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http://freep.topworkplaces.com/company_survey/real-estate-one-fami_detroit/freep_11
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Don't sell yourself short on real estate commission
Don't sell yourself short on real estate commission
Offer premium services as an alternative to discounting
By Bernice Ross
Inman News™
You have a client who will be buying a house from you and will also list his house with you once he closes on the new property. Your client is from another part of the world where price is always negotiated. He asks you to cut your commission on his listing -- what do you do?
When I wrote "Waging War on Real Estate's Discounters," I outlined numerous strategies as well as 83 scripts for overcoming the commission objection on listing appointments. Commissions haven't been as much of an issue as they were five years ago in the strong sellers' market.
Nevertheless, a number of agents are now reporting that an increasing number of sellers are pushing them once again to cut their commissions.
As a rule of thumb, when someone asks you to lower your commission on a listing appointment, it means that you haven't demonstrated your value or that they are part of the 15 percent of all sellers who care only about price.
(Five percent of sellers want premium service and the remaining 80 percent normally can be persuaded to list at a full commission when shown how it benefits them to do so.)
The root of the problem is that most consumers view real estate agents as a commodity. In other words, if all tomatoes are alike, why not buy the cheapest?
An excellent way to distinguish your services from competitors is to create a Premium Marketing Plan that outlines what all agents do, what your firm does, and what you do specifically to help the seller obtain the highest possible price for their property in the shortest amount of time.
The strategy is to take the initiative and to outline the premium services that you will provide prior to discussing the price. When the sellers ask you to lower your commission, you can respond by saying:
"This is my 'Premium Marketing Plan,' which will provide maximum exposure to the marketplace that results in the highest possible price for you in the shortest amount of time. If you would like to lower the commission, I'll be happy to refer you to an agent who provides limited service."
Notice that I didn't use the word "discount" because "discounts" are perceived as a positive. Everyone likes receiving a discount but virtually no one wants "limited service."
But what about the client who is doing more than one transaction with you -- is it reasonable to perhaps give him a break, especially since negotiating the price is a core part of his culture? This was the question that was posed by one of our private coaching clients. Byron Van Arsdale came up with a unique approach to address the problem.
Rather than relying on a script such as, "If I can't even negotiate a full commission for myself, how effective do you think I will be in helping you negotiate the highest possible price for your property?" he took an entirely different approach.
1. Play the client's game
If you're dealing with someone who wants to negotiate your commission and this is part of their culture, then beat them to the punch by negotiating with them about what they will do to make sure their property sells.
As the listing agent you control the marketing of the property. The seller controls the price, the access, the condition, and the accessibility for showings. Each of these is a point to be negotiated. Before you ever consider lowering your commission, the seller must meet your requirements.
Those requirements include:
• the property is listed where it will sell and where it will appraise based upon closed comparable sales;
• the seller must stage the property so it shows to its best advantage;
• all the repairs you ask the seller to make are addressed prior to listing the property; and
• the property is easy to show.
If the seller fails to meet any of these criteria, then there's no point in discussing your commission -- you don't want the listing, especially when you're not going to receive a full commission.
2. What are your standards?
How do you feel when someone doesn't see your value? Usually it's pretty disheartening. In the case described above, the agent wasn't feeling that the seller valued her or the work that she does.
If she feels this way before she lists the property, there is a high probability that this feeling will only grow as she works with this person. Furthermore, he had already made several representations to her that weren't correct.
Her sense of discomfort was actually much more than the issue about the commission -- it was a sense that she couldn't trust this person.
Ultimately, only you can decide the right course of action in any commission situation. Before you cave on your commission, however, make sure that you have offered a unique Premium Marketing Plan; that you have obtained commitments from the sellers about what they will do in terms of price, accessibility, and making necessary repairs; and that the integrity of these sellers is in alignment with your integrity.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Offer premium services as an alternative to discounting
By Bernice Ross
Inman News™
You have a client who will be buying a house from you and will also list his house with you once he closes on the new property. Your client is from another part of the world where price is always negotiated. He asks you to cut your commission on his listing -- what do you do?
When I wrote "Waging War on Real Estate's Discounters," I outlined numerous strategies as well as 83 scripts for overcoming the commission objection on listing appointments. Commissions haven't been as much of an issue as they were five years ago in the strong sellers' market.
