http://theconfidentrookie.com/ A blog for and about the newest members of our industry - written to give you hope, inspiration and lots of ideas to get you to that critical first paycheck! Go get 'em! en-us http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice- <p>Like most of you, I talk to other real estate agents on the phone pretty regularly. Some in the course of my real estate business, some in the course of my writing, training &amp; speaking career.<img title="phone" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/0/0/2/ar124075339320047.jpg" height="322" alt="phone" width="300"></p> <p>And I tell ya - there are a lot of unfriendly voices out there.</p> <p>Within an hour the other day I spoke with two different agents, about two totally different topics. The first was calling me to ask about some Open House signs I had listed on Craigslist. He was distant and dismissive and didn't seem much interested in having a conversation with me. The second was calling for information on a listing and she was delightful. The kind of voice you'd like to ask to meet you for Happy Hour, and be pretty sure you'd have a wonderful time.</p> <p>Last week, I participated in a couple of Real Estate Week online seminars in which all participants had the opportunity to chat one-on-one with other participants on the call. The difference among the various voices I was matched up with was striking. Some of the voices were hesitant and unsure; some were bold and somewhat abrasive and a few were warm and inviting. I naturally have fond memories of the warm &amp; inviting voices; not so fond memories of the others.</p> <p>Hey, I'm the last one to tell someone to change who they are, but it's a fact that many of your clients and prospects are going to judge you by your phone voice. Of all the real estate agents I've spoken with on the phone this week, only two or three of them would have inspired me to pursue a professional relationship with the person, had I been in the market for a real estate agent.</p> <p>If you can stand it, record some of your phone conversations. Then listen... and see how you feel about both the warmth and confidence of this person (that would be you!). Try to be objective - I know it's hard - on one hand you hate the sound of your voice, but on the other, it's tough to admit that perhaps you sound a bit unsure or conversely, brash.</p> <p>You might also pay closer attention to the people you speak with on the phone, whether they're in the biz or not. What is your impression of this person? That they're confident? Competent? Caring? Knowledgeable? Or bored, scared or clueless?</p> <p>It sounds trite, but if you stand up (or sit up) straight when you talk on the phone, put your shoulders back and smile, your phone voice will improve exponentially.</p> <p>By the way, I met the afore-mentioned "distant and dismissive" agent in person later in the day, and he was quite pleasant in person. But that phone voice... ugh!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="ja" src="http://activerain.comhttp://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/0/7/3/ar124057404137032.JPG" height="157" alt="ja" width="204"></p> <p>&nbsp;<strong>ON SPECIAL THROUGH TONIGHT!</strong></p> <p><em><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/savvyprospector.htm"><strong>The Savvy Prospector - Eight Weeks to a Full Pipeline for Life</strong></a></em><strong> <br></strong><br><strong>$199 til Monday evening</strong> <br>(regular price $249)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:35:15 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/3119166/-you-have-reached-850-xxx-xxxx-please-leave-a-message-at-the-sound-of-the-tone- <p><em><img title="voicemail" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/6/8/8/ar13333652388619.JPG" height="233" alt="voicemail" width="350"></em><em>"You have reached &lt;insert pause&gt; 850-xxx-xxxx. Please leave a message at the sound of the tone."</em></p> <p>That's the greeting I received yesterday when I dialed the phone number on the rider perched atop a For Sale sign. I wasn't calling to buy the house, but rather to let the listing agent know that her vacant listing appears to be squatted in - that&nbsp;someone might be living there without the blessing of the owner.&nbsp;</p> <p>As I dialed the number on a Sunday morning, I assumed I'd get voice mail since this is the south and a lot of people tend to hang out at church on this day and time of the week. But I laughed out loud when I got the "standard greeting with your telephone number telling callers you are not available" on a real estate agent's direct line! Seriously?! Someone goes to the trouble of printing up custom sign riders with their name and number and then can't even bother to record their NAME on their voicemail greeting, never mind a warm, friendly, inviting personal greeting?</p> <p>I must confess the snarky side of me was tempted to play dumb and say something like "<em>Oh, um, I thought I was calling a real estate agent, maybe I dialed the number wrong. Well, I'm looking for Judy Smith - it's about the house on Luna Way - if this is the right number, please call me back...</em>" But I managed to restrain my snarky side and left a detailed message with my concern about her listing, included my name and phone number (what a concept!) and invited her to call me back if she'd like.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'll give ya three guesses as to whether or not she did. Not that she needed to, but it would have been a nice gesture. Hey, you never know where you'll meet your next biggest client and if someone takes the time to call YOU with information you might appreciate, it's probably a good idea to call them back. What the heck.&nbsp;</p> <p>But that's not my point; I'm sure anyone reading this blog would have already made that Thank You call. My point is that maybe, just maybe this agent doesn't realize her voicemail is the "standard greeting telling callers you are unavailable" - after all, how many times do we call our own number? Maybe she USED to have a warm, friendly, inviting personal greeting on there and somehow it was erased? And she'd be stunned to find out some snarky real estate writer was criticizing her on a public blog? It's possible!