One thing that we have continually preached at RECR is lead follow-up.

Speed. Timing. Quality. It is all part of the same deal.  And, it is quite possibly one of the most important aspects of a real estate agent’s job.

And, I’m not the only one that thinks this….Dirk Zeller of Real Estate Champions agrees with me…

LEAD CONVERSION AND FOLLOW-UP by Dirk Zeller

The first step to higher lead conversion is developing a better definition of what a lead is.  What’s the criterion of a lead for you?  Is it a specific time frame or level of motivation?  Is this a subjective or a pre-determined scale you use?  For most Agents, a lead is defined as any human being who can fog a mirror when held up to their mouth.  It’s basically anybody and everybody.  That definition is much too broad for us to ever reach the Champion Agent level.

Too many of us are investing our time and money trying to convince any and every lead to turn into a good lead.  We, in effect, say, “Oh, please, Mister lead, if I work with you long enough, won’t you turn into a good lead; because I really don’t want to have to prospect, and I need to make my mortgage payment next month.”  Are you trying to turn bad leads into good leads, or are you looking for good leads?  It’s almost as if we are trying to water dead plants in hopes of resurrecting them from the dead.  They are dead . . . move on!  What is the quality of your leads right now?  What would someone pay you to buy your leads?  If the answer is not much . . . Houston, we have a problem.

Champion Rule: The leads you have in your database are in other Agents’ databases as well.  Whoever calls them and meets with them first wins the game.

This, my friends, is the truth of our business.  For some reason, many Agents haven’t come to grips with this concept.  We think somehow we are the only Agent who knows about this prospect’s desire to buy or sell.  This is particularly true of Agents who work exclusively by referral.  You are making a huge mistake in today’s competitive market if you feel that you have the inside track or non-competition track.  Couldn’t another friend have referred them to someone else?  Isn’t it possible that they searched the Internet a little and got information from other Agents?  Could they have been out to an open house?  When a lead appears, we need to take action toward a face-to-face appointment immediately.

Effective lead follow-up is like threshing wheat at harvest in ancient times.  Threshing is, essentially, separating the wheat from the chaff.  The good kernels of wheat would be removed and used for food, while the chaff would be blown away in the wind.  If we aren’t actively threshing our leads, we will become complacent.  Too many leads can cause lead complacency.  Too many leads can be a bad thing.  You did read that right.  Too many leads can be bad!

An overabundance of leads can lead to complacency in your prospecting.  You can stop or slow the flow of new leads by reducing your prospecting because you feel comfortable because you have a certain number of leads (50, 100, 1000, or whatever the number may be).  You may feel that you don’t need to prospect today because you have enough.  What if what you have left has a high percentage of chaff in it that you haven’t found out yet?  It’s going to take a lot of effort to find that out.

When I started working with a particular client a few years ago, I asked him how many leads he had who wanted to buy and sell in the next six months.  He said he had 247 that fit into that category.  He was proud of himself, yet I found out he had not talked with them in a while, and he hadn’t been prospecting because of this volume of leads.  His attitude was “I don’t need to; I have 247 leads”.  I asked him to call all 247 in the next two weeks and ask for an appointment.  If they were not ready to list or buy, he was to set an appointment with them anyway to move the relationship along, so he could secure them as future clients.  Two weeks later, the first thing out of his mouth before hello was, “I have fifty-nine leads.”  He dumped over 182 leads that were junk.  He realized he needed to prospect to create new leads every day.

Dirk Zeller is a sought out speaker, celebrated author and CEO of Real Estate Champions.
His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events,
online training, self-study programs, and newsletters.  The Real Estate community has
embraced and praised his six best-selling books;  Your First Year in Real Estate,
Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent,
The Champion Real Estate Team, Telephone Sales for Dummies®,
Successful Time Management for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print.

To learn more, please visit: http://realestatechampions.com/closingthesale/

Real Estate Client Referrals Uses Social Media, Too!

RECR has always tried to stay on the cutting edge of lead generation. And, one avenue that has come about recently is the advent of social media and the power that it can give real estate agents in lead generation. It only makes sense that we have a presence there considering how many are tapping into that power.

