sound opportunities how to invest in real estate.

   Create a group of 10 of your past clients and/or sphere to invest in properties.

   Educate your clients about the advantages of holding real estate in a self-directed IRA. If they have an ROTH IRA, they can buy and sell properties and pay NOTHING on the capital gain. One company that is a leader in this is http://www.entrustarizona.com/.  They offer regular webinars to teach you how to understand this better

2. Challenge: Many agents both are reaching retirement age and wanting to work less or have just gotten out of the business after giving it a try. Over 82% of agents don’t renew at their first renewal period. The membership in NAR has dropped from 1,4000,000 to slightly over 1,000,000 in the past few years and looks like it is still going down. I know you know people who have left the business.Opportunity: As an active agent, you can help these agents profit from the work they have done by helping them transition to being a referral agent, instead of quitting and walking away empty handed. Most of these agents didn’t have an escape plan. They don’t have a salable business. They do still have a sphere of influence and past customers and clients. You can build alliances with these people to handle their local referral business.

   The retiring agent has an elegant way to transition to a professional referral agent and you have a new stream of income from their referrals. Studies show the average person leaving the business has at least 2 people who they could refer each year.

   Contact people you know who have quit, have left or are getting ready to leave the business and offer to service the needs of their sphere. A new company www.MyGreenParachute.net has a free system to help to manage and grow this segment of your referral business.

3. Many whose homes have been repossessed are now renting instead of buying.Opportunity: To serve the needs of these renters

   · Get into property management
   · Put together investment groups to buy homes and hold as rentals
   · Do informational seminars to help people know the steps to take to rebuild their credit to be able to buy again (usually in 3 years) Helping people through their rough times is an excellent way to build loyalty for future business and for referrals.

   These suggested strategies are applicable right now to most markets. The consumer needs and the economic picture are always shifting. This exercise is one, when done regularly, will ensure that you are thinking on the cutting edge and thriving because of your innovation! Set some time right now to get together with others to find some strategies you can employ to add to your bottom-line this year!

by Dirk Zeller

If controlling time and gaining discipline to invest hours in better, higher-value activities were easy, everyone would be making big money in real estate sales. Facts prove otherwise. On average, newer agents make less than $20,000 a year. Almost certainly, the low-income statistics correlate with poor time-allocation choices.

To allocate larger amounts of time to success-generating actions, follow what I call the four Ds:

1. Decide that your time management skills, habits, and activities are going to change.

This is a challenging first step for most people. That’s because changing behavior isn’t easy, and time usage is a behavior. To avoid change, people search around for solutions that will allow them to keep doing what they’ve always done. In doing so, they waste yet more time by vacillating between the change they know they must face and the hope that they won’t have to face it.

I believe that the biggest waste of time occurs from the moment you know you need to do something and when you actually set out to do it. That’s why it’s so important to make an immediate commitment to change your time management patterns and habits. Make the decision to change today!

2. Define what needs to change. This step involves two phases. First you have to determine the specific activities that are causing you to waste time or sacrifice productivity. Then you have to figure out how you can remedy the situation.

For example, do you need to get to your office earlier each day? Does that mean you need to go to sleep earlier each night? Do you need more prospecting time or more time for lead follow-up? Does that mean that you need to turn off your cell phone to minimize distractions when you’re trying to undertake these activities?

What is barring your success?

I worked with a client a few years ago who had difficulty getting into the office early enough to begin his day. We tracked it back to the fact that he was going to bed too late to be able to reach his office consistently by 8 a.m. when he needed his day to start.

We further determined that he needed a certain amount of time in the evening to have dinner as a family, play with his children, put them to bed, and then have time with his wife before their bedtime. He needed to be home from work by a certain hour for all of this to happen efficiently and consistently for him.

Once he made the necessary changes, by coming in earlier and leaving the office on time, his income shot up dramatically. The quality of life with his children and wife skyrocketed as well — all the result of defining the problem, designing a solution, and managing time accordingly.

3. Design a time management plan. Get proactive rather than reactive. Typical day planners, Day-Timers, Franklin planners, and Palm or Blackberry devices are reactionary time management tools. They allow you to schedule time for client needs, appointments, and limited activities, but they don’t help you take control of time for your own priorities and purposes. You need to do that part on your own.

