http://activerain.com/blogs/cpollinger Leadership, Strategic and Business Coaching for Real Estate's Elite. en-us 608819 <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/dunce%20hat.gif" vspace="10" height="145" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="153" />Last night, I may have discovered that I am a little on the stupid side.&nbsp;</strong> Seriously.&nbsp; I know that may not come to a "blinding flash of the obvious" to those that subscribe to my humble blog, but until yesterday I thought I understood our crazy and dysfunctional industry.&nbsp; &nbsp;Just like your drunk uncle Joe or the mother-in-law that you wished wouldn't have been part of the deal, there are a few things we all put up with in our real estate lives.&nbsp; <strong>But at the end of the day, I thought creating income was the point of why our Broker of choice has the privilege of hanging our license at their shop.</strong>&nbsp; I know, I know, with over 70% of or industry living below the poverty line I should have seen this sooner, but no - I held out hope.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Here's what happened -</strong> yesterday afternoon I got three, yes three, outbound corporate relocation leads (2 listings and 1 sale) that needed to be placed with agents.&nbsp; Usually I have an admin person do this, but they were out of the office and we needed to get them placed by the end of the day, so I got to do it personally.&nbsp; <strong>All I had to do was identify agents who met the following criteria:</strong></p> <p><br /><strong>1. They would return the call or email<br />2. They have been licensed more than 3 years <br />3. They were full time and could handle the referral.</strong></p> <p><strong>If they met those criteria, they would get the deal.&nbsp; Simple, yes?&nbsp; I mean with over 1.2 million REALTORS it should be no big deal.&nbsp; WRONG!</strong></p> <p><strong>I called <em>and</em> emailed 15 agents and here is what happened -</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Slide11.GIF" vspace="10" height="204" hspace="20" align="left" alt="" width="151" />13 never called or responded back</strong><br /><strong>1 called back, thanked me </strong>for the consideration and said she was going to be out of town for August and thought she should decline for the client's benefit (yes, she is going to the TOP of my list next time)<br /><strong>1 got all three leads</strong> (and it took her more than 6 hours to get back to me).</p> <p><strong>Before you get all high and mighty, let me tell you where I drew the pool from -</strong> for the listing leads I looked for CRS designees that worked for major brokers who made over $100,000 last year <em>and were members of ActiveRain.</em>&nbsp; For the buyer lead, I only substituted ABR for the CRS designation.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Has the lead generation companies jaded us that badly that we can't afford a bit of professionalism and civility to our other real estate brethren?&nbsp;</strong> It's not like I am from Nigeria and asking you via email to send me $25,000 so that I can transfer King JKAdhLAIDT's fortune to you.&nbsp; I was going to send them along without even taking a referral fee.&nbsp; <strong>I am a real estate broker who is looking for someone who can take good care of my people.&nbsp; That's all, nothing more, nothing less.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:26:34 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/608819/ARGH-Why-is-our 608014 <p><a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blogsview/343957/Best-Practices-for-the" rel="bookmark"></a>Every once and a while I get something that is just too good not to share. Dean is a fellow <a href="http://www.mastersprogram.org/">Master's Program Graduate </a>and is the CEO of one of the <a href="http://www.strata-media.com/">finest Ad agencies</a> I've ever been exposed to. I received this article last week from him and thought it dovetailed into the branding series I just wrapped up. I hope you enjoy Dean as much as I do -</p> <p><strong>Does your company logo really make a difference?</strong></p> <p><strong>Identity is powerful. Your logo will be front and center on every piece of promotional material you'll ever create and it will enter the minds of millions over the lifetime of your business.</strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Slide7.GIF" vspace="20" height="238" hspace="20" align="right" alt="" width="252" /></p> <p><strong>"Just how important is my company logo?"</strong> If this question crosses your mind once in a while along with the oh so seldom: "what if I get audited thought", keep reading. <strong>Consider for a moment that you'll spend an estimated 5% to 10% of your annual revenue on marketing materials where your logo will be boldly communicating -</strong> a negative vibe, a mute statement, or a commitment to innovation and excellence. Identity is powerful. Your logo will be front and center on every piece of promotional material you'll ever create and it will enter the minds of millions over the lifetime of your business.</p> <p>The fact is, <strong>we live in an extremely visual society</strong>. Giorgio Armani, Ferrari, Donna Karan, Rolex, Nike, and Dell are a few representations of identity, looking good, and performing well. These companies are spending millions of dollars and thousands of personnel hours protecting and building their identities. But they're also making truckloads of money because <strong>we live in a society where looks matter, and looks influence buying decisions in the retail and corporate worlds.</strong> The difference between these brand-committed companies and many others is that those who invest in their identity capitalize on the power that design has to lure the mind in their direction.</p> <p>Based on a small research sampling of around 2000 businesses, my agency discovered that 8 out of 10 small to medium size companies had a less than adequate logo while close to half the larger ones had a less than adequate logo. We qualify "less than adequate" based on design features such as obtrusive or dated colors, incompatible type treatments, dated type treatments, clumsy or awkward graphics and type, no conveyed meaning, poor size relation, and lack of easy reproduction. We judge using these factors, plus our 20 years of experience in branding.</p> <p>We decided to take it a step further and survey representatives of the companies whose cards we reviewed. <strong>It was no surprise that we discovered those with well designed logos and identities had credible stories to tell about the impact their corporate image has made in their marketplace. </strong>They remarked that positive conversations would often be started when the recipient looked at their logo, their card, their brochure, their shirt, etc. Conversations where the brand played a role in winning new business were frequent as well. Administrative staff spoke confidently about their image, sales people said they would hand out more materials, and the sales process was improved, as were sales results in most every case.</p> <p><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/quotes17.png" vspace="10" height="200" hspace="20" align="left" alt="" width="150" />On the flip side, we found that approximately 50% of those companies with a poor logo defended their ineffective brand. <strong>We also found adverse reactions and very little willingness to discuss the matter until we started talking to the sales and marketing people</strong>. They had plenty to say. "We hate our logo," or "Our image stinks," or "I'm embarrassed to hand out a business card," and many more tiptoe slams against the brand (the company). We observed that not only was the logo unprofessional, but in about 90% of the cases, the rest of the company's materials such as collateral and the Web followed suit and the sales staff was not motivated to present it.</p> <p>At Strata-Media, we've designed logos for more than 1000 companies across the country, from small concerns to Fortune 500. Since our inception, we've never once had a client say they wished they didn't re-design or upgrade their logo. There can be, however, timing issues when changing your logo. When you're company relocates is a great time to change your identity because you will be re-printing most of your materials and putting up new signage. Launching a new ad campaign or producing a corporate brochure is great time because you can leverage the expense and exposure of the new printed materials and advertising. Repeated complaints from your staff are grounds to strongly consider a change. In addition to your company's feedback, it pays to have a marketing professional review your company's overall image about once every three to five years to ensure the brand is staying in tact. Strata-Media reviews at least 50 brands per year and every client who participates in the exercise says it was a valuable experience.