I'm Afraid!!!!

Of all the reasons for not trying something, fear is probably at the top of the list and maybe sometimes, that's a good thing.  For Example, I WILL NOT sky dive because I am scared to death to jump out of a plane and if I go the rest of my life without the adrenaline rush of jumping 10,000 feet to my death, I'm OK with that.  However, not asking someone for help or not asking someone to hire you or not cold calling for a sales appointment because you're afraid of hearing no is simply unacceptable. 

At a recent social event where we discussed our ups and downs of being a professional Realtor in this market the question came up, how do you find listings?  I explained that I currently have 38 active listings and 25 under contract (not bragging, just mentioned for credibility purposes), that most of them came from prospecting and that I had written a blog about prospecting a couple years back.  A copy is attached just below if you would like to go back in time. 

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1178119/prospecting-expireds-listings

So what does prospecting for listings look like?  Good question.  Here is what it looks like for me:

1. Show up at the office every day by 8:00 am
2. Pull all of the new expired listings and withdrawn listings
3. Call ALL new expired and withdrawn listings by 9:00>  They are going to get more than one call and I want to be first.  By the way, you may ask isn't it a mistake to share this information, aren't you afraid your competition will just copy you?  The answer is no, I believe in two things.  One, I have an abundance mentality and two, I don't have any competition. 
4. Call all of the For Sale By Owners
5. Make all of my follow up calls.  Tom Hopkins wrote in: How To Master The Art Of Listing And Selling Real Estate, "You have two reasons to stop following up; one, they sold the home or two, you're dead."
6. My goal is a minimum of 60 calls whith a goal of 80 outgoing prospecting calls every day.

OK, so back to the fear conversation.  Why are Realtors afraid to take the 10,000 foot dive called prospecting:

1. The seller might be angry and yell at them
2. They might say no.
3. The Do Not Call List
4. They have tried it and it didn't work.
5. They can't find the sellers phone number.

The last two are really just excuses because I ran out of legitimate fears.  Alright, lets face each one of these head up;

1. Seller might be angry>  You're right and that's a good thing.  They are angry because they have a problem they can't fix and the definition of sales is answering peoples problems.  I get yelled at daily and as long as I don't yell back, it usually turns out OK.  I take one new listing for every 20 people who yell at me.  It's just a numbers game and I am not afraid to be yelled at.  I am afraid of not feeding my children so yell Mr.  Seller.  I have the solution to your problem.  Besides, the tougher they are the quicker my non competitors run away with their tail between their legs.
2. They might say no.  See my numbers game comment above.  Same Answer.  Every 20 knows equalls one yes and all I care about are the yeses.  Next :)
3. Do Not Call List.  No such thing as a Do Not Knock List.  Besides, remember, they have a problem, and I have the solution.
4. Tried it and it didn't work;  Seriously!!!!  That's like a child saying I tried that walking thing and kept falling down so I think I will just crawl the rest of my life.  It's a numbers game and You are going to fail so get over it.  I listed one home in my first six months and 80 in the next six.  What if I would have given up? 
5. Can't find the number.  Go knock on the door or so, next!

So as my friend and mentor Zig Ziglar would say all FEAR is, is False Evidence Appearing Real.  Andy Andrews in his book The Travelers Gift says we are all either motivated by fear or faith.  I believe faith is not the absence of fear but facing your fear and doing it anyways.  So, open the door, look at that beautiful sky from 10,000 feet up and enjoy the jump.