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communications: Zombies are Amongst Us (Are you one?) - 06/14/11 12:24 PM
Beware! Zombies are amongst us. They are found everywhere. They may be buyers, sellers, colleagues, service providers, or even brokers.
Watch out and be careful because zombies don't care about your listings, your reputation, your messages, your goals, or your plans.
They don't care to add real value, to work hard enough to make real change, or be better themselves. Oh, they may act interested. Maybe. But it is my experience that zombies are pretty good at faking interest as a way to lull you into their zombie lifestyle. Talk about it alot but do little or nothing. It is the … (5 comments)
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communications: Scared Customer has a Monster in their Closet - 03/03/09 04:46 PM
"I'm Right and I'm Gonna PROVE It!"
I hear this frequently. Perhaps not in those words, but I hear versions of this online, in blogs, and in person. I believe it has become even more common as frustrated business people deal with frozen, fearful clients.
This is particularly common where potential clients are fearful due to bad national news that may not be applicable to that person's local market economy.
"I'm afraid to buy a house right now because the national news said the market is so bad."
Then I hear business people in decent local markets talk about presenting facts about the … (4 comments)
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communications: Expectations - 03/02/09 02:36 PM
If I had to describe in one word what the difference is between deals and projects that have gone well and those that did not go as well as we would like, that word would be "expectations."
Typically, projects that we come behind to clean-up or even just assess suffer greatly from unmet expectations. In many cases, each party involved had different expectations at the start and the difference often grows over time.
When you have clients, staff and even management that is not an expert on the details of the deal or project, they often assume things that no one … (6 comments)
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communications: If your clients were good at this... they wouldn't need you! - 02/22/09 07:00 PM
Ever hear another professional express frustration about their clients making the process challenging?
Now, I know some clients are really just difficult people. Hey, so are some of us so called "professionals."
But what I am talking about are the professionals that, for some reason, expect the clients to be equally knowledgeable, professional and versed.
It would indeed make life great if all clients came educated, qualified, funded, logical and clear on their goals. Or would it be great?
Consider this. If the client is already educated, qualified, funded, logical and clear on their goals... what do they need you for? A little efficiency? … (9 comments)
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communications: Do you have a case of the "Absolutes?" - 02/19/09 09:44 PM
Absolutes.
I see them talked about and written about in print and online all the time. BOLD, PROUD, DECLARATIONS...
"I NEVER give out business cards."
"I ALWAYS give out business cards to everyone I meet.
"I ALWAYS require a loan pre-qualification letter before showing a house. No reason to waste time otherwise."
"I NEVER require a loan pre-qualification letter."
"If a buyer won't meet me at my office first, then it is clear they are NEVER serious about buying."
"You NEVER listen to me."
"You ALWAYS leave the lid up."
You get the idea.
Now, here is what I find interesting about … (12 comments)
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communications: Bump, Bump, Bump on the Back of the Head - 02/17/09 04:56 PM
Here is Edward Bear coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way...if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it! A. A. Milne the opening paragraph of Winnie-the-Pooh
Ever feel like Edward Bear when you are at work? Bump, bump, bump, bump on the back of the head.
Yet even with bumps all day long, many people still do things the way they've always done them. It … (9 comments)
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communications: Business Lesson: How can I be lost if I've got nowhere to go? - 02/01/09 08:55 AM
"How can I be lost if I've got nowhere to go?" This is an interesting lyric from a song I like.
Probably revealing about how my brain works, I thought this was a great question about people in business with no business plan, no strategic plan, and no clearly defined goals.
When I listen to this lyric, I can imagine many business people that honestly do not think they are lost. They think ALL of their problems are external to them. The economy, the local market, the competition, the customers, the banks, and even colleagues.
Yet, even if all of these factors are … (10 comments)
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communications: Benefits of Never Having Goals - 01/24/09 08:13 AM
In business and in life, do you set specific goals?
You know there are lots of benefits of never setting goals. Here are a few:
You never miss a goal You are never late You never need excuses for missing goals Your best effort of the moment will be always be enough You can change your priorities any time You never have to feel guilty for missing goals You can be more flexible (in the short term) You don't have to consider the future as hard You can live in the moment You won't fail (since failure requires a definition of completion … (19 comments)
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communications: Your doll collection freaks people out! - 01/14/09 08:57 AM
Memorable? Actionable? Immediate?
Does your marketing material meet these three important tests?
If not, I hope you not surprised when your material generates little action or response.
In my post, Does your marketing material FAIL... and you don't even know it? I mentioned this sign for storage units. It was such a good example it merited further discussion of how it meets the important tests.
Face it, storage units are BORING and FORGETTABLE. Even people that need them don't always think about using them.
This sign is great for many reasons that most marketing material fails.
To begin with, it is not about … (8 comments)
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communications: Be a customer... learn what REALLY works! - 01/11/09 03:21 PM
When buying something, did you ever work with someone in sales that made you miserable?
Or you saw how hard they made something that could have been much easier?
Now, step back. Do your clients ever think the same about you? Discuss it openly with yourself and BE HONEST, particularly about faults (after all, this will be a private discussion with just yourself, so you can't be wrong or look foolish to others).
I see so many people follow a system to the letter or simply do things because "that's how we've always done thing." What? Did you ride a mule to work … (54 comments)
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communications: Does your marketing material FAIL... and you don't know it? - 01/08/09 07:55 AM
Do your advertisements and other marketing material work.. and by that I mean, does it produce real results? Two simple tests for this:
1) Do you get measurable, actionable responses?
or
2) Are they memorable to people you don't know?