</p> <p>So, don't let this happen to you! Take a moment right now and dial your own direct line; lines if you have more than one. Make sure the outgoing greeting you hear IS a greeting and one that would inspire YOU to leave a message if you were in need of real estate assistance! Might be the best investment of 60 seconds of your day today!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED BLOGS</strong></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice-">How's Your Phone Voice?</a></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2236113/20-ways-to-make-100k-this-year-or-not-part-deux-the-20-ways">20 Ways to Make $100,000/year... or not</a>! &nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1162745/do-you-use-an-autoresponder-please-be-careful-with-it-">Do You Use an Autoresponder? Please be careful with it!</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:17:08 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/3119166/-you-have-reached-850-xxx-xxxx-please-leave-a-message-at-the-sound-of-the-tone- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/252277/soi-gone-bad-21-ways-to-blow-it-with-your-sphere-of-influence <p>I love SOI*. It's my thing... it's my passion. I think every self-employed salesperson oughta include a little SOI <img title="soi" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/3/9/3/9/ar119986091893934.jpg" height="128" alt="soi" width="150">in their arsenal. <strong>Or a lot</strong>. During my real estate days, my business was nearly 100% SOI with a few random floor calls, walk-ins and web leads tossed in as gravy.</p> <p>But if you're gonna SOI, you better do it right!&nbsp;Not everyone does. In fact, most don't. Not because they're stupid or incompetent or insensitive, not at all! Rather, because most salespeople have never been shown the right way to do it. When done right, an SOI business model&nbsp;<strong>actually changes the way the salesperson views his business ... and his world. </strong></p> <p>Most experienced real estate salespeople claim to embrace an SOI philosophy. They support the idea of generating business and referrals from the people they know. But the reality is that the vast majority of real estate agents fail miserably in their SOI efforts. Even worse, they manage to alienate many of their friends and family members along the way!</p> <p>And then they proclaim that "SOI is a lousy way to run a business!"</p> <p>Well, they're wrong. And, they're right. They're wrong that an SOI strategy is a poor business model, but they're right that it was a lousy business model for them. Because they didn't understand how to do it right.</p> <p>If you're gonna SOI, you better do it right. If you're gonna do it wrong, don't do it at all. The personal relationships in your life are far too important to risk!</p> <p><strong>21 Ways to Blow it with Your SOI</strong></p> <ol> <li> <div>Ask a friend to lunch and give her your sales pitch (every time)</div> </li> <li> <div>Call your friends on the first Monday of every month and ask if they have any referrals for you.</div> </li> <li>If they don't, ask them why not.</li> <li>Angrily (or tearfully) confront your friends and family if they use another real estate agent</li> <li>Take on business you aren't qualified to handle</li> <li>Send your friends weekly emailed newsletters of your listings</li> <li> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/169774/Introvert-Tip-4-Show">Blow off your friend's housewarming party</a>, but expect her to be loyal to you </li> <li>Attend your friend's housewarming party and sales-pitch everyone to death</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how lousy the real estate market is</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how overwhelmed you are</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how depressed you are about your real estate business</li> <li>Send out an announcement letter with typo's and misspellings</li> <li>Send your friends frequent "forward this on for good luck or else" mass emails</li> <li>Pepper your language with four-letter words</li> <li>Borrow money or books or tools or whatever and don't return them in a timely manner</li> <li>Don't return social phone calls or RSVP's</li> <li>Try to hijack referral fees from your family's pre-existing real estate relationships</li> <li>Ignore your SOI in favor of mass-advertising projects (then get your feelings hurt when they use someone else)</li> <li>Contact your friends only when you're looking for business</li> <li>Offer bribes to your friends for referrals</li> <li>Sell real estate "on the side"</li> </ol> <p>*<em>An "SOI" (sphere of influence) business strategy means to generate business and referrals from the people who know you.</em></p> <p>To Read About "Doing SOI Right", check out these blogs:<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/211928/Jake-s-New-Real">The Jake Series</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/34280/Are-You-Tired-of">Are You Tired of Pestering Strangers for Business?</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/79075/What-s-the-Best">What's the Best Way to Ask for Referrals? Don't.</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/180058/SOI-and-the-Single">SOI and the Single Gal</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com">www.sellwithsoul.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:13:40 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/252277/soi-gone-bad-21-ways-to-blow-it-with-your-sphere-of-influence http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/3032552/would-you-be-willing-to-show-your-business-plan-to-your-clients-and-potential-clients- <p>Yesterday I read yet another (<em>ho hum</em>) article about how important it is for real estate agents to remember&nbsp;that their primary obligation <em>(to whom?)</em> is to prospect for new business. Every day. Before they do anything else.&nbsp;</p> <p>Blech.&nbsp;<img title="Frustrated" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/0/1/4/ar133147328941011.jpg" height="350" alt="Frustrated" width="350"></p> <p>This attitude literally nauseates me. The article went on to say that (I'm paraphrasing) since the non-income producing activities (<strong><em>specifically client service</em></strong>) we "have" to do are typically the activities that give us the most grief (<em>um... really?</em>) and create the most frustration in our lives, we should spend as little time as possible on them and relegate them to the hours of the day when our energy level is the lowest so as not to "waste" our high-energy hours taking care of those pesky clients who have the nerve to want our attention after they've hired us.