Nevertheless, a number of agents are now reporting that an increasing number of sellers are pushing them once again to cut their commissions.
As a rule of thumb, when someone asks you to lower your commission on a listing appointment, it means that you haven't demonstrated your value or that they are part of the 15 percent of all sellers who care only about price.
(Five percent of sellers want premium service and the remaining 80 percent normally can be persuaded to list at a full commission when shown how it benefits them to do so.)
The root of the problem is that most consumers view real estate agents as a commodity. In other words, if all tomatoes are alike, why not buy the cheapest?
An excellent way to distinguish your services from competitors is to create a Premium Marketing Plan that outlines what all agents do, what your firm does, and what you do specifically to help the seller obtain the highest possible price for their property in the shortest amount of time.
The strategy is to take the initiative and to outline the premium services that you will provide prior to discussing the price. When the sellers ask you to lower your commission, you can respond by saying:
"This is my 'Premium Marketing Plan,' which will provide maximum exposure to the marketplace that results in the highest possible price for you in the shortest amount of time. If you would like to lower the commission, I'll be happy to refer you to an agent who provides limited service."
Notice that I didn't use the word "discount" because "discounts" are perceived as a positive. Everyone likes receiving a discount but virtually no one wants "limited service."
But what about the client who is doing more than one transaction with you -- is it reasonable to perhaps give him a break, especially since negotiating the price is a core part of his culture? This was the question that was posed by one of our private coaching clients. Byron Van Arsdale came up with a unique approach to address the problem.
Rather than relying on a script such as, "If I can't even negotiate a full commission for myself, how effective do you think I will be in helping you negotiate the highest possible price for your property?" he took an entirely different approach.
1. Play the client's game
If you're dealing with someone who wants to negotiate your commission and this is part of their culture, then beat them to the punch by negotiating with them about what they will do to make sure their property sells.
As the listing agent you control the marketing of the property. The seller controls the price, the access, the condition, and the accessibility for showings. Each of these is a point to be negotiated. Before you ever consider lowering your commission, the seller must meet your requirements.
Those requirements include:
• the property is listed where it will sell and where it will appraise based upon closed comparable sales;
• the seller must stage the property so it shows to its best advantage;
• all the repairs you ask the seller to make are addressed prior to listing the property; and
• the property is easy to show.
If the seller fails to meet any of these criteria, then there's no point in discussing your commission -- you don't want the listing, especially when you're not going to receive a full commission.
2. What are your standards?
How do you feel when someone doesn't see your value? Usually it's pretty disheartening. In the case described above, the agent wasn't feeling that the seller valued her or the work that she does.
If she feels this way before she lists the property, there is a high probability that this feeling will only grow as she works with this person. Furthermore, he had already made several representations to her that weren't correct.
Her sense of discomfort was actually much more than the issue about the commission -- it was a sense that she couldn't trust this person.
Ultimately, only you can decide the right course of action in any commission situation. Before you cave on your commission, however, make sure that you have offered a unique Premium Marketing Plan; that you have obtained commitments from the sellers about what they will do in terms of price, accessibility, and making necessary repairs; and that the integrity of these sellers is in alignment with your integrity.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Content Marketing: The Link to Being a Good Neighbor
Content Marketing: The Link to Being a Good Neighbor
Posted By susanne On October 30, 2011 @ 1:05 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training,Real Estate Trends
(eM+C)—I saw something online recently that said “content is marketing.” I found that interesting because I’ve never quite seen it put that way. The message is simplistic, but I think it really resonates. Why? Because in today’s business environment, whether B2C or B2B, local or global, it’s all about how you’re perceived as a company.
Put a lot of traditional “look at us, we’re a great company” content in front of consumers and you’ve done a poor job of marketing. Give them things like case studies, reports, free information, best practice videos and so on and you’re doing a good job of marketing. What else would be appropriate? Asking their opinion, getting them to fill out a survey, offering them discounts or something free—that’s all good.
I recently consulted a company that markets insurance products. The company sent its first email message in a new marketing campaign to 15,000 people. It was the first time anyone on the list had ever received anything from the company. The call to action in the email? “Get a Quote.” The marketer asked me why no one responded.
I was blown away. Not so much because of what the insurance marketer was trying to do, but because it had absolutely no idea what it was doing wrong. Sending an email blast with a blurb about your company and its products, then providing a “free quote” button won’t work. Marketers must address prospect and customer needs. That often means going out of their way to build the relationship.
