Be a Student of Life and Business

Posted on September 11, 2017October 11, 2017 by The Profitable Recruiter

11 Sep

In Step With Career Agent Leonard Giarrano

by Julie Escobar

One of my dear friends in this business is a fellow by the name of Len Giarrano. We met in New York years ago and he’s just the kind of businessman you want to pull up a chair next to and let his wisdom and sage advice wash over you. He was kind enough to share some of his insights with our readers.

Here’s a little of what we learned:

Q: Thank you, you my friend. Can you start by telling us a little about you?

A: My name is Leonard Giarrano. I started my career as a Hotel and Restaurant major, part-time community college restaurant management and marketing teacher. I found myself wanting a career and practice that I could help facilitate the interests of others like my Dad in his law practice. At the same time, I wanted a vehicle to develop my own personal wealth. Creating Wealth by author Robert Allen inspired me with its promised nuts and bolts of real estate for building wealth. And that led me to real estate, and I’ve never looked back.

Q: Most agents coming out of real estate school have high aspirations and goals, but lack clear direction on how to even get started. What would your top three pieces of advice be to head them in the right direction?

A: The master appeared as this student was ready. I found a real estate office that had a spaced-training program that had recipes that I could apply myself to and get the foundation of listing and selling real estate in a defined area. Emphasis on a planned listing presentation chalk full of quality service techniques far and above the efforts of other agents. You are going to WOW them with crisp, prepared professional presentation. Get high-quality business cards.

Q: What common misconception do you think most agents have in terms of making it in today’s market and what myth-buster would you share with them?

A: Bottom line? Real estate is about relationships and listings are (and always have been) the name of the game. Read Robert Allen’s book Creating Wealth, for some sound fundamentals. Also, note that buyers will come as you build a practice from listings. Inspect what you expect as product knowledge is the fuel for confidence.

Q: Building a Book of Business is one of the smartest things an agent can do, yet so many agents instead continuously “chase new business”. What advice do you have for building a strong sphere of influence?

A: Get a personal core list of people you know and could pop by to say hello to for referral. You will need an annual calendar and thank you notes. Start a geographic community to focus on. Find an active market in both price point and volume as an area to focus your efforts. There is a seller in that enclave that needs the services of a professional agent. A printed listing presentation that you share at the seller’s kitchen table with visual support materials will walk the conversation towards your representation. Raising the seller’s consciousness to the task ahead builds the needs of your service. I am happy to share my 25-point listing presentation with anyone who asks.

Q: That’s generous Len! Prospecting is a crucial component for agents (new and experienced) – what tips would you give someone new to the process?

A: Get a foothold, identify an active real estate community of homes as a farm. Take a six-month snapshot of homes available listed and inspect those. What is in-contract and 180 days sold? Find an office agent that has a listing there. Volunteer to run two weekends of open house. Send a mailing campaign to invite people to the open house. Hand write an invitation to the immediate neighbors. Develop a thick flyer to show your effort far and above the other local agents’ handouts. Buy 110-pound paper stock for 1st page of the flyer. Next, 28 or 32-pound paper for remaining pages. Buy a tri-level clear plastic flier rack. Up front is the thick flier, next fliers on area info, schools, shopping etc. last and not least have pre-printed contracts (full price filled in) and all disclosures high-lighted printed on 28 or 32-pound stock. Snacks and bottled water for the open house and York Peppermint individual wrapped candies add a great finishing touch. Collect as much information as you can and be sure to add those folks to your new database so that you can continually stay in touch.

Q: Follow up is where a lot of agents fall short. Do you have any strategies for helping agents get over the fear of the phone and following up?

A: I’m old school, so my first inclination is to say watch an old episode of Columbo. He was a master at follow up! Or just always look for something that is a fair trade item to get back in touch with all that you meet. Example, you can offer entry to a drawing, local school information, a free survey, market analysis, home component content such as tips for their HVAC or even their home tech system. Local restaurants and businesses can even supply you with coupons to send. The key word is communication Share the item with an “As Promised” message which subliminally lets them know that you keep your promises

Q: Any business planning tips that you think would be important to share?

