Ted has some great information in this blog post! How is YOUR business plan coming along? I have my Awesome Year Plan for 2010 now available as well as
Your 2010 Business Plan Started Days Ago: How To Market The Extended Homebuyer Tax Credit.
I posted a blog on Marketing Opportunities: Homebuyer Tax Credit in AR and also on my Facebook. I had approximately 45 posts on the AR blog and about 26 personal replies and on Facebook I had no posts and about 30 personal replies. I hyperlinked the blogs with www.Bitly.com and had about 33 people opt to follow me on Twitter. If you are left wondering what were the personal replies about, the majority of them were from REALTORS asking me to share with them some marketing ideas. Get this? REALTORS asking ME for marketing tips! Well, I confess! This is my expertise and I am a marketing wiz of sorts.
What is my point? Well I started marketing the idea of marketing the Federal Housting Extended Tax Credit on my blogs that resulted a total of 1300 views, 134 replies and additions to my database of which I was able to generate 7 appointments with REALTORS and it also generated about 4 referral (buyers) clients to my team. I would say that was a pretty big start. Don't stop the press yet, I just got started! To simplify what I have and continue to do, let me make it simple:
Blog, blog, blog and then blog some more.
Sign up on as many blog sites as you can and write material worthy of reading and educate the masses (learn more at Federal Housting Extended Tax Credit).
Let people know that this is the last tax credit and it "WILL NOT" be extended after April 2010.
Call, call, call and then call some more on your database.
This is the foremost important aspect to what we do as sales consultants. WE TALK!! Do I need to say more
Do not call asking if your client wants to buy or sell. They likely DO NOT!! Use them to extend the word out to their sphere of influence. Let them know that this is the best opportunity for them to help their friends and family take advantage of historic lows while earning the tax credit even if they currently own a home.
Ask your clients if they understand the tax credit. They might be eligible and do not know enough about it. In fact they can claim the tax now if they want to, they do not have to wait to tax return time
Conduct more calls!
Get together with your Marketing Rep and/ or Loan Officer
Strategize on a viable marketing plan (FYI: This takes speaking to a real Marketing Rep. not someone who is going to just throw postcards at you) or even an LO who understands marketing (not many do) not just answering calls and sending preapproval letters. I am an LO and I can tell you that many just don't get it too well.
Obtain a list of homeowners that purchased in 1999-2004 and still live in their homes. Believe me, there are more than you think. Here in Arizona the count was in the 100's of thousands.
With the help of your Marketing Rep and/or LO, devise a letter worth reading and highly informative.
Don't try to be elegant on the letter.
Think about this.. When you get a letter solicitation in the mail in 10-12 size font: How Many Seconds Does It Take You To Throw It Away?
Now think about this: When you get a letter solicitation in the mail with big 18-42 size font: How Many "MINUTES" Does It Take You To Throw It Away?
BIG, LOUD, and GAUDY WORKS!!
Take out your check book. This is going to be an investment well worth it. The best things are not free and take TIME, MONEY and DEDICATION. Sorry! No Freebies here.
Write a check to your preferred direct marketing company and get the postcards, door hangers, and letters out into the world.
Repeat Step 1 through 3 all over again.
Fellow associates... this is not rocket science but it does involve some hard work and dedication. Keep in mind that Real Estate & Mortgage sales and is a lot like holiday shopping where now everyone begins as early as September to buy gifts. For us, we go selling! October, November and December is our 2010 New Year. Our 2010 is already in the works. If you are not devising and/or implementing a plan of attack, you leave the playing field open to the REALTOR & LO next door. We must earn our keep and get our hands dirty and consult our clients to the best of our ability. As you already know, the cream of the crops is rising in the industry and there will be more collateral damage.
As always, the 90/10 Rule Applies here.. What side will you be on?
Direct lender and licensed in most states across the U.S.
And, of course, if you know me, you know I get enthused pretty easily! My reason today is that I am getting ready to fly to San Diego to spend a week with old and new friends, to network, learn, laugh and look at all the new tech stuff at the meetings and the EXPO. I have been to every Convention since 1988 and it is one of the highlights of my year. It is my way of really understanding the BIG picture and hearing from people what IS working. There are a few things I have found make my experience even more valuable.
This won't surprise you, coming from me....
Here's my advice: Have a plan!
Include:
•· Knowing specific people you want to connect with. Make a list. Contact some of these people ahead of time and decide when and where you can connect.
•· Making a list of specific items or resources you need to be more focused in the EXPO.
•· Create a budget for the EXPO
•· Make a "wish list" of new techniques or ideas you want to find out more about in the educational sessions or breakouts! Would your business thrive next year if you knew more about Going Green? Or working Short Sales? Or 2nd Homes?