</p> <p>In closing, changing your logo is definitely a cost consideration, but <strong>in some cases it's more expensive to keep an ineffective logo than it is to change it. </strong>There's often at least one competitor with a stronger image, and that company, without question, will attract more business because of their brand and their commitment to the details. <strong>My recommendation: be that brand.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Article used with permission</strong> and credited to Dean Del Sesto, CEO and Managing Partner, <a href="http://www.strata-media.com/">Strata-Media, Inc.</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:01:08 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/608014/Does-your-logo-really 606399 <p><a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blogsview/343957/Best-Practices-for-the" rel="bookmark"></a><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/mc.jpg" height="332" hspace="20" align="right" alt="" width="352" /></p> <p>I don't usually spend much time talking about me or what we are doing here at Mastery Coaching. As a coach, I am very well aware that you inherantly care more about you and what you are doing.</p> <p>But every once and a while I need to slip a little shamless plug in.</p> <p>Since you all represent the best and the brightest in today's real estate community I thought I'd ask your opinion on our new website re-design.</p> <p>We are still working on some things (are you ever done with websites?) but it is far enough along to make live.</p> <p>I'd love to get your overall thougths if you have a moment - <a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/www.mastery-coaching.com">www.mastery-coaching.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:30:31 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/606399/Website-2 604441 <p> <table border="0" align="center" width="761"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/marketing-module-title.png" height="81" alt="" width="755" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Blogging for Business</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Session-Description.png" height="28" alt="" width="170" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>One of the current paradoxes in real estate is that over 80% of our clients start their journey on-line. Yet, as an industry very little of our business can be attributed to our web presence. In fact, truth be known, most of us have no idea who visits our site and why we have one other than "someone said I should." That someone was, more often than not, the sales person for your current website hosting company.</p> <p>I won't go into why we as agents have been taken to the cleaners by most template-driven web hosting companies, but we can circumvent some of the shortcomings of our websites by launching a 30 minute a week blog campaign.</p> <p>Click on the icons below to check out this week's Mastery Coaching Marketing Module.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Audio/Blogging%20for%20Business%20-%20MC.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/audio-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Video/Blogging%20for%20Business%20(MC).wmv" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/video-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Print/Blogging%20for%20Business%20-%20MC.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/print-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:01:01 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/604441/Mastery-Coaching-Marketing-Module 598838 <p>Attitude is one of the most fundamental keys to success in the real estate world.&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>It will outperform longer hours, higher IQ's and superior credentials.</strong>&nbsp; It is free and simple to develop and maximize for almost unlimited return in revenue and commissions.&nbsp; Although it is simple, it is not necessarily easy for some and I want to highlight 7 of the killers of a great attitude.</p> <p><strong>Indifference</strong> - The "I don't care" or "whatever" attitude pushes back and disengages from the world and its problems.&nbsp;&nbsp; It doesn't contribute to solutions or progress.&nbsp; <strong>Remember, "The only thing needed for evil to rule the world is for good men to do nothing."</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/man%20in%20red%20rope.gif" vspace="10" height="144" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="153" />Indecision</strong> - <strong>Some folks just have a challenge making a decision and in doing so they by default get to follow the decisions of others.</strong>&nbsp; Try making more decisions faster, when you go to lunch decide on something quickly, when you go shopping get something and reclaim the rest of the day, work on the small decisions and grow in comfort until the big ones become less, well, big.</p> <p><strong>Doubt</strong> - Without hope life becomes a miserable mess.&nbsp; Ask yourself if doubt is helpful or just holding you back. &nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>I'm all for being honest, but far too much doubt&nbsp;masquerades as "realistic."</strong></p> <p><strong>Worry</strong> - If you want to protect your attitude, you must get worry and stress out of your life.&nbsp; <strong>Focus on what you can do something about and do something about it.</strong>&nbsp; If it's out of your hands, don't worry or stress, because it isn't going to help anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Over Caution</strong> - Fear is the basis and root of much of what is wrong in the world in your life.</p> <p><strong>Pessimism </strong>- <em>Even pessimists don't like hanging around other pessimists.</em></p> <p><strong>Complaining</strong> - <em>Don't complain.</em>&nbsp; You can be honest with your feelings and your thoughts, but don't just whine.&nbsp;<strong> I ask that every complaint or problem that is brought to me have at least one suggested solution that accompanies it.&nbsp; &nbsp;</strong>Don't focus on the problems (and there are always thousands of them to think about), focus on the solutions and making the world a better place, even if it is in a small way.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:29:33 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/598838/7-Diseases-of-the 597289 <p><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/frusterated%20woman.gif" vspace="10" height="146" hspace="10" align="left" alt="" width="155" />Tired of marketing like a maniac but not getting any clients?&nbsp; Beef up your referral systems, and soon you'll have all the clients you want.</p> <p>Here are ten secrets of building a referral machine that builds your real estate business:</p> <p><strong>1. Network, network, network.&nbsp; </strong>And when I say network, I don't mean join groups and never go, or go but skulk around the sidelines, I mean network actively.&nbsp; <strong>Talk to people about their businesses, and your business.</strong>&nbsp; Mingle with people you've only met once so that you get to know them better.&nbsp; Introduce yourself to everyone you don't know, and learn how you can refer to them, then tell them how they can refer to you.</p> <p><strong>2. Build a Group 100.&nbsp;</strong> A Group 100 is a network of 100 people with whom you have a reciprocal referral agreement.&nbsp; <em>You feel comfortable referring others to them because you have personally sat down with these folks, and learned enough about their businesses to understand who will really benefit from their products or services.&nbsp; </em>In the process of learning about them, they will learn about you, and so you have just expanded your network to the 300 people each of your Group 100 folks knows!</p> <p><strong>3. Refer to other people.</strong>&nbsp; Referrals are almost like yawns in that they spawn more of the same.&nbsp; I receive reciprocal referrals more often when I am referring to others, so I make it my business to refer as often as possible.&nbsp;<strong> Make sure that they are quality leads you are giving.</strong>&nbsp; You don't want to waste time with bad leads, and neither do your partners.