Archive for Up and Running in 30 Days

Real Estate Sales: Romance or Reality?

February 24th, 2021

Do you think new agents have a ‘romantic’ or a realistic view of the business? Give me some advice.

Do you think would-be and new agents have a romantic or realistic picture of real estate sales?

The ‘romantic’ view: I’ve got my license, my business cards, I’m with a wonderful company. People will find me, be really nice to me, never offer objections, never lie to me, and do whatever I tell them. I will make lots of easy money fast, working no more than 30 hours in a hard week.

The ‘reality’: I don’t expect people to find me. I have to go out and find lots of people. I have to use my ingenuity, grit, tenacity, and never give up. I have to be able to say ‘I don’t know but I’ll find out’ a dozen times a day. I have to be able to tolerate clients not showing up, not telling the truth (come on, don’t be tough on me, it’s true….), not buying when they should, and listing with someone else.

How do we present reality? You can help. I’m editing the 6th edition of Up and Running in 30 Days, the internationally-published business-planning/action book for new agents. I’m also finishing a new book for would-be agents, Launching Right in Real Estate: What They Won’t Teach You in Pre-License School.

Tell me what you think. I’ve made 2 surveys, one for agents and one for managers. They each will take you just a few minutes, and you’ll be helping our industry prepare people for the reality of the business, not just the romance.

Here’s the link to the survey for agents.

Here’s the link to the survey for leadership.

Please return the survey to me by Feb. 27. If you’re quoted in either book, you’ll receive a copy, of course, and acknowledgment in the book.

Categories action plan, expectations, goals, income, Launching Right in Real Estate, lead generation, new agent business plan, new agents make money, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days
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Give Advice to Would-be Agents

by Carla Cross

February 19th, 2021

What do you wish you’d known before entering real estate?

Give me your expert advice!

What are new agents doing that causes them to succeed–or fail?

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What should be in a start-up program that will help more new agents do well–and do it fast? What’s missing in the training and coaching programs you experienced?

I’m editing Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan, for the 6th edition, due to be out in mid-2021. In it, I show the what, how, why, and how much of real estate activities needed to do well quickly. Up and Running is very specific, and is easy to use to coach new agents to productivity fast. It has the specific prioritized weekly schedule and activities that future-exceptional agents do to assure a sale fast.

Many updates: The 6th edition has lots of updates, including a new section on promoting yourself through social media, new tech new agents need, and alternative methods of lead generation.

In the next blog, I’ll share more of what I’m putting into this wildly-successful program and get your input, too.

I want to make this an honest, straightforward guide. Please help. Download the questionnaire to your computer, complete the questionnaire, save it, and email it to me at carla@carlacross.com. Here is the questionnaire. You will be assisting thousands of new agents as they begin their careers, and, I think you’ll find that being published will help your ‘street cred’ with your clients.

If I’m able to use your comments in my book, you will receive a complimentary copy of Up and Running, acknowledgment of your comments, AND lots of PR–to help you in your recruiting as an expert in helping new agents.

P. S. Please get your comments to me by Feb. 24, so I can meet the publisher’s deadline for submitting the edited book. Thank you!

Categories new agent business plan, new agents make money, New Real Estate Agents, onboarding, orientation, pre-license, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days
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What Do You Manage? Surprise…

by Carla Cross

February 9th, 2021

You’re in business for yourself. What do you need to manage?

What do you manage?

You’re in business for yourself. Great. You are in charge of managing how you do your business. But, there’s more. You are also in charge of managing your attitude.

Who Should Motivate You?

According to a recent survey of real estate salespeople, one of the most important services agents want from their manager is to provide positive motivation.

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Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Part of it is. However, it is difficult for managers to find out what motivates each individual (everyone has different motivators). And it is more difficult to design a motivational program to fit each agent’s needs—time in the business, motivators, outside influences, and so on. Moreover, it’s difficult for a manager to manage the constant flux of attitudes to catch agents when they are falling into depression and to pump them up. Agents’ attitudes change hundreds of times a day. When agents get down, they usually talk to themselves—negatively.

