Sassy Real Estate Marketing

Law of Attraction Marketing in 5 Easy Steps

2007-07-24T08:34:00.001-07:00

Law of Attraction Marketing in 5 Easy Steps

by Dr. Maya Bailey

The thought of marketing makes most people clench their teeth, tighten their stomach and engage in marketing avoidant behavior that sends their business down the drain.
They tell me, "If only I could learn to market myself, I would love this business. I would be making a fortune."
If you have these feelings, you're not alone. There are specific reasons why people are marketing avoidant. Here are a few:
"I don't want to bother people."
How many times have you said it yourself before you picked up the phone? The fear of bothering people is huge. In the same breath, most real estate agents tell me, "I hate it when a telemarketer calls me at home and I don't want to do the same thing to other people."
"I don't like tooting my own horn"
So many of us have been taught, especially women, that it's not good to promote yourself.
"I don't want to be rejected"
Some people are so terrified of being rejected or disapproved of that they will even avoid calling their former clients. I have written previously in other articles about the phenomena of having a sphere of influence, which is your "goldmine," but being afraid to "mine it."
Fortunately, the Law of Attraction provides solutions for Real Estate marketing.
Here are 5 easy ways to use the Law of Attraction so that you can transform "marketing" into a pleasurable and profitable experience.
Think of giving.
Whenever you think of marketing yourself, think about the fact that you are actually "offering" a valuable service.
The law of attraction tells us that we get back what we give out. If you think of giving out a valuable service, and you focus on what you have to give you will radiate out such a powerful force of positive energy that you will attract it back to you in terms of clients and sales. The "secret" is to focus on being "the giver."
Know your unique selling points.
Most of the time when I coach my real estate clients, they hugely underestimate what makes them unique. When I ask them, "Why should I work with you instead of another real estate agent?" they honestly don't know.
Here's the "secret:" make a list of what your former clients have complimented you for. Did they tell you that you were friendly, easy to get along with, very knowledgeable, extremely dependable, or great with follow-up?
As you make the list and think about it, you will start to become aware that what you have to offer as a real estate agent -- is yourself.
You are unique. There is no one else like you. The more you like yourself and approve of yourself, the more you will radiate out a positive energy of self-love, gratitude, and appreciation. These energies are the highest energies that you could send out. They are guaranteed to magnetize back to you the ideal clients that you want.
Clear away your self limiting beliefs.
It is usually our self limiting beliefs that keep us from "tooting our own horn." Most of us were taught to downplay ourselves, not to brag, and to "play it small." In fact, I coached a woman the other day whose survival strategy when she was growing up was to pretend to be "invisible." This is very common when I'm coaching female real estate agents to find that there is some self limiting belief that keeps them "out of the limelight."
Here's the "secret": a survival strategy that may have helped you when you were growing up can now be a hindrance to your survival. In fact, when you think about it, there is nothing more risky to your real estate career than trying to be invisible.
The truth is that people need to know who you are, and where to reach you. You need to become very visible. Practice giving yourself positive self talk such as, "It is now safe for me to be visible" and, "My survival now depends on me being seen and known."
Create a mindset of positive expectations
Instead of fearing that people are not going to like hearing from you, create the mindset that they are going to love to hear from you. You can back that up with being sure that you always have something to offer on every call.
For example, you could be putting on a seminar for homeowners, and be excited to tell your sphere of influence all about it. If you're talking to a former client, you can offer to be a referral source for them when they need an electrician, plumber, a painter etc.
If you're calling someone out of the blue, you can offer to provide them with a free comparative market analysis of their home and explain to them the benefits of having that.
Here's the "secret": always lead with what you have to offer. Send out a vibration of excitement and enthusiasm. This will ensure that people want to hear from you. In the Law of Attraction, whatever you give out comes back to you multiplied.
If you give out help, suggestions, ideas, and services that people need, that energy will be returned to you in the form you have intended.
Realize that you're marketing yourself at every moment
Remember, you're not just marketing yourself when you pick up the phone. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you are marketing yourself. Create a sizzling answer to the question, "What do you do?"
Instead of saying the usual answer, "My name is , and I am a real estate agent with ," say something different instead.
Try this: the next time somebody says, "So what do you do?" answer by saying, "You know how nervous and stressed out people get when they are buying or selling a home?" The other person will obviously say "yes." Then you say, "Well, I handle all the details and put my clients at ease so they can enjoy the process of buying or selling a home. I'm a real estate agent with ... .
Answer their question with a question, to get them involved. Once they are involved, paint the picture of how you help people. Add as many details as you like. Only say you're a real estate agent at the very end. Believe me, I have coached many of my clients in doing this and all I can say is, "You better have a lot of business cards on hand," because with that response, people are going to ask for your card a lot.
Marketing can be enjoyable and pleasurable. Remember to present yourself as "a giver," with unique selling points, and always something to offer. After being a psychologist for 20 years and coaching real estate agents for 10 years, I can assure you that the more you learn to enjoy the marketing experience, the better you will feel about yourself and the more prosperity you will attract.
Remember the famous principle of the Law of Attraction: You get what you focus on. If you want a welcoming voice on the other end of the phone, start imagining what that would sound like, and look forward to making your calls.
Copyright © 2007 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
With an award winning staff of writers providing up to the minute real estate news and advice, thousands of REALTORS® in North America reporting daily market conditions, and a nationally broadcast television news program, Realty Times is the one-stop shop for real estate information. That's why over 10,000 real estate professionals have turned to us for their publicity needs.