</p> <p><strong>4. Ask for referrals.&nbsp;</strong> Ask your clients, ask your prospects, and ask your colleagues.&nbsp; <em>But ask correctly</em>.&nbsp; Don't ask if they know anyone who needs your services, because they might not know off the top of their heads.&nbsp; Sure, they know a lot of people, but may not think of the right person to refer to you unless you ask in the right way.&nbsp; The right way is to ask a clarifying question such as, "You're active in your neighborhood association, aren't you?"&nbsp; A positive response sets up your request for referrals: "Do you know anyone in your neighborhood who is also thinking about selling or buying a home?"&nbsp; That focuses the attention on a specific group, rather than on all acquaintances, which is more likely to result in an actual referral.</p> <p><strong>5. Give it away.&nbsp;</strong> Not your services, of course, but something valuable to people who are thinking about buying the services or products you have for sale.&nbsp; For example, you might have a free report or checklist on choosing the right professional for the job that you do.&nbsp; <em>Once it becomes known (through your web site, press releases, and word of mouth) that you offer a great tool for figuring out how to buy what you're selling, you can become the go-to person for real estate related services in your community.</em></p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/man%20with%20bonoculars.gif" vspace="10" height="147" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="151" />6. Become visible.&nbsp;</strong> <em>If you're not on the internet, you're invisible.</em>&nbsp; But just one little web site isn't going to cut it these days; you need higher visibility.&nbsp; Get listed on your networking organizations' web sites, send out press releases, participate in community projects, and assume leadership positions in one or more of your social, business, or philanthropic groups.</p> <p><strong>7. Establish a stellar reputation. </strong>If you know that you're good, but not sure your clients are raving about you, ask them for written testimonials (but don't you dare write them yourself!).&nbsp; They will write much nicer things about you than you would ever write yourself, and the process reminds them of how good you are, so they are more likely to refer to you.</p> <p><strong>8. Create a rewards program for referrals</strong>.&nbsp; Set up a system that gathers information about how your clients heard about you, and reward those who refer to you.&nbsp; It can be as complicated or as simple as you like, but remember: <em>if you promote it, you must honor it.&nbsp; </em></p> <p><strong>9. Develop strategic alliances</strong> with non-competing businesses.&nbsp; Find out who works with your clients before they need your services, and set up a system that funnels their clients your way.</p> <p><strong>10. Reward referrals, not sales.&nbsp;</strong> It is <em>your </em>responsibility to close the sale, so always measure the success of your referral program by the number of referrals you get, not sales.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:56:26 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/597289/Creating-a-Referral-Machine 595523 <p>The magazine, Fast Company, recently declared that Americans are becoming a nation of "free agents". <strong>They described a generation of consultants and professionals, all selling their services for the length of a project or until a problem is solved. </strong>That brings tremendous freedom, and new responsibilities to run our careers as businesses! Unfortunately, many "free agents" have never run a profitable business. The following are my list of critical issues in creating a career/business that will remain profitable for years to come.<img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/man%20in%20front%20of%20sold%20sign.gif" vspace="10" height="146" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="155" /></p> <ol> <li>Customer Benefits. <strong>You and your customers must clearly understand the benefits that your services provide.</strong> What are the 5 benefits of working with you vs. anyone else in your market place? Can you communicate that clearly? <strong>Customers buy benefits. </strong></li> <li>Extra Value. <strong>Customers must receive more in value than you charge for your services.</strong> Most of us don't want a "fair" exchange; we want a bargain, the sense that we got extra value for our money. Can you communicate the 5 extra your customers get from you? </li> <li><strong>Superb Service. </strong>This means attention to detail. Answering the phone on the first ring, providing an 800 number and 24-hour customer service numbers are examples. L.L. Bean has made a fortune with it's "no questions" guarantee. Do you have a guarantee? </li> <li><strong>Know your Audience.</strong> Who are you 5 best customer types. </li> <li>Location. In the old days, this meant the street address of your shop or store. Now it means getting your marketing messages into your customer's hands when and where they are receptive. <strong>Be certain your website is located at the top of the search engines. </strong></li> <li><strong>Convenience.</strong> Customers expect to shop at their convenience, to pay by credit card, to call an 800-number, and to have their questions answered correctly the first time. Make it easy to contact you! </li> <li>Innovation. <strong>New is good, newer is better. </strong>Customers expect the benefits of the most modern technology. At a minimum, they expect the convenience of email, voice mail,&nbsp;and efax. If there is a faster, better, cheaper and more reliable way to do it, adopt cutting edge techniques before your competition does! </li> <li>Reliability. Consumers assume they can rely on your services. <strong>If they are purchasing your time and <img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Slide10.GIF" vspace="10" height="142" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="151" />expertise, they rely on your availability, your advice, your attention to detail, and your follow-through. </strong>Durability may be less important in a throwaway age, but consumers demand 100% reliability. Be there for them every single time! </li> <li>Planning. Planning takes on strange twists when a computer chip "generation" lasts 6 months and a website may be "old" in 6 weeks. <strong>Planning is the ability to monitor, influence, and profit from change.</strong> Planning means having a mission statement and the flexibility to respond instantly when new information allows you to fulfill your mission more effectively. Planning means you control your destiny. </li> <li>Communication. <strong>This means instant, 2-way communication between every level and every branch of an enterprise.</strong> It means communicating with your vendors and competitors, and working with your customers so they become your most important designers, researchers and customer service experts. It means an "open door" policy and flat organizational models. It means listening is more important than speaking. It means ideas rule the world. </li> </ol> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:38:23 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/595523/How-to-Profit-in 594049 <p><strong></strong></p> <table border="0" align="center" width="761"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/marketing-module-title.png" height="81" alt="" width="755" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Public Relations 101</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Session-Description.png" height="28" alt="" width="170" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Public relations is a strategic marketing discipline that involves equal doses of creativity, persistence, substance and cooperation to influence members of the media to look favorably on an industry, client, company, business or service. Not to mention a very cost effective marketing strategy, but, the third party credibility is one of the greatest benefits of public relations.</p> <p>Come learn how to leverage the power of PR for your business!</p> <p>Click on the icons below to check out this week's Mastery Coaching Marketing Module.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Audio/PR101-MC.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/audio-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Video/PR%20101%20(MC).wmv" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/video-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Print/Public%20Relations%20101%20-%20MC.