A: Schedule your prospecting and personal time off. Early to bed and early am with some exercise, all in writing and in an obvious space for your and those that are part of your efforts to see what is on the menu for your shared success. I’ve also had great success with local small builders.

Q: What are the top 5 tools or sites that you would recommend to new agents just starting to build their business and marketing platforms?

A: Professional dress appropriate to climate, polished shoes, pressed clothing. Gals dress carefully look up Barnard University, a collegial fashion. Dress for success is a great primer. Equipment: Black or cordovan color, leather or vinyl letter or legal pad with pocket. Silver or chrome ballpoint pen, 25’ tape measure. Three-ring notebook with divides (three-hole punch). Dividers define priorities, year, month, at a glance, one-page worksheet for each day as a day planner. Next section seller leads, next section buyer registrations other sections to organize activities. This book is your office. Two-hole punch and file folders with two dividers for your listings. Start a file on serious leads gives you an assumption to the listing.

Q: Any last bits of advice for agents to take to heart?

A: This exciting and rewarding career is a practice so crush the fundamentals, own them. Invest in real estate to build your pension and retirement. You are ten years to a net worth of a million.

Q: How can our reader’s best connect with you to share their success and referrals?

A: Direct 941-724-0690, text to see if I can spare a conversation with you and give you the attention you need, e-mail an outline of questions you wish me to discuss with you. Leonard Giarrano, Associate Broker, RE/MAX Alliance Group, or email me at LVGiarrano@hotmail.com.

How to Create CUSTOMERS for LIFE

Posted on April 8, 2017August 17, 2017 by The Profitable Recruiter

From First Contact to Close

By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

To make it in this business for the long haul – you need to build a referral base. And that process? Starts with the very first contact. Every person that you meet is a potential client, even if they currently know another agent. I always asked everyone that I met if I can send them my homeowner tips and ideas each month. They rarely say no. A NAR survey showed that 87% of all homeowners surveyed were happy with their agent and would use that agent again IF they could remember their name! That’s sad but true. I would say that 9 out of 10 times that I ask someone that I meet who sold them their home, I get the same response. They were really nice, but just can’t remember who they are. I have found that repetition of marketing materials, combined with personal contact, is the #1 thing that you can do as an agent to not only have those you know do business with you, but it’s also a great source of ongoing referrals.

When I started in the business, many years ago, I was “thrown in” and told to “hit the phones”. No one told me what to say or what to do. That has changed, and today’s agents have more training than ever before. Here’s the million-dollar question: If there is more training today than ever, why are so many agents still struggling to earn a living? Perhaps they are not doing the basics. This is a contact business, and if you are not selling or listing a home, you should be looking for someone who wants to sell or list a home. It’s just that simple

What does your pipeline look like? Your pipeline consists of the total number of active listings, combined with the number of buyers that you are working with, plus any prospects that you are currently talking to about listing their home or buying a home. You should have 25 people in your pipeline at all times. How many do you have right now? If it’s not at least 25, then it’s time to hit the phones!

Once they are your client, stay in touch weekly, providing reports and feedback to insure that they are happy. Most clients want results. Results require honesty. Is the home priced too high? Does it need staging? Our job is to deliver the “tough news” in a way that they appreciate and understand. I picked up many expired listings, through referrals, and each time it was the same scenario. They needed a price adjustment and staging or decorating. They were always willing to do what was asked, when they knew that it was the key to getting their home sold. If they were not willing to do what was needed to sell their home, I was not the right agent for them.

Happy clients are clients for life if you get the job done and stay in touch after the sale. If you stop chasing all the NEW commissions and focus on building a strong book of business. If you put each and every customer and contact in a database that you can stay connected to week after week, month after month.

If you’re an agent who wants an easy, comfortable, effective way to stay in touch, visit www.TheProfitableSalesAgent.com and sign up for our weekly newsletters, training, social media tips, and agent tools. They weekly newsletters are perfect for staying connected in a way that positions you as a resource people can trust. They are filled with lots of great messages, tips for homeowners, and calls to action. If you’re a broker who wants to help your agents get on the fast track to successfully staying in touch, invite them to do the same. In fact, register in the next 45 days and take advantage of our 4^th quarter special! Use promo code 50OFF any agent membership and save 50%!