•· Keep a little journal with ideas you get and come back afterward and pick the next 3 (Joeann's Rule of 3) items to implement into your business. Prioritize the other ideas and time frame them or move to your "Maybe, Someday" list
•· Pick the education sessions that are most relevant and then order the MP3 recordings of the others you can't go to. (If you aren't going to be there-you can still order these!)
If you aren't already going...it's not too late! Hop in the car or on a plane and come!
A few places we could meet and hug...
As Vice chair, I'll be at WCR's Business Development Steering Committee presentation with 4 Amazing Women sharing what IS working and a motivational segment with Deb Battersby on Thursday morning at 8:30
Vicky Cox Golder's Installation! I am so lucky to know this woman! She inspires me.
I am presenting an ePRO Presentation on the EXPO stage on Sunday morning at 11 and a full presentation with tech tips on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM
Several of my coaching clients are having their best year ever and these are also the stories I always hear from people at the National Convention. Lots of reasons to be enthused! 2010 is going to be an amazing year. Are you ready? It IS your choice how it is going to look! Give yourself the advantage.
Who inspires you? First, I think of people like Mother Theresa, and Ghandi and Zainab Salbi, Greg Mortenson and Coco Fossland. This morning on Twitter and Facebook, my good friend Karin Hanna posted a tweet with a link to a blog article and a YouTube video. Catherine Bolt and her family have identified something they are passionate about and they are making a difference! What a gift she has given to her children to involve them in seeing they matter and they can make an impact on the world. Take a minute right now and write down Who inspires you??????
What inspires you? What are YOU passionate about? For me, empowering others to ignite their love, creativity and passions is the BEST activity I am involved with. It gives me joy. A bit selfish....but I believe when we are tapped into our passions, we can not help but impact those around us positively. Think for a moment, what do you LOVE to do? If money were no object, what would you do more of? Ask yourself...What Inspires me? Stop reading for a couple of moments and write this down.
For your planning of 2010....if you start with the very unique soul of who you are and bring that forth more with inspired actions....it will be a very, very good year!
Three Cups of Tea "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." - Mother Teresa
I love reading and being inspired by unreasonable people who have a dream and set about to make a dent in the world! Often, against all odds and logic, their taking action shifts the direction of the future. I recently finished Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A mountain climber who went to conquer Mt. Everest, Greg has and has spent the last 15 years building schools in Pakistan. He believes educating girls is important because they can bring peace to the world. His story is amazing.
His vision is inspiring. If you've had some struggle in your life lately, do yourself a favor and read this book.
Choosing a vision that you are passionate about and using that energy and passion to create miracles is a great way to approach your business planning. What would you attempt if you knew you couldn't fail? Why not attempt it anyway? New agents often do very well and try things the people who "know" how it works are skeptical of because they are excited and have a vision. If you need a little inspiration along these lines, watch The Dream Movie. And then, start with a vision for next year that YOU are inspired by. Let go of the "how" to get there. Be very clear in the end result. And, then go to work utilizing every crazy idea and resource that appears! Believe me, it will be a very, very good year!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead (1901-1978), American Anthropologist
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill has been responsible for more self-made success stories than any book I know.
It's the best description of success techniques, the best description of the success mindset, and the best description of setting (and achieving) goals I've ever seen.
My friend, Yvonne Coelet from Monument Properties in the White Mountains of AZ, loves bargains as much as I do. She turned me on to this cool site, where every day there is a link to something that you might need (or not even know you needed!) This handy-dandy site has all kinds of free software that they give away each day. The types of software vary: games, how to create flyers, online radio, skype skins, banner software and more. Just click on the logo below to get your FREE software giveaway.
I love the time I spend with my granddaughter, Lily. She reminds me how powerful it is to know what we want and just believe unwaveringly it will happen. She is never lacking ideas of things for us to do when we hang out. This past weekend, we baked cookies and decorated them for Halloween, carved a pumpkin, and bought a kit and decorated a wooden hand mirror. None of these things had been part of my planning for the weekend, but her enthusiasm sucked me in. When she has an idea of what she wants or what will be fun, she is usually unrelenting until I finally give in.
I think the world reacts the same way. When we are unrelenting in knowing what we want and believing we will get it, there is a power that is unleashed. When we have a clear picture and enthusiasm about what we want, my experience is the people, circumstances and things show up. Is it because of the clear intention that has been explained as the law of attraction? Or is it our intensified awareness of seeing opportunities where we didn't see them before?
In preparing to teach the Women's Council of REALTORS, Performance Management Network Designation Class, Harnessing The Power , the questions about how we can expand and maximize our potential and results are giving me food for thought. One thing is very clear to me: when you know what you want, even if you don't know how to make it happen, you are implementing the first steps of turning your thoughts into things. Our thoughts all have energy and that enthusiasm and belief manifests into circumstances (although, I have noticed, it doesn't always happen on MY timeline or the way I thought it would..go figure!).
