prospecting: "Getting Lucky in Real Estate" - a Free SWS Teleseminar
- 03/06/12 08:48 PM
Last fall, I was talking with an agent about our coaching program here at SWS. She was interested in hiring me to help her work through some of her business-related challenges such as choosing a contact management system, creating and implementing transaction checklists, setting goals; basically just getting better organized and in control of her day-to-day activities.
Sounded good to me - I LOVE that stuff and fancy myself an expert in such matters. But out of curiosity, I asked her why she hadn't mentioned needing help in her business-building (i.e. prospecting) efforts and she said something like: "I suppose … (4 comments)
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prospecting: 80/20 Prospecting/Service Model? Let's turn that around... Can I interest you in a 20/80 model?
- 12/06/11 06:26 AM
THANK YOU THANK YOU AR Gods for featuring my little rant last week about whether or not an 80/20% business model (where 80% of one's time is devoted to prospecting and 20% devoted to client care) is a wise course to take in a real estate career. I can't say enough how encouraging it was to hear so many commenters jump on the "clients-first" bandwagon, proclaiming that while they acknowledge prospecting for new clients must be done, it should NOT be done at the expense of one's current clients!
Yay!
In the original blog, I promised to return with some more … (10 comments)
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prospecting: How Do You Think Your Current (and Future) Clients Might Feel About Your 80/20 Plan?
- 11/28/11 11:14 PM
There was a featured blog here in the Rain a few weeks ago advising agents to devote 80% of their time prospecting for new business and 20% dealing with current business (i.e. active buyers and sellers). This isn't the first time we've seen this advice and it won't be the last; in fact, most Big Name training programs proclaim that a real estate agent's primary job is to prospect; that agents should vigorously resist the temptation to abandon their daily prospecting when clients call with pesky, administrative, non-income-producing problems to solve.
But I can't help but wonder... If a real estate agent's primary job … (96 comments)
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prospecting: Who Sez You're Not Good Enough? And Why Are You Paying to Hear it?
- 11/21/11 11:12 PM
I’d already been rather distressed this last week about something - and the timing is unfortunate because I have so many other things to do besides rant and rave and whine and fuss about my Issue du Jour (or du Week?) ... and then I saw Leslie Ebersole's excellent featured blog called "Mocking Me Won't Make Me Buy" and was inspired to put my rantings and ravings and fussings on "paper."
In the last 7 days, I’ve received no fewer than 12 emails or calls from real estate agents who are frustrated with the messages they’re getting from their high-priced … (33 comments)
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prospecting: An Easy Way to Double Your Real Estate Business Every Year
- 10/10/11 01:13 AM
So... whatcha' thinking I might be thinking here? More lunch dates? More blogs? More Facebook, Twittering or Linking In? Or, egads, more cold-calling, door-knocking or referral-begging?
Nope.
Here's a reeeeal easy way to double your business every single year.
EARN one referral from every single client.
If every buyer and seller you serve, every year, were to send just one buyer or seller your way in the twelve months following your time together, you'd double your business, wouldn't you? And of course, if your buyer or seller is that tickled with you that they'll send one person your way, I'm guessing … (23 comments)
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prospecting: "Choosing the Perfect Prospecting Strategies for YOU" Free Teleseminar at SWS
- 03/29/11 03:54 AM
If things go as planned, my next book will be released sometime in late April... so this week's show is a sneak preview of what's in that book and, frankly, a little pre-release marketing to boost pre-sales! (How's that for transparent?)
As the title implies, we're going to talk about choosing the right prospecting methods for you - or, as the subtitle of my book promises "Discovering the Perfect Prospecting Strategies for Wonderful, Extraordinary, One-of-a-Kind YOU." Because you ARE wonderful, you ARE extraordinary and you ARE one-of-a-kind! And your approach to building your business should reflect that.
Because you know what? You CAN … (6 comments)
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prospecting: The More People Who KNOW You, Like You and Trust You, the More Real Estate You Will Sell (Part 1)
- 02/10/11 12:47 AM
The More People Who Know You, Like You and Trust You, the More Real Estate You Will Sell
Ever heard this sweet little ditty? Sure you have, or some version of it. Perhaps you've heard the version that goes "People buy from those they know, like and trust;" Bob Burg made this statement in Endless Referrals, and my good friend Dennis Giannetti refers to it as the "KLT" Principle.