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wow.</p> <p>Now, if the author of the article was saying that a natural rainmaker should go out and make rain all day long and bring the results home to a more client-oriented PARTNER (not assistant) to actually care for, I might be less critical. But nope, that wasn't the gist of the article - it was simply to say that because client service activities are not directly income-producing (<em>although I'll argue that one all day long!</em>), they should be the lowest priority on your daily to-do list.&nbsp;</p> <p>I've ranted about this before and if you'd like to read more, check out the links below. But for now, I'll just ask this...&nbsp;</p> <p>If you were to sit down right now and write up a business plan for the next twelve months where you outlined your business development (i.e. prospecting) <strong>and</strong> client service goals and commitments, and then created a mission statement based specifically on that business plan... <strong>would you be willing to share it with your clients and potential clients?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>If the mission statement you create from your business plan reads anything like: "<em>Taking care of my current clients will NOT be done until I've run out of energy to search for new ones</em>" - would you be proud to post it on your website, your blog and in your listing presentation?&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED RANTS</strong></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2606244/how-do-you-think-your-current-and-future-clients-might-feel-about-your-80-20-plan-">How do you think your clients feel about your 80/20 plan?</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2607682/80-20-prospecting-service-model-let-s-turn-that-around-can-i-interest-you-in-a-20-80-model-">80/20? Let's turn that around</a>!&nbsp;<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1786789/if-real-estate-is-so-easy-how-do-you-justify-your-fee-">If Real Estate is so easy, how do you justify your fee</a>?&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:43:37 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/3032552/would-you-be-willing-to-show-your-business-plan-to-your-clients-and-potential-clients- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2606244/how-do-you-think-your-current-and-future-clients-might-feel-about-your-80-20-plan- <p>There was a featured blog here in the Rain a few weeks ago advising agents to devote 80% of their time prospecting for new business and 20% dealing with current business (i.e. active buyers and sellers). This isn't the first time we've seen this advice and it won't be the last; in fact, most Big Name training programs proclaim that a real estate agent's <strong>primary job is to prospect</strong>; that agents should vigorously resist the temptation&nbsp;to abandon their daily prospecting&nbsp;when clients call with&nbsp;pesky, administrative, non-income-producing problems to solve. <img title="Salesperson" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/2/6/3/3/ar132256869433626.jpg" height="274" alt="Salesperson" width="350"></p> <p>But I can't help but&nbsp;wonder... If a real estate agent's <strong>primary job is to prospect</strong>... and if the job our clients have hired us to perform for them can be done in a few hours a week... <strong>how on earth do we justify charging fees in the thousands and thousands of dollars? </strong></p> <p>Hold that thought while we return to the advice to devote far more time to prospecting than to serving...</p> <p>Let's say that all this focused prospecting is paying off, and an agent is gathering an impressive book of real estate business - 5, 10, 20, 40 active buyers and sellers. Bravo!&nbsp;</p> <p>But, hmmmmm, just because the agent now has more clients to serve doesn't add hours to the day, so if he insists (as he's advised to do)&nbsp;on sticking to his 80/20 plan (because it's working so well!), his current clients&nbsp;are obviously going to be receiving smaller and smaller slices of his care and attention.</p> <p>"But," the Power Prospector&nbsp;protests, "if I <strong>don't</strong> make prospecting a priority in my business and I <strong>do</strong> focus on&nbsp;my current clients, down the road I'll find myself with an empty pipeline and I can't have THAT! So, even if <span>I'd like to do the job I promised to do</span> I'd&nbsp;prefer to provide great service to my clients, I <strong>can't</strong> because I need to ensure that I always have new business coming in."</p> <p>Well, um...</p> <p>I'm guessing your current clients wouldn't think much of this argument, especially as they're feeling more and more neglected by the agent who promised them the world in service - and isn't delivering. I'm guessing they aren't singing his praises around the water cooler or at yoga class. I'm thinking that if they knew his business model was predicated on spending the vast majority of his time searching for, preparing for and pitching to his future clients instead of taking care of THEM, his current clients,&nbsp;they might have thought twice about hiring him in the first place.</p> <p>Here's the thing. <strong>Taking proper care of your clients takes time</strong>. Your need for a full pipeline doesn't change the fact that you made promises and commitments to the buyers and sellers who believed you would take great care of them and their real estate needs. Believe me, they did NOT hire you because they were impressed by your prospecting prowess; they hired you because&nbsp;you assured them you'd take better care of them&nbsp;than any of the other agents they considered honoring with their business.</p> <p><strong>The bottom line is that if you can't handle more than X number of active buyers and sellers without sacrificing your service to them, then I guess you shouldn't be looking for more business when you already have as much as you can properly take care of.</strong></p> <p>Now let's go back to the first concept in this blog - if you're only devoting a few hours or even a few minutes a week to your clients, don't you think they might start to wonder what on earth they're paying you so much money for? And IF WHAT WE DO FOR OUR CLIENTS IS SO EASY THAT IT ONLY TAKES 20% OF OUR TIME&nbsp;OR&nbsp;WE CAN HAND IT OFF TO A $12/HOUR ASSISTANT, are our services really worth the fees we charge?