Finding the Quick and Easy Deal–NOW!

Are you reading this because of the title?  Do you need one more transaction before the end of month?  Beware you may be susceptible to a quick fix that could you lead you down a path to nowhere.  On the other hand, it could motivate you to get busy and find it NOW.

Quick and easy do not always mean today.  It could just mean looking in the right places to get the right results.  I believe we can find it now and get paid soon.  I will try to explain how dangerous it is and how probable it could be.

1. It could be dangerous if someone promises that they can you get you all the leads you need on the internet.  It is easy to fall prey to this one because no work is required and all of us like to make money doing nothing.
2. It is probable if you hold a powerful open house with invitations to 500 neighbors, emailing to database and using your website for marketing.
3. It could be dangerous if you believe that everyone already knows you and will call as soon as they have a referral for you.
4. It is probable if you talk with your Sphere of Influence on the phone to see how things are going in life and other topics of interest.
5. It could be dangerous if you are waiting for people to get to know you as an agent.
6. It is probable if you attend a community networking group this week with the right questions to ask going in.
7. It could be dangerous if you are waiting to see how this Social Media thing works out for other agents before you decide if it is for you.
8. It is probable if you build friends and relationships and stay connected.
9. It could be dangerous if you believe all the stories that other agents are telling you about what will and will not work.
10. It is probable if you create your own story about what you believe and believe it to the core.
11. It could be dangerous if you allow your past clients to send business to others because they forgot about you.
12. It is probable if you call them and talk about them and about you.

It is quick because they already know you and it is easy because you already know them.  Connecting with people that have done business with you or just know you because can produce great results.  Get started today and share how it is going.

Coach Phil

I can’t believe this.

Yesterday while conducting an Elite Group one of the agents was so excited. She was calling her Sphere of Influence in her database and had a great response. “They were so thankful that I called to say hello.” Really?
Our afternoon group had conducted Open Houses the week before. Another agent responded, “We invited 55 homes in the neighborhood and 12 came by.” Really? Already working with a buyer and one of the neighbors invited the agent over for tea. Connection and future business.
92% of the agents that I meet for the first time do not use a database on a monthly basis. They kind of play with it in their Outlook, try to keep up with people with their Excel sheet and hope that they can remember to call past clients from their pure memory. Safe to say that there is no strategy but hopefully luck will come their way.
Stay connected. Building the real estate business is about staying in touch with people you meet and people you have done business with in the past. Consistently touching by phone and through email is a monthly and in some cases a weekly task. But it doesn’t have to be a task. It can be automatic and fun. Building real estate relationships can be difficult so why lose them so quickly? If you took the time and money to build wouldn’t it be easier to keep the ones you have and add more as you go rather than always be looking for new ones while some slip away? Think about the commission on just one lost deal.
Reach out. Spreading the word according to Malcolm Gladwell is easier when you have Connectors. Where are the Connectors? How do you find them? Oh yeah, how do you keep them? The database is where all is stored and maintained. Consistent messages and updates allow the Connectors to reach out to their contacts and spread the word about you. Without good Connectors you are hoping and wishing and that is not a strategy and has limited possibilities. With the right people you will reach your Full Income Potential.
How do I fill my database? Never buy contacts and think before you buy the gimmicks of how to build your business. You build it through open houses, networking, referrals, social media, websites, and relationships and through FUN. If you do all of these and not already built a huge database then you need to reconsider how you do the above activities. They are designed to build your database and create a business without the peaks and valleys.
Coach Phil
PS. Keeping contacts on sticky notes is not a system. The ink finally fades. Be good.

Politicians need votes, Agents need listings

Last week I was coaching an agent and saw that she had the ability to make things happen quickly and wondered why had she not been able to reach her full potential?  She had tried the same old stuff.  Social media coaching by one company, cold calling by another and yes “get 2 deals in 7 days” and all had led to the same results.  A promise of deals soon and no long term plan.  She only had so many friends to call and the cold calling was as effective as extracting a tooth without Novocaine.  Her Facebook was cool and filled with other agents, family and friends.  Her family and friends were already using her so except to send a few photos nothing was happening.

She bought into the hype of trainers, speakers and others that had something to sell.  Honestly, I wished it had worked for her.  She would have saved money and a tremendous amount of time.  So we directed her focus in another way.