To master your time, you need to adopt a time-blocking system that dedicates predetermined periods of time to your most valuable activities. The key point is that you can’t leave your days vulnerable to the time needs of others. You must block out periods of time for your own priority activities. Otherwise, you’ll risk giving your days away to the appointment or time requests of clients and colleagues, leaving yourself no time for your own needs. No wonder so many agents feel burned out and as if are being pulled like taffy by others.

4. Just Do it! Growing up in Portland, Oregon and graduating from Beaverton High School, I lived my early life down the street from a famous company’s world headquarters and within constant earshot of the marketing slogan “Just Do It!”. Nike urged the world to take action now. I interpret their three words as a life success slogan.

Don’t wait to analyze every aspect of every problem, to design the absolutely perfect solution, and then and only then to take action. Waiting promises only unrealized income, unfulfilled potential, and limited wealth. Instead, decide what to change, define how to change, design a time management plan that allows for change, and then just do it.

by Bob Corcoran

Have you ever thought of using a satisfaction questionnaire to keep in touch with your clients? According to Businesstown.com, most unhappy customers will not complain directly to the business they are unhappy with. Instead, they will complain to everyone they know while taking their business to a competitor. To counteract this possibility, businesses are increasingly making follow-up calls or sending out satisfaction questionnaires after a sale is made. If you go to Walgreen’s, Red Lobster, or JC Penney’s, you will find a number on the receipt to call to complete a customer satisfaction survey.

You might consider sending out a survey to clients who have completed a transaction or even to prospects who have received a few months of your emails. Your questionnaire can be very simple and straightforward, and if done right, the survey can convey that you care about your service and want to improve it. This means that you may ask customers questions that can be answered by checking choices like “Very satisfied,” “Somewhat satisfied,” or “Not satisfied,” but you also offer them a chance to voice an opinion about why they made the choice.

The responses to open ended questions can offer insights about what you do right and what needs improvement. It may spotlight employees who did a great job. If you follow up on your negative or lukewarm responses, you can pave the way for repeat business or at least soften the anger of a customer who feels he was mistreated. Often, even a customer who was unsatisfied with aspects of a transaction can be pacified with a call that attempts to make things right or at least offers an apology.

Make sure you are prepared to act on negative responses. Nothing turns a customer sour faster than to complete a questionnaire voicing dissatisfaction, only to never be contacted by that company again. On the other hand, businesses who promptly follow-up and resolve customer complaints quickly are finding that those customers are more likely to do repeat business than the average customer who does not have a complaint.

by Joe Stumpf

You’re a real estate or lending professional, and as a professional, of course you thank your current or past client when they give you a referral. As you know, recognizing and reinforcing their positive behavior encourages them to repeat that behavior.

So you meet with this referral — her name is Kathryn — and she chooses you to help her buy, sell or borrow. You then call Rob, that current or past client who referred you to Kathryn, and you say…

“Rob, thank you for referring Kathryn to me. I met with her and she’s chosen to work with me. I’ll make sure Kathryn is delighted that you introduced me. And I’ll keep you posted on our progress.”

A very satisfactory conversation all around.

But, let’s say that Rob was also referred to you. What if you took things a step further, and also thanked the person who referred Rob to you? I’ll call that person Jason. Because Jason introduced you to Rob, and Rob introduced you to Kathryn, you’re actually going to call Jason to say thank you — for Kathryn:

“Jason, I just met with Kathryn and she chose to work with me. The reason I’m telling you this is because Rob introduced Kathryn to me. Thank you for introducing Rob to me, because without him, I would never have met Kathryn.”

When you receive a referral, and that referral turns into a client, and then that client refers another client, I call it a “referral chain.” And what I’m encouraging you to do is not just thank people who give you referrals, but to link your referral chain with telephone calls going back as far as the chain reaches, whether it’s one, two, five links, or even more.

Craig LaMar, a Realtor in Huntsville, Alabama, is one of many By Referral Only members who calls people in his referral chain, and he shared some recent results:

“I received an introduction from one of my past clients to a family relocating here. I previewed properties with the family, and when I got back to the office I called the referrer to thank them. Then I connected the links in my referral chain and called the person who had referred me to that past client.

“That person is looking for acreage to build (a $3,750 commission), plus he gave me the name of family member who is moving this year. I then called the next person in the referral chain, and they want me to do a CMA for their home. They said, ‘If the numbers are right, we want to make a move and take advantage of the $6,500 tax credit.’ That will be a $10,500 commission.

