UP AND RUNNING IN 30 DAYS: Real Estate Training and Coaching

How to Get Excited about your Business Plan (!)

November 7th, 2019

Is this you when you think about business planning? No wonder. Most times, the critical parts of the plan are left out–and you’re left with cold numbers.

Note: Through November and December, I’m going to help you with your 2020 business plans. You’ll find free documents from my business planning system for owners and an invitation to a complimentary webinar. Why not subscribe and be sure not to miss a thing?

Let’s get real. Your aren’t motivated to build that business plan. We know we’re supposed to write business plans. Yet, if you are like 95% of real estate professionals, doing that seems just like an exercise in futility. Most business plans don’t inspire.

Leaving Out the Magic?

There are components left out of most plans–components that put the inspiration and motivation into your plan and your agents’ plans. I’ll give you specific guidance for you to put that magic into business plans, so you are inspired every day to not only to complete the plan, but to use it as a very personalized and specific guide to your success.

Why Are Most Business Plans Useless?

Unfortunately, when most people write business plans, all they do is fill in some blanks with “guess” numbers. The problem here is that numbers in blanks aren’t inspiring. They aren’t motivating. They don’t call out and suggest to you that you should look at those numbers once in awhile!

What Really Motivates Us?

If numbers inspired us, we’d all be gazillionaires selling real estate.

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After all, we say we want to sell more homes than the average agent. We want to make more money than the average agent. You know the drill, and we’ve heard it from hundreds of agents hundreds of times. Yet, if numbers and money were motivators, our results would be different than they are. The fact is that money, in itself, is not a motivator.

It’s what we do with the money.

And that’s as individual as we are. Martin Luther King didn’t say, “I have a business plan.” He said, “I have a dream.” You must include the dream part–the emotional driver–of your future in your business plans to make that plan useful to you. To do that, include the three ‘missing’ parts of business plans that I describe below.

Building the ‘Why’ Into Your Business Plan

That’s the motivator. In other words, we have to have a big why. Most business plans don’t build in the why. So, they fall flat, and leave us cold. That’s why agents don’t want to go through the exercise of creating them. Managers always commiserate that they can’t get their agents to write business plans. You wouldn’t want to write a plan, either, if you know it wouldn’t help you with your business the next year.

The Tools to Find the ‘Why’

Most people think of business plans as projections of numbers. But, that’s not all there is to a real strategic plan. There are three parts of a business plan that provide that inspiration, that motivation. Those are the parts of the planning process that are most frequently left out:

our vision--why you’re in this business; how you see yourself after you retire
Your review–what happened in your business that will make an impact on your business in the future
Your mission–who are you in the business

In the next few blogs, I’ll show you how to create these parts of your business plan so you give yourself the inspiration and motivation you need to create and implement your plan.

Ready to create your plan? Take a look at my online business planning program, with all the guidance and forms you need: ***Beyond The Basics of Business Planning.***

Categories Business Plan, Experienced agent, mission, Real estate systems, vision
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Polish your Trust Level to Platinum

by Carla Cross

October 31st, 2019

Polish your trust level to platinum!

We salespeople can’t sell anything to anyone without first establishing an exceptional level of trust–an increasingly difficult thing to do.

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The ten tips I shared on in a recent radio show can help sales professionals build a ‘platinum level’ of trust.

The Ten Tips

1. Learn non-verbal skills and apply them in writing, on the phone, and in person to establish rapport in an increasingly ‘cold inquiry’ world.

Tip: How fast do you talk? Pace your speech to your potential client (at the beginning of the relationship). You’ll establish rapport. For more on pacing, mirroring, and much more, see a book on this fascinating look at communication: For example see this book: Neuro-Linguistics.

2. We believe what others say about a salesperson, not what the salesperson says about themselves. Use testimonials; check evaluation websites to see what consumers are saying about you.

Tip: Do an evaluation after each of your closings. You’ll get the good, the bad, and the ugly–and wonderful testimonials!

Check out www.realestateratingz.com and www.incredibleagents.com.