Three Steps to Manage your Attitude for Success

Recognize your attitude about the business will change as you do the activities in the business.
Acknowledge each time you draw a conclusion about your activities.
Develop a process for drawing a positive, motivating conclusion.

Make an attitude notebook (either hard copy or online). To evaluate and manage your attitude, try this simple, effective method. Divide each notebook page into the following six columns:

Self-talk
Conclusions of your self-talk
Positive attitude
Negative attitude
Revised conclusion or revised attitude
Belief

As you go about your business day, keep your attitude notebook handy. Write down each time you talk to yourself—positively and negatively. Let’s say you just held an open house. As you are leaving, you say to yourself, “What’s wrong with me? I thought I was a good communicator, but these people coming into my open house won’t tell me anything.” Write down the conclusion you drew: “Maybe I’m not cut out for this business.” Note these thoughts in the proper column—positive or negative. Obviously, the above comment and conclusion would go in the negative column.

Drawing a Positive, Motivating Conclusion

Studies show that most self-talk is negative, which naturally leads to a negative conclusion. People will talk to themselves about this conclusion 10 to 20 times and convince themselves that this conclusion is true.

Stop and note: How many times to YOU beat yourself up when you make a mistake or the outcomes aren’t as good as you wanted?

Thus, when agents conclude that they cannot be successful in open houses, that idea plays again and again in their minds until they change their positive attitude about their success in the business and form a new belief about their ability to communicate.

Challenge: How Many Times Can You Repeat a Positive Reinforcement?

You can stop this insidious—although natural—process by replacing it with a new process. To do this, you must replace your natural inclination of negative self-talk, repeated again and again, with some positive self-talk, repeated again and again. Replacing negative reinforcement with positive will change your career for the better!

So, tell me. How has this been working for you? Are you changing your negative self-talk for the better?

See Up and Running in 30 Days (business start-up plan book) and Up and Running in Real Estate (business start-up planning training online) for more help in managing your attitude to success.

Recognize ®

Acknowledge ®

Develop New Conclusions

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, accountability, attitude, Business Plan, Coaching, expectations, inspiration, manager, Motivation, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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Making It Big: The Three Skills You Need

by Carla Cross

September 11th, 2020

Going into real estate because you love houses? You want to be independent? You can name your own hours? Probably the three worst reasons to become a real state salesperson!

Making it big: The three skills you need.

Perhaps you went into real estate because you wanted to be independent. You wanted to be your own boss–name your own hours–work at your own speed. You had heard real estate agents make lots of money. Maybe you thought this was a business were you just looked at pretty houses. Not so fast! Even though real estate is considered to be a career where ‘you’re in business for yourself”, taking that thought too far can result in failure.

Whether you’re new or in business for decades, read on. You may be deluding yourself about your path to success.

Selling Real Estate: Skills Needed

There are many skills required in this business that people new to it just don’t have. Too often, agents believe all they have to do is to start in this business and go to training. They will be successful. Then, when they start failing, they can’t figure out why. In this blog I’ll name 3 qualities and skills you need to develop fast. My question to you is: How are you going to develop or refine them?

Skill # 1: Time management

Most people go into real estate from a field that required them to show up on time, do specific work, and work for at least eight hours. If they didn’t fulfill the minimum requirements of the job, they were fired. Understandably, many people don’t like to work under those strictures. So, they go into real estate where they can name their own hours, work at their own speed, etc. etc. The problem is they don’t understand that working at their own speed many be working at a failure speed.

My question: How are you developing your time management skills? Did you bring them from your former business? (Most agents don’t). If you don’t have dynamic time management skills, how will you develop them?

