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Friendships—Key to Success in Sales

May 16, 2013 by
Friends Plaque 300x300 Friendships—Key to Success in Sales

It’s Worth The Effort

Friends are so special. I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had no friends. Given my personality and my need for friends, I’m not sure I could even survive without having lots of friends. One might say I’m using the term “friends” very loosely; and I suppose I am. I call people that I know fairly well, friends. I refer to people that I go to church with as friends. I refer to people I work around as friends. These people that I call friends are not people that I have in my home for dinner. For the most part I don’t associate with them outside the area for which we commonly come in contact with each other. In reality these people I call friends are actually acquaintances.

I have been fortunate to have strong enough feelings for a few people to consider them my best friends. Naturally these best friends came at different times in my life. When I’m teaching time management, I teach people that there can only be one most important thing that needs to be done in a specific time frame. The next most important thing becomes the second, third, and etc most important. Therefore we can only have one best friend. All other friends are at a lower level. I consider best friends to share a special unconditional love, respect, and forgiveness for each other. Always supporting each other through the good times and the bad times. I have considered someone as my best friend and for some reason, the friendship deteriorated. I suppose I misread the friendship or maybe I had more affection for them than they had for me. I personally think that people are lucky to have one real best friend during an entire life-time. Only time and endurance can determine the real depth of a friendship. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Handling Fear of Rejection

May 2, 2013 by
Fear of Rejection 300x257 Handling Fear of Rejection

Get Over The Fear of Calling Strangers

Fear of rejection is probably the most common disease associated with sales people. No I didn’t make a slip of the tongue. I consider fear of rejection a very deadly disease to a sales career. Fear hits a person at a very early age and if uncontested, it becomes cancerous; to the point it is such a large obstacle, it appears totally impossible to bypass. I can tell you first hand that this type of fear is real and from the onset seems insurmountable.

Let me give you a real life example of me having fear of rejection. When I got into real estate in February 1969, everything was altogether different than it is today. I don’t think the term “lead generation” had been devised at that time. Sales seminars were few and far between, and I might add, miles and miles apart. However, every seminar that I attended, the main technique taught to generate new prospective clients was simplified by using the term “Prospecting.” For the next 25 years or so, I blocked three hours every day for just prospecting.

One of the ways of prospecting was a term called “Door Knocking.” In case you aren’t familiar with it, let me share my early experience with door knocking. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Building Your Personal Brand

April 25, 2013 by
Brand Building Your Personal Brand

Brands Sell Product

Within a few years after I got in the real estate business, I purchased a cattle farm. During the early 70s there was a growing problem of stolen cattle and horses. Not many cattlemen were branding their stock at that time but the one’s that did, didn’t seem to be bothered with having missing livestock. Cattle rustlers seemed to stay away from all branded stock. North Alabama ranchers had abandoned the use of branding about 50-60 years prior so it was something new to us.

I had always said that I was born in the wrong century. I have always had a love for ranch work. I think I could go on a life-time cattle drive and enjoy every minute of it. Sitting straddle a horse all day is a sheer pleasure to me. As you can easily guess, my favorite movies are westerns. The thought of branding my own cattle was like acting in my own western movie.

After some extensive research on the state and federal level, I made application for my own brand. After receiving approval of the registration from Washington, [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Success by Association

April 10, 2013 by
Running for Success 300x200 Success by Association

Run Your Own Race

As a real estate educator, I am often confronted by students that are completing their prelicense course. These students inquire about various real estate companies and especially the companies that are national franchises. They are inquisitive about the various payment plans, monthly desk fees, and if the company provides training. Naturally I am more than willing to share my knowledge with them and even advise them if they ask.

After giving them a short dissertation about the agencies in their area, I quickly suggest that most companies are all good agencies. That is they all have good people working there and they have good intentions of providing professional services and growing their business to a high level of success. In most cases when I am pushed to suggest one company over another, I explain that the company they choose is a matter of choice. It’s important for a new agent to understand that almost all agencies are good; some are just more professional than others.

I don’t mean to be copping out on giving these students a straight answer. I work with many different brokerages and almost all of the national franchises so I have must remain somewhat mutual and not show partiality one over another. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unrealistic Expectations of Yourself

April 3, 2013 by
Unrealistic Expectations 291x300 Unrealistic Expectations of Yourself

Is This A Quantum Leap?

What is an unrealistic expectation anyway? Unrealistic is an adjective describing expectations as not realistic or inappropriate to reality or a fact. In other words it is something that you should not necessarily be able to attain to begin with. Expectations are the act or state of anticipation of something in the future. It is the probability an event that will occur at some point. It is assumable that general expectations will become a reality. When we look at the two words used together, it means that it is inappropriate to ever think that this task can be performed.

As a young man I could grip the front bumper of Volkswagen car and lift the front end off the ground about six inches. Fifty years later, a realistic expectation might be to firmly grip the bumper. As for lifting the front end of a Volkswagen today, that is totally unrealistic. I would even go so far as to say that it is impossible for me to perform such a task.

We perform many tasks without evaluating the difficulty and to some degree never consider the task as realistic or unrealistic. As an example let’s say that I am averaging closing one sales transaction each week. Suddenly I get distracted by attending a few training classes and my closed transactions fall way behind. In order to catch up and still be able to reach my annual goal for this year, I need to close two transactions each week for the next three months. Are my expectations realistic or unrealistic? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Changes in Latitude Changes the Attitude

March 12, 2013 by
Latitude 300x199 Changes in Latitude Changes the Attitude

Only You Control Your Attitude

Sometime back in the 1970’s or maybe 80’s there was a country music song titled; “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitude” became popular with artist/song writer Jimmy Buffett. When I listen to songs I don’t hear the lyrics; I only hear the music. This makes it very difficult to sing along so many times, I make up my own words and they don’t always make sense. For some reason this song stuck in my head as “Changes in Latitude Changes the Attitude.” For some 30 years now I have referred to this song title in my motivational speeches where “Attitudes” determines ones success or failure. In reality there is no correlation between the two but it is forever branded on my mind.

