Happy New Year! As we say good-bye to 2017 and look to the coming year with hope and anticipation, I can’t help but to think it’s going to be an excellent year. The question, then, becomes: How do I (that’s you, me, anybody) make it a better year, or at least as good as we’d like it? For me, the answer has always been clear: Optimism. It has been said that… Read More »2018 and Optimism As a Choice
If you’re beginning to feel the pressure of running out of time to find the perfect gift, here are a few suggestions that may not be on their “list” but will certainly be appreciated. The gift of really listening without interrupting, daydreaming or planning your response can be exactly what people want when they have something important to say. The gift of affection with appropriate hugs, kisses and pats on… Read More »Eleventh Hour Gifts Without Shopping
Today I booked a course for February. That’s sales. The class may or may not happen. I may or may not get paid (mostly according to whether or not it happens). That is sales. Sales brings in the income, keeps the bills paid, brings home the “bacon,” so to speak. Periodically, I sell. The more I do it, the more I make (sort of). It is rare, however, that I… Read More »Sales and Branding: Short Term and Long Term
We never know exactly when any given market might change. If you pay close attention to the numbers, you might see some of the telltale signs. Monitoring inventory (supply) is always a great way to see one of the most important movements in the market, as is watching demand (sold properties). The Sales to List Price ratio can show a lot too. Your familiarity with your marketplace, no matter how… Read More »When the Market Changes…
Value Proposition: Yours/Mine We chat a bunch in the real estate business about the concept of Value Proposition. So what is a Value Proposition? And why is it important? Well, first things first, according to Wikipedia, it is “a promise of value to be delivered, communicated, and acknowledged.” Okay, but that doesn’t really tell me enough. I like this one from the good people at Kissmetrics.com: “a believable collection of the most persuasive reasons… Read More »Do You Have a VP?
If you go to Google, Bing, Yahoo or any of the major search engines we frequent, type in the words “real estate 2017”, the fruits of your efforts will be a plethora of articles focusing on hot markets throughout the USofA. Low inventory seems to highlight most areas. So, if someone’s business should be a reflection of the market, the next question easily becomes, what topics should agents and educators… Read More »The Agent’s Education Checklist
The first quarter of the year has seen me teaching a bunch of listing courses. As a result I have had the opportunity to share with a great many established listing agents as well as a large group of future ones. While the challenges of focusing on listings are many, the best place to begin is with your mindset. So, what is the listing mindset? First, the mindset begins with… Read More »Creating the Listing Mindset
I was watching a video yesterday and someone used the word, siempre. Siempre, in Spanish, means always. Siempre. What a great word. Always is the way you are consistently: not erratic, unpredictable, uncertain. So it got me thinking about the always in the sales world. The result? Five always, five things you could always do and they could lead to success, and maybe even happiness. Five Always. Cinco Siempre. First,… Read More »Cinco Siempre
In the days of my Great Grandpa Blackmer, if you wanted to chat with someone, you had to see them, as in really SEE them, in person. You rode to the next town, knocked on their door and paid a visit. Then, Alexander Graham Bell gave us the telephone. The phone was a great way of contacting people, building relationships. Easier on the horse too. The problem with the phone… Read More »10/1/2/3 A Facebook Plan to Connect
Dear social media friends: Life is so much better and I am so much happier when I don’t read your opinions. Don’t get me wrong, I love that we all get to have opinions (thank you, brain – or whatever), I love that we all get to express opinions (thank you Bill of Rights), and I even sort of appreciate that there are outlets for our opinions (of course this… Read More »Doers and Watchers and Why “Unfriend” is a Good Option