Skill # 2; Being accountable to a plan

When I was regional director for a very large international franchise company, I screened people for leadership positions. I was stunned to find most potential owners and managers had never had anyone hold them accountable. In fact, there was a negative feeling about being held accountable. When you have a ‘boss’, you are accountable to that work plan and to your boss. In real estate, we’re so careful not to step over the boundaries of the independent contractor concept, we rarely hold anyone accountable to anything. The result: Most people never know what the job really is, and whether they are on track to attain their goals.

My question to you is: Who is helping you be accountable for your own success? Who is your coach? (And don’t tell me it is YOU…..) If you don’t have someone coaching you, how do you know you’re on the right track?

Skill #3: Implement a plan of action.

It is just amazing to me the kablooey plans of action out there. Most of the time, in fact, an agent isn’t provided a plan of action. He/she is just told suggestions or 50 ways to do something. The result: The agent has no idea how to prioritize activities and proceed. He has no idea whether what he is doing every day actually is leading him toward a goal. That’s like my musician friend who says every piece of music is the same: It all uses the same 88 keys–just in different arrangements. But, if you were to try to play a piece of music without knowing the sequencing of the melody, you couldn’t play it. It’s the same as picking out the best methods from those ” 50 ways to do something”.

My question to you is: Do you have a proven, prioritized plan of action and are you executing it? How do you know it is a plan that will get you exceptional results? (all plans aren’t the same!)

I’ve given you 3 skills agents need to succeed. What do you think? Is real estate an ‘independent’ or dependent business? I believe it needs to be a ‘dependent’ business at the beginning. That is, I coach the new agent as he/she starts his/her business. I am the leader. The new agent is the follower (or the struggling agent). There is the dependence. Once the agent ‘has it’, I step back, and become more of a consultant. Have you been a successful follower, so you can learn the business right? If not, why not? If you went to a piano teacher to learn to play the piano, you wouldn’t start your first lesson by telling the teacher how to play!

If you haven’t read the great book, Outliers, get it and read it now. One of the great lessons in the book is that no one succeeds alone.

Give me your feedback on the ‘independent’ or ‘dependent’ concept. What do you think?

Do you have a training plan that includes a proven plan of action? Why not get started (or re-started) right with my online program, Up and Running in Real Estate. Coaching is included!

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, Coaching, expectations, FREE real estate coaching, lead generation, new agent business plan, new agent online training, New Real Estate Agents, online training, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, time management, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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Giving Up is NOT an Option for You!

by Carla Cross

September 2nd, 2020

Boy, have things ever changed! Real estate sales is not for the faint of heart. You’re in it: Keep going!

Giving Up is NOT your option–I hope!

Did you think, when you went into real estate, that you’d sell a house the first month? Well, according to my survey in my eBook, What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School, the majority of real estate agents thought just that! However, you’ve found that’s probably not the case. So, what will you do now? Give up, or persevere?

If Giving Up is Not Your Option….

What if there’s a magic measurement of success? Would you be willing to meet that measurement? You know that the Beatles attained pop music mastery. You know Bill Gates did the same with technology. But, did you know what they have in common-and that you may have, too?

The Simple Answer

Before I tell you that, let me share something that happens to me often. I’m a pianist-and have been a musician since I was four years old. In my speaking, I often tickle the ivories-just a little, of course…..Invariably, someone comes up to me and says, “I’ve always wanted to play the piano.” I tell them, they certainly can. How? here’s the simple answer:

Practice one half hour a day for one year. You’ll be able to play well enough to play pop tunes at parties, lead those sing-alongs, and wow your friends.

You’ve heard the old chestnut, Practice Makes Perfect. I certainly know that as a musician. But, how well do we apply that principle to our business lives? Is this something that is a key to our attaining our goals? I think so. Read on.

The Commonality between the Beatles and Bill Gates

In his fascinating book, Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell studies performers–from Mozart and the Beatles to Bill Gates. The commonality he found was that high achievers spent an average of

Ten thousand hours practicing and honing their craft to get to mastery

In other words, it isn’t just talent, it isn’t just circumstance (although Gladwell points out being at the right place at the right time is important, too)–it is just slogging it out, practicing your craft, logging in ten thousand hours.

