Sitting at metrotex taking an awesome class about blogging to get more leads with Jason Esparza
Email me if you would like the FREE report on 369 things a realtor should blog about.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Great News for The Colony or the “Golden Corridor" of N. Dallas!
Press Release
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brings Texas Call Center to The Colony
The Colony, Texas, April 27, 2011…Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is locating its Texas Call Center to The Colony, The Colony Economic Development Corporation announced today.
The national retailer has signed a five-year lease for space in The Cascades at The Colony, a 100-acre master-planned, multi-use development located along State Highway 121.
“We are very pleased to welcome Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to The Colony,” said Tom Tvardzik, president of the Board of The Economic Development Corporation. “We have been working with the Community Development Corporation and City Council on this project, and it is very exciting to see that as a result of our collective efforts, a retailer of this stature has made a long-term commitment to our community.”
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States and Canada and markets high-quality brands through retail stores, catalogs and the Internet.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s location to The Cascades lengthens the list of the many businesses that have recently moved to the Jackson-Shaw development.
For more information, contact The Colony Economic Development Corporation at 972-624-3127 or edc@thecolonytx.org.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brings Texas Call Center to The Colony
The Colony, Texas, April 27, 2011…Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is locating its Texas Call Center to The Colony, The Colony Economic Development Corporation announced today.
The national retailer has signed a five-year lease for space in The Cascades at The Colony, a 100-acre master-planned, multi-use development located along State Highway 121.
“We are very pleased to welcome Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to The Colony,” said Tom Tvardzik, president of the Board of The Economic Development Corporation. “We have been working with the Community Development Corporation and City Council on this project, and it is very exciting to see that as a result of our collective efforts, a retailer of this stature has made a long-term commitment to our community.”
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States and Canada and markets high-quality brands through retail stores, catalogs and the Internet.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s location to The Cascades lengthens the list of the many businesses that have recently moved to the Jackson-Shaw development.
For more information, contact The Colony Economic Development Corporation at 972-624-3127 or edc@thecolonytx.org.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Electronic Signatures...Good or Bad?
Provided By Realty Times
Although it is still a ways from being standard procedure, the use of electronic signatures in real estate transactions has become increasingly common. There is a lot to like. Signatures can be obtained quickly. Not needing to go through multiple faxing, document copies are clear and legible. Document storage and retrieval is a snap. And the reduction in paper usage is good for the planet!
Not only that, but electronic signatures are legal, and in most contexts have the full effect of "wet signatures." Almost every state has adopted the 1999 provisions of UETA (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act), and there is also the federal E-Sign (the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act). The most relevant provisions are to be found in section 7 of UETA:
•A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.
•A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.
•If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.
•If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.
As always, "some exceptions apply." They vary from state to state. In California, for example, electronic signatures can't be used for many landlord-tenant documents, for seller-financing disclosures, or for purchase agreements when the seller is in default. Moreover, there are individuals and institutions who will not accept electronic signatures. Good luck trying to invoke the provisions of UETA or E-sign when your lender says they won't accept a purchase contract with electronic signatures.
Yes, it is true that there are ways around the security features built in by the various providers of electronic signature software. One spouse could give the other his/her codes and passwords. Etc. A moderately clever agent could figure out how to rig the system and create documents purportedly electronically signed by the principals. So? It isn't foolproof. But there's a lot more security around electronic signature protocols than there ever was – or will be – to prevent forgeries of wet signatures.
There are other concerns as well. Some of these were expressed at a recent gathering of real estate attorneys, held in conjunction with the meetings of Directors of the California Association of Realtors® (CAR). Two items in particular were the subject of attention.
One had to do with the authorization of principals for using electronic signatures in the transaction. The governing laws do not provide a particular protocol for this. Parties must provide consent, but no method for doing so is specified. Under both UETA and E-Sign, "consent may be obtained in writing, orally or determined from the surrounding circumstances, including the parties' conduct."
To be sure, the providers of electronic signature software may include a procedure for obtaining consent. And we are all familiar with these – the "click through" method. Probably everyone who reads this has given electronic consent in a similar manner. You know; when you click "I agree" to a terms-of-use statement that may be 2500 words or more. How many people have read any of those all the way through?
Secondly, and curiously, attorneys worried that the practice of obtaining electronic signatures on electronically-transmitted documents results in even further diminishment of "face time" between agents and their clients. This was not just a bit of nostalgia, though there was some of that. It was mostly about the lack of explanation. At the CAR meetings, attorneys spoke of files that contain copies of emails that implicitly say something like this: "Here is the eight-page, single-spaced purchase contract. Please follow the instructions for affixing your electronic signatures and initials. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
It can be bad enough, to be sure, when agents are face-to-face with principals and those principals feel pressure to hurry up and sign documents. But the electronic mode of communication may make it even easier, some of the attorneys feared, to make plausible the defense that, "I didn't understand, and they didn't explain, all those things they told me to sign."
It's nothing new that agents sometimes do not go over with their clients the complex documents that require signatures. But the at-a-distance electronic mode of communication exacerbates the problem. It is something to be concerned about.
Although it is still a ways from being standard procedure, the use of electronic signatures in real estate transactions has become increasingly common. There is a lot to like. Signatures can be obtained quickly. Not needing to go through multiple faxing, document copies are clear and legible. Document storage and retrieval is a snap. And the reduction in paper usage is good for the planet!
