real estate: The 7 Deadly Sins of Branding ... And How to Avoid Them!
- 08/13/10 05:56 AM
THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF BRANDING ... AND HOW TO AVOID THEM!
When it hits your eye, you can’t help but groan.
Or perhaps it’s so unremarkable that it doesn’t register with you at all.
Those are the effects of bad branding.
Rarely do you see an agent whose branding is so unique—so different—that it stands out above the rest. That memorable brand clearly articulates who the agent is, what the agent specializes in, and the level at which they do it. And it motivates you, as a consumer, to want to work with that agent.
Branding is the one area of … (0 comments)
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real estate: The "Over/Under" Principle
- 07/30/10 07:02 AM
THE "OVER/UNDER" PRINCIPLE
As a small business owner, you are the boss. You run the show. You’re in charge of marketing, promotion, operations, and service. Perhaps you’re a master of all of these.
Yet, one of the biggest mistakes I see in small business owners – and, yes, that includes you as a real estate agent – is something very basic, and deadly to your business.
Not doing what you say you’ll do.
You’ve all no doubt heard this piece of great advice: If you really want to impress someone, “under” promise and “over” deliver.
Simply put,under-promising and over-delivering places … (3 comments)
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real estate: From ACTION to TRANSACTION with Denise Lones
- 07/27/10 11:28 AM
FROM ACTION TO TRANSACTION WITH DENISE LONES
Have you lost sight of your plan? Did you ever have a plan? Do you need help developing a plan?
If you’re ready to take actions that will move you to transactions, please join us for a FREE call on Thursday, July 29th at 1:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time, when Denise Lones will offer lots of great free advice to get your business in gear.
We’ll take your questions, offer advice, and get you on (or back on) track.
Because we need to be sure to reserve enough lines for our callers, please call … (0 comments)
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real estate: The Power of One
- 07/13/10 06:34 AM
Part of my company’s mission statement includes being the source for real estate success.
So it’s no surprise that I hear from agents every day who want to improve their business.
As I listen to them, I notice a common theme. They are overwhelmed with ideas for change. Many of them have lists of dozens of things they want to tackle…but they don’t know where to start.
Not surprisingly, these agents often end up feeling overwhelmed, and doing absolutely nothing. Interestingly, I have observed that the most dramatic changes come when an agent chooses to make onetiny but powerful change that … (2 comments)
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real estate: Win More Clients with Great Buyer Presentations
- 06/18/10 05:29 AM
Real estate agents spend a lot of time and effort creating listing presentations. However, these very same agents often overlook an equally important tool that deserves just as much attention: the buyer presentation.
I’ve actually had agents say to me, “Denise, I’m just going to meet with the buyer, discover what they want, find it for them, show it to them, write it up for them, and sell it to them. There’s nothing to “present” to them. Why do I even need a buyer presentation?”
The best answer to that question can be found with the simple observation that many buyers … (37 comments)
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real estate: The Best Way To Keep In Touch With Your Past Clients
- 06/11/10 06:08 AM
I love technology. I really do. I love the way it has simplified my life and my business. There’s no doubt we’re lucky to live in a time when technology has played a dominant role in our lives.
But many agents seem to be so caught up in technology that they have forgotten some ideas from the good old days—ideas that still work brilliantly. Most agents don’t think they need to do these things anymore, but they’re absolutely wrong!
For example, let’s talk about that ancient device that allows you to talk to somebody even if you’re not in the same … (2 comments)
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real estate: The Future Looks Bright!
- 06/04/10 05:39 AM
The time has come. We have definitely turned the corner. To those naysayers who insist we haven’t, all I can say is that you have to look a little deeper at the market.
It’s been a rough couple of years. After the crash of 2008, we have all been waiting for a recovery that, at times, has seemed doubtful to many of us.
But now there is a light on the horizon. Slowly and surely, we are seeing indicators that the real estate market is experiencing new life, as many areas are brightening up with positive sales forecasts.
