Recently I went to a meeting with Mr. Dave Brown from Success Starts Now! A friend had passed my name onto him and after numberous phone conversations we met. I introducted him to several prominate people I know from my community. I arranged for a presentation here's what I learned in his presentation.

Habits are formed from Process - Self Management - Self Motivation

Habit's of Top Producers:

1. Top producers see the economy differently
2. Are students of their game
3. Take action Now! (Take the stairs not the escalator)

Sales Skills of Top Producers:

• Pre-approach or Prospecting
• Approach - intial contact
• Introduction - questioning, qualifying and probing
• Demo - Talk about the nuts and bolts
• Close the deal
• Handel objections
• Ask for referrals

Quick tip: flip your business cards over and write the words "thank you" on the back, people remember this.

Instead of some of the other personal profile descriptions try these -

The Fighter! Somebody who argues, is defensive, raises objections and has a fear of losing. Be aggressive! Fight back! Answer questions with questions

The Entertainer! They can be all over the place and need to be the center of attention. They fear rejection. Ask "yes" questions They made need 20 questions to close

The Detective! Needs facts, statics, and has lots of questions. They fear that you are keeping something from them. Ask mild closing questions, keep it positive. They may take up to 10 questions to close

The Counselor! These people are concerned about the team. What's best for everyone. Close these people with boomerang questions. "If I can get you what you want today will you sign? "

• The Average producer has 2 closings
• Top Producers have 5 closings
• Above average producers have 15 closings

Other people part of the Success Stars Now: Dustin Hillis, Emmie Young, Rory Vaden, Ron Marks Gary Michels, Steve Savage, Amanda Johns

www.ssmseminars.com 877 589-0606 x 704

sales@ssnseminars.com 2451 Atrium Way, nashville, TN 37214

Happy Worm Herders thanks the community! 

FREE Organic Waste Disposal

Gaia Institute's Happy Worm Herders City-Wide Composting & Vermicomposting program will be hosting a series of free organic waste disposal days for the residents of Pueblo City and County!

Happy Worm Herders will accept lawn, leaf, and food waste - including pumpkins and cooking oil or grease.  Organic waste must be clean - no trash - and in plastic bags or containers, which will be returned immediately.

Lawn care service providers may bring lawn/leaf waste for $2 per load.  Restaurants and food service providers may bring food waste and cooking oil / grease free, but the waste must be in containers.

The first drop-off day is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2009, just after Thanks Giving, at Happy Worm Herders worm farm on Stockyard Road.  Drop off hours will be 10:00am to 3:00pm. Donations will be accepted.

For more information or directions, contact Gaia at gaiawellnesscenter@earthlink.net or 719-320-5080.

This post could be sub titled " Mud on the Tires"  and is slightly inspired by Clint Miller and his post : Choose your words carefully

Recently a seller told me I put the "Real" into Realtor. I suppose some people would be offended by this comment but I took it as a compliment. This seller recognized me for who I am - me!

I mean no offense to any Realtor out there that wears a pressed suit everyday, high heels on most days and doesn't miss a weekly manicure. There is a place for that, and if that's you - go for it! I read Jennifer Allens Selling with Soul and her advise to people is BE YOU.

What my seller recognized that I get mud on my tires, I have Colorado Pin Stripes*, I answer my own phone, do my own marketing, put up my own yard signs and work with out an assistant. If you want an answer ask me, if I don't know I'll tell you I don't know and I'll find out the answer. My listing presentations are not practiced or particularly polished, I know every listing appointment I go out on is going to be different. I sell in five (yes 5) different counties. If I dont' immediately know your neighborhood gimme a break! I can tell you about 3 streets named Grand, Main, Elm, Cedar, Coyote and they are in 3 different cities or counties. Don't get me started on County Roads......

The benefits to being a "Real" Realtor:

• You get me first hand, no assistants
• I answer my own phones
• I actually know people because I get out and meet them
• If I say I did that, have been there or know of - check my mileage for the truth
• You will see me at the Post Office and see my business cards up on bulletin boards
• Call my referrals, they are very real people
• I go to my closings
• I know the lenders
• I know the buyers
• I know my sellers

* Colorado Pinstripe - acquired by driving off road against brush and low hanging branches

There is always a lot of talk about marketing around real estate professionals. What do you do? What don't you do? Not long ago I wrote a post asking if real estate pro's left business cards on bulletin boards. The responses were mixed. I personally came to the conclusions that if I wanted to find a lost dog, adopt a kitten or was looking for a yard sale the local bulletin board would be the best place to look.

However....

At one of my morning networking meetings I challenged everyone at the meeting to find one of my cards that they already had (in a note book, in their jacket pocket, lost on the back seat of their car) and put it on a bulletin board.

Well, what do you know my phone rang today. The gentleman was sitting waiting for his oil to be changed!

I list and sell a lot of vacant Colorado land including Otero, Custer, Pueblo, Fremont and Hufanno counties. And I get a decent amount of e-mail requests for "cheap" land. People lookng for good deals seen to think that we're giving away land here - it ain't so! Let me tell you why:

Let's start off with the sellers. Most sellers purchased their land with cash, which means they own the land free and clear. On occasion you hear of somebody financing property but that is rare. And if the seller is financing the property they most likely, but no always, put down 20% or more. And sellers aren't bleeding money. In many, many cases large acreages (40 acres or more) do not have huge tax bills. It's not unusual in these areas to see taxes for around $25 per year. One listing I have the taxes are under $10 and no H.O.A. fees.