3. Create an after-the-sale survey and use it consistently. If there’s something wrong, fix it fast.

4. We believe what we see, not what we hear. Show, don’t tell. Use visual presentations consistently.

Tip: Are you still talking through your presentations? Studies show we remember 65% when we see and hear it, but only 10% when we only hear it.

5. Flip your sales presentations. Ask questions—lots of questions—first. Educate. Finally, sell (well, you won’t have to sell if you’re a great questioner).

6. Tell the truth attractively. Show evidence. Don’t try to scare the client into action by predicting the future.

7. Evaluate the client for long-term relationships. Is the client someone you want to add to your ‘tribe’?

8. Use ‘tough love’ with a client to tell the truth. Be brave enough to turn down a client—to stay true to your values. Do what’s best for the client.

9. Re-cap. Regularly, stop and re-cap with the client. Do this, too, when you can’t meet client expectations.

Tip: We leave out ‘review’, both in our presentations and in our teaching. Don’t dump the whole load!!!!

10. Book of Greatness: Don’t brag about yourself in the middle of a presentation. Create a ‘Book of Greatness’ to use in your pre-first visit so your clients get to know you and your approach to sales.

How do you stack up on this list of 10 ‘platinum’ trust makers?

Assistance in Marketing Yourself Attractively

I’ve created an online tool to help you create effective marketing strategies. Included is a section on creating that Book of Greatness. Check out Marketing You here.

Categories Coaching, customer service, New Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Sales Strategies, Training
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Why Selling Real Estate is Just Like Tickling the Ivories

by Carla Cross

October 25th, 2019

Here’s why selling real estate is just like tickling the ivories…..

From working with real estate agents for so many years, I know that one of the mistakes they make is to think that real estate success is largely related to what you know. Yet, once agents get past the panic of not knowing all the right answers, they start to understand (that is, the ones that will be successful)– that knowing lots of ‘stuff’ about real estate doesn’t equate to success.

If It’s Not Knowing Lots of Stuff, What Is It?

Practice and performance. So, what in the world can a pianist teach you about getting higher performance? A lot, I think. Why? Because pianists play better by learning and practicing new skills–not learning about how the piano is tuned…….

Without new skills, we just keeping working harder, not smarter. The really bad thing about continuing to beat your head against that invisible but very real ceiling, is that it hurts more and more. You spend more energy just trying to accomplish the same thing.

Too Much Energy, Too Little Results

Worse yet, we bounce off that ceiling and hit a new low every thing we get up the energy to try to break through it. Not only that, the last few years have been discouraging for many in real estate. Don’t give up on yourself! You do have the talent, the skill, and the determination to succeed at a much higher level again.

All Performers Hit ‘Ceilings of Achievement’

As a long-time performing pianist and flutist (I spent the first thirty years of my life playing and teaching music), I had to learn how to constantly change up my playing for the better. I learned a lot, which I translated to success in real estate.

You Aren’t as Good as You Can Be—I Promise

I just did a talk for our area’s Women’s Council, on how to have a much better ‘next year’—how to smash through that ceiling of achievement. (Title: Everything I learned about Achievement I learned from Tickling’ the Ivories—also the title of my latest keynote–where I use the piano to demonstrate important points).

As a four-year old, I climbed up on the piano bench and figured out, by ear, how to play “Sue City Sue”—with bass notes, chords, rhythm, melody—the whole shebang. I was acclaimed as a little kid. However, as I got a little older, I found that playing by ear just wasn’t getting me to be a better player. Here’s what I did to get to concert artistry level, and earn a bachelor’s in piano performance—and how you can translate these performance principles to your real estate business.

Get from ‘By Ear’ via your Talent to Conscious Systemization

As a musician, I know that no one can play very well when they try learning only by hearing (playing ‘by ear’). To progress past a ‘whiz-bang, aren’t you wonderful’ amateur level, musicians must learn to read music, get a great teacher, and learn to practice perfectly. Generally, their teacher/coach will teach them how to practice, and provide the best editions of music. They will teach them a specific system. The better the system, the coach, the music, and the practice, the higher the performance—the sky is the limit.

The First Time You Do Something Isn’t As Good as it Gets!