Here’s a simple way to think about it: let’s say someone new moves in next door to you. Over the first couple weeks you may notice what they drive, if they have kids, maybe a couple things about their interests based on what you observe, etc. How would you connect with them? Would you hurry over, knock on their door, go into a big spiel about who you are (not asking questions about them) and then ask them to help you with yard work next weekend?
No, you wouldn’t. Over multiple visits and encounters you’d slowly build rapport, trust and perhaps offer them a gift at some point.
In the six or seven different places I’ve lived over the past 20 years, three neighbors have come to my door and given me a Christmas gift, a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift or brought freshly baked chocolate chip cookies over for no reason at all. And you know what? I’ll never forget it. I’d do anything for those neighbors. Without any prompting, they came to me and offered me something nice, something of value in hopes that we’d become friends. That’s pretty powerful stuff. And it works!
That’s content marketing in action.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Posted By susanne On October 30, 2011 @ 1:05 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training,Real Estate Trends
(eM+C)—I saw something online recently that said “content is marketing.” I found that interesting because I’ve never quite seen it put that way. The message is simplistic, but I think it really resonates. Why? Because in today’s business environment, whether B2C or B2B, local or global, it’s all about how you’re perceived as a company.
Put a lot of traditional “look at us, we’re a great company” content in front of consumers and you’ve done a poor job of marketing. Give them things like case studies, reports, free information, best practice videos and so on and you’re doing a good job of marketing. What else would be appropriate? Asking their opinion, getting them to fill out a survey, offering them discounts or something free—that’s all good.
I recently consulted a company that markets insurance products. The company sent its first email message in a new marketing campaign to 15,000 people. It was the first time anyone on the list had ever received anything from the company. The call to action in the email? “Get a Quote.” The marketer asked me why no one responded.
I was blown away. Not so much because of what the insurance marketer was trying to do, but because it had absolutely no idea what it was doing wrong. Sending an email blast with a blurb about your company and its products, then providing a “free quote” button won’t work. Marketers must address prospect and customer needs. That often means going out of their way to build the relationship.
Here’s a simple way to think about it: let’s say someone new moves in next door to you. Over the first couple weeks you may notice what they drive, if they have kids, maybe a couple things about their interests based on what you observe, etc. How would you connect with them? Would you hurry over, knock on their door, go into a big spiel about who you are (not asking questions about them) and then ask them to help you with yard work next weekend?
No, you wouldn’t. Over multiple visits and encounters you’d slowly build rapport, trust and perhaps offer them a gift at some point.
In the six or seven different places I’ve lived over the past 20 years, three neighbors have come to my door and given me a Christmas gift, a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift or brought freshly baked chocolate chip cookies over for no reason at all. And you know what? I’ll never forget it. I’d do anything for those neighbors. Without any prompting, they came to me and offered me something nice, something of value in hopes that we’d become friends. That’s pretty powerful stuff. And it works!
That’s content marketing in action.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
5 Steps To The 90 Day Short Sale:
5 Steps To The 90 Day Short Sale:
If you could do short sales in 90 days or less, would you? Travel back with me in time to those days we longingly refer to as, “The Good Ole Days”. A traditional transaction looked something like this: Days 30-60 marketing a listed property to achieve a contract for sale and the next 30-45 processing the transaction to a successful closing. This entire process was likely to encompass a total of 90-120 days. Then the Dow fell, the economy imploded, values plummeted, and the majority of the population couldn’t sell because they were under water on their mortgage. Hence, the “Short Sale” was born. Initially, it was chaos. No one knew who, how, or what to do to get one of these transactions to close. But more importantly, the delay in lender approvals came from the fact that lenders had more financial incentives, (i.e. could earn much more money from Freddie, Fannie, and HUD) to process and manage a foreclosure. There were initially no incentives for the lenders/servicers to do short sales. In fact, it cost them money and resources to approve them versus foreclosing. The outcome meant that almost half of all of our transactions were foreclosure inventory.
