Les BLAH BLAH More Ah Ha

Thirty-Two How-Tos for Three Types of Real Estate Agents – Chapter Twenty Three from the book Less Blah Blah More Ah Ha – How social savvy real estate agents become trusted, preferred, referred and rewarded.

“”It used to be that the big ate the small. Now the fast eat the slow.” – Geoff Yang

I wanted to close my book with one of my most post popular articles at AgentGenius.com.   Also I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to Benn and Lani Rosales.  Benn is the founder and Lani is the new media director for the award-winning real estate blog AgentGenius.com. If you’re not an AgentGenius.com reader today, I encourage you to bookmark or subscribe to their daily dose of insight, what’s new, how-to and what’s next in the real estate business.  Run, don’t walk to www.AgentGenius.com

Thank you again to Benn and Lani, my fellow AG writers, friends, and readers.  Here you go. . .

There Are Three Types of Real Estate Agents.

1. Those that have forgotten more bright ideas than they can remember.
2. Those filling their heads with all the new bright ideas they can find.
3. Those that have both forgotten more than they can remember and are always on the lookout for new bright ideas.

There Are Three Types of Challenges for All Real Estate Agents 

First, the status quo will not maintain your business.

The second challenge is a choice-challenge; choosing solid gold ideas and strategies over fool’s gold.

The third challenge?  Moving our chosen ideas out of the imaginary feel-good world of good intentions and into the real world arena of action, implementation, and monetization.

Whichever Type You Are…

I thought these ideas were solid gold and were realistically simple to implement.  I plucked these from a fifty-four page list of Twitter-sized ideas submitted by attendees at Prudential Real Estate’s Top Producer Summit conference.  Here they are. . .

1. Use video chat to meet your relocation clients face-to-face often before they relocate! Be the source of the source!
2. Find an article, fact, or something at least once a week to post on your blog or Facebook.
3. Start networking in your office! Know your team.
4. Offer to sponsor the local high school play! Print their programs in exchange for your contact info on the back!
5. Volunteer to read one day a month at a senior home/school.
6. Buy an external hard drive and back up your computer weekly.
7. Be the water stop sponsor for a local running group.
8. Send a “Welcome to your new home” card to the new buyer who purchased your listing, and add them to your mailing list.  Even if they weren’t your buyer.
9. Always wear a name badge.
10. Communicate with your clients based on how they communicate with you.
11. Every day that you don’t prospect, ask yourself “Why?” and refuse to use that excuse again.
12. Send lots of personal notes.
13. Hire a professional photographer to take your listing photos.
14. Add free Wi-Fi for all buyer agents when visiting any of your listings.
15. Pick one new tool or technology to learn each week and become an expert.
16. Start every day with a clear and measurable goal. Know what a successful day looks like before your feet hit the floor.
17. Remember anyone can be a client, so be kind when you meet people.
18. A thank you goes so much farther when it is handwritten.
19. When your buyer has completely moved into their new home, offer to throw a housewarming party for them. Let them invite twenty of their top friends.  You, the agent, can buy the food and, of course, a nice bottle of wine.  Homeowners buy drinks.  Now you are there at their party.
20. It’s a price war.  Keep getting price reductions.
21. Instead of a sign rider saying “Call me,” it should say “Text me for info on this house!!
22. Create e-mail signatures for the things you send out often.
23. SlideShare.com.
24. Ask your clients how they would like you to communicate with them.  Some prefer e-mail, some phone, others only text.
25. Surround yourself with people that support your goals and who are fearless.
26. We cannot control the market.  We can control our attitude and focus.  Become the agent that buyers and sellers seek to make things happen!
27. When I get a buyer, I send a mock offer to them right away.  Then when I see them or talk to them again, I review it with them.  It allows us the chance to answer all questions or concerns before we write the final offer.
28. Stop making excuses and devote five hours a week to prospecting.
29. A busy day doesn’t mean a good day if you haven’t reached out to five to ten clients in your database of recent contacts.
30. In order not to be overwhelmed on my cell phone with inquiries, and to separate new folks from signed clients, I use a unique telephone number from Google Voice.  Messages are transcribed and sent to e-mail, or a number can be forwarded to your assistant.
31. Luck is predictable.  If you want more luck, take more chances, show up more often, try more things.
32. Send closing sheets copy (HUD) to clients in January from previous year’s closings.

