Has anyone used, or know of anyone who has used, Google Buzz? If so, can you pass on their name or let me know? I am trying to learn it and want to get some opinions.- Thanks!
The Social 14- the interconnections of social media
Social Media is changing the way we communicate, conduct business, and interact with each other. It is an explosion of information unlike any the world has ever known. It is a game changer. It is connecting lost friends, building relationships, opening new doors, and even changing the face of world politics. And lately it’s helped to topple a few governments. Ever wonder about What the next step will be?
It’s pretty evident. It is and will be the combined power of multiple sites joined together. Just as email and web servers joined the web together in the early part of this millennia, so too will another connection take place. An Inter-connection. One that will change the way business is conducted, messages are sent and sales are made.
As a salesperson, especially in real estate.p, you better start preparing for it now. You need to learn and understand how to use social media to get your message out and your connections and prospects reaching in. Once you understand each site, then you can start to integrate and see your business explode!
For now, suffice it to say that the following 13 elements will become the new backbone of social media for business- and more importantly, the Real Estate business:
1. Facebook and a business fan page
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn and LinkedIn Groups
4. YouTube- especially your own channel
5. Flickr
6. WordPress
7. Your own website
8. Your email inbox and signature
9. A contact management database, such as Constant Contact
10. A social networking site specific to your industry (for realtors, it’s Activerain)
11. Google Voice
12. Google Buzz
13. A dashboard to control them all (like my favorite,
And one more, probably the most important: You
Now is not the time to put off until tomorrow learning how to se social media in your business. It’s time to understand. It’s time to implement. It’s time to connect. It’s time to crush your competitors, build up your reputation, and grow your bank account. Don’t wait till tomorrow. Start today. Do it now!
The Perfect Presentation- Part 2: ” Are You Getting The Customer Involved In The Sale?”
The INVOLVEMENT FACTOR by Michael Dumas
There are twelve factors that can make your listing presentation THE perfect presentation- one that will instill the utmost confidence in you to the listing EVERY TIME. In Part 1 of this series, “Are you maintaining control during the appointment?”, we made the point that your goal, as the agent, was to get the sellers out of their pre-conceived idea of what a listing appointment should be, and move them in a totally different direction that is focused on their needs and wants.
It’s time to add the next brick to the building, factor #2- Get the customer involved.
Let’s start with some doses of truth:
Truth #1- YOU CONTROL THE STAGES AND FLOW OF THE APPOINTMENT. Period.
Truth #2- THE PERSON WHO TALKS LEAST ABOUT THEMSELVES AND MORE ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON WILL LEAVE WITH THE LISTING AGREEMENT. Always.
During a listing appointment, most real estate agents spend too much of their time shhowing the sellers their sales collaterals, their presentation, and their market analysis. It’s as if the customer will be so impressed by what they see written down that they will immediately beg the agent to let them sign a listing agreement at whatever price the agent wants- and do it right now! That may be an exaggeration, but that IS what is in the mind of most agents- and completely opposite from what the seller is thinking. The slide show, presentation and the market analysis are about YOU- not the customer. It’s as if the agent is saying, “hey, look how pretty my website is, or how many times my name pops up in a google search, or how flashy my powerpoint presentation is.”
Don’t be like that. Instead, learning how to engage the customer, get them involved, and make them feel a part of the process. This is not a dog and pony show. You are trying to sell someone’s home- so don’t insult them (and lose the listing!) and put on a show. The seller has not invited you in for that. They want to know what you will do to help their ease their pain (a.k.a. sell their home!) and achieve their goals.
I love a 5 to 1 rule. For every minute that you spend on a collateral piece, your marketing analysis, showing them a picture or graph, or talking about yourself, you should be spending FIVE minutes talking with the seller, explaining how you can help them, answering their questions, and discovering their issues- and letting them talk. If you do the math, in an hour long appointment, that means you should only be talking about 12 minutes. Or presenting. Or discussing your marketing. the other 48 minutes should be spent on them.
What is the best way you can do this? Asking questions. Lots and lots of questions. About their home. Their goals. Their dreams. Their plans. What they like about the home and neighborhood. What they don’t like. Why they are moving. What the homes best features on? Question. Probe. Get them thinking. Get them involved.
A Tell-tale sign of a powerful listing presentation, and one that will almost certainly end with a signed listing agreement, is when a customer takes a hands-on approach as opposed to sitting on their hands. And how do you do that? Get them involved!
The Perfect Presentation- Part 1: “Are You Maintaining Control During The Appointment?”