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/print-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:20:13 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/594049/Mastery-Coaching-Marketing-Module 592748 <p>&nbsp;I just wanted to let my friends on AR know that our audio podcast has been approved by iTunes and is up and running.&nbsp; Please feel free to subscribe if you are into that kind of thing.</p> <p> <table border="0" align="center" width="758"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p><strong>Mastery Coaching Audio Podcast</strong></p> <p><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/podcast-icon.jpg" height="60" hspace="10" align="left" alt="" width="60" /><a href="itpc://feeds.feedburner.com/MasteryCoachingAudioPodcast.xml" target="_blank">Subscribe</a><a href="itpc://feeds.feedburner.com/MasteryCoachingAudioPodcast.xml" target="_blank">&nbsp;via iTunes</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/">Download iTunes for Free</a></p> </td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MasteryCoachingAudioPodcast/~6/1"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MasteryCoachingAudioPodcast.1.gif" alt="Mastery Coaching Audio Podcast" /></a>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:31:10 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/592748/Mastery-Coaching-Audio-Podcast 588663 <p align="left"><strong>10 Goals to Reach </strong><strong>in the Next 90 Days</strong><strong> </strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blogsview/343957/Best-Practices-for-the" rel="bookmark"></a></p> <p align="left"><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Slide18.GIF" vspace="10" height="190" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="198" /><strong>What are the goals you most want to set for yourself for the next 90 days?</strong></p> <p align="left"><br /><strong>Please select only those goals that you really want, not the ones you should, could, oughta, or might want. </strong>Look deep inside, write down your 10 personal and professional goals, and discuss these with your coach. When you set the right goals for yourself, you should feel excited, a little nervous, and ready and willing to go for them!</p> <p align="left"><br /><strong>Don't select the goals you historically have chosen but never reached, unless you're in a much better position to reach them now.</strong></p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="0" width="560"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="bottom" width="73"> <p>Start Date</p> </td> <td valign="bottom" width="76"> <p>Finish Date</p> </td> <td valign="bottom" width="316"> <p>The Specific Measurable Goal</p> </td> <td valign="bottom" width="95"> <p>Completed</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>1.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>2.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>3.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>4.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>5.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>6.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>7.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>8.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>9.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="73"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="76"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="316"> <p>10.</p> </td> <td width="95"> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <p align="left"><strong>Please develop a three-step action plan or strategy for each goal and fine-tune this with your coach</strong>.</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="0" width="615"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="615"> <p align="center">What are the personal or professional benefits to you of accomplishing these goals?</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="615"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For a print version of this worksheet <a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Print/10%20Goals%20to%20Reach%20in%20the%20Next%2090%20Days%20-%20MC.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:06:36 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/588663/1-Goals-to-Reach 584852 <p><strong>Working at home, alone with one's computer and to-do list, seems like the ultimate manifestation of the American dream of successful self-employment. </strong>In the corporate world, how often do we roll our eyes at the fifth<strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Woman%20and%20child%20on%20computer.gif" vspace="10" height="179" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="252" /></strong> unwanted visit from boredco-workers in the space of an hour, or chafe at the time spent in mandatory (yet pointless)meetings, and heartily wish we could have just one afternoon of uninterrupted time to finish that project?</p> <p>Just the thought of working quietly at home, comfortably clad in sweats rather than restrictive "office wear" and sipping a cup of fresh coffee for a change is enough to evoke a feeling of peace and tranquility that lasted until we realize with a start that we are still at work, laboring under glaring fluorescent lighting, drinking what passes for coffee in this reality and listening to the idiot in the cubicle next to you humming loudly enough to cause your client on the phone to ask you to turn down your radio or to at least tune it in to the station properly.</p> <p>So one fine day, you leave the corporate world for the freedom and excitement of a REALTOR&reg; entrepreneur. <strong>You look forward to reaping the benefits of your own hard work, rather adding value to some corporate entity whose leadership team thought that giving you a paper certificate acknowledging all your contributions to the company was adequate compensation while your former boss receives a five-figure bonus for "empowering" your good work.</strong></p> <p>But you're not bitter, and as a matter of fact, you're quite exhilarated at the prospect of working for yourself, and anticipate with pleasure the productive workdays and the sense of accomplishment that you're sure you will have after each day's work.</p> <p>But then it doesn't quite turn out that way. Oh sure, you wear sweats and drink good coffee, but somehow days slip by and your work still isn't done, or your business isn't growing like you thought it would.</p> <p>You decide that your office supplies aren't adequate so you drive to the office supply store and wander for hours, finally staggering out with hundreds of dollars of paper clips, pens and file folders that you thought you needed, but now survey with a sick feeling that perhaps you've overspent today, both your budget and your time, so you drive through the fast food place for a quick burger, and find you still don't want to go home and face that blank computer and a phone that doesn't ring.</p> <p>It's only been two months, but you've already gained 12 pounds and seen every episode of "Dr. Phil" since you quit your job. You're beginning to worry that you'll never get your business off the ground, and the thought of returning to the corporate world suddenly doesn't seem quite so repellent anymore, although you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach at the thought of job hunting, or worse, crawling back to your old job.</p> <p>Let's face it, you're not in a good place, but you don't have to stay there, and you don't (necessarily) have to scuttle back to the corporate world with your tail between your legs.</p> <p>Here are 10 suggestions for organizing your workday that will give you the feeling of control and help you succeed in your efforts to develop your home-based business.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Slide10.GIF" vspace="10" height="142" hspace="10" align="left" alt="" width="151" />1. Create a separate, distinct workspace</strong>. Having a space that is devoted to work helps you concentrate and stay organized because all your supplies and materials are right there.</p> <p><strong>2. Get ready for work each day </strong>as if you expected a visitor. No, you don't have to be dressed up, but you do have to be showered and in clean clothes.</p> <p><strong>3. Set your office hours, and stick to them</strong>. Work can be never-ending if you're always putting it off to do household chores, run errands, or watch TV. You can probably accomplish more at home since you won't have as many interruptions and meetings, so don't feel guilty about working fewer hours, but do work them. Don't waste time surfing the internet.