Make Their Day

Video Link

This past week I had a thirty minute face-to-face conversation with a vendor who was working to earn the business of our firm.  He made eye contact, asked great questions, and made a very strong impact.  The crazy thing was that we were twelve miles apart the entire time.  Through video conferencing we were able to speak face-to-face with our smart phones.  I really felt like we had been together for an effective meeting.

Video is a powerful tool for improving our communications.  Consider putting it to work for you this week.  What if you were to take the simple step of posting a video message to one or two key prospects this week? Imagine how they would feel about your effort.  Here's how you can do it using Facebook.

Start by finding a status update for one of your key contacts on Facebook.   Second, record a video message using your smart phone.

The third step is to upload the video onto the other person's Facebook page.  You can do this by navigating to their page, choosing "Share photo", and then selecting the footage you just recorded on your phone. Select the video file just like you would a photo; it will upload just the same.  You probably want to keep your video under 60 seconds in length.

Run a few different approaches and see what kind of response you get.  You'll have people talking and hopefully sharing the file across their network.

Here are a few other ways to impact your network with short videos on Facebook:

• Send a birthday greeting - make someone's day by singing them the traditional or telling them what you appreciate about them.
• Take quick footage of an important event. Combine it with a few notes on what happened.
• Attending the big game?  Get a quick clip with you in it to share the experience.
• Previewing homes: find the perfect match for your buyer and send a video preview with your narration while still on location. 
• Open House: record your invitation, share a feature, and upload your message just before the event begins. 

Creativity is important.  Think video and you will start discovering ideas all over town.  I look forward to watching your next production.

The Next Step IS A Step To Greatness

So far in our series on great agent qualities we've discovered that they have systems for many of their repeatable tasks and service points.  Second, they take control of their time and shape it to their goals.  In this post, let's consider the next step to greatness.  Actually that is the quality: taking the next step.  Great agents are constantly helping prospects and clients take another step.  These agents understand that our work is not about inspiring action that moves a prospect from hello to closing in one catapult launch.  Nope, they know the critical value of small increments and how to encourage them.   Nobody likes to prospect, but helping people take the next, and correct, step is pretty exciting.  Great agents see every encounter with their network as an opportunity to help that member move forward.  It's a contribution not a pitch.  Let's consider a few points on how it's done:

It's essential, but not central:  Every conversation is an opportunity to move the listener to engage or endorse your service.  The problem is we don't want to be pushy and end up getting push-back.  Casual encounters merit casual proposals.  I love concluding random conversations with Buffini's line, "Oh, by the way...."   Great agents don't just let a casual conversant walk away, they complete that "Oh, by the way... "  with "I am hosting an open house this weekend," or "I just listed a home at ..."    By so doing they provide specific information and encourage the contact to take a step forward.

Ask leading questions:  effective questions can motivate the next step.  "Mr. and Mrs. NotSureIWannaBuy, what do you most want in a home that belongs exclusively to you?"  That question does not sign them up as clients, but it helps the prospect explore their motivations and goals with you involved.  The ability to ask questions that are direct, exploratory, and inspiring is an ability that great sales people possess.  Let's work on that skill daily.  Here's a good question for you:  What's the best question you asked today?  Gotch'ya! :)

Focus on THEIR goal:  Knowing your contact's goal - in life, in business, with family, and certainly in real estate is truly important.  It becomes valuable when you direct that information to help your prospect take another step in the right direction.  "Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I understand this offer requires you to bring cash to closing and move later than you wanted, but it does enable you to get your monthly budget in line with the income of your new job.  You did tell me that was your goal when we listed the home."  Great agents know the goals of their clients and network.   They work with that information to help those people take the next step in the climb to achievement.

When Fear Sets In

We all have fears. What we do with them often determines the outcome.  One of the most common fears for sales professionals relates to prospecting.  We all fear rejection by someone that we call or see in person.  Here are a few suggestions for managing that fear:

Plan Your Contact:  make sure you know what you want to accomplish with the encounter and be prepared to deliver it.


Identify your Benefit: what valuable service and skill are you bringing to this prospect?  Most people are glad to receive a benefit.  If your sole purpose is to get, then you have good reason to fear.  If you know what to give and that it has value to the recepient, then you can be excited about the contact.

Be Competent:  people enjoy working with those who are competent.  Make your presentation remarkable, impressive, and full of values that could not be expected.  Competence is a quality that attracts people to us.

Use the Energy:  fear releases adrenaline.  When you pick up the phone for prospecting you may notice an increase in your heart rate or quickening of your breath.  That's okay.  Make the energy work for you.  Rather than fight or flight, take that energy and use it elevate your delivery and impact.  Enthusiasm spreads.

Now pick up the phone.  It's okay. Really.

Out of the Gate

There's a certain optimism and decisiveness that impacts our prospects around January 1st.  It is the ideal time to connect with your sphere and key prospects.  After having time at home to slow down, think, and talk, many of our prospects have reached a conclusion about their housing decisions.  A substantial portion are ready to transact.  Make sure you take advantage of those coming out of the gate.  If they don't hear from you; you're unlikely to be involved in the transaction.

Here are a few tips:

1. A minimum of one mailing to EVERYONE in your local database.  Remember its your responsibility to make sure they know about your services.
2. Key in on contacts who have been in their current home for more than five years.
3. Create an event that draws your contacts together, invest in the food and location.  Give them a fun reason to connect with you. 
4. Make at least 5 calls every business day to reconnect, check interest levels, and offer a Happy New Year.
5. Promote the opportunities in the market and be specific about best buys, great neighborhoods, mortgage programs, and other incentives. 

We only get to come out of the gate with the New Year energy for a few days.  Commit to the work and you will maximize the opportunity. 

Did You Hear THAT Message?

What if the last message you left for a prospect was played over the speaker system in your office?  Last week, our team did just that.  After a lot of prodding, we had four brave agents who left me a voice mail demonstrating their skills for routine voice messages to their sphere and past clients.  We then played those recordings in our sales meeting for everyone to hear.  Thanks to their bravery and excellence, here's what we learned from listening to these great professionals:

• It's important to be seductive/attractive, but not creepy:  Tone of voice is a huge part of the impact. Finding the balance between friendly & not-too-friendly is critical. 
• Leave your phone number early in the message.
• Make a personal connection - this often comes from an excellent memory or even better, notes in your database. 
• Energy: you have to bring the energy level WAY UP.  Take a quick walk before you start your calls, stand while making them, use a headset so you can gesture, and make sure you are smiling.  
• Quick message: nobody likes listening to blah, blah, blah.  Get your message across in 25-40 seconds.
• Impact: impact comes from knowing what you are going to communicate.  Write a script or bullet points before you make your calls to keep yourself on message. 

Stay on task with your call frequency, add these points for quality, and expect some new business to come your way. Have a great week servicing clients!