And, the fascinating thing about it is the reasoning behind why it is so popular. This is one of the best examples I have ever found as to why social media exists, why it works, and why so many are turning towards it to help build their businesses!!

Into social media? Follow Clint on Twitter…and fan us on Facebook! You can also subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Slideshare.

The road to buying a foreclosure is loaded with potholes and potential pitfalls.

Sure, buying a foreclosure can be a very wise investment indeed. But, it can also be a one way ticket to a money-pit. Knowing what to look for from the very start can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Interested in learning more? Contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or follow him on Twitter. Be sure to fan us on Facebook!

Let’s face facts…buying a foreclosure isnt exactly a simply process. In fact, some would say the entire process sucks.

But, it can actually be even worse than you thought originally for your client without recognizing these 10 simple red flags. Knowing what to look for can save your clients thousands of dollars in the long run…

1. Air Quality: The air quality inside will tell you a lot about the over-all condition of the home. Musty or dirty smells can mean mold and mildew has developed. Perhaps a water leak…perhaps a leaky roof. Make sure you include air and surface testing in your home inspection. Yes, it costs money. But, that is a few hundred dollars well spent.

2. Peeling, bubbling or discolored paint: 9 times out of 10 this is caused by moisture…moisture that can cause mold. Swelling in walls or ceilings or a musty odor immediately point to water damage. Make sure you check the major surfaces in all areas around the kitchen and bathroom and UNDER these same rooms as well.

3. Missing sinks or other fixtures: We have all seen the news stories of disgruntled home owners that have been foreclosed on tearing out kitchen cabinets, toilets, sinks, etc. Make sure that, if the home you are looking to buy is missing these things, that they were removed properly and not simply torn from the wall or floor. That is the difference between replacing a toilet and replacing a wall, a floor, some plumbing, and a toilet.

4. Unheated during the winter: If the home was winterized properly, you have nothing to worry about. But, if not…there is plenty to worry about. Without it, water in pipes can freeze cracking seals, cracking pipes (both inbound and outbound) and potentially causing major water damage. Check all water lines leading to and from water heaters and all fixtures and the drain lines leading to the main sewer line until it leaves the structure.

5. Fungus growth: Fungus requires water to grow. If you find mold, there was or is water there. However, water flows downhill. So, look for the source of the water above where you find the mold.

6. Blocked drains: Blocked pipes will cause any number of potential issues including a sewage backup. Make sure all of your drains work properly and toilets flush with no issues.

7. Older homes with lots of renovations: Check with the city. Hopefully, these major renovations are tracible by being able to pull permits for the work that was done. Many older homes had asbestos (either in the insulation or in the tiles used). Make sure that any disturbance to this type of material was handled by trained professionals and that they potential risk is eliminated.

8. Excessive painting: Any “fresh” paint is subject to inspection. Especially if they felt the need to paint the molding, doors, even the wood floors. This is one of the main ways that people try to cover up the existence of mold. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

9. Discolored subflooring: When you are inspecting the basement, make sure you look up. Check out the subfloor above your head. Make sure you look for any evidence of discoloration or darkening stain residue. Also, look for holes in the subflooring that moisture could gather and create potential hazards later. Inspect those well to ensure they are dry and dont contain mold already.

10. Dingy walls or black cobwebs: If the walls have a dingy grey film on them or the light fixtures have a thin black cobweb-type appearance, you may be dealing with soot damage. Soot damage would be from several potential sources: a previous fire; a plugged chimeny associated with a wood stove; maybe even a malfunctioning furnace. Have your chimneys professionally cleaned and make sure that the furnace is tested by people that know what they are doing.

Yeah, you can get a great deal on a foreclosed home. But, knowing what to look for when in the buying process is the difference between getting a great deal…and buying a money pit.

If you would like information about Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058. Also, become a fan of RECR on Facebook. And, if you are on Twitter, follow Clint!

Let me start of by saying that this is satire. And this should be read with that idea in mind. It is intended to be humorous. Nothing more. Ok?

As long as we understand one another, you can keep reading…

If not, please push ALT + F4 now.

Common Man’s Dictionary to Real Estate Advertising

1 car garage: Sure, you can drive your Ford Escort into the garage but there is no room to open the door.

Advertisement: A tool used by business to get money out of people that don’t have it for something that they don’t really need.