Politicians campaign in different ways.  A national campaign such as the Presidential campaign must focus on all parts of the country.  Distinct cultures, religious beliefs, lifestyles, and different socio-economic situations make it very difficult to get votes from different regions with only one message.  That is why the candidate will organize locally and put boots on the ground if the area warrants.  This is determined by the amount of votes they can get.  State races such as for governor or senator are different.  They focus on the state issues and all the fore mentioned.  What about the local councilperson’s race or the mayoral race?  They focus on the city or the district.  The candidate in your city is not concerned about having Facebook friends 2,000 miles away.  They have a razor focus to the constituents that can vote for them.

How do your local candidates connect?  List the ways.  You will find several ways they do it and not just one or two.   It is all about the connection.  Remember that all things being equal people do business with people they like and all things not being equal people still do business with people they like.  This doesn’t change from industry to industry or election to election.

After you have determined how the successful local candidate connected then you will have a good pattern to follow.  Did they use public events to make an appearance?  Did they hand out fliers?  Did they use social media?  Were they on the radio?  These questions should be answered and you will need to do the homework.

Real estate is all local.  It doesn’t matter what NAR says about the national statistics or what other experts say.  It is always local to the area you are working and not one community over.  While Twitter may work miracles for the presidential race it could have no impact in a small town in Kentucky unless they are big into Twitter.  You are local, working locally and your plan must be local.  If not, then you are set up for spending a ton of money with little results.  Don’t fall into the trap that you are only spending a few dollars on each outreach.  When you add it up, it becomes a sum that could be used to make a ton of money in ways that are much more effective.  If you work a seasonal market like Hawaii or parts of North Carolina then your plan will vary.  You are reaching out to people that live in different areas.  Does this make sense?

Does the candidate for mayor of your town use a website that is cloned by a company then put his or her picture in and depends on them to put in the content?  If so then they were a candidate now looking for a job.  It is about the candidate’s views, updates and when the next big meeting is taking place.  You will not find Inman news or any other negative thoughts about the poor market place.  You will not find the WSJ at the bottom where all the bad news about the housing market exists.

Does your local candidate do a ton of hand shaking at networking events?  Thought so! Does he/she spend hours in an office looking at paper work or checking out the MLS to see if they could find some new voters?  Thought not!

Every candidate has a daily plan.  They will not sit at the front desk hoping for the phone to ring in order to get a free vote.  They get up and get out and make things happen.

Does the candidate need help?  Yes.  They have advisors and consultants but never do they sit and hope that something will happen in the polls.  They watch them with the anticipation and planning to change them for the better.

Why do candidates watch the polls?  It is simple.  They are trying to see what works and will not keep doing the same thing if they go lower.  They don’t have the time to wait it out and will never keep doing the same thing if it is not working.  They will change overnight even if it means no sleep.  After the election the polls are no longer valuable.

If you bought into the fantasy that real estate is easy with so much time off then you need to know that the only people that get rich is the one that sold you that idea with a ton of stuff.  They got rich and you paid for it.

This is only the beginning but a nice start.  We have other ways of increasing your revenue if you are committed to change.  We hear so much now in real estate about change and the Shift.  What does that mean for you?  Buying something else and hoping it works.  Again, is it a local strategy or a sales pitch?  Change is costly and difficult.  Look to a famous sports figure and tell me it was simple.  Did you notice in Egypt that change came with a great price and much sacrifice?   Asked the people spending days in the square/park if it was worth it?

Phil Lamb    

What to do when the sizzle burns out…

Got a new idea?  Stay up all night thinking about it?  Can’t wait to get started early in the morning?  You finally have a solution and the fire begins.

What happens in business when you go from planning to hope?  The reality is business still is the solution not the problem.  Real estate or any other business is the vehicle that provides opportunity for you and your family.  It affords you the luxury of living as you desire.

Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better… Jim Rohn

Let me share 3 simple steps to reigniting the sizzle in your business.

1.  Be honest with where you are.  Most people have a difficult time really being honest when times are hard.  I am not just talking about losers but big time money makers as well.  How are you doing?  How are your finances?  How much have you cut back just to get by?  Do you see it getting better soon?  Do you have a plan to make it better or just sitting on the bench till the coach tells you to get back in the game?  Share with your closest confidants exactly what you are feeling.  This is the first step of getting unstuck.

2.  Do something today.  This is not the day to pull back or retreat.  Today is a day of creativity and one of solutions.  But you must see it and create it on the playing field.  If you are not sure then get help.  If you thirst to see change, then go find it.  Take a small action step.  Do it differently today than you did yesterday.  Make sure that your action step has been proven to work.  Stop the madness of trial and error.  Get the steps that work for others and you will be saved from a ton of hard work and failure.

