Good morning Active Rain Community!

For years I have felt that advertising in the local paper was a useless effort done just to please the seller.  Last week I spoke with an agent who is having great success with newspeper advertising.  I tried her ideas and I am pleased to report I have had wonderful results.   This is what I did.  

• I used an 800 number hotline for recorded information
• I did NOT list the price.  They'll see the photo / see the 'sizzle words' but not the price, so they need to call for the price.
• I call them back promptly (within an hour) so they are still in househunting mood when I speak to them.

I've had 22 calls on 2 listings this weekend and when calling the customers back with a simple "How can I help you?  Would you like information? I've picked up a possible listing and several buyers.

Does anyone have any more ideas on this subject?  

People will forget what you say; they will forget what you do, they will NEVER forget how you made them FEEL! ~ anonymous ~

Are you paying attention?

We get so busy during the day, so many family responsibilities, a business to build, a spouse that tries to but finds it hard to understand our long hours, customers calling and calling and calling (IF we are lucky), SPAM mail, snail mail, email, the list goes on and on. We are tired, stressed and there is always ONE more thing that didn't get done. Sometimes listening to a customer is just plain hard to do!

Yesterday I was on a call with a company and I could tell they were not paying attention to what I was saying.  It was important to me and I could 'feel' how distracted they were.   I wonder how often we 'phase out' when listening to our customers and friends?  How often are you reading email while talking to someone on the phone or worse yet, driving your car with background traffic noises as a customer tries to talk with you. 

I wonder how much more business we would have if we paid TOTAL attention to the customer on the phone or in front of us?  Would the one action of paying total attention give the subliminal message of how much we care about their needs?   I think 'YES".

As for me, I won't be calling the company who didn't pay attention to me yesterday.  There are many people who truly want my business and will pay attention to my needs.  

People will forget what you say; they will forget what you do, they will NEVER forget how you made them FEEL! ~ anonymous ~

Are you paying attention?

We get so busy during the day, so many family responsibilities, a business to build, a spouse that tries to but finds it hard to understand our long hours, customers calling and calling and calling (IF we are lucky), SPAM mail, snail mail, email, the list goes on and on. We are tired, stressed and there is always ONE more thing that didn't get done. Sometimes listening to a customer is just plain hard to do!

Yesterday I was on a call with a company and I could tell they were not paying attention to what I was saying.  It was important to me and I could 'feel' how distracted they were.   I wonder how often we 'phase out' when listening to our customers and friends?  How often are you reading email while talking to someone on the phone or worse yet, driving your car with background traffic noises as a customer tries to talk with you. 

I wonder how much more business we would have if we paid TOTAL attention to the customer on the phone or in front of us?  Would the one action of paying total attention give the subliminal message of how much we care about their needs?   I think 'YES".

As for me, I won't be calling the company who didn't pay attention to me yesterday.  There are many people who truly want my business and will pay attention to my needs.  

Please forgive me if this comes up 2 times.  I am new to Active Rain and you guys made me feel so welcome, well I just gotta do it again!   I just blogged this and didn't see it come up, so here we go again.  The following is from a newsletter I write for eMentor Connection, the link is on my links.  I hope you enjoy it, it was one of my favorites to write and many agents have loved it.

SURVIVING THE CHANGING MARKET - my personal thoughts. 

 The only thing worse than a prospective customer who has not heard about you is one who wanted to buy from you and was ignored (as far as they could tell, you couldn't be bothered to contact them and take their money). When looking at lead generation you need to balance the value of annoyed lost customers against nonacquired customers. MORE is not always better.

ADVERTISE in community newsletters. Usually the cost is low compared to how many homes you read. Remember, all you want is for them to recognize your name. (OK, that is not all you want, but it is a great start). One of the small papers I advertise in is $10 a month and I've had a couple of good buyers come from this as well as a great listing.

PROFITABILITY: My broker (a/k/a Team Leader with Keller Williams) has been mentoring me on profitability. We've come up with a few changes that are saving me quite a bit of money. Review your current advertising and systems. What is working and what isn't? Now is the time to be brutal and cut the expenses that are costing you and not giving you a return on your marketing or systems expense dollar.

PERSONAL MENTORS!: I honestly don't know how I'd survive without my terrific personal mentors. Many of you speak with me on a regular basis, and without naming names, I don't know where I would be on those particularly hard days without the great men and women who are always there to support me. Gather and support great mentors who share your ideals and dreams. Cherish their time and input. Take the time to develop their friendship and always let them know how valuable they are to you, and in return be of value to them. Everyone wins!

POWER PARTNERS! Form an "R" Group: An "R" Group is a group of 3 or 4 that meet regularly to support each other and share thoughts and ideas. My group has been meeting since 2002, we meet at 7 or 8 am on a weekday 2 times a month. Go to www.StarmakerTeam.com and learn how to set up your "R" group.  These 3 ladies are like sisters to me and I value and cherish their friendship, advice and their commitment to holding me and all of us accountable to our own greatness.  I recently joined a second "R" group with two gentlemen on Team management and building and by our second meeting we were bonded and sharing so deeply it is hard to get off the phone with them.  They are incredible and the support they give me is beyond explanation!

HIRE A GREAT COACH! I cannot say enough about my great success Coach - Coach Patti.  A coach is not a 'yes man' who pats you on the back and inspires you, but a strong foundation in a rapidly changing emotionally charged stress wracked career. A great coach holds you accountable to your goals, helps you visualize your greatness, guides you with productive systems and is there to tell you they aren't going to listen to that 'garbage' when you pull a pity party. Both professionally and personally Coach Patti has encouraged, inspired and guided me to higher levels.

