It's here, it's here! My new book - it's here! I mean that literally - it's EVERYWHERE in my house. Boxes and boxes of books, everywhere I look. Yeah, it's kinda cool. Strike that. It's so darn freakin' unbelievably cool. I do a little happy dance every time I trip over my boxes and boxes and boxes! (But check back in with me in two weeks as I'm moving all these boxes and boxes to my new place!)
Here's an excerpt from the first chapter of the book... enjoy!
"If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right!
by Jennifer Allan
Chapter One
"What's Fun Got to Do with it?"
Selling real estate can be a blast. All day, every day? Uh, no. There will be days you long for the stability and security of a steady paycheck and regular hours. There will be nights you lie awake tossing and turning, unable to forget that scathing criticism you received from your unhappy seller. You'll have weeks - maybe even months - when you have no idea where your next mortgage payment is coming from. That's definitely not fun... and, unfortunately, something a lot of us can relate to in recent times.
But you'll also enjoy the euphoria of successfully negotiating a tough inspection. Of beating out five other agents for that primo listing without budging on your commission. Of picking up the phone to find a $1.5M buyer on the other end who found you as a result of your blog. Of hearing from your new referred client that your mutual friend said you were "the best." Of being too busy to breathe and then, when you finally come up for air, realizing that you just had a $50,000 month.
Making gobs and gobs of money is fun. Getting steady streams of referrals is fun. Being a master negotiator is fun. Solving problems is fun.
Being an exceptional real estate agent is fun.
This book is going to show you how to have more fun selling real estate by being exceptional at what you do and making lots of money doing it. Yes, you can mix business and pleasure... and have a heck of a time doing it.
First, we'll revisit and expand upon the Sphere of Influence (SOI) business philosophy introduced in Sell with Soul, because having lots of friends is fun, even for introverts like me. Getting business and referrals from your friends is even more fun-more fun than cold-calling, door-knocking, mass-mailing and advertising combined! We'll discuss how the traditional Numbers Game is not much fun at all and how you can change the rules and beat ‘em at their own game.
Moving on, we'll jump into the car with your buyers and debunk most of the nonsense that real estate trainers have been pushing at us since time began. The way we've been trained to "manage" and "handle" and "protect ourselves from" our buyers is a bunch of hooey! Relax, enjoy your buyers, trust your buyers, respect your buyers and they'll be a joy to work with.
Next, we'll spend some time discussing some advanced strategies for marketing, selling and closing your listings, with a particular emphasis on pricing. Trust me, being an outrageously effective listing agent - that is, one who knows how to actually sell houses - is buckets of fun. Being good at turning your listings into paychecks gives you an intoxicating sense of power over your business.
We'll also discuss some of the finer points of being an exceptional real estate agent-covering topics such as win/win negotiating, the right use of systems and effective communication skills.
Finally, we'll wrap things up with some fresh ideas on time management, taking your career to the next level (or conversely, down a notch), firing your clients and much more.
.....................
Want one of your very own? You can buy it from me (numbered & autographed - www.swsstore.com) or at Amazon... I think the Kindle version is already available, or will be shortly.
You can also get one for free, sorta, if you participate in the book release party at my website - just go here for details.
Did I mention how darn cool it is to release a book?
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Thanks for sharing. Best wishes for great success. Have a great day and an outstanding weekend.
Jennifer,
Your book sounds delightful and RIGHT ON! I LOVE being a Realtor for all of the reasons you mentioned ...
Sue
Hi Jennifer,
Congratulations and best wishes for a great run with your new book! Sure looks like a winner!
I'm in! You got me with the excerpt...and with loads of other things you've said in your blogs, e-mails, rookie program, etc. Ordering a book now... -- Tanya in Montreal
Congrats on your book, and I'm looking forward to having lots of fun selling real estate in 2010!
Hi Jennifer: Great blog! Love everything you said!
Nice thing about real estate is mostly you are dealing with happy people...happy to be moving on and happy to be moving in... it is a great business and congrats on your book!
Congratulations on the completion and publishing of your next book! Sell With Soul is a great book to read. I'm sure your latest book will also be full of fascinating insights and ways of thinking. Hope 2010 is your best year yet!
Oh joy, joy, joy. I can't wait.
Congratulations on the publication of this newest book. Well done!
Thank you, Dedra! I was just in Fairhope a few weeks ago - what a beautiful little area...
Rick - Oh, I hope so, too...and to you! Thank you!
Perrin - How right you are... even when it's chaotic... it's still exciting for everyone involved.
Marcy - How kind of you - thanks!
Norma - You GO, girl!
Tanya - I got an order from someone in Canada, but it wasn't your name - was that YOU in disguise?
Dorie - I sure hope so - the early response has been tremendous. Whew!
Sue - Me, too... It really is FUN to be GOOD.
Roy - Thanks for being the first visitor of the day!
Congrats on the book release! It is pretty darn cool. I've already read it cover to cover and am going back for round two!
Na na na na.... I got an early release copy! :)
Oui! C'est moi!
Any chance we can see a "youtube" video of your little happy dance?
Congrats on the new book!
Congratulations on your National Championship!
Just ordered the Kindle edition! So excited!
Thank you!
Jennifer tell me why an introverted home stager would need your new release? I am sincerely interested but NOT a REA.
Jenn - Congrats on the new book. I hope one day in the future I will have the oppurtunity to write a book about my journey in real estate. I havn't read the book but I'm with you 100% on building your SOI. I hate the whole "numbers" game.
Congratulations Jennifer on your new book and wish you all the best this year. Your hard work is hopefully paying off.
Reading this blog reminded me of a very inspirational quote I recently came across from Goethe. Remember this when real estate is not fun because of the people you have to deal with:
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming." - Goethe
This is all in your hands. You have the power to make your day what you want it to be. Thanks for the great post Jennifer. I'm anxiously awaiting my package in the mail that will contain your new book!!!
Karl - great stuff. And I have to say, the line about "my personal approach that creates the climate" really struck home for me in a very superficial way - I've been complaining loudly and frequently about the cold and it certainly isn't improving the situation any - either from a temperature or attitude perspective!
Joyce - Thank you!
Christopher - Writing about real estate has been incredibly rewarding for me - and it's a true joy to hear from others that you've made an impression on them.
Ginger - Hmmmm... would an introverted home stager benefit from my book? Well, it is VERY real estate-specific, but I imagine you could get enough of value from it to be worth the $20. There are several chapters about listing homes with much discussion about properly preparing a home for market, which of course, involves you. There are also three chapters about building a sphere of influence business which might give you some ideas about building your own. Of course, if it's totally worthless to you, you can always give it to your favorite Realtor client! Thanks for asking!
Katie - I love my Kindle!!!
Mark - Ah, the shame of it... I fell asleep during the game...
Rob - LOL!!!!! You'll just have to use your imagination!
Carol - I'm SO glad you're enjoying it!!! The second or third time around even!
I got an early copy and ready it cover to cover in 2 days! Great reading, personal, funny, and most of all inspiring! You all should order it!
Congratulations, what a way to start 2010! I am so excited to read!!
Jennifer, I need to talk to you about your new book!
Hey, I'm here! Whatcha' wanna talk about???!!!
Sounds like you are having fun living your life, both as a writer and realtor. keep on havin fun.
Well hello Jennifer and I think I would just (Love) to have a signed copy of this book? Get it (Love)? And your post has been featured in a group at Activerain that is all about Love...........
LOVE AT ACTIVERAIN
VB ;o)
Congrats Jennifer! How awesome is this? I love the title....LOVE being the key word of course. Good luck to you! Have a good night.