The CONTROL FACTOR by Michael Dumas
Congratulations! You just got an appointment with a
potential seller- You may well indeed have a sign in someone’s front yard
tonight!
But are you truly ready? Do you have some uncertainty in your mind? Are you confident that you are going to walk away from your appointment with a signed listing
agreement? Are you 100% positive that you WILL win them over? There are some actions you can take that will guarantee you can answer YES to each of these questions. There are twelve factors, plus a bonus, that can make your listing presentation THE perfect presentation- one that will instill the utmost confidence in you to get the listing EVERY TIME. So let’s dig in to factor #1- The Control Factor
But first let’s start with a dose of truth: YOU CONTROL THE STAGES AND
FLOW OF THE APPOINTMENT. Period.
You are the expert in your field. You have written,
scripted, and practiced your presentation. You have all of your marketing
collaterals, your listing book, and your testimonials polished. You are ready to go. You can share your story, your plan, and your ideas with anyone!
But lo, there is one fact that most agents don’t consider in their preperation. The seller’s intent. They have invited you inside their home with one of two intents; either to “see what you do for me” or to “see if you can meet my price for selling”. As soon as the seller opens the door these intents immediately start to come out. At first, the
seller may oblige you by looking through your book of sold properties, or sitting
through you presentation, or answering (half-hearted!) your questions. But what they really want is the answer to the question that is on their mind. “So, what do you think we can get” And this is where almost every agent takes a wrong turn- they fall right into the “intent” trap and get sidetracked in their presentation. They lose control.
Most agents at this point will hand all of the control to the seller. An expert agent however will have a different plan. An expert agent knows they need to get the sellers mind away from price, and get them focused on what they are about to present. The expert agent doesn’t avoid the price conversation; instead they let the customer know there is a great deal that goes into the price- and that they are there to educate the
seller on those items so together the agent AND seller can decide a marketing
price.
You goal is to get the sellers out of their pre-conceived idea of what a listing appointment should be, and move them in a totally different direction. A direction that is focused on their needs and wants, not yours.
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had service that was really phenomenal?
It just blew you away and was so good, and so unexpected, that you probably
still rave about it to all of your family and friends? This is the way you want
your sellers to feel- to have such an incredible experience that they will tell
all of their friends to use your services. So how do you get there?
Preparation. And one of the key elements you need to prepare for is maintaining
the flow and control of your presentation.
You have to keep your message relative and in terms of “Today’s Market”. Keep the seller focused on today, not what happened last time the sold, or what the market was like 5 years ago. The dynamics of buying and selling a home have changed radically in the past 5 years and not just because it’s turned into a buyer’s market in most areas of the country with heavy Foreclosure and Short Sale listings, but also because of the
growth of technology, social media, smart phones, Email Marketing, and blogging. These have changed not only the way people find and buy homes, but also the methods of advertising available to sellers to maximize exposure to their homes.
An Effective presentation puts the buyer in the spotlight.
And when you make the presentation about the seller, you can maintain your
course and get the information across to your seller in the manner that you
choose. Most agents also fall into another trap- the entertainer trap- because they like being a star and don’t like hurting the sellers feelings. It makes the realtor feel
powerful, important, and in control. This is dangerous, because when YOU become
the star of the presentation, the seller will quickly lose interest, and will abruptly
cut you off. You will find that sellers will get you off track with questions about
price and terms. They are bored. When the presentation is about you, and not
about them and their problems, you will lose them. Quickly. They will keep you
distracted. They will steer you off course. They will tell you they only have a
few short minutes and ask you to get to the bottom line. They will tell you
they are “interviewing” potential realtors. Put another way:
The Prospective Seller Does Not Care HOW You Want The Sales
Presentation To Go- They Have Their Own Agenda.
Instead, approach your sales presentation as a facilitator. It’s no longer about your selling ideas and products (your listing tools). Instead, it’s all about helping the customer arrive at a decision and solving their pain. With you providing direction. As a Facilitator, you are the one controlling the flow of the appointment, but you are “guiding” your prospects and helping them arrive at their own conclusion. One that they own.
And just like a play, a really good sales presentation is
scripted, practiced, rehearsed, refined, and timed…
And one more- controlled.
Now is the time to understand how to control YOUR appointments- if done effectively and correctly, you surely will walk out of the appointment with a signed agreement in your hand- and putting your closer to your goal- money in the bank!