What does that mean to a real estate professional? Most of us started selling or managing ‘by ear’. Some of us were talented, and that carried us pretty well for quite a while. But, then, we hit our ‘ceiling of achievement’, and found we were working 24/7 and expending way too much energy—and money. The way out:

Embrace systems (the best systems you can find)
Follow processes and checklists
Get a great coach
Practice as perfectly as you can

Practitioners—Watch Those Actions, Not Just the Words

Unfortunately, we real estate professionals don’t realize that we are judged on our performance, not our knowledge. So, when you get all antsy because you think you need more classes, stop and think about your performance level, not your knowledge level.

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Spend more time evaluating your performance, and pay someone to coach to you get better (all performers, whether musicians or golfers, do this, by the way). Critique your systems, and keep refining them because they will subconsciously affect your performance levels.

If I had a piano, I’d demonstrate these points (I do use the piano in the keynote!).

What Do You Want to Work on This Year—from ‘By Ear’ to Systematic?

Do you have some business plan goals for yourself this year to raise your ceiling of achievement? What do you believe is most valuable for you to work on?

Remember, if you’re a newer agent, you’ll be tempted to hang back, keep your fingers off the keys, and wait for something different–or better–to happen to you. Don’t get tempted! Put to work these performance principles and see your results improve dramatically.

Question: What do you wish you’d had as training to help you ‘see’ success early in your career? What would you change about your training if you were creating it?

Speaking of training: Let me help your instructors become masters of the classroom! I’ll customize a workshop just for your group, so they can break through those ceilings of achievement and master their crafts. Contact me and find out how I can help you: 425-392-6914 or carla@carlacross.com.

Categories Business Plan, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Real estate systems, time management, Up and Running Coaching Companion for Manager
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Does Your Career Path Match Your Manager’s Style?

by Carla Cross

October 18th, 2019

OK. Pardon me, but this post is about management style match-up for today and tomorrow–and it has nothing to do with age!!!!!!

Does your career path match your manager’s style? Sometimes agents change companies because they are failing. And, often, they look outside for the answers. Even with that in mind, I’ve got a question for you:

What’s your manager’s management style? We all know everything has changed, yet, my observation is that many managers are still using old-style management methods. And, those methods greatly impact whether you will reach your goals……if you have goals (and I’m not being facetious….)

Father/Mother Knows Best

Until the seventies (at least), ‘father/mother knows best’ was the preferred management style. The CEO made the decisions. The agents, the workers, sold real estate. Unfortunately, too, many managers took that top-down management style clear to the doting parent extreme. When you act like the parent, guess what the agents are supposed to act like? The kids. That management style caused a rebellion from agents in the seventies, when they decided they ‘didn’t need a manager’ (a parent) and left the traditional ‘parental style’ management real estate offices for offices promising more independence.

Is Your Manager Trying to Love Them All to Success?

Many managers have taken that parental management style to the extreme in an effort to protect and encourage agents. I call this the ‘loving parent’ manager. The ‘loving manager’ dialogue sounds like this: “If I just love them enough they will come back and go to work. I feel sorry for them. I just need to be there for them because times can be so tough.”

Unexpected results. There are, unfortunately, negative outcomes from this management style:

1. This style appeals to the non-producer. Loving agents without standards and accountability bleeds clear into sympathy, and sympathy encourages victimization. And victimization encourages non-action.

2. This style treats adults like little kids. When a three year old skins her knee, we kiss the knee to make it better, and put a cute little band-aid on it to comfort that three-year old. Why are we treating our agents like three-year olds?

3. This style drives producers crazy, lowers their production, and they ultimately leave. A recent study from The Ripple Effect, a Washington , D. C. management training and research firm, asked over 70,000 executives, managers and employees in 116 organizations what kind of impact under performers were having on their workplaces?

Eighty-seven percent said working with a slacker actually made them want to change jobs (retention issues, anyone?). Ninety-three percent said it had hampered their development or decreased their productivity.

Poor producers cause producers to produce less.
Poor producers cause good producers to leave.