If you follow these simple steps and you’ll have happy clients from first contact to close, and a source of referrals for life. You’ll end up with a lot of great new friends too!

COACHING TIP OF THE MONTH: MAKE THE CALL

There are many agents who take the listing and then don’t communicate with the seller because they have no idea what to say. Here’s an idea: Contact each of your listings, without fail, every Tuesday. If there has been absolutely no activity, simply tell them that. Generally, though, even though nothing has happened with their particular listing, something has happened in the neighborhood. Whatever it is, tell them and, if appropriate, discuss a price reduction. Studies show that sellers want lots of communication from their agent, so stay in touch and you will see that they are more likely to work with you to get it sold.

Start communicating effectively today! Register for www.theprofitablesalesagent.com today with promo code 50OFF and save 50%.

Four Easy Listing Tools to Use This April

Posted on April 2, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

How to Help You Soar Past the Competition

By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

April is the month to set yourself apart from the competition in the marketplace! The decision as to who to list with can be a daunting one for many sellers. Every agent will offer the basics, but the best agents have discovered that the easiest way to knock out the competition is to offer something that other agents do not offer, and that sellers want!

What do sellers want? They want to sell their home faster and for more money! For the month of April, we will feature a different tool or technique to give you the “leading edge” over your competition each week such as…

Pre-Listing book
Staging Tips
Solid Marketing Plan
Photography Tips

We’ve placed these tools and the collateral in your platform for your agents to use. We will also give you the tools that you need to compete.

The Profitable Sales Agent is a marketing platform filled with tools, tips and weekly e-newsletters, designed to keep you positioned with your clients and customers for life. Each week you get a newsletter with valuable info for your clients, motivational quotes, social media tools, DIY tips and an action step for you, the agent, to stay ahead of your competition. We also host an agent webinar each month in which we feature top agents from all over the world who are crushing it in their markets to share what they are doing differently.

A recent NAR survey shows that 86% of buyers and sellers would use their agent again IF they could remember who they are, or could remember where they work! The #1 way to dramatically increase your income, this year and every year, is to stay positioned with those who already trust you and the service you deliver. It could not be easier with this newsletter which can be sent via email to your clients, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. You can also post the info to your social media page, or use it in your listing presentation.

Fire up your marketing today. Sign up for all these powerful tools and more at www.TheProfitableSalesAgent.com and use code 25OFF to receive 25% off your subscription. No contract, no obligation, you can stop anytime you do not see the value of this incredible program.

Creating Clients for LIFE

Posted on November 13, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

From First Contact to CLOSE

by Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

If you are looking to build a referral based business, it starts with the very first contact. Every person that you meet is a potential client, even if they currently know another agent. I always ask everyone that I meet if I can send them my homeowner tips and ideas each month. They rarely say no. A NAR survey showed that 87% of all homeowners surveyed were happy with their agent and would use that agent again IF they could remember their name! That’s sad but true. I would say that 9 out of 10 times that I ask someone that I meet who sold them their home, I get the same response. They were really nice, but just can’t remember who they are. I have found that repetition of marketing materials, combined with personal contact, is the #1 thing that you can do as an agent to not only have those you know do business with you, but it’s also a great source of ongoing referrals.

When I started in the business, many years ago, I was “thrown in” and told to “hit the phones”. No one told me what to say or what to do. That has changed, and today’s agents have more training than ever before. Here’s the million dollar question. If there is more training today than ever, why are so many agents still struggling to earn a living? Perhaps they are not doing the basics. This is a contact business, and if you are not selling or listing a home, you should be looking for someone who wants to sell or list a home. It’s just that simple!

Happy clients are clients for life if you get the job done and stay in touch after the sale. If you are looking for a great tool to stay comfortably in touch, go to www.TheProfitableSalesAgent.com and sign up for our weekly newsletters. They are filled with lots of great tips for homeowners, and simple ways to stay CONNECTED.

If you follow these simple steps and you’ll have happy clients from first contact to close, and a source of referrals for life. You’ll end up with a lot of great new friends too!