Listening To The Customer- The Red Box Way
Now that summer is in full swing, it seems to be getting
hotter and hotter each day. Trying to keep two young boys and all of their
friends occupied each and every day is no easy task. So when it’s sweltering
outside, my wife loves to hit the “red box” for a movie or two for the
neighborhood kids, pop some popcorn, and set the youngsters in front of the TV
for a few hours… they love it. I appreciate how easy- and convenient- it is to
rent AND RETURN a movie. No matter where I am heading the next day, guaranteed I
will pass a Red Box at a gas station, grocery store, or fast food
establishment- and multiple times- all within a mile of my house. And tonight, I
passed a Blockbuster Video, and thought about how it used to be such an
experience on a Friday night to go to blockbuster with my friends and rent a
few movies for the weekend. You would go in, see what was new, and hope they
had a copy on the shelf. And if they didn’t, you would stand around the corner
for 10, 20, sometimes even 30 minutes, hoping that the next person who dropped
movies in the return box had the one you wanted… My, how times have changed.
And why you don’t see movie rental stores any more, if at all. The movie “renting”
experience has changed.
The boxes outside of gas stations offer the same movie that
a Blockbuster or Video Store does. So why are Blockbusters closing down at
record pace? It’s the same films. Maybe it’s the experience. Maybe it’s that
with a red box it is easy to rent AND return- just drop it at any of thousands
of boxes across the country. Want the movie for an extra night or two- no
problem, they will just charge you the .99 cent nightly fee- there are no late
fees. No membership fees. No credit checks. And you can access, and even
reserve and pay for movies at any box
from your Smartphone- just swing by and pick it up when you are ready. It’s not
like the retail experience- going in. Waiting in line. Maybe they have the
movie. Maybe not. High rental fees. Late Fees. Memberships. It all seems, well,
so 90’s!
And maybe that is something that is something to think
about. If you are a Realtor, are you making things easy, convenient and value
added for the customer? Have you adapted to the way the customer wants to look
for a home? Are you making it convenient for the Sellers who want to be
involved in the process? Are you giving your customers options and choices, and
really listening to how they want to purchase or sell, not what you think they
should do? If you are, then congratulations- you will be one of the lucky
realtors at the closing table and in line at the bank to cash your commission
checks. If you aren’t, then think of this- do you want to be like the next
blockbuster? Closing your doors and going out of business? Maybe it’s time to
think “red” and change your game.
The Secret to Get the Listing- Don’t Sell them, Get them to buy you!
Every real estate agent comes into the seller’s home with one
thing on their mind- to get the seller to sign their listing agreement- at the
price the realtor wants- without any objections or obstacles to overcome…
That’s what goes through your mind when an agent in your office says “that was
the easiest listing I ever took”
The secret to get the listing that easy is simple: Engage
them. Show them value. Don’t make them feel pressured. Get them to “buy” into
you, your systems and your experience. Get them to buy into your team
mentality. Get them to put “some skin in the game”
Educate the seller then let them make an educated buying
decision- selling is an emotional outcome- buying is emotional- you are
relieving pain.
People don’t buy your services- so don’t sell them- they buy
you and your solutions to their problems and pain. Once they realize they have
a problem, they look for someone to help them solve that problem or ease that
pain. When you understand that people buy to improve their lives or to ease
their pain, then selling is an easy job- because you never sell!
Whether you like it or not, a seller will choose (a) to sell
their house and (b) to choose you to do it for THEIR REASONS, not yours.
Don’t tell them “now is a great time to buy or sell” just
because everyone else is, or because it’s a down market. You have to find out
why the seller wants to sell, regardless of what the market is doing. Find
their pain, present a way to solve it (your value), and then get ready to put a
lockbox on the door and sign in the ground!
3 Things Every Sales Professional Should Have Ready To Go
Today, more than ever, buyers and sellers are giving agents less and less time to “introduce” their services- maybe it’s the web, 24/7 news coverage, or non-stop busy lives. Todays Buyers and sellers aren’t really interested in the traditional, old school approach most real estate agents use to convince them to list a home with, or get in the car with. For some reason, most agents just can’t wrap their mind around this concept. It may, in part be due to the fact that its work, because it takes a few days of thought to figure out just how to interact with this new breed of customer. It’s time for you to be different. Grab a notepad, a pen, and some quiet time and think through the following three steps that will guarantee you an increase in your business, your transactions, and your checking account!