My recommendations to managers, to evolve their management style:

a. Respect each agent as a responsible adult. Have an adult conversation with each agent. Ask that agent if he/she intends to work in real estate? Ask for a commitment to a work plan. After all, this is a business, not a love-fest!

b. Move your ‘love them into business’ actions toward ‘business love’. Ask yourself: Is it fair that they work in the business to enjoy those commissions they want to earn? Is it fair to expect that they work even half as hard as you work? Is it fair to expect that they keep honing their skills, keep getting better? Is it fair for you to expect them to invest in their businesses?

The irony of the ‘adult-style’ manager, foundationed in standards, is that it actually is the kinder of the management styles—by far. Why would we want to keep agents in careers where they were failing? Why would we want to provide sympathy instead of helping them create and implement a plan of action?

My question to you, agents: What’s your manager’s style? Is it helping you reach your goals? Is your manager too ‘easy’? Too ‘hard’? What needs to change to get the management and partnering you need to success at your desired level?

My question to agents: Is your manager’s style enabling you to fail? If you’re that kind of agent, you probably love the protective atmosphere short-term, but, when you’re failing, you’re going to be looking to that manager and that environment as the cause of your failure (whether true or not).

Recommendation: If your manager’s style doesn’t fit your goals, find a more businesslike atmosphere where people go to work, there’s pride in great performance, and there are performance expectations. You’ll rise to the occasion!

Categories accountability, Coaching, expectations, goals, manager, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success
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Are You Committing These 5 Fatal Career Mistakes?

by Carla Cross

October 3rd, 2019

What if there were things you were doing that got in your way–and you didn’t know it?

Are you making career mistakes that are costing you success? If you’re not making the money selling real estate you want to make, it’s time for some adjustments in your career habits. Here’s a list of the 5 most common career mistakes real estate agents make, with some advice in how to correct your course fast.

1. Wrong “career roadmap”

Most agents have unrealistic expectations from the business. Examining your preconceptions–and misconceptions– is important to grasping how you got to where you are now–and why. What’s your job description right now? What kind of activities do you spend most of your time doing?

Recommendation: To make money, you should have only three priorities: Lead generating, showing and selling. Are you spending enough time doing those activities now? Analyzing your time and activities is key to gaining a hold on your time management.

For a Time Analysis tool, click here.

2. Following the wrong role models

With real estate changing dramatically, each agent must know the opportunities and challenges inherent in his stage of the ‘career life cycle’. Without realizing it, many agents today are slipping into ‘decline’, hoping that real estate will go back to the ‘good old days’.

Recommendation: If you want to move your career ahead, you must consider yourself in the “growth cycle” of real estate. Why? Because the dramatic changes in the business force us salespeople consistently to examine our businesses and adopt new methods–just as we do when we want to grow a business, not merely maintain it.

3. Not managing your attitude

A recent survey showed that agents expect managers to “keep them up”. Now, just think about it. How many times a day do you get “down”? Unless you carry your manager around in a fanny pack (that’s a picture), and wire him/her into your emotions, your manager just can’t ‘be there for you’ when you need a pep talk.

Recommendation: Find 4 methods to keep your attitude on an even keel. Listen to motivational audios; watch inspiring videos; read the right books.

4. A ‘peaks and valleys’ business

Do you know agents who have a great month, followed by four terrible months–even when the market is good? They do that over and over until it’s their business pattern. They’ve created a ‘peaks and valleys’ business. How did they do that? Mainly, by waiting for the customer to come to them.

Recommendation: If you’re getting more than 25% of your business from re-active sources, (floor time, open houses, Internet leads), you’re playing Russian roulette with your income. If that pipeline freezes, you’re back to being a first-day agent again! Your business should be coming from 75% or more pro-active lead generation (you go out to find the prospects).

5. Spending your marketing dollars wrong

Recently, I was a speaker on business planning at a large regional real estate conference. I asked the agents what their best source of business was. They told me, “Old customers and clients–referrals.” I then asked them how much money they spent on that source. Out of 400 agents in the room, only one knew his investment in his best source!

Recommendation: Plan on spending 60% of your promotional dollars on old customers and clients. They’re your best source of business.

What did I miss? How do agents in your office get off track?