Neato Frito. We're probably all in agreement that the KLT Principle is true.
But let's say it again - out loud:
"The more people who know me and like me and … (22 comments)
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prospecting: Self-Promotion for Real Estate Agents: "I Wanna Get My Name Out There!"
- 12/27/10 11:45 PM
"What's the best way to get my name out there?"
I hear this question a lot. Agents, particularly newer ones, ask it wanting to know how they can best spread the word that they're open for business.
Usually, they're looking for advice on the best places to advertise - should they take out an ad in the newspaper? Issue a press release? Buy a promotional panel on the side of a bus or a magnet for their car? Or maybe they've been offered a great "opportunity" to include their personal brochure in a neighborhood mailer or door-hanging promotion. One guy wanted to know if he … (33 comments)
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prospecting: Looking for Love... or Clients? Here's One Approach (not)...
- 12/13/10 11:22 PM
A few months ago, I saw a post on a real estate forum that made me LOL. ROTLMAO actually. And ask myself - seriously? Seriously?
The thread was extolling the virtues of high-octane cold-calling. Serious cold-calling. Cold-calling to the tune of several hundred (yes, hundred) calls a day (yes, a day). Proponents of the method regaled the rest of us with their stories of successes; of listing appointments won and offers accepted and deals closed.
A few brave souls (myself included) tried to introduce alternatives to high-octane cold-calling for those who might not be as comfortable disrupting hundreds of unwilling phone-answers … (38 comments)
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prospecting: So, How Often DOES Your SOI Need to Hear From You? Part II (of...?)
- 10/15/10 12:44 AM
Thanks for all the great feedback from the last blog on the topic of how often your Sphere of Influence (SOI) “needs” to be reminded that you sell real estate! I had my follow-up all ready to go in my head, but many of the comments made me back up a little bit and think some more. I like it when that happens.
(Before I continue, let me say that if something is working for you and you’re happy with your results, don’t change a thing. Even if what I say next is completely contrary to your way of doing things … (42 comments)
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prospecting: How Often Do You Need to "Remind" Your Sphere of Influence that You Sell Real Estate?
- 10/12/10 01:24 AM
Had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine the other day. I was telling him about my recent Go-Giver Chronicles and interactions with Bob Burg (co-author of The Go-Giver). My friend mentioned that his first real estate agent helped him find a rental house when he moved to the area, free of charge. Just helped him. No compensation, no contracts, no obligation. Just helpful help.
So, my friend continued, when it came time for him to purchase a home in the area, he called up the agent and hired him to be his buyer agent. His point was that because the … (98 comments)
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prospecting: Would you rather annoy 30,000 or impress 300?
- 09/20/10 11:59 PM
If you hang out here much, you know how I feel about the traditional numbers game of prospecting, specifically cold-calling.
Blech.
A business model based on being rejected far more often than you're welcomed and calling it a game?
Blech.
I don't think anyone who cold-calls imagines that his or her calls are welcomed by the majority of the voices on the other end of those telephone lines. When you commit to a cold-calling business-building strategy, you have to acknowledge that you will annoy a lot of people. But that's okay, they say, because the end justifies the means. It's okay to … (100 comments)
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prospecting: "I'll Take Great Care of Your Business" versus "I Need Your Business!"
- 09/09/10 01:22 AM
Yesterday I promised to follow up on my blog "You Gotta Ask for What You Want, Right? Eh, not always."
I ended the blog with the assignment to read thru some of the more popular Referral-Begging scripts, and then say them out loud. To refresh your memory, here they are:
"Do you know anyone who needs to buy or sell real estate?" "Do you know anyone moving to my area who could use my services?" "I build my business by referral; will you please keep me in mind if you hear of anyone buying or selling?" "I'm never too busy for … (14 comments)
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prospecting: You Gotta Ask for What You Want, Right? Eh... not always
- 09/08/10 12:22 AM
On one of my recent (featured - thank you!) blogs about referral-begging, the comment was made "If you don't ask, you don't get" in relation to calling up your sphere of influence (or even strangers) and asking if they know anyone to refer to you. In case you don't already know my opinion on the matter, I think that's a really stupid way to prospect.