</p> <p><strong>4. Learn to work with your natural strengths and inclinations</strong>, and you'll find your days become much more productive. For example, if you're a morning person, schedule mentally arduous tasks in the morning, and meetings in the afternoon. Create and stick to a business plan.</p> <p><strong>5. Book appointments to do all your work</strong>, including your marketing and administrative tasks. This helps you make sure that everything gets done, and gives you a realistic idea of how much time you are spending on building your business.</p> <p><strong>6. Create hard copy files or binders with important documents for your business</strong>, and keep them in plain sight for easy reference. You'll need a business binder with a list of your vendors (phone, ISP, web host) along with your account numbers and access codes, plus your business license, insurance and banking information. You'll also need your business and marketing plans within easy reach so that you can review them often.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/woman%20carrying%20files.gif" vspace="10" height="193" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="254" />7. Create standard responses for common transactions</strong>. For example, create scripts or letter templates to welcome new clients, confirm meetings, or for sales conversations. This saves time, helps you maintain your standards, and keeps you calm when you receive an unexpected call from a prospect. &nbsp;(Create standardized packages for new buyers and sellers.)</p> <p><strong>8. Create daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly financial goals</strong>, and review them daily. Yes, it sounds like lot, but once you create these goals, all you have to do is check them each day to see if you need to make modifications in tomorrow's schedule. For example, if your sales are down today, schedule sales meetings or calls for tomorrow (and do them!). Constant attention to your financial goals really does help you prioritize your daily actions, and you'll be surprised how quickly you learn what works for you.</p> <p><strong>9. End each workday with 30-minutes of goal setting and planning&nbsp;for the next day</strong>, and general clean up. You'll be glad you prepared your schedule the next morning, and you won't have to face a messy desk at the beginning of tomorrow's workday.&nbsp; (OK, those that know me well know my desk is still messy - but it's MY mess and I know where EVERYTHING is.)</p> <p><strong>10. Hold yourself to your own standards</strong>. Find yourself making a lot of personal phone calls, running errands, or taking long lunches when you're supposed to be working? Ask yourself if you would accept this behavior from someone you were paying to work for you; if not, then stop it, because you are paying yourself (or you should be). Just because you are the boss doesn't mean you are exempt from your own standards.</p> <p>Approaching your home-based business like a job is really all in your attitude and your work habits. <strong>When you focus on your daily goals, you can leave your office feeling comfortable about what you accomplished each day, and you won't stay awake nights worrying about whether you are getting enough work done, because you are.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:27:51 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/584852/Best-Practices-for-the 583853 <p><strong><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Header.png" height="140" alt="" width="800" /></strong></p> <table border="0" align="center" width="761"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/marketing-module-title.png" height="81" alt="" width="755" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>The Power of the PAN</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Session-Description.png" height="28" alt="" width="170" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>What is the most powerful tool in your arsenal?</p> <p>What is the single thing that you can do to give you the best Return on Investment (ROI)? Is it your website? Your blog? How about the postcards you send out? Your newsletter? No, it is not any of these - it's the PAN and we would bet dollars to donuts that it is one of the least used marketing strategies you are currently leveraging in your quest to build your business.</p> <p>Chris Pollinger will talk about the power of the PAN and how you can use this extremely inexpensive tool to bring explosive results to your business.</p> <p>Click on the&nbsp;icons below to check out this week's Mastery Coaching Marketing Module.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Audio/Power%20of%20the%20PAN%20-%20MC.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/audio-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Video/The%20Power%20of%20the%20PAN%20-%20MC.wmv" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/video-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Print/The%20Power%20fo%20the%20PAN%20-%20MC.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/print-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><img src="http://www.mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Footer.png" height="90" alt="" width="800" /></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:05:51 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/583853/Free-Download-Mastery-Coaching 582642 <p>Every once and a while I get something that is just too good not to share. Dean is a fellow <a href="http://www.mastersprogram.org/">Master's Program Graduate </a>and is the CEO of one of the <a href="http://www.strata-media.com/">finest Ad agencies</a> I've ever been exposed to. I received this article last week from him and thought it dovetailed into the branding series I just wrapped up. I hope you enjoy Dean as much as I do -</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Take care of your customer or someone else will</strong></p> <p><br /><em>If you don't have the right disciplines in place to super-serve your clients, you will lose them and your reputation.</em></p> <p>In one of my recent articles, I wrote that one of the main opportunities that exists in marketing today is exemplary client care. Unfortunately, <strong>most companies devote little time to this lost art and many are clueless about the negative ramifications poor client care has on their business.</strong></p> <p><strong>My goal is to drive home the understanding that if you don't have the right disciplines in place to super-serve your clients, you will lose them and your reputation.</strong> If you do serve them well, you will get more business, more often, and you'll get more referrals. Guaranteed. Here's a few thoughts.</p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Realtor%20with%20couple.gif" vspace="10" height="142" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="149" />1. </strong>The first step to amazing client care is just that. <strong>You must care.</strong> You can't fake caring. Clients can spot a self-serving sales geek a mile away. If you are out for yourself rather than for your clients, go find a tree, sit under it for a while, and get clear on what it will mean if you get in touch with genuinely caring for your clients. This is client care 101.</p> <p><strong>2. </strong>Next, <strong>clarify the expectations of each client</strong>. They're all different. So learn the needs of each and learn what has frustrated them in working with past vendors. You know, learn from the ones they fired. Often, sales people don't know what to deliver because they don't ask, or they assume all clients want the same thing. At our agency, we use a questionnaire to clarify client expectations and it works wonders.</p> <p><strong>3. </strong>Invest some up-front time setting up your processes and technologies to automate and simplify servicing your clients. <strong>The easier you make it, the more you'll do it.</strong></p> <p><strong>4. Make it easy for the client to do business with you.</strong> By finding out how they like to work, you can create a client service model for each client. Then review it with them to demonstrate how you see serving them best. This blows clients away and puts you front-of-mind every time.</p> <p><strong>5. Conduct a client survey when you're well into the relationship to take a pulse-check on how you're doing.