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Fell in a Rut...Now What?

Danger

You live on the edge and you're spending all that money as you make it and live from commission check to commission check. Paying off all those monthly car bills for that brand new BMW you just had to have because everyone else had one.

Then, while all your clients were buying homes with loan programs that would put them in the red in two years you did the same. Hey, why not? Everyone is buying and everyone is keeping up with the what everyone else is doing. Coach purses and Bebe T-shirts that cost over a hundred dollars.

Advertising everything and anything about self in the newspapers, magazines and on the internet. And then trying every lead generation company out there in hopes of snagging one...just one ....client. Ten websites that have the same thing on all of them and it's only words. Literature about our Real Estate Industry.

And you even tried blogging. You found ActiveRain! And then you go hog wild with 'nonsense'. A bunch of copied and pasted listings from your local MLS system.....that aren't even your listings. Or a couple of sentences with a picture of the beach and the rest is advertising....YOU.

Beware. Danger.

You didn't listen to the warnings back then.

You fell in a rut. Now what are you going to do?

<Yawn>....glad I woke up from that dream.

What ARE you doing differently today?

Posted by Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman HAWAII Relocations & Real Estate on 10/09/2008 11:43 AM

Comments (52)

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Originally posted at: Hawaii Real Estate & Relocations : Fell in a Rut...Now What?

Post is included in group: Addicted to Active Rain
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Post is included in group: POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul
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52 Comments on Fell in a Rut...Now What?

OCT

2008

PROSPECTING, PROSPECTING, PROSPECTING! Staying positive and keeping motivated. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY NOT DOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONES'!

Sally - I prospect like crazy. I hold open weekday open houses, twilight open houses, weekend open houses, call my prospects, walk my farm. I network with everyone I meet, and provide them with up to date information.

I have never been one to keep up with others just to be part of the masses!!!

Sally -

ALOHA, from CHICAGO! It's kind of like Hawaii here - except completely different.

Except in the basics of the RE business.

This year, we've done two things to keep afloat.

We've gotten BACK TO BASICS - and increased and enhanced our prospecting efforts. And, we've CUT COSTS, which is the surest way to increasing profitablity most quickly.

Be smart - this too shall pass!

DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

I'm getting ready to buy a new car. No, not a Beemer. It's going to be what ever is offering 0% financing. I believe that's Toyota at the moment.

So maybe this will spur on the economy a bit. Other than that. I have so many lines in the water one is always getting a nibble. Not much to do differently, except maybe walk our farm with market info. Somehow that one always gets pushed to the back burner.

Michael: Exactly! Not only that...cutting costs on things that DID NOT work.

Sharon: Me too. I'll be doing an Open on Sunday. It's the Parade of Homes for the next two weekends and like a holiday for homes. :)

Dean: Oh....no dreaming here! I have always alloted just so much for my business advertising. I've been working off referrals as well as my blogging and internet presence took off. Go figure...it slows and bombards. But it's a good thing....blogging overtook websites with junk info a long time ago.

Rob /Jeannie: I did what I could for me a year and a half ago...traded in a my car and paid the rest cash. I'm glad about that now. I don't have a car payment.

I have gone back to basic Real Estate 101. Talking to past clients, reviewing MLS, mailing out thank you notes to future clients, Hosting house warming parties for homes recently sold and the list goes on....

Hi Sally. I don't move with the herd. My new car is a Toyota Prius and I paid cash for it. I have ruthlessly cut outlay in expenses, but hired a real estate coach and a web SEO firm.

Saly I am pleased to say I never tried to keep up with the Dow Joneses. I am quite comfortable because of this.

I got rid of the gas guzzler in 2006 and I drive a Prius as well. You have to save money where you can in this market.

Michelle: Good job!

Vickie: Sounds like you got a good plan going for you

John: Hahaha. NO kidding...me too :)

Richard: Sure do...

Great post.

I am trying some new approaches, thinking outside the box, but really I have never gone overboard. I feel comfortable and am hopeful that the new ideas will pan out. Good post Sally. Hope it snaps some people out of it!

Sally, I don't know anyone with a profile quite like this....I gues I'm lucky they must all work somewhere else. Thank goodness I'm with a great group of people!