Remember, Knowing What Others Don’t and Doing What Others Won’t Are the True Two Secrets to Success

 I encourage you to implement at least one thing from this list of thirty-two and one idea from a chapter in this book per week. They say it takes twenty-one repetitions to create a new habit; keep that in mind in your quest for sweet success.  If you have some ideas or comments you’d like to share, Twitter-sized or otherwise, please send them in an e-mail Ken@LessBlahBlahMoreAhHa.com.

__________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading.  If I can be helpful, ping me – Ken Brand 832-797-1779

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

How to Keep That-Other-Woman from Seducing Your People  / Chapter 23 from the book Less Blah Blah More Ah Ha – How social savvy real estate agents become trusted preferred, referred and rewarded.

“In marketing you must choose between boredom, shouting and seduction. Which do you want?”  ~ Roy H. Williams, Author

It’s Not Personal.  It’s Business

Listen. That-Other-Woman.  All the people you know, she knows. Everyone knows more than one good real estate agent, right?

She knows you’re a respected, savvy, and well-connected pro, but that’s not going to stop her.  She sees herself as equally attractive and more than capable.  To succeed, she knows she has to out-delight, surprise, and engage you.  She has plans to seduce your people, steal your opportunity, and your future.

Next week, while waiting for your ho-hum direct mail postcard to land on their kitchen table, along with all the other irritating junk mail, she’ll be inviting everyone you know to two hours of movie star bedazzle and Technicolor surround sound.

She’s 1 in 500, and she’s inviting your friends, clients, suspects, and prospects to a Hollywood Blockbuster.

Don’t tell her, but I was able to put my hands on her plan.  Here’s what she’s doing — check it out.

Movie Day Action Plan

Monday Morning

1. Log on to the local multi-screen mega theatre website.

2. Check the movie schedule, pick a movie and a showtime. (Wednesday or Thursday, noonish matinee if possible.)

3. Write a fun e-mail invitation. Include a picture of the movie poster. Send to everyone.  Remember to use Bcc box. (Top Secret copy of her e-mail at the end of this chapter. You can do way better, I’m sure.)

Tuesday Afternoon/Evening

1.  Call all. Say hello. Confirm receipt. Personally invite. Chitchat. Let conversational magic bloom. Share excitement for a “yes,” express regrets for a “no” (either way, the “Halo Effect” shines its soft blessing on her relationship).

2.  Follow up all my conversations with a short, handwritten note card. Mail with two biz cards.

Wednesday – 11:15am

1.  Meet everyone at the movies. Yea! Wear real estate name badge. Greet everyone with a big smile and a warm  “welcome” hug.  Hand out movie tickets.  Can’t wait to hear, “Thank you so much, how thoughtful. I needed a break. You’re the greatest friend and REALTOR of all time.”

2.  Bring digital camera (smart phone camera). Take pictures. Go inside and enjoy the movie.

3.  Say goodbye. Give more hugs, say goodbye, and wish everyone well.  Don’t forget to thank everyone for coming.

Wednesday Evening.

Post and share “We’re having fun!” pictures to Facebook and Flickr accounts and Blog.

Write fun post-movie follow-up e-mail. Include pictures of grinning attendees and a link to your Facebook photo album. Tweet about it too. Send an e-mail to all invited, thank those who came, tell those who couldn’t make it we missed them, and wish everyone well.

Those Are Her Written Notes, and Here Are Her Mental Notes

I’ll never mention real estate unless asked, but my e-mail invitations are wrapped in my real estate branded e-mail stationery.  This movie event won’t cost much, postage is free, there are zero printing costs.  Even if fifty people show up—and there’ll probably be fewer than that; twenty-five would be great—the whole thing will cost less than $300.

This movie event is way funner than wasting $300 on some dumb print ad in a real estate magazine, trying to chase strangers and attract KuKu birds.

Whether people can attend or not, everyone appreciates a generous gesture, and who doesn’t love-love an invitation to have fun?  The Halo Effect is going to shine a perfect light. Yeah!

