Consistency is absolutely key.  Consistency will trump all other factors.  Rule of thumb is 1 x week for the first 10 weeks then every 10 days until you have 35% market share or more.  Only then can you go to 2 x a month.  With that said, I will tell you that in our media planning with clients we stack the mail to reflect the coming trends in production.  For example, we do less mailing in November and December (1 piece each) and save the extra pieces for February and March which is 6-8 weeks before the busy listing season. It's a game of impressions a year and keeping top of mind. Anything less is a waste of money. 

Branding will save you money.  If you are going to take on a direct mail campaign to a geographic farm or target market it will save you thousands of dollars to pay someone to help brand yourself well.  Every piece should fit together and be easily recognizable as yours.  Every message should have a consistent thread that ties back into your brand and tagline.  Good marketing campaigns don't start from scratch every time you send something out, they build on the previous messages and tie into the future ones.

Budget before you get started.  Budget for a year at a time.  We encourage clients to take 15-20% of their gross commissions and put them into their marketing budgets if they are wanting to grow (10% if they want to maintain).  Out of the money that comes in, we allocate and take on mail campaigns is 12 month intervals. Only take on the amount of houses that you can dedicate and be consistent for a 12 month period.  It is better to have a smaller number of homes and do it right than run out of marketing funds or cut corners.

Purpose is essential.  Ask yourself what it is you are trying to accomplish with each piece.  Every piece should have a reason and clear and distinguishable benefit to the recipient.  Every card needs to be written from the "what's in it for them" perspective.  If you are sending out cards to try and get the phone to ring, every card should have a reason and call to action to do so.  Plan your campaigns a year at a time, not only will they make more sense and tie together with your branding better, but you will see a much better return on investment with a focused campaign.

Automate everything.  Once you have your year planned out, send the camera ready files to the printer with your schedule and credit card.  Let them handle the printing, addressing and mailing and charge your card as they go.  The less interaction you have with the process the less opportunity for unnecessary delays and to mess it up. 

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry as an agent, broker or affiliate for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

I got an interesting email from an agent this week.  No, she's not a client, just someone who had heard that I might be able to help her with a problem she was having.  Someone had taken the time to register a URL, build a website with enough SEO savvy to get top Google ranking that was completely dedicated to telling the world what a horrible agent she was.  Seriously, at first I thought it was funny, then sad, then aggravated.  I wasn't angry at the poor guy who felt swindled (although the comments about this person's heritage and family were, well, unfair), I was frustrated that her interest was not in making thing right, but in covering it up.   

This morning on Google there were about 1,650,000 results for I hate realtors (which took 0.17 seconds).  That is 1.65 million times that someone wasn't slightly disappointed but angry enough to take the time to go online and say something about it.  In last year's Harris Interactive poll on "prestigious" careers real estate agents and brokers rated dead last.  The interesting dynamic is the top of the list are the careers that are where many of the real estate community come from.  Why?  and maybe a better question is "What are we, as the minority of professionals, going to do about it?"

We need to start taking seriously the realities the problems within our industry and take a stand to clean them up.  We need to increase our standard of service - not for marketing purposes - but because it is the right thing to do.  We need to stop making excuses and start finding solutions on how to sell those listings that we took on.  We need to take ownership and responsibility (I know neither of those are very popular concepts in society), stop playing the blame game and actively turn the tide of perception for what we do.

I know how hard we work as professionals, how much we do and to what lengths we must go to get the job done.  The problem is that those that are good and do the job well are silent about it and those who are bad do all the talking.  Walk the talk, talk the walk and be a light of hope to your local community. 

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry as an agent, broker or affiliate for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

 How to Raise Your Standards until You Are Inspired By Them

These are the strategies to keep tolerations at bay. You'll want to adapt these to fit for your personality and situation, of course, and add new ones that work best for you. But, it's a place to begin your thinking.

1. Outsource your problems.
   Personal or business problems, dilemmas or confusion can all be out-sourced. By that, I mean that you can hire someone who understands the nature of the problem and help you fix it in relatively short order.

