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Make an Impact!

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The question arises often.  How do you make an impact in life, on others, or in your business?  There are several components to having an impact on others – be an excellent listener, be charitable with your time, efforts and knowledge, and create inspiration in others to achieve more for themselves.  To impact others, you must lead an intentional life and leave a lasting impression upon them that encourages them to change themselves, positively.  Let’s look at the makeup of the word impact.

Intelligence.  Gain as much information and knowledge in your chosen field as you possibly can.  Read books, newsletters, solicit information from others, attend seminars, trainings, and just get involved.  The more you know, the more you grow and the more you can contribute to others to help others them succeed.  Through gaining intelligence and sharing your knowledge with others are the first steps to having an impact on others.

Motivation and inspiration are key to all aspects of a life worth living.  You must be motivated to achieve more for yourself and push yourself.  Have the desire to want more and the discipline to achieve more so when others see you in action, your determination and results motivate them to want to succeed.  Do the right things and say the right things and you will have an impact.

Positive attitudes are contagious.  Your outlook on each day, what you say and how you say it leave a lasting impression on others so make it positive.  By finding opportunities with challenging situations, communicating the “learning” experience in mistakes, conveying an optimistic outlook on the future, and having an upbeat attitude are ways to share your positive attitude.  Impact others by sharing your smile and positive attitude throughout each day.

Actions speak louder than words.  You must walk the talk.  Be generous, volunteer your time to charities, show up early, stay late and work, and share your experiences with others.  Have a plan, follow the plan, be held accountable to stick with your plan and results will happen.  This is what will impact others.  When you put your money where your mouth is, people will take notice and respond.

Clarity of purpose is critical to your success.  What do you want to do and why?  Seek to understand and be understood.  When you are focused, have direction and purpose in life, the side effect will be having an impact on others.  Know what you want to achieve in life then set out to accomplish it – clarity is critical.

Teach others through what you see, do, and hear.  It helps clarify your purpose.  Communicate what the right thing to do in each situation from what you have learned.  A life spent educating and helping others will leave a lasting impression that will impact them in many ways.

To live a life with purpose, direction, and intention you will automatically impact others, positively. Inspire others to be great, do the right thing, and you will leave a legacy for others to follow.  Right now, it is your responsibility to just do it.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

To Add or Not to Add…that is the Question

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In a recent conversation with one of our buyers, I was asked, “Why didn’t we add in a response time to our offer”?  This is a curious question many of us have been faced with when helping buyers and sellers make the right decisions when buying or selling homes.  The clause should be implemented or not depending upon the scenario you are faced with when writing an offer. 

Here is what needs to be considered prior to adding it to your offer: 

1.  The first area to consider is the communication level between you and the listing agent or selling agent.  Are the lines of communication open and responsive, or is it difficult to track the agent down to get an answer to the most basic question.  Does the “other” agent have a reputation of being quick to respond and get answers to you quickly or is there a lack of communication and responsiveness.  If it is the latter, then in these situations, add the clause.

2.  The length of time the house has been on the market… has it been on for a long time without any offers or has it received a lot of interest?  The shorter the time frame and the greater the interest, then more than likely you should implement the clause.  For a home that sits on the market for a longer time with little interest, then I would typically not implement the clause.

3.  The strength of the offer presented.  Is the offer close to list price or at list price with all the terms that the seller is willing to accept?  Or, is the offer low, with multiple contingencies? Are your buyers willing to be “flexible” on their terms in order to buy the home and come to an agreement with the sellers?  If the case relates to the first scenario, then definitely add the clause.

4.  Are the buyers from out of town and on a tight time frame that requires a quick response?  If yes, then add the clause.

5.  What is the tone do you want to set with regards to the negotiations?  Do you want to set an urgent tone and one of little flexibility or do you want the lines of communication to be open and flexible and willing to come to an agreement?  If yours relates to the first scenario, then again, add the clause.

6.  Are your clients truly interested in the house or are they trying to get a deal? And have the attitude of “if they get it, they get it, if they don’t, they will move on”?  If this is the case, then you would definitely want to add the clause.

Finally, each contract has its own particular situation, as does each buyer and Realtor involved in the transaction, so carefully consider what you are encountering prior to adding a “respond by clause” to your offer.  It isn’t always in the client’s best interest to add – “sellers/buyers to respond within 24, 48, or 72 hours or the contract is null and void”.  Ask questions, analyze the parties involved and what is the right decision to get your clients the sale!  Get it?  Got it? Good!

