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Are you a know it all?

By
Education & Training with Bill Fields Learning Systems

Have you mastered the basics for success?real estate training

What so few real estate people seem willing to accept is a fundamental truth: to be successful you MUST master the fundamentals.

Great salespeople, like great athletes, simply do the basics very well. Some of us would like to believe that there's a shortcut around the basics; that, if we could only find it, there's a secret formula out there somewhere for just sitting back and letting the money roll in. The sooner you get rid of that illusion, the sooner you get on with reaching the heights you want to reach through effective use of the basics.

What are the ten fundamentals for success you MUST master?

The first basic is GOAL SETTING. You must establish goals that create the motivation necessary to do what needs to be done to be successful. Most people lack the level of motivation necessary to be successful because they don’t have SMART goals.

The second basic is BUSINESS PLANNING. Planning is the skill of bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it today. If you fail to plan you are planning to fail by default.

The third basic is TIME MANAGEMENT. The average real estate agent put in six hours per day but only works three. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend, but it does matter how you spend your time.

The fourth basic is PROSPECTING. If you're like most of the people in my audiences, just hearing the word pushes you back a little. If you don't like to prospect, it's because no one has taught you the truth about what prospecting is. Prospecting is simply us looking for people who have a need to buy or sell real estate.

The fifth basic is CONVERTING CONTACTS into appointments the professional way. As you have heard me say, you must make contacts to make contracts. If you can't get the people with a need to meet with you, you can't help them.

The sixth basic is QUALIFICATION. Many salespeople spend too much of their time attempting to help the wrong people. If you do that, it doesn't matter how eloquently you present your services. You must work with prospects and minimize the time you spend with suspects.

The seventh basic is CLOSING. Many average to good salespeople prospect, make contacts, qualify, and handle objections so well that they manage to get by without learning to close competently. Closing is helping people make decisions they want to make but will not make without our help.

The eighth basic to success is effectively HANDLING OBJECTIONS. Possibly you never get any. (HA-ha-ha) Too many sales people see objections as something bad, they’re not. Objections are good because they give us the feedback we need to help a prospect make a decision and move forward. You MUST be able to help people work through their concerns.

The ninth basic for success is PROBLEM SOLVING. Today’s real estate business is mired in challenges and problems to get transactions done and closed. The best solution to solving problems is to solve them before they come up.

The tenth basic for success is STAY IN TOUCH. Rather it’s new clients or old customers the most important basic for your success is to stay in touch and be everyone’s real estate agent for life!

So let's stop excusing ourselves from the hard work of mastering the fundamentals and commit to doing what it takes to excel in our sales careers. It will be the most rewarding work you will ever do.

Thought for today: Never see failure as failure, but only as postponed success!

Have a productive day

BF

Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Good morning, Bill.... that's a good list of the basics for success....now, to master them and apply them ALL..... that's the real challenge.

Jul 16, 2012 10:35 PM
Gay E. Rosen
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY
As Real as Real Estate Gets!

Bill-  reading your post was like a (healthy) morning kick in the pants.. We can all delude ourselves and continue to do what we do on a daily basis.. but at the end of the day - if we stick to the points you make then we are at least set on the path to success.

Jul 16, 2012 10:36 PM
Bill Fields
Bill Fields Learning Systems - Treasure Island, FL

Thanks Barbara, I think that's the challenge for all of us. :)

Gay that's what I specialize in...Kick in the pants!!

Jul 16, 2012 10:38 PM
Larry O'Sullivan
Sandy, UT

Bill - well spelled out ten. I have seen shorter lists. You seem to have covered the missing (or ignored) pieces to make up your list. Thanks.

Jul 16, 2012 10:40 PM
Dan Hopper
Dan Hopper - Gold Way RE - Westminster, CO
Colorado Broker / Referral Services

Great tips for success, Bill.  We have all seen shorter lists that encompasses what you did very well in the 10.  Regardless, of how you catagorize them, the most important element to master ALL, is to be consistant!!

Jul 16, 2012 10:52 PM
Bill Fields
Bill Fields Learning Systems - Treasure Island, FL

Larry, I really had a list of 100 but had to cut it back!

Thanks Dan, you're right being consistant is the key.

Jul 16, 2012 11:12 PM
Beth and Richard Witt
New York, NY
The best Retired Brokers !!!!

Good Start Larry...  I find one of the most difficult tasks for me is getting our agents to set goals... For many agents setting goals is a real challenge especially if and when I dare ask them to make their goals public... Yikes...

Jul 17, 2012 05:09 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

Consistent prospecting is key. All a closing means is you are now short one more client!

Jul 17, 2012 06:18 AM
Bill Fields
Bill Fields Learning Systems - Treasure Island, FL

R & B, Most people find it difficult to set goals because of their real fear of failure.

Doug, you got that right. Prospecting is the key to the castle.

Jul 17, 2012 09:46 PM