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How to Create a Great Opening for Effective Presentations

January 24th, 2020

Here’s how to create a great opening for effective Presentations

Do you have to get in front of 2 (or 200) and capture their attention immediately? If you’re an agent and you do buyer or seller presentations, you certainly do. And, if you’re in management, you do every time you start a sales meeting. You affiliates certainly have to quickly capture attention when you get in front of a sales meeting.

So, for all of you agents, managers, and affiliates, here are the secrets to getting their attention. This is how you launch ANY presentation any time you’re in front of people.

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Have you thought about how you start your presentations? Most of the time, we just get in front of people and say whatever we think of first. That leads to some big presentation mistakes, and costs us ‘sales’. Instead of stumbling through a presentation, why not organize it to grab their attention, persuade them to your way of thinking, and motivate them to action? You can.

In my resource, Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make Your Best Presentation Ever, I show a simple three-step format to create your persuasive presentation. No matter why you’re in front of people, we need to be

persuasive

Think about it. Real estate salespeople: When you’re doing a listing presentation, what do you want to happen? You want them to sign the listing agreement when you’re done. So, it’s extremely important that you organize your listing presentation using a persuasive format, not just an information-heavy dialogue flow.

In this blog, we’ll discuss great openings–one of the 2 most important parts of any presentation.

Grab Their Attention in the Opening

Have you thought about your opening? Or, are you nervously standing at the sellers’ door, worried about what you’re going to say? Are you hiding in your office because you dread doing that sales meeting? When we haven’t organized our presentation, we come up with some really boring, off-putting openings, like:

I won’t take much of your time, but

We have a lot to cover today (boy, that sounds exciting and motivating, doesn’t it?)

We won’t get through the outline/presentation (then, why do we have that outline?)

I know you don’t want to listen, but

I’m not really prepared (this happens in many presentations in front of 2 or 2000!)

You just open your presentation book, point to the pretty pages, and say, “here’s a keybox” (I’m not kidding. I’ve seen it….)

Great openings, yes? Yet, we’ve heard them dozens of times. You don’t have to settle for whatever comes ‘naturally’. Instead, make your openings

Provocative

Interesting

Different

Engaging

Motivating

The First Two Minutes are Critical

Recently, I attended a Train the Trainer’ session (yes, I still learn great stuff every day!), where the trainer said it was important to engage the audience in a meaningful way in the first two minutes of your presentation. I think that’s a great rule to follow today, because people’s attention spans are the length of a gnat’s eyebrow. So, the next time you attend a presentation, see how much time elapses before the speaker/presenter/trainer gets the audience into meaningful action. I don’t mean to ask a rhetorical question, either!

Want many more presentation tips for your next meeting, listing or buyer presentation, or sales presentation? Check out Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make your Best Presentation Ever.

In the next blog, we’ll talk about the other 2 parts of the presentation, and how to make them sizzle, too.

What mistakes have you seen presenters make in their openings? Let me know.

What do you do to grab their attention and interest in the first two minutes?

Let Me Help Your Trainers Refine Their Skills

I help associations and companies help their trainers become masters, try new methods, keep their audiences, awake, and become more creative. Contact me and we’ll talk about how I can help you.

Categories buyer presentation, Experienced agent, listing presentation, Marketing, New Real Estate Agents, presentation skills, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Sales Strategies
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Are You ‘Coach able’?

by Carla Cross

January 9th, 2020

How coach able are you? (Not everyone is a good coaching prospect….).

This year, I’m featuring the myriad of ways we can all get better as ‘performers’. After all, real estate is a ‘performance art’, not a knowledge pursuit, rigit?

See below for my ‘coach ability’ evaluator’ to help you find out if you’re coach able.

Being coached by a competent coach is certainly one of the ways we all get better as performers.

Here are the two big attributes I’ve identified for coaching success, from my many years being coached (first as a musician and then as a real estate professional), and as a coach.

Do You Recognize Mentors or Coaches Who Partnered in your Success?

It is amazing to me how many real estate professionals say they ‘work alone’. They say they have nothing to do with anyone in their office, and impact no one. (Really? Our actions impact no one? That must mean we’re pretty insignificant…) While real estate success is certainly due to one’s efforts, to think that we are virtual ‘islands’ of knowledge and action is not only ludicrous—it’s dangerous. Before you fall for that ‘I alone am responsible for my success’, I have a question:

Who in your life mentored you, coached you, parented you, advised you, encouraged you—and set you straight when you needed it? How many people can you name? This can be positive or negative, too. We learn as much or more from a bad experience as a good one!

If you truly can’t name anyone, you don’t believe that others can help you ‘break through your ceiling of achievement’. Could that mean YOU don’t believe you can break through…..or that you have great fear of ‘being flexible’? Or, perhaps, that you can’t influence others?

How Accountable Are You Willing to Be?

This is actually the ‘biggie’. If you’re not willing to be accountable to your own actions—and to your coach—DON”T start a coaching relationship! I know many of you think accountability is a dirty word. It’s true that some coaches (sports, music, etc.) have accentuated the down side of accountability—being punitive, negative, critical…(There are a lot of inept coaches out there.)