Wells, water, streams, creeks, ponds and other sources of water are RARE! (Same for trees) You are in the Rocky Mountains and we are in almost constant drought conditions. Also, just because there is water on the property doesn't mean you own it. Actually, odds are better that YOU DON'T OWN THE WATER! And water rights can be sold. So that pond over there isn't yours, your kids, cattle, horse or other critters - you may not use it. People get shot, go to jail or at the very least get fined for using water that isn't their property. Don't believe me? Google the local sheriff and ask!

Also, you have to have a minimum of 35 acres in order to dig a well. A well can cost you $7000 to start and the prices go up from there depending on the soil. And there is no guarantee that the driller will get water. If you have under 35 acres you better check to see where your water might be coming from. Buyers are responsible for registering wells.

Say you find an odd 5 or 10 acre parcel for sale. You can't dig for water, you can't use the stream, is there water at the street? Most likely you will be hauling or paying somebody to haul it. There's nothing wrong with that, you just need to know. And if there happens to be a well on it don't assume it will aways be available - you gotta register it.

So are sellers beggin me to sell their properties for super-duper cheap? No, no lately.

Buyers, If you find a property that you like, it has some source of water, maybe it has views - buy it! If I call you and say "it's a steal" I might be referring to the seller's motivation in selling the property. Their motivation may have nothing to do with the land itself but their personal situation where they are now.

I've sold two pieces of property in the last year that were "fire sales" that is to say, the sellers asked me to sell the land as fast as possible. They needed the money in their hands immediately. I ended up apologizing to both for the low amount that they were offered and yet both were grateful to have the cash in hand.

These sellers and their situation are rare, but they do come up. When they come up be polite, the sellers need the money but still need to hold on to their self respect.

People are looking for good deals seem to think we're giving away land in Colorado - it ain't so! But do your homework and listen to your Realtor and you just might find a deal!

GRAND OPENING OF GAIA'S GARDENS GREENHOUSE   FEATURING AN INDOOR PLANT SALE   THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY   11AM - 3PM BOTH DAYS
Join us as we celebrate the GRAND OPENING of Gaia's Gardens Greenhouse featuring an Indoor-Plant Sale, this Saturday and Sunday, November 7 & 8, 2009, 11:00am - 3:00pm both days, at the Gaia Institute Wellness Center, 622 E. 8th Street (corner of E. 8th Street and Fountain Avenue)!  Proceeds will help us offset Winter utilities and introduce our new program featuring greenhouse activities, called YOUNG MOTHERS TODAY.  This program will be operated mostly by young Moms who had their babies during their teen years.  It will help bring them together to gain strength from each other and learn new skills.   Remember, we can help you:

• keep your indoor gardening activities going all year long! Our Happy Worm Herders Worm Castings are nature's superior single-ingredient plant food and soil amendment, to keep your plants their healthiest all year long!  Castings can even be used 'straight' to start seeds - for indoor herb and vegetable gardens or for getting a jump on next year's planting season.
• keep your indoor composting activities going all year long! Our Happy Worm Herders Composting Condo Kits can help you get set up to do indoor composting of your own organic waste WHILE you produce your own castings for next season!
• feed and bed down your outdoor gardens!  Top application of our Happy Worm Herders Worm Castings during the Fall will ensure that your plants, trees, shrubs, and gardens get plenty of time-released nutrients to enhance root growth and strength!

  Wood-Chip mulch also available!   Look for us on Facebook (link below) and on Merchant Circle!   http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6875&id=1736725298&l=c552de1db2   Check out our coupon and sale promotion on Merchant Circle, too.      Please remember that your donations may be tax deductible.  Gaia is recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, per Internal Revenue Code.     Please forward this announcement!  Thank you for your on-going support and encouragement!

Some people hear little voices, maybe their conscience speaking to them.

Some people might hear the angel or devil whispering from either of their shoulders. Me, I hear Bells!

In November 2006 I posted this to my blog : http://activerain.com/blogsview/18008/pumpkin-fairy-in-boone-colorado-

A story James Amos from the Pueblo Cheftian wrote about the Pumpkin Fairy in Boone Colorado. And this post has taken on a life of it's own!

I hope you take the time to read the post, James got some imagination going, everybody wondering who the pumpkin fairy was or is. I don't know if this person or people were ever found or their identities made public. But if you read the comments attached to this post you will see that Tom Davis and Kim McCorkle-Harbath not only found my (James Amos) post interesting, but they may have found themselves lost friends. Kim has e-mailed me hoping I could connect her with Tom, but I have no more information than can be found here.

Fast forward to a recent listing appointment. My sellers did their homework and wanted to know more about me. My activerain blog popped up and the sellers now have some insight into who I am. But they are now following the "saga" of Kim and Tom!

What will happen?

Will Tom and Kim "find each other?"

Will I get my sellers house sold before our contract ends?

Dum, da, dum, dum...........tune in and see what happens. The Bells are tolling!

http://www.postlets.com/res/2940778