</strong> There have been times I thought I was doing great with a client when in fact, they had quite a different perspective... the perspective that matters. Plus, surveys are useful tools to discover how you can do more business together or ask for referrals. Clients love to know you're striving to make their lives more efficient, more productive and more enjoyable.</p> <p><strong>6. </strong>Ahhhhh, client problems. Inevitable? Yes! Destructive? It depends on how you handle them. <strong>Somewhere in every service person's mindset there is a twisted idea that problems will disappear or tone down if you postpone dealing with them.</strong> When a problem arises, deal with it as if your pants just caught fire... that fast. Also confirm the client is satisfied with how you handled it every time.</p> <p><strong><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/quotes16.png" vspace="10" height="200" hspace="10" align="left" alt="" width="150" /></strong>7. Keep your commitments to your clients.</strong> Sound elementary? You'd be surprised at how many people keep just 70% of their commitments and call themselves pros. Show up on time, deliver when you promised, and follow-up when you said you would. Can we keep every commitment every time? No, but you can often renegotiate it prior to the commitment deadline if you're having difficulty. That's your lifeline.</p> <p><strong>8. Don't stretch the truth with your clients.</strong> For example: "We can get that in four weeks," when you know it will take five. "We have 45 full-time professionals, "when you only have 35. "Our client satisfaction rate is 100%," when it's pushing 80%. We call these sales exaggerations and they're as common as breathing. If you tell the truth, your character conviction will multiply your results, make you feel better about yourself, and you will create stronger relationships. If you tell little white lies, well, you're simply a liar.</p> <p><strong>9. Exceed customer expectations.</strong> You don't have to do it every time, but make it your goal to try. If you exceed expectations occasionally, your client's perspective will be that you do it all the time.<br />In closing, you've heard the old adages, "poor client care conversations spread like the plague" or "it takes 10 times the effort to get a new client than keep an old one."Whatever the adage, make it something you commit to simply because that's who you want to be. The money will follow and so will your clients, wherever you go.</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/chris.jpg" height="55" alt="Chris" width="150" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Article used with permission</strong> and credited to Dean Del Sesto, CEO and Managing Partner, <a href="http://www.strata-media.com/">Strata-Media, Inc.</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:34:37 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/582642/Take-care-of-your 577218 <p>&nbsp;</p> <p align="left"><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/girl%20with%20flag.gif" height="195" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="203" />"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty". </strong></p> <p align="left"><strong>John F. Kennedy </strong>&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">I wanted to send a humble note of thanks as we turn our attention to celebrating the birthday of the greatest country on the earth - To all those who have sacrificed much so that we may enjoy the innumerable freedoms that we take for granted each and every day, thank you, you are my hero.</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>God Bless,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:24:39 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/577218/Happy-Birthday-America 575723 <p><strong>"It's not enough to be the best at what you do; you must be perceived as the only one who does what you do."</strong><br /><br />- Jerry Garcia</p> <p><strong>All good agents have some amount of obsession with developing their skills so that they can become the best at what they do.</strong>&nbsp; Part of it is the innate competitive edge within sales people, part the natural bent to excellent customer service with those that spend their days endeavoring in a service profession. &nbsp;But the GREAT agents have learned that excellence alone isn't enough.&nbsp; <strong>They understand that they have to position themselves not as an expert but THE expert.</strong>&nbsp; <img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/2%20people%20hiding%20behind%20signs%20-%20Realtor%20copy.gif" vspace="10" height="286" hspace="10" alt="" width="406" /></p> <p>My guess is that there are more than a few other real estate practitioners in your market.&nbsp; With a plethora of choices for your potential consumer, your success in real estate depends on standing out from the crowd.&nbsp; You <strong>must learn the art of branding and positioning that allows your ideal clients to perceive you as THE ONLY one who does what you do.</strong>&nbsp; It is one of the most important pieces of your business and your very survival depends on it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:38:23 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/575723/Setting-yourself-apart 574201 <p><strong>This week's Marketing Module is now available for <a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/MC/Webinars/Getting%20Platinum%20Testimonials.html" target="_blank">Download Here</a>.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Session Title -</strong> Getting Platinum Testimonials</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Session Description -</strong></p> <p>Savvy marketers know that client testimonials are worth their weight in gold, so we always encourage our clients to get as many as possible, and to get them in writing. As much as we like the personal reference, there is nothing as credible and as consistently reliable as a good old written testimonial to help prospects make that decision to take the plunge and work with you.</p> <p>Come learn a few secrets that can take those gold standard quotes and convert them to platinum level soundbites where you can leverage and multiply the effectiveness of your current raving fans!</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:37:01 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/574201/Marketing-Module-Getting-Platinum 567807 <p><strong><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Header.png" height="140" alt="" width="800" /></strong></p> <table border="0" align="center" width="761"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/marketing-module-title.png" height="81" alt="" width="755" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;"><strong>Web Check-Up</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Session-Description.png" height="28" alt="" width="170" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>In the old days - the corner "bricks and mortar" location was a huge advantage in building your real estate business.</p> <p>Today, the bricks of yesteryear are being traded for clicks in today's virtual business environment. Chris Pollinger will be doing a web-check up to talk about how to maximize you web presence for today's market.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Audio/Web%20Check-up%20(MC).mp3" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/audio-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Video/Web%20Check-up%20(MC).wmv" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/video-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a><a href="http://mycoachingspot.com/Downloads/Print/Web%20Check-Up%20-%20MC.