Selling Soulfully with Jennifer Allan

And fun was had by all (well, I had fun anyway) on Wednesday evening in the SWS Studio! My four esteemed guests, Lenn Harley, Robin Sherman, Karen Rice and Renee Burrows gathered around the virtual table and answered all your questions about how exactly they generate good business from the Internet. Okay, well, that's a lie - they didn't answer ALL your questions - not even close. Even though the show ran the full 90 minutes, I came away with five pages of listener questions we weren't able to get to.

If you missed the show... well... darnit. You can go HERE to see Renee Burrows' recap of the questions asked and how she answered them. Speaking of Renee, you can also go here to learn more about her online strategies, written of course, in her delightfully irreverent style (e.g. "Get Your Blog Freaky and To the Floor"). I plan to hang out there quite a bit today - maybe we'll run into each other.

Anyway, at the end of the show, I promised to post the unanswered questions to my blog and allow my guests (or anyone else who wants to contribute) the opportunity to respond.

So... here we go!

Tom asks: "Where do you find the Google webmaster?" (referenced by Lenn as THE SOURCE for all things Google)

http://www.google.com/webmasters/

Jenny & Anonymous ask: "How often should you write or post something to your blog?"

Donne asks: "Renee - what are your syndication sources?"

I believe they've connected on this offline, but the rest of us would love to hear, too!

Donne Knudsen comments: "I find that I spend a lot more time and energy converting internet leads compared to the time and energy it takes to convert a referred lead."

Great point! Would love others' thoughts on this. 

Jenny asks: "Do any of the speakers hire out their online lead generation work or do they do it all personally?"

Nathaniel asks: "Is internet marketing targeted towards brokers only or can real estate sales persons take advantage of marketing on the net without any conflict from the broker?"

Doug asks: "Can we see some examples of good real estate blogs?"

Here are the blogs of our speakers who blog, but please feel free to add to this list!

Renee Burrows: http://activerain.com/blogs/lasvegasrealestateforyou
Karen Rice: http://www.pikewaynepablog.com/
Lenn Harley: http://activerain.com/blogs/lennharley 
 

Phyllis asks: "Other than Active Rain, where do you post your blogs?"

Anonymous asks: "Based on the leads that come online and register - how long will you stay in contact with them - 1,2,3,4 months? .... Before they actually buy... at what point do you give up on someone?"

Ruthmarie asks: "Regarding pay-per-click, did using pay-per-click help you get your site/blog established? Or did the results go away once you stopped using it? In other words - can I use PPC to establish my site and then stop and continue to see results?"

We had a lot of questions about IDX and although we tried, I'm not sure we answered them satisfactorily for many in the audience. The main question was "What's the best IDX" or "What IDX do the speakers recommend?" Our answer was that it depends on your local MLS as to what IDX(s) is/are available to you, and whether or not your board even allows broker reciprocity. Some attendees commented that their broker don't allow individual agents to have an IDX on their websites. Any thoughts or comments on this?

On a related note, Vickie asks: "I'm an agent with the largest real estate brokerage in the metro Kansas City area. Every agent has a personal web page with IDX. What would you recommend I do to stand out & drive business to my site?"

GREAT question!!!

Dolores asks: "Do you recommend showing or not showing the property address on your IDX feed site?"

Dixie asks: "What quanity of leads do the participants receive on monthly basis? What percentage turn into closings?"

Kevin asks: "What about successes with specific targeting of small markets or is your focus broad based in larger geographic areas?"

Nishika asks: "How important are the graphics (maps, stats, charts) used in blogs? Any recommendations on vendors who create them?"

Tonda asks: "Is Karen using her personal facebook or does she have a business fan page?"

Jenny asks: "Do you update the information on your websites on a regular basis?"

Maureen asks: "Do you recommend using your own name for your real estate website?"

Karoline asks:  "What one thing would you say makes your website a success in gaining business from the website?" and related: "What do you find reaps the biggest reward for your time, updating the website, blogging,etc....?"