Flash forward to present day. Now Fannie & Freddie have established guidelines that took effect September 1st requiring all of their servicers to address a request for a short sale within three days and process a short sale within just thirty days of an offer being submitted. If a modification is not an option, these servicers must offer a short sale as an option and have good reason to do so because now the financial reward for processing a short sale outweighs the benefit of foreclosure. In addition, the homeowners are being offered cash incentives anywhere from $1000-3000 to do a short sale instead of abandoning the property. For this reason our inventory has flipped. Of more than half of non-traditional sales, short sales make up 40% and foreclosures are down to 13%. This means if you are not doing short sales, you are cutting out about half of your potential business.
Here’s how to work the whole process in 90 days or less:
1.) List the property competitively at 5% below actual market value. If priced appropriately and marketed for “Demand Effect”, the house will sell in the very first week. When you do this you are truly working for your customer, the homeowner. Our job is to limit the pain caused by the circumstance. The best way for us to accomplish that is to sell the home quickly and stop the damage to their credit or, if they are making payments, eliminate the monetary loss with by limiting the number of payments they need to make going forward; don’t worry about the house not appraising from the short sale lender’s perspective, buyer demand will net a high enough price to get an approval.
2.) Use a company to process the sale for you. There are several attorney firms that will negotiate the deal on the seller’s behalf that will not cost the seller any money. They get paid via the lender at the close of the sale. This frees you up to do what feeds your family, which is to get more listings to sell.
3.) Submit the sale package. Most servicers are held to Fannie/Freddie guidelines that mandate a thirty day turn- around time. So far you have gathered the paperwork, taken the listing, marketed the listing, and have a contract to sell it within the first 10 days.
4.) Let the company/attorney firm you have hired to negotiate to manage the process, which is essentially at this point a mere appraisal. With the 30 day mandate, there should no longer be a need to update bank statements or pay stubs. Receipt of the appraisal and review will initiate an approval or counter offer. (We should be around day 20-45 at this point)
5.) Get buyers mortgage and close – yes it sounds simple, but it really is that simple. We are now left with 30-45 days, to get mortgage approval for the buyer and close still meeting or even exceeding our 90 day short sale goal.
Sounds like the “Good Ole Days” are back again!
If you have any questions about “Demand Effect” marketing or want to learn of companies who will process the short sale for you at no charge to you or your customer, please call or email me.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
If you could do short sales in 90 days or less, would you? Travel back with me in time to those days we longingly refer to as, “The Good Ole Days”. A traditional transaction looked something like this: Days 30-60 marketing a listed property to achieve a contract for sale and the next 30-45 processing the transaction to a successful closing. This entire process was likely to encompass a total of 90-120 days. Then the Dow fell, the economy imploded, values plummeted, and the majority of the population couldn’t sell because they were under water on their mortgage. Hence, the “Short Sale” was born. Initially, it was chaos. No one knew who, how, or what to do to get one of these transactions to close. But more importantly, the delay in lender approvals came from the fact that lenders had more financial incentives, (i.e. could earn much more money from Freddie, Fannie, and HUD) to process and manage a foreclosure. There were initially no incentives for the lenders/servicers to do short sales. In fact, it cost them money and resources to approve them versus foreclosing. The outcome meant that almost half of all of our transactions were foreclosure inventory.
Flash forward to present day. Now Fannie & Freddie have established guidelines that took effect September 1st requiring all of their servicers to address a request for a short sale within three days and process a short sale within just thirty days of an offer being submitted. If a modification is not an option, these servicers must offer a short sale as an option and have good reason to do so because now the financial reward for processing a short sale outweighs the benefit of foreclosure. In addition, the homeowners are being offered cash incentives anywhere from $1000-3000 to do a short sale instead of abandoning the property. For this reason our inventory has flipped. Of more than half of non-traditional sales, short sales make up 40% and foreclosures are down to 13%. This means if you are not doing short sales, you are cutting out about half of your potential business.
Here’s how to work the whole process in 90 days or less:
1.) List the property competitively at 5% below actual market value. If priced appropriately and marketed for “Demand Effect”, the house will sell in the very first week. When you do this you are truly working for your customer, the homeowner. Our job is to limit the pain caused by the circumstance. The best way for us to accomplish that is to sell the home quickly and stop the damage to their credit or, if they are making payments, eliminate the monetary loss with by limiting the number of payments they need to make going forward; don’t worry about the house not appraising from the short sale lender’s perspective, buyer demand will net a high enough price to get an approval.