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Buttons/print-button.png" border="0" height="100" alt="" width="200" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><img src="http://mycoachingspot.com/Images/Artwork/MC/Footer.png" height="90" alt="" width="800" /></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:45:49 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/567807/Free-Mastery-Coaching-Download 555139 <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="720"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="708"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td width="727" colspan="3"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="14"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1025" height="1" alt="" width="14" /></p> </td> <td width="1"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1026" height="1" alt="" width="1" /></p> </td> <td width="685"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><strong>Public Relations 101</strong></p> </td> <td width="20"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1027" height="1" alt="" width="20" /></p> </td> <td> <p align="right"><img src="http://www2.gotomeeting.com/g2w/images/513329568/103835046673195312/embed.jpg" id="_x0000_i1028" height="72" alt="" width="160" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" style="height: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_topright.gif" id="_x0000_i1029" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="7"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1030" height="1" alt="" width="7" /></p> </td> <td width="1"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1031" height="1" alt="" width="1" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_bottomright.gif" id="_x0000_i1032" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="708" style="height: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="220"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="14"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1033" height="1" alt="" width="14" /></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="1"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" id="_x0000_i1034" height="1" alt="" width="1" /></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="197"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p align="center"><strong>Thursday, June 19, 2008</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p align="center"><strong>9:00 AM - 9:30 AM PDT</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><a href="https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/513329568"><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/button_registerNow.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1035" height="31" alt="" width="183" /></a></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p align="center"><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/defaultUserImage.jpg" border="0" id="_x0000_i1036" height="160" alt="" width="160" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" style="height: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/datetable_topright.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1037" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="7"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1038" height="1" alt="" width="7" /></p> </td> <td width="1"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1039" height="1" alt="" width="1" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/datetable_bottomright.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1040" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td valign="top" width="10"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1041" height="1" alt="" width="10" /></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="478"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="height: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td rowspan="2" width="8"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_topleft.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1042" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> <td width="462">&nbsp;</td> <td rowspan="2" width="8"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_topright.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1043" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="462" style="height: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td> <td valign="top"> <p align="center"><strong>Join us for a Webinar on June 19</strong></p> </td> <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1044" height="1" alt="" width="10" /></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="442"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p>Public relations is a strategic marketing discipline that involves equal doses of creativity, persistence, substance and cooperation to influence members of the media to look favorably on an industry, client, company, business or service. Not to mention a very cost effective marketing strategy, but, the third party credibility is one of the greatest benefits of public relations. <br /><br />Come learn how to leverage the power of PR for your business!</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>System Requirements</strong><br />PC-based attendees<br />Required: Windows&reg; 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Macintosh&reg;-based attendees<br />Required: Mac OS&reg; X 10.3.9 (Panther&reg;) or newer</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center"><strong>Reserve your Webinar seat now at:<br /><a href="https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/513329568">https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/513329568</a></strong></p> </td> <td valign="top" width="10"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/1x1.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1045" height="1" alt="" width="10" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td rowspan="2" width="8"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_bottomleft.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1046" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td rowspan="2" width="8"> <p><img src="http://img.gotomeeting.com/g2mimages/webinar/themes/pr/formtable_bottomright.gif" border="0" id="_x0000_i1047" height="8" alt="" width="8" /></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="462">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="720"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="550">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:23:48 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/555139/Webinar-Public-Relations-1 545932 <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/woman%20holding%20sold%20sign.gif" vspace="10" height="144" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="152" />Sell the skills you have, not your service.</strong>&nbsp; I see so many agents convey the great services they offer; only they fail to recognize most agents offer the same service.&nbsp; <strong>Rather than sell your services, try selling "your skills."</strong> &nbsp;In an industry where being unique is very difficult, sometimes expensive and seldom achieved, I think selling your skills may be much easier.</p> <p>Think about it.&nbsp;<strong> What skills do you possess that "benefit" the customer/client?&nbsp;</strong> Is it that your listings sell 25%&nbsp; faster than the market average, your experience is more than the market average or the education you have achieved earning real estate designations?&nbsp;</p> <p>Perhaps it's something as simple as you provide more information (Internet Marketing Strategy) to the seller than the average agent does.&nbsp; <strong>Whatever your skills are, that's what you emphasize and quit trying to demonstrate to consumers your "services" are superior.</strong></p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:19:10 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/545932/Sell-Skills-vs-Service 543278 <p align="left"><strong>"Learn to say &lsquo;No' to the good so you can say &lsquo;Yes' to the best"</strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/cody.gif" vspace="10" height="187" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="197" /></p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Remember Nancy Regan's "Just say no" campaign that ran in the 90's? It seems her advice is as relevant to the agenda items that want to crowd your schedule as to drugs.&nbsp;</strong> We are faced with an unending and on-going influx of decisions.&nbsp;We make thousands of them every day.&nbsp;They arrange from the small to the much, much, more life-defining.&nbsp;Most agents, who live each day in a people pleasing business, tend to say "yes" far too much.&nbsp;They over-commit to others and as a result, sacrifice the things they most value.&nbsp;<strong>Our families, friends and even our individual self tend to be put on the back-burner while we indulge the urgent before the important. </strong>Yes, it's important to work hard.&nbsp; But it's essential to learn how to say "no" to the urgent so that you can say "yes" those that mean the most to you.</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:20:38 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/543278/Nancy-Regan-Was-Right 539118 <p><a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blogs/tags/change" rel="tag"></a></p> <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/small%20plant%20in%20hands.GIF" vspace="10" height="144" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="153" /></strong></p> <p align="left"><strong>"Some people change jobs, mates, and friends, but never think of changing themselves."