Don’t forget. Click here to get your time analysis tool. This is a very valuable tool that will reveal to you exactly how you’re spending your time–the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, attitude, floor time, Internet leads, new agent business plan, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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Can You Meet These 5 Criteria that the Buyer Wants to Know from You?

by Carla Cross

September 27th, 2019

Have you qualified as a buyer’s agent? Read the Five important criteria buyers want to know about you.

Can you meet these 5 criteria the buyer wants from you?

We all talk about qualifying buyers and sellers. I hope, as the year folds into 2020, that you’ve made a goal of creating better qualifying methods. I hope you’re setting your standards higher for buyers and sellers. But, in addition,

buyers actively qualify agents to figure out who to work with.

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(Or, if they just take any agent who comes along, they are disappointed because ‘the customer doesn’t know what he’s getting, until he doesn’t’.)

Why meeting buyer qualifying criteria is important: Buyers today have many choices of how to find homes. You need to create competitive reasons to help buyers choose you. It will save you time and money. And, if you’re a newer agent, creating solid reasons to help buyers choose you will increase your self-confidence 200%.

Five Critical Questions Buyer Should Ask Agent ‘Candidates’

Here are five critical questions I believe buyers should ask agents to assure they have a ‘match’ between what they are looking for and what the agent provides. In addition, I’ve added what I believe buyers should look for in the anwers (that means that we agents must be able to qualify on these terms). Finally, I’ve given you some tips to become the agent buyers love:

1. “Is selling residential real estate your full-time career?”

My advice to buyers: Listen to be sure the agent specializes in residential real estate. You want someone selling homes for a living, not apartment houses. Listen to see if this is the agent’s full-time career. Ask additional questions if the agent’s answers need more clarifying.

Tip to the agent: Be sure your mission statement and promotional statements clarify your areas of expertise.

2. “How many homes did you sell last year?”

My advice to buyers: You want someone successful; that means, at minimum, the agent sold homes to buyers at least six times in that year.

Tip to the agent: If you haven’t sold at least 6 homes this year, be ready to show the buyer how you are honing your expertise to compete with more productive agents.

Principle: Practice makes perfect!

3. “How long have you specialized in residential real estate in this area?”

My advice to buyers: Be sure the agent has been working in the area where you want to purchase for at least six months, so you know the agent has expertise and interest in that area.

Tip to the agent: If you haven’t worked in that area over a period of time, be sure to educate yourself so you’re working in the buyer’s best interests–and be able to explain that to a buyer. Or, explain that you’ve lived in the area a long time–or had transfer experiences that have prepared you to adapt to new areas, etc.

4. “Describe the work you do in our price range and area.”

My advice to buyers: Listen to be sure the agent zeros in on the area and price range you need. If the agent says, “I work anywhere with anybody”, that agent may not be for you, for he may be trying to cover too much ground to know very much about specific areas.

Tip to the agent: Be sure you’ve focused your efforts through creating a mission statement. Be able to explain to the buyer how you’ve made yourself an expert in the area they want to explore.

5. “Tell us how you will work with us.”

My advice to buyers: Listen as the agent describes the buying process, as he views it. Does it reflect what you’re looking for?

Tip to the agent: Create a detailed, professional buyer process. Have that process in writing to show the buyer, to prove you can lead the buyer through that process.

Agents: Think These Criteria are Too Tough?

Did some of those questions and my advice to buyers make you defensive and argumentative? That’s because we agents tend to look at things ‘inside out’ (from our perspective). Instead, pretend you are a discriminating buyer. You’re going to spend $60,000 on a car. What kind of customer service do you expect? Now, think in terms of the real estate buyer. What kind of service should a real estate buyer expect?

Newer Agents: Panicked Because You Think You Can’t Qualify?

Relax. You don’t need to qualify on all terms. But, you need to have answers and explanations ready so you can provide buyers reasons to work with you. Advice: Educate yourself so that you are as well-prepared to help a buyer as an agent who has sold 100+ homes in his/her career.