True, the vibrancy … (1 comments)
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real estate: Is Technology Driving You Forward or Holding You Back?
- 05/28/10 04:59 AM
For any business owner, technology is a powerful tool. When used to its full potential, it helps you save time, make money, and can make the previously impossible a possibility.
On the flipside, technology is equally as powerful in its ability to slow you down. It can cost you money. It can create huge challenges in your business—if you don’t know how to use it.
For most agents I work with, the biggest challenge is learning how to use technology wisely. For example, I’ll often meet an agent in class who says, “Denise, I need a system to organize my client … (3 comments)
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real estate: Six Ways to Destroy Your Real Estate Business
- 05/03/10 05:55 AM
SIX WAYS TO DESTROY YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS
Over the last twelve months, I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand how some real estate businesses have fallen into a death spiral. And yet in the same difficult market, I’ve seen other businesses soar.
What makes the difference? What are the most common things that real estate agents do to destroy their businesses?
1. Work in the moment.
While that sounds very enlightened, it’s a recipe for disaster. Working in the moment happens when an agent is working reactively—handling the crises of each day as they come along. If this describes … (41 comments)
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real estate: HOW TO GET REFERRALS – NEVER ASK FOR THEM!
- 11/06/08 07:11 AM
HOW TO GET REFERRALS – NEVER ASK FOR THEM!
Many real estate trainers, speakers, and ‘gurus’ preach the same gospel : “If you want referrals, you better ask for them.”
I say just the opposite.
All the gurus that tell you to ask for referrals after every sale are missing one big point. Think about it. How do your potential buyers, sellers and past clients FEEL when you ask for a referral?
It’s an uncomfortable moment. They know you want something from them and it tarnishes the trust you’ve built together. Instead of a confidant, you become a typical salesperson. And … (16 comments)
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real estate: FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW-THROUGH…WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT!
- 11/06/08 07:04 AM
FOLLOW-UP AND FOLLOW-THROUGH…WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT!
Almost five years ago I first met her. Her name was Jill. (No, this isn’t a cheap romance novel. Stick with me here.) Jill is a happy, bubbly lady who works at the cosmetics counter at Nordstrom’s—selling a very expensive line of cosmetics.
I was shocked to find out that a simple little jar of cream for your face could cost $200. With excitement and a deep concern for what I was looking for, Jill patiently explained to me what each bottle does and how it works.
Before I knew it, I was … (5 comments)
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real estate: A SHOCKING PHONE CALL—DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
- 11/06/08 06:58 AM
A SHOCKING PHONE CALL—DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
You know something is very wrong with our industry when a top producing agent—and I’m talking a major player here—calls to inform me that she’s going to be getting out of the market.
Background: She’s been in the business twenty years. She’s consistently made a quarter of a million commission dollars for the past ten years. She is well-respected in her community and in the industry.
But now her attitude is so out of alignment that she wants to throw in the towel. I could have believed it from almost anyone … (3 comments)
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real estate: WIDE-ANGLE LENSES ARE OUT… ‘ZOOM’ IS IN!
- 10/30/08 09:20 AM
WIDE-ANGLE LENSES ARE OUT… ‘ZOOM’ IS IN!
I was speaking at a marketing conference last weekend in Costa Mesa, CA and I was struck by how many business owners were unable to tell me exactly what it is they do.
Many of these people have wonderful business ideas but are having problems bringing them to market.
Why?
They are too “wide angle.” They’re trying to solve everybody’s problems and be everything to everyone. It’s like they’re afraid of losing business by leaving somebody out so they try to appeal to the widest demographic possible.
In marketing—whether you’re selling real estate or … (0 comments)
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real estate: BE THE CALM VOICE OF REASON DURING A CRISIS
- 10/30/08 09:15 AM
BE THE CALM VOICE OF REASON DURING A CRISIS
Real estate agents have a hard time talking to their clients about negative events in the media such as natural disasters like the one we recently witnessed. The past couple of weeks, there has been a media frenzy…and rightfully so. Lives have been devastated and we all mourn the losses of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
You can’t sit in your living room without being emotionally affected by the raw power of the images of suffering on your television. New Orleans’ loss is our loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with … (0 comments)
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real estate: “WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION -- IS IT STILL EFFECTIVE?”
