The Five MUST HAVE programs you need for success with Social Media

When you talk Social Media to most Real estate agents, the conversation always seems to center around the sites- posting, tweeting, videoing, and the likes? The agents will talk about the listing they shared on Facebook, or the blog they wrote on their local market, or a video testimonial they uploaded. But when I ask the question of the tools and programs they use to help them with the “creative” side of social media, most agents just give me a blank, caught in the head lights kind of stare. “Tools?” they ask… “What are you speaking about?” the nor,al response I seem to get is, “I just use what always have that is on my computer”- I do it just like everyone else.” and therein lies the problem- without the right tools to help you LOOK different than every agent, you ARE NOT different. Especially online to your potential contacts and customers. so what should you do differently? Make these five tools an essential, integral part of your social media plan, and you will guarantee yourself results that you could never imagine.

Tool #1- A good personal website. There are many great sites and services out there to help you either create your own or that will build one for you. If you aren’t comfortable creating your own, I suggest you spend the money to pay someone to do it for you. Anyone and everyone can have a great website. It’s easy to do. Having a great website is essential these days not for traffic, but as a landing page for your customers- it’s a place where customers can “check you out”. It’s aplace to dictate what information you want to share and thhe image you want to project. A personal website is the place that offers you validity and credibility. It allows you to center all of your social media efforts, to reflect your brand, to place your testimonials and products, and to be jumping place to your social media links. It needs to work with your customer database to capture information from everyone who visits it. And it needs to have the elements will keep peoples interest and make them want to look around. It is not a place for hard selling or for your resume- that is not what social media is about. It needs to complement your marketing efforts and social media plan, not obstruct it or be so “in your face” that it turns people off. Your site should give value to those who visit it and make them want to contact you for more. LAstly, your website needs to be something that is updated weekly at a minimum. Your content needs to be fresh, compelling, and valuable.

Tool #2- A feature rich Customer Database service- probably the most important tool you will use. Why? Building your customer list is the most essential reason to work with social media. If you are going to go through all the effort of marketing and advertising your business and services, your skills, your listings, and yourself, then you want the reward. You want contacts. It’s why you network, do open houses, create virtual tours, farm neighborhoods, and reach out to other Realtors. By reaching more prospects and making more connections, your message goes viral, and your contacts will grow. You need to do something with them. You need to put them in a central location where you can use them, not just create a list. A business has value because of their customer base. When you have a base, you can reach out to that base and advertise. And if your advertising is compelling and your products have value to your customers, they will buy from you. You need to be able to use your database to do just that. You need to be able to categorize your contacts so you can do something with the groups. If you have a new listing, you want to be able to share that with those in your database who are looking for a house. If you have a new virtual tour or video tool you can use, you might want to share that with those in your database who are thinking of selling. You need to be able to perform drip email campaigns, send out newsletters, share ideas and stories, create and send surveys and polls, or just reach out at a moments notice with some exciting news. A customer database that allows you to interact with your social media sites, your email, and your videos is very powerful and will be something that you will work in every day. Spend some time searching for the right one that fits your needs. And once you find one you like, explore it, learn it, become proficient in it- once you start getting a lot of contacts though your social media growth, you will be glad you did!

Tool #3- A simple to use, yet powerful photo editing program. I am not referring to the phot software that comes free with you digital camera. No, I mean technical photo editing, programs like Photoshop, Jing, or Pixlr. They all allow you to doctor your photos, create layered photos, make backgrounds, and logos. Every time you need a new background, or new photo for the landing page of your website, or when you need graphics for a video you are creating, you could pay someone for these services- but that will get pricey very quickly. Instead, take the time to purchase a feature filled photo editing software package, and then LEARN to use it. Take a class. Watch videos online. This is a great skill to learn, and will save yourself a ton of money by doing it yourself. Plus, it will really help you create a very unique brand, because you can think and create beyond the basic copy and paste techniques most agents use. When your photos and graphics look like a professional took them, you will really stand head and shoulders above other agents- and your social sites will be showcase items rather than look like everyone else.