The Beatles: Having to Work Seven Days for Eight Hours a Night Was the Best Thing that Could Happen to Them

When I read that the Beatles played in Hamburg 8 hours a night, 7 days a week-for 2 years, I instantly felt tired! I know what it’s like to play piano bar for hours! But, the Beatles said that experience was key in making them the performers they became. In an interview, John Lennon said, “We got better and got more confidence. We couldn’t help it with all the experience playing all night long…..we really had to find a new way of playing.”

Bill Gates: Practically Living at the Computer Lab

Gates describes his early years: “It was my obsession….I skipped athletics. I went up there at night. We were programming on weekends.”

Isn’t There a Shortcut?

For those of you who have never attained high performance, you don’t–and can’t realize the importance of practice. You may think that it’s just a matter of talent or luck. But, haven’t you known extremely talented people who just extinguished themselves like a flaming rocket? Haven’t you known people with all the advantages who just didn’t attain what you thought they could-or should? Of course.

Are You Willing to Put in those Ten Thousand Hours to Excel?

From the many examples in Outliers, and from my own experiences as a pianist (I have a degree in piano performance and a master’s degree in music theory), I know that practicing your craft provides the only true competence and confidence.

You don’t gain mastery by talking about it. You don’t gain mastery by someone trying to motivate you. It’s practice.

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So, get out there, and practice and perform. Rack up those ten thousand hours, and you will achieve your goals. If the Beatles and Bill Gates didn’t take shortcuts, we shouldn’t try it that way, either. Isn’t devoting enough time to your goals important enough to you to feel the joy of attainment-of mastery?

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

Personal note to you: Be sure you’re practicing the right things the right way. You can put in 8-10 hours a day and get nowhere if you’re practicing the wrong way. To be sure you’re practicing right, use the right start-up plan. My online training/coaching program, Up and Running in Real Estate, will work for you!

What Your Manager Should Expect from You

by Carla Cross

August 20th, 2020

What should your real estate manager expect from you?

When you interviewed, I’m sure you had a list of what you wanted in a real estate manager. And, I bet you asked your manager what that manager and company were going to do for you. You were probably asked how much money you wanted to make, and had a discussion about that.

At the same time: Did you find out what the expectations were from you to the company? I’ll bet not. So, in these next two blogs, I’ll tell you what I think the agent should do for the company. Why? To get the best from your manager, you must give your best. It starts with expectation sharing, and sets the stage for a successful agent-manager relationship.

Bottom line: Matching expectations mean you’ll make more money because you’ll have the support you need to succeed at the level you desire.

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Good Managers: Always Working on Getting Better

Managers study how to attract and keep agents. They learn how to do recruiting presentations that they hope are mesmerizing to their candidates–so mesmerizing that they’ll say yes when offered a position in the company. They don’t rest on their laurels; they hone their skills so they’re better managers, trainers, and coaches. In other words, good managers are always working on how to be better resources, coaches, and trainers for their agents.

Here’s my job description of a real estate manager.

How does it compare to what you observe your manager doing? In my opinion, this is what the best real estate manager does to nurture the development of his team and make a profit.

What’s the Company Getting from You?

My eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Taylor, was truly memorable (in all ways….). She had wonderful sayings that she would drop on us at opportune times. These either kept us attentive or scared the you-know-what out of us! They included, “Time passes. Will you?” and “To each his own, as she kissed the cow.” (Well, some were better than others).

The saying I’m remembering now, though, was, “Turnabout’s fair play”. In other words, if you mess with Mrs. Taylor, you will get the appropriate treatment! And, if you cooperate and get your work done, you’ll get appropriate treatment, too. So, let’s apply that idea to the relationship and expectations of agents and managers.

Did You Exchange Mutual Expectations in the Interview?