First off, forget what your friends and families say about your material. They want to be encouraging AND they stopped to look at it because YOU ASKED... not because the material would have caught their eye in a newspaper, magazine, TV or billboard.
Actionable responses would be phone calls, emails, visits from a qualified potential consumer (or potential employee if you … (5 comments)
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communications: Perhaps best you to skip this short note - 12/30/08 09:15 AM
By reading this, you demonstrate an instinctive behavior you can understand to help your clients!
Permit me to explain...
When "selling" (even if you like to call it something else because you think "selling" is a bad word), most folks apply some type of pressure and push, even if that push may be nice, gentle and polite. After all, we are trying to get someone else to do something, right?
At the very same time, when we feel we are being sold (even if interested in the product or service), we instinctively put up a defense that may even involve some push back or obstacles, however minor. … (15 comments)
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communications: Practicing Sales Communication... at Waffle House - 12/18/08 06:24 PM
I practice sales communication and customer service skills when I go to Waffle House... or Subway... or most any place to eat.
What? I practice sales and service when I'm the customer?
You bet!
Allow me to explain. Perspective is so important in all we do. We like being around those with a great, wide perspective. And our own perspective can even be considered a skill that can be improved, broadened and sharpened. Rapport is critical too in building honest, mutual trust.
You see, when you can see yourself through the eyes of others, you can use that to do your … (20 comments)
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communications: Failing is Not the Same As Waiting to Fail... Which Are You Doing in This Economy? - 12/16/08 10:09 AM
So, as we talk each day to Realtors, lenders, banks, and all types of support folks (appraisers, surveyors, title insurers, etc.), they all discuss the economy and the lack of business.
It has made me wonder, if the economy is THE cause of our problems now (as many claim), does that mean that the economy gets 100% credit for the money folks made during the boom?
In other words, can anyone that blames the economy almost exclusively honestly take credit for success when the economy is booming? After all, if you just ride the winds of the economy, what can you … (17 comments)
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communications: Improvement for Survival (or Thriving): Short on Time or Short on Money? - 12/08/08 10:54 AM
As I work with businesses, the management, their staff and even individuals such as Realtors, there is a classic problem of how and when to improve many businesses (and this includes the self-employed).
When times are good, TIME for improvement is usually not available.
When times are not so good, MONEY for improvement is usually not available.
But the key here is this... what is meant by "not available?" And what do I mean by "improvement?" Let's start with the latter.
"Improvement" can be investment in training and/or technology, developing better processes and the supporting documentation, increased marketing efforts and a host of … (10 comments)
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communications: Down Cycle Likely to be Long and Slow... How are Survivors Adapting? - 11/18/08 05:21 PM
The down cycle in the economy is normal economics 101. While many hoped the bailout would speed a recovery faster, it is becoming clear that this down cycle will be long and the upswing (which will come) is likely to be slow in its development.
This means that many companies that could survive a few months of sluggish-to-frozen sales are having to reconsider what to do now. What adjustments are needed now to survive for 12 to 24 months of dismal markets?
Does your company even acknowledge this situation?
We are adapting quickly and finding new services to offer, particularly to … (17 comments)
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communications: Do You Make it Easier or Harder to do Business? - 11/12/08 05:57 PM
We all like to think we are easy for customers to do business with... but are we?
Really?
Compared to others? (and do you know how to honestly and accurately compare?)
In working on transactions, buying/selling property and in business efforts outside of real estate, it has become something of a hobby to observe others and see how they approach (or ignore) true customer service.
Here are some things I have noticed....
1) Unless someone has attained the "celebrity" status, the most consistently successful people make it CLEARLY easier and better to do business than their competition. AND they know from research … (14 comments)
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communications: What Do YOU Do Now?? Stuck Market, Fed Money Unlikely to Generate Mortgages... - 10/23/08 10:39 AM
Regarding the economy and how/when it will rebound, one of my big concerns has to do with lenders, particularly banks. I believe, as do many economists, that even if the banks are recapitalized (to any extent) through government action they may simply hoard the money to protect against future losses.
Now as a business, I can understand how a bank may choose to do this... particularly the many banks that will now swing back to the conservative nature they had until most recent years.
For instance, Regions Bank in Birmingham is apparently one of the banks now planning to sell equity to … (3 comments)
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communications: Major Shift in Experience Level of Birmingham Agents... What About Your City? - 10/01/08 05:55 PM
Hello All!
The following is from a press release distributed by RealSource today from surveys about metro-Birmingham Alabama real estate agents. Are you seeing similar things in your city or state?
Glenn
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Experienced Real Estate Agents More Proactive
Birmingham Survey Finds Shift in Experience Level of Real Estate Agents
Birmingham, AL - October 1, 2008 - Based on survey results from 2007 and 2008, experienced real estate agents and Realtors® in the metro-Birmingham market are becoming more proactive while inexperienced agent's level of activity is significantly declining. The survey responses were collected in 2007 and 2008 from Realtors and real estate agents … (5 comments)
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communications: Asking for Referrals is Asking for Trust. Why Not Earn Instead of Ask??? - 09/30/08 09:58 PM
I commonly see business cards in the real estate world with a request for referrals printed on the back. Perhaps it is a nice reminder to folks but I am curious how well that works for people that have yet to earn the trust necessary for a referral.
You see asking for a referral is asking for someone to not only trust you... but to lend that trust to you so you can "use it" on others.
Wheww... that's a mighty big request, particularly if you don't know someone well and have never done business with them before.
I also see … (14 comments)
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