Not only that, but electronic signatures are legal, and in most contexts have the full effect of "wet signatures." Almost every state has adopted the 1999 provisions of UETA (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act), and there is also the federal E-Sign (the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act). The most relevant provisions are to be found in section 7 of UETA:
•A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.
•A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation.
•If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law.
•If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.
As always, "some exceptions apply." They vary from state to state. In California, for example, electronic signatures can't be used for many landlord-tenant documents, for seller-financing disclosures, or for purchase agreements when the seller is in default. Moreover, there are individuals and institutions who will not accept electronic signatures. Good luck trying to invoke the provisions of UETA or E-sign when your lender says they won't accept a purchase contract with electronic signatures.
Yes, it is true that there are ways around the security features built in by the various providers of electronic signature software. One spouse could give the other his/her codes and passwords. Etc. A moderately clever agent could figure out how to rig the system and create documents purportedly electronically signed by the principals. So? It isn't foolproof. But there's a lot more security around electronic signature protocols than there ever was – or will be – to prevent forgeries of wet signatures.
There are other concerns as well. Some of these were expressed at a recent gathering of real estate attorneys, held in conjunction with the meetings of Directors of the California Association of Realtors® (CAR). Two items in particular were the subject of attention.
One had to do with the authorization of principals for using electronic signatures in the transaction. The governing laws do not provide a particular protocol for this. Parties must provide consent, but no method for doing so is specified. Under both UETA and E-Sign, "consent may be obtained in writing, orally or determined from the surrounding circumstances, including the parties' conduct."
To be sure, the providers of electronic signature software may include a procedure for obtaining consent. And we are all familiar with these – the "click through" method. Probably everyone who reads this has given electronic consent in a similar manner. You know; when you click "I agree" to a terms-of-use statement that may be 2500 words or more. How many people have read any of those all the way through?
Secondly, and curiously, attorneys worried that the practice of obtaining electronic signatures on electronically-transmitted documents results in even further diminishment of "face time" between agents and their clients. This was not just a bit of nostalgia, though there was some of that. It was mostly about the lack of explanation. At the CAR meetings, attorneys spoke of files that contain copies of emails that implicitly say something like this: "Here is the eight-page, single-spaced purchase contract. Please follow the instructions for affixing your electronic signatures and initials. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
It can be bad enough, to be sure, when agents are face-to-face with principals and those principals feel pressure to hurry up and sign documents. But the electronic mode of communication may make it even easier, some of the attorneys feared, to make plausible the defense that, "I didn't understand, and they didn't explain, all those things they told me to sign."
It's nothing new that agents sometimes do not go over with their clients the complex documents that require signatures. But the at-a-distance electronic mode of communication exacerbates the problem. It is something to be concerned about.
Monday, February 21, 2011
How to Follow KW Family Reunion 2011 on Twitter
Provided By KW Blog
Why follow KW Family Reunion on Twitter? Following an event on Twitter adds a rich new dimension to the experience. With your smart phone in hand, you suddenly have a backchannel into what hundreds of others around you are observing, thinking and doing. Twitter says its mission is to “instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them.” Each day news stories are broken as users around the globe post 140-character updates about events unfolding around them. As a result, Twitter has often been called the “pulse of the world.” We think it’s the perfect tool for you to experience a big event like Family Reunion from as many perspectives as possible.
Vendors will be tweeting special events. Agents and brokers will be sharing aha’s and tips from their breakout sessions. Networks will announce impromptu gatherings. Jokers will be cracking wise about gaffs and goofs. And, of course, the social media team at KWRI will be sharing interesting and informative information as well.
So what exactly do you need to do to tap into this undercurrent of information and entertainment? Who are the best people to follow?
If you don’t currently have a Twitter account, visit https://twitter.com/signup and get started. There is also a Twitter Start Up Guide available on myKW on the Marketing tab.
For everyone else, login to Twitter and search for the KW Family Reunion event hashtag: #KWFR. You can then click the “Save this search” button on the top, right-hand side of your page to save the search. All the popular Twitter mobile apps will allow you to add a column for the same search so you quickly access the stream of event-related tweets.
Here is a short list of notable or official #KWFR Twitter profiles:
1.@KWRI — Amber Presley is our Social Media Manager at KWRI and will be a great resource.
2.@KWRINews – A channel for KW’s weekly enewsletter ThisWeek@KW, managed by marketing’s Laura Price.
3.@MapsCoaching—The award-winning MAPS Coaching team.
4.@carysylvester — Executive Director of Technology at KWRI.
5.@emarks – Ellen Marks is the Marketing and Communications Director at KWRI.
6.@JoelleSenter – KWRI leader and agent technology advocate.
7.@alexismacintyre — Director of Keller Williams University.
8.@Swanepoel — Stefan Swanepoel is a keynote speaker at Family Reunion, author of Surviving Your Serengeti and Principal at RealEstateTrends.
9.@KCKatalyst — Kevin Carroll is a speaker at Family Reunion, founder of the Katalyst Consultancy and author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.
10.@DanielPink — Daniel Pink is another keynote speaker at Family Reunion, and author of Drive, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, & Free Agent Nation.
11.@TechSavvyAgent — Chris Smith is a guest speaker and co-creater of TechSavvyAgent.com.
12.@BenKinney — Ben Kinney is a KW OP, MegaAgent, IMSD founder, co-author of the book soci@l and an agent technology leader.
13.@mayaREguru – Maya Sabot Paveza, a real estate social media and technology leader, is another guest worth following at the event and beyond. (edit: Maya will not be at Family Reunion after all-sorry if I got any of your hopes up that you would meet her!)