Ever since I started training sales people back in the 70’s, my motivational speeches always begin with the fact that we determine our own outcomes. The difference maker is always the individual’s attitude. Our attitudes are the mental focal point for our every action. James Allen authored a book that I should be paid royalties for because I have been quoting him and suggesting people purchase his book for many years. The book is titled; [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Income–A poor Gauge for Success?

March 4, 2013 by
Gauge 296x300 Income A poor Gauge for Success?

MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS

Undoubtedly people measure success by many different standards. I have heard people crediting someone for their successful career when in fact; they performed far below average in their field. In reality, I think they were actually giving the individual credit for working the same job for a long period of time or working for the same company for so many years. They were just trying to be as gracious and respectful as possible. They didn’t consider that misusing the word “success” was such a big deal, but to someone who has truthfully performed at an extremely high production level, misusing the word “success” can be very demeaning and offensive. So is success measured by production level, amount of income produced or expertise in job skills; all, neither, or more?

Success simply means an outcome or result; a degree of measure of succeeding; a favorable termination of a venture; and the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence. These definitions come right out of Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. In order to have success we must first succeed at a particular thing. Thus the real word we need to define is “succeed” which according to Webster means to go up, or follow after. It also means to turn out well, or to attain a desired object or end. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , ,

You Can Have Anything You Want if You…..

February 26, 2013 by
Decisions 300x300 You Can Have Anything You Want if You…..

It Is So Hard to Decide

I can personally guarantee that someone who read this, if not a lot of people who read it will totally disagree with this statement, “You can have anything you want if you want it bad enough.” Even if you disagree, the statement is accurate 99% of the time. We pretty much do what we want to do all the time. Some will say, “I don’t want to go to work but I have too.” No, we don’t have to go to work if we don’t want to. We do, however, have to accept the consequences that come from not working. If we elect not to work, then we won’t receive a pay check. It’s just that simple. Which do we want more? We are a people of choice in that we decide for ourselves our wants, our desires, and our needs. Life is filled with choices we have to make and each decision results in a consequence; whether good or bad. We simply must evaluate each situation prior to making a decision and determine which consequence is best, or most desirable to us.

One of the most common complaints that arises in my sales training classes are, “I didn’t do my assignment because I ran out of time.” My reply to them is, “Whose fault is that?” It certainly isn’t mine. Time management is a problem that every sales person has to work on every day. It’s like a cancer. If we don’t manage our time very closely, our time will be eaten up and we won’t accomplish the things that might be most important to us. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Find New Clients Everyday—Guaranteed!

February 13, 2013 by

3 foot rule 199x300 Find New Clients Everyday—Guaranteed!

Arm’s Length is about 3-Feet

I get tickled at salespeople sometimes and then at other times I can get frustrated with them just as quickly. It never fails that salespeople will drive past people that would buy their product, while the whole time they are in search for a prospective client to work with. Let me explain what I’m referring to as it relates to the real estate industry. Real estate agents are always looking for new listing opportunities while at the same time they’re searching for people that are interested in buying real estate. Let me set the stage for what I want to tell you by causing you to think outside the box for a moment. More times than not, we do not drive directly to our destination. For example; we may be on our way to work in the morning, but first plan to stop by the gas station. Our next stop may be at McDonald’s or some other fast food place to get a sausage and biscuit. If not there we might stop by Krispy Kreme Donuts. We may not be accustomed to eating breakfast but have to have that cup of coffee first thing every morning. Then we stop by Wal-Mart for a quick visit to pick up supplies we need at the office. It is not uncommon, when going somewhere, to make [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Classes, Real Estate Coaching, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where Is Your Loyalty?

February 7, 2013 by
Loyalty 191x300 Where Is Your Loyalty?

Loyalty Creates Respect

I want you to notice the resemblance of the words loyalty and royalty. The word “Royalty” expresses its own definition. When we think of royalty we automatically think of kings, queens and distinguished people of great importance or things held in high esteem.  Loyalty means the quality or state of being loyal. To be loyal is to be faithful in allegiance to a person, thing, cause, ideal, or custom. Personally I think of loyalty as repayment in service for a kind act that has been done to me. We are loyal to our spouse by keeping our self only unto them. I demonstrate loyalty to my drug store by purchasing all my medicine from them and not shopping at other drug stores; when at all possible. I am loyal to my favorite football team by being a fan regardless whether they win or lose. I am loyal to my children by elevating my love for them above all others. My true loyalty is always expressed by my actions as well as by my words.

Personally I feel I should be loyal to people outside my family and closest friends. I select the place I want to buy my gas based on their price, location and quality of service. If I am pleased with the quality of services they provide, I will demonstrate my loyalty by buying all my gas from them whenever possible. They in return demonstrate their loyalty to me by continuing to provide me quality services. The expressions of loyalty between two people are characteristics that make living more enjoyable; the joy of knowing that people hold me in higher esteem than my competitors.

The Golden Rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Unfortunately everyone doesn’t live by that principle. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alabama Real Estate School, Real Estate Coaching, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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