Lessons from Commercials

January 21, 2012
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Watching television commercials is sooooo 1990’s. With DVR’s in the majority of households today we tend to skip through such annoyances. But when you find yourself in that rare situation where you have to sit through an advertisement (during the Super Bowl, perhaps?) you’ll notice something important about the products being highlighted: the products oftentimes are not highlighted at all. Watch the restaurant commercial and see where the real focus is: on patrons laughing and enjoying a good time. Watch a Nike commercial and you won’t see a demonstration of the shoe; you’ll see people doing amazing things while wearing the shoe. Check out the car commercial and you’ll notice the smug satisfaction of the driver. Advertisers understand a very important principle: the product isn’t about the product – it’s about how the product or service improves the user’s life. … Read More…

High Tech Thank You Notes

January 7, 2012
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This week’s article was written by our friend Mike Lyon of DoYouConvert.com I have never been a huge fan of the “thank you” note in the real estate sales process. The way I always looked at this gesture, it was one of those dated sales tactics that tracked back to when snail mail was one of the best ways to communicate with your prospects. One of the reasons I wasn’t gung ho on the idea was because it was too slow (hence, the term “snail mail”). I like fast. The faster, the better. The other reason that I wasn’t running out to buy note cards was because I’d have to ask someone for their mailing address. That can be awkward, particularly when you’re not yet “there” in the sales relationship. My preference for this type of follow-up has been to … Read More…

Maximizing the Slow Times

December 17, 2011
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Okay, so traffic is slower in December. I get that. But it doesn’t mean that the month needs to be wasted. In fact, it can be one of the most exciting months of the year. Here are three things you can do in a slow traffic community: 1) Set your goals. Pick up Brian Tracy’s excellent book “Goals” and read through it (it won’t take long). Then take some time to set your 2012 goals, or at least goals for the first quarter of 2012. You’ll find that the year starts off stronger when you go in with purpose and intention. 2) Commit to learning a very specific skill. Read an article, pick up a sales book, look through your training material, or talk to your manager. But come up with something very specific and then practice it (out loud!) … Read More…

The Pre-Season Sales Event

December 10, 2011
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We’re all thinking about the Christmas season these days, but there is another season just around the corner. The “Selling Season”. Let me tease you with the idea that there is a selling message available to you for just the next several weeks that can really boost your sales. The “Selling Season”, as it is called, is actually a buying season. It’s a matter of historical record. From late January through May, in good markets and bad, there is always a surge in buying activity. That has happened every year for decades. It will happen again in just a few short weeks. How do you take advantage of that today? Two strategy points: 1) Explain the “buying season” phenomenon to your December prospects. 2) Ask them if it’s better to buy just before everyone else does, or to wait until … Read More…

The Crisis of Confidence

December 3, 2011
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Why aren’t people buying more homes? Unemployment? Nope. There are still tens of millions of would-be homebuyers who can easily afford a new home. Financing availability? Not that either. The qualification process has definitely become (appropriately) more complicated, but there are still plenty of programs out there, and at phenomenally low interest rates. Fear of price drops? Not if you look at the numbers. When you look at the average price of a new home in the United States over the past 24 months you’ll see relatively little movement. No, the masses are not buying because of the ongoing crisis of confidence. No confidence in the economy. No confidence in the government. No confidence that the dream of homeownership will be something other than a nightmare. Where do you fit into all this? Well, let me ask you this question. … Read More…

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