“So now,” says Craig (facetiously), “I have to do all this work!”

Wouldn’t you like to be doing “all this work” a well?

People refer because it makes the referring person feel good. Not to boost the business of the restaurant or movie theater or book store or whatever they’ve referred: No.

When you recommend that book or restaurant to someone and then they come back to you and rave about your recommendation, you feel good.

So, when you link your referral chains and call each person in the chain to thank them, think of it as giving them another opportunity to feel good.

And then to feel even better by giving you another referral.

by Denise Lones

Today I’d like to introduce you to a marketing guru who is a master of his craft. I myself have learned a lot from him. I’d like to share with you some of the incredible insights I have learned from this branding genius.

He is a master of attracting attention, developing a strong brand, and delivering consistent results. He is a leader, an innovator, and an example for us all.

Who is he? His name is Rudolph. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. In fact, I’m willing to bet you have. You may even know a famous song that was written about him.

Rudolph?! Denise, you’re not going to tell me youre talking about the red-nosed reindeer, are you?

Yes I am! That is precisely the Rudolph to whom I refer.

Think about it. When someone mentions Santa’s reindeer, who do you think of first? Yes, there’s Donner and Blitzen. And Comet and Vixen. And a couple of others–I can’t always remember their names.

But I ALWAYS remember Rudolph’s name. Why? Because he knows how to STAND OUT.

What does all of this have to do with real estate?

A lot.

You may not be the biggest producing agent on the block and you may not be the biggest real estate company on the block. But neither is Rudolph. In fact, he’s the smallest reindeer. But if there’s one thing the little guy understands it’s branding. EVERYBODY knows who he is.

First, he understands how to stand out visually. In a world of sameness, the only way to get noticed in a crowd is to look different. Rudolph accomplishes this with his bright red nose that lights up. Everybody sees him coming, don’t they? All the other reindeer–while maybe very good at reindeer games–all look the same. You can’t tell one from another.

But ask a kid, “Which one is Rudolph?” and a little finger picks him out immediately.

That’s the power of strong visual branding.

What are YOU doing in your business to stand out? What makes you different from everybody else? Are you just running with the pack or are you doing something that gets people to point at you and say, “Wow! That’s the person I want to call!”

Branding all starts with looking at what everybody else is doing–and then crafting your brand and your message on what is different and unique.

Take a look at some of the agents for whom we’ve created marketing materials. Each one is carefully designed to highlight what makes that agent different from everybody else. When people see those images, they are much more inclined to call–because they get a sense of WHO that person is.

Visual branding isn’t all of Rudolph’s expertise, though. The little guy is also a master of COMMUNICATION. He takes full advantage of his celebrity status. Everybody knows who he is, so he plays it up to maximum effect.

The power of branding and marketing can create a pseudo-celebrity effect for you as well. In your community, I’m willing to bet that there is no real estate agent who is known as The Vacation Home Consultant.

Picture it. Sally, “The Vacation Home Consultant”, writes articles about vacation homes–full of solid information and stunning pictures–and sends them to high-income prospects who are most likely to think about buying one. Whenever anyone mentions Sally, everybody knows what she does. She’s the local “celebrity” agent who is known for vacation homes.

What are YOU known for? When someone mentions your name in your community, does everybody recognize it and what you do?

If you communicate like Rudolph, they will.

You don’t have to have the most spectacular presence, either. You don’t need to be a runway model. You don’t need a thundering baritone voice. Little and scrawny Rudolph, with his squeaky voice–which also stands out among the voices of all the other reindeer–speaks and we listen. Heads turn.

The final lesson we can all learn from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is CONSISTENCY. He was faced with a tough choice. He could have run away from all the insults and the teasing and the “misfit” label that had been thrust on him.

But no.

To Rudolph, the mission was too important. Christmas had to be saved. Santa had to deliver the presents to all the deserving boys and girls around the world. It was time to put aside personal problems and truly dedicate himself to the task at hand.

Now, every year like clockwork, Rudolph is there leading the other reindeer as they travel the world with Santa shouting, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” He is CONSISTENT. He does what he says he’s going to do–and he keeps on doing it.