No wonder people don’t want to be accountable if they think they will be punished for any wrong action (or inaction). But, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a situation where you make a promise and keep it. In doing the promised action, you are guaranteed to get praise—and results.

The Natural Reticence to Answer to Anyone

I created an online training/coaching/accountability results-based program called Up and Running in Real Estate. I essentially put the principles and processes from my best-selling book Up and Running in 30 Days online. But, it’s now 8 weeks of planned actions—my business start- up plan step by step. I built in the parameters I have learned assure the greatest success:

• A coaching component
• Lots of encouragement
• Processes and systems that are ‘self-teaching’ and support the actions we want agents to take
• Accountability.

Guess what many participants do with the program? They do some of the work (they love the multiple choice tests) but don’t do the business-producing work. By their actions, they are not accountable to themselves or to their coaches. So, of course, they aren’t getting the results—and they can’t get appreciation and recognition—two big drivers to continue the motivation. How unfortunate!

My question to you: What times in your life have you been accountable to actions and to someone else—and enjoyed the experience? Are you running away from accountability because you haven’t experienced the ‘up’ side?

So, are you coach able?

Armed with the answers to the questions in this article, you can assess whether you will benefit from a coach. And, managers and coaches, you can help your potential client figure out whether she is a good candidate for coaching.

The Coach Ability Evaluator

I have been coached by the ‘best in the business, first as a musician and then as a real estate professional. I’ve learned what works. Because of my performance background, the coaching methods we use at Carla Cross Coaching are much different than most. From all these experiences, I’ve discovered who is coach able and who is not.

Click here to take my Coach Ability Evaluator.

Categories Coaching, Experienced agent, manager, mentor, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Training, Up and Running in Real Estate
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Got Your Business Plan Done? Here’s the System Plus Dozens of Tips

by Carla Cross

January 3rd, 2020

Got your business plan done? Why not get dozens of tips to polish (or start) that plan) by looking at the webinar I did a couple of weeks ago?

You’ll get guidelines to organize your whole plan, and you’ll get tips to assure that plan works for 2020!

Click here to see the video and get all the handouts, too. Happy New Year!

Categories Business Plan, database, expectations, Experienced agent, new agent business plan, New Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Technology, webinar
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Business Planning: Do You Know Where You Spent Your $$$ Last Year?

by Carla Cross

December 7th, 2019

Do you where you spent your money last year? Knowing is critical to your NOT having empty pockets next year. In my upcoming webinar, I discuss the importance of 3 critical areas you must know to succeed next year. One of these areas is your budget.

Here are the surprising results of a study on how top agents spent their marketing dollars:

As you can see, agents spent their money NOT on the best sources of business, but on other sources.

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Why? Maybe because they thought these other sources were more interesting. Maybe they wanted to try something new. Maybe they didnt know where they had spent their money before, and just kept throwing it at these less-than-stellar sources.

So, be sure YOU know where your money went last year, and how big a bang you got for your buck. Now, youre ready to plan for 2020.

Join Me for a Complimentary Business Planning Webinar!

Whether you’ve been in business 20 years or 20 minutes, you need an awesome blueprint for a great 2020. Join us for this fast-paced webinar, where Carla Cross, who literally ‘wrote the book’ on real estate business planning, will help you do just that.

In this webinar, you’ll:

Get the blueprint the most successful agents and businesses use to create a plan that works. You don’t need a ‘fill in the blanks’ color by the numbers plan–you need a businessperson’s way to think through your business so you’re ready for anything that comes your way in 2020.

Gain the critical step usually left out in business planning–the step that can literally save your money and efforts from going down those dreaded planning ‘cul-de-sacs of frustration and failure

How to predict and project your 2020 results so you know your plan is going to work for you–not someone else!

Your gold mine right in front of you—and few agents are ‘mining’ it. You’ll save thousands in marketing dollars, lower your stress, and enjoy a much better business if you create the right action plan for 2020.

You’ll get some stunning and surprising statistics that will help you create the right actions for 2020, instead of guessing at what to do next.

Managers: You’ll gain tips on helping your agents plan–and how you can be a true support for their planning efforts. Just imagine what your profits would be like if every one of your agents had a workable plan?

Questions: You’ll have a chance to ask Carla your business planning questions, too. You’ll gain handouts from her business planning programs.

Space is limited, so register now! Let’s work together to create an exceptional 2020.

$$$$$$ 2 lucky people will win Carla’s complete business planning systems, too.

When: Dec. 12 (Thursday)

Time: 10-11 am, Pacific Standard Time (west coast)

What: Business planning webinar (join with your computer)

Register here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Categories accountability, Business Plan, Coaching, customer satisfaction, lead generation, Marketing, New Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success
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Inspect that Business Plan: Three Areas to Examine

by Carla Cross

December 5th, 2019

In these posts in November and December, I’ll be featuring business planning strategies. Watch for checklists, processes, and systems--ready to use, too. I want to help you create a great business plan for next year!