2.) Use a company to process the sale for you. There are several attorney firms that will negotiate the deal on the seller’s behalf that will not cost the seller any money. They get paid via the lender at the close of the sale. This frees you up to do what feeds your family, which is to get more listings to sell.
3.) Submit the sale package. Most servicers are held to Fannie/Freddie guidelines that mandate a thirty day turn- around time. So far you have gathered the paperwork, taken the listing, marketed the listing, and have a contract to sell it within the first 10 days.
4.) Let the company/attorney firm you have hired to negotiate to manage the process, which is essentially at this point a mere appraisal. With the 30 day mandate, there should no longer be a need to update bank statements or pay stubs. Receipt of the appraisal and review will initiate an approval or counter offer. (We should be around day 20-45 at this point)
5.) Get buyers mortgage and close – yes it sounds simple, but it really is that simple. We are now left with 30-45 days, to get mortgage approval for the buyer and close still meeting or even exceeding our 90 day short sale goal.
Sounds like the “Good Ole Days” are back again!
If you have any questions about “Demand Effect” marketing or want to learn of companies who will process the short sale for you at no charge to you or your customer, please call or email me.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
The Strangest Secret
The Strangest Secret
Posted By susanne On October 30, 2011 @ 1:07 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training,Today's Top Story
[1]In 1957, Earl Nightingale, speaker, author and co founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, recorded his classic motivational record “The Strangest Secret.” “The Strangest Secret” sold over one million copies and made history in the recording industry by being honored as the first Gold Record for the spoken word. Nightingale, known as the “dean of personal development,” concluded that life’s “strangest secret” is that we become what we think about all day long.
Your belief system, like your computer, doesn’t judge or even question what you input; it merely accepts your thoughts as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Think thoughts of defeat or failure and you’re bound to feel discouraged. Continuous thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear are unhealthy and often manifest in the body as stress, panic attacks and depression.
At the core of Earl’s message, he reveals the incredible power of positive self-talk, belief and expectation. What you vividly imagine and hold in your subconscious mind begins to out picture as your reality. Your belief system not only defines your reality, but it also shapes your character and determines your potential.
The Placebo Effect
The ability of the mind to cure a disease even when the medicine is known to be worthless is known as the “placebo effect.” This occurs in medical trials where doctors give patients sugar pills, but tell them they will cure their illness. Often it does, even though the pills contain nothing of medical benefit. The only thing of value in these medical trials is the patient’s own belief that the sugar pills will cure them. It’s the power of the patient’s belief and expectation alone that produces the improvement in his or her health. I recently read a remarkable story about a group of cancer patients who thought they were being treated with chemotherapy, but were actually given a placebo. Before their treatment began, the patients were informed about the complications associated with undergoing chemotherapy treatment, such as fatigue and loss of hair. Amazingly, based on nothing more than their belief and expectation, nearly one third of the patients who were given the placebo reported feeling fatigued and actually experienced hair loss!
The Power of Affirmation and Positive Self-talk
If you had access to a powerful tool that would enhance your self-esteem and allow you to reach your full potential would you use it?
A good way to create positive self-talk is through affirmations. An affirmation is a positive statement that represents your desired condition or outcome. Interesting enough, your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined “mental” experience.
When he was a struggling young comedian, late at night Jim Carey would drive into the hills overlooking Hollywood and yell at the top of his lungs “I will earn ten million dollars a year by 1995.” When 1995 finally arrived, Jim was the star of the movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, for which he was paid $20 million! World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation and recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation of achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging and stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over and over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.
To be effective your affirmation must be stated aloud…
1. In a positive manner with the focus on what you want. When you catch yourself saying or thinking something negative about yourself, counteract the negative self-talk with a positive affirmation. Start your affirmation with words like “I am…” or “I already have…” Example: “I close sales with little or no resistance.” “I take good care of my customers and they show their appreciation by referring their friends to me.”
2. In the present tense. Your subconscious mind works in the present tense, so avoid words such as can, will, should or could. Example: “I love doing my work and I am richly rewarded creatively and financially.”
3. With strong emotion and conviction.
4. Repeatedly. I suggest you read your affirmations each morning upon awakening and again each night just before falling asleep. Close your eyes and picture the end result. Feel the emotions associated with the affirmation.
Here are some of my favorite affirmations:
“Every day in every way I’m getting better and better!”
“Everything comes to me easily and effortlessly!”