Consistency breeds trust. If you’re the agent who declares that you’re the first-time homebuyer expert but then a few months later you’re just another ordinary agent without a specialty, then how can anyone trust you? You came out to the world announcing one thing and then you weren’t consistent with it.

Successful agents, like Rudolph, are consistent in what they do every day, every month, and every year.

So, I hope you enjoyed the lessons of this master marketer. Every time you hear the classic song this holiday season, I want you to ask yourself, “Am I marketing like Rudolph?”

If you do, you will stand out–and you will lead your business to success.

by Maya Bailey

Now more than any other time in our recent history is as important that we find ways to stay positive no matter what. Your success depends on your mindset, not on the economy or on the marketplace. How do I know this to be a fact? I’ve interviewed hundreds of top producing sales people all over the USA and Canada, and when I asked them the secret to their success, unquestionably and without a doubt and independent of each other, they all said the same thing, “My mindset.”

These are top producing sales people that have been in the business for 10, 20, or even 30 years. They’ve been through up times, down times, and all kinds of different markets, and they said without a doubt it was their mindset .When times get tough, people start to look outside of themselves for answers and what they really need to do is look inside themselves and ask themselves the question, “How can I stay positive, how can I stay hopeful, how can I stay optimistic?” And this article will provide you with some tools to make it easier to be in a positive mindset no matter what.

The first tool is to really stop watching, or listening, or reading the news. The news is based on negativity. The news amplifies fear and negativity in order to capture more listeners, more readers, and more viewers. The media is a business like anything else and there’s a saying called, “If it bleeds, it reads.” So the more scared they can make people, the more people will buy more newspapers to find out what’s going to happen, or turn on the TV more, or in some way stay fixated because they’re in fear, they stay fixated on what the media is telling them.

The second tool is stop being around negative people. Your colleagues are going to want to constantly come up and talk to you and tell you how bad it is. Maybe your clients or prospective clients are going say to you on the phone how bad it is, and even friends will do the same thing. You will go through a day and everybody will want to tell you how negative it is. Here are my suggestions. First, avoid those kinds of people that are negative and second, if you’re stuck with them in an elevator or your car, I suggest you do what a former client of mine does. When the other person is talking negatively, my client just tunes them out and just says, “Well that may be true for you, but that’s not true for me.” It’s like an inner mantra “It may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” You’re creating your own inner environment.

The third tool is a technique that I’ve used with my clients this past 12 years as a successful business coach. It’s a very powerful tool called The Stop Technique, and there are 3 steps to it. The first step is just called Stop. The way it works is that if you start to notice your mind going in a negative direction such as, “Oh I can’t succeed in today’s economy. Oh I just don’t have what it takes to be successful or to make money. I have to work really hard and struggle and sacrifice.” Any of those negative thoughts that will bring your energy down, your job is simply to catch those as early as you can in the beginning and say, “Stop.” Take a deep breath, and then put in a positive new thought.

You can put in your choice of however many positive new thoughts you have ready in your arsenal. If some of your negative statements are about yourself like, “I’m not good enough, or I’m not smart enough, or I’m not experienced enough,” or whatever those kind of disproving thoughts, I would say a really good generic thought to put in, an empowered belief to put in is, “I love and approve of myself unconditionally.” That takes care of those self-judgmental statements. Another kind of self-limiting belief is something that you continually tell yourself, “Oh well, to succeed I’m going to have to really struggle, and sacrifice, and stress out, and work hard, and then I won’t have a life.” If that’s been your primary belief then you put a stop on that when you hear it coming, and in inside you’re saying to yourself, “I’m not going there. I’m not going there.” You take a deep breath and positive new thought could be, “I’m committed to working smarter, not harder.”

One of the things that are great about this technique is that it really forces you to become aware of what you’re thinking from moment to moment, and it’s what you’re thinking from moment to moment that will create a negative or positive mindset. If you’re continually thinking negative thoughts either about yourself, or the market, or about money, or any of that, then guess what, you’re going real fast into a negative mindset. Then what happens is what you believe tends to come true, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. For example if you tell yourself, “I don’t have what it takes to succeed in today’s market,” and you tell yourself that over, and over, and over again, your thoughts will create your reality and then you’ll find that you don’t have what it takes.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, either way you’re right.” The way to create a positive mindset is to continue to bring your thoughts back to, “I can do it.” You need to have unwavering faith in your ability to be successful. The way you do that is to retrain your mind. The stop technique is the most powerful technique for retraining your mind, but you may have to use it a few hundred times a day at the beginning. Your mind has been going down that negative track in an undisciplined way for a long time and like wild horses that have been all over the place, you now have to reign them in and that is going to require a lot of vigilance at the beginning.

by Joe Stumpf

Here’s an interesting statistic: 50% of all real estate leads are never followed up. That means people are asking for things and they never hear back from anyone.

