16 Secrets of the Mega-Agents

Why Every Top Agent is Doing THIS Right Now…Are You?

5 Ways to Hang with the Big Dogs in Your Market by Exploiting Their Weaknesses

Every market has one: the hot shot real estate agent. She probably has a small army working for her. For sale signs in hundreds of yards at any given time. A monster Humvee with her mug plastered over it.

She’s the the only game in town.  That’s because she’s got a lot of strengths. But she’s also got a lot of weaknesses. And you are about to exploit those.

1. Killer POV

What makes you different from the big dogs? Is it clear and concise? Is it meaningful to the prospect? Do you provide something your competitor can’t? Do you do something better than your competitor?

The answers to these questions will define who you are. That definition should be strong and distinct and irresistable. And once you’ve defined your POV, you need to consistently deliver on that message.

2. Stay Flexible

The top dogs are effecient. They are lean and mean. They have system they’ve refined over years–and work that system. Any deviation from that system will lead to an ouster.

This is a weakness you can exploit.

As a small shop you can offer creative and personal services. You can deliver fresh ideas, pounce on opportunities quickly and stay in personal contact with your client the entire time. That’s what happens when you are small and flexible.

3. Know the Customer

The big dog will have likely figured out who the customer is years ago–and that vision of who they are will never change. Our their system is designed for a particular customer. You can exploit that rigidity by staying current with the locals, talking to them in coffee shops, at the supermarket or ball fields. This might lead to insights hidden from the big dog. Insights you can exploit.

4. Never Delegate

Big dogs usually handle the initial phone call (rarely, though, given their assistances field all those calls–the big dogs are just too busy with top clients to bother answering calls from just anybody!), and that’s about it. After that it’s delegated to an up-and-comer. The message to the client is you are not important enough to deal with the big dog.

You can exploit this de-personalized approach by showing up yourself–and bringing along significant members of your team. Demonstrate to clients that their happiness is something that you fully commit to. And you are giving the prospect a clear picture of who they are working with.

5. Be Friendly

It’s a basic rule of human nature: people like to work with people they like. Build a relationship with a prospect by investigating them through the web, talking to people they know and just sitting down to get to know them. Don’t be all business. Find out their family, where they work and what they like to do. This is a slow process, but it will pay dividends. And it’s an approach for a big dog to execute.

6. Solve, Solve, Solve

The big dog’s approach to buying and selling real estate is lean, mean and efficient. That’s because it’s a template. It has to be this way if they want to be profitable. That’s it’s strength.

It’s weakness is that it doesn’t allow for a personalized problem-solving approach. You can exploit this weakness by understanding your prospects needs and challenges, and then providing solutions.

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Lead Generation Strategies: Seeker-Oriented v. Attract Oriented

How to Become Highly Prosperous in a Shaky Market

Need a Damn Good Referral System to Save Your Career? 

5 Time Management Tips to Make You More Profitable

Productivity is key to making more money. The more productive you are the more profitable you are.

On the other hand, the longer it takes you to finish a task, the less money you make.

This is why it’s key to learn ways to manage your time. Here are five that will help you do just that.

1. Difficult Things First

Leaving the hardest or most difficult task for the end of the day when you are tired and stressed out is not the best use of time. Instead, jump on your most challenging project first. And promise yourself a reward when you get done. That reward could be working on the fun part of your business. And that reward will motivate you to stay on target and get the most difficult things done first.

2. Be Stingy

Don’t let other people encroach on your to-do list. And don’t let them elevate their to-do list above yours. If it is a client, again, tell them that as soon as you finish X,Y and Z (which should always be high-dollar productivity tasks), then you can help. Client emergencies will rob you of time and money. Be stingy.

3. Do Things in a Quick and Dirty Fashion

We are most productive when in 90 minute busts of work. This means you should set a timer on your phone–and then work your tail off until your time is up. The secret to this productivity trick is not getting interrupted. No phones, texts, email or Facebook. And if someone walks into your office then look at your timer and say, “I’d love to help you but give me until X.”

4. Touch It Once

One of the biggest time wasters in the world is covering tracks you’ve already covered. You can usually spot these people because their desks are piled with paperwork and their inboxes are clogged with open emails. Instead, make a decision on the spot on what you need to do with any kind of report, request, letter, email and so on. Can you throw it away? File it? Respond? Knock it out? Delegate it? Put it in a to-do pile for the following day? This will keep items from piling up on you and overwhelming you.

5. Set a Deadline with Every Expectation

First things first: make sure you and your client are on the same page by setting up expectations. Spell out exactly what you will do–and then put a time limit on it. For example, say to a client, “I will do X and Y by Z.” And expect the same from them. Say to a client, “I need you to do A and B by C. Can you do it?” If they agree, confirm it in your calendar and send a reminder email that summarizes what you agreed on.