What are your priorities?

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You must have priorities in your daily routines if you want to achieve ultimate success.  The question is, how do you determine your priorities?  There are several pieces to the puzzle you need to analyze to help you prioritize your activities.  Let’s break it down.

Planning – you must have a plan of action to set out and accomplish goals.  Without a plan, you have no direction and therefore, you won’t know what a priority is and what isn’t.  Start by developing, writing down and reviewing your goals, so you know where to start with your activities.

Responsibility – you know you must take responsibility for your actions.  Think about what is the right thing to do at any given time, what the results will be and why you have to “Just do it” to help you develop a pattern of success.  By taking responsibility for you and your actions you will gain the confidence necessary to set your priorities.

Intuitive – you must have a gut feeling that helps direct you as well.  You have to know to do the right thing to get your objectives accomplished.  You need to understand what is the highest and best use of your time and be the most effective and efficient you can be at a given time.

Organize – you must have organization in your life to help determine what your priorities are and what needs to be accomplished.  If your schedule, desk or life is disorganized, you won’t even know where to begin as everything seems so overwhelming.  Organize yourself and your life and your priorities will become clearer to you.

Responsive – when you have organization and clarity in your goals, plans of action, and life, you can be more responsive to what you encounter versus being reactive to situations and what may occur during your day.  To respond is positive to react is negative – be positive, it can only help you.

Initiative – you must take the first steps and have the desire and initiative to want to accomplish great things in your life to build a legacy.  Start with to do lists, have tasks you want to accomplish and by when, cross them off and add more or revise depending upon your results or the market.  The idea here is to start and take the initiative to be successful.  You are responsible for you – no one can give you initiative – you have to want it.

Training – you must train yourself to put this into your routine.  It isn’t easy and it takes discipline to accomplish this.  Train and teach yourself to do what needs to be done to get this accomplished.  By training yourself on these disciplines, they will become habits that will lead you down the path of success.

Insight – by learning more, getting educated, and communicating with other successful people, you will gain insight to know and understand what the right thing to do is at any given time.  Insight will give you clarity and purpose on what to do next and why.

Excellence – by striving to achieve excellence in all areas of your life you will have better direction and purpose which will also help you develop your priorities.

Start – today, don’t delay.  Get it done.  Make setting priorities a priority.  You have to start sometime – why not today, right now?

Now that your puzzle is complete, take the time to think what is important to you and why and what must happen to get you to where you want to go in life.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Life after the government support for real estate

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Well, all the hype over the government’s propping up of the real estate market is over and where do we stand?  It may be too early to tell as it has only been one week but in speaking with lenders, title companies, home inspectors and  – oh yeah – Realtors too, the market continues to hum along.  Contracts are being written and accepted.  What appears to remain hot are the lower price ranges (those below $400,000) and the upper price ranges ($800,000-$1,000,000 in some areas) so it appears to be business as usual – so far – for these sellers. 

The sellers we are concerned about are the ones priced between $400,000 and $800,000 as it seems in many areas these housing prices haven’t found their bottom of the market yet.  Going forward it will be critically important to pay particular attention to this segment of the market as we are starting to see the beginning stages of the foreclosures being released into the market.   More BPO’s (Broker Price Opinions) are being requested, Bank of America has hired a third party vendor to help with their release of foreclosures and Notice of Trustee sales are flooding the papers.  And from what we notice, they are going to fall into the $400,000-$800,000 price ranges – not the lower end as we saw in 2008.  From all indications, we are looking at an alarming number of foreclosures hitting our market prior to the third quarter of this year – not as many as we saw in 2008 but close to those levels.  This will have a definite impact on prices.

As far as rates are concerned, mortgage interest rates hit a 6 week low this week suggesting that private investors have filled in for the government in their purchasing of mortgage backed securities.  In addition, there have been several reports stating that the government will continue to keep the Federal Funds rate at or near 0-.25% which should continue to encourage investors to buy these securities and keep rates low for home owners through the end of the year which is good news for housing.

How will the end of the home buyer tax credit impact the market?  In a recent survey of first time buyers conducted by SunTrust, they found that only 10% of these buyers purchased their homes because of the home buyer tax credit.  Low interest rates, affordable house prices, desire to own versus rent were the main reasons why decided to purchase over any other.  A good deal is a good deal.  If the market shows signs of slowing, let’s keep an eye on seller and builder incentives to lure buyers into their properties – right now, we don’t see any but only time will tell.  For now, we don’t believe our market will be severely impacted by this incentive ending.