How about you? Are you generating real estate leads from your Web site and/or expensive print ads, but then following up gets pushed down your to-do list because of your crazy schedule, and then further down, and further down, until those leads end up languishing under a stack of paperwork? Then the stack gets moved from your desk…to a chair…and then maybe filed on the floor. By the time you get around to resurrecting the leads they’ve gone way cold. No point in contacting any of them now, right?

Wrong.

About six weeks ago I was talking to Diane Cardano, a Realtor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She and her team of six buyer specialists are great at generating leads, and consistent about following up with their email drip campaign. Unfortunately, this tried-and-true strategy that had worked well in the past wasn’t working so well anymore. As Diane put it, “Things were really slowing down. We had all these leads, but nobody was committing to come into the office.”

I gave Diane an easy follow-up strategy that we’ve tested and proven to work regardless of whether the lead is cold or fairly recent. I call it the “Nine-Word Email.” Here it is:

• Email subject line: Lead’s First Name
• Email message: Are you still looking for a home in ___________?

That’s it — nine words.

Diane and her team got the city or area from the information their leads had put in their search parameters. Then they started sending the emails, and in just two weeks this strategy brought them five new buyers. Plus, they heard from additional people who said they’d be looking a few months down the road, and to please keep in touch.

Now, it’s OK if you’re skeptical — Diane was, too. When she called me to share her results, she confessed that she’d thought, “Of course this can’t work — it’s way too easy.”

Diane also ‘fessed up that putting just the lead’s first name in the subject line was contrary to everything she believed an email should be; that is, putting your whole life story in the subject line and then your whole life story again in the email.

That’s that tried-and-true strategy I mentioned earlier.

So, here it is again: The formula that brought Diane and her team five buyers in just two weeks:

• Email subject line: Lead’s First Name
• Email message: Are you still looking for a home in ___________?

That’s it — nine words.

Include your contact information, of course.

And of course, don’t send your emails unless you’re committed to following through and ready to meet prospective buyers now, and add future buyers to your pipeline.

And no more floor filing, OK?

by Joe Stumpf

I read a fascinating article in Scientific American that dealt with the “secrets of expert minds.” It started me thinking about the relationship between an entrepreneur and his client. Basically, clients are in search of someone with expertise. They need your expertise in consulting, they need your expertise in negotiating, and they need your expertise in overseeing all the transactional details. So if people seek expertise, then your primary goal should be to become a true expert in your profession.

The article discussed the Grand Master’s strategy in the game of chess. To achieve Grand Master status, a chess player must become one of the finest in the world. When chess players begin playing, however, they all start out at the same level, and it takes about five years of constant playing to develop the mental acumen to play the game comfortably on an automatic level of expertise.

At that point, things change. Players begin developing a new skill, one of learning something new every day. They gain a new perspective, a new insight. This lasts for another five to eight years, so after 10 or more years of constant effort, they’ve built a repertoire of over 100,000 possibilities.

At this level of expertise, the Grand Master can simply glance at any chess game in progress and almost automatically identify the best next moves.

Most agents in their early years in the real estate industry are learning the basic moves. You learned how to handle some common objections and you developed a discipline to handle basic problems. You did many things for the first time, and each of these added to the breadth of your experience. After five years, you begin to get the feeling that you’ve seen it all, done it all, and you begin to feel comfortable and secure in your profession; you consider yourself a true expert. That’s a critical point in your business: You either stop learning and go stagnant, or you take the next step toward becoming a Grand Master.

The best in the business don’t stop. They develop a new mindset, and that mindset is “I’m just getting started.” And from there, the expert mind begins developing those 100,000 possibilities for looking at any situation, automatically. Each day begins with the affirmation, “I commit to learning a new move today.” And at the end of each day, a Grand Master reviews that new learning, lodging it firmly in memory so the experience is ready for use the next day.