Conclusion

Productivity and time management are all about getting work done so you can make more money. The less time you spend on a task, the higher your per hour rate will go up.  That’s why it truly pays to be more effecient and effective.

What other ways have you found that help you to manage your time better?

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Kick the Procrastination Habit Once and For All

10 Critical Strategies for New Real Estate Agents in Any Market

Michael Masterson’s Productivity Secrets

How to (Always) Remember People’s Names

Part of a series on real estate persuasion training.

When it comes to being persuasive, one of the most important, effective and easy ways that you can make an impression on people is by simply remembering their name. That’s pretty cool, because you will more than likely meet thousands of people during your career as a real estate agent…and the last thing you want to do is forget someone’s name you just met.

So how do you keep from forgetting someone’s name? I mean…most of us forget people’s names within seconds of meeting them. We get distracted or preoccupied with what we want to say to them because we really want the conversation to go well…and then comes the time you have to part ways and you have done the most awful thing…you’ve forgotten their name!

Has that ever happened to you? It has me hundreds of times. I hate it so in order to help me and you remember people’s names I’ve developed this technique.

The essence of this technique to make a concerted effort to remember their name the FIRST time they say it. If you don’t get it right the first time around you may have to embarrass yourself to get it at the end of the conversation.

Of course you can always ask a friend what that person’s name you just met is…as long as they know it. If they don’t then try this…

1. When the person says hi to you, repeat their name like this: “Oh, hi Allen.”
2. Then start repeating it dozens of times in your head.
3. Next, ask them about their name. “Allen. Is that spelled with one or two l’s?” This works especially great if their name is unusual, like Malchus. “Oh, hi Malchus. I’m not good with names. How do you spell that. Is it M-A-L-C-H-U-S?” The goal behind this is to get them to repeat their name a few times to help you cement it in your head.
4. Now you can introduce your self. “Hi, Malchus, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Gary.”
5. At this point you want to let them talk. Listen carefully to what they are saying…even ask some leading questions about their job or life. What you are trying to do is create some kind of association between them and their name. This is especially helpful if their name is common like “Bob” or “Susan.” Think of something like “Bob who went to Baylor.” Or Susan who went to “San Diego.”
6.  When it comes time to say good bye…because to be the life of the party you will eventually move on…this is where you close with, “Hey Susan, it was great meeting you. I need to go deliver this drink to my friend but I look forward to talking to you again.”

This will take some practice to make it natural and not feel so awkward, so be patience and keep trying!

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Your First Step to Persuasion: Knowing What You Want

Make Sure You Know the Answer to This Question Before Your Next Presentation

7 Ways to Make People Feel Like the Center of the Universe

3 Tactics for Closing a Sale

The Science of the Giving and Receiving Compliments

Part of Real Estate Training Series on Persuasion

If you think about it, flattery is the grease that makes the social wheels glide. Now, I’m not talking about brown-nosing, but giving sincere compliments. Do that and you will generate such positive energy with other people that real estate deals will close like magic.

See, they make the relationship between two people a relationship built around trust and kindness. But like I said above, there is a way you have to do it. Plus, there is a way to receive them.

When to Give a Compliment

Might seem pretty obvious but you give a compliment when you notice an effort or situation that deserves a compliment, which makes them a way to show people that you are paying attention to them.

If you think about it, we need to cultivate this identification of good things happening around us.

Once you notice something that is worth a compliment, say it. Say it out loud…and make it clear to who you are complimenting and about what you are complimenting them about.

Whether your client or co-worker, people get a lot of value from a compliment. The value comes from them knowing that we are noticing them. And you can get a lot of mileage out of a compliment since people tend to feed off of compliments.

Personally, giving compliments will also help lift our mood as the positive energy returns to us from a person who is feeling good about themselves because you complimented them.

Insincere Flattery

These are powerful gifts that you give freely that tell a person he is special and you care about them. However, they only work if you are sincere about them. Nothing can put off a person more than a fake compliment. In fact, they’ll backfire if you do that.

All you have to do to use this social skill is be honest. Tell people what you think. If you see someone wearing a jacket you like…tell them. If you see someone driving a car you admire…tell them.

It’s really that simple. And the returns are huge.

They do a great job of elevating the atmosphere of good, positive energy. Compliments are also a great way to open up a conversation…and a spectacular way to end one.

How to Respond to a Compliment

There is also an appropriate way to respond to a compliment…which is to say “Thank you.” Instead, too many people tend to brush it off with a “Oh, that was nothing. Slapped that thing together in 5 minutes.”