“I love and appreciate myself just as I am!”
“I love doing my work and I am richly rewarded creatively and financially!”
“I now have enough time, energy, wisdom and money to accomplish all my desires!”
“Infinite riches are now freely flowing into my life!”
“I am relaxed and centered!”
“I feel happy and blissful!”
Do affirmations really work and can they be used to propel a person to achieve greatness? As a young boy growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay dreamed of someday becoming the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. When working out in the gym, Clay would continuously affirm to all within earshot that he was indeed the greatest boxer of all time! While many felt he was brash and boastful, few people actually took this 89-pound youngster seriously. Mohammad Ali used his affirmation to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world and arguably one of the most popular and recognized sports figures of all times!
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Anonymous
You show me a salesperson with high self-esteem, a positive attitude and a healthy work ethic and I’ll be able to predict his or her success in advance… I guarantee it.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Posted By susanne On October 30, 2011 @ 1:07 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training,Today's Top Story
[1]In 1957, Earl Nightingale, speaker, author and co founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, recorded his classic motivational record “The Strangest Secret.” “The Strangest Secret” sold over one million copies and made history in the recording industry by being honored as the first Gold Record for the spoken word. Nightingale, known as the “dean of personal development,” concluded that life’s “strangest secret” is that we become what we think about all day long.
Your belief system, like your computer, doesn’t judge or even question what you input; it merely accepts your thoughts as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Think thoughts of defeat or failure and you’re bound to feel discouraged. Continuous thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear are unhealthy and often manifest in the body as stress, panic attacks and depression.
At the core of Earl’s message, he reveals the incredible power of positive self-talk, belief and expectation. What you vividly imagine and hold in your subconscious mind begins to out picture as your reality. Your belief system not only defines your reality, but it also shapes your character and determines your potential.
The Placebo Effect
The ability of the mind to cure a disease even when the medicine is known to be worthless is known as the “placebo effect.” This occurs in medical trials where doctors give patients sugar pills, but tell them they will cure their illness. Often it does, even though the pills contain nothing of medical benefit. The only thing of value in these medical trials is the patient’s own belief that the sugar pills will cure them. It’s the power of the patient’s belief and expectation alone that produces the improvement in his or her health. I recently read a remarkable story about a group of cancer patients who thought they were being treated with chemotherapy, but were actually given a placebo. Before their treatment began, the patients were informed about the complications associated with undergoing chemotherapy treatment, such as fatigue and loss of hair. Amazingly, based on nothing more than their belief and expectation, nearly one third of the patients who were given the placebo reported feeling fatigued and actually experienced hair loss!
The Power of Affirmation and Positive Self-talk
If you had access to a powerful tool that would enhance your self-esteem and allow you to reach your full potential would you use it?
A good way to create positive self-talk is through affirmations. An affirmation is a positive statement that represents your desired condition or outcome. Interesting enough, your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined “mental” experience.
When he was a struggling young comedian, late at night Jim Carey would drive into the hills overlooking Hollywood and yell at the top of his lungs “I will earn ten million dollars a year by 1995.” When 1995 finally arrived, Jim was the star of the movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, for which he was paid $20 million! World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation and recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation of achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging and stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over and over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.
To be effective your affirmation must be stated aloud…
1. In a positive manner with the focus on what you want. When you catch yourself saying or thinking something negative about yourself, counteract the negative self-talk with a positive affirmation. Start your affirmation with words like “I am…” or “I already have…” Example: “I close sales with little or no resistance.” “I take good care of my customers and they show their appreciation by referring their friends to me.”
2. In the present tense. Your subconscious mind works in the present tense, so avoid words such as can, will, should or could. Example: “I love doing my work and I am richly rewarded creatively and financially.”
3. With strong emotion and conviction.
4. Repeatedly. I suggest you read your affirmations each morning upon awakening and again each night just before falling asleep. Close your eyes and picture the end result. Feel the emotions associated with the affirmation.
Here are some of my favorite affirmations:
“Every day in every way I’m getting better and better!”
“Everything comes to me easily and effortlessly!”
“I love and appreciate myself just as I am!”
“I love doing my work and I am richly rewarded creatively and financially!”
“I now have enough time, energy, wisdom and money to accomplish all my desires!”
“Infinite riches are now freely flowing into my life!”