</p> <p><strong>You can't have it both ways</strong>. You can't say, on one hand, that client care is simply a collection of administrative tasks that can be handled in your spare time or by an assistant,&nbsp;and THEN in the next breath&nbsp;declare that your client-care&nbsp;services are extremely valuable and should be well-compensated.</p> <p>For the record, I don't believe that what we do is easy and I do believe we deserve to be well-compensated... as long as...&nbsp;we're doing the job we were HIRED to do and giving it our full attention.</p> <p>I'll continue this soon, but please share your thoughts with me!</p> <p><strong>RELATED RANT</strong><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1786789/if-real-estate-is-so-easy-how-do-you-justify-your-fee-">If Real Estate is So Easy, How Do You Justify Your Fee?</a>&nbsp; </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:14:35 -0800 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2606244/how-do-you-think-your-current-and-future-clients-might-feel-about-your-80-20-plan- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2614646/who-sez-you-re-not-good-enough-and-why-are-you-paying-to-hear-it- <p><img title="Coach" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/9/8/9/3/ar132195683339892.png" height="456" alt="Coach" width="250"></p> <p>I&rsquo;d already been rather distressed this last week about something - and the timing is unfortunate because I have so many other things to do besides rant and rave and whine and fuss about my Issue du Jour (or du Week?) ... and then I saw Leslie Ebersole's excellent featured blog called "<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2613689/mocking-me-won-t-make-me-buy">Mocking Me Won't Make Me Buy</a>" and was inspired to put my rantings and ravings and fussings on "paper."</p> <p>In the last 7 days, I&rsquo;ve received no fewer than 12 emails or calls from real estate agents who are frustrated with the messages they&rsquo;re getting from their high-priced "coaches" telling them that WHO THEY ARE isn&rsquo;t good enough and unless they change WHO THEY ARE, they&rsquo;ll fail. They&rsquo;re paying Big Bucks for this message to be delivered to them on a regular basis and they seem to think the advice is warranted - that they truly aren&rsquo;t good enough.</p> <p>What a number that message is doing on their psyches! I have to wonder&hellip; <em>maybe this is being snarky</em>&hellip; but I have to wonder if that&rsquo;s the intent &ndash; to play on the agents&rsquo; insecurities so they&rsquo;ll keep forking over the $200/month, $500/month or even $1,000/month for coaching that seems intent on convincing the coachee that they&rsquo;re, well, not good enough!</p> <p>Now, I&rsquo;m not talking about simply encouraging these agents to work a little harder, or work a little smarter or be a little more consistent. No, as far as I can tell, these programs are advising agents to venture WAY out of their comfort zones into places that they REEEALLY don&rsquo;t want to go &ndash; and for some reason the agents aren&rsquo;t making the connection that something that creeps them out might be wrong for them!</p> <p>Here's the thing. Hiring a coach and writing him or her big check doesn't change who YOU are. If today you're creeped out by an approach to prospecting or deal-closing, don't think it's going to be any different tomorrow just because you signed up for an expensive program. You'll still be creeped out, I promise.</p> <p>As I&rsquo;ve said once or twice or a dozen times&hellip; if something feels wrong to you; if something makes you feel icky and dread getting up in the morning &ndash; it&rsquo;s WRONG for you! And you don&rsquo;t have to do it to succeed, no matter how much money you just paid someone to convince you that you should or how much they try to make you feel inferior for hesitating! You CAN succeed by being wonderful, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind YOU, I promise!</p> <p>Okay, rant over. For now.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:12:56 -0800 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2614646/who-sez-you-re-not-good-enough-and-why-are-you-paying-to-hear-it- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2592832/the-proper-care-feeding-of-sellers-from-listing-to-contract-a-free-sws-teleseminar <p><img title="Free Teleseminar" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/1/3/0/ar132070395003108.jpg" height="525" alt="Free Teleseminar" width="350">Especially for Rookie Agents (but everyone is welcome), this teleseminar show is about what happens (or SHOULD happen) between the time you get your new seller client's signature on the listing agreement and that glorious day you go under contract.</p> <p>Contrary to what some seem to believe, there are a LOT of things that a listing agent can (and should) do once the sign goes in the yard, way above and beyond the 3P's (Put a sign in the yard, Put it in the MLS, Pray). Things like communicating with the seller every day during the first week and on a regular basis thereafter. Making sure the seller approves your MLS listing. Keeping up with market activity in the area and ensuring the seller knows you are. Checking in on your listing in person every week or so. Verifying with the HOA what the seller told you about it. Soliciting and communicating showing feedback. Updating your photos when the season changes. And so much more.</p> <p>You do these things not only because they make your seller happy (which is certainly not an insignificant reason!) but also because the more in touch with your listings you are, the more likely they're going to sell, and when your listings sell, everyone wins.&nbsp;</p> <p>So, on November 10th, we'll discuss all these things a listing agent should be doing during the listing-to-contract phase, based off of Jennifer's New-Listing Checklist which you can review&nbsp;at the SWS VIP Lounge here: <a href="http://www.SellwithSoul.com/vip_lounge.html">www.SellwithSoul.com/vip_lounge.html</a>. &nbsp;</p> <p>During the show we'll cover topics such as:</p> <ul> <li>What you need to do right away once you have a signed listing agreement</li> <li>What you need to make sure your seller does prior to going on the market</li> <li>What you need to do one week, two weeks, three weeks (and beyond) after the list date</li> <li>What sorts of things (and when) to communicate to your seller throughout the process</li> <li>How to communicate feedback</li> <li>Proactive steps to take to head off problems before they arise</li> <li>And... whatever else we think of to tell you about!