It’s Getting to be Time to Plan for 2020: A Resource to Help You Create your Plan

My new business planning program, Beyond the Basics of Business Planning, helps you create answers to the questions above. It guides you through the vision and mission process, and helps you set goals. See more here.

Categories buyer presentation, Buyers, customer service, New Real Estate Agents, Raving Fans, Real Estate Success, webinar
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What Your Title on your Business Card Says about You

by Carla Cross

September 20th, 2019

You probably never thought about it, but your title on your business card tells a lot about you. It tells us what you think of your business.

If you’re a newer agent, you’ve probably struggled about what to put on those business cards. Maybe you have shied away from putting ‘salesperson’. I know.

To some, the word ‘salesperson’ has a negative meaning.

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It did to me as a new agent. I came from the world of music, where there was no ‘sales resistance’ and everyone respected me because I was a college music teacher.

The Value of Being a Salesperson

I learned the value of becoming a salesperson–a really, really good salesperson, because I learned I could help people do what they wanted to do–and just needed someone to facilitate that.

If There Were No Salespeople

Where would we be without sales skills and salespeople? Here are some of the notable people today that you don’t think are in sales–but who have really, really good sales skills (and have to have, to get us to embrace their ideas):

Madonna (she may not be the best singer, but, boy, does she know how to sell herself)

President Obama (he must be able to sell himself and his programs)

Warren Buffet (help people embrace his investment ideas)

Bill Gates (Sell Microsoft and its products)

What Salespeople Do–and Why You Should Be Proud to Call Yourself a ‘Salesperson

As my first ‘boss’ in real estate said, ” If there were no salespeople, few/no goods would be bought” (except those that are absolutely needed). In fact, as my manager pointed out, the economy would come to a grinding halt. When the economy is going great in real estate, salespeople aren’t considered as important. But, wait–when the market slows, salespeople will become fewer–and more valuable to the public.

Sales Skills are Artistic and Not So Easy to Master

Now, there is a movement against using anything with the connotation of ‘sales’. Yet, there is nothing wrong–and everything right–about the art of sales. Using properly, sales helps people see the benefits of buying whatever they are considering.

Poor Sales Hurts the Consumer–Really Hurts!

As a long-time real estate salesperson, I saw buyers and sellers actually stopped from purchasing or selling because their salesperson was so inept. That meant the customer lost hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road! In fact, 99% of the mistakes agents I observed salespeople make were not in forcing, manipulating, or lying their way into getting someone to do something not in their best interest but rather

stopping a buyer or seller from doing what’s best for him/her because the salesperson had such lousy skills

Become a Blazingly Good Salesperson

If you have some reticence at the word ‘salesperson’, tackle that reticence right now. You aren’t just a licensee; you aren’t just an agent; you are a sales professional. You discover prospects (lead generation). You uncover prospects’ needs; you help prospects investigate new possibilities; you help prospects prioritize information and properties; you negotiate on their behalf. Those are all sales not agent skills. Agency is just a license. Sales is a skill and an art. Become an artist of what you do!

Question: What do you see agents putting on their business cards? What does it tell you?

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, Branding, Buyers, Coaching, Marketing, New Real Estate Agents, Personal promotion, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in 30 Days
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New Agents Speak Out: What Works–What to Avoid

by Carla Cross

September 12th, 2019

Want the ‘real skinny’ on succeeding in real estate? Read what successful newer agents say to do–and what to avoid.

In the latest edition of Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan, I’ve put lots of updates including advice from successful newer agents. Rather than my trying to convince you of these principles myself, here’s what they’ve said:

On Training

Here’s a quote from Kyle Kovats, who was chosen as one of the finalists for the “30 under 30” honors from the National Association of Realtors. These select nominations are agents chosen because they are under 30 and very successful in the business.

Kyle advises: “Find a broker who has a comprehensive training program. Ask if you can speak with agents who have gone through it to get the agents’ perspective on whether it was helpful.”

{Note: Up and Running in 30 Days has tips for you new agents in choosing the right training program—a training program that actually assures you launch a great career).

The Importance of Coaches and Mentors

There’s a lot more to success than just attending even a great training program. Read this from Merrilee Prochaska, “I wish I had understood the importance of a mentor/coach before I began.”

