Though there are a buncha things I read on this blog with which I disagree, there’s one thing for sure — there’s no shortage of reliable information. Also, expertise is freely shared by most of the contributors on what seems an almost infinite array of subjects. What this blog does best, from where I stand, is show the way to fellow pros to a more effective business.
Brian Brady, Sean Purcell, Chris Johnson and I seem to be the ones who at times address the other side of that coin — taking the ‘How To’ to the ‘Wow! This Stuff Really Does Work’ stage. Possibly the best nugget I’ve taken from BHB is Greg’s 20-something bullet point list for selling his listings. Talk about goin’ from the ‘How To’ to ‘Wow’ stage.
Brian’s a practitioner of what I call ‘Old Skool’ marketing. He’ll toss his latest marketing salad ’till it either produces or bombs. But even his bombs usually end up pointing him in the direction of enhanced success. He keeps doin’ what works, while never resting on his laurels.
Sean shows us where we may have unknowingly run outa bounds. He gently guides us back to the field of play, which is, after all, the only place any of us can ever score. He seems to have that sixth sense. You know the one — the ability to see what and why something will be effective. Or, better yet, how it can be made more so — like he did a few days ago.
Chris? Chris reminds me of Dad so much it’s freakin’ scary. If I believed in channeling I’d swear that’s what he’s been doing lately. If you read anything he writes and come away unsure about what he really thinks, you’re probably beyond hope. 🙂 He says things other people are thinkin’, but don’t dare openly express. Chris is like the guy in the locker room listening to all the guys brag about their romantic conquests. Know why he’s quiet? Those that do more than talk are rarely loud about it. They just, well, do. Chris understands the #1 rule of sales: See/Talk to the people. Rule #2? Never violate Rule #1.
I’m not sure how to categorize myself, so I won’t. Suffice to say at times I endeavor to inspire, gently scold, encourage, or just plain call things as I see ’em. Today’s thoughts are probably a mix of all those, but more a reality check than anything else.
Thought: I realize preparation and process have their place, but at some point shut your pie hole and actually do something which will end up with you in front of somebody who can either tell ya to go to hell, or do business with ya.
Thought: Stop frettin’ about how Steve the geek gets so many online leads. If he lists a couple properties monthly from his endless leads, and you list two monthly from your 1958 methodology, ask yourself — who made more money? (Don’t answer, it’s a rhetorical question, Einstein.)
Thought: Ever wonder how a mortgage guy like Brian keeps doing business when everything around him has changed umpteen times? Don’t bother him, I’ll tell ya. He changes what he’s doing when what he’s doing stops working. Guess that merits him a Nobel Prize, right? 🙂 He can change vehicles faster than you can watch him do it — while gaining speed.
Thought: If you haven’t figured out by now that sales is about skinnin’ cats, you need to either change your thought process or put your job app into Von’s today. Nobody cares a whit about why you’re not pilin’ up new skins. They’re far more interested in how the guy down the hall skinned those three just last week.
Thought: You already know whatever it is you need to do to add more feline fur to your wall. You’ve done just about everything possible to avoid actually doing it. Seriously ask yourself why — give yourself an equally honest answer — than start doing it.
Thought: Those who’re still makin’ bank are the ones still doin’ whatever it takes to talk to strangers who just might tell ’em to go to hell. Every time one decides you may actually have the solution to their need, perform like a champion, and act like you’ve been there before.
Suggestion: The ‘how’ is your job, but whatever you do to find new clients, do it every day without ceasing ’till you schedule at least one solid appointment with a serious minded prospect. Do this six days a week for 90 days. Care to predict the potential results? I care to. 🙂
There are 13 weeks X 6 days which = 78 appointments with serious people. Let’s invoke the 80/20 rule plus the concept of Life Happens and say those 90 days produced 62 belly to belly encounters.
If you show up to these meetings wearing Levi’s and a tank top, you should still trip over six cat skins. If you dress, act, and speak like a pro you should do WAY better than that. But even if you only do twice at well as a tank top wearin’ dufus, that’s a dozen deals in 90 days. If the average sales price is say, $150,000, and you make 3% on each of ’em — that’s about o $54,000 — more than what I think is the median income for the average full time agent.
Question: Forgetting why you haven’t done this in the past, why wouldn’t you immediately put this strategy into play?
Why?
Joe says:
Very thought provoking Jeff. Colleen (the better half) has 10 homes in escrow right now, and we are doing very little of what most consider the time’s marketing to-dos. We are thinking outside the box to stay busy these days and it’s working for us.
June 23, 2009 — 12:05 pm
Jeff Brown says:
Hey Joe — Love hearing feedback like that. And from a bald guy too. 🙂
June 23, 2009 — 1:52 pm
Brian Brady says:
“Do this six days a week for 90 days.”
Brilliant advice. Check this one out on Active Rain:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1125719/open-your-mouth-in-this-market
This guy is (egads) CALLING 45-60 people a day? Say it ain’t so, Joe !
Do what works…until it doesn’t (but always be testing; ALWAYS be testing)
June 23, 2009 — 11:17 pm
Sean Purcell says:
I’m not sure how to categorize myself, so I won’t.
If you don’t mind, I’ll take a shot at it:
June 24, 2009 — 8:31 am
Jeff Brown says:
Brian – There was a guy in a Pru CA office who came to the office at 1:30 or so every day, then left on or before 5. The morning hours? In his den at home with a huge mug of coffee, dialin’ for dollars as he liked to say. Depending upon his mood of the day, he’d call 50-100 homeowners, but never less than 50. He had learned various scripts which he could recite hungover with the flu. 🙂
I loved the AR post. It illustrates how showing up in the batter’s box with a bat held at the right end will get you some sort of batting average over time. I’m reminded of the now famous woman, an Asian who could barely make herself understood when she first started as an agent. When she called folks cold, all she could really say was “Do ya wanna sell?” Within a few years the only sales records she was breaking were her own. 🙂
I’ll pull from one of our recent conversations. Winning as a loan office or RE agent isn’t defeating someone else. It’s about how many cats are skinned at the end of each month. How many would look at an agent or loan officer who makes $20,000 monthly and call him a loser because he’s only 7th in his own office? Betcha his wife think’s he’s a winner. 🙂
Brady Axiom: Always be testing. Amen
June 24, 2009 — 9:30 am
Jeff Brown says:
Sean — This is Uncle BawldGuy from three doors down. 🙂
I like your take. If I’m that mirror, it’s only because I’ve spent at least my share of time being called on the carpet myself, big time. Some of my mentors began with ‘brutal’ and escalated from there. I sometimes get chills just remembering some of the private meetings in which I was dressed down like a 4th grader who just told the teacher the dog ate his homework.
Once, in a scathing tone, I was told that if ‘getting ready’ to prospect was a task worthy of compensation, I’d of been retired by the time I was 22. Ouch!
June 24, 2009 — 9:45 am
Russell Shaw says:
I just know you got this from your dad: “at some point shut your pie hole and actually do something which will end up with you in front of somebody who can either tell ya to go to hell, or do business with ya”.
Simple. Genius.
June 24, 2009 — 10:47 am
Jeff Brown says:
Russ — Dead on, it was from Dad. Had to clean it up too. 🙂
June 24, 2009 — 2:04 pm