</li> </ul> <p>Sound like fun? If so, please mark your calendar and join us on November 10th!</p> <p><br>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong><br>Date: Thursday, November 10th, 2011<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern <br>Duration: 60 - 75 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free, but you must register, below.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/seller-l2c"><strong>REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE!</strong><br></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:28:05 -0800 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2592832/the-proper-care-feeding-of-sellers-from-listing-to-contract-a-free-sws-teleseminar http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2552717/surviving-the-home-inspection-you-are-not-powerless-a-free-sws-teleseminar <p><img title="Free Teleseminar" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/6/2/0/5/ar131843311850264.jpg" height="525" alt="Free Teleseminar" width="350"></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/inspection">REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE</a></strong></p> <p>It used to be that the inspection period of a real estate transaction was biggest hurdle to overcome once your buyer (or listing) were under contract. Get through the inspection and sigh with relief - you're heading for a closing!</p> <p>Well, that may not be the case today, but it doesn't mean that inspections aren't still a painful process for everyone, and are responsible for their fair share of failed real estate transactions. And when a sale falls apart due to inspection issues, everyone loses - the buyer, the seller, the lender and of course, both agents involved.</p> <p>Sure, there are some properties that are simply in such poor repair that unless your buyer is Joe Handy(wo)man or your seller is Mr(s). Cheerful Moneybags, the deal should crash &amp; burn. But most of the time, inspections kill the sale not because the home is a money pit, but because emotions and egos get in the way... and down the proverbial toilet we go.</p> <p>But the good news is that YOU, as the buyer or listing agent, have a whole lot more influence over the outcome of the inspection than you may have given yourself credit for. You CAN hold these sales together (if it's the right thing for your client, of course!) and do your part to help everyone happily continue the journey toward the closing table.</p> <p>So, if inspections have been a deal-buster for you in the past, or if you're a new agent and aren't really sure what your role is during the inspection process, please join us for a frank discussion about Inspections and How to Survive Them.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong><br>Date: Thursday, October 13th, 2011<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern&nbsp; <br>Duration: 60 - 75 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register below!</p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/inspection"><strong>REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE</strong><br></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:29:07 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2552717/surviving-the-home-inspection-you-are-not-powerless-a-free-sws-teleseminar http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2508902/aspiring-real-estate-agents-no-you-do-not-need-a-website-yet- <p>I recently released two newsletter mini-clinics especially for aspiring real estate agents - that is - real estate agent wannabe's who are not yet licensed, but hope to be someday. The first is called "<a href="http://sellwithsoul.com/sws-specialties/rookies/aspiring.html">So You Wanna Be a Real Estate Agent</a>" and was created to help people decide if real estate is a good career for them, and the second - "<a href="http://swsstore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&amp;p=91">So, You're ALMOST a Real Estate Agent</a>" is about helping pre-licensees (those currently in real estate s<img title="Website" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/1/2/1/ar131747564212153.jpg" height="230" alt="Website" width="299">chool) figure out what they can be doing NOW to prepare for that happy day they hang their bright shiny new real estate license on the wall of their new office.</p> <p>Anyway, since I released the two mini-clinics, I've been contacted by several aspiring agents asking for my advice on the whole pre-rookie experience. Guess what the number one question is?</p> <p>"<em>Should I start putting together&nbsp;a website?"</em></p> <p>My answer is always the same (I tend to be predictable that way). I say NO (although I do advise them to get a domain name for email purposes).</p> <p>Here's why.</p> <p>Brand new real estate agents have a lot to do. A LOT. They need to be learning about their real estate market. They need to be mastering&nbsp;their contracts and disclosures. They need to become intimately familiar with their MLS and their contract software.&nbsp;They need to understand how the buyer process works from showing to offer to contract to closing. They need to put together a plan to market their listings&nbsp;and decide how to structure their fees. They should be shadowing other agents on showings, inspections, appraisals and closings. They should be creating their team of great lenders, inspectors and handymen. They need to be reconnecting with their spheres of influence and creating transaction checklists. They need to learn about short sales and foreclosures. They need to learn how to properly price homes and create coherent, compelling, persuasive CMAs. They need to choose a contact management system and learn how to use it.</p> <p>PLENTY to do.</p> <p>Now, if there were unlimited hours in the day, unlimited dollars in the bank and unlimited energy in the proverbial gas tank, then sure, let's add "creating a&nbsp;website" to that list. But the reality for most new agents is that there is not unlimited time, an unlimited budget or an unlimited supply of energy, so a little triage is necessary.