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…
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
Happy New Year! 2017 is here and with the new year comes new years resolutions. Frankly, not a big fan of resolutions on January 1st. I think goals are better (see: : https://richsandsseminars.com/2013/12/two-minute-tip…ot-resolutions/). PLUS, while January 1 is a great day for goal setting, so is Jan 12, April 19, September 2, and November 6 for that matter. Knowing however, the leaning towards goals and resolutions at the beginning of the… Read More »2017 Your Best Year Ever!
Around America, it is Monday Moaning (I’m mean morning, well, I really mean moaning). Until at least noon today, workers everywhere will beMOAN the fact that it’s back to work, back to the office, back to everything. This behavior will manifest itself through the use of one contraction: gotta. “I gotta go in today.” “I gotta go to sales meeting.” “I gotta meet with clients.” Dictionary.com tells us that the… Read More »It’s Monday Moaning: Gotta vs. Wanna
Three days ago, I had knee surgery. We’re not talking brain surgery, heart transplant, separating conjoining twins: knee surgery…..scope job. Not a big deal, right? Except to me. You see, I have never had surgery before AND this surgery was strictly done with one thing in mind: to enable me to run again without significant discomfort, because, I am a runner. I’ve run for fifty years. The only thing I… Read More »Quick Hit #1 Surgery is a PERSON, not a procedure.
I taught an SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) course a couple of weeks back and in it, we discuss generations. The focus, of course, is on ‘Seniors,” but a side focus is that no two buyers are ever the same – regardless of generation. But, to arrive at individual needs and wants, it is beneficial to become familiar with groups and preferences. Generational groupings provide a unique framework from which… Read More »COMFORTable Sales
Okay, I was bored. I admit it. Friday when one of my twice a day emails arrived from Active Rain, a real estate blog, I actually followed one of the threads. It was entitled, “My commission rates are not negotiable.” Within minutes, I was appalled. First, let’s get a couple of things out of the way. 1) There are no “set” or “normal” fees in the real estate business as… Read More »Say What?