Why do sales people fail, survive or thrive is a question I hear more often in the one-on-ones conducted with sales people in our office lately.  In real estate there are several factors that make up the answer.  The top producers in the business take each one of these tips to heart and work them to the best of their ability day in and day out consistently which helps them attain high levels of productivity and success.  Let’s review what is important to take you to the next level and what you need to avoid to become a sales failure:

Ø  The number one issue is lead generation.  They don’t do enough prospecting, networking or whatever it takes to get in front of people looking to buy or sell your product.  Without someone to sell to, there will be no income generated.  All of the knowledge in the world is useless if you have no one to communicate it to.  Get busy getting clients. 

Ø  Next is they can’t communicate their value proposition clearly enough to their client or potential clients.  Develop an elevator speech to build your value proposition around to becoming a success.

Ø  Also, they don’t know the inventory or preview homes which prevent them from keeping their finger on the pulse of the market and being able to communicate with someone a good deal when asked.

Ø  Additionally, they don’t have systems in place for success.  It is critical to have systems for prospecting, following up, following through, handling internet leads, or getting a sale to settlement.  If systems are in place, they are antiquated.  Get busy streamlining your systems to make yourself more efficient.

Ø  They don’t seek out coaching or accountability.  It is so important to ask for guidance, help, and direction so you can grow you business.  Taking counsel from your self can only get you so far.  You need to have someone with experience to bounce ideas off, help hold you accountable and give you advice to get you to the next level.

Ø  Salespeople who fail don’t further their education.  They don’t complete their continuing education, attend trainings or seminars, or obtain designations which are an integral part of success.  On the job training will only get you so far in this business.  Remember, when you stop learning you stop earning.

Ø  Because of the aforementioned items, they have difficulty understanding market trends.  Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market and why is so important.  They don’t know their own numbers, their company’s numbers, numbers relating to the marketplace, their competition’s numbers, etc. so it makes it difficult to give the right advice when buying or selling a home.

Ø  They fail to have proper database management.  Who is good, who needs to be deleted and most importantly, who to add to their sphere is paramount to success.

Ø  The communication level and message sent to their clients, sphere, and other agents will help ensure success.  How frequently, what is communicated, and when is it communicated sets top producing agents apart from the rest of the crowd.

Ø  Practice, practice, practice.  Either they don’t have or don’t rehearse scripts.  Get a partner and rehearse over coming common objections, listing presentations, buyer presentations, etc.  Video these meetings and critique your performance.  If you haven’t done homework how will you graduate to the next level?

Ø  They don’t have a business plan.  If you don’t have a plan, how will you know what your priorities are for your day?  How will you know what you want to accomplish?  The importance of a business plan cannot be overlooked and must be taken from your head and put on paper.

Ø  The right attitude is so important and top producers have the proper attitude.  Have a can do, positive attitude each and every day.  We all have set backs in life but it is how you approach and respond to these situations that set you apart from others in the field. 

Ø  Salespeople who fail lack taking responsibility for themselves and their actions.  It is the market, interest rates and loan programs, their clients just don’t get it, the weather, or so many more.  Take responsibility for your lack of productivity by implementing the right strategies previously mentioned in this blog.

Ø  They don’t manage their time well.  They put out fires consistently, don’t prioritize their activities and the day passes them by too often.  You must work each day to be intentional in your efforts.  Use your time wisely.  Block out time to get your most important things done without interruption.  Everyone has the same amount of time every day, it is how you use it that separates the good from the great.

You can see why it is easy to fail, there are so many areas of relevance and importance.  They are all intertwined and relate to each other on many levels.  If you take the time to analyze what you are doing in each area and improve daily in them, you will take your career to new heights.  Challenge yourself to improve and the results will follow.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!