Imagine sitting down with clients and listening to their unique circumstances. As you listen, their scenario unfolds as if it’s on a game board with pieces you’ve played hundreds of times. As you listen, you see all the moves, the counter moves, and the counter-counter moves instantly, and you can give your clients the best advice immediately. You can do this because you have a wealth of learning that’s contributed to your expertise.

And the secret is, after five years, you are just getting started. So each and every day, commit to learning something new in your expertise area, keeping in mind that even something subtle can be significant. It’s important to recognize that only a handful of people are willing to make the commitment to becoming Grand Masters at consulting, negotiating, and overseeing transactional details. If you’re now at that point in your career, now is the time to start learning the things you don’t know that you don’t know.

Two ways to begin are to start reading, and to start studying successful people. What you gain from reading is obvious — textbook knowledge from expert practitioners and leaders in their fields. You don’t need to focus on an author in your field; many people write books about skills that transfer easily from profession to profession. Here are my Top Three suggested books for Grand Masters:

• Value-Based Selling by Bill Bachrach
• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

And, by studying and internalizing the successful habits of others, you can take yourself and your business to the next level.

The true experts in our industry are continuing to have their best year ever, despite the challenges in the market. And they’re doing this because they’ve committed themselves to learning something new every single day so they have 100,000 possibilities for anything they encounter. Those with less expertise are struggling to weather the storm.

Now is the time to concentrate on becoming a Grand Master in this market. Start reading. Start studying successful individuals in all walks of life. Learn, adjust, and adapt.

by James Crumbaugh III

The Perfect Storm descended upon our industry a little over 3 years ago, and still continues to rage, although to a lesser degree. The waters are still turbulent.

However at Allison James Estates and Homes we have the storm jib deployed, the jack lines secured, our foul weather gear on and we’re sailing through the storm.

This is what every Realtor and every brokerage that has survived for the past three years has done. They’ve battened down the hatches and plowed through those turbulent waters. There are times when you have to sail into the wind. My wife and I had to sail into the wind one night in 1996, 100 miles off the coast of Baja Mexico in 35 knot winds. Those are the times in life that you man up and survive, or give up.

I’m seeing a lot of people give up right now. Not just in our industry but in spirit and with their goals. Some of these people surprise me that they have given up. At one point they were confident, strong and successful people, and they have been reduced to frail, whining shadows of their former selves. I feel for them, but they have to stand on their own two feet.

With that said I’ll address what these individuals in our industry need to do to get back on their feet, regain their confidence and survive the storm.

First: Quit blaming everyone else. This includes the government, the industry, the banks not lending, everyone. You can’t change those things. What you can change is yourself. If I can give some overly simplistic advice, go buy the book “Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and read it. Recently I had a good friend ask me if I had ever read it. I shared with that friend that not only had I read it, but I carried it in my briefcase for probably 20 years and read it almost daily till it finally just fell apart. I implemented those teachings into my life and to this day I am a very strong goal setter. Every day I look at my goals; several times a day. I have pictures of my goals, my passwords reflect my goals. If nothing else try this. Confirm to yourself several times a day that you are successful and you will achieve your goals.

Two: Get back to the basics. As many of you know I’m a big Social Media guy but Social Media is just another tool. It won’t change your life without the basics. The basics in our industry have always been to go out and secure listings. Go out in your neighborhood like we used to. Bring that smile you get from reading “Think And Grow Rich” to every door. I think everyone in the country right now has a sour attitude. What a pleasant surprise you’ll be to your neighbors when they find a hopeful and positive Realtor.

Three: Make 10 WHO DO calls a day to your sphere of influence. A WHO DO call is when you speak to someone about Real Estate you ask WHO DO YOU KNOW that may want to buy or sell Real Estate. As I taught my Realtors over the years, 10 WHO DO’s a day will make you successful, 20 WHO DO’s a day will make you wealthy.

I know these ideas will be laughed at by many, because we are so much more sophisticated today. But you know what? We do these things at the corporate office of Allison James Estates and Homes every day and in the last 2 ½ years since we opened our doors we have grown from just myself to a presence in 11 states with two new states about to open, and have recruited over 400 Realtors while most other companies have shrunk or disappeared.