14.@DotLoop, @Market_Leader and @KWeEdge – For lots of great info on the KW eEdge sessions.
15.@BethTorrence, @KevinLKauffman, @Mizzle, @ChadHyams, @AllStarMom3, @Seychelle912, @SueAdler & @Liz_Landry – Because they are smart, tech savvy KW associates that have taught me much and are also a lot of fun.
Of course, I’ll be tweeting about all the of the above from @JayPapasan. There are literally thousands of KW associates on Twitter every day, building relationships, sharing information and prospecting for referrals and clients. This list is far from comprehensive! I’m sure I’ve missed lots of KW stars. Please share. Who will you be following at #KWFR?
Why follow KW Family Reunion on Twitter? Following an event on Twitter adds a rich new dimension to the experience. With your smart phone in hand, you suddenly have a backchannel into what hundreds of others around you are observing, thinking and doing. Twitter says its mission is to “instantly connect people everywhere to what’s most important to them.” Each day news stories are broken as users around the globe post 140-character updates about events unfolding around them. As a result, Twitter has often been called the “pulse of the world.” We think it’s the perfect tool for you to experience a big event like Family Reunion from as many perspectives as possible.
Vendors will be tweeting special events. Agents and brokers will be sharing aha’s and tips from their breakout sessions. Networks will announce impromptu gatherings. Jokers will be cracking wise about gaffs and goofs. And, of course, the social media team at KWRI will be sharing interesting and informative information as well.
So what exactly do you need to do to tap into this undercurrent of information and entertainment? Who are the best people to follow?
If you don’t currently have a Twitter account, visit https://twitter.com/signup and get started. There is also a Twitter Start Up Guide available on myKW on the Marketing tab.
For everyone else, login to Twitter and search for the KW Family Reunion event hashtag: #KWFR. You can then click the “Save this search” button on the top, right-hand side of your page to save the search. All the popular Twitter mobile apps will allow you to add a column for the same search so you quickly access the stream of event-related tweets.
Here is a short list of notable or official #KWFR Twitter profiles:
1.@KWRI — Amber Presley is our Social Media Manager at KWRI and will be a great resource.
2.@KWRINews – A channel for KW’s weekly enewsletter ThisWeek@KW, managed by marketing’s Laura Price.
3.@MapsCoaching—The award-winning MAPS Coaching team.
4.@carysylvester — Executive Director of Technology at KWRI.
5.@emarks – Ellen Marks is the Marketing and Communications Director at KWRI.
6.@JoelleSenter – KWRI leader and agent technology advocate.
7.@alexismacintyre — Director of Keller Williams University.
8.@Swanepoel — Stefan Swanepoel is a keynote speaker at Family Reunion, author of Surviving Your Serengeti and Principal at RealEstateTrends.
9.@KCKatalyst — Kevin Carroll is a speaker at Family Reunion, founder of the Katalyst Consultancy and author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.
10.@DanielPink — Daniel Pink is another keynote speaker at Family Reunion, and author of Drive, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, & Free Agent Nation.
11.@TechSavvyAgent — Chris Smith is a guest speaker and co-creater of TechSavvyAgent.com.
12.@BenKinney — Ben Kinney is a KW OP, MegaAgent, IMSD founder, co-author of the book soci@l and an agent technology leader.
13.@mayaREguru – Maya Sabot Paveza, a real estate social media and technology leader, is another guest worth following at the event and beyond. (edit: Maya will not be at Family Reunion after all-sorry if I got any of your hopes up that you would meet her!)
14.@DotLoop, @Market_Leader and @KWeEdge – For lots of great info on the KW eEdge sessions.
15.@BethTorrence, @KevinLKauffman, @Mizzle, @ChadHyams, @AllStarMom3, @Seychelle912, @SueAdler & @Liz_Landry – Because they are smart, tech savvy KW associates that have taught me much and are also a lot of fun.
Of course, I’ll be tweeting about all the of the above from @JayPapasan. There are literally thousands of KW associates on Twitter every day, building relationships, sharing information and prospecting for referrals and clients. This list is far from comprehensive! I’m sure I’ve missed lots of KW stars. Please share. Who will you be following at #KWFR?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Prospecting: The Efficient Lead Generator
Provided By Realty Times
Prospecting is the most efficient lead generator ever created. All it takes is time and a little bit of skill. You don't need large amounts of money to prospect well. When I entered real estate sales, prospecting was my only option, since I was undercapitalized in starting my business(translation: broke!). Developing and implementing a large marketing and direct mailing campaign was out of the question. I was forced to prospect for business.
Looking back now, I would not have traded my broke position in the beginning with no capital to invest for anything. It freed me to learn a primary skill of every salesperson's success early in my career. There is no method of lead generation that deals so well with the law of cause and effect. The law states certain causes create certain effects. Making phone calls and talking to people creates leads in bunches ... period.
We really only have two types of people we can call. Everyone in the world fits into these two neat categories. The categories are people we know and people we don't know. Those are the only two options. The question is which of these categories is bigger? I'll give you a minute to think about it. The people we don't know is larger. There are more potential prospects in that group. The group of people we know is smaller, but the odds of us doing business with them are greater because we are an insider, not an outsider like we are with people we don't know.