5 Habits of Highly Satisfied Real Estate Agents

2007-07-24T08:33:00.001-07:00

5 Habits of Highly Satisfied Real Estate Agents

by Joeann Fossland

If your definition of success is more than the numbers of your business. If you yearn to not only have a productive business, but also enjoy the life and lifestyle it provides you. Then this article is for you.
You've probably found this way of thinking has required you to make some conscious decisions and employ some consistent practices. Agents who are effective, yet who realize their business is only the vehicle to a great life, have some traits in common.
Brian Dyson, CEO Coca Cola Enterprises, captured the essence of this when he said, "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."
With this thinking in the background, here are five habits I find that highly satisfied real estate agents practice:
Envisioning Their Future
Obsessively Planning & Implementing
Delegating and Partnering
Knowing Their Niches
Honoring What's Really Important
Envisioning Their Future
The "Highly Satisfied Real Estate Agent" has a clear vision of what he wants for his business, short and long term. Not only does he have a goal in terms of production for this year, but he also has goals relating to how that production will add to his overall quality of life and how they fit into the big picture. She can tell you where she wants to be in 5 or 10 years.
These agents review and fine tune their goals regularly, so that the vision is a work in progress that can be adjusted or changed as markets shift or change. The salient point is that their vision is compelling and is something that they feel passionate about today. This passion drives the desire to take action and the actions themselves. A raison d'etre! So, when a bad mood shows up or a lack of motivation, revisiting the vision is usually enough to spur action.
This agent has a congruence with their purpose in real estate and core values that are important to him. Kahlil Gibran has captured the essence of what work is for a highly satisfied real estate agent when he says, "When you work, you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. To love life through labor is to be intimate with life's innermost secret. All work is empty, save when there is love, for work is love made visible."
Obsessively Planning & Implementing
The highly satisfied real estate agent knows having a vision and a plan only gives him the starting point, and the real effectiveness comes from implementation. The plan is the roadmap and needs to be kept closer to the driver so he can check regularly, making sure this is the right road, that there are no roadblocks and that there is enough gas to get to the destination. The best roadmap made will not get him there -- he must put gas in the car and then drive it!
You must prioritize daily and understand the importance of having clarity and focus about getting the best payoff for investment of time. Put first things first and choose the high leverage activities, like connecting with your sphere of influence, before getting sucked into sitting around working on things like putting labels on newsletters. The highly satisfied real estate agent works like it is the day before vacation every day.
Delegating and Partnering
The highly satisfied read estate agent is good at knowing what she does best and delegating the things others could do better. Remember: Life is too short to perfect your weaknesses! Using a virtual assistant or several people to do what they do best is often a huge savings of your time.
The highly satisfied read estate agent also has developed a team of people to play with -- people that they can count on and that they can refer to their clients to get the job done with ease and few surprises or crisis. They also know, connect with and refer to many others that are not directly real estate related. They share referrals with people they do business with or whose businesses are a good fit for their niche markets. They are obvious as they go about their day so everybody knows they help people with their real estate needs.
Knowing Their Niches
The highly satisfied read estate agent is not trying to be all things to all people. He knows the days of being a generalist are past and the net result from trying to sell anything and everything is usually a very burnt out agent.
Instead, The highly satisfied read estate agent has identified 3 or 4 areas that are a fit for his skills, experience and loves. Perhaps it is a geographical focus or farm, or maybe a type of property, such as historical or homes for the disabled. Niches come in many variations. Focus around your passions for the best results! Become the guru with your scrapbooking group or fellow skydivers. The highly satisfied read estate agent will choose to work with people they like and have interests in common with. The trust level begins high and saves some of the time that would otherwise be spent in the client trying to decide if they can trust you.
There is also a magnetic attraction that happens when an agent is relaxed and happy to share information and expertise. Compare this to the energy that is present in making a cold call and you begin to understand how the most successful people in your company often look like they aren't working as hard as others, yet have great luck at people choosing them to do business with.
Honoring What's Really Important
The highly satisfied read estate agent is a master at having their priorities of family and personal enrichment align with their schedules. She chooses people above things. She includes her spiritual life, in whatever belief system and community fit for her, nurturing herself and believing that there is a greater power we each have the support of when we are willing to let go and trust that everything that happens is part of a bigger picture.
Rate yourself from 1 to 10 in each of these categories and see if there is a way you can make some adjustments or shifts to become more highly satisfied. If there is -- commit to 1 change that would make a difference -- and get into action on it this week! Then make a list of other actions you want to take before the end of the year and decide by when you will take each of those actions. Before long, you will be having more fun and being more effective!
Published: April 10, 2006

Agents: What Are You Worth Per Hour?