Another bright spot in our market that will help us continue to sell houses is the “new and improved” short sale process through HAMP to HAFA.  These programs will help qualified sellers have the ability to get approval on short sales much more quickly than in previous years.  This streamlined process will not only help sellers avoid foreclosure but also help buyers get into homes and protect neighborhood values.  We are anticipating this to be a tremendous asset in selling houses going forward.

All things being considered, now is a great time to be a buyer or seller in the Northern Virginia Market.  It is important to stay on top of the trends that affect real estate, watch inventory levels and the type of inventory coming on the market, and lastly, track the number of buyers in the market place to help buyers and sellers make the right decisions when considering real estate.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Avoiding the “Me Monster”

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So many people I encounter have the ego and attitude that they know it all – they take counsel from themselves and don’t seek advice of others – they go about it as a lone ranger thinking they have all the answers – they don’t participate in events – don’t attend networking functions – attend trainings or association events.  They are constantly telling and not asking to get inclusion from others or solicit opinions.  Then, when they are so far behind the eight ball with a situation, they reach out to others and demand others help them immediately when they haven’t helped others or participated in the process mentioned above or many others for that matter. 

Why does this occur?  Why is it that people regard themselves as so self important and egotistical that they treat others with disdain?  Are unsupportive of others?  Treat others like others are there to support them but they don’t need to reciprocate even when asked to participate and be included.  Where does the lack of respect factor for others originate?  These are difficult questions to answer, but are critical to answer if you are one of those that incorporate the “me monster”.  These types of individuals have fleeting success – if any at all.  They have very few “true” friends or confidants to rely on.  And lastly, their business is more transactional based versus a business built on relationships and referrals because they don’t have the ability to bond and develop the right type of relationships. 

How do you know if you have fallen into this trap?  One example is, if you find yourself not listening and you talk over people in conversations, especially over the phone.  When in person, take time to notice others reactions and what happens with them when you are speaking.  Do they cross their arms, roll their eyes or look away or is there any other negative body language they exhibit?  If so, stop, apologize for interrupting and listen.  Your voice is music to your ears not theirs – let them speak and you will realize how much their voice is music to their ears and more success will come your way.

The next example is when you enter a room.  Do you make an appearance because you are loud, obnoxious and inconsiderate?  If so, you will push people away.  It is better to walk into a room and be humble yet confident and with a smile than a loud, look at me entrance.  You will be noticed either way but why not be noticed for what you are not rather than what you are acting like?  Remember to notice and acknowledge others when you enter a room and don’t be noticed when entering a room for higher levels of achievement in business.

Next, are you telling others how it is all the time and saying “listen to me”, “no, this is how it is”, or perhaps, “that’s not right, it’s like this” or similar type responses to what people are saying.  Think and listen to yourself and notice how often do you say me, my or I?  If you notice any of these behaviors regularly in your speech patterns, stop.  Have an open mind to what others are saying and reposition yourself by asking if they might consider your ideas or thoughts.  Also, incorporate we and us into your conversations.  By opening yourself to hearing what others say, paying attention to new ideas and refraining from being a know it all, you will engage more people and in the end gaining more influence over them. 

Next, are you a loner?  Do you work at home?  Do you leave your office or just sit behind a desk?  Are you on the computer all day?  You need to reach out to others and participate in office events, trainings, networking opportunities and other platforms where you can learn, meet, and open yourself to new ideas or concepts.  Go in with the attitude of “I know nothing” and be a sponge.  It is well known that if you go into these situations with an open mind, you will get a least one new bit of information you didn’t know before or pick up a new way to improve what you are doing in your business or at least meet one new person that you can bounce ideas off in the future. Have a hunger and desire to learn something – everyday.  Remember, no one knows it all.  Participate in life, communicate with others and better results will follow.

And just a few final thoughts, be nice, be kind, be respectful, and be thankful.  Give first to others, then ask for help.  Show sincere interest in others and they will want to help you in your time of need.  Remember to think it is all about them, not you.  Don’t get engulfed by the all knowing, all telling “Me Monster” and you will achieve greatness.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

How do you merge?

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I was recently driving and about to get on Route 66 west in rush hour traffic when the car in front of me slammed on their breaks instead of speeding up and mergeing into traffic nearly causing a three or four car pileup.  My question is why?  Is it fear?  Uncertainty of how to do it properly?  Did they lose their focus?  Is their blind spot too big?  Or do they just don’t know what they are doing?  It got me thinking, this is a lot like the careers of many people in our business.  They slam on their breaks in business.  What causes this reaction in business?  Many of the same issues previously mentioned – fear, process, focus, blind spots and uncertainty.