3.  Get help today.  Why does one believe that the same thinking that got them into this position can get them out?  That is why you are where you are.  Get an outside view from someone else.  Let go of you and begin to think about the outcome of the way it should be.  Pick up the phone, send an email but make some adjustment before you get started this day.

I know many real estate agents and managers that are making more money in 2011 than they did in 2005.  Why is that?  They built their business with a great model instead of relying on luck or a hot market.  Jada Sparks, Anderson, Indiana, was building her business from the beginning and will do over 100 transactions this year.  Pat Choi, Choi International, will sell over a $100 million in residential properties this year alone.  They focus on the model and the daily results.

Sizzle is what makes the business continue to grow and life much easier.  Get it now.

Phil

 

 

Real Estate Manager: Left out or left field?

The worst position of the field is “Left Out”.

Our goal at Agent Power Up is to engage every player in your office: owners, managers and agents. We believe that when each of these very important segments is attended to – in a one on one partnership – great things do happen and the entire team wins!

We understand the pressure that ownership feels. Whether by producing more business or cutting costs, owners know that numbers have to stay in the black. At the other end of the spectrum, the agents need the direction, guidance and accountability to meet their goals and contribute to the bottom line.

And caught in the middle? The manager!

Often the manager is the forgotten player on the team – not by design, but by default. Everyone is trying to keep their end of the bargain up and the manager feels the pressure from both sides. The manager often is relaying or answering questions from the agents for office decisions that they may or may not have made.  They often times are in the middle.  Feeling the pain of the agent on a daily basis but also understanding that the business from the top must continue to be worth the investment.

At APU we are able to help all three levels (owner, manager and agents) or just one level depending on the need of the real estate company. We want your whole team to experience the win.

Mindset, Determination and the Tools to Succeed.

In the midst of constant advances in technology, rapidly fluctuating market changes and a business world that evolves daily one thing never changes: Human Nature.

The focus on social media, marketing strategy and the latest products and technology is exciting, but the forgotten aspect is that  Human Nature remains the same. At APU, we believe that Human Nature is the driving force of any real estate company. Until the Human Nature in your office is tapped into, the latest tech tools and gadgetry are of very little consequence. Agents looking for a quick fix or the latest “must have” are really looking for help dealing with deeper issues of Mindset, Determination and the Tools to Succeed. If we can help your agents with those essential items, you’re office will be unrecognizable.

We need to embrace the progress but understand the driving force.  People are still people and remain in control of their own destiny.  It is up to each one of us to choose whether it is a preferred destiny or simply one we arrive at by default.

Office Fragmentation Creates Frustration

How does the owner of a company make more money?

How does a manager make more money?

How does an agent make more money?

If you are able to answer those three simple questions you will experience the preferred outcome you desire.  What causes fragmentation or a misaligned purpose is when one of the three groups mentioned above doesn’t understand the basics principles of building a real estate business or a successful office.

•  If Owners do not make the money or achieve the goals that they have set, it is for one of two reasons:

1. They don’t know how to do it, (Skill Set),
2. Or they know how to do it and they do not follow through. (Procrastination)

• Managers are the same.
• Agents continue the dilemma.  It’s either a Skill Set or Procrastination issue.

How do I know this? 

After years as a coach in the real-estate industry, some things are very clear:

• No Owner would deliberately sabotage his or her own financial future on purpose.
• No Manager would destroy their financial well-being by design.
• Not one single Agent gets up in the morning thinking of ways to fail or be unproductive.

As different as they seem, all three groups are in complete agreement when it comes to what they desire at the end of the day.

They desire to make more money and enjoy life to its fullest.

If each of the players on your team has a clear understanding of each other’s role and how working together can allow everyone to achieve their highest level of production, then everyone will win.

Can you imagine a day when the following would describe your office?

• When agents no longer wonder why the company is not making the money they desire.
• When managers are no longer frustrated because all the agents are NOT being fully productive.

Our Human Nature tends to push the frustration off on others instead of answering the 2 previous questions:  Do you know what to do?  Do you know what to do and simply aren’t doing it?

How do we move forward?  What is the next step?  How do we all get what we want?

This is business.  This is reality.  This is success in the very beginning stages.

We believe that all three elements of your office can learn to play together on a winning team. We believe that the real estate space continues to be the best business opportunity in America if done correctly.

We would love to discuss how to make a winning team out of your office. Call us today and see what we have in mind.

888-436-7779                           Phil@agentpowerup.com                              Facebook.com/agentpowerup

What you think about you determines the money you make.

Do you seriously think you are going to be super successful in real estate?

Do you think you can be successful without thinking the right way?