- 10/23/08 08:23 AM
“WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION -- IS IT STILL EFFECTIVE?”
In a world of push-and-shove real estate transactions, is it a wonder that the term “win-win” negotiations is getting rusty? Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of “me-me-me.”
Well, I have a newsflash for you: Effective negotiation is always “win-win.”
Your clients always win when you help them get what they want. The question is “How do I go about negotiating the correct way so that all parties win?” Is there such a thing, well of course there is. It isn’t win-win negotiating if someone gets gouged!
For example, let’s say you have … (1 comments)
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real estate: TECHNOLOGY—FRIEND OR FOE?
- 10/23/08 08:19 AM
TECHNOLOGY—FRIEND OR FOE?
Have you ever wondered why some real estate agents who have never embraced technology are out there dominating their marketplaces? Meanwhile, you have every “gidget and gadget” out there, but you’re still not selling as much as they are.
Have all these gadgets really helped you to make more money? The answer depends on how you use them. For example, do you really think your client cares if you have a Palm Pilot? Or a fancy laptop? Actually, most sellers will tell you that they don’t prefer a listing presentation done on a laptop.
Are your gadgets … (0 comments)
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real estate: GET WITH THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY
- 10/23/08 08:15 AM
GET WITH THE VIRTUAL SOCIETY
Now—more than ever before—we live in a visual society. From the “MTV Generation” to today’s Internet obsession, getting noticed is all about visuals—graphics, colors, designs, images, fonts, and pictures.
Surprisingly, one industry is particularly resistant to this trend. Most of the people involved in this industry look exactly the same – essentially carbon copies of each other, dull and boring.
Who are these behind-the-times cave-dwellers? Yep, you guessed it—our own real estate industry.
There isn’t a week that goes by that a real estate agent doesn’t challenge me on the topic of whether or … (1 comments)
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real estate: PAST MARKETING EFFORTS REAP BIG BENEFITS
- 10/23/08 08:12 AM
PAST MARKETING EFFORTS REAP BIG BENEFITS
Do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere? You’ve been doing everything you’re supposed to do to market your business but no matter how hard you work at getting your name out there, the phone is just NOT ringing.
I was thinking about this the other day while I was in the hospital. A back injury I suffered in an accident a few years ago flared up last week while I was on the way to teach a class and I drove myself to the nearest emergency room.
As part … (0 comments)
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real estate: The Three Most Important Words In Real Estate Marketing
- 10/23/08 08:02 AM
The Three Most Important Words In Real Estate Marketing
We’ve all heard the tired old saying “The three most important words in real estate are location, location, location.” But if you truly want to make a six-figure real estate income, the words “database, database, database” are synonymous with your success. Your database is your own personal goldmine.
The average real estate agent meets over five hundred new people per month. Of those five hundred, they add only five of those people to their database.
That’s right…only five!
I hope this doesn’t describe you. If so, it’s time to get serious and … (2 comments)
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real estate: Denise Says: Discover What Works for You -- and What Doesn't!
- 11/15/07 07:17 AM
Discover What Works for You and What Doesn't
By Denise Lones M.I.R.M., CSP
Agents are always looking for "The Plan." You must have heard of "The Plan." It's that super secret 1-2-3 magic set of instructions that if you just plug it in, it will magically catapult your business to the next level.
Newsflash: This just in. There is no "Plan"! We do not live in a cookie-cutter world. There is no one "magic pill" that will work for everybody. Everybody is different.
On the Safari At Sea last week, again I was amazed at how different we all are. So many different personalities. … (2 comments)
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THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF BRANDING ... AND HOW TO AVOID THEM!
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