</p> <p><em>(By the way, if a new agent is finding that they DO have plenty of time on their hands, something is WRONG! Take a look at that list above and determine what it is you aren't doing... and do THAT). </em></p> <p>Your website can wait. For now, just sign up for your broker-provided site, do the minimum required to not look like a slacker, and focus on creating a great product (that would be YOU) so that when the time comes to Create Your Website, you actually have something compelling to say about that great product!</p> <p>The moral of the story - rookie agents - mark "Create My Website" off your list of Things to Do Today. Whew - one less thing!</p> <p><em></em>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 01 Oct 2011 09:30:52 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2508902/aspiring-real-estate-agents-no-you-do-not-need-a-website-yet- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2529698/the-proper-care-feeding-of-buyers-from-contract-to-closing-a-free-sws-teleseminar <p>Especially for Rookie Agents (but everyone is welcome)! <img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/7/9/4/0/ar131720902704977.jpg" height="525" alt="" width="350"></p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/buyer-c2c">Our next SWS&nbsp;teleseminar show</a> is about what happens during that mysterious period between writing an offer... and receiving your commission check. While rookie agents sometimes receive lots of training about how to SHOW houses and maybe even about how to write up offers, they are rarely given much guidance as to their duties and responsibilities once their buyer is under contract/in escrow heading for the closing table. And there's a lot going on behind the scenes!</p> <p>But here's the thing. The process of getting from Contract-to-Closing varies significantly across markets. In some areas, attorney involvement is common, even required. In others, attorneys aren't involved at all except in very special circumstances. In some markets, the property officially changes hands at the closing table; in others, the new owner must wait for the paperwork to be filed and recorded. In some areas, the inspection period allows the buyer to terminate the contract for any reason whatsoever; in others, they must give the seller the opportunity to correct any deficiencies they find.</p> <p>My point is that any non-market-specific class about how the period from Contract-to-Closing works will unfortunately be imperfect due to such variances. But that doesn't mean we won't do our best to help our new agents better understand the process!</p> <p>On September 29th, we'll have three agents here in the <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/about/calendar">SWS Virtual Studio</a>, from three different geographic locations, describe the Contract-to-Closing process in their market. We'll have an agent from the Northeast, one from the Rocky Mountains and one from California. During the show we'll cover topics such as:</p> <ul> <li>What you need to do immediately following contract execution</li> <li>What you need to make sure your buyer does immediately following contract execution</li> <li>How, why, when and with whom to follow up throughout the process</li> <li>Your role during the inspection period</li> <li>Proactive steps to take to head off problems before they arise</li> <li>What your responsibilities are prior to, during and after the closing</li> <li>And... whatever else we think of to tell you about!</li> </ul> <p>Sound like fun? If so, please mark your calendar and join us on September 29th! <br>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong><br>Date: Thursday, September 29th, 2011<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern (Please show up a little early to get settled in.)&nbsp; <br>Duration: 60 - 75 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register, below.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/buyer-c2c"><strong>REGISTER HERE</strong><br></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:26:14 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2529698/the-proper-care-feeding-of-buyers-from-contract-to-closing-a-free-sws-teleseminar http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1121485/the-real-estate-numbers-game-in-reverse-did-you-impress-more-than-you-annoyed- <p><img title="butterfly" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/5/5/3/8/ar124542315683556.png" height="288" alt="butterfly" width="288"></p> <p>As the <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/r_prospect.html">Introverted Real Estate Agent's</a> New Best Friend (I just made that up), I give out a lot of advice on how to make a real estate career work even if you aren't the most outgoing, charismatic social butterfly in town. The other day I was asked about the appropriateness of adding people to your mailing list (either email or snail-mail) without their permission. Spam issues aside (we're talking about people we know, not strangers), many introverts are hesitant to begin any structured communication with a friend or acquaintance for fear of annoying them.</p> <p>I get that. Oh, how I get that. I agonize over my mailing list every time I send something out, whether it be to my real estate Sphere of Influence or my <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com">Sell with Soul</a> readership. I wonder if I'm communicating too much; if I'm wearing out my welcome; or conversely, if I'm not communicating enough and my audience has forgotten who I am. I worry about the appropriateness of including a little promo for my next product or new listing. Conversely, I worry that if I don't, I'm not fulfilling my duty to myself to effectively market my stuff.</p> <p>It's easy to over-think such things and end up doing nothing. Which is a bad plan. So, if this sounds anything like you, here are a few thoughts to put your mind at ease...</p> <p>First, ask yourself if what you're getting ready to send out is something you're proud of. If it's something you'd enjoy receiving in your mailbox or inbox. Or, egads, if it's some cheesy newsletter or sales piece that you'd toss without reading if it were sent to you.</p> <p>If your communication is something you are proud of and would enjoy receiving, then move on down to the next point. If it's not, if you're actually embarrassed by your effort, then you need to honor that gut feeling and return to the drawing board. Because, in my opinion, sending something cheesy or dorky is NOT better than doing nothing at all! But that's a topic for a different day.