2. Bring in help.
   Most tolerations are caused because we are too busy or tired to take care of things properly when they occur and thus be become a toleration. Bring in a house cleaning service, hire a professional organizer to get your papers in order, work with a trainer to handle your body, get someone to baby-sit you each week if you have to, as you clean up your clutter. Hire the neighborhood kid for gardening, have the store deliver your food for you, have someone 'on call' for concierge duties/errands. It's all do-able IF you're willing to stop suffering.

3. Understand the nature and source of toleration.
   Tolerations don't just happen by themselves -- something causes them.

4. See the "good" in the toleration.
   Tolerations can have some real benefits, even if they are ultimately costly. Think of the oyster with the bit of sand or shell that irritates it. The byproduct can be a beautiful pearl. The question to ask yourself is "Can I afford the cost of this toleration?" Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes it is no. You don't have to eliminate tolerations just because you notice them.

5. Involve your partner/friends.
   Getting rid of tolerations can be a lonely task if everyone around you doesn't understand what you're talking about.I highly recommend you find one or two key people in your life who are open to this focus for the next 6 months and then both of you can support each other.

6. Adopt the TFZ mantle.
   This may seem obvious, but we believe that just by starting to call yourself a TFZ (Toleration-Free Zone) that you start to change and will start to tolerate less

7. Restore your integrity.
   If you've got cracks in your integrity, you are providing a feeding ground for tolerations. Think of a crack in the asphalt. Come winter when ice forms, the crack will get wider. And then comes a heavy truck and "all of a sudden," you've got a pothole in the street. I put all of a sudden in quotes, because we all know that potholes don't just happen. They start with a crack. It is the same with tolerations. They start in the cracks and crevices of where your integrity isn't strong.By integrity, I mean what "you're doing that is not the best for you." You restore integrity by telling the truth and then putting that truth into action by changing yourself, your behavior and/or your environment.When your integrity is strong, you have very few tolerations -- there is no place for them to 'start.'

8. Raise your standards and extend your boundaries.
   Most of us put up with things because our standards or boundaries are too weak. Too much stuff comes in through our filters (boundaries) over the transom (our standards). The trick is to increase both, which better filters out the thousands of events or things during the day that can stick to you or your environment and become a toleration.

9. Recognize the opportunity costs that tolerations carry.
   There is a cost to everything. You can measure this cost in several ways -- the cost of time it's taking you to read this, or the financial cost of maintaining your lifestyle or the physical cost of stress to your body.There is also a type of cost called an opportunity cost. In other words, it's the opportunitiesthat you cannot have because you are currently working on/benefiting from the opportunities younow have.

10. Simplify your life.
    One of the best ways to reducing tolerations is to simplify your life. Complex lives create lots of particles to manage and that can go wrong. A simple life reduces the chance that you'll have lots to tolerate. Some people think that you can't have a rich life if it's simple one. A simple life IS generally quieter, but rich in the subtleties.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

Just a short thought of the day to ponder -

When you're inspired, you don't need motivation as much. When you're inspired, your internal "system" is touched to its core and it lasts for at least a year, or often a lifetime. When you're motivated, it's generally temporary, because only your ego or instinct is touched. When you're inspired, you are more yourself. When you are motivated, you become excited about acquiring (greed) or becoming like someone else, such as a public figure or a celebrity. You are cranked up, but your enthusiasm fades when you're out of the motivating environment or relationship. Motivation is an external, temporary high. Inspiration is an internal glow.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

"The first step to success is to stop lying to yourself"

I would dare say that the vast majority of people would consider themselves honest, ethical people.  In fact, I was in a room of 500 top producing agents when the speaker asked who in the room felt they had integrity.  98% of the room raised their hands.  When asked to lower their hand if they had ever lied to themselves or made a promise, resolution or goal and not kept it all the hands went down. 

Our quest for success starts within and to truly address the issues that are getting in the way of our achieving our wildest and most audacious dreams we need to have an honest look at ourselves.  Our justification, excuses and reasons are all hindering us.  The first step to our success is to face the truth about our situation. 