As Dave Ramsey sez, "Hope I wasn't unclear."
Of course it's true that in many situations, you must ask for what you want to have any chance of getting what you want. If you would … (19 comments)
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prospecting: What Does it Mean to Prospect with Soul (or conversely, to Prospect withOUT Soul)?
- 08/30/10 08:52 AM
Prospecting with Soul... that's the name of a six-week Workshop I'm hosting that kicks off September 13th and goes through the end of October. And yes, there's a cost to participate and I suppose by writing this blog, I'm hoping you'll be interested enough in the Workshop that you'll consider participating. But that's totally up to you (well, duh, Jennifer, of course it is) - I won't be pushing or pitching it on you; if it's right for you, you'll know it.
Anyway, what do I mean by "Prospecting with Soul?"
Those who know me know that I'm not an airy-fairy, new-agey, karma-obsessed … (14 comments)
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prospecting: 41 Listings in 30 Days? Let's do that math...
- 07/09/10 12:25 AM
Following up on yesterday's blog about making sure your prospecting goals are compatible with your business model (in a nut, don't set goals that will force you to sacrifice your quality of service, if providing quality service is important to you)...
The agent who inspired yesterday's blog is following a popular prospecting program that's making the rounds these days. It encourages agents to spend so many hours every day doing X (basically, some form of cold or warm prospecting), with the goal of reaching Y number of prospects every day, with the ultimate goal of securing as many new clients as possible … (31 comments)
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prospecting: 35 Listings in 90 Days? Do Your Goals Support Your Business Model?
- 07/07/10 02:00 AM
Just got off the phone with an ambitious newer real estate agent who is all fired up about selling some real estate. Some serious real estate. He has a plan. He's committed to this plan. He's passionate about his plan. He WILL meet his goal or die trying.
His goal? To have 35 listings in the next 90 days.
Impressive. And given his enthusiasm and commitment, I think he can do it.
But should he?
This agent is a follower of SWS which means, among other things, that he is committed to being the best thing that could ever happen … (200 comments)
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prospecting: "What Does it MEAN to Get Business from the Internet?"
- 02/11/10 11:29 PM
What does it mean to "get business from the Internet?"
I dunno. I've never really done it, as a real estate agent anyway. Oh, sure, I get a hit every now and again from my (nearly abandoned) real estate blog, my Facebook page, and my www.CharmingOldDenver.com site, but it's certainly nothing I could live on.
I've half-heartedly experimented with various online lead generation systems and tools ($1800 here, $275 there) and haven't seen squat for my efforts or dollars. So, when I hear agents claim that they get "most of their business online," I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical... and admittedly a … (42 comments)
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prospecting: NO! Sending out "Cheese" Is NOT "Better than Nothing" - at least when it comes to your Sphere of Influence
- 01/28/10 11:04 PM
At the end of last year, I went on a rampage about cheese. Not the edible kind (heavens, no!), but rather, the prospecting variety. As in, promoting yourself with dorky, pitchy, predictable material that you bought off the shelf or copied and pasted from some free online resource (or egads, maybe you even paid for the krap!). Y'know. Prospecting cheese.
It is my opinion that if you're going to spend your time and your money promoting yourself to your adoring fans, it's far more effective if you actually create the material yourself to ensure that it's not dorky, cheesy or boring. … (23 comments)
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prospecting: A Perfectly Reasonable "Excuse" Not to Cold-Call!
- 01/26/10 11:07 PM
I'm doing a little one-on-one consulting with a relatively new agent (who's gonna ROCK!) in Denver. We have similar personalities when it comes to our feelings about prospecting and business-building, so our conversations about prospecting always lead to some interesting A-HA moments for both of us.
Anyway, yesterday, my agent friend told me about a conversation he had with a like-minded career coach - one who specializes in matching personality types with business-building strategies. According to this coach (and my friend's score on the MBTI), my friend is capable of cold-calling and door-knocking for business, and he might even be rather good … (91 comments)
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