I get a little giddy with joy when I realize how simple this really is. I love being in curiosity about HOW my goals are going to happen. Over the past few years, I have slowly given up my need to be a control freak and moved into accepting and allowing what is. With that shift, I react differently roadblocks show up. Maybe, I've decided, the answer is not to persist and push through, but to take another road. The belief that current circumstances are perfect and are leading me to what I want and what I need to learn, let me detach from the thought something is wrong and just get on with it. Is there a situation you are struggling with right now that needs releasing? What's the worst that could happen if you were to accept that "It is what it is" and stop milking the drama of it all. It sure is more relaxing and less stressful.
I've had several conversations with friends about the market in Phoenix this week. What I hear is the smart people have accepted the conditions we are facing with the short sales, the foreclosures and the great loss in equity that are our current reality. Staying optimistic with the realities of how this is affecting people's lives is not what most people doing. Ordinary thinking is to bemoan and blame. Remarkable thinking is to accept that this market may take several years to look differently, with the unreleased bank inventory and the current absorption figures, and then find a way to thrive. After all, people are still buying and selling. Are your beliefs about how good it can get in the way of it being the best year ever in 2010? Now, might be the time to retool and revision. What is it you want? Do you have a clear picture?
Here's your job...
•· Get the vision
•· Start looking out for the circumstances and people that are going to take you there
•· Expand your community! Allow others to support you.
•· Be willing to learn new skills and try new things
•· Be grateful for what you do have
•· Have fun on the journey
Need a Plan?
Each year I revise my 30+ page Awesome Year Plan to help you do your personal and business visioning & planning. Do you want 2010 to be the best year ever? It can be! The 2010 plan is now ready and at $12 is probably one of the best investments you can make to set you sights for a great 2010.
Questions To Ask A Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home.
As a Real Estate consultant, my job is to help a seller select a Real Estate agent who blends with the personality and the needs of the owner. We are all different. We all process information in a manner unique to our past experiences.
Selecting an agent to represent one of the largest transactions most people make in their lives, is critical to the success of the transaction in selling your home.
A sampling of some consulting questions and process for a seller are discussed in this article.
A specific program will be designed for each individual seller to make the most efficient use of your time when selecting a Realtor to market your home.
Details of the entire process will be explored and a feeling of comfort will set in, as you embark on this new adventure in the changing economic times we live in.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
The consulting you will receive will set you up to be able to process the transaction with ease.
We guarantee there WILL BE waves in every transaction. It is what you do in the boat rowing together with the agent you select, to get over the waves that will make or break your experience. You want to haveconfidence in the agent you select so it is important to interview them like you would a job applicant. You are hiring the real estate agent to do a job and that job is to sell the house.
You do have to listen to the agent and discuss the actual current market conditions. What they tell you may not be what you want to hear but if the agent has documentation on market conditions, you better listen or your home will not sell.
Each agent you interview in a consulting situation will be asked to cover the following information:
1. Please present a specific marketing plan of what you are going to do to sell the house electronically.
2. What type of communication will you provide about showings on the home and what the buyers thought about it?
3. What will the communication through the entire process be like? What can be expected?
4. Please provide an estimate of net proceeds if the home sold at your suggested price? Seller will provide the loan balance.
5. Do you offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee?
6. What happens if you do not perform the plan you have outlined and don't call me about showings or tell me about changes in the market?
7. Do you have a newsletter that goes out to potential past customers or potential buyers?
8. What will you do through the closing process?
9. Will you be willing to speak with my Real Estate consultant as the transaction unfolds?
10. How many listings do you have right now?
11. What type of advertising are you doing?
12. How do you prospect for buyers?
13. How many listings do you have in my price range... How many listings does your office have in my price range?
14. Does your office do a tour of homes weekly?
15. Do you attend the local MLS marketing meeting?
16. What clubs or organizations do you belong to or participate in?
17. What additional education do you have above your State Licensing requirements?
18. Why do you think you can sell my home?
19. What types of social media do you use to market property?
20. What success have you experienced with social media and how can I connect with you?
21. How many Realtors do you actively engage with about Real Estate and on what consistent basis?
There are more questions to get into specifics of a transaction but this list can give you an idea of how a real estate agent is going to perform by their answers. Please understand, not every agent is going to be able to answer all the quesitons with the reponse you would like to hear.
Having testimony from past clients where you can call and chat would be one of the VERY most important aspects of the interview process.
Aggressive agents in today's real estate world will have web 2.0 websites with video of past clients, demonstration videos on the sales process, a blog where current information is being provided to the public about existing market conditions, area information and place where questions can be posted and answered concerning real estate.
Selling a home is a process, the same events take place in every single transaction. Selecting an agent who can walk you through each phase of the sale with setting expectations and having alternative plans is the one you want to connect with.