</p> <p>If you're pleased with your piece, <strong>send it out</strong>. To everyone. Here's the thing. A few might be annoyed or feel spammed. That's a fact. But most won't. The vast majority won't. If you're sending out good stuff, most will enjoy it and be impressed by you. Which is good for business.</p> <p>I'd rather impress 10 people and risk annoying one than take the chance of some other agent getting my SOI's business because I was worried about the one...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:50:33 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1121485/the-real-estate-numbers-game-in-reverse-did-you-impress-more-than-you-annoyed- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1148737/-good-for-you-let-me-know-if-you-need-anything- <p>That's the response my first-month real estate agent friend got from her Big Name broker when she emailed to say she had a $1.5M buyer lead.&nbsp; "<strong><em>Good for you, let me know if you need anything."</em></strong></p> <p>Are you kidding me?</p> <p>My friend, smart as she is ;-] can barely spell MLS. She doesn't know what radon is, she doesn't know any inspectors, she doesn't yet have a relationship with a lender. She doesn't know how to select the best homes to show her new buyer.<img title="math" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/8/1/4/3/ar124731655134186.jpg" height="300" alt="math" width="300"></p> <p>But of course, she's been thoroughly trained on scripts, farming and other prospecting strategies as part of her Big Name training package.</p> <p>We've all been there, and it's a scary place. An exciting place to be, for sure, especially when a $1.5M buyer comes to call (hmmmmm... yeah, I can do that math). And yes, being new implies a level of scariness when presented with one's first customers. But Puh-leeeeaze! To tell a brand spanking new agent to "let me know if you need anything" is criminal, in my opinion. Okay,&nbsp;that's melodramatic, so if not criminal, let's say irresponsible. Heck, how about downright STUPID? My friend is on a 60/40% split, so the broker's take on this deal is... how much? A LOT. And the chances of my friend closing this deal without help are slim-to-none. Oh, and the guy is qualified up to $3.5M but claims that he's "cheap," so he asked my friend to try to stay around $1.5M.</p> <p>My friend calls me for help. Of course, I don't know her market or her contracts or her MLS or her local customs, but so far, I've been a hell of a lot more help to her than her on-site, stands-to-make-$20k-on-the-deal broker.</p> <p>I won't name names, but this is a national company that recruits rookie agents and promises them world-class training. I'm underwhelmed, to say the least.</p> <p>Thanks for listening.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:53:01 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/1148737/-good-for-you-let-me-know-if-you-need-anything- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2439755/when-s-the-best-time-to-plant-a-tree- <p>Have you ever heard the little ditty about the &ldquo;<em>What's the Best Time to Plant a Tree</em>?&rdquo;<img title="Plant a tree" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/5/9/4/1/ar131263414314953.jpg" height="371" alt="Plant a tree" width="325"></p> <p><strong>25 years ago.</strong></p> <p>What&rsquo;s the next best time to plant a tree?</p> <p><strong>Today.</strong></p> <p>Put another way &ndash; <em>What, one year from now, will you wish you&rsquo;d done today</em>?</p> <p>Or even another way &ndash; <em>What, one year from now, will you be thrilled you did today</em>?</p> <p><strong>Do that. Today.</strong></p> <p>So tell me&hellip; what&rsquo;s on your To-Do-Today list that you&rsquo;ll be tickled with yourself for doing one year from now?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:10:05 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2439755/when-s-the-best-time-to-plant-a-tree- http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2461101/so-my-contacts-are-loaded-now-what-part-2 <p>As promised... here is the follow-up to my earlier blog about what to do with your contacts once you've loaded them up in your contact management system to maximize the likelihood that your sphere of influence (the people who know you) will support your real estate business. If you'd like to read the first installment where I covered Steps 1-6, here 't'is: <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2454716/so-my-contacts-are-loaded-what-now">http://activerain.com/blogsview/2454716/so-my-contacts-are-loaded-what-now</a>-</p> <p>In a nut, Steps 1-6 had you going through all the names in your database to identify any missing bits of information, then&nbsp;categorizing your contacts as Group One, Group Two or IDK's and then cr<img title="Contact Management" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/6/5/5/6/ar13136759365569.jpg" height="259" alt="Contact Management" width="450">eating sub-groups.</p> <p>By the way, if you'd rather just watch the video of the whole webinar, you can do that here: <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/cms-contacts">www.sellwithsoul.com/cms-contacts</a>.</p> <p>So, here are Steps 7 and 8:</p> <p><strong>Step 7:</strong> Research all the missing bits of information that you identified earlier and fill them in on each contacts' profile. Facebook is a great resource for email addresses and birthdays, BTW.</p> <p><strong>Step 8:</strong> Concurrent with Step 7, identify each person in their profile as a Group One, Group&nbsp;Two or IDK, as well as any sub-group they belong to.</p> <p>(Depending on your contact manager, this last step can probably be done on a "mass" input basis.)</p> <p>Once you've completed Steps 7 and 8, you should have a relatively complete and up-to-date database (wasn't that fun? LOL). If you stay on top of it, you'll never have to go through this entire exercise again, although I believe it's a good practice to print out your database and review it a few times a year, just for kicks.</p> <p>So, now, it's time to start reconnecting with the people whose names are in that database.</p> <p>Depending on your business model and future plans for your sphere of influence, you may want to send out a "reconnection letter." I won't talk about that today because it would take too long, but I have a live workshop coming up this fall on the subject.