“I am relaxed and centered!”
“I feel happy and blissful!”
Do affirmations really work and can they be used to propel a person to achieve greatness? As a young boy growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay dreamed of someday becoming the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. When working out in the gym, Clay would continuously affirm to all within earshot that he was indeed the greatest boxer of all time! While many felt he was brash and boastful, few people actually took this 89-pound youngster seriously. Mohammad Ali used his affirmation to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world and arguably one of the most popular and recognized sports figures of all times!
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.” – Anonymous
You show me a salesperson with high self-esteem, a positive attitude and a healthy work ethic and I’ll be able to predict his or her success in advance… I guarantee it.
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
How to Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
How to Build Trust and Rapport Quickly
Posted By susanne On October 26, 2011 @ 4:04 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training | No Comments
If you’re working hard, but aren’t consistently generating enough sales, chances are it’s a matter of trust! Suppose you could incorporate a few simple, yet highly effective ideas into your selling process and substantially increase your bottom line? One of the most critically important and yet frequently overlooked aspects of selling is creating a solid foundation of trust and rapport.
I believe that once you have established trust and rapport with your prospect, you actually have the hard part behind you and can anticipate making the sale. It really doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about your product line or how many closing techniques you have mastered, unless you earn your prospect’s trust and confidence you are not going to make the sale—period! While there is no approach that will work 100% of the time with every prospect, fortunately there are fundamentals you can use that will help you build trust and rapport quickly.
Gain the Competitive Edge
There is absolutely no substitute for a positive first impression. Research clearly indicates that we decide in the first few minutes whether we like someone or not. Yes, we also judge a book by its cover too. In most cases, your prospect’s first impression of you will be made over the phone or from a voice message you leave. Therefore, it is always a good idea to focus your intention and organize your thoughts by utilizing a phone script instead of shooting from the hip. Here are some suggestions to help you get off on the right foot. Show up on time and be well prepared. Maintain a well-groomed appearance and dress appropriately for your market. And finally, be upbeat and personable without becoming overly familiar.
Promote Your Credibility
Establish your credentials as an expert in your industry during your initial appointment. When you offer your business card and or company brochure, highlight two or three reasons why you elected to work for your company. Keep your marketing materials looking professional and up-to-date. If you conduct appointments in your office, display your awards and certificates of accomplishment.
Use Active Listening Skills
The quickest way to destroy trust and rapport is to dominate the conversation. Successful salespeople take notes, listen attentively, and avoid the temptation to interrupt, criticize, or argue. To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect’s statements. Occasionally repeat your prospect’s words verbatim. By restating their key words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also build rapport.
Adjust to Your Prospect’s Temperament Style
Research indicates people are born into one of four primary temperament styles; aggressive, expressive, passive, or analytical. Each of these four primary temperament styles requires a unique approach and selling strategy. For example, if you are selling to the impatient, aggressive style, they prefer a short warm up and expect a quick, bottom line presentation. While at the other extreme, the cautious, analytical style is slow to warm up and is interested in every detail. Once you learn how to identify each of the four primary styles, you will be able to close more sales in less time by adjusting to your prospect’s buying style.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
Our body language reveals our deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers. Research indicates that in a face-to-face conversation, over 70% of our communication is perceived nonverbally. In addition, nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and higher reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect’s words are incongruent with their body language gestures, you would be wise to rely on their body language as a more accurate reflection of their true feelings. Be mindful of your own body language gestures and remember to keep them positive by unfolding your arms, uncrossing your legs, nodding your head in agreement, and smiling frequently.
Create trust and rapport quickly by “matching and mirroring” your prospect’s body language gestures. Matching and mirroring is an unconscious body language mimicry by which one person tells another they are in agreement. The next time you are at a social event, notice how many people are subconsciously matching one another. Likewise, when people disagree, they subconsciously mismatch their body language gestures. The psychological principle behind matching and mirroring is the fact that people want to do business with salespeople that they believe are similar to them. An effective way to begin matching your prospect is to subtly nod your head in agreement whenever your prospect nods their head, or cross your legs when they cross their legs, etc. By understanding the meaning behind your prospect’s body language gestures, you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it’s appropriate to close the sale.