Sally, one of the things I am doing different is reading blogs by people like you. Gathering information and using same to generate business in a slower economy. And surviving.

Sis - As Fred pointed out, learning from your peers is something (perhaps more than anything) I've had the chance to do and implement. I've learned and growed my marketing from various things I've learned from fellow professionals.

What ARE you doing differently today? A little bit of a lot of the new things I've learned that have worked to garner me business through 2008.

What am I doing differently today? Reaping the benefits of Active Rain! :-)

Sally, good point, what are we doing differently today???

What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today. Times are every moving and ever changing, and we have to adapt to them.

Paddy:Me too....and I hope my plan will continue to keep working!

Jeanean: I'm sure we all know someone like this....may not work with em...but they're out there....good thing that was a bad dream I had :)

Fred: I do the same thing!

Lil Bro: I knew you were doing something to get you through and keep yourself alive. :)

Shirley: Yup...a really great implement to our plans :)

George: I wouldn't expect anything differently from you George! Good one!

Kaison - that which we are doing today will be obsolete tomorrow. Don't fall in a rut. As realtors we must constantly reinvent ourselves.

Sally- What am I doing differently today.....is that before or after I pull my head out of the sand LOL :) Loved the warnings, and waking up from the Dream....clever my friend, clever :)

What am I doing differently? Spending less money, making new friends, getting out and doing more things, spending less time at the office, and running in the other direction when I sniff a negative attitude.

Go back to the basics! This is a market that you take over market share. Don't quit any prospecting pick it up. You will have a much bigger piece of the pie when the market changes.

Sally, I don't buy Coach (ok, I do have some Bebe's but only because they FIT) but when you really stop to think, there are a lot of ways to cut back when we have to. Little things and expenses that we never really thought about. I am re-evaluating some spending habits.

Sally - I've been doing a few things on the side for the last year to cover bills. When a sales comes in every two or three months anymore I put it in savings. My car is paid for and I dont see my self buying a new one for sometime! I've been creating websites and working part time marketing for my ofc.

I cut some of the my marketing that were not really producing much, I started blogging and learning from folks like you on AR. I started doing more prospecting myself instead of paying companies to supply the leads. Good post Celeste.

Sally - back to the "old fashioned" marketing. Personalized marketing - relationship marketing

No mass mailouts - no cookie cutter website - just real relationship building with service!

OCT

2008

Morning Sally,

I learned many moons ago that it doesn't matter what the Jone's have, had or will have. I am me and we are us. That is the most important aspect of life, to us anyway.

Work smart and continue to put yourself forefront in a positive way. The rest will take care of itself.

Have a great weekend.

Adorable Post....I am doing more networking(coffee with local professionals in related fields),going to home shows and the like and initiating business contacts, more mailings, more contact with past clients, I'm going to be on Ken Cooks radio show, and I'm going to step up the local business posts!(am actually doing an interview today)

Sometimes you have to really hit bottom in order to realize there is only one direction left to go...up! If you haven't worked twice as hard...you have hardly worked at all. Really the market has not failed us...we have in a wat failed to live up to the market. I know many of us out there are having a really hard time-but you can make money of you never quit working at it!

Loved the post!

Good luck and sell well

Allen: Great one....we DO have to reinvent ourselves constantly!

Kathy: Do you feel better? Darn...that flu shot knocked me over....better this am...going to office.

Allen: I love your attitude....hanging around the barber shop long enough and we get a haircut (neggies jump off) so i think I'll be hanging with you!

Zane: Looks like you still got your drive and motivation! Good deal!

Carole: I'm just jealous because they don't fit me lol! My daughter goes to both places but at the outlet stores :)

Christina: Yup...me tooo.......my car's paid and I though I put mine in savings....it seems to depletes slowly :)

Hi Celeste

Yes it the time for real estate professionals have not only get back to the basics, but we also have to become better business people and manage our income and expenses.

Good luck and success

Lou Ludwig

Sally - I have always been an "out of the box" thinker and never followed the herd. Budgeting expenses very carefully and implementing trackable marketing strategies with the addition of blogging can give you a continual pipeline of prospects while other agent who only do the ME ME advertising are whining because they have no business.