2007-07-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

by Dirk Zeller

The more I coach and train Agents, the more I realize the biggest battle Agents have is on the battlefield of time. Maximizing the dollars we earn per hour separates the extremely successful from the frustrated. There are many Agents across the country who are merely trading more time for more money, spending more and more time with people other than their family. If you are one of those agents, make sure you do the steps outlined in this article. This article was written for you!
The first step to time mastery is knowing what you are worth per hour. By knowing what you actually get paid per hour, you will be able to make wise decisions about your activities. To figure out what you make per hour, take your gross commission (that's before company split) and divide it by the number of hours worked. To find hours worked, take the number of hours you work in a day, multiply by the days you work in a week and the number of weeks you work per year, and then divide that into your gross commission.
If we know our value per hour then we will be able to evaluate what we do on a basis of, "Does it really pay me that amount per hour?" Let's say you make $50 an hour. There are only certain activities in selling real estate that will pay you that $50 per hour. The rule is if you would not pay someone $50 to do it, neither will anyone else -- which means that you will not be earning your $50 an hour doing those specific activities. For example, making flyers, inputting listings into magazines, putting together bulk mail, and typing letters are all activities that I think would not pay anyone $50 an hour. We all know these have to be done. The question is do you have to do them? The second question is can I spend less time doing them?
We are all squeezed by time. We all can feel there are not enough hours in the day. We all feel the tug of our family and business and the battle for abundance in both areas. If you truly want to find a few hours daily, do this next action plan.
We call this exercise "Task Analysis." What you are doing is taking a look at what you clearly do each day. Not guessing what you are doing, but knowing what is happening. Take an old day timer page and make a few copies. Then every 15-30 minutes, write down what you are doing. Track this process for 2 weeks. This process will enable you to know with certainty where you are investing your time.
You will be amazed as to the allocation of your time. For most Agents who have completed this task, they find 10-20 hours weekly that can be better spent. That's anywhere from 25 to 50 percent increased efficiency when fully implemented. To know what that really means to you in dollars, multiply your gross commission by 25 percent. That is what you can earn in addition this year without more expenses and without the latest marketing gimmicks. The best part is that you are in total control of that number. The market, your broker, the buyers and sellers have no effect on your ability to increase your income by the amount you wrote down.
Work diligently on the task analysis process. Really track the activities and the time invested in each. Then, at the end of each week, add up the time spent in each activity. Ask yourself these questions:

Am I getting paid ____ per hour for each activity?

How can I reduce the time I am spending in each activity that pays less than ____?

Do I really need to do this activity?

Can I get someone else to do this activity?
Knowing what you are worth per hour and what you are investing your work time in are the first two steps to time-mastery. Once you have started down the road to time-mastery, you are moving toward sales mastery and then life mastery. Make the commitment today to yourself and your family to do these action plans. The truth of life is -- it is a vapor. We do not know how long we have to enjoy it. We can make up lost revenue but cannot make up for lost time. Know that your time is the most valuable resource you have. Start the process to reclaim more of it today.
Published: November 29, 2006Copyright © 2006 Realty Times®. All Rights Reserved.

How To Compete with Big Boys

2007-07-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

ATTRACTION MARKETING TIPS for Real Estate Professionals
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- Publisher: Wanda Loskot -
-> How To Compete with Big Boys? <-
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QUESTION:
I am a relatively new agent and would like to compete against the "big boys" in my local area. What's the most feasible, effective marketing scheme and the best way to advertise or market my listings?
ANSWER:
The best way to grow a business is not to compete with the "big boys" but on the contrary, to use guerilla style marketing and avoid direct competition!
Big boys have deep pockets and a lot of muscle in areas where you are quite weak. Direct competition can completely deplete your limited resources and diminish your already fragile self-confidence.
Before you decide to compete with the big boys, take a closer look at your long term strategy and see if direct competition is indeed necessary. Usually it is much more productive to select a small niche, overlooked by your bigger competitors, and set out to dominate your own small pond where the big fish aren't swimming.
If you are forced to compete, however, you need to find out:
- In what areas is your competition doing better than
you in the eyes of your potential clients? You may not
be able to match everything they do, but at least be
aware so that you know precisely what you are against.
- In what areas are you and your competitors performing
just the same in the eyes of your prospects? You might
be surprised by how similar you are.
- In what areas are you doing better than the competition
in the eyes of your potential clients? If nothing is
significantly different, you need to create something
that IS significantly different! In what areas that
matter to your clients and customers COULD you do
better than others?
After that research you will be able to communicate to your target market how you differ from others. THAT is the key to successful competition.
Concentrate on establishing a personal relationship with your prospects early in the buying/selling process.
Demonstrate your knowledge by educating them and show how much you care by being involved with your local community. No matter how much money the other guys spend on advertising, no matter how flashy their marketing materials, you can OWN your niche and be virtually untouchable there if you focus and work smart.

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-> Questions? - Ask the Coach! <-
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Would you like to ask your own real estate business related question? Go to Ask The Coach page:
http://sanemarketing.com/askcoach.html
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-> Copyright Notice <-
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(c) 1997 -- 2006 Wanda Loskot & Success Connection -- Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends but please, do not remove this copyright notice. Thanks!