prospecting

How will your year end?

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As we move forward into the second half of the year fast and furious take the time to look at your business and determine what you need to do to have a successful year end. 

The first area to review would be your contacts.  How many do you have?  How often are you communicating with them?  What are you communicating to them?  Are you picking up the phone and speaking with them?  As I meet with agents regularly to conduct performance consulting with them – the most successful agents today are the ones making the calls to their database regularly and are meeting face to face with them.  Virtual contacts through Facebook, email, texts, etc. are good but you need to pick up the phone and get in front of people to get the best results. 

Are you growing your database?  Are you involved in networking groups?  Are you holding open houses?  Are you involved in community outreach programs?  Are you involved in charitable endeavors?  You need to be actively growing your contacts in order to expand and grow your business.  You can’t send our postcards, post on social media sites or advertise in print publications and expect business to come in to you – you have to go out and find it to be successful today.

Are you educating yourself?  If so, how?  What are you reading?  How often are you reading?  Do you have designations and are they applicable to today’s market?  Do you attend seminars?  Do you attend office trainings to further your education?  In order to grow, you must take the time to learn.  If you want to earn more you need to learn more – bottom line.

Are you effective on line?  Are you blogging?  Are you utilizing Google+?  What is the content you are providing on your other social media sites that engages people to read your posts and view you as a trusted resource and provider of information?  It is not the end all be all to obtaining business but it is a spoke in the wheel of your success that should not be overlooked.

You have to be better than your competition to be successful today.  You need to communicate better, you need to have better sales skills, better negotiating skills, better people skills, bottom line – you have to improve every day.  What are you going to do today to become better?  Pick a skill set and work on it!

These tips are critical to your success not only for the second half of the year but going forward as well.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

Do you have all your P’s?

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The Eight P’s that lead to success and how they can help you achieve more sales. 

Here they are – proactivity, prospecting, practice, preparation, passion, psychology, professionalism, and persistence.

Without a doubt, you need to be proactive.  You cannot wait for things to happen – you must go out and make them happen.  Get into the office a little earlier, and stay at work a little later.  You have to make the calls, do the emails, write the notes, and become involved in networking, plus all the other things to make the business come in for you.

Prospecting is a necessity.  Without consistent outreach to your sphere of influence and database, business won’t just appear.  You need a plan of action and follow that plan to get leads consistently.  Often times, agents get too involved in their business putting out fires, showing properties, handling settlement issues that they forget to prospect and as a result, their business suffers.  There needs to be a set time to develop new business – everyday – if you want to be a success.

Athletes, actors, speakers, and many other professionals practice.  As an agent, you need to practice your dialogues.  Your dialogues include phone call dialogues, listing presentations, buyer presentations, objection handling, your value proposition, and your affirmation dialogues.  It has been said that practice makes perfect but I believe it was John Wooden who said perfect practice makes perfect.  Either way – get your practice in daily.  Get a voice recorder and practice while driving in your car, or with other agents in your office, or at home with family members.  Just do it!

Preparation is also critical.  The consumer is going to the internet to get their information, they talk with friends, family members, and coworkers to get their intelligence.  As we know, other’s opinions are not always correct.  You need to prepared and have your data ready, your numbers spot on, and your trends documented to make a strong case to get your point across to your clients.  With proper preparation your professionalism will shine through and help you attain more business and more referrals.

You need to have passion for what you do.  If you have passion or if you don’t, it shows.  If you don’t have it, you won’t be as engaged, as convincing, as determined as you should be and people will recognize this in the way you work with them.  If you have the passion – you will have more energy and enthusiasm for getting into the office and helping others.  This behavior is evident and people will be attracted to working with you and refer others to do so as well.

The psychological aspect of sales is just as important as all the other pieces of the puzzle.  You have to be positive and upbeat to start with – everyday.  You have to be able to quickly recognize what type of personality style your clients have as well.  Are they analytical, logical, drivers, ambiables or a combination of a few?  It is imperative to know how to speak with people in their “personality” style language.  The quicker you do this, the more sales you will achieve and as a result, more success you will attain.

Professionalism encompasses so many aspects of how to conduct yourself in sales situations.  Punctuality, dress, language, conversations, listening, knowing your business, and respect are just a few.  Take professionalism seriously and your business will prosper.

Lastly, persistence and determination are critical to success.  Many people get caught up in the latest and greatest sales fad, technology or tool and stray from the tried and true relationship building aspects of sales.  Working by referral, adding new people into your database and providing them more value will put you on the pathway to success.

Embrace the Eight P’s and you will enjoy success in sales for years to come.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

More business, more business, more business!

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Many people ask in our one on ones what is the best way to
get more business and my answer over the last several years has been consistent
and won’t change – it is to work by referral. 
So, the next question is how do you work and get more results by
referral?  It isn’t rocket science.  You need to be involved in life –get out and
get in front of people.  Develop yourself
as a “people” person. 

The first step is to give more in value than you ever expect
to receive back.  Get to know about the
business the other person is involved in, the charities they embrace, the cause
that most interests them and then ask how you can help through referrals,
participation or in any other way they need help.  By giving yourself without expectations of getting
anything in return will get you further faster in reaching your goals.

Next is to continuously grow your database.  As you get out in front of people and help
them with their areas of interest, you will naturally be introduced to more
people and the more people you serve the more you will get in return. 

So, the next question is how do you grow your database?  The answer is to get in front of people
through associations, coaching kids, get involved in schools, charities, hold
open houses, meet your neighbors, just do whatever it takes to get yourself
into social situations and ask to serve. 
The more visible you are, the opportunities you give yourself to be
perceived as a giver of value, time, resources, and expertise, the more likely
you are to receive business in return.

Above all, it is important to put other’s interests
first.  When you help others with their
challenges, issues or concerns and you are seen as someone who cares, you will
once again, receive business.  It is a
natural instinct for most people to want to give back if you continuously give
of yourself and put others interests ahead of yours.

It is your talents, your education, your desire to better
yourself and most importantly, your attitude that makes you, you.  Always keep in mind you are the biggest asset
you have to give to others.  Therefore,
it is of utmost importance that you become a continuous learner and
teacher.  Seek opportunities to show case
your talents.  Put yourself in the
position of being a resource to others by what and who you know.

Once you put all of these pieces – and a few more – in
place, you must be open to and ready to receive.  Be ready and able to help and give all of
yourself in these endeavors.  It is also
important to remember to be grateful. 
Thank those who give to you, serve them well and more will come.

As previously mentioned, it is not rocket science but these
are the stepping stones to a long and prosperous career.  Get it? 
Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!