This post’s ‘gift’ is my after sale survey. See the link in the body of the blog.

Before you launch right into that business plan for next year, take a look back. Why? Your history will provide clues about how to save time and money for next year.

Here are three areas of your real estate career, that, with small adjustments, can pay huge dividends.

1. Where’s your money been going? It makes sense that the money you invest in your career should be giving you pay-offs equal to your investment. Unfortunately, many agents don’t know where they spent the bulk of their money last year. Go back over the past four months.

Add up the moneys you’ve spent to generate business in each of your ‘target markets’–those identifiable groups of people that you build programs around to get business (geographical farm, first-time buyers, etc.) Where are you spending most of your money? Are you getting a good enough ‘return on your investment’? You’ll use this analysis to build your budget for next year, too.

From working with agents in my business planning course, I’ve observed that

many agents don’t build a business plan around their best source of business: ‘sold’ customers and clients.

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Marketing surveys show that it costs six to nine times as much to get a new customer as to keep an old one. So, if you spend more money on your best source, and less on your other sources, you’ll optimize your investment.

2. What are your ‘success’ ratios? Most agents don’t know this one:

What are your ratios of listings taken to listings sold?

How many of your sellers are you making happy?

How many of those sellers are so delighted with your service that they will refer more people to you? In my opinion, a good agent should target a 80-90% success ratio in this area.

Why? We all know we need to promote ourselves. The most successful, believable promotions are based on our success records–what we’ve done, not promises. If you have a sign on your desk that says “If you don’t list, you don’t last”–tear it up. Instead, put up a sign that reads, “If your listings don’t sell, you don’t last. Small adjustments, big dividends. (Plus you’ll save lots of marketing dollars.)

3. How ‘delighted’ are your customers? Most so-called ‘business plans’ in real estate merely are goal-setting grids. Focusing only on the ends suggests that the ends justify the means. However, the consumer sure doesn’t think so! These goal setting grids alone lead agents to miss the point of the decade: Top-flight customer service begets more business. That is, not just what you do, but how you do it.

What level of customer service are you providing? Is it just good enough to get through the transaction? Or, is it so great that your customers and clients are thoroughly delighted? (Delighted consumers refer business to you–less cost and more effort equals big pay-offs, right?) What can you build into your business plan to assure that you’re regularly delighting those you work with?

One of the agents in featured in many of my books, Rick Franz, now provides surveys weekly during the time he works with buyers and sellers. He wants clients to know he cares how they feel about the service, and that he’s dedicated to providing the best service they’ve ever had. Pretty competitive, yes?

Click here to get my after sale survey, one of the dozens of strategies ready to use in my business planning system.

Although there are dozens of areas to scope in your plan, just taking one hour out of your day now to assess these three areas–and plan adjustments–will assure you make more money this year–and create a better, more pleasant long-term career.

Prepare for the 2020 Changes

You need a great, flexible business plan for these quickly-changing times. I’ve got it online for you. Check out Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Everything you need to create a plan that ‘rolls with the punches’–and saves you time and money.

Categories Business Plan, Coaching, New Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, time management, Training, webinar
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Is 2020 the Year You’re Going to Get a Plan? (Or a better one….)

by Carla Cross

November 26th, 2019

Is 2020 the year you’re going to get a plan? It’s estimated only 10% of real estate agents have a business plan. Yet, almost all would admit that businesses operate much better with a plan. And, we’re in business for ourselves, right?

During November and December, I’m going to give you tips on business planning, plus, some business planning tempaltes from my business planning program (see below).

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Why Not Make 2020 the Year You Make a Great Plan…..

Whether you’ve never had a plan, or your plan sat on the shelf, all alone and orphaned through all of last year, why not decide to make 2020 the year you step up to a professional plan–a plan you use each day, week, month, and the whole year to

stay focused
stay on track
avoid wasting time
spend money wisely

Wouldn’t that make your professional life (and personal life) easier?

Help in Grabbing a Practical Plan–or Polishing your Planning Process

Each November and December, I feature business planning in my blogs (see Management in a Minute for planning tips for leadership). I want to give you information, and, most of all, motivate and inspire you to create a plan to serve as a practical road map to success in 2020.

Free Planning Documents for You, Too

In some of these blogs, I’ll be providing you planning tools, so you can have a proven process to follow. These are excerpted from my online ‘how to make a business plan’ programs, Beyond the Basics of Business Planning.

How to Get Ready to Plan

Right now, start thinking about what went right in your business this year, and what you want to change. See my previous blog, too, on what to analyze about your last year’s business. I’ll be offering you specific suggestions in my complimentary business planning webinar, coming up soon.

I want 2020 to be a year of growth and opportunity for you–a fulfilling year both professionally and personally.

Check Out the Easy Way to Plan Here

All these analysis tools for making your plan exceptional are all in one place–my online business planning program, Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Take a look here. There’s a program for agents and a program for leadership. The leaderhship program includes the agents’ program, so you can share that with your whole office.

Also, check back to join my free busines planning webinar coming up in December (more later….).

Categories Business Plan, Experienced agent, goals, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, webinar
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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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