The real estate industry is the only industry I know that hires with a “trust me” from both the manager and the agent. No mutual expectations here, just promises! It may have worked in the past, but it won’t work in the future. A pivoting market means we’ll have to do things differently. Managers should have a list of what the manager and company will do for the agent–and what is expected from an agent. This is the Mutual Expectations agreement. As a new agent, you should have gone over that agreement in the interview. (There is an example mutual expectations agreement in Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan).

Consequences of the Mutual Expectations Agreement

Managers are constantly concerned about retention. Providing a mutual expectations dialogue and agreement is one of the best retention tools in the world–hiring agents who promise to go to work! Experienced agents love the fact that the manager is not hiring deadwood to just get in their way and pull down the reputation of the company.

What’s In It for the New Agent?

For my eBook What They Don’t Teach You in Pre-License School, I surveyed hundreds of agents in the business less than three months. I asked them, “What number of transactions do you have to complete in your first year to avoid being terminated?” 71% did not know! Now, would you take any job where you didn’t know the expectations? Yet, most managers avoid telling those expectations–if they have them. And, agents avoid asking because they don’t want to know.

However, if you don’t know what’s expected of you, how will you know if you’re achieving? How will you know if the start-up plan your manager is using with you (your manager is using a start-up plan, I hope….) will get you to your goals?

Lack of Expectations Is a Bad Thing…

If your manager didn’t discuss expectations with you, what does that mean? Probably that anything you do will be okay. That is, you can fail. You can fail to achieve your goals. You can avoid doing the work that needs to be done–and there are no consequences. You know that’s not a good thing. So, if you don’t know those expectations, go to your manager right now and get them. That’s a good thing!

Are you getting the guidance, support, and start-up plan you need to succeed? It takes much more than training and advice to be successful in real estate. Check out the program that’s proven to get results, because it’s a real business plan, supported with training: ***Up and Running in Real Estate.***

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, action plan, Business Plan, creative training methods, expectations, new agent business plan, new agent online training, New Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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Why Most New Agent Training Programs Don’t Get Results

by Carla Cross

July 22nd, 2020

New agents eagerly enter real estate training programs to succeed. Most of them don’t make it. What’s wrong? Here’s a defect in the new agent training programs–whether classroom or online.

Here’s why most new real estate agent training programs don’t get results for those anxious, enthusiastic, new real estate agents.

You’re a new real estate agent. I remember those days as though they were yesterday! Are you as excited to begin your career as I was? I’ll bet you are. So, how do you begin? Where do you get the direction, new agent training, and the support you need? I remember sitting at my desk, watching the agents, and trying to figure out what other agents were doing. Through my observations, I quickly found two things:

1. Most of the agents sitting in the office weren’t selling anything

2. Most of the activities those same agents were doing were not productive activities. (That’s why they weren’t making money). What were those activities? Looking at pretty houses, and attending brokers’ open that had food. Oh, and they were busy ‘getting ready to get ready’ (filing, which today would be playing with tech….).

Where were the successful agents? I soon discovered they usually weren’t in the office! They were out showing properties or listing homes.

What to Do?

By observing these two groups of agents, I decided I didn’t want to be in ‘stay in the office’ group one, because they weren’t selling real estate. I wanted to be in group two. However, I couldn’t figure out how to allocate time to activities, which activities to start with, and how to organize my day to create a successful career.

It’s Confusing

The most confusing thing about starting in the real estate business is that new agents get advice from every direction:

The tech to use
The tech and ‘gizmos’ you must buy
The ‘style’ of sales you must adhere to
The activities to do—and not to do

Unfortunately, most of this advice is probably not in your best interest. It comes from the personal experiences of ‘seasoned’ agents and their natural biases.

Most Real Estate Training Is Not Focused on Real Estate Productivity

You may think that any real estate training program is going to assure your success. All you have to do is learn everything in the program, and you’ll make money. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Why?

The failure of most new agent training programs is due to the fact that they are not organized on a proven new agent start-up business plan.