While other agents are doing next to nothing, cutting back, or sending routinely ho-hum post cards, you’ll be giving the gift of entertainment and enjoyment. People will talk about your invitation and the movie. Yay for you and your friends.

This movie event gives us the chance to touch people five times in one week: by e-mail invitation, phone call follow-up, handwritten note card follow-up, in person at the movies, and a post movie follow-up e-mail.  Plus, we’ll have some fun pictures to share on Facebook, and Flickr.

So, She’s Taking Your Good People on a Date.  What Will You Do About It?

Like I said, only one in 500 people will do this. The question is, will that one in 500 be doing it with your soon-to-be-seduced friends, clients, prospects, and suspects? Or are you that unique one in 500 who won’t let that happen?

For you one in 500s, let me know how it goes.  Drop me an e-mail at Ken@KenBrand.com  For the other 499, I’m sorry.

P.S.  Don’t overthink or overplan this.  You could pull this off next week.

P.S.  Here’s that e-mail invitation I was telling you about.

__________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading.  If I can be helpful, ping me – Ken Brand 832-797-1779

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

How to Dipping Bird Your Way to Perpetual Referrals. Chapter Twenty Two from the book Less Blah Blah More Ah Ha – How social savvy real estate agents become trusted, preferred, referred and rewarded.

“They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”  ~ Andy Warhol

The Dipping Bird

You’ve seen a Dipping Bird, haven’t you?  Some wonder how it works.  It appears to be a perpetual motion machine.

To set the Dipping Bird in motion, you place the bird next to a glass of water.  Gently push the bird’s head forward so that it barely touches the water, then let go.  Its head will then rise and dip perpetually.  Or so it seems.

How does this happen?  There are no batteries or power sources, yet the bird continues to dip and rise, dip and rise.  For hours.  It’s remarkable and people think it’s a magic trick.  But it’s not.

The Dipping Bird is a smart combination of heat vaporization, torque, center of mass physics, capillary action, and combined gases chemistry.  What appears to be perpetual motion is, in reality, a simple combination of science (the invisible: natural laws and physics), and clever art (the visible:  packaging and presentation).

If you want to, you can use a similar proven formula to generate perpetual referral recommendations. But instead of physics, your ingredients are an understanding of human behavior, timing, conversation, and follow-up.  Just like the little Dipping Bird drinks and rises, drinks and rises, if you put what you learn in this chapter into action, every time you take a new listing, or begin to work with buyer clients, you’ll generate one or two new referrals before the transaction closes.  Imagine the positive impact on your success if every time you worked with a qualified buyer or seller, you earned a new qualified buyer or seller referral.

First let’s take a look at how most agents commonly behave; then we’ll dive into how to Dipping Bird perpetual referrals.

Here’s What Most Agents Are Doing Wrong Now

They take a new listing or begin working with a homebuyer.  They work super hard, keep their promises, and the listing sells or the buyer buys.

During the escrow period, as per usual, there are a few unexpected hiccups, but diligence prevails and everything goes well.  The closing takes place on schedule. Everyone’s happy. Yea!

Generally, if it happens at all, it happens after closing.  The average and ordinary agent commonly asks for a referral recommendation after the closing.

The Problem with This Strategy Is . . .

During the transaction, buyers and sellers are all a-twitter about real estate.  They’re swapping real estate experiences, asking and answering questions, and sharing their stories with everyone they talk to.  During the transaction they’re hyper-aware of friends who are also thinking of making a move.

By waiting to timidly ask for referral recommendation until after the transaction closes, the agent is missing out on hearing about any juicy opportunities their clients might share with them during the transaction.  If only they were asked.

Remember, these clients are talking to everyone about their experience.  If you’re delivering excellent service and results, they would be happy to refer you, if only you would ask.  The key to creating Dipping Bird referral recommendations is to ask for referral recommendations during the transaction, not after.

The Dipping Bird Referral Strategy Goes Like This

1.  Attract a paying customer – I know, duh.

2.  Make your compelling, persuasive presentation of services (listing or buyer’s representation presentation/consultation.)

