How to get over the hump?

Never give up, be a do-er.  You are offering an excellent service to someone trying to do something difficult on their own... the worst case scenario is that they continue doing it on their own and you're out a small amount of time.  You can do it!

Sometimes when I am lacking confidence, it is really that i am tired and a tad burnt out.  Usually, I can take an early night off, get a good night of sleep and I am ready to go the next morning.  It works for me. 

If you are not comfortable making phone calls yet, try a mailing campaign. Write eight letters of everything you would like to be able to tell fsbo's once you get in the door. Send each fsbo a letter every two weeks. As you drive through neighborhoods write down the address of every fsbo you see. Before long you will have an active and ongoing campaign. By the end of eight weeks many of these fsbo's will be calling you asking you to come into their homes, not the other way around. Once you have talked to many of them, you will feel more comfortable about what they are going to ask and what your answers will be. Maby after doing this a while, you will feel comfortable to call them before you start your mailings to them.

Good Luck,

Darrin of Darrin & Andrea

FSBO and expired pretty low hanging fruit; however many agents will not go after them.

I totally understand where you are coming from....I can relate!  I have gotten some advice from friends, and here is my plan:

1.  I surveyed agents who are doing well this year and asked for stats on where they got the business from.  The survey showed that sphere of influence and past client referrals was where the majority came from

2. I met with a colleague from another town & company, and took a look from another perspective on what I was or was not doing...

3. Started to read SHIFT over again

4. am ramping up my mailings to past clients and customers, and starting to call (dialing for dollars) as someone here said

Maybe that will help you too...

I really have a hard time with door knocking or "cold" calling, so I try to make these "warm" calls instead. I prep a FSBO by sending a really good package, then I follow up with a phone call a few days later, asking if they received my info, which segues into a discussion about how their selling process is working out for them. Rather than tell them ten reasons why they can't do it themselves, I offer assistance with the FSBO process. Oc course, most folks do give up...this is not their primary business, they hate the looky-loos, etc. So they call me because they were so grateful for my friendly, non-pressure approach when they thought they had the world by the tail.

I do the same thing with expired, and get a similar response. I don't always get the listing, but it makes that initial phone call or door-knock much less threatening when I have prepped the recipient and they have an idea of who I am and why I am calling.

BTW, in two years of doing this, I have never had a hang-up or an irate person at the other end of the phone. Of course, many folks simply say, "no, thanks," but that's part of the deal. Dealing with fear of rejection is a lot easier when the rejector is polite.

Best of luck but I think you are doing the right thing, putting your fears out there that are clearly shared by many (if not all at some point) and you get some support.  Keep plugging away and all will work itself out.

get a really really really BIG.....   why

How I plan on getting over the hump?

• Pass out my business cards so people can know that I just renewed my domain names buyandsellnewhomes.com and freelistofhomesforsale.com and have both of them directed to the www.realbird.com IDX.
• Recently just activated my Activer Rain Hit Router. But I need to talk to a Staff member at Active Rain because when I do a search on my outside blog,it is going to somebody's else website. I WASN'T HAPPY AT ALL TO SEE THAT. But Hit Router will help direct traffic to your websites and hopefully you can convert them into closings-not clients. There is a difference-LOL.
• I am about to get www.TheRedX.com. The popular program that can help you turn expired listings into your listings. You will also receive a list of FSBO's in your area as well.
• I am going to RAINCAMP DC NEXT MONTH. Read some of the great testimonials from past Raincamps. Some posted some great tips already today from RAINCAMP LA.
• Write more hyper local content blogs. I am about to do a series on local business in the areas that I am targeting such as Prince George's County MD,Charles County MD and St.Mary's County MD.
• Looking into getting Localism-Once my Hit Router is fixed-LOL.

Much success to you. Brick NJ Home buyers and sellers need you. Much success to you. Have a great weekend.

I don't know how long you have been a realtor, but one thing I do is keep photos of the homes from successful escrow I have had.  They are pinned up right in fron of my face at my desk.  Then when I'm in a slump, I look at them and think "damn... I was awesome on that deal.... I solved a huge issue on that one... they loved me..." etc.  It really helps motivate you to keep going.  Your adoring public needs you to keep recreating those good tranasactions!

I like Sally's comment above. But if you are truly uncomfortable with calling on FSBOs, don't do it UNLESS you do it your way.

Get some of Jeffrey Gitomer's books and see if some of those approaches work for you. I have left wastebaskets, teddy bears, and other funny items with notes that have been very successful and very much worth the investment in a few books.

You do need to find ways to prospect, but do it YOUR way and it will be fun, profitable and increase your database!

It is very hard to get started some days. I find that usually once I make myself start it gets easier. Good Luck

Contacting FSBOs & expireds is a great resource. before calling FSBOs check your state regs first, NC law states if home is on the DNC list you can't call even if you get the number off front yard sign (exception is if you have actual client and you must provide the name to the FSBO). To get around this law I look up the address through the tax website and send them an introductory letter with some tidbits to have them call me for a full report & home analysis. I followup about 4 days later to see if they received the letter and ask if they have any questions.

Michelle   I GET IT.  Just do it, doesn't really work for me... kinda like that diet I'm going to start, the excersize I'm going to do...... not sure WHAT does work.

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

Last week-end I went to visit my son and his family. His daughter is 6 years old and a very active kid, but some things scare her.

I went with her to the park where she climbed part way up up on this "lattice dome" sort of thing - and she stopped and just sat there. She looked so intent that I went closer, and then I heard her. She was softly saying to herself: "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this," over and over.

It turned out that she wanted to go one notch higher, but she was afraid.

But guess what? She was one happy kid when she convinced herself that yes, she could - and she did it! In fact, by the end of the week-end, she had climbed almost to the top a couple of times.

You can do it too!

Sometimes I think you have to do what works for you.  For some folks, calling FSBOs is great.  For others, prospecting their SOI and past clients is the key.  For others, it is really cranking on their internet marketing, blogging, etc.  Do what works for you and the money will follow!

If I were great at this I would be at a B&B and not on Active Rain this morning, but embrace rejection.  I do not say rejection is good, but count the ways you are rejected, turn it into a game of sorts.

lol....I hope this blog is not on your public blog.  I think AR is a great place to start.  I have closed 2 deals from AR, have 1 pending and have 3 listings from my blog. 

You really do not have to do it all.  Do what you want and do it as good as you can.  Then, just ignore all the "no's" and move on to the next one.  One less to go before you get a yes!