{Up and Running in 30 Days discusses the trend toward coaches, and provides guidance in choosing the right coach for you.}

On What They Wish They’d Done Differently

It’s not all a smooth ride to success! Here are some comments successful agents on what they wish they had done differently

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. From Cerise Paton: “Followed up more and more consistently; understood the time and discipline and numbers needed for lead generation and lead conversion; recognizing the time it took to build trust; going on more appointments, failing more often, and getting better, practicing presentations with friends”.

Gary Richter’s comment on what he would do differently could apply to most new agents: “Contact all of my sphere and ask for business.” Gary admits he was reticent to ask them all for business.

On Prioritizing Your Activities and Lead Generation Sources

Don’t take my word for it that clearly prioritizing your activities as business-producing or business-supporting is key to success. Hear it from Gary Richter, who used Up and Running in 30 Days to start his career. He says his priorities are big reasons he’s succeeding now: “I am cognizant of my daily activities and recognized them as either business producing or business supporting. I spend the majority of my time on business-producing activities.”

And, Diane Honeycutt states, “Take the advice in this plan and be sure you’re not a ‘secret agent’! Develop a work plan and stick to it”.

Here’s what Kyle Kovats, that great ’30 under 30’ nominee, said: “Get out there and just do it. Try different forms of prospecting and see what works. An ounce of action is more powerful than a ton of planning.”

Gary Richter advises: “Get off your computer and go out into the areas. Focus on business-producing activities.”

More great advice from Kyle Kovats: “Be relentless. Follow up with handwritten letters rather than the generic form letters/cards most agents send people. Be unique.”

On the Importance of Client Relationship Management Technology

When I asked those agent and manager contributors the technology new agents should incorporate, here’s what they said:

“CRM and lead management tools”—Diane Honeycutt

“A really good and easy-to-use CRM”—Cerise Paton

“A good CRM”—Chris Cross

So, don’t be like the majority of new agents (and even seasoned agents who put off capturing all those leads in a database and then, even better a CRM!) Start using a database, or better yet, a CRM your first week in the business.

On Spending Money for Leads

Here’s some advice from one of those Top 30 Under 30 finalists, James Pierce: “Don’t pay a dime to sites like Zillow, etc.”

From Cerise Paton: “You will get a lot of calls to sell you leads, google placement, banner ads, shopping carts, you name it. Don’t do it. It either has no value, or you’re not ready for it, or you can’t afford it”

Tip for managers: As you read these comments, ask yourself, “How is my training, coaching, and business start-up plan keeping my new agents on track?” What needs to be changed or refined so I get better results?”

How about YOU?

Are you following these principles? How many have you rejected or violated in your first few months in the business? Why? Success isn’t always easy, but it always has patterns and leaves clues! Don’t try and re-invent the wheel. Follow a proven plan with assured results and you will be wildly successful!

Take a look at what’s in Up and Running in 30 Days: updates in 5th edition. If you’re not reaching your goals as a newer agent (or want to re-start your career), you NEED this detailed start-up plan–chock full of advice that’s up-to-date. only $32.95 plus shipping–and invaluable to your career success. Click here for more information and to order.

I’ve got a bonus, too, for you this month: You’ll also receive my ‘little book of Big Ideas--inspiration and motivation to keep going to success!

The Five Big Reasons New Agents Fail

by Carla Cross

September 6th, 2019

Do you know the 5 biggest reasons new agents fail? Here they are.

New agents come into the business, excited because they are ‘in business now for themselves’. They don’t have a “boss”. They can organize their time. They look forward to lots of ‘free time’. They’ve also heard one can make lots of money working 20 hours a week. What a dream world! Worse yet, they don’t know how to start the business! (Who would?) So, they fill the time with what comes easily. Most of us are afraid of rejection, and fear what will happen if we talk to human beings and ask them to buy real estate from us. So, we stay away from those activities that invite rejection. We gravitate toward ‘safe’ activities, such as:

get organized–all day
attend classes–all day
preview properties–all week
observe others–all week
do research and follow-up
Play computer and social media

A friend of mine observes that they seem to be “getting ready to get ready”.