I love asking questions and looking for answers.  It creates a great energy that moves me to a new level.  On the other hand, not having a great belief system could destroy me or anyone else.  The key however is being real honest with you.

HERE ARE THE FACTS:

Anyone can do it.  Real estate is only difficult if we make it that way.  It is not an intellectual game reserved only for a few.  It begins with the resounding YES coming from your heart.  Yes, I can do this.

There is no limit to how much you can make.  You will make what you think you are worth and how much time you are willing to invest.  These 2 significant factors should be decided now.  If you have to think about it then you have already questioned your ability and how much you can make.  Get out of your way and let the real estate world see your desires.  Let them know that you are alive and well.  Cut no deals to get the deal and keep focused on what makes you money.  Don’t be afraid to make a ton of money.  Don’t see it as a pie in the sky proposition.  Expect it and receive it.

No huge personality is needed.  Shy and afraid to introduce yourself to people then take heart.  It is still for you.  Just moved into a new area or not comfortable where you live now?  Are you afraid of rejection or stand in fear of asking for business?  Been through a rough time in life like so many others?  Keep reading my friend.  Real estate gives opportunity.

Even if you are successful now as an agent more is waiting for you.  Who created the ceiling that makes you think you have arrived and go no higher in your career?  How do you find the next big leap in your business path?  The only reason that this year is not as bigger than the last is that you may find yourself stuck.  Getting unstuck is for the mega agent and the mid-income producer as well.  Where you are does not mean that more cannot be had.

These simple facts will change your life if you accept them as totally true.  If not then you will remain where you are and find yourself going the wrong direction soon.  Read the facts again and agree or disagree but please don’t stand on the fence.  Make a decision.  Are they facts or not?

Every year Jada Sparks, Pat Choi and Randy Vanderpool are making more than the previous year.  Why is that?  They are hungry to do better.  Simply put they make no excuses and look with entrepreneurial minds how to create more business.  They seek help and help others.  But more importantly, they believe that the ceiling is way above where they are now.  Yes they are super stars because they think like super stars.  Hungry, determined and willing to do what it takes to do more are the trademarks of these great agents.

Get on board with your belief system, determination and get the tools to succeed.

Let me know your thoughts and questions.

Thanks for dreaming and believing,

Phil

That No-Show Irritated Me.

Come on.  This has happened to every real estate professional in America.  You get to the appointment all dressed and ready to show the house.  You turned on all the lights and you stopped by the mirror to make sure your hair looked nice.  Then the guy doesn’t show up.  He didn’t even call you.  You are now irritated.

This has happened to me several times over the past 30 years.  I remember one time I was so upset only to find out that the lady had been taken to the hospital.  I kind of felt guilty once I found out why she was a no-show.

Let me tell you that the most irritating no-show you will ever encounter is when you are a no-show for yourself.  You get up in the morning turn on the lights, take a wonderful warm shower, and get the hair just perfect and at the end of the day you feel that you have accomplished very little.

Signs of a No-Show:

• No real follow up plan for the day
• Not sure where to begin
• Confused about what is the goal for today
• Uncertain about lunch plans
• Anxious about a prospect’s decision

Signs of  showing up:

• Can’t  wait to get going
• Got my first phone call for 10am
• Will accomplish these three things today
• Have my thank you card ready to send following lunch
• Expect the prospect to become my client by 6pm today

The first step today is show up.  Irritation is a result of not showing up.  You have no control over others.  You are in complete control of you.  Go ahead and show up today.

Use your Daily Goal Tracker.