MONEY: Money is more than a means to support your life. Coach Patti has shown me that money is FREEDOM. FREEDOM to live your life your way. When you want to be inspired, inspire yourself with visuals of the dreams and goals you want to achieve. WRITE down the things you want and know that it is the FREEDOM to do these things that you are working for, not the $$'s (Thank you Coach Patti for these valuable words of wisdom, they have made a difference to me).

Pretend you are a Dog. Do you think I am joking here? Remember playing 'pretend' when you were a child? Just for today treat everyone with the happy excited energy your special dog would treat you with. Be so excited to see them, smile, shake hands, pat them on the back, let them know you truly care and are and will be there for them!

BE NOSY! This great idea is from a sweet young agent in our office. When she speaks to people she probes about their life, who do they know who is making a job change, life change, had a baby, children go to college (moving down or moving up), etc. She calls it "Be Nosy" and it is a great idea.

SCHEDULE AND HONOR YOUR OFF TIME! I cannot say enough about this. Schedule and KEEP your off day and don't allow yourself to discuss the business or take calls AT ALL. I read an article the other day that reminded me of this and said this person's business DOUBLED when they decided to take Sunday's off without discussing their business or taking calls. She said for awhile she didn't know what to talk with her husband about and then developed a deeper friendship with him by having to find other interests to discuss besides their work. She even included being 'off' from housework and meal planning by preparing a meal on Saturday for Sunday, mail opening and bill paying were taboo - she and her family truly "honored the Sabbath" and it made a huge difference in her life.

SETTLING FOR LESS: Someone asked me a short time ago if I shouldn't just come down to earth and settle for a bit less? What do you think? If you guessed "NOT a chance!" you are right on target. It isn't about the money, fame or power; it is about "LIFE" - the challenge to be and do more, to fly higher, to care more, give more, be more, feel more and enjoy more and most of all - to LOVE more.. A friend once shared a phrase that I truly liked - "Lord, spare me a mundane existence".

YOUR BEST LIFE: This is copied from the bottom of this newsletter, but speaks from my heart to yours. Give it all you've got eMentors, I truly believe it is worth it!: To me, living your BEST LIFE is about what makes your heart rate kick up a few notches, what gets the adrenaline rushing through your bloodstream. We are pushed in all directions to succeed, and often get caught up in the pursuit of the everyday business of living, not realizing that it is not in alignment with what we really want. We must never lose sight of our dreams and goals. From all I see about life, we get ONE SHOT at this great event and each decision turns you to a different path never to return to the minutes and seconds we gave up by not heading in the other direction. I hope you will pursue your "BEST LIFE" with all your heart and soul because that is all there is; anything less, to me, is cheating yourself.

The Market is Changing but the Game is STILL the same.  After 31 years in this business and many different markets as my husband and I traveled around, it is still the same Game. 

The GAME! The word on the street is that the market is changing. I agree, the market is changing. The market is ALWAYS changing, however the GAME always remain the same.

The name of the game IS now, HAS been and will always be LISTINGS. Simply said, you don't have to reinvent the wheel with every changing market, just manage your listings.

In a seller's market Listing Agents have to deal with frantic buyers and an influx of multiple offers on their listings as soon as they put them on the market. Listings are in shorter supply because sellers 'think' they don't need an agent, they can plop a sign out and POOF their home is sold. Listing agents may have less listings but they sell quicker and a buyers market is banquet for selling agents. Working with multiple offers, frantic customers and sellers who feel they don't need you takes skill - get training. This is a time when all agents should work hard on building their sphere, because their sphere are the core that will insure their survival.

In a balanced market Listing Agents begin to market their properties more strongly, seeking a stronger web presence and advertising methods. Listing agents will now be able to keep a steady supply of inventory to advertise to draw in the fewer buyers that are seeking homes. The cycle is always the same - you MUST list to have something to advertise or put a sign in front of to draw a buyer or coop sale to go to closing. This is a time when a listing agent must prepare their seller for the market, explaining that it may take longer to sell than in the seller's market, and it is a time when the listing agent proves their worth with customer service and strong marketing skills. Advertising skills, web presence and systems that draw a buyer to your listing takes skill - get training. This is a time when all agents should work hard on building their sphere, because their sphere are the core that will insure their survival.

In a buyer's market Listing Agents thrive because sellers know it is taking a long time to sell homes, that buyer's are making lower and lower offers and they need the skills of a trained negotiator to get top dollar for their property. In a buyer's market listing agents have to be prepared to tell the seller that their home is worth less today than it was 3 months ago. This is a difficult time for sellers and it takes all of the skills and training that an agent can get to bring a seller through a declining market. Marketing a home for top dollar in a declining market takes great customer service skills, advertising systems and negotiating skill - get training. This is a time when all agents should work hard on building their sphere, because their sphere are the core that will insure their survival..

WAIT A MINUTE? Wasn't that the same sentence 3 times? Yes, you it was because the game is the same for every market.

1. In any market - Listings are the Name of the Game.
2. All Markets are a time when agents should work hard on building their sphere, because their sphere are the core that will insure their survival in any market.

GET Training - you can never know too much or be too skilled! 

To Your Greatness!
Toby Davis

My dear friend Margaret Rome has been talking and talking with me about Active Rain.   Please be kind to me, this is my very first blog.

I was chairing a telethon this morning with our great Keller Williams team, an annual event here in Charleston, SC, and called my dear friend Margaret for a contribution to Carolina Children's Charity.  She said "SURE" IF you join Active Rain!    Little did she know that I had already joined because she told me to awhile ago.  Since Margaret is brilliant, when she says 'do it' I 'do it'; but I had never done anything but put my profile up.  SO, here I am - you lucky people!    By the way, she promised I would love it.

I think Margaret hung the moon, however I am a little lost on the benefits of Active Rain.

I am looking forward to your replies and support and if ever I can help you, just send an email.