First, you need a strong 30-SECOND COMMERCIAL!about yourself and what you do. Make it good, make it snappy, and make it genuine. Do not make it the same old boring stuff, “Hi, My name is Sally and I am a real Estate agent. Last year I sold 45 homes and am a member of the million dollar club for XYZ realty- let me help you sell your home!…” BORING! Come up with something original, and let your name tag tell them the boring stuff (like your full name, the fact you are an agent, and who you work for!) Maybe tell them your niche, or that you are known for finding the best deals and that you have an exclusive “in” with the newest inventory coming on the market. Or that you sell more foreclosures and have a relationship with several banks to exclusively list their homes… You only get one shot- make it quick, make it good… Practice in an elevator- when someone walks in with you, introduce yourself, ask them what they do, and then tell them your 30-second commercial. Ready for the real thing? Go sit an open house and see how well buyers react to your commercial.
The Second thing you need is to WRITE OUT A LIST OF QUALIFYING QUESTIONS- you need about 12-15 to really dig in deep and get a buyer or sellers true wants and needs. Next, write out a script of how you will ask these questions, and then take the time to think through every possible answer a buyer can give you. Finally, rehearse your answers and plan a course of action. Your goal is simple… you want to “lead” a buyer or seller to the best solution, which you already know, rather than “follow” them to wherever they may go… which is probably a $100 in gas and a few Saturday mornings wasted driving around in your car.
Finally, you need to develop an EXIT STRATEGY with every customer you meet or talk with. Know what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, and what you will do for each customer. Never let them have the final word, the final thought, or the final action call. If they say, “We’ll call you when we are ready…”, then you haven’t thought this one through. You need to have something you can let the customer take away with, whether it’s a flyer, a list of available homes, or to know they are added to your weekly e-flyer… something to keep YOU in front of them!
If you spend a few days planning these three items carefully and giving yourself a little practice, before you know it you will greatly reap the rewards!
Why customers want the best service, but settle for an average experience
I am going to start this blog with a bold statement— I think all of us who call ourselves real estate agents do, as a group, a pretty lousy job of giving our customers the best experience we can. Now, don’t take this is an all-encompassing statement, but rather as a self directed look in the mirror- all of us looking… Why do I make this statement? Because I talk to buyers. And sellers. And banks. And mortgage companies. And title companies. And more importantly, other agents. A lot of other agents. Why am I making this statement then? Because I experience daily how other agents ate treating each other and their clients.
Out of my last 50 transactions involving another agent who represents a buyer, I would hazard a guess that only 3, maybe 4, were giving their customers the best experience they could. They are prepared. They ask questions and follow directions. They communicate. They are involved. And their buyers think the world of them. But that is the exception. Not the rule. Most of the time I get an email the day a property is supposed to close from the other agent asking me if the deal has closed… Instead of being AT the closing with their buyer. Or they don’t follow my directions in the MLS, they submit an offer, then I have to have them go back to their buyer with more forms to fill out and more information to gather… And they get mad at me! Or they tell me “do you know how bad this is going to make me look to my buyer?” bet I can guess…
I have two boys, ages 5 and 6- my wife and I spend a lot of time teaching them manners and to be respectful… So why is it a 6 year old can answer a phone correctly and politely, and not a grown, professionally licensed adult? At least 3-4 times a day agents call me with this simple statement “I need the lockbox code to 123 main street” no “Hi”. No “Please”. No “May I…”. Just I need… Where are your manners.?
This may sound like a gripe session, but it is not. It is to illustrate the point of my first sentence. If you treat other agents this way, there is no way you can convince me you treat the buyers and sellers better. “Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself” really should be changed for real estate agents to state “Do unto your customers as you do unto your fellow realtors” then maybe those who are looking to buy and sell may have an unbelievable experience. And we as agents may get more respect as professionals. And a few more buyers and sellers may use our services. And a few more transactions may occur. And our days may get a bit sunnier… And we could have a good experience too.
What A Listing Agent Really Wants
I Heard a commentator speaking on the radio discussing a tipic that has been around for ever and probably will never be answered- “what do women really want from men”… and that got me thinking- I may not know what my wife really wants from me, but I can tell you as an agent what i want from others involved in my transactions- so let’s give it a whirl!