If you'd like to respond (and please do!) to any or all of these questions, just copy & paste 'em to your comment. Feel free to add links to your heart's content if they're helpful in the context.

THANKS!!!

What does it mean to "get business from the Internet?"

I dunno. I've never really done it, as a real estate agent anyway. Oh, sure, I get a hit every now and again from my (nearly abandoned) real estate blog, my Facebook page, and my www.CharmingOldDenver.com site, but it's certainly nothing I could live on.

I've half-heartedly experimented with various online lead generation systems and tools ($1800 here, $275 there) and haven't seen squat for my efforts or dollars. So, when I hear agents claim that they get "most of their business online," I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical... and admittedly a little envious.

So, with the goal of enlightening myself and my beloved readers, I've put together a panel of experts to tell us all exactly how they "get business from the Internet."

Lenn Harley, Karen Rice, Renee Burrows and Robin Sherman will be joining me in the SWS Studio on Wednesday, February 17th to spill the beans on the what's, where's, why's, how's, etc. of generating real estate business online. They may not tell us ALL their secrets, but if you're as clueless as I am about concept, I'm sure you'll know a whole lot more AFTER than you did BEFORE.

It's a freebie show, so if you have time in your crazy calendar, please stop by. You'll have to register to get access - Just Go HERE.

It's Wednesday afternoon/evening, starting at 4pm (Pacific) / 7pm (Eastern).

REGISTER HERE! 

(Before we officially get started, I must note that as of this moment, I have 999 subscribers to my blog... who will be Number 1,000?!)

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Last year, I "spoke" via video at the 2009 Real Estate Cyber Convention & Expo about my favorite topic - "Selling to Your Sphere of Influence - No Sales Pitch Required!" It was my first ever such project and while I, of course, saw all the flaws and flubs and fly-away hair-do's, it apparently went over quite well.

So well, in fact, that the Real Estate Cyber Society (the nice folks who put on the Cyber Convention & Expo) asked me to be a Keynoter at this year's event! This year's topic? "No More Doom & Gloom- Let's Get Ready for the Real Estate Boom!"

The Convention & Expo starts on February 21st and runs through the 27th. It's an online event (thus the word "Cyber" in the event name), so your admission fee gives you free access to all the festivities day or night. There are four Keynoters (me, Lawrence Yun, Michael Russer and Randy Eager), along with at least 50 other well-known speakers, including Dave Beson, Dirk Zeller, our very own Jeff Turner, Jim Kimmons, Mollie Wasserman... and a whole bunch more.

You can also visit dozens of cyber "booths" where you can register to win prizes and free goodies, just like a real convention - except that you don't have to leave home to attend! (Now that's MY kind of event - convention-ing in jammies!).

I think there are special offers if you register early - a discounted price and some free bonus goodies. I also have a limited number of free passes ('cause I'm so special) that I'll think of some creative way to distribute.

But anyway, just wanted to share the news with my AR friends - hope you'll stop by and see me at the 2010 Cyber Convention!

If you've been around my blog for more than five minutes, you probably know how I feel about Begging for Business or Referrals. I don't like it. I don't think you should do it. I don't think you need to do it. I think it makes you look unprofessional, needy and, well, I'll say it again, unprofessional.

Was I clear?

Actually, probably not. When I use the word "beg" I'm not just talking about the literal definition of the word where you accost everyone you know and meet, and sob on their shoulder about your lack of business and beg them to find you a buyer or seller. No, when I say not to "beg" I'm also advising against "asking," "reminding," "incentivizing," and in many cases, even "appreciating."

"But... but... but..."

Yeah, I've heard all the but, but, but's and they don't sway me from my stance on the matter. 

So, what should you do instead? How DO you inspire the people you know and the people you meet to send you business if you don't ask/beg/bribe/remind for it?

Tee Hee... Here comes the pitch...

Join me on Saturday morning, January 16th for a freebie teleseminar on this very topic - "Alternatives to Referral-Begging." We'll talk about WHY it's wrong to beg for business and WHAT you can do instead to get the point across without discrediting yourself. And yes, as time permits, we'll address all the but, but, but's...