And much, much more: Truthfully, nothing else comes to mind. But, we can’t tell you that.

Auditor: Person that arrives after battle to finish off the wounded.

Bank: Loan shark.

Beachfront property: No hurricane insurance available at any price.

Bedroom in basement: The basement has a 1′ by 2′ window you might be able to squeeze yourself through as an alternative to burning to death in a structure fire.

Bright and sunny: No window treatments or venetian blinds are included because previous owners simply nailed Pikachu blankets to the window frames.

BRILLIANT CONCEPT: Do you really need a two-story live oak tree in your 30-foot stained-glass sky dome?

Broker: What buying a house is going to make you.

Budget: Written proof that you can’t afford the things you want.

Build sweat equity: The house is not habitable currently and unless you plan on working your hind end off to make it livable, it would be easier to bulldoze this place and live in a tent.

Cape Cod: Stylized after a 74 yr old lobster fisherman’s garage.

Cash Flow: The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.

Cathedral Ceiling: You will go broke trying to heat this place. It would be easier to set fire to the couch.

Charming: Small. See also, “Tiny”. Snow White might fit, but five of the dwarfs would have to find their own place. See also “Cute,” “Enchanting,” and “Good Starter Home.”

Close to all amenities: The backyard is a shopping mall parking lot.

Close to Schools: You will spend a generous portion of your morning and evening commute stuck behind buses in just about every street you attempt to take to avoid them.

Comfortable: One coat closet larger than the “Charming” home.

Commuter’s Dream: Located at the bottom of an off-ramp right beside a truck stop.

Completely Remodeled: Not only does this statement give the company attorney a stroke, it also usually means new kitchen counter tops and a vanity sink in the bathroom.

Complete remodeling in 1992: Hurricane Andrew…’nuff said.

COMPLETELY UPDATED: At the advise of the listing agent, the seller has decided to remove the metallic gold shag carpeting from the living room and replaced the avocado colored stove.

Contemporary: The house is at least 15 years old.

Country living: Too far from anywhere to drive to work…or to shop…or get to an emergency room in time to prevent bleeding out from a paper cut.

Country in the city: A grotesquely overpriced large lot with a 2 bedroom house built before World War I that used to be on 100 acres that have been split off and sold to a Home Depot and a car dealership. Yes, there is a Starbucks in the parking lot.

Cozy: Not a single room could fit a full sized bed. And, the toilet doubles as a kitchen counter when you close the lid.

DARING DESIGN: It’s a warehouse.

Desirable neighborhood: This “charming” house is extravagantly overpriced thanks to being located next to a neighborhood where the snobs live.

Doll-house: Tiny place filled with ugly knick-knacks.

Easy Care Yard: Acres of Red or White rock used to systematically cover actual useful space.

Easy freeway access: Located right on the noisiest arterial street closest to the freeway.

Easy to heat: See “cozy”.

Efficiently designed kitchen: The kitchen is too small to fit two people at the same time and everything you need to reach is simply done so by turning around. The down side is that in order to open the stove, you have to step into the living room.

Everything’s Been Updated: Sure, they updated all the things inside the house…but the house itself has been condemned.

Executive neighborhood: Everyone’s last name in this area is Jones. And yes…you are required to keep up with them.

Extra Storage: Four coat hooks nailed on the back of the front door.

Gated Community: There is a reason it is gated…Every seen ‘District 9′???

Great Starter Home: House has 4 rooms. Two of which are additions.

Handyman Special: Forget It! You don’t have the skill required to make this home livable.

HI-TECH/CONTEMPORARY: Lots of steel shelving with little holes. You know…the kind your dad used to store tools on in the basement. There is also a lot of glass in places most people wouldn’t put it.

Wont last long!: This home hasnt sold in 374 days after two price reductions and the sellers have finally given up hope on making any money on this sale so they dropped the price another $20K.

Immaculate: Remove your shoes. Chances are the carpet is white along with the walls, furniture, cabinets, appliances, and the family pet.

In-city living: The house comes with a deadbolt lock on all windows, a bar across the door capable of stopping a battering ram…and a moat. Being outside in this neighborhood after dark will probably require an armed escort.

Institutional Investor: A active housing investor from 2006 who is now locked up in a mental institute.