Let’s review what it takes to have a successful career so you can merge properly into business of real estate.  You must have a transition to greatness that is much like merging onto a highway.  Check your surroundings, pick the right spot, give it gas and go and don’t look back!  You must be willing to get out of your comfort zone and alleviate your fears – fear of making mistakes, rejection, failure and even success.  You must take the time to learn the process so you have the confidence in yourself to explain how the business works.  Basically, you must educate yourself to educate others.  You must stay focused by having goals, action plans and daily activity sheets to follow so you have a path to success.  Analyze your competition and know what they are doing so you don’t have a blind spot when you go up against someone on an appointment.  It has been said that knowledge is power but the use of knowledge is truly powerful in my opinion.  You must give the effort – you can’t wait for things to happen or you will get slammed from behind.  Get out in front of people, prospect to get clients and build your database.  Give top notch service.  If you don’t know something – say you don’t know but tell them you will get the answer, then follow up on your commitment and let them know your answer.  If you make a mistake – admit it then correct it to build trust.  Have the systems in place to follow up so you stay in front of your clients and provide them with valuable information so you stay a trusted resource.

The business is really as easy as merging on to a highway if you know how to do it properly.  Of course, there will be potholes along the way or an aggressive driver that won’t let you in but make the necessary adjustments, then put your foot on the accelerator and go!  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Here we grow again…

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This tag line is very appropriate for many different reasons.  First, let’s start with the Northrop Grumman’s move to Northern Virginia from California.  Northrop Grumman had been looking to relocate their company to this region because they have over 20,000 employees in Virginia, Maryland and DC and was looking for a different presence here in the area.  There will be approximately 300 high level executives moving to the area and there is no doubt, additional subcontractors and service providers of Northrop Grumman will move here as well.  Kudos to the leadership of Virginia in capturing such a valuable resource!

Additionally, in an economic report by George Mason’s Center for Regional Analysis, the Washington area’s economy will double over the next 20 years bringing in more than 1,000,000 new jobs and perhaps  upwards as many as 1.6 million to our region.  The jobs that will be created will be government – especially defense, domestic security, and financial regulatory agencies.  Along with these new jobs, a total number of new people in excess of 1.7 million will be moving to the area.  This is a good news, bad news scenario – good that the area will continue to grow and it should have a positive outlook on the housing market but a bad news scenario for roads, infrastructure and how to accommodate this growth.  The area planners have some work to do!

Next, let’s review New Home Sales.  Month over month sales of new homes jumped 26.9% in March – the largest increase in nearly 50 years!  New Home Sales had been in a four month slump coupled with a record low of housing starts in February; this segment of our market got a strong shot in the arm with this excellent news!  Let’s see how these numbers are affected by the home buyer tax credit ending this week and see if sustainable growth will occur.

Now on to existing sales…existing home sales rose as well.  The number increased by 6.8% in March – this is the ninth straight month of increase in sales over previous year ago levels each month.  This is a result of favorable market conditions – great rates, lower prices, and the homebuyer tax credit amongst other things.  Let’s keep this pace headed in a positive direction!

We must also speak about inventory levels.  They too have been increasing every week since the last week of December.  It is important to keep an eye on this number and how it affects pricing on a number of fronts.  In the Northern Virginia region – the inventory of existing homes for sale in week ending April 23 was 7,252…stay tuned.

And the last piece of good news – and it isn’t about an increase – it is about relative stabilization in mortgage interest rates.  Many expected rates to shoot up at the end of the government’s purchasing of mortgage backed securities but it hasn’t really happened.  Interest rates were just below 5% in March and have stayed in the 5.125 – 5.25% range over the last 3 to 4 weeks.  Let’s hope private investors continue to buy mortgage backed securities and the government keeps the funds rate low as well.

It is important for professional Realtors to keep up-to-date with the market and market conditions to keep their buyers and sellers completely informed on what is happening so they can make the right decisions when buying and selling homes – get in the game of learning more!  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Negotiation tips and tactics

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There are three important areas for Realtors to be successful in to survive in any market.  First and foremost is lead generation.  Without lead generation, you can have all the skills, knowledge and ability to be a success but without clients, you won’t make a penny in the business.  The next one is being solution oriented and solving problems for your clients.  When you resolve issues, you become a valuable resource to your clients and will receive leads on an ongoing basis.  And the third key area is negotiation and that is what we are going to cover in this blog today.