Tool #4- An easy to use video production system. Just as a good photo editing program will allow your photos to look professional, a feature filled video production system will make you REALLY shine. You aren’t creating Hollywood level films, but you need to be able to do some basic tasks like editing, adding intro shots, adding credits, and mixing in music and voice overs. These are easy skills to learn with the right program; they just take a bit of time and money. But it is money well spent, because a video that appears professionally create will get you noticed and give you credibility, especially with home sellers. And once you learn this skill, you will open yourself up to a social world that few Realtors have ventured into- the world of a YouTube channel.

Tool #5- A screen capture software program- Another must have program. A screen capture program allows you to take a “snapshot” of what is on your screen. You can then share that photo as an attachment in your email, as a photo on your website, or any other way you may use photos. A good program also allows you to mark-up the photo, such as drawing a circle around a certain word, adding arrows to bring attention, and then adding a note to bring attention. You also want to find a program that allows you to record the actions on your computer. You open the program, hit record, and the program will create a video of exactly what is on your computer screen- all of the actions you take, the curser movements, the pages your visit. Every action. The uses for this are only as limited as your imaganiation. I like to use it to describe contracts to customers, pointing out exactly where to sign, explaining the content, and showing the order the contracts should be in. Another useful purpose in real estate is to show capture your virtual tours, save them as a video file, and then upload them to your smart phone or tablet. When you are at a listing appointment, you can show the seller “exactly” what it looks like on a computer- most will find this pretty impressive!

There are so many great sites and tools you can use to help you become a master of social media- by getting an education on these tools, you will be able to create and edit products and services that will help you stand head and shoulder above your competition. You will be able to upload videos and videos online that will impress your customers and make you appear to be an expert in what you do. An with a good customer database program, you will be able to reach more customers, do more with those customers, and close more sales!

Good Luck- and remember to keep Selling It Social!

The Perfect Presentation- Part 4: “Present With The End In Mind”

The END 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 get the listing EVERY TIME.  In Part 1 of this series, “Are you maintaining control during the appointment?”, the point was made 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. In Part 2, “Are you getting the customer involved in the sale?”, it was discussed how you as the sales agent needs to get the customer, as the buyer, to take a “hands-on” approach and get them involved- that way they have some “skin in the game” and will feel compelled to take action. Part 3, ” Take it and break it” was a discussion on taking your sales presentation, breaking it into smaller pieces that can be analyzed, and then rebuilding it to ensure each section, each piece used, each collateral piece, is there to serve a purpose and for you to understand what that purpose is..

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.

Truth #3- WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY EACH PIECE OF YOUR PRESENTATION IS THERE, YOU WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THAT PIECE. Knowledge.

Truth #4- WHEN YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, IT WILL BE EASIER TO STAY ON THE PATH TO GET THERE. Experience.

Begin with the end in mind. A simple statement. But do you know where the end is? When you go into an appointment, do you know what your goals are? Your mission? Your end-game? Do you know what you want to achieve? Do you know the measurements to know when you have achieved it? Is your mind focused on that goal? This is a lot of questions to ask, but is necessary for understanding that gravity of that one statement. The end. In Mind.

During your sale “pitch”, is everything that you are doing, saying, sharing, showing, and asking being done, said, shared, shown, or asked to help you achieve your end game goal? A football team prepares hours upon hours for one simple goal- to get into the end zone. And they prepare weekly for that goal. and to repeat it. Over and over, knowing if the goal is accomplished several times in a game, they just might win. It’s the same with your end goal.

Tell the customer- many times in fact- what you goal is. Tell them that by using your expertise and knowledge about the market and your product, you can help them. That you both have the same goal. A successful closing. Or increasing revenue. Or decreasing costs by improving efficiency. Whatever the goal, explain it, tell it, bring it out in the open for all to see and share.

Getting to an end point, or closing point, is a problem that most sales people face. Why? Because the customer winds up controlling the flow of the presentation. How? With objections. With excuses. With concerns about price or costs. The average sales person usually leaves the presentation frustrated, confused, and upset when these things occur. If the customer controls the presentation, and does not know WHY you are there, and what YOUR goal is, you will never get a chance to get a closing point. No close. No agreement. No Sale. No Money.