3.  After you’re chosen and the listing/buyer agreements are signed, shake hands and exchange smiles.   Then, as you’re leaving, or at the end of your next conversation, pause, thank them again and in your own words share that you appreciate their trust and confidence and you’ll keep all your promises or they can fire you on the spot.  And that to make sure you’re staying on track and they’re pleased, from time to time you’re going to ask them how you’re doing.

Example: Thanks again for your confidence, I appreciate it.  Listen, if at any time you feel I’m not living up to my promises, you can fire me, no questions asked, no hard feelings, and no fees.  To make sure you’re happy with everything I’m doing and I’m on track.  I’m going to check in with you from time to time and ask you, straight up, how I’m doing and if you’re happy.

In addition to making this the best home selling experience you’ve ever had, I want to create an experience where, if a friend, neighbor, or coworker asked you how it’s going, I want my work performance to be at a level where you would say, “Man oh man, Ken Brand is awesome, he’s keeping all his promises and more.”  So, I’ll be checking with you, okay?

4.  The hard part:  Deliver. Crazy.  Audacious. On time.  As promised.

In steps 1-4 you’ve positioned yourself to conversationally ask for referrals and recommendations during the transaction.  This will be simple and natural, because you’ve set the stage for it.

Deliver strong, wait for their “Thank you,” and take these next steps.

5.  When your clients experience a positive event and say “Thank you,” for example, after progress reports, showing appointments, contract presentation, contract negotiations, or option period expirations, respond naturally and say something like, “Thanks for the compliment, you’re welcome!”

6.  Immediately follow this up with something like, “It sounds like you’re pleased and things are going well?” and remind them of your earlier conversation (Step 3), then ask for a referral recommendation.

It might sound something like this:

Them: Thanks for the insert positive event, Ken.

Me:  Thanks for the compliment; you’re welcome.  I don’t know if you remember this or not, but when we first got started we were sitting at the kitchen table and I said that my goal was to create the best experience you’ve ever had?  I know we’re not done yet but it sounds like so far, things are on track and you’re happy?

Them:  Yes.

Me:  Great. Can I ask you this? If a friend or a neighbor needed some real estate help and asked you for a recommendation, do you think you’d be comfortable sharing my name?

Them: Sure, Ken, you’re doing a fine job.

Me:  Yea!  Thanks!  Rest assured, when you refer me to someone, I promise I’ll take great care of them, treat them like family, and make you look good for recommending me. So, let me ask you this. Of your friends at work/in the neighborhood/at the gym/etc. [pick one small group], who’s the next person to make a move?

7.  If they share a referral, congratulations.  If they don’t, no worries. Thank them and rock on.  Lather, rinse, and repeat Steps 5, 6, and 7 at every significant positive milestone that includes and concludes with their enthusiastic “Thank you for a job well done.  I imagine you might ask five or seven times during the transaction.

Does It Work?

Yes, it does! If you have clients, you do a fantastic job, and they say “Thank you,” then you have earned the privilege of asking for referral recommendations during the transaction.  Do it!

If you’re asking for referrals infrequently or awkwardly at closing — or worse, sometime after closing, you’re self-strangling your prosperity.  Stop doing that and do this Dipping Bird thing instead.

Follow Steps 1 – 3 and you will have natural and comfortable opportunities to ask for referral recommendations, conversationally and respectfully.

Follow Steps 4 – 7 and your delighted clients will be happy to refer their friends, family members, and coworkers.

Follow Steps 1 – 7 and you’ll Dipping Bird your way to perpetual referrals.

Let me share a word about scripts and preparation.  If you’re reluctant, skeptical, or become ill at the thought of memorizing and reciting scripts, I hear you.  I’m not advocating the use of my words; I’m sharing directionally-correct dialogues as examples.

While I don’t encourage or even use scripts per se, I do encourage you to study the directionally correct dialogue examples in this book, then create and rehearse your own directionally-correct dialogues (as I do).  I’m a believer in perfect practice and preparation using rehearsed, directionally-correct dialogues when appropriate.   The more familiar you are with what you’re going to say, the more persuasive, crisp, confident, and beneficial your conversation will be.

Making this slight shift in strategy is the easy part.  If you do this, you will position yourself to speak perpetual referrals into existence. The hard part is keeping your promises and delivering referral-worthy results. I know you can do both, especially since you’ve already read so much of this book already and have put so much of the advice you’ve received into place.