First, I want a title company that will treat my file as if it’s the most important file- I’m not asking for special treatment, and not asking for the closing to be the first and most important, but I am asking for politeness and communication. When I call, I would like someone in your office to answer in a friendly manner and genuinely want to help. If the person handling my file can’t talk, then I expect a call back within 2 hours- you see, when I call, it’s usually for something important, or for information that i need to get passed on to the buyer, or selling agent, or lender, or homeowners association, or my asset manager, or my negotiator- I am calling for a reason- please make me at least feel that you are listening. And let’s take that one step further, when I email you, please, please, please respond that day- nothing infuriates an agent more than no response. If you don’t have the answer I am looking for, tell me, and tell me you’ll work on it and get back to me. And then get back to me within 24 hours.. please don’t forget me- that makes me feel very unwanted! and Please, Please, PLEASE order my estoppels and lien search THE day I bring the file to you, not a week before closing- nothing puts more stress on a listing agent that having to due multiple extensions because the lien search isn’t in yet. You know how long it takes- you do this every day! please make my life a bit easier.
Secondly, from you, Mr. Lender. Please understand that every file is different. Please tell me UP FRONT what you need for your underwriters, what they expect, and realistic time frames. Don’t surprise me two days before closing and drop a bomb from the underwriter. Please don’t keep me held up- when I tell you the seller needs 48 hours to review and approve a HUD, please plan accordingly- let your underwriting department know this up front. Don’t make ME ask YOU for the HUD-1 statement- surprise me with it in my in-box 48 hours before closing. And just like the title company, when I call or email you, IT’S IMPORTANT- please don’t brush me off!
Next is you, Mr. Buyer. Please treat me with respect. And my sellers. We aren’t dumb. We do know a thing or two about closing transactions. PLEASE refer all your questions and concerns to YOUR selling agent- that’s what they are paid for- I don’t like it when a buyer puts themselves between me and another agent- I will only see you for a few weeks, but guaranteed, somewhere down the line, I will work with that agent again. Don’t make me choose sides- you will lose. Unless of course, your agent is incompetant- Becuase if the closing starts going south, I am picking you and the agent up and carrying you both across the finish line, whether you like it or not. I don’t work for free- I like to get paid. And if your agent isn’t performing, or can’t explain something… that’s ok.. just let me know so I can speak with them myself.
And finally, the other agent. This is what makes or breaks the sale. I am certain that most “difficult” transactions start that way from the moment a showing is requested. I can appreciate that you have been selling real estate for 30 years, or that you have sold a million dollars in foreclosures, or have done 600 million transactions- but please, for my sake, FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS. I make them very clear to you in the MLS- If I ask you to fax the offer, then FAX IT. If I ask you to use an AS-IS contract, then use that! If I ask you to send me proof of funds, then send them. You see, believe it or not, I am not making these things up- these are items requested by my seller- Dont make me ask for them- just send them. And speaking of that, please DO NOT tell me how to present your LOW OFFERS to my sellers- I have already done the comps with them, and gotten the price. Trust me, if I FEEL your offer is fair and good, I’ll let the seller know. NO ONE wants to get the property under contract more than me.. that’s why I took the listing. At least thats why I think I did! And don’t lecture me on how to get a closing done. Please ask. Be Polite. Work with me. It’s for both our benefits.
And Finally, to those of you out there who DO NOT sell real estate. As a Listing agent, the last thing I want to hear from you when YOU ASK ME how the market is doing, is about how bad your agent was, or how your uncle sells homes and you would use him, or about how you can sell it yourself becuase you did years ago. Because these are things that make me feel uncomfortable or not needed. And I don’t really like that. But I do like to sell houses.. so let’s talk…
It’s time for a bit of good news….
The economy stinks. Unemployment has never been so high. The banks are crooks. Everyone is broke. Consumer confidence is at an all time low. There have never been so many foreclosures. All the foreclosures were done wrong. Wall street needs another bailout. There aren’t any jobs…. It’s so depressing! And that’s just the nightly news…what’s going on?
A conversation on a nationally syndicate talk show I heard on the radio last Friday got me thinking about this subject… The host mentioned that his wife was a Realtor in the Philadelphia area. The host talked about the conversation he had with his wife- that there were a lot of great homes on the market, that interest rates were at all time lows, and that she was working with a lot of buyers…but she was frustrated because she couldn’t get any of them to “pull the trigger”… Most Realtors ask “why is this, because it’s happening to me too.”
I, like the host, think it’s because of all the bad news that everyone is hit with everyday… From everywhere… Everyone is so pessimistic… There is no positive outlook… No confidence in the economy or the markets… No good news coming over the airwaves or the nightly news… But we all know it’s there! So it’s time to start hearing it. I for one am going to make a conscious decision to talk only about the good…anyone and everyone is talking about the bad… So who needs to hear more of it! Like ol’ blue eyes used to so, ” start spreadin’ the news….”!
SandPeak Realty 