Just available: The previous owner just died on the premises. That is the only way anyone would want to sell a home in this market unless they are trying to save a foreclosure. Hope you don’t believe in ghosts.

Large family room: The basement can hold a couch and a chair…which is more than can be said for the living room. Just try to keep the kids from eating the exposed insulation.

Lots of storage space: The basement is too small to be called a family room.

Low maintenance lot: No yard. The kids will have to play in the street. Or, maybe in the shopping mall parking lot.

Luxury Living: It has a Jacuzzi tub. It’s leaning against the wall of the garage. But, at least it has one.

Market Correction: The day after you buy a house.

MUCH POTENTIAL: Steer clear unless you have a lot of money and actually believe your blind dates really did have nice personalities. See “Ready to Rehab,” and “Fixer Upper.”

Must see inside: Yeah…that’s cause the outside is ugly.

MUST SEE TO BELIEVE: An absolutely accurate statement. It is hard to drive that kind of pain home through the eye without actually using a sharp instrument and a forceful thrust.

Market Correction: The term your broker/agent uses for a market crash while telling you that your house is worth 37% of what you paid for it.

Meticulously maintained in the original condition: The avocado-colored appliances are 50 years old. Minimum.

Modern: It doesn’t have a dirt floor and it is insulated with something other than beaver pelts and flour sacks.

Motivated sellers: Subtract 15% from the asking price and see if they counter.

Natural setting: Forget about planting anything because the deer will eat everything in your yard but the sagebrush and knapweed.

Near transportation: an Amtrak train goes through the backyard roughly every 15 minutes, day and night.

Neighborhood Watch: Your next door neighbor has binoculars trained on your house. Your movements are tracked and reported to the police any time you have company.

Newly remodeled kitchen: The 50-year old cabinetry and faucets have been replaced with cheap modern equivalents.

Nice Condition: Apparently “nice” means different things to different people. See also: “Lipstick on a pig”.

Nighttime Security: The street lights located on all corners of the home completely eliminate darkness 24 hours a day. Sleep is impossible.

No need to preview: Yeah, because if you did, you wouldn’t show it!

Old charmer: Herbert from Family Guy lives next door.

ONE-OF-A-KIND: Ugly as sin. The neighbors hope the place burns down so their property value goes up.

Park-like setting: There is a tree located somewhere on this block.

Partial mountain view: You can see the tip of (insert name of local mountain) if you climb the roof and stand on a chair.

Pet friendly neighborhood: Various forms of organic matter are constantly deposited in your front lawn despite the fact that you don’t own any pets.

Plenty of Parking: The stadium across the street has ACRES of parking spaces available.

Practicing Water Conservation: Yeah, the lawn is died. No one watered it. Ever. (Thank you Steve and Heather Ostrom!)

Prestigious: Expensive. Probably not worth it, either.

Prime Location: We have already had better offers from more qualified people than you…don’t ask.

Quaint: Buy a wall paper steamer so you can get that crap off the wall without having to gut the entire place.

Ready to move in: The interior has been painted with one coat of cheap paint and the shag carpeting has been raked and shampooed.

Ready to remodel: This place is about to collapse; you will have to invest twice the asking price in remodel before you can move in. Seen the movie “The Money Pit”??

Recreation room with wet bar: Basement has been sheet-rocked, painted and has a faucet.

Reduced To Move: See also: “Walmart Rollback”

Rent With Option to Buy: We know you wont be able to qualify for crap…But, if you can make steady payments, it works for us.

Safe Neighborhood: Regardless of your attempts at privacy, your neighbors will continue to attempt to peer through the slits in your Venetian blinds. See also: “Neighborhood Watch”

Seasonal creek: There is a 4 foot wide, 6 inch deep muddy ditch that runs across the property…And it only fills up after a good rain or during spring thaw.

Secluded setting: The only thing further away from civilization is a polar ice cap. Grizzly Adams once lived here.

Show and Sell: In other words, the listing agent will be doing no marketing and the stubborn seller doesn’t want it staged.

Shows Well: The seller actually cleans the place up before you bring your buyers over.