Positive and simple has made us successful.

by Mike Brooks

 I’m big on the 80/20 rule in sales. I see it in every company and industry I work in, and, as many of you know, I’ve dedicated myself to helping sales reps and companies elevate their skills and techniques, so they can start producing sales and income like the top 20% of sales reps do. Often I get asked just what the top 20% make in actual income, and today I can tell you…

The Associated Press, quoting figures released from the recent Census Bureau report, published an article last week revealing what the top-earning 20% of Americans make in income. They found that the top 20% of all Americans earn over $100,000 in income. While that’s interesting in and of itself, what even more important is that the top 20% are also receiving over 50% of all the income earned in the country.

Now that’s BIG. Obviously, what this means is that the other 80% of income earners are splitting up the remaining 50%. That’s a big disparity and it tells us that the top 20% not only make most of the money in the country, but that they have a much bigger piece of the pie to split up.

While being a top 20% producer and income earner is obviously a nice place to be, the next question I get is, “How do I get there?” The answer to that question might surprise you. Most sales reps I ask about this usually point to all the wrong things. They point to outside things like:

• If the leads were better, or
• If the economy was better, or
• If I had a better product, or price, or company or training….

Here’s the real truth – the only thing that is holding you back, or will ever hold you back, is your own belief in what you think you deserve. In other words, your consciousness or comfort zone. The real cause of your income, your health, your outside anything, is the image or picture you hold of them in your consciousness.

The universal truth is that: What you hold in your mind’s eye is always manifested out. One of my favorite authors, Dr. Robert Anthony puts it perfectly in his book, “The Advanced Formula for Total Success”:

“Your ability to accept (financial success) is determined by your consciousness. We all know people who have more money than they know what to do with, and we all know many people who never have enough. Why the difference? If a person who has virtually nothing is given a large sum of money, within a very short time that person will have nothing again. If we divided all the money in the world equally, in a short time the rich would be rich again, and the poor would be poor.

Many people think that if they could just get their hands on a large sum of money, they would be set for the rest of their lives. This is absolutely not true. Surveys have shown that people who receive large sums of money without working for them — those who won lotteries, or inherited wealth, for example — almost always find themselves back to their original financial level within two years of their windfall. They think that if they had money, they would pay their bills, get out of debt and start anew. But that very seldom happens. Over ninety percent of the people who win large sums of money eventually end up with no more money than they had before their winnings. Their standard of life does not increase and it is in many cases lowered because of their excess spending. The point here is that if you have a poverty consciousness or a consciousness of lack and limitation, you will literally spend yourself into poverty. If you find yourself with too much money, you will spend whenever you have in order to get back to your comfort zone.

Take all the money away from a person, who is a millionaire — one who has the consciousness of the millionaire today — and within a short time he or she will be a millionaire again. Riches start from the mind, not your pocketbook, bank account or investment. The bank account and investments are the effects, not the cause. The cause is always an idea or belief. A person is not rich because they have money. They have money because they are rich in consciousness. They believe that they are rich. Again, this is the reason that the rich will always get richer and the poor will always stay poor until they change their consciousness.”

So if you would like to become one of the top 20% earners in America, then you don’t need to change jobs, careers, or anything else “outside” of you. You just have to change the image you have of yourself and become rich in your consciousness first. That is the real secret to your success.

by Sean Carpenter

“Doctor, Make Me Feel Better….Just Don’t Do It Too Quickly”

Can you imagine ever saying this to someone in the medical profession as you’re writhing in pain on the gurney in the ER?

Would you ever tell your attorney, “take your time getting me out of jail and proving my innocence? I want the District Attorney to come to that conclusion on his own and come down here and let me out personally.”?

I am guessing that you are shaking your head, right?

I heard a disturbing story from one of our associates yesterday. Let me know if you’ve heard this before or had it happen to you.

Please Tell Me You’re Making This Up

A Seller had recently received an offer on their new listing. It wasn’t a full priced offer but in today’s market, it was a very good offer. It was a border-line “acceptable with no counter offer” kind of offer.

Sadly, the Seller felt that the house must be underpriced and decided to not reply to the offer. It seems that the Seller felt that any offer coming in that quickly after placing the home on the market should have been at full price or perhaps even higher. The Seller feels that they will certainly get higher offers.

When (and if) this home finally sells, I wonder if the Seller will be upset if the future buyers don’t leave them a tip on the table after the closing too? You know, for all the hard work and kindness they showed.

Is Your Best Offer Your First Offer?