COACHING TIP OF THE MONTH

MAKE THE CALL

There are many agents who take the listing and then don’t communicate with the seller because they have nothing good to say. You contact each of your listings, without fail, every Tuesday. If there has been absolutely no activity, simply tell them that. Generally though, even though nothing has happened with their particular listing, something has happened in the neighborhood. Whatever it is, tell them and, if appropriate, discuss a price reduction. Studies show that sellers want lots of communication from their agent, so stay in touch and you will see that they are more likely to work with you to get it sold.

7 Top Character Traits of Successful Agents

Posted on October 30, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

What Characteristics to Adopt Before the New Year

by Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

I recently heard that real estate sales is a 93/7 industry. That means that 7% of the agents are earning 93% of the money! I found that amazing! Why are such a small % of agents earning so much more that the majority of agents? To find the answer, we did some research and found that successful agents have several common traits. Successful agents are:

1. Passionate: Successful agents are passionate about their company, the opportunities within their organization and passionate about the business. When your presentation is passionate, the person you are talking to knows that you believe in your company and are sincere about what you have to offer. Of course, there is a difference between being passionate, or trying to sell your services. No one wants to be sold. But the more you believe in what you have to offer, the more successful you will be in sales.

2. Great listeners / Attentive: The #1 key to success is to be a great listener. With buyers as well as sellers, from the moment you begin asking questions, you will learn what they want and what is important to them. Successful agents have good eye contact and keep their attention focused on the client. When you take the time to understand their concerns, past experiences and expectations, your job is much easier!

3. Patient: This one is tricky. By nature, great salespeople are not patient at all! But, great salespeople know that it is a process. It is all about the timing and being there when the time is right for them to make a move. So, a very important trait that we see in successful agents is that they have consistent marketing campaigns, designed to keep their clients informed and educated, and to stay in touch until the time is right. It takes patience and marketing, but it’s exciting to be positioned when they are ready.

4. Competitive: Successful agents hate to lose. This is a great trait. It means that they prepare properly for the appointment and fine tune their skills whenever the opportunity presents itself. If they don’t sign the prospect the first time they meet with them, they continue to follow up until they can get back in front of them again, but they don’t give up! This is where patience comes into play again.

5. Caring Nature: Successful agents truly care about others. This is a character trait that you cannot fake. When you care about what others care about, it shows. I often say that even though it is tough…the best agents are always honest about what it will take, even if it means they don’t select that agent. You cannot be all things to all people, but you will have more success and less stress when your goal is to “help others make the right decision for them”. In most cases, that will be you!

6. Strong People Skills: This is a relationship business. To be a great salesperson, you have to like people, and they need to like you too. Strong people skills come into play in several areas. It means having a strong relationship with the people in your client data base, as well as those in your office and your community. The best agents prefer doing business with and selling the listings of the other great agents in the market.

7. Good Problem Solvers: Tenacity is a word that comes to mind. It is not always easy to get the sale closed, or to secure the financing that your buyer needs, but a great salesperson knows who to call and where to go to get the job done. They do not look at objections as objections, but rather as challenges that have a solution, and they look for it!

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being outstanding, rate yourself in each category. If you have a total of less than 55, look at the areas that you can improve in 2015 and create some actions steps to make next year your best year ever!

The Profitable Sales Agent can help you consistently stay top of mind and build a strong business foundation with the right tools and strategies each month to help you move forward. Learn more here. Our Profitable Sales Agent members will find additional scripts, tips, and tools in your membership platform. Have fun with them!

Back to School (And Back to Basics!)

Posted on September 5, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

FIVE LESSONS FOR BUILDING A BETTER BUSINESS AND LIFE

By Julie Escobar

It’s that time again. Kids everywhere are returning to school and although mine are all but grown up, I got to see a glimpse of that first step into “the big world” in the eyes of my nephew Eli, who is still in grammar school. Shy and unsure, but excited and eager—it got me thinking about some of those first lessons we learn, how important they are to building a better life and how easily we can lose sight of them in our hustled and hurried world.