Most agents are searching for the "magic pill" formula or solution to avoid prospecting and have a Champion Agent's business. They are hoping and praying that their marketplace runs contrary to the laws of success. We have to plant seeds before we can harvest. If you look at prospecting as merely planting seeds, that may help. There is no harvest without sowing seeds.
In ancient scripture, there is a parable called The Parable of the Sower. The story tells about how seeds must be sown or planted. If you just cast them to the wind, some seed will land on the road and be trampled or eaten by the birds. Other seed falls on rocky soil and sprouts, but the seed has no water and withers. Still others fall among thorns, and the thorns grow and choked the young plants out.
Finally, some falls on good soil and grows and produced a crop 100 times as great as the seed. In our prospecting, we will encounter the road and get trampled and beaten up. We will fall on rocky soil where things look promising but there is no depth to the prospect or even our strategy and technique, so our results will quickly wither. We will cast the seed of prospecting and get choked out by the negativity of others. The good news is some of the seeds of prospecting will land in good soil and will bring you wealth, success, and happiness exponentially, compared to the amount of seed planted - a crop that is 100 times as great.
Anyone who approaches you by saying, in effect, "I have taken out the road, rocky soil, and thorns and left you only good soil", you must question. That is, in effect, what most peddlers of the "magic pill" marketing gimmicks without some prospecting are offering. "Just send my stuff out in the world, and watch the flood of success come your way." It doesn't work that way in life, and we all know it! My best advice is if it seems too good to be true; it probably is.
Prospecting is the most efficient lead generator ever created. All it takes is time and a little bit of skill. You don't need large amounts of money to prospect well. When I entered real estate sales, prospecting was my only option, since I was undercapitalized in starting my business(translation: broke!). Developing and implementing a large marketing and direct mailing campaign was out of the question. I was forced to prospect for business.
Looking back now, I would not have traded my broke position in the beginning with no capital to invest for anything. It freed me to learn a primary skill of every salesperson's success early in my career. There is no method of lead generation that deals so well with the law of cause and effect. The law states certain causes create certain effects. Making phone calls and talking to people creates leads in bunches ... period.
We really only have two types of people we can call. Everyone in the world fits into these two neat categories. The categories are people we know and people we don't know. Those are the only two options. The question is which of these categories is bigger? I'll give you a minute to think about it. The people we don't know is larger. There are more potential prospects in that group. The group of people we know is smaller, but the odds of us doing business with them are greater because we are an insider, not an outsider like we are with people we don't know.
Most agents are searching for the "magic pill" formula or solution to avoid prospecting and have a Champion Agent's business. They are hoping and praying that their marketplace runs contrary to the laws of success. We have to plant seeds before we can harvest. If you look at prospecting as merely planting seeds, that may help. There is no harvest without sowing seeds.
In ancient scripture, there is a parable called The Parable of the Sower. The story tells about how seeds must be sown or planted. If you just cast them to the wind, some seed will land on the road and be trampled or eaten by the birds. Other seed falls on rocky soil and sprouts, but the seed has no water and withers. Still others fall among thorns, and the thorns grow and choked the young plants out.
Finally, some falls on good soil and grows and produced a crop 100 times as great as the seed. In our prospecting, we will encounter the road and get trampled and beaten up. We will fall on rocky soil where things look promising but there is no depth to the prospect or even our strategy and technique, so our results will quickly wither. We will cast the seed of prospecting and get choked out by the negativity of others. The good news is some of the seeds of prospecting will land in good soil and will bring you wealth, success, and happiness exponentially, compared to the amount of seed planted - a crop that is 100 times as great.
Anyone who approaches you by saying, in effect, "I have taken out the road, rocky soil, and thorns and left you only good soil", you must question. That is, in effect, what most peddlers of the "magic pill" marketing gimmicks without some prospecting are offering. "Just send my stuff out in the world, and watch the flood of success come your way." It doesn't work that way in life, and we all know it! My best advice is if it seems too good to be true; it probably is.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Short Sale Offers and Contracts that Win
Provided By KW Blog
Kevin Kauffman and Fred Weaver of Tempe, AZ (near Phoenix) live in the middle of one of the nation’s most distressed markets. In 2009, they helped more than 150 individuals and families avoid foreclosure with a short sale. They are among the select few short sale agents in America who close more than 90% of the deals they take on.
Today Kevin and Fred led a presentation on Short Sale Offers and Contracts That Win. Here are some of the things we learned in the session:
•The real estate boom of the mid-2000s was followed by a precipitous drop in values in many regions of America.
•Today, in half of all US states, 30% or more of all real estate sales involve a foreclosed or foreclosure-threatened property.•This “distressed property” phenomenon first grabbed the nation’s attention about two years ago.
•The dramatic market shift continues—though recently, the first signs of “light at the end of the tunnel” appeared.
•One reason for the recent positive shift has been the diligence and passion of short sale specialist real estate agents. These professionals reach out to homeowners in financial distress and help them avoid foreclosure through a short sale.
Their secret to their success:
•Attracting offers that banks accept the first time, and negotiating with the bank efficiently and effectively to close the deal.
•A high success rate closing short sales requires a great mindset—a determined, independent, and very well-informed agent and team.
•You must truly know the short sale process, and you must be familiar with the unique requirements of the different lenders you encounter.
•On the buyer side of short sales, you must prequalify the listings you show—by pre-screening the listing agent! You want to bring offers to agents who know the ropes and have proven track record of success—whenever possible.
•Present one and only one offer to the lender on a given property.
•Never take “no” for an answer!