Running Free…

I remember as a child the times that I felt I was running without boundaries, rules or regulations, and just the security of my parents that everything would be just fine. I felt safe. My ego was not comparing my freedom or ability by what other kids did or had. I was just me and that felt good. I could become anything I desired and limits were not a part of my thinking.
Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas. –PAULA POUNDSTONE
As a child I was not out of control on the contraire I was a good example. As least that is what my parents thought. I was running free and the world was mine. Know that feeling? Do I want to be a doctor, lawyer, fireman, President of the United States, or just work with my dad for the rest of my life? It was my decision and no one else to tell me NO. I was a kid running free.
WHAT KEEPS US FROM RUNNING FREE TODAY?
What do others think of me? Automatically this thinking has limiting and struggling beliefs. It distributes your power to others and you lose control. You lose control of your dreams and the ability to grow as a business person and a healthy human being. The effects are much more than income. It affects your relationships, your self-esteem and others around you. Leading becomes impossible and joy becomes a memory from a time when you thought you were running free.
What does my ego tell me? That I have to prove that I am right and that I must manipulate what others think so I don’t disappoint myself. I lose the ability to grow and ask for help. Why? I am no longer running free but at the mercy of justifying what I do instead of learning a better way of doing it. I stopped being a child and became an adult. Oh for the days of just running free.
Am I good at what I do? Am I leading effectively? Do others suffer because I have stopped asking for help or being open about my desire to grow? These questions are never asked by a child. The answers are simply their way of being. Remember the times when we were curious and always asking a ton of questions? Did a parent ever tell you to stop asking so many questions? Now we are adults and are assumed to have all the answers. What a tragedy that we no longer run free.
How do I know if I am good at what I do? The child never asks that question because he or she just enjoys the life and waits for the next big adventure. The adult compares himself/herself to what others are doing. This is a shallow and crippling thought-process. This behavior is a ceiling to growth. You will never run free if you are comparing yourself to others. Recently an office was rewarded the #1 in the company and everyone felt so good. But what are they comparing themselves too? If 10 other offices are mediocre and you are a bit better then what have you accomplished? You are the Top #1 Producing Office of the Mediocre. Remove the ceiling of your comparing yourself to others and begin to run free without hesitation. Feel good if you must for being #1 but only for a time. Allow you to be the only ceiling you have and then you are running free. You are as powerful as a child running free and the world is yours.
The Conclusion: Remove the fear. Take the step. Become a child and start over by asking questions. Let go of the thought that you have to prove your self-worthiness and stand behind what you have done in the past. Let it go and learn. The child may not be as wise as you but at least he/she is running free.

What do you do when times are tough?

Business is not what it was 5 years ago. So what do you do? Several options are available. You can give up. You can struggle and commiserate. You can complain and hope the future is better. The other option is to GET TOUGHER.

Your mindset is the beginning of today. Change will never occur tomorrow nor does it have a chance next month. Today I choose to be determined to succeed. This economy is not my enemy but my opportunity. It begins in the mind.

Your determination is what you decide. Isn’t it interesting how we applaud an athlete when they overcome a big obstacle like injury or a near death experience? We never see the hard work or determination to recover. We just make them heroes because they overcame. Today you must be determined to be your own hero.

Getting tougher requires having the right tools to keep the momentum going day after day. Most successful people have tools. They know what to work on, how to do it and an organized plan that keeps them on track.

Here are a few questions to ponder and take action:
1. Do I believe I can do it?
2. Do I have the fortitude to take action today?
3. Is my daily plan set?
4. Do I know what I am doing?
5. Am I being honest with myself?

Building a business is like running a marathon. Hard work is not enough. Hoping is not enough. Being tough and on-track are a necessity. When times get tough you get tougher. I can’t think of many other options. Maybe failure is one. I don’t think so. I will get started today.

Raise your hand if you are in.

How to stop buying hope and begin creating it.

I have been coaching for more many years. At times it seems like everyone I coach becomes successful and at other times it seems hopeless for some. Do you ever feel like you are fighting a losing cause or making very little progress in your real estate business? What affect do your emotions have on your business? Do you trying buying hope when things are tough?

I have found that it is easier to buy some hope rather than creating it. A good example is to fall prey to the best referral system in the business when you are just hoping it works. This is not a good strategy. Months later you find yourself no closer to what you wanted and you either look for something else to buy or just give up and things go back to exactly where they were. I need a new listing presentation so the first good personality that comes along selling it, I do it again. You need some more hope so you buy the cheapest email marketing campaign and sure enough same results. What would happen if you created your hope instead of buying it?

You are unique to the world. You are not just another agent in the market. You have qualities and characteristics that offer a different style or being that cannot be duplicated. You are you. How do you discover more of you to use in your business? How do you connect with others that are looking for what you offer and who you are? How do you stay connected to you and others?

I just saw a great ad from an internet marketer. He is selling How to be like Oprah and the system that she used to become successful. The truth is so many will probably buy the system. The other truth is it will not work. Oprah never had a system to become Oprah. You are not Oprah. You are you. Systems may be very important on the backend of the office but you will always be you and that is what makes you unique to the market.

The reason I have never coached scripts is that you lose the most powerful part of your business. You lose you with someone else’s words. That is a lazy strategy. I do believe in a structure and a few guidelines but only you can create what you offer in way of words. This is where you stop buying hope and begin to create it. Your power comes from within and not just in the language. Especially the language you buy.

Passion about your core beliefs and what you offer comes from you. If not, it will burn out and so will you. What do you believe in? Do you believe in yourself? Others will not believe in you no matter how many scripts you have until you capture the essence of you and your inner core. That is something you can’t buy but you can create.

Let me know what you are thinking.