The very dangerous thing about agents creating a daily plan without good business-start-up principles, is that they create habits of failure. In effect, they created their own start-up plan—one that assures low production.

Those 5 Big Reasons

1. Wait too long to lead generate–this is the biggest reason of all. They end up with very few leads–and those few leads are poor ones who won’t buy or sell!

2. Copy other losers–go preview pretty properties, drink coffee, gossip, etc.

3. Look for someone to provide them ‘leads‘ (no good producer expects leads to be given to them!)

4. Don’t lead generate at all! (They’re waiting for ‘a better way’)

5. Just hate people (these are those who say ‘I like houses; I just hate people’). These are people who shouldn’t be in sales. I surely don’t blame them. I blame whoever hired them for not screening properly. (I know we can’t be right all the time, but we should be using all the tools available to us, like behavioral profiles, to check our interview conclusions).

So, those are my 5 big reasons. What did I miss?

Up and Running in Real State Starts You Right to an Exceptional Career

If you’ve been in the business less than 2 years and you’re not getting the success you deserve, you need to give yourself the gift of this program. All the training, coaching, and supporting documents are online, so you can go at your own speed and go back as many times as you want.

How this program is different: It is foundationed with a business start-up plan, so you learn how to self-manage a successful business, not just do non-prioritized activities. And, there’s nothing else to buy–no extra cards that stay in your trunk! (And, there’s a coaching component for your manager so support you every step of the way!).

Check it out and see how you can reach your potential–and beyond!

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, action plan, Buyers, Coaching, expectations, goals, income, Internet leads, lead generation, new agent business plan, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in Real Estate
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The 10 Dumbest Things New Agents Do (Last 5 Here)

by Carla Cross

August 29th, 2019

What is your list of 10 dumbest mistakes new agents make?

In my last blog, I listed what I thought were 5 of the dumbest mistakes new agents make. Here’s the rest of the list of 10:

6. Starting the business part-time, with no ‘drop dead’ exit plan from your other work. I know. I started part-time, but, within three months, I realized that I could not serve my consumer honestly when I had to run to another job. The truth is that you just can’t care much about the consumer if you’re not committed and working in real estate at least 50 hours a week. If you have to start part-time, give yourself a deadline to become full-time. Managers, don’t hire without that deadline in writing. You’ll be wasting your time training and coaching expertise.

7. Not getting a commitment from your manager that he/she will consistently and frequently coach you to a game plan. If your manager can’t rise to that level of commitment, how successful to you think your manager intends you to be? (Side note to managers: I believe you need to be 100% committed to your agents, or else the likelihood they will fail is 100%. Use a precise, consistent, proven game plan like the 5th edition of Up and Running in Real Estate to put your agent to work, and coach your agent. (I’ve included a coaching plan with Up and Running in Real Estate–Coaches’ Corner).

8. Thinking that the best commission plan is the best place to work. As the old song says, “Nothin’ from nothin’ is nothin’.” You need to sell lots of real estate—lots and lots of real estate. Choose the place where you think that will happen. Why? Because happy clients beget happy clients which beget more commissions and a solid career. New agents who figure out they only have to sell three homes a year to pay those fees are thinking like losers.

9. Not investing in the business until they ‘get successful’. When would that be? Why do you get to be successful without an investment? With that attitude, how are you going to compete with those great agents—and how are you going to meet those amazingly high consumer expectations?

10. Going into the business to see if they like it. I’ll bet 50% of new agents don’t really go into the business to make it a career. They go into the business to ‘try it out’. If that’s your attitude, how do you expect your manager and your company to be 100% committed to you, when you’re 25% committed?

A Great Manager Plus a Great Plan Plus Accountability = Success

Harsh words above, but true. If you want to succeed, find a great manager who will coach you and hold you to a start-up plan. Find a manager who will tell you the truth—even when you don’t want to hear it! Find a manager who is 100% committed to you, and you will be one of those 50% who survive their first years, and go on to great careers.

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, accountability, action plan, Business Plan, expectations, income, manager, new agent business plan, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running Coaching Companion for Manager, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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