Don’t wait until you are between a proverbial rock and a hard place before you prepare to make your next hire. This is one of the biggest reasons businesses end up with bad hires. Often when agents realize that they are getting so busy that they are no longer able to keep up with all of their current business and continue to prospect for new business, they put off doing anything about it. The reasons are usually one of the following:
- They don’t want to share the commissions they could potentially make by themselves
- They don’t believe that they can afford to pay a superstar or that this person will be worth the time and money involved
- They don’t know how to go about the process of finding true superstar talent
What inevitably happens is that the agent gets overwhelmed and makes a hasty decision to hire based upon an urgent need that must be filled rather than on the person’s ability to contribute to and grow the business.
If this happens and you hire a Band-Aid fix for your situation, you are faced with months of training and consulting only to eventually realize (or admit) that it is not working out. From that point, it generally takes several more months to eventually terminate the relationship. You’ve just spent months and months of time, energy, and money. You are tired and frustrated and on top of all this, you get to start the process all over again.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go through this. You are about to learn how to recognize and recruit superstars in a way that will allow you to take your pick anytime you need to make a new hire.
Look in unexpected places
Be prepared no matter where you are. One of my first coaches taught me to carry recruiting cards with me. Mine was a basic calling card that asked a few basic questions to get them thinking: Interested in making money? Self-employed? Looking for better hours?
When I came across someone who showed superstar qualities or potential, I would hand them a card and say, “If you ever consider getting out of this industry and you want to step into being a professional salesperson, I’ve got an opportunity. I’d love an opportunity to sit down with you. Here you go. Call me.”
Get on the phone
One of my clients had grown his business to the point that he was entirely overwhelmed and still being forced to do all the $10 an hour stuff by himself. He eventually got tired of doing this and not having the right person to delegate to, so his fiancé got on the phone and called every brokerage in town. She asked, “Who do you know who’s looking to join a fast-growing team, that wants to be part of something big, and who can do this, this, and this?”
One of those people who answered the phone happened to be exactly what he was looking for. The agent took her through the process that I will discuss in-depth in the next article and she turned out to be an absolutely incredible talent and incredible hire.
That happened only because they got on the phone and shook the bushes to find the right person. Take action. Do something. Get on the phone and start making calls! Keep in mind that the person you are looking for is always closer than you think. They are closer to you right now than you think.
When you are reactive, you begin to think that this person doesn’t exist. In reality, not only do they exist, but also they would do anything to be part of your vision and work for someone who has the core values that define you.
Craigslist Ads
Here is an ad from Chet Holmes’ The Ultimate Sales Machine that works really well; I have used this exact ad myself with great results.
Superstars Only! $50,000 - $300,000
Don’t even call unless you’re an overachiever and can prove it. Come build an empire within our fine real estate company. We are in the real estate industry, but we don’t hire backgrounds. We hire top-producers. If you’re average, you can earn $50,000 with us. If you’re a star, you can earn $300,000. Young or old, if you have the stuff, we’ll know. Contact us at ______.
Your phone will be ringing by the end of the day with superstars. If you are looking for talent, looking to start bringing people into this process, this a great place to start.
Note: Don’t just run this ad when you are in need. Run it continually and you will always have talent at your fingertips. Even if you are not hiring at this moment you should dedicate an hour a week to interviewing talent so you can build an arsenal to pull from when you are ready to make another hire.
Facebook ads
Another incredible way to find talent is to turn to your social network. Facebook ads are great for hiring telemarketers and salespeople and even better for finding top notch listing agents and buyer agents.
Monster.com
This is a pricier option, but it is one that can be very effective. Consistency is the key as with all the other strategies, but because many agents find it to be cost prohibitive, you might add it to your budget as a quarterly expense and run your ad four times a year instead of as an ongoing campaign.
As you can see, the real secret to finding superstar talent is to look for it before you need it and to look for it consistently. If you follow these guidelines, you won’t find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to deal with the effects a bad hire can have on your business. A great hire is always a great investment because they will free you to grow your business and they will ultimately propel you farther than you could go on your own.
In the next post, you’ll learn the most effective (and perhaps most unconventional) way to take prospective talent through the hiring process. Leave your comments below; I’d love to hear about the most unlikely place that you have discovered talent or the unlikely place where your talent was discovered.
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