Let’s review some of the important pieces of the puzzle to negotiating successfully.  To know where we are going we must know where we are coming from.  First, start by analyzing previous negotiations.  What went well, what didn’t & why.  What did you learn?  What did your clients learn?  Review this with your new clients to set expectations of success in their transaction.  By having the proper expectations, your road to a successful end is much more likely to happen.

Next, assess your client’s situation prior to entering the negotiations.  Do your research.  Ask lots of questions because information is critical to successful negotiations.  Who is involved?  What is your strategy?  Where will you give concessions?  What are your best alternatives?  Where do you want to end up?  Also, through your research determine, do we want to work with them?  What is the motivation of the other side?  When do they need to move and why?  Who is the other party involved in the transaction and what is their background?  Discuss what your options are with your client?  Determine the “what if’s”.  Then listen and take notes. 

Also, remember, it is just as important to know what your side wants as much as it is to know what the other side wants.  Do you know their position as well as your own?  What are their objectives?  How do you get the information?  Ask the agent or lender about the client and their situation.  Also, check them out on the internet, Google, social media outlets, DPOR and public records are just a few places to begin.

Who and how do you control the negotiations?  The person who asks the most questions and gathers the most information and can build the bridge to a successful end.  Plan your questions according to the situation so you can create win-win negotiations.  Let’s review how you create win-win negotiations.  Find common ground and build upon it to get the common goal of both parties.  Discuss all options available to both sides to get resolution.  If you come to a stall in the negotiations review how close you are to the final outcome, review how you got how you got where you are and why it is important complete the negotiations.  Use your notes and remind the other side it is better to negotiate than not negotiate to get resolution on the issue creating the stall.  Convey flexibility in one area over another.  Ask other side to restate their position, gain understanding and restate your position as well.  If the other side asks for a concession, say “yes if”.  Focus on the issues at hand and not positions and be tough on the issues but not the people involved – separate them.  Always seek to understand and be understood.  Remind the other side of the mutual benefits of resolving the issue.  Use we – not us and them.  Ask the other side, “What would you do?”  Never narrow it down to one issue – keep the discussions open and fluid.

What to avoid:  getting confrontational; giving up walk away power or getting to the point of no return;  giving up control; negotiating against yourself;  improper use of concessions;  assuming the other side wants the same thing as you; missing out on clues (good cop bad cop, flinching, stalling, red herrings, nibbling, higher authority, hot potato, any others, etc.); getting to bottom line too quickly; negotiating with the wrong party; negotiating price too soon and too quickly; not explaining your value – up front;

In addition to what we mentioned, we also need to strive for in negotiations are to keep an open mind – think outside the box.  Focus on what’s right not who’s right – it’s not personal.  If negotiations boil down to one issue – it’s a win lose…stay focused on give and take scenarios.  Answer questions with questions to determine what they really want.  Don’t pre-negotiate with yourself and don’t answer questions that weren’t asked.  Keep your ego in check.  You have more power than you think you have in the negotiations.  Put things in writing so the issues are clear.  No is just an objection that you need more clarification on – ask why they are saying no.  Start high or low depending upon the situation you are encountering.  List your assumptions on what will happen and the scenarios that will happen as a result of each option.  Build a relationship prior to beginning negotiations with the other side – by having a relationship, the transaction will go more smoothly.  Communication is the key – ask permission to ask questions.  Never say yes to the first offer and know the reason why.  Give in diminishing chunks.  Always give the impression you have other alternatives and this isn’t the only choice to gain leverage.  Keep your client’s information confidential.  Realize your strengths in your situation.  After making offer, remain silent.

Practice negotiations all the time and in different situations.  Also, it is also critical to rehearse with an accountability partner prior to presenting your offer to the other side as you need to be sharp with your presentation skills.

By exercising and utilizing these tips and tactics, you will have great success in real estate.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

What have you done for you lately?

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Many real estate agents experience the roller coaster ride in their business and their bank accounts as a result.  Why does this occur?  They take their eye off the prospecting ball.  They get too wrapped up in their deals.  They talk to everyone about what is happening in each of their deals and why there are problems, issues or mention what the other agent is doing to them in the transaction.  In today’s market, virtually every transaction is tough because of the other agent, your client, their client, an appraiser, home inspector, pest inspection or whatever the case may be.  Guess what, get over it, put your nose to the grindstone and get busy working to resolve your issue then work on your prospecting.  Spend your time providing excellent customer service to your current clients by being solution oriented then get back to the basics and prospect for new clients to serve and the roller coaster ride will end.