I am not talking about condemnation, guilt or shame - none of those have a place in helping us.  But honesty and truth, yes, honesty and truth will allow us to see things for what they are.  Once problems and issues are identified our mind has a way of seeking answers that were previously hidden from us.  I'm not talking in a meta-physical way, but in a very practical way.  Our mind blocks millions of things a day from our 5 senses that it doesn't feel are relevant.  When we face our issues, the possible solutions become relevant and our mind will allow us to see and hear them.

If we want to achieve success, whether it is an increase in income, growth in business or overall life balance, we must first face the truth of where we are and the very real disparity of where we want to go and seek the solutions that will allow us to bridge the gap. 

Remember, The first step to success is to stop lying to yourself.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

You've done it.  You've written an article that has been printed in a newspaper or magazine.  Congratulations!  You did well.  But now what?

That's right; now what?  Today's newspaper or magazine is tomorrow's recycling, but that doesn't mean that the life of your article is over -- far from it, as a matter of fact.

That piece you've written and gotten published, whether it is a top 10 list, book review, article, or "think" piece (like an editorial or letter to the editor), still has lots of promotional juice left in it if you know how to squeeze it out.

Here are just a few things you can do with your published works, once the rest of the world has moved on to the next edition of whatever periodical has published your piece:

Tell the world about your published status by posting your piece on your web site.  You can either post a PDF of the article, or a link to the publisher's web site (assuming it is on their web site), or you can post the original copy you submitted along with a mention of when and where it was published.

Frame it.  That's right, make a nice clean copy on archival paper, lay it out nicely to fit on a single page, and frame it like a photo.  Hang it proudly in your office or reception area, so that your visitors who missed your piece when it was published can see what it looked like, and be just as impressed (if not more so) than the readers who stumbled over your article in the first place.

Copy it.  You can use the layout you created to frame your article or the PDF you made for your web site to make copies.  Include the banner of the paper or magazine, along with the date, so that it is obvious when and where your piece originally appeared in print.  Be sure to add your contact information as well, because you never know who might end up with a copy (and they might want to contact you).  Use both sides of an 8.5x11" sheet of paper if you have to, but make it look nice. 

Use the copies in your press kit (which is now growing with the addition of your published pieces), so that you have proof that your expertise is recognized by some third party (such as the publisher).

Mail copies of your article to your clients with a short note. 

Copies will come in handy for getting business, too.  You can include a copy with your proposal, bid, or sales information to demonstrate your expertise. 

You might also use it to get back in touch with prospects who haven't committed to working with you yet.  Just send the copy with a business card and a short note that says something like: Hi Prospect, Did you happen to see this article in the Business section of the Times on Saturday?  I know you are interested in [whatever you wrote about], and thought you might like to see this.  I'll be in touch soon!  Best regards, Your Name.

Submit the article for publication in other media.  Yep, once you've published it in one publication, others might be interested in reprinting it.  Distribute your piece to online article banks, EZines, and information sites for reprinting.  Or submit it to the newsletters of your trade associations or networking organizations.  Very often, they are looking for content, and since your article has the endorsement of the publication that published the first time, it might look mighty good to others.

Send it out as a press release.  At the very worst, nothing will happen, but other media could pick it up to use as a filler piece.   And there is always the possibility that an editor might be looking for an expert with your background, and may call you for an interview.

So whatever you do, don't just let your published article fade away.  Use it again and again to get the most from your work.  You'll raise your credibility in the eyes of your clients, prospects, and the world.  And you'll have something to remind yourself of how good you can be when you put your mind to it.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

I had two really good agents enter into an extended slump.  Not all that uncommon over the last couple of years.  After talking to them at some length I discovered they were spending way to much time in their cushy home offices.  So I took them away - not literally of course, but figuratively.  I told them that they had to close the door and they weren't allowed in for 30 days.  Instead I asked them to go to Starbucks with their laptops and do their work from there. 

Within 2 weeks both of them were back on the side of positive momentum with fresh leads and activity from folks they had run into at Starbucks. Within 4 they were back in the saddle, flush with new transactions and able to re-enter their home office with a renewed focus and perspective.

The biggest thing when you find yourself in a slump is to go to the people.  We tend to hide and bury ourselves with busywork to feel busy instead of focusing on productivity.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

Two words: Sticky content.

