Back to School Strategies for Real Estate Pros

Lessons for Success

You can almost feel it - that anxiousness, excitement and uncertainty that envelopes us around this time year after year. Tens of millions of children headed back to classes, and even those without little ones can get caught up in the thirst for knowledge, need for more certain schedules and the never-too-old-for allure of new notebooks and supplies. All right, maybe that last one is just me, but you'll have to admit there is something exciting about creating a clean slate, learning to the best of our abilities and growing as a sales professional as well as a person.

Ready to get started? You've had a healthy breakfast, donned your uniform (name badges everyone!) put on your thinking caps and you're ready to learn - right? Here are the "classes" you must master in this market:

1. Niche Marketing: Niche players fare better, earn more, usually are better at time management and can more quickly define themselves as an expert in their market area. Why? First, it gives you clarity of purpose, so you're more efficient in the way you conduct your business, in the manner you build your skill sets and your knowledge base and in how you grow your customer base. You don't need to be all things to all people. You just need to be the best at reaching out to, teaching and building relationships with that core group or niche. That not only builds your business faster, but it gives you a sense of certainty and confidence that you wouldn't have if you were trying to work with any and all customer types.

So who do YOU want to work with most? Seniors? First time home buyers? FSBOs? Luxury Markets? Or maybe outside the box ideas like horse enthusiasts, Harley riders, yacht club members, golfers? Find the fit that's right for you - then be the BEST for that niche!

That's not to say you ignore your sphere - just keep enhancing it by building niche markets that help it (and your business) to grow!

2. Leveraging Technology Tools: Leveraging technology and available networking to maximize your potential for lead generation, prospecting and keeping your pipeline of customers filled is crucial to your success. That means learning how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the social networking tools that are available today. It can also mean hosting weekly or monthly conference calls, webinars and workshops for those in your niche, community or sphere of influence. These are great ways to inexpensively and effectively establish and reinforce your niche. Technology allows you to be in many places and in front of many people at one time, which helps you build relationships by using these tools to share information on a regular, consistent basis.

Technology also allows you to put systems in place such as automating the marketing of your listings using systems such as MLSmailings.com, www.GettingListingsSold.com which can take some of the daily, weekly and monthly marketing chores off your to-do list, freeing you up to spend more time at what you do best - getting face-to-face with customers and prospects.

3. Work High Priority Activities First. Real estate agents get paid to build relationships and provide exceptional service. There are plenty of ways to be BUSY in this business - but the activities that matter most are the ones that are directly tied to your bottom line. You need to have absolute focus on scheduling the time to prospect, present, close and build relationships before anything else. That means making and KEEPING that appointment with yourself every day.

The last thing we wanted to cover in our time together is how, as sales professionals, we can create good study habits that will also contribute to our success. Got down time? In the car, on the treadmill, during your commute? Make the most of it by 'plugging in' to top speakers, trainers and coaches that you can listen to on the go.

Another great idea is to begin and end your day with a chance to learn. Keep a book or two beside your bed and spend that first fifteen minutes or so when you rise and before your head hits the pillow at night to drink in new information. It's a great way to fuel our minds and a powerful way to bookend your day.

Need help? To learn more about how we can help you fuel your business, streamline your systems and take your career to the next level, call our marketing team today at 866.405.3638 or visit our website www.prospectsplus.com.


Published: August 7, 2013
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