Success is contagious and so is negativity.  Make a concerted effort to be positive and optimistic and resolve people’s issues and success will follow.  We get paid the big bucks to solve problems not talk about them.  Think about your conversations.  If they are repetitive and negative, stop!  Think about the issue and how to fix it.  What are the options?  What are the outcomes of each option?  What is the best solution for your clients?  Lay it on the table, discuss them, decide which is best for them and move on.  It is a good feeling to get results for others.  Also, hearing success stories about helping clients is a better one to tell and gets others motivated to do the same.  Again, success is contagious!

Once you realize that you need to change the way you approach deals gone bad, agents gone bad or clients gone bad and you have now made the decision to stop harping on negative issues and start working on your business, let’s discuss getting back to the basics of staying in front of your clients through notes, calls, pop-bys and other avenues and growing your database. 

As we all know, there are many ways to “touch” your sphere of influence but one of the best ways we have found to give back, grow our database and become involved is through our charitable efforts.  We combine our charitable events with client appreciation events.  As the saying goes, the more you give, the more you get.  Find a charity you have an interest in and see what it takes to get involved then host an event to support the cause.  As you involve yourself in the process, get creative with how you can attract people to attend your event, participate and give so you maximize the results for your charity of choice. 

We have two great events to facilitate our spirit of giving – the in office putt putt tournament, and Breakfast with Santa for Toys for Tots.  It is rewarding, gets you in front of your clients and you get satisfaction out of helping others.  It requires thought, energy, effort and planning but it is worth it in the end. 

Stay positive, focused on excellent service to your clients and get creative with contacting your database to get your business back on track by giving back and the results will follow.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

How will you make it happen?

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In today’s business world we all have similar challenges – we want more sales, more clients, a larger database, more profit and the question is, “how do we make it happen?”  In my opinion, it all starts with relationships.  How you treat others, how you speak with others, how do you interact with others are all actions that you take every day that require continuous analysis.  Once analyzed, take the time to enhance and improve on these important skills to be successful. 

The analogy of – people do business with people they know, like and trust is an adage that goes back several decades.  What must you do to have this happen to you? 

First, be an excellent listener.  Be engaged, my eye contact, lean forward, and take notes – be interested, not interesting and people will respond in kind.  Remember their name – it is music to their ears. 

Next, avoid the “me” monster – ask questions, pause before responding, find common ground and build upon that common ground.  Take extra time with people, don’t rush people, ignore people or treat them poorly – this will have a long lasting negative impression upon them.  Remember, it is all about them – not you.  You want them to feel good about the interaction with you and want more.

Also, remember to be observant – recognize their style of dress, artwork in the office or home, memorabilia, pictures of places, friends or family, the car they drive, etc. that will give you clues about how they are as individuals.  These clues about who they are and what they enjoy will help you build upon your relationship with them.

Compliment them when appropriate.  People love to receive accolades for a job well done or on their personal appearance or style.  Be careful not to overdo it or it will come across as insincere.

Be positive and keep an open mind to learn something new every day.  By learning something new, you get the opportunity to teach or help someone else with their situation.

If you take these skills, couple them with dressing the part and build upon them with what my friend Hilary Fordwich calls the 5 C’s you will gain more business, get more referrals, have more profits and in the end, enjoy more success.  

Her 5 C’s are:

Communication.  Buy in your language, sell to them in theirs.  Never start emails with I.  Use their name often.  Be visual versus internal.

Candor.  Be open and honest.  If you make a mistake, admit it.  If you don’t know something, tell your client you don’t know but you will find out.  Be a straight shooter.  Do not use the following terms  – to be honest with you, let me be frank with you or to tell you the truth.  Being honest builds credibility and trust.

Concern.  Empathize with your clients.  It is about your clients and their needs not yours.  Show you truly care by going above and beyond the call of duty.  Understand their situation and where they stand.

Competence.  Know how to tailor your service to meet their needs.  Know your business, its trends, and the numbers and know how to communicate it with your clients.

Connection.  Find common ground to neutralize differences.  Ask the right questions both personal and professional ones to learn more about them.

The more you rehearse these skills, the more you incorporate them into your daily routines, the more you and your business will grow.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!