</p> <p>But whether you send out a mass reconnection letter or not, there are several things you can be doing to reconnect with your sphere of influence, starting now!</p> <p>Here's what I would do.</p> <p>First, I would print out my Group Ones (my social network) and go through the list name by name to see who I feel like reconnecting with in the next week or two. The cool thing is that your "mood" will change week to week, so NEXT week, you can go through the list again and be drawn toward completely different people. I'd try to&nbsp;go out for coffee or drinks with two or three people a week until I'd had a face-to-face with all my Group Ones (or at least attempted to, thus making contact).</p> <p>As I'm going through my list of Group Ones, I'd try to remember the last&nbsp;conversation I had with each person to remind myself where we left off in our friendship.</p> <p>Then, on an ongoing basis after each social encounter, I'd immediately write down something we talked about that I can follow up with&nbsp;in a few days or weeks, and enter that follow-up as a task in my contact manager. For example, maybe my friend told me she was getting a new puppy over the weekend; I could call the next week to see how it's going. Or maybe a friend tells me her mother has been ill - I can follow up in a few days to see if she needs anything.</p> <p>What about your Group Twos (your "everyone else" contacts who aren't in your social network)? Well, I communicate with my Group Two with postal mailings and mass emailings. I don't try to socialize with them or make personal contact unless I have a bona-fide reason to, but my Group Two was always a significant source of business for me, even without the face-to-face/voice-to-voice contact.</p> <p>So, that's the show for today ;-]. Hope you enjoyed this little mini-series on <strong>What To Do Now That Your Contacts Are Loaded!</strong></p> <p>To read more about my Contact Management ramblings, just go here: <a href="http://www.SellwithSoul.com/contact-management">www.SellwithSoul.com/contact-management</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:59:49 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2461101/so-my-contacts-are-loaded-now-what-part-2 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2458735/negotiate-with-soul-a-free-sws-teleseminar <p><span><span><em><span><a href="http://www.swsstore.com"><img title="FUN" src="http://sellwithsoul.com/images/stories/new-storepic-of-fsre.jpg" height="213" alt="FUN" width="250"></a>Excerpted from Chapter Ten of "If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate</span></em><span>..."</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em>I used to be afraid of the word &ldquo;negotiate.&rdquo; I considered it, paradoxically, to be both beneath me and also over my head. My vision of a master negotiator was someone who was expertly manipulative, who had the attitude of one of my first clients: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a good negotiation until both sides feel some pain.&rdquo; I pictured a cheesy salesperson in an expensive suit making his opponent feel inadequate and inexperienced so that she eventually gives in against her will.</em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em>I wanted no part of that!</em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em>On the other hand, I was also intimidated by the concept of becoming a good negotiator. I read books on the Art of Persuasion and Negotiation and found the methods to be interesting but not terribly practical. When I&rsquo;m having a conversation with someone, I simply can&rsquo;t intentionally steer the conversation in the direction I want it to go using rehearsed scripts. And, frankly, being a girl, it&rsquo;s important to me that there is a mutual trust in any conversation I have&mdash;y&rsquo;know, that whole feminine relationship-building thing.</em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em>So, for years, the idea of being a great negotiator wasn&rsquo;t something I was interested in becoming.</em></span></span></p> <p><span><span><em>But you know what? Somehow I became one without even trying. No, not by listening to subliminal sleep tapes, reading books or taking an expensive weekend course, but rather by trusting my own common sense and understanding of human nature.</em></span></span></p> <p>***</p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I hear from agents all the time who say they "hate the negotiation part of real estate." Yikes! While negotiating may not be the most important skill we possess (although then again, it might be!), it's certainly something we should be reasonably competent at, and therefore, not hate the thought of! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And becoming a reasonably competent negotiator really isn't all that difficult - a lot of it is common sense and common courtesy. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>So, if you find yourself dreading the negotiation process during your real estate transactions, let us help. On August 18th, I'll be joined in the studio by Blake Farley, an SWS'er who has discovered the joys of Negotiating with Soul. We'll each share our tips and strategies for getting your clients what they want -- without alienating the other side!&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><strong><span><span>THE DETAILS<br></span></span></strong><span><span><strong><span>Date:</span></strong><span> Thursday,&nbsp;August 18th,&nbsp;2011<br></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong>Time</strong>: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern (Please show up a little early to get settled in.)&nbsp; <br></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong>Duration</strong>: 75 - 90 minutes<br></span></span></span><span><span><span><strong>Equipment Needed</strong>:&nbsp;A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers or a telephone.<br><strong>Cost:</strong> Free to attend live, but you must register, below.&nbsp;You may purchase a recording afterwards for $3.99 in the <a href="http://www.swsstore.com/"><strong><span>SWS Bookstore</span></strong></a>.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/negotiate"><strong><span>REGISTER HERE</span></strong></a></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><strong></strong><br>&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:40:48 -0700 http://theconfidentrookie.com/post/2458735/negotiate-with-soul-a-free-sws-teleseminar