Kevin Kauffman and Fred Weaver of Tempe, AZ (near Phoenix) live in the middle of one of the nation’s most distressed markets. In 2009, they helped more than 150 individuals and families avoid foreclosure with a short sale. They are among the select few short sale agents in America who close more than 90% of the deals they take on.
Today Kevin and Fred led a presentation on Short Sale Offers and Contracts That Win. Here are some of the things we learned in the session:
•The real estate boom of the mid-2000s was followed by a precipitous drop in values in many regions of America.
•Today, in half of all US states, 30% or more of all real estate sales involve a foreclosed or foreclosure-threatened property.•This “distressed property” phenomenon first grabbed the nation’s attention about two years ago.
•The dramatic market shift continues—though recently, the first signs of “light at the end of the tunnel” appeared.
•One reason for the recent positive shift has been the diligence and passion of short sale specialist real estate agents. These professionals reach out to homeowners in financial distress and help them avoid foreclosure through a short sale.
Their secret to their success:
•Attracting offers that banks accept the first time, and negotiating with the bank efficiently and effectively to close the deal.
•A high success rate closing short sales requires a great mindset—a determined, independent, and very well-informed agent and team.
•You must truly know the short sale process, and you must be familiar with the unique requirements of the different lenders you encounter.
•On the buyer side of short sales, you must prequalify the listings you show—by pre-screening the listing agent! You want to bring offers to agents who know the ropes and have proven track record of success—whenever possible.
•Present one and only one offer to the lender on a given property.
•Never take “no” for an answer!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Seven Powerful Tips to Gain More Confidence
Provided By Old Republic Home Protection
A client recently asked me how I would define confidence. I paused for a moment and replied, “Confidence is the inner knowing that you can achieve whatever you want.” What is your definition of confidence? In my 30 years of coaching people to be successful, I have found that at the core of everything is confidence. Call it a belief in yourself or whatever you want; there is no sense in creating a marketing plan without it. Confidence is not necessarily something you are born with; rather, like a muscle, it is developed over time with practice.
Here are seven tips to help you gain more confidence.
Tip 1: Focus on what you want. Where do you put your focus most of the time? Here's a hint: if you feel happy, grateful and hopeful, then you're probably putting your attention on what you want. If you're feeling discouraged, depressed or anxious, then you're focusing on what you don't want. One of my clients recently discussed her increasing feelings of anxiety as she was working with her clients in selling their house. When I asked her what she was focusing on, she admitted that she had been thinking about the possible failure of the transaction. When she changed her perspective and focused on the transaction closing, her feelings immediately changed into hope.
Whenever you find yourself focusing on what you don't want, ask yourself, “What do I want?” Most likely you'll choose positive thoughts, images and feelings as you focus on your desired outcome. Not only will this brighten your mood and give you more confidence, but also, it will increase the likelihood that the deal will close.
Tip 2: Tame your inner gremlin. Have you ever noticed that there is a part of you that picks on you, beats you up, expects you to be perfect and is very hard on you if you make a mistake? That voice is called your inner gremlin, also known as your inner critic, or inner judge.
We all have one. The question is whether it's running you or whether you are running it. Does it have power over you? Your inner gremlin only has the power that you give it. Stop listening to it and over time, it will be tamed.
Here's a simple technique to tame your inner gremlin: Interrupt the pattern of negative thoughts by saying to yourself, “stop.” Next, take a deep breath. Finally, use this opportunity to put in a positive new thought. For example, if your old thought was, “I don't have what it takes to succeed,” stop it, breathe, and put in your new thought, “I have all the resources I need to succeed.”
Tip 3: Clear your inner conflicts. Most of my clients often don't recognize their inner conflicts, but conflicts become revealed by recognizing resistance. How many times have you told yourself, “I need to get on the phone and call my sphere of influence,” and then you don't do it? That's a typical example of an inner conflict. In this example, one part of you is saying, “Make the calls,” and the other part of you is saying, “I don't want to intrude. I don't want them to think I am soliciting.” The reasons for the conflict could go on and on.
Whenever you find yourself in resistance and you can't force yourself to do something about it, try a little introspection to identify the voices in your head that are in conflict, then assume the role of the mediator. Just as you mediate in your business between two or more people, do the same within yourself and find a solution that pleases both sides of the conflict.
Tip 4: Create a successful future self. Often when I work with a client who needs more confidence, I help her create a successful “future self.” She visualizes what she is going to look like in the future, having accomplished her goals. Then she practices what it feels like to be that future self. As she sinks deeply into the feelings of accomplishment, contentment and confidence, she is creating an inspiring vision.
You can be in business either pushing yourself to succeed, which creates “burnout,” or you can allow yourself to be pulled toward success by a vision. Creating your future self is one way to have a vision. Perhaps you can picture your future self on your dream vacation.
To reinforce this idea of a successful future self, make a collage. Get several magazines and take out photos that inspire you, photos that you'd like to see happen in your future. See yourself having outlets for all the money you'll be making.
Tip 5: Only engage in interactions that are win/win. How many times have you gone into a situation with a prospective client while a voice in your head was saying something like, “Don't do it; this doesn't feel right.”
Trust your hunches. If you have doubts about a client or a situation, most likely you're right. I've had dozens of clients who are recovering from burnout because they forgot to ask themselves one thing, “Is this going to be a win/win?” According to Dr. Steven Covey, it's either win/win or no deal. The next time your gut feelings are telling you to back out, listen to them. It's better to back out in the beginning than to get involved in a situation from which you can't back out later.