What is your job as a sales professional. To sell. Period. You might have other jobs, like preparing. Reporting. Processing. Prospecting. But your number one job is to sell.  And if you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish when you present, you will not sell. Period.

Before you go into your next presentation, make sure you know what you are selling. Make sure you are prepared with your presentation and your sales collaterals. Ensure you have your contracts ready. But most of all, be ready with your end game. Know why you are there. And work towards that goal. Keep your eyes on that goal. The prize is there for you to take. Are you ready?

 

The Perfect Presentation- Part 3: “Take It and Break It”

The BREAK IT FACTOR by Michael Dumas

A perfect listing presentation is what every real estate agent longs for- that “killer” presentation that will get the seller to sign, the “Home Run” that will get a sign in the yard, and that “Knock Em’ Out” appointment that leads to more listings and more closings. That presentation is readily available to each and EVERY agent out there- if they just take the time to build their presentation right. There are twelve factors that will make your listing presentation THE PERFECT presentation- one that will instill the utmost confidence in you to get the listing EVERY TIME.

In part 1 of this series, “Are You Maintaining Control During The Appointment?”, it was discussed 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. In part of this series, “Are You Getting The Customer Involved In the Sale?”, it was discussed how the agent needs to get the customer to take a “Hands-On” approach and get them involved- that way they have some “skin in the game” and will feel compelled to take action.

Part three is a little different- this one does not involve the customer. So Let’s add another brick to the building, factor #3- Take It and Break It

The Doses of Truth discussed thus far:

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.

Truth #3- THE PERFECT LISTING PRESENTATION STARTS AS AN IMPERFECT COLLABORATION OF MATERIALS AND IS TAILORED TO YOUR PERSONALITY AND STYLE TO ACHIEVE A DESIRED EFFECT. Broken and the Perfected.

The best way to improve your listing presentation is to take it in its entirety and put it all on the table in front of you. Every thing you use: your scripts, your photos, your marketing reports, your website, your marketing analyzis form, your virtual tours, your flyers, your advertising pieces- all of it.

Once you have everything laid out in front of you, WRITE OUT your entire presentation. Line for Line. Word for Word. Make note of the collateral pieces you use. When do you show your website? When do you show your marketing reports, when do you show your advertising flyers? Also make note of WHAT you say when you use those pieces, HOW you HOLD THEM and DISPLAY THEM, and WHAT INFORMATION you discuss on them.

Finished? Now break it apart. Break it into little pieces or segments.

Now analyze everything. Ask yourself why each collateral is there. Why you say the words you use. Why you go in the order you do. What is the benefit of each piece? What does it do for the sale (the listing!). WHO does it benefit, you or the seller? Does it help you get to the sale, or is it a hinderance? Is it there to make you feel good? To pound your chest? To Feed your ego? How does it look to the customer? Can they understand it? Does it make sense? Will it help them to make a call to action?

Here’s another important question: Is it something that every other agent in your office or market uses? If you answer YES, then GET RID OF IT- come up with something unique and that fits YOUR BRAND, not everyone else’s!

Once you have broken them, now go through the whole presentation and ask yourself if it flows with your collaterals. Do they work well together, does it flow? Does it lead to a call to action? Are there MANY closes to get the customer to say “Yes”?

Now it is time to put it back together- use these eight simple steps:

1. Brainstorm new ideas and new ways to present the material you already have.

2. Write down your goals and desires-know what you want to accomplish.

Now Sleep on it for a few days.

3. Edit your presentation into a working draft that you can practice

4. Prepare a final edition

5. Get a critique- I suggest several. And get them from people both in and outside real estate.

6. Mark up any corrections from the critiques and redo a final edition.

7. Sit down one more time and ask yourself if you have all the ingredients that you want.

8. Finally, Practice. Practice. Practice Again. Keep Practicing!

You will absolutely see a marked increase in your closing ratios if you will just take the time to break your presentation apart and retool it- Guaranteed!

Good Luck, and Happy Selling!

 

 

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!

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!