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There’s no plan for you to follow. There’s no prioritization of activities, no building on the plan, and no method to measure your lead generating, client engagement, and sales results.

Learning ‘Lots of Stuff’ Is Not the Answer

You will learn lots of neat stuff—facts and figures you may find fascinating. However, much of the information you’ll gain will not assure a successful career (look at all those ‘know-it-all’ agents who don’t sell a stick of real estate!). When you graduate from the program, you still don’t know what to do each day, the order in which to do it, why you should do it, and how to measure the results of what you do.

Agents Constantly Looking for the Magic Bullet

Because very few agents have the luxury of starting their business with a proven start-up business plan—designed for new agents—agents have no time management skills. They can’t organize their business and measure results. Instead, they’re always looking for

–what to say to make clients do what they want

–the one tech tool that will do the business for them

–the lead generating funnel (agents pay for those leads) that will assure them gold-plated leads, ready to buy

–the ‘system’ sold by seminar gurus for thousands of dollars, that guarantees them multi-million dollar incomes

What to Look for in a Training or Coaching Program

The magic ingredient is this:

The best new agent real estate training program is built around a business start-up plan.

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What do I mean? Week by week, the program introduces a lead generating source—prioritized just for new agents—gives you the numbers you need to work in that source, and helps you measure results. Now you know, as you proceed through the program, what works for you and how much of that work you need to do to succeed. In addition, the training program shows you how to do each activity. It helps you organize each of your presentations and systems so you have a professional system to follow.

The objective of that special training program is fast productivity, not just knowledge.

Look for the words “foundationed in a business plan for you.”

The training program you choose should not just offer you information. It should consist of a business plan, with specific action items you accomplish each week. Also, it should:

1. Consist of the 4-5 best lead generating activities,prioritized, which you accomplish implmenting during the program

2. Have the training scripts and processes to execute your lead generation and client interactions successfully

3. Always keep you on your business planning track, and help you see that plan clearly with focus on your business

4. Have a method so you can measure your successes, revise your plan, and build a foundation for long-term success.

How did the real estate training you took as a new agent stack up to the four criteria above? Do you need a training program now to get your business on track or back on track?

By the way, online and in classroom training should have the same organization.

Here’s the only training program for new real estate agents foundationed in a proven business start-up plan. This online training program is created for those serious new agents who are determined to get a fast start to success. See it at ***Up and Running in Real Estate.***

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, action plan, Business Plan, classroom to online training, lead generation, listing presentation, new agent business plan, new agent online training, New Real Estate Agents, online training, presentation skills, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Success, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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What Do You Wish You’d Been Told in your First Year in Real Estate Sales?

by Carla Cross

July 14th, 2020

How would you answer this question as a new real estate agent? If only I had known…..

What do you wish you’d been told in your first year in real estate sales? What income did you expect your first year in the business? How would that advice or strategy affected or changed your success?

Why am I asking? I’m the author of the best-selling start-up plan/book for new real estate agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. It’s now in its 5th printing. Through the years, I’ve been updating regularly, so it stays relevant. I want to know, from you, what would have made a positive difference in your career.

Advice Not Taken….

What advice were you given–that you didn’t take–and wish you had? From interviewing thousands of would-be agents,

I know many reject the truism that we must go out and proactively find business. They are looking for ‘a better way’. (They don’t really want to talk to people…..). Too many times, they are left on their own to grasp, believe, and ‘work’ a business plan they create–on their own–that guarantees failure.

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If you had to do it over again, what would you have done differently to get you better results?

Pivot Quickly Enough?

With the advent of the pandemic, our industry has had to pivot quickly. How have you pivoted? How do you need to pivot now? See my advice in my recent webinar, Throw Out Your Business Plan.

Helping Others Succeed

From my surveys of agents under three months in the business, and my many interviews, I know that new agents have much higher income expectations than the reality of the National Association of Realtors’ members’ survey shows. In fact the income for a Realtor under two years in the business was less than $10,000 in 54% of the respondents. (The latest report didn’t break it down further). What were your goals? What was your reality?