Tip 6: Practice extreme self care and self maintenance. Think about it for a moment. What is your most valuable asset? Is it your home or your car? No, it's your health. Yet I see so many people who try to be successful but then neglect their basic physical needs for rest, sleep and healthy foods. Remember, you are your business. Your most important asset is you, your health and your personal production capacity. The healthier you are, the more energy you'll have and the more you'll produce. What are the areas you need to improve in self maintenance?
Dr. Steven Covey talks about “sharpening the saw.” He recommends taking an hour a day for making sure your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs are met. Maybe taking an hour a day is beyond your reach at the moment. What small steps can you take to improve your energy level and vitality?
Tip 7: Know that what you have to offer is valuable. Effective marketing is based on the idea that you know your services are valuable and you are willing to communicate that in the marketplace on a consistent basis. How valuable are your services? What is your unique selling point? What do people get when they work with you that they can't get anywhere else?
When someone asks you what you do, what do you say? Let me demonstrate a “so-so” response compared to a response that will get someone's attention. Suppose you're a real estate agent and someone says, “So, what do you do?” A “so-so” answer would be, “I am a real estate agent with __________ company.”
Compare that to this. Someone asks you what you do and you say, “Well, you know how people get stressed out when they are buying or selling a home? Well, I take care of all the details and make sure the process goes smoothly so that my clients can relax. I am a real estate agent with __________ company.” Which real estate agent would you like to work with?
Remember, this kind of answer will only work if you totally believe in yourself and know your services are valuable.
There are many aspects to becoming more successful. These seven powerful tips are just the beginning. Before you create your next marketing plan, check inside and take a reading of your confidence level. If it needs a boost, be sure to take care of that before you do anything else. When you are overflowing with confidence, that's the time to get out there and start marketing.
A client recently asked me how I would define confidence. I paused for a moment and replied, “Confidence is the inner knowing that you can achieve whatever you want.” What is your definition of confidence? In my 30 years of coaching people to be successful, I have found that at the core of everything is confidence. Call it a belief in yourself or whatever you want; there is no sense in creating a marketing plan without it. Confidence is not necessarily something you are born with; rather, like a muscle, it is developed over time with practice.
Here are seven tips to help you gain more confidence.
Tip 1: Focus on what you want. Where do you put your focus most of the time? Here's a hint: if you feel happy, grateful and hopeful, then you're probably putting your attention on what you want. If you're feeling discouraged, depressed or anxious, then you're focusing on what you don't want. One of my clients recently discussed her increasing feelings of anxiety as she was working with her clients in selling their house. When I asked her what she was focusing on, she admitted that she had been thinking about the possible failure of the transaction. When she changed her perspective and focused on the transaction closing, her feelings immediately changed into hope.
Whenever you find yourself focusing on what you don't want, ask yourself, “What do I want?” Most likely you'll choose positive thoughts, images and feelings as you focus on your desired outcome. Not only will this brighten your mood and give you more confidence, but also, it will increase the likelihood that the deal will close.
Tip 2: Tame your inner gremlin. Have you ever noticed that there is a part of you that picks on you, beats you up, expects you to be perfect and is very hard on you if you make a mistake? That voice is called your inner gremlin, also known as your inner critic, or inner judge.
We all have one. The question is whether it's running you or whether you are running it. Does it have power over you? Your inner gremlin only has the power that you give it. Stop listening to it and over time, it will be tamed.
Here's a simple technique to tame your inner gremlin: Interrupt the pattern of negative thoughts by saying to yourself, “stop.” Next, take a deep breath. Finally, use this opportunity to put in a positive new thought. For example, if your old thought was, “I don't have what it takes to succeed,” stop it, breathe, and put in your new thought, “I have all the resources I need to succeed.”
Tip 3: Clear your inner conflicts. Most of my clients often don't recognize their inner conflicts, but conflicts become revealed by recognizing resistance. How many times have you told yourself, “I need to get on the phone and call my sphere of influence,” and then you don't do it? That's a typical example of an inner conflict. In this example, one part of you is saying, “Make the calls,” and the other part of you is saying, “I don't want to intrude. I don't want them to think I am soliciting.” The reasons for the conflict could go on and on.
Whenever you find yourself in resistance and you can't force yourself to do something about it, try a little introspection to identify the voices in your head that are in conflict, then assume the role of the mediator. Just as you mediate in your business between two or more people, do the same within yourself and find a solution that pleases both sides of the conflict.
Tip 4: Create a successful future self. Often when I work with a client who needs more confidence, I help her create a successful “future self.” She visualizes what she is going to look like in the future, having accomplished her goals. Then she practices what it feels like to be that future self. As she sinks deeply into the feelings of accomplishment, contentment and confidence, she is creating an inspiring vision.
You can be in business either pushing yourself to succeed, which creates “burnout,” or you can allow yourself to be pulled toward success by a vision. Creating your future self is one way to have a vision. Perhaps you can picture your future self on your dream vacation.
To reinforce this idea of a successful future self, make a collage. Get several magazines and take out photos that inspire you, photos that you'd like to see happen in your future. See yourself having outlets for all the money you'll be making.
Tip 5: Only engage in interactions that are win/win. How many times have you gone into a situation with a prospective client while a voice in your head was saying something like, “Don't do it; this doesn't feel right.”