Sticky content is information (web site content) that makes people stick around and return for more. Examples are how-to articles, tips and tricks, beginner's guides, and any other free information that your clients and prospective clients would find of value.

Keep in mind that the more content you have, the stickier your site is. Sticky is good for at least three reasons: It gives your visitors a reason to come back again and again; it gives your visitors a reason to tell others about your site; and it demonstrates your expertise for people who are interested in your services.

With good content, you will be able to gather leads, acquire names for your mailing list, as well as offer good reasons for your visitors to tell their friends and colleagues about you.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

More and more we as an industry have distilled ourselves into the lowest common denominator. You see it on the plethora of real estate agent's websites - "we work with buyers and sellers, investors, renters, those thinking about any of the above now or might be thinking about any of them in the future", in one or more cities, counties and God forbid, states.  In fact, truth be known, most of the agents you know would work with almost anyone who would fog a mirror. 

I understand why people do this, they come from a place of scarcity and fear.  I mean, what if I lost the opportunity to close one sale, another opportunity may never come along again.   Most of the industry has never figured out the lead generation and rainmaking piece of their real estate business so every prospect is treated like it is gold.  Trust me, your attitude changes when you go from getting the random one new lead a week to having a steady flow of 100 a week. 

The problem is this - if we never focus, we never really get good at anything.  We become a jack of all trades and a master of none.  Being an expert is much more than declaring yourself one on your latest postcard.  It is really knowing the community you live and work in.  Not only where the schools are, but who the teachers are.  Who local business owners are, where the best places are for a romantic dinner out.  When are the best community activities and what are the future plans at city hall.  Much less how much Mr. Steven's house down the street sold for.

Establishing value and creating a business that is worth having demands we get to the point where we can outshine every other agent in our area in something and the only way to get good at one thing is to give up holding on to the many things. 

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***

"In a sea of other REALTOR® faces, what do you do to stand out?" 

I've asked this question countless times to agents across the country and I am constantly astonished with the answers I get.  Some reply that they give great service, some always wear a hat, some do coloring contests in their geographic farm.  But most, just look like a deer in headlights, shrug their shoulders and  stare at their shoes and mumble "I don't know." 

I won't try to help those that work in real estate part-time here. Honestly, the kindest thing you can do for the field and  your clients is to get out of the business and stop pretending.  It's not that you aren't a great person, that Jesus doesn't love you or anything, it's just that both your family and your clients deserve better.  Nor am I trying to help those who are content doing a transaction every few months and call real estate home because they need a social outlet.  Again, there is room in the world for these fine people, we need those that have perfected making coffee and will work the up-desk in the office.  But for those who really want to win and make real estate your profession and business, command of market share is not a luxury but a necessity. 

90% of the market is controlled by 10% of the agents and it is not by happenstance.  When all else is boiled away, the real estate business is dominated by those who understand how to market themselves and are willing to invest the money to do so.  Yes, those that prospect can do well, but those who understand marketing create the rules and leverage them in an unfair way to work toward their advantage.  In today's marketplace the "I'm number 1" is quickly losing ground to the values based marketing message.  Authenticity is starting to rule the day and our consumers are demanding a level of transparency in light of the collapse of the major institutions that have ruled Wall Street for the last few decades. 

Real Estate and the world in general is becoming far more consumer centric which is a very good thing.  And those at the top of their game should be taking a look at refreshing their marketing and business before the next cycle takes hold.  Now is the time to be making those changes, not when business picks back up and the cash flow is strong.  The best place to start when looking toward your next marketing makeover look to connect to your perfect clients through those things you care most about and the values you hold most dear.  When your business is based in those ideals you won't have to fake it, you'll love waking up each day and you will build a business that will never be in need of clients.

Want more? Give us a call to set up a strategy session with one of our marketing coaches!

If you are a Realtor® who enjoys working with families, have been licensed for at least three (3) years and have lived in the area you serve for at least three (3) years, we invite you to APPLY to become a PRC Council Member.

***Parent Relocation Council, Inc. is looking for Regional Directors for Northern California, Texas and Hawaii, if you know of anyone who has a great reputation within the industry, has been full time in the real estate industry for more than 3 years and has leadership qualities please let us know at chris@parentrelocationcouncil.org***