Details and Registration here
www.SellwithSoul.com/referral-begging

It's Here!!!! 
The Sequel to Sell with Soul
Own one of the first 1,000 copies printed, numbered & autographed.
www.SWSStore.com

The live show is over - but here's a link to it. I had a great time; hope the audience did, too... there's some good stuff here if I do say so me-self. Thanks Jon!

Hey, if you have a minute (okay, an hour) in the middle of the day today (12:30 eastern), please consider tuning in for my interview on the Introvert Experience with Jon Hansen! He sent me an outline of the program last night and yipes! He has some good questions - ones I've never answered before... some I've never even thought much about.

I better do that - give them some thought, that is.

Below is the promo for the interview. If you want to join us, here's a link to connect: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jon-hansen/2009/12/16/the-sincere-introvert-sincerity-and-vulnerability-

The Sincere Introvert: Sincerity and Vulnerability in the Age of Personal Branding
As host of the PI Window on Business Show, I have had the opportunity to speak with The Twittering Granny, Canada's Trade Minister, Maine's gubernatorial candidate Matt Jacobson, bestselling authors too numerous to list and industry thought leaders.

Suffice to say each one provided invaluable knowledge, insight and great entertainment for all of us. However, and even with this great constellation of guests, in a world in which personal branding is the key element of building one's profile and establishing an enduring presence, Jennifer Allan caught my attention!

Perhaps it was the fact that she is an admitted introvert? Or maybe it was the simple yet powerful expression of her belief that "the secret of success for real estate agents (Jennifer is a former top producing real estate broker), and other entrepreneurs is not in aggressive marketing techniques or hard-core sales pitches, but rather in being competent in one's craft." A quiet competency if you will that establishes confidence in those with whom she seeks to connect and serve.

A published author, a speaker and a trainer, Jennifer has written five books about the business of selling real estate, including her flagship book: Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect.

Jennifer also has a new book that is scheduled for release in early 2010 entitled "If You're Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right!"

In the context of the old saying "I can't hear what you are saying because your actions are speaking too loud," I cannot help but think that this champion of the "quiet" brand is perhaps on to something in what is the fast-paced world of social media and social networking.

I am of course pleased to be joined by Jennifer Allan on today's show to talk about her version of building an effective personal brand.

And now a word from our sponsor...

The Winter of Soul Teleseminar Series kicks off on November 18th with a show about...ho hum...Creating Your 2010 Business Plan. Nah, it won't actually BE ho-hum, but I'll admit - it might not be the MOST exciting program in the series. But definitely worth tuning in for as our hearts and minds and bank accounts look toward the future...

The 2009-2010 Winter of Soul program is a 10-session series of teleseminars on topics of interest to the soulfully-inclined real estate community. They're scheduled throughout the winter season - from November to March - typically on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings. All are recorded, so if you can't make them live, you'll be able to listen in later at your leisure. The tentative schedule is below.

How much? $59. For over 800 minutes of soul!  

;-]    

Questions? Just ask!

The 2009-2010 Winter of Soul Tentative Schedule

Creating Your 2010 Business Plan - Everyone knows you're supposed to have a written plan. Have you done yours? No? Let's do it together in this kick-off to the 2009-2010 Winter of Soul. Wednesday afternoon/evening, November 18th

Alternatives to Referral-Begging - It's really not necessary to beg, bribe or even "remind" your friends to send you referrals. In fact, this behavior might actually be counterproductive to your goal of GETTING referrals from the people you know. I'll show you what to do instead. Saturday morning; January 16th

Open House Strategies - A panel discussion with four master open-housers on effective techniques to attract visitors, build rapport, get valid contact information (and permission to use it), and much more. Saturday morning, January 23rd

Why Isn't My Listing Selling? - ARGHGH! Why isn't my listing selling? I priced it right, made up a pretty brochure and I hold open houses every weekend! What else can I do? (And no, the answer isn't always "reduce the price."). Saturday morning, February 13th