Trust your hunches. If you have doubts about a client or a situation, most likely you're right. I've had dozens of clients who are recovering from burnout because they forgot to ask themselves one thing, “Is this going to be a win/win?” According to Dr. Steven Covey, it's either win/win or no deal. The next time your gut feelings are telling you to back out, listen to them. It's better to back out in the beginning than to get involved in a situation from which you can't back out later.
Tip 6: Practice extreme self care and self maintenance. Think about it for a moment. What is your most valuable asset? Is it your home or your car? No, it's your health. Yet I see so many people who try to be successful but then neglect their basic physical needs for rest, sleep and healthy foods. Remember, you are your business. Your most important asset is you, your health and your personal production capacity. The healthier you are, the more energy you'll have and the more you'll produce. What are the areas you need to improve in self maintenance?
Dr. Steven Covey talks about “sharpening the saw.” He recommends taking an hour a day for making sure your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs are met. Maybe taking an hour a day is beyond your reach at the moment. What small steps can you take to improve your energy level and vitality?
Tip 7: Know that what you have to offer is valuable. Effective marketing is based on the idea that you know your services are valuable and you are willing to communicate that in the marketplace on a consistent basis. How valuable are your services? What is your unique selling point? What do people get when they work with you that they can't get anywhere else?
When someone asks you what you do, what do you say? Let me demonstrate a “so-so” response compared to a response that will get someone's attention. Suppose you're a real estate agent and someone says, “So, what do you do?” A “so-so” answer would be, “I am a real estate agent with __________ company.”
Compare that to this. Someone asks you what you do and you say, “Well, you know how people get stressed out when they are buying or selling a home? Well, I take care of all the details and make sure the process goes smoothly so that my clients can relax. I am a real estate agent with __________ company.” Which real estate agent would you like to work with?
Remember, this kind of answer will only work if you totally believe in yourself and know your services are valuable.
There are many aspects to becoming more successful. These seven powerful tips are just the beginning. Before you create your next marketing plan, check inside and take a reading of your confidence level. If it needs a boost, be sure to take care of that before you do anything else. When you are overflowing with confidence, that's the time to get out there and start marketing.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Are You a Salesperson or Are You a Service Person?
Provided By Realty Times
Are you a salesperson or a service person? Have you ever considered this question? When you are doing your real estate business, do you feel more like a "salesperson" or more like a service person”?
What do you think the difference is for your business? Do you think it makes any difference at all? What I've discovered in my 14+ years of coaching Real estate agents to achieve multiple six figure incomes, is that it makes a lot of difference.
And here's why: Here's the problem with thinking of yourself as a "salesperson".
If you were raised in America, then you undoubtedly had a childhood in which you experienced salespeople coming to the door. How did your parents react to that? What kind of comments that they make about salespeople? Did you get the feeling that sales was a respectable profession?
Or did you get the message that salespeople were a bother and to be avoided? If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will remember that salespeople were looked down upon, and we subconsciously told ourselves they are not good people, and "I never want to be one.” The next thing you know you're in a career called real estate and selling is part of your job.
Or is it?
Did you know that people like to buy but they don't want to be "sold”? If they think they are being "sold" it makes them suspicious and they have trouble believing that you have their best interests at heart. They even feel manipulated.
Rather than welcome you, they will try to avoid you.
When we feel as if we are selling, it destroys our confidence. Clients can feel it and we can feel it and it lowers our self-esteem. No one wants to think of themselves as a sales man. On the other hand, if your focus is on being of service, there are distinct advantages:
1.We will feel like the "giver" and picking up the phone becomes easy and effortless. If we are clear that our job is to be of service, and that takes us out of the role of the "Taker" and into the role of the "Giver."
2.When we realize that we want to help people with their real estate needs then we do not have to experience rejection. In fact rejection does not exist. It's either a match or it's not a match. If the real estate service that you offer matches what your prospective client needs then you have created a transaction. If it doesn't match, you are not being rejected; you don't have to take it personally.
I often tell my clients to say this to themselves before they get on the phone: "I have a valuable service to offer and people are lucky to hear from me."
3.The other advantage of focusing on service and not sales, is that you are more in alignment with yourself. You probably got into the real estate business because you like help people and it's distasteful to you when you turn people into dollar signs.
When you focus on service you will feel good about yourself. This good feeling will be felt by your clients. They will be automatically attracted to want to work with you because they know you have their best interests at heart.
The Bottom line is this: remember not to focus on sales; but on service. You will have all the sales that you need and feel good about yourself in the process.
Are you a salesperson or a service person? Have you ever considered this question? When you are doing your real estate business, do you feel more like a "salesperson" or more like a service person”?
What do you think the difference is for your business? Do you think it makes any difference at all? What I've discovered in my 14+ years of coaching Real estate agents to achieve multiple six figure incomes, is that it makes a lot of difference.
And here's why: Here's the problem with thinking of yourself as a "salesperson".
If you were raised in America, then you undoubtedly had a childhood in which you experienced salespeople coming to the door. How did your parents react to that? What kind of comments that they make about salespeople? Did you get the feeling that sales was a respectable profession?
Or did you get the message that salespeople were a bother and to be avoided? If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will remember that salespeople were looked down upon, and we subconsciously told ourselves they are not good people, and "I never want to be one.” The next thing you know you're in a career called real estate and selling is part of your job.
Or is it?
Did you know that people like to buy but they don't want to be "sold”? If they think they are being "sold" it makes them suspicious and they have trouble believing that you have their best interests at heart. They even feel manipulated.