OCT

2008

I'm signing in from Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba to be precise, and we are watching our American neighbors VERY closely. Maybe we will hit a couple bumps, but hope to miss getting a wheel caught! I have not spend a lot on advertising - mainly because us Canadians - we are often FRUGAL some would say FRIGID from the climate ... but I prefer to think .. Fruitful ... not Fearful.

I have spent much money on advertisning - I use TIME - more than MONEY. Do what I love, and love what I do with my TIME. I belong to a few FUN boards, am a director on the City Arts Council and LOVE chipping in to fundraisers and gala events. I focus on helping my community - and in return my community has helped me - but the real gain, the bonus ... is I love what I do, and do it because... I love it. Have Fun. (plus - they sometimes feed us at the meetings)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!

Great post, I am new with little money, a great office our broker pays for everything (limited advertising though) but free. I do opens every weekend but very few show up. I do rentals to make ends meet. Any suggestions.

I am lucky in the fact that I have a small Honda. It comes in handy now. I try to stay positive and I seem to stay busy. I think you still have to work hard and keep marketing and you will make it in this market.

Sally- You are dead on with this post! Living high on the hog is what plenty an agent has done and now they bite the dust, working at McDonalds or something. Planning is important, so is budgeting with an abundance attitude, not scarcity. When they start to worry, then more of nothing happens for them. It is a spiral downward because what we focus on expands. I love my Mercedes, but it the side business of arbonne that got me that car and I bought one that was 'preowned' at a very great price, less than even most Toyotas, etc.

Blogging is SO understimated!

OCT

2008

Hey Sally,

Interesting and yet timely post. Differently? Reducing costs as much as we can here and there.

Yet, at this point, I know I'm singing the same tune, my marketing is totally geared to my past clients for repeat and more importantly referral business. I can't do enough for those folks, they are the ones who've kept me in business for years.

This is something I was talking with someone today, it's more cost effective to keep a client than find a new one. Keeping clients is great and if you don't have enough, it it's about exceeding expectations to earn referrals.

Lynda: I think that's most people...cutting like crazy but me too...I'm still singing like last year....but better. Go figure. It's got to be us...don't ya think? :)

Katerina: Blogging has been good to me...so have past referrals.

Vicky: yes you do....we all have to change to changing markets and do more...and do things differently if it's not working for us.

Joyce: Just keep on keeping on. Sooner or later you're going to hit the big time :)

Sharon: I'm just like you.....more time....investing in my blogging and websites...and hey....just keeping in contact with past clients who have been very loyal :)

Donna: You hit it right on .....and that's okay...because I'll just keep doing what i'm doing .....and remembering it's not all about the me and me and me thing :)

NOT, I REPEAT NOT, listening to the media and negative talk. Staying positive and touching everyone I meet.

OCT

2008

The good broker: And that's what's going to see you through :)

Great post! You sat down and put some thought into this one. Here's what I'm doing...More internet marketing and less high cost print advertising. I'm tracking all of my leads so I can put my money back into the places where it's making a difference and prospecting. Oh, of course, I joined AR!

OCT

2008

I am maintaining a positive attitude while keeping my eyes open to the reality around us! And I try to do that with a smile!

Get out and shake more hands... Cut back on all printed advertising except what you do inhouse, get ontommore free internet hosting site. If you have an owner thatis willing to hold financing for a buyer post the listing with photos on www.nestery.com Diane

Sally - I love your question "What are you doing different lately?"

Here's my answer: I've stopped taking advice that doesn't work with my personality or belief system. And I constantly do "gut checks" If it doesn't feel right in my gut...I don't do it.

I'm more open about the fact that I'm hear to build relationships. So I'm out there all the time(nothing different, but I keep building on what I'm doing).

I'm meeting like-minded people in my profession who are willing to help me grow and support me in my business as well as give back to them too.

I visualize every single day - and I visualize big. I'd rather reach for the stars and come up a little short than not believe I have the ability to achieve all the great things I strive for in life.

The rest is nothing new(I've been doing it all along): I constantly am involved in my community, I give back, I stay postive, and I build relationships and I focus on long-term gains rather than making a quick buck.

OCT

2008

It's strange times for sure! But there are many agents that I know who are having record years, there is business out there for those that will go find it.

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