Sophisticated: Plain. White walls with zebra print rug and furnishings. A large piece of abstract art is in the dining room and a canvas the size of a Chevy hangs on the wall covered in what appears to be pantyhose, tin foil, and computer diskettes.

Spacious: We knocked out a wall and expanded the living room into the garage.

Sprawling ranch: Inefficient floor plan that appears to have been designed by a drunk monkey.

Storybook: This house is old and the roof is not flat. See also: “Little House On The Prairie”

Stunning house: The house is not ugly…the interior, on the other hand…

Sunny corner lot: There are no trees anywhere near this property located on the corner of the two busiest streets in town.

Sunken Tub: The tub isn’t sunken…it fell through the floor. The remaining structure is only capable of holding water or a body. Not both.

Territorial view: Great view of your neighbor’s bedroom window and “private” hot tub with the glass roof. If you lean hard against the glass and look hard to the left, you can see a broken down Pontiac in the alley.

Three season sun room: Putting screen up around your front porch does not make it a “sun room”.

TLC: Tear down, Level and Condemn!! (This after a Realtor told me her country property needed just a little TLC…Upon visiting, I promptly fell through the front porch up to my knees!)

Townhouse: A 3 story walk-up on the north side that is sandwiched between two others that look exactly the same. Not only can you hear your neighbors fight, but you hear when they play music, watch TV, use the bathroom, or blink.

Tudor: A quaint two bedroom where both bedrooms are now in the attic which is not insulated.

UNIQUE CITY HOME: Used to be a warehouse.

UPPER BRACKET: No, this doesn’t include you. See also: “Executive Neighborhood” and “Prestigious”

Usable land: Vacant lot. Probably filled with broken glass, nails, large rocks, bicycle parts, and Jimmy Hoffa.

Victorian Sweetheart: Once you steam off the wallpaper, you will need to strip off 14 layers of lead-based paint.

Walking distance to (insert noun here): There is nowhere to park your car within 20 minutes of this house.

Well Below Market: We keep having to reduce the price on this shanty because nobody wants it.

Will Help Finance: Soooo….the owners know they’re asking too much. And, taking that into consideration, they are more than willing to “help” you get into this house that you can not qualify on your own.

YOU’LL LOVE IT: No. No, you wont.

Feel free to add your own in the comments!!! Id love to see them!!

Follow Clint on Twitter and make sure you go to the RECR fanpage and become a fan!! If you have any questions about RECR, please call Clint at 800-977-7058.

A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client.

He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the Lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply:

“Upon review of your letter adjoining your client’s loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin.”

Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:

“Your letter regarding title in Case No. 189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 194 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased, by the U.S., from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Isabella. The good queen, Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus’ expedition. Now the Pope, as I’m sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God,it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana.

God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back, to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it AND the FHA. I hope you find God’s original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?”

The loan was approved.

I have written posts in the past about guerrilla marketing and how it can dramatically affect brand awareness by simply thinking outside the box.

This is a viral video started by placing a random Coke machine on a random college campus and filming the results as part of a global marketing campaign launch.

If you ask me…what resulted was — AWESOME!

This is one of the greatest things I have ever seen!!

Tell me that didn’t make you smile…

Your challenge — figure out a way to make an impact within your sphere of influence. Stand out. Become the ‘top-of-mind’ selection.

Because everyone needs to be reminded how not to suck….

I decided I needed to get a new pair of shoes. The ones that I have are a couple years old and, quite frankly, a bit worn out.  So, I decided to head to the local ShoeEmporiumMart and get myself some shoes.  I knew exactly what I wanted…and in what section of the store to find it.  As I entered the store, I saw a couple customers browsing and 3 sales attendants by the cash register.

As I stroll past them, one of them says, “Hi. I will be right with you.” Assuming she was discussing something important and required time to finish her discussion, I went on my own.

Fine with me…I know what I want anyway. I head over to the shoes I want and the specific shoe I am after is not on the shelf.  So, I hunt around for a couple minutes only to figure out that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason as to how these shoes are shelved…and decide I would “hunt down” that kind lady that said she would help me.

After a minute or two of looking, I find her at the counter again chatting with the other two sales reps about her obviously too intense weekend of drunken debauchery.  I ask her if she knew where I could find my New Balance 820s in a 4E…and without even skipping a beat, she says to me and I quote….”I said I would be with you in a minute”.