__________________________________________

Thanks for reading.  If can be helpful, ping me – Ken Brand 932-797-1779.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

How Not to Flub Future Referrals and Recommendations – Chapter 19 from the book Less Blah Blah More Ah Ha - How social savvy real estate agents become trusted, preferred, referred and rewarded.

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.”   - M. Kathleen Case

It’s why we do all the bone-crushing, attitude-straining, heartfelt work.  

We work to create and earn confidence and trust.  When we succeed, people we know refer people they know to us.  Sweet success, right?

Sort of.

What I mean is, it’s epic to earn a referral recommendation, but we need to ensure that in our rush to help and deliver, we don’t flub our future by forgetting to show appreciation to the people who refer us. If we handle our referral business smartly, behaving in ways that reinforce the free-flow of future referrals, we can turn a singular golden referral opportunity into a perpetually producing referral gold mine.

In a moment we’re going to check out how to do just that. But first, let’s take a look at how future referrals/recommendations are flubbed:

Riley Foster, a motivated and qualified civilian calls Lois Lane the real estate agent, referred by Robyn, a mutual and trusted friend. “Hi Lois, my name is Riley Foster. We don’t know each other, but our mutual friend Robyn Brand referred me to you.  She said you were a great real estate agent, and I should talk to you about selling my house and buying a new one.”

Lois grips the phone tighter, goes giddy and does a happy dance.  Woo-whoooo, sweet Jiminy Cricket.   Life is grand, Lois takes a lay down listing and is set to sell Riley something new too.  Amen.

Lois goes right to work, hyper-focused on doing a proud job.  In all the excitement, Lois does not immediately call the friend who referred this golden opportunity.   In fact, Lois is so busy, and focused on doing a great job, that she neglects to touch base with her referring friend Robyn—until after the closing.

The scenario I just shared doesn’t sound bad — in fact it sounds normal, and a late thank you is better than no follow-up or thank you at all. But here’s the problem.  During the transaction, Lois doesn’t keep her referring friend informed.  By keeping silent, Lois keeps her deep appreciation and success a secret.  When our cheerleader friends don’t feel appreciated and acknowledged for referring us business, the likelihood of receiving future referrals is diminished.

Thankfully, these flubs can be fixed.  Earning a free-flow of future qualified referrals is fun, free, and easy.  Instead of thanking your referring friends after everything is done, try this.

How Future Referrals/Recommendations Are Reinforced, Rewarded, and Assured

Let’s take a logical look at how we can foster the free flow of future referrals.

We can begin by remembering we’re in the people business, which means we are in the relationship business.  As humans, we deepen our relationships by fulfilling our natural desires for feelings of significance, and a sense of certainty. When we receive the gift of referral, it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate the generosity of gift-giver.

Also, we need to keep in mind that when people make a referral/recommendation, they are putting their reputation and social capital on the line. It’s important to thank them for placing their confidence in us, and assure them we will do a great job and make them look like a hero for recommending us.

To Foster Repeat Referrals, Do These Two Simple Things:

1. Gush sincere appreciation.  Reinforce their wise decision to refer you by making a promise.  Promise that you will make them look good, smart, and cool for referring and recommending you.  Keep your promise (duh).

1. Tell them you’ll keep them in the loop, and do it.  Share appropriate progress and successes throughout the transaction (of course, don’t reveal any confidential information or compromise your fiduciary responsibilities).  Doing this will please the referrer, plus, because you are having In-Person, On-Purpose conversations with the very people who are sending you referrals, doing this will also position you to receive additional recommendations.

Showing your appreciation and keeping the friends who refer you business in the know is wise on many levels, don’t you think?  Isn’t this what you’d appreciate?  Amen again.

Digital Referrals, Recommendations, and Endorsements

It’s a new social media era.  Remember, when someone Facebook “likes,” “shares,” or “comments”; re-Tweets, tags, and/or otherwise shares your digital stuff, thank them and when possible, return the favor.

What Next?