Rather than welcome you, they will try to avoid you.
When we feel as if we are selling, it destroys our confidence. Clients can feel it and we can feel it and it lowers our self-esteem. No one wants to think of themselves as a sales man. On the other hand, if your focus is on being of service, there are distinct advantages:
1.We will feel like the "giver" and picking up the phone becomes easy and effortless. If we are clear that our job is to be of service, and that takes us out of the role of the "Taker" and into the role of the "Giver."
2.When we realize that we want to help people with their real estate needs then we do not have to experience rejection. In fact rejection does not exist. It's either a match or it's not a match. If the real estate service that you offer matches what your prospective client needs then you have created a transaction. If it doesn't match, you are not being rejected; you don't have to take it personally.
I often tell my clients to say this to themselves before they get on the phone: "I have a valuable service to offer and people are lucky to hear from me."
3.The other advantage of focusing on service and not sales, is that you are more in alignment with yourself. You probably got into the real estate business because you like help people and it's distasteful to you when you turn people into dollar signs.
When you focus on service you will feel good about yourself. This good feeling will be felt by your clients. They will be automatically attracted to want to work with you because they know you have their best interests at heart.
The Bottom line is this: remember not to focus on sales; but on service. You will have all the sales that you need and feel good about yourself in the process.
Monday, January 17, 2011
BOLD
Join us for the First Step to BOLD
Plano Center
2000 E Spring Creek Parkway
Plano, TX
8:30am-1:00pm
The First Step to BOLD is FREE!
When you attend you will do the following:
Overcome your limiting beliefs
Understand the importance of conditioning vs training
Influence buyers and sellers to choose you
Discover 5 ways to ask for the appointment
Learn scripts for the 5 most common listing objections
Raise your financial thermostat to make more money
Discover the benefits of a Life by Design
Plano Center
2000 E Spring Creek Parkway
Plano, TX
8:30am-1:00pm
The First Step to BOLD is FREE!
When you attend you will do the following:
Overcome your limiting beliefs
Understand the importance of conditioning vs training
Influence buyers and sellers to choose you
Discover 5 ways to ask for the appointment
Learn scripts for the 5 most common listing objections
Raise your financial thermostat to make more money
Discover the benefits of a Life by Design
Thursday, January 13, 2011
NAR Sales Spike
The up and down pace of sales that characterized the second half of 2010 appears to be ending on a high note.
The National Association of REALTORS® reports that existing home sales during November rose 5.6 percent over the previous month.
Provided By MyKW
Even though November 2010 sales are still 27.9 percent below November 2009 – the initial deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit – NAR chief economist, Lawrence Yun, notes, “Continuing gains in home sales are encouraging, and the positive impact of steady job creation will more than trump some negative impact from a modest rise in mortgage interest rates, which remain historically favorable.”
He adds, “The relationship recently between mortgage interest rates, home prices and family income has been the most favorable on record for buying a home since we started measuring in 1970.Therefore, the market is recovering and we should trend up to a healthy, sustainable level in 2011.”
The National Association of REALTORS® reports that existing home sales during November rose 5.6 percent over the previous month.
Provided By MyKW
Even though November 2010 sales are still 27.9 percent below November 2009 – the initial deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit – NAR chief economist, Lawrence Yun, notes, “Continuing gains in home sales are encouraging, and the positive impact of steady job creation will more than trump some negative impact from a modest rise in mortgage interest rates, which remain historically favorable.”
He adds, “The relationship recently between mortgage interest rates, home prices and family income has been the most favorable on record for buying a home since we started measuring in 1970.Therefore, the market is recovering and we should trend up to a healthy, sustainable level in 2011.”
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
KW Commercial Family Reunion Agenda is now available
Provided By KW
More networking opportunities to enhance your expertise than ever before
Sunday, Feb. 20th:
> Opening Ceremonies and Vision Speech
> Three KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including a mini-boot camp on Commercial Investment Sales, Retail Investment and Leasing Opportunities
> Commercial Property Deal Exchange
> Commercial Reception with the Luxury Homes by Keller Williams Division
> Red Bash!
Monday, Feb. 21st:
> Three KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including Commercial Tenant Representation, Multi-Family Investments
> State of the Company and State of the Culture Address
> Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, Feb. 22nd:
> Four KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including Commercial REOs, Technology for the Commercial Broker, 1031 Exchanges and SBA 504 Program
> Quantum Leap with Gary Keller
> Don't miss the Commercial Vendors who will be joining KW Commercial in the Exhibit Hall.
Be sure you're at this year's main event. Register for Family Reunion.
More networking opportunities to enhance your expertise than ever before
Sunday, Feb. 20th:
> Opening Ceremonies and Vision Speech
> Three KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including a mini-boot camp on Commercial Investment Sales, Retail Investment and Leasing Opportunities
> Commercial Property Deal Exchange
> Commercial Reception with the Luxury Homes by Keller Williams Division
> Red Bash!
Monday, Feb. 21st:
> Three KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including Commercial Tenant Representation, Multi-Family Investments
> State of the Company and State of the Culture Address
> Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, Feb. 22nd:
> Four KW Commercial Breakout Sessions with topics including Commercial REOs, Technology for the Commercial Broker, 1031 Exchanges and SBA 504 Program
> Quantum Leap with Gary Keller
> Don't miss the Commercial Vendors who will be joining KW Commercial in the Exhibit Hall.
Be sure you're at this year's main event. Register for Family Reunion.
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