</strong></p> <p><strong>Sometimes the only common denominator in a series of failures is us.</strong>&nbsp; We as a society tend to point fingers and blame others instead of taking responsibility, the irony is that responsibility is the first step to the growth needed to overcome and turn failure into success.&nbsp; Looking in the mirror and changing ourselves is one of the most difficult things we must do.&nbsp;<strong> It takes courage to admit we are a contributing factor to the difficulties we face in our lives.&nbsp;</strong> But if we don't, we will experience the same cycle (only quicker this next time) again and again.&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:59:06 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/539118/The-Cycle-of-Failure 537603 <p><a href="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blogs/tags/profitability" rel="tag"></a></p> <p><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/sales%20guy.GIF" vspace="10" height="191" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="151" /></p> <p align="left"><strong>"If you see a snake, just kill it.&nbsp; Don't appoint a committee on snakes." <br /></strong><em>- H. Ross Perot</em></p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p align="left"><strong>When running the broker side of the desk, you are sometimes called on to make difficult decisions.&nbsp;</strong> As a broker/manager/owner you are responsible for office culture, casting vision and most importantly, profitability.&nbsp; Most leaders who have come through the ranks tend to be quick to hire and slow to fire.&nbsp; Problems tend to drag themselves out.&nbsp; <strong>Take a ruthless policy on snakes (whether they be people or problems) they don't get better and they only hurt you in the long run. </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:10:54 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/537603/Snakes-in-the-Office 536921 <p><strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/family.gif" height="243" align="right" alt="" width="256" /></strong></p> <p><strong>"Fortunes are made outside of the 9-5"</strong></p> <p><strong>I talk a lot about balance.&nbsp;</strong> Balance at work, balance at home.&nbsp; Keeping boundaries and having strict standards.&nbsp; Mainly because I work with the super producers who are in risk of losing what they love most because of their insane lifestyles.&nbsp; As much as I think balance is good and healthy - the reality is that our life is a life of seasons.&nbsp; <strong>In order to become a super-producer and be on the top of the heap, you must be willing to do what others won't.</strong>&nbsp; Becoming out of balance for a season is necessity to achieving the extra-ordinary.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The secret becomes including those you care most about in the process so they feel a part of what you are doing.</strong> &nbsp;Recognize when to be "on" and when it's time to snuggle in by the fire and some warm cookies with those you love.&nbsp; Remember, life is more of a marathon than the 100 meter race.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:39:55 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/536921/How-Fortunes-are-Made 536909 <p><strong>"I don't care where you've been, I care where you are going."</strong><img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Man%20in%20class.gif" height="186" align="right" alt="" width="149" /></p> <p><strong>I don't look at someone's resume when I hire people.</strong>&nbsp; It's not that it doesn't matter, nor do I appreciate the effort and time that went into stretching the truth for my benefit or the quality of the paper to dress up the little propaganda piece.&nbsp; &nbsp;But in reality, I don't really think it's all that important.&nbsp; Yes, I guess it would matter a little more if I were coaching hospital administrators and we were hiring doctors, but, I work with real estate people.&nbsp; Let's face it - the technical side of this business can be taught fairly quickly.&nbsp; There are only so many forms, rules, procedures and such.&nbsp; <strong>It's the intangibles that aren't reflected in the resume that are tough to teach.</strong>&nbsp; Character issues like being a self-starter, the entrepreneurial spirit, and overcoming adversity.&nbsp; <strong>My experience has been that the more education someone has the harder it is for them to make it in this crazy business.&nbsp; </strong></p> <p>When looking to fill out the team - don't concentrate on where someone has been look to where they want to go.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:25:40 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/536909/Hiring-Team-Members 534952 <p><strong>Hope is a very powerful thing.</strong> In fact, I'm not sure there are many things that can trump it. I have read stories from those that suffered great atrocities at the hands of captors in POW or <img src="http://www.mastery-coaching.com/blog/Kid%20with%20Plane.gif" vspace="10" height="192" hspace="10" align="right" alt="" width="255" />concentration camps and the reason one person made it and another succumbed was a matter of hope. Hope that tomorrow would be better; that there was something at the end of the rainbow, that all the pain and suffering was somehow worth it.<br /><br /><strong>I wake up every day in pain.</strong> I had a football injury in high school that resulted in having to have 9 levels of my spine fused and 8 ribs reattached all together with 7lbs of rods, screws, bolts and other miscellaneous hardware. It was a 17 hour surgery, with two teams of world class surgeons.&nbsp; <strong>I had very little doubt I would live, but whether the rest of my days would be spent in a wheelchair was a serious consideration.&nbsp;</strong> I think back to the recovery, the week in intensive care, the countless hours of therapy and remember the driving force getting through it was hope.&nbsp; Hope that each day would get progressively better.&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Hope, Faith and Love.&nbsp;</strong> There is quite a bit floating out there on the latter two, but without the former, faith and love fall flat.&nbsp; One of my favorite songs at the moment is Dream Big by Ryan Shupe.&nbsp; Despite its title, it is a song more about hope than dreams (well, to be technical having dreams are a function of hope).&nbsp; At any rate I hope it gives you a boost to your day -</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p align="left">&nbsp;</p> <p align="center"><strong>Dream Big<br /></strong><strong>Ryan Shupe &amp; The Rubberband</strong></p> <p align="center">&nbsp;When you cry be sure to dry your eyes, <br />cause better days are sure to come. <br />And when you smile be sure to smile wide, <br />and don't let them know that they have won. <br />And when you walk, walk with pride, <br />and don't show the hurt inside, <br />because the pain will soon be gone. <br /><br />Chorus: <br />And when you dream, dream big, <br />As big as the ocean blue. <br />Cause when you dream it might come true. <br />So When you dream, dream big. <br /><br />And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud, <br />cause it will carry all your cares away. <br />And when you see, see the beauty <br />all around and in yourself, it will help you feel okay. <br />And when you pray, pray for strength <br />to help to carry on when the troubles come your way. <br /><br />Chorus <br /><br />And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud, <br />'cause it will carry all your cares away. <br />And when you see, see the beauty all <br />around and in yourself, and it will help you feel okay. <br />And when you pray, pray for strength to <br />help to carry on when the troubles come your way.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Carpe diem,</p> <p><img title="Chris" src="http://www.yourrecoach.com/images/chris.jpg" height="59" alt="Chris" width="160" /></p> <p>You can also click on one of the following links to&nbsp;have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,</p> <p><a href="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1219057&amp;loc=en_US">To subscribe via email</a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ"></a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/activerain/kIXQ">To subscribe via RSS reader</a></p> Chris Pollinger (Mastery Coaching) Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:51:42 -0500 http://activerain.com/blogsview/534952/Dream-Big