From now on, as you receive referrals, show your appreciation, deliver remarkable service, and keep your referring friends informed.  They’ll love you for it, and share more referrals. Right now, if you’re working with clients who were referred to you, and you haven’t showered your referring friend with appreciation, reconnect, and come-correct

__________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading.  If I can be helpful, ping me – Ken Brand 832-797-1779

PS.  If you’d like to buy the book CLICK HERE and you’ll be whisked directly to the Amazon.com book page.  It’s available in eBook/Kindle and print format.  The Kindle Version is on sale for only .99cents – CLICK HERE

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

How to Adopt Abandoned Buyers – Chapter 18 from the book Less Blah Blah More Ah Ha – How social savvy real estate agents become trusted, preferred, referred and rewarded.

“I always wanted to be successful, not famous.”     ~ George Harrison, Beatles

Does Closing and Running = Abandonment?

Sadly for them, the majority of average and ordinary selling agents do not stay in touch with buyer clients after closing. They think that when the deal is done it’s time to run. Fresh leads need chasing, and an uncertain future needs feeding

At first blush, “closing and running” seems logical, maybe even smart. The rationale is (by those average and ordinary selling agents) that gleefully-settled buyers won’t be moving for years, so why waste precious attention on a multi-years-distant possibility? Bills need to be paid now. Right?

Dead Wrong!  Closing and running is abandonment and financially unwise. Here’s why.

The magical power of The Three-People Principle is supreme.  Okay, it’s not really magical, but it is pretty supreme — and based in fact.  Closed buyer clients who chose you and trusted you to represent them will, within the next year, know of three people who are going make a move and need the services of a Wonder Woman real estate such as yourself.  Invest time and attention in these fine folks and you’ll earn referral recommendations.  Referrals are the best leads, are they not? And they’re free. Well, almost free. You have to invest some emotional labor to remain relevant and remarkable, and therefore referrable. But that’s easy; it’s what you do—or, what you will be doing once you’ve read and implemented the ideas in this book, right?

So, are we agreed that staying close and relevant is smart and profitable? Hope so.

But wait, there’s even a higher, Sensi-like level of business cultivation.  The wise capitalize by monetizing the mistakes of the average and ordinary majority.  Some weaklings might consider this business-getting tactic “stealing.”  I call it smart and Adopting Abandoned Buyers.

Adopting Abandoned Buyers: The Strategy

This Zen strategy is pretty straightforward.  Most selling agents abandon their buyers after closing. When you’re the listing agent, grow your success by cultivating a relationship of relevancy and trust with the abandoned buyer of your listing. Yes. You heard right. I believe you should adopt the abandoned buyer, and become their Go-to-Girl for all things home, community, lifestyle, and real estate.

Let me share a four-step action plan that I’ve used and profited from.

1. After closing, mail a handwritten note card.  Wish them well, welcome them to their new and wonderful home, the neighborhood, etc. Of course, include two of your business cards.
2. Thirteen days after closing, between 2:37 p.m. and 7:57 p.m., stop by their home, in person, to see how things are going. Ask for permission to stay in touch. I’d say something like this, “Hey, would it be okay if I touched base from time to time to see if I could be helpful with anything real estate related?” or “Hey, I mail monthly real estate market report updates to my friends. I’d like to include you — would you be offended if I shared my real estate market report with you too?”
3. Follow up this visit by mailing a handwritten note card (nice talking to you, short-n-sweet). Use purple ink, a single sheet of canary yellow shaded paper, a hot-pink envelope and a real postage stamp, preferably one with an eagle or American flag on it. Ha ha, just kidding. Doesn’t matter what time you stop by or what color combo stationery you choose. It only matters that you Do It.
4. Stay in touch. Remember the value of including these fine folks (the ones who gave you permission to stay in touch) in your thoughtfully created and wisely managed Top of Mind Awareness campaign (relevant, remarkable, repetitious contact, conversations, and engagement).

Pretty simple approach, but uncommon. You know what you need to do. Go for it. Er, not next week. Like, right now! Cool.

PS. If you’d like to order the book, CLICK HERE and you’ll go straight to the Amazon.com book page.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Cheers and thanks for reading.  If I can be helpful, let me know – Ken Brand 832-797-1779

{ Comments on this entry are closed }