There are 100 days left in 2009. You have a choice right now to coast through the Fall and Holidays or to take charge and decide this will be the best quarter of the year. While many agents are feeling the busy part of the year is now gone and they "know" things are slower over the holidays....the smart agents are seeing where the opportunities are and seizing them. Instead of kicking back, you can ramp up a blitz for your sphere, your farm area, or your client base. Plan a client appreciation party or just take a client out to lunch each week. It can not only make for a better last 100 days, but set you up to hit the ground running in 2010.
So.....Let's stop and take a few minutes to put this into place:
What would be a "kick ass" last 100 days? Define on paper the vision. Keep it simple.
Write down a goal in both of these areas :
1. A business goal that is measurable: i.e. # of transactions, # of new contacts, # of new strategic partners
2. A personal goal: i.e. Lose 20 lb, stop smoking, start meditating or doing yoga
Plan what remarkable actions you'll be taking to make this happen: Plug the time into your weekly calendar as an appointment.
Start each day by reviewing your goals and determine for that day, what action will provide the most leverage to get you closer.
Get an accountability partner: Get a buddy, Hire a coach, go public with it on your Facebook page.
Have FUN!!!!! Choose targets that excite you!
If you find you are holding yourself back, it may be time to do some work on that part of you! The WCR Harnessing The Power Course is one way to break free of the self-limiting thinking that you may not even be aware of.
I like Brian's analogy. The smart agents always learn and adapt from other business models.If your business isn't consumer centric, it will not thrive in today's economy.
Asking yourself each day,"Have I been remarkable today?" is a good way to keep your focus on being the best!
Want to dominate your market area? Are you wondering how? Well you could take after one of the biggest retailers in the world and focus on getting the business that steep discounts alone won't buy you. Walmart, the nations leading discount retailer, is launching a new campaign aimed at crushing the competition. Coined "Project Impact" Walmart plans to focus on three initiatives to drive the competition out.
1. Cleaner less cluttered stores to improve the shopping experience.
2. Friendlier customer service.
3. Focusing on categories where they can beat the competition.
Two of these really aren't anything new but lets take a look at how this applies to the business of real estate.
1. Cleaner less cluttered stores to improve the shopping experience - If you're a real estate agent, your storefront is anywhere a client interacts with you. Theses things include your appearance, your office, and your online presence. I'm going to assume you've got enough sense to dress properly and keep a tidy office so let's talk about your online presence.
Your website and your blog are prime examples of a storefront where you and potential clients interact. Treating your online presence like a superstore will help you to dominate in the online game. Start with a web hosting account that can handle the traffic, you wan to make sure you have plenty of parking for all your customers. Make it easy for people to navigate and find what they're looking for. Don't clutter your site by riddling your home page with links to every other page. Give them plenty of well laid out aisles to peruse and links to the shelves of information so they can easily find what they're looking for.
2. Friendlier customer service - If you're having trouble wrapping your head around this one, read Sales 101, and by they way there is no 102. All the discounts in the world won't make up for poor customer service. Not even Walmart with their deep pockets and technology can avoid this cutting into their business.
When a customer has a question, you better be there to answer. This is a pretty simple one to accomplish. First, answer your phone. Second, return phone calls. Third, when a visitor to your blog or website asks a question, respond, and do it in a timely manner. Pretty simple stuff but it's a violation of the fundamentals that will get you every time.
3. Focus on categories where you can beat the competition - This is and important one. Everyone loves an underdog story where a guy with nothing to lose is outmatched and outgunned but somehow manages to prevail. The truth is your chances of success in those instances are very low. Identifying market niches that are under served or at least have a level playing field are prime picking. Larry Easto did a great blog on finding market niches.
You should focus on areas where there isn't already a dominant player or you have an advantage. Once you've thoroughly covered all the bases on your defined niche, you can add another.
A substantial webpresencne and a blog loaded with local content gives you a highly coste effective way to dominate your local area.
You can bet Walmart has spent big bucks to identify these needed areas of improvement and you can benefit from applying them to your business as well.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Call, call, call and then call some more on your database.
I love the time I spend with my granddaughter, Lily. She reminds me how powerful it is to know what we want and just believe unwaveringly it will happen. She is never lacking ideas of things for us to do when we hang out. This past weekend, we baked cookies and decorated them for Halloween, carved a pumpkin, and bought a kit and decorated a wooden hand mirror. None of these things had been part of my planning for the weekend, but her enthusiasm sucked me in. When she has an idea of what she wants or what will be fun, she is usually unrelenting until I finally give in.
As a Real Estate consultant, my job is to help a seller select a Real Estate agent who blends with the personality and the needs of the owner. We are all different. We all process information in a manner unique to our past experiences. 
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