Many agents have said this to their clients, especially when negotiating an offer. I don’t think there is anything that can definitively prove this is true but experience tells us that offers usually don’t get higher the longer a home stays on the market, right?

The longer a home is listed, the more potential buyers will begin to question it’s perception of value. The lower the perception of value, the lower the demand for that home. Add to that an increasing supply of inventory and that’s not a good recipe for the market value of that specific home ever going up in value.

Three Questions from Buyers

• When a home hits the market, has great curb appeal, shows well and is positioned properly on the pricing scale, the buyers that walk through the door (having seen all the other competing homes on the market) will most likely ask themselves or their Realtor, “What’s it going to take to get this house?” That is the kind of reaction every Seller should be aiming from the day they put their house on the market.
• After a house has been on the market for a month or two, the slowly dying stream of buyers begin to ask, “I wonder how much the Sellers would come down from their asking price?” There doesn’t seem to be urgency on either side of the table with the Buyers not encouraged to submit a “test” offer and the Sellers are just standing their ground.
• Once a home has been on the market for more than three months (sometimes less depending on the local markets) the main question out of their mouths will be “what do you think is wrong with it?”

Address It Up Front

Here’s a quick and easy way to avoid the issue that came up with the unfortunate Realtor and his unrealistic Seller from the top of this post. Ask the Sellers during your initial marketing presentation or interview, “If I was able to sell your home in 30 days or less, would that pose a problem for you?” You’re not saying you guarantee it will be sold and you’re not even saying it will be sold at all. You’re just trying to find out if that would pose a problem to the Sellers.

Most Sellers would say “No, that would be great,” or “Wow! Do you really think we could have an offer that quickly?” And while it’s true that some might say “I would think that meant that we underpriced it, right?” at least you would have a chance to educate them on the customs of your local market, current statistics (such as list/sale ratio vs. days on the market) and their options when negotiating offers.

You could even address the three “questions” Buyers will be asking during the Selling process. Ask them if they went through those phases when they purchased the house they are now selling.

You Can’t Answer Someone’s Prayers Until You Know What They Are Praying For

Under the same logic, it’s hard to exceed your clients expectations when you don’t even know what they expect. Use the pre-listing process to set expectations of the market, how it functions and what everyone’s role will be – before the home hits the market, during the listing period, after a successful contract has been negotiated and all the way through the successful management and closing of the transaction.

Let me ask you, if you were able to work with Sellers who were better prepared for all the scenarios that could occur, “Would that pose a problem for you?”

by Mike Brooks

 Ever had a client or prospect never get back to you?

Because you’re in sales, then I know it’s happened to you (or is happening with several of your clients or prospects right now!).

If you ever find yourself in a place where you’ve qualified a prospect, sent them information, then find that they just won’t return your calls or emails, then I’ve got a guaranteed email that will get you a response.

In fact, don’t take my word for it. Check out this word for word email I received a couple of weeks from one of my readers who used this technique himself:

“Mike, just wanted to drop you a note and say thanks. Just one tip I took from you about your ‘guaranteed email’ worked so well I needed to say thanks.

‘Should I stay or should I go’

I had a 30% response from a group of prospects I could not get on the phone a second time and did not want to chase. It worked like a charm and of the 42 responses I picked up 2 sales I would not have gotten otherwise. I also made several people smile that day.

Thanks again for the technique! – Eric K.”

You’re welcome, Eric!

OK, so if you’re ready to learn and use this technique, here it is:

(Note: this email technique was one I learned last summer when I spoke at the L.A. Chapter of the AA-ISP. One of the participants shared it with us and I’ve been passing it along ever since!)

Subject of your email: “Should I stay or Should I go?”

“_________ While I’ve tried to reach you, I haven’t heard back from you and that tells me one of three things:

1) You’ve already chosen another company for this and if that’s the case please let me know so can I stop bothering you,

2) You’re still interested but haven’t had the time to get back to me yet

3) You’ve fallen and can’t get up and in that case please let me know and I’ll call 911 for you…

Please let me know which one it is because I’m starting to worry…

Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing back from you.”

Is that great or what??

This works on so many levels including using a “Clash” song everyone can relate to in the subject line, to giving them options and an out in case they’ve decided not to work with you.

And, of course, you give people a reason to smile and that always relieves the pressure from the sales situation.

Use it this week and see for yourself how it works to get your prospects to get back with you and how it gets you deals.