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, your prospects have many options and are looking for a salesperson they know they can trust to work in their best interest. Salespeople who fail to put an emphasis on developing trust and rapport actually do a disservice to their customers and in effect, leave the backdoor open to their competition. In addition to generating new sales, developing strong relationships will keep competitors at arm’s length and your business on the books!
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
Posted By susanne On October 26, 2011 @ 4:04 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Training | No Comments
If you’re working hard, but aren’t consistently generating enough sales, chances are it’s a matter of trust! Suppose you could incorporate a few simple, yet highly effective ideas into your selling process and substantially increase your bottom line? One of the most critically important and yet frequently overlooked aspects of selling is creating a solid foundation of trust and rapport.
I believe that once you have established trust and rapport with your prospect, you actually have the hard part behind you and can anticipate making the sale. It really doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about your product line or how many closing techniques you have mastered, unless you earn your prospect’s trust and confidence you are not going to make the sale—period! While there is no approach that will work 100% of the time with every prospect, fortunately there are fundamentals you can use that will help you build trust and rapport quickly.
Gain the Competitive Edge
There is absolutely no substitute for a positive first impression. Research clearly indicates that we decide in the first few minutes whether we like someone or not. Yes, we also judge a book by its cover too. In most cases, your prospect’s first impression of you will be made over the phone or from a voice message you leave. Therefore, it is always a good idea to focus your intention and organize your thoughts by utilizing a phone script instead of shooting from the hip. Here are some suggestions to help you get off on the right foot. Show up on time and be well prepared. Maintain a well-groomed appearance and dress appropriately for your market. And finally, be upbeat and personable without becoming overly familiar.
Promote Your Credibility
Establish your credentials as an expert in your industry during your initial appointment. When you offer your business card and or company brochure, highlight two or three reasons why you elected to work for your company. Keep your marketing materials looking professional and up-to-date. If you conduct appointments in your office, display your awards and certificates of accomplishment.
Use Active Listening Skills
The quickest way to destroy trust and rapport is to dominate the conversation. Successful salespeople take notes, listen attentively, and avoid the temptation to interrupt, criticize, or argue. To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect’s statements. Occasionally repeat your prospect’s words verbatim. By restating their key words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also build rapport.
Adjust to Your Prospect’s Temperament Style
Research indicates people are born into one of four primary temperament styles; aggressive, expressive, passive, or analytical. Each of these four primary temperament styles requires a unique approach and selling strategy. For example, if you are selling to the impatient, aggressive style, they prefer a short warm up and expect a quick, bottom line presentation. While at the other extreme, the cautious, analytical style is slow to warm up and is interested in every detail. Once you learn how to identify each of the four primary styles, you will be able to close more sales in less time by adjusting to your prospect’s buying style.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
Our body language reveals our deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers. Research indicates that in a face-to-face conversation, over 70% of our communication is perceived nonverbally. In addition, nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and higher reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect’s words are incongruent with their body language gestures, you would be wise to rely on their body language as a more accurate reflection of their true feelings. Be mindful of your own body language gestures and remember to keep them positive by unfolding your arms, uncrossing your legs, nodding your head in agreement, and smiling frequently.
Create trust and rapport quickly by “matching and mirroring” your prospect’s body language gestures. Matching and mirroring is an unconscious body language mimicry by which one person tells another they are in agreement. The next time you are at a social event, notice how many people are subconsciously matching one another. Likewise, when people disagree, they subconsciously mismatch their body language gestures. The psychological principle behind matching and mirroring is the fact that people want to do business with salespeople that they believe are similar to them. An effective way to begin matching your prospect is to subtly nod your head in agreement whenever your prospect nods their head, or cross your legs when they cross their legs, etc. By understanding the meaning behind your prospect’s body language gestures, you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it’s appropriate to close the sale.
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, your prospects have many options and are looking for a salesperson they know they can trust to work in their best interest. Salespeople who fail to put an emphasis on developing trust and rapport actually do a disservice to their customers and in effect, leave the backdoor open to their competition. In addition to generating new sales, developing strong relationships will keep competitors at arm’s length and your business on the books!
If you don't remotely know how or where to begin with building or re-building your business, come work with us. We already have systems in place that do it all for you!
The best in their field, even professional athletes take advantage of coaching. If you would like the benefit of working with a full time coach, absolutely free to you, please call me directly or email to set up an interview.
Suzanne O'Brien
(313) 516-6644
suzanneo@realestateone.com
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