I don’t think I have to tell you what happened next…..

Suffice it to say that I got my shoes from FootLocker instead.

You see…like this example, some aspects of your sales ability are painfully obvious to your customers.  But, some of them are much more subtle than this example…Subtle enough that you probably don’t even know that you are doing them.  But, your clients know.  Believe me!

So, here are some ‘subtle’ and some not-so-subtle ways that you suck literally destroy your relationship (and your reputation) with your clients.

Be inaccessible. One the primary complaints I receive from the clients I refer to agents is that the agent is hard to reach.  Heck, one of the major complaints I hear from other agents is that some agents are hard to reach.  Don’t answer your phone.  And, when someone takes the time to leave a message, don’t worry about calling back.  After all, if they want to reach you so bad, they will just call back, right?

Talk more/listen less. Youre the important one here.  Youre the expert.  What they have to say is not important at all because you have all the answers.

Be dishonest. Nothing will turn off a client more than being dishonest.  The phrase ‘a web of lies’ implies that it takes a lie to cover up a lie.  And another one to cover up that one and so on.

Ignore simple manners. Whether you like it or not, your manners matter to your clients.  Go ahead…keep your clients on hold.  Talk on your cell phone about nothing that relates to your clients that are standing right in front of you.  Use profanity and disrespectful language around your clients.  Say something negative about another client in the presence of one of your clients.  Go ahead…it’s the truth, right?

Take “No” for an answer. That’s right…just give up. Automatically assume that the client will never work out because you heard the word ‘No’ the first time you contacted them.  After all, only the “serious” customers that are ready to go right now are worth your time.

Don’t get to know your customers. Ignore the important things in their lives.  Don’t worry about birthdays or anniversaries.  Forget that they have 4 dogs they treat like children.  Ignore the fact that the ugly vase on the mantle is actually Great Grandpa George.  Don’t get to know them on a personal level…its not required anyway.  After all, they are just walking dollar signs, right?

I would bet that 98% of the people that read this will already know why you shouldn’t do these things and completely deny that they suck do any of them.

So, the next logical step in this conversation: Well, what should I do instead?

Simple. Dont suck.

BE ACCESSABLE! Answer your phone whenever possible.  Reply to all messages and email within a maximum of 6 hours.  Make sure that your clients understand that you are there for them and that you appreciate the fact that they trusted you enough to want to contact you.

LISTEN! You were given two ears and only one mouth.  That means you should listen twice as much as you talk.  Take the time to listen to your clients. What they have to say is important to them.  Therefore, it MUST be important to you.  Ignore your rehearsed responses to standard objections and tailor them to fit the specific needs of your client’s concerns.  Make them feel important…because they are!

BE HONEST! Be honest to a fault, if need be.  In this market, clients need an advocate that is out for THEM not THEMSELVES. Say what you mean.  Don’t beat around the bush about facts that need to be said.  Even if what is needed is a smackdown…it would be better for you to do it and be honest about it than to be deceitful and then get caught in the lie later on.  You have one shot to build trust…don’t blow it.

USE YOUR MANNERS! For sales people that want to reach the top rung of the ladder, there is no substitute for patience, civility, and good old fashioned manners.  Say ‘please’.  Say ‘thank you’.  Make eye contact with people when they are speaking to you.  Open doors for people.  It sounds silly, but these things are not just marketing gimmicks designed to make a client happy.  They are the tried and true marks of good character.

FOLLOW UP! Whether you want to believe it or not, sometimes “no” means “not right now”.  I see this every day with my company.  Agents simply give up after the initial contact with a potential customer because they were told “no”. It has been proven time and again that it takes seven points of contact for a consumer to remember who you are and why you are trying to contact them.  So, it is up to you to ensure that happens.  Call your prospects.  Email your prospects.  Work your leads. Don’t just give up initially because you didn’t get the answer you wanted on the initial request.  Sales isn’t a McDonald’s drive-thru.  You might have to ask more than once…or twice…or eight times.  I work with an agent currently that just landed an exclusive agency agreement on 35 properties because she followed up on a referral from my company that screamed at her on her initial phone call.  (If you want to hear the whole story, contact me…be happy to share.)