Please give me your experience and expertise as I update both my Up and Running in 30 Days program and my online version, Up and Running in Real Estate.

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, action plan, Business Plan, classroom to online training, creative training methods, expectations, free webinar, new agent business plan, new agent online training, New Real Estate Agents, online training, Pivot business plan, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days, What They Don't Teach You in PreLicense School
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The Five Big Reasons New Agents Fail

by Carla Cross

July 8th, 2020

new agents don’t know how to start the business! (Who would?) So, they fill the time with what comes easily.

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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, new agents 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.

What Comes Easily to the New Agent?

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!

Question: When you started your career, in what month did you start lead generating in earnest?

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

Question: How much time did/do you spend in wasting time?

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’)

Question: Were you waiting for someone to provide you leads or did you reject lead generating methods 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, attitude, Buyers, Coaching, expectations, goals, income, Internet leads, lead generation, new agent business plan, new agent online training, New Real Estate Agents, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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One Huge Change You Need to Make to your Business Plan Right Now

by Carla Cross

April 15th, 2020

Your client wonders what happened to you……are you waiting for the market to bounce back, or are you driving your own career now?

There’s one huge change you need to make to your business plan right now.

In sales courses, we teach that you are to go find a potential client, and take them through the steps to buy or sell a home. But, right now, that’s probably not going to happen. So, what are you going to do? Change our business plan for awhile.

Generally, agents are reacting to the market change in two ways:

Sit and waiting until the market fires up again or

2. Create a plan to drive their success (instead of the market driving success)

Whic type are you?

If you’ve read my book, Up and Running in 30 Days, or have taken my online training course, Up and Running in Real Estate, you know there are two types of lead generation: Proactive and reactive.

a. proactive (you go out and find the lead)

b. reactive (You wait for the lead)

Agents who steadily increase their income rely heavily on proactive lead generation. Agents who create a minimum business rely on reactive lead generation.

The Change You Need to Make Now in your Business Plan

We don’t want to wait until the market sweeps us along. Instead, we need to keep communicating–but communicate differently. Right now, we need to be in a “pre-lead” state of mind. Our communications to our database, our target markets, and our clients need to be different from our regular modes of contact.

Pivoting to a Pre-Lead Generation Plan

What is a Pivot Business Plan? It’s a short-term plan that has the right kinds of communication to the right target markets at the right time. I’ll be sharing my 60-Day Pivot Business Plan in an upcoming webinar, announced next week.

Get ready.

Right now, look at the communications you’re creating with your client base. Are they appropriate for the climate now? Do they ‘ring true’ with who you are? Are they speaking to that target base in a way that is meaningful to the base?

In the next few blogs, I’ll be leading you through a process to create those messages, so you have unassailable confidence in your communications, and are building your business with purpose during this time.

Watch for my webinar, being announced next week, on building that 60-Day Pivot Business Plan so you’re controlling your income, not the market

Agents who steadily increase their income rely heavily on proactive lead generation. Agents who create a minimum business rely on reactive lead generation.

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This is a perfect time for you to launch or re-launch your career with purpose. Up and Running in Real Estate, my online coaching program for agents under 2 years in the business (or want a re-start), will position you for more success than you imagined as the market breaks open again. Why wait and put yourself back 3-6 months? Take advantage now.

Click here to see a sneak preview. It’s fun, it’s fast, and I’ll be your coach–a FREE add-on for this climate!

Categories 5th Edition Up and Running in 30 Days, action plan, Business Plan, Coaching, CRM, database, expectations, FREE real estate coaching, new agent business plan, online training, Real estate as a career, Real Estate Sales, Real Estate Success, Training, Up and Running in 30 Days, Up and Running in Real Estate
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Do you have a training plan that includes a proven plan of action? Why not get started (or re-started) right with my online program, Up and Running in Real Estate. Coaching is included!

Those 5 Big Reasons

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

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