So this month take a look at some of the best lessons you learned along the way and consider what impact great teachers made on your life. Then remember that some of those lessons we can put to good use today as we grow our businesses, build relationships, and seek that peace of mind and life balance that can be so elusive for professional salespeople and entrepreneurs.

BUILD RAPPORT: Part of that “playing well with others” talent that we had to learn as children, great parents and teachers shared the art of finding common ground and appreciating differences. They taught us to pay attention to the people around us with an open mind and a compassionate spirit. I believe this life skill is a very real common denominator in top producers. Unlike their “hard sell” or self-indulgent counterparts, the savvy sales professional understands that building rapport with a client or customer (or anyone for that matter) is about creating a connection. It’s not about qualifying them or finding an edge, but more about building a relationship, creating a dialogue, and opening a door to what could be a lifetime client.

Some keys to building solid rapport:

Ask Questions. Truly one of the best skills of any salesperson, practicing the art of asking the RIGHT questions (those that are engaging, compelling and about the other person) is a must.
Listen more than speak. My mom always said that we were given two ears and one mouth in that proportion for a reason! Listening has become a lost art with many people but it is the key to information gathering, showing respect and displaying genuine interest.
Lighten up! It’s okay to smile, to laugh and to be warm—after all think of the alternative!
Look around you. Whether you’re in a home or someone’s office you’ll find clues to their interests, family, accomplishments. All of which are a great springboard for conversation.
Do your homework. If possible, learn as much about your customer or client before you meet to give yourself a head start on getting to know them!

BE BRAVE: I like this one. Did your mom or dad ever tell you to be brave in a tough situation? To lead and not follow? To “just try” when you felt like you couldn’t do something? Is that something that you’ve passed down to your children or your protégés? To do extraordinary things, to accomplish greatness, and build foundations, you have to step out of the wings a little. You have to dare to be different and meet challenges where they are. I love the Robert Anthony quote, “The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity.” There’s not much we can’t achieve if we’re willing to do the tough stuff, to fight for what we believe in and to put our bravest face forward —even when we’re feeling not so courageous.

FOLLOW THE RULES: This is a tough one. In changing economies, in difficult times, and frankly, when we’re hell-bent to get something we want, it’s tempting to break the rules or to take short cuts. I’m not saying you have to follow the trends, or conform to the masses but in terms of the basic laws and principles of character, integrity, and professionalism, show them what you’ve got. The very best of you. From good manners to good behavior to good business practices, trust me, in the long run it makes a huge difference to your reputation and the name you present to those around you.

SET HIGH STANDARDS: It’s a funny thing about standards; people will rise or fall to the level that you set them. Know that it’s fine to set boundaries and expectations. In fact, look at the marines for example. Their motto is they only want a “few good men.” Not everyone—just the few. That’s high standards, and they have a line out the door to get in. Whether you are dealing with customers, kids, friends or family, it’s important for you—and for them—to know that when it comes to the important things that matter (like that integrity and character stuff we just talked about) you’re not willing to accept or deliver less. Believe it or not, your bottom line will reflect the high bar that you set.

KEEP LEARNING: Oh my! If we could just convince EVERY child the benefit of this one! Our capacity to learn is limitless as is our ability to utilize that knowledge to enrich our lives, advance our careers and soothe our souls. Each week or each month, determine a skill, a technique, a piece of history, or a tool for the future and then learn everything you can. Become the master of your profession and feed your mind with all the wit, wisdom and knowledge that you can. It will keep you younger, sharpen your competitive edge, and hopefully, ignite a love of learning in those around you as well!

So, tap into that childhood spirit of old and dust off the best lessons you’ve learned from teachers of every size, shape and color. Maybe it was an elementary teacher, a high school coach, a wizened grandmother, a mentor or a parent—take the time this month to remember what they told you and what they taught you. While you’re at it, if possible, let them know they’ve made a difference in someone’s life. I did that and made someone’s day. Who’s day can you make? “Take out your pencil and paper and let’s begin…”

As always, call us if you need us at 1-866-234-8740 and visit our site online at www.theprofitablesalesagent.com. We’ll always do our best to ensure your “homework” is a great experience!