KNOW YOUR PEOPLE! Notice I didn’t use the word ‘client’.  I have said time and time again that this is a people business.  You deal with people.  And, they should be treated as such.  Get to know them on a personal level.  Use that to your advantage. Remember their kids’ names; their dog’s name.  Ask about the things in their life that are important to them and make them important to you as well.  By the same token, allow them to get to know you.  Developing a rapport and trust is mutual.  It has always been true, you must be able to give before you are proven worthy to receive.  That rule holds true here also.

It is a hard and fast rule of business that it costs six times more money or time to cultivate a new client as it does to retain a current one.  And, in this market, I would bet it costs even more.  Extraordinary customer service skills will only lead to successful retention of your clientele.  And that will ensure that you dont suck.

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals www.recr.com, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint

With so many people doing their best to set themselves up for a better year in 2010, I thought I would share a post I wrote a while back that seems to be more pertinent now…

I recently read an article that really sparked my interest.  The article was simply a basic list of the ways that someone could re-invent themselves by investing time and effort into the one asset that all agents have – Themselves.

The key principle to this article was the fact that, despite this uncertain market, there are people that appear to be striving to make their own abilities better and five ways to do so.  Below is the list that was in the article…and a good healthy dose of my own explanations as to why this is so important in this uncertain market.

IMAGE: You chose a career in real estate to be an independent business person.  So, do you carry yourself in a professional manner?  Do you “look the part”? Do you have your business cards on you?  Are you showing that you are proud of whom you work for or what you do?  Whether you want to believe it or not, your image IS your first impression.  Make sure that the impression you are making is the on that you actually want to make.  There are some places where you can get away with blue jeans and a nice shirt.  There are other places where a suit is more appropriate.  Dress the part! Maintain your personal image.  Get your hair cut or styled.  Ladies…get your nails done.  Guys…shave every day.  (Believe me, I realize that sucks …I’m a guy…I understand.  But, its 2 or 3 minutes…and it makes a ton of difference to those around you.)  I actually know of one agent that wears a tuxedo to all of his closings.  That is part of his image.  It is what sets him apart from the rest.  (His name is Todd Waller out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he works for RealEstateOne.  But, you can get more info on him and his Team366 at www.blog.team366.net.)

TRAINING: Aside from the mandatory requirements involved, you should try to find as many different options to better your ability as you can.  Take the time to sit down with your broker to discuss some in-house training options.  If you know of any free options for training, jump on it.  Any training you involve yourself in will only re-emphasize the skill set you already have developed.  So, it will not be wasted time or effort.  You never know, you may learn something.  (Also, anything that you can learn about social networking…that is a must!  Trust me on this…this is a skill that does require some time to master, but you will not regret it!)

NETWORKING: Making yourself known in the community by getting involved with community events is a great way of networking with some of the more influential people in your market.  Get involved with the community. Start working with the Chamber of Commerce.  Go to PTA meetings.  Join Toastmasters.  Get involved in your local neighborhood activities.  Surrounding yourself with such innovative, like-minded people will help you with both your image and your over-all success.  Most people do business with people that they know on a social level.  So, networking like this is a key to success in a troubled market.

MENTORING: They say that the teacher will always learn something from the student.  Become a mentor for younger agents.  Help them be successful.  This will cause you to make sure that what you are doing is what you SHOULD be doing.  It will help you cross your ‘T’s and dot your ‘I’s, as it were.  Besides…there are times when you can actually team up and work together for the success of each.

YOU: Seems weird that I have to add this since this entire post is about you.  But, if you are not taking good care of yourself, you will not have the energy or the will to commit to the rest of this list.  Take care of your own body and mind. Get sleep.  It is probably more important than anything else you can do for yourself.  Make sure you get some exercise.  (In this industry with showing property and running from one location to another, that usually isn’t hard…but you should do 30 minutes of cardio every day.)  Eat right.  (Did you know that eating an apple will actually wake you up better than a cup of coffee??)  Bring fresh fruits with you on your appointments and eat them when you can.  Avoid the drive-thrus.  If you don’t know where else to start in your investments in you…look in the mirror and start there.

If you would like information on how to get more clients, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058.  Or, visit www.recr.com.  Or, follow Clint on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.