Or, “Well, I feel about 15 pounds heavier today.”

There is only one good way to receive a compliment and that is to smile and say thank you. Don’t deflate the person giving the compliment…which can make things very awkward. No matter how difficult it is for you to receive a compliment, don’t deflate someone’s judgement by brushing it off.

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Make Sure You Know the Answer to This Question Before Your Next Presentation

Powerful Persuasion: 10 Simple Ways to Establish Rapport

Your First Step to Persuasion: Knowing What You Want

7 Ways to Make People Feel Like the Center of the Universe [Real Estate Persuasion Training-Part 2]

Your First Step to Persuasion: Knowing What You Want

Your first step in becoming more persuasive is to know what you want. Here are some past posts that can help you know how to know what you want.

How to Become a Leader: Tax Reform Advocate Norquist’s Advice

In a recent interview with U.S. News, tax reform advocate Grover Norquist shared three keys to becoming a leader in any high-pace environment: Work hard, do not whine and know where you are going.

Your Real Estate Career: How to Create a Happy Ending

The ending is everything.

That’s why Greek heroes like Odysseus–who were able to look beyond the present and plan several steps ahead–seemed to defy fate. In fact, men like Odysseus mimicked the Greek gods in their ability to tell the future.

The comparison, today, is still valid.

If you can think further ahead and patiently bring your plans to fruition, you’ll seem godlike. And naturally be more successful.

8 Solutions to Keep 2009 from Going Down in Flames

here’s a list of 8 solutions to your current economic, real estate woes. Hopefully these will keep you from pumping a ton of money into something that returns little to nothing. When you’re finished, let me know what you think.

Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Make Sure You Know the Answer to This Question Before Your Next Presentation

9 Dead Simple Ways to Persuade People

Get Attention: 10  Unorthodox Ideas That Work

Powerful Persuasion: 10 Simple Ways to Establish Rapport

Anybody who loves real estate probably loves it because they love the opportunity to use their personal influence to help people achieve their dreams, get things done and earn a great living.

In other words, they love persuasion, which boils down to these three keys: establish rapport, establish rapport and establish rapport.

You can’t really have an persuasive power over people unless you have their trust…and you can’t have their trust if you don’t take the time to build a relationship. A solid relationship is the groundwork for persuasion.

But how do you create that relationship…how do you build that rapport? In the coming up months I’m going to run a series on developing persuasive power. Today, to get you started, here are ten ideas you can actually start using this very day:

1. Know what you want. You have to understand what makes you tick before you will ever be persuasive. You have to understand what you want out of life and who you are. What drives you? Is it power or money? Making people happy? Who are you? Powerful persuasion starts with soul searching questions.
2. Make people fell like the center of the universe. Get your head out of your rear and out of your navel and start caring about people. Start treating them like royalty and you will begin to have incredible influence over their lives.
3. Compliment people constantly. Sure, it’s flattery, but there is nothing like buttering people up…even if they know about it. People love to feel like the center of the universe, and they like to be told good things about themselves. That bolsters esteem for them. For you it’s like investing in that person that allows you to make withdrawals when the time comes.
4. Remember people’s name. You can’t really start to make someone feel like the center of the universe if you don’t remember their name, can you? Look for tricks to do that.
5. Give power to other people. This includes things like freedom and purpose. Give them room to make decisions and make them see the bigger purpose. Help them achieve their dreams and you are giving them power.
6. Be positive. Even if a negative situation arises, you can control and influence people if you can find ways to remain solid and upbeat even in the midst of a storm. That kind of influence attracts people. You can also help avoid people making bad decisions by guiding them towards thinking about situations and questions when they are not so emotional…whether positively or negatively.
7. Understand the person. Of course, if you don’t know anything about your prospect, you really don’t know what to give them to influence them. Take the time to get to know your prospect or client. Try to invest as much time into the relationship as you invest into getting the deal closed.
8. Develop a sense of humor. Have you ever noticed that some of the most influential people are very funny? They like people and they like to make them laugh. Give it a whirl…learn a few jokes, learn how to tell a story and start making people laugh.
9. Ask better questions. You can influence people by simply asking questions. Ask the right questions and you will be irresistible.
10. Relax. Even the most influential people lose. When that happens to you, don’t take yourself so serious. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

Look for future posts on each numbered point in the coming months.

Your Turn

What tips can you share that have helped you to be more persuasive?

Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.

Related Articles

Make Sure You Know the Answer to This Question Before Your Next Presentation

9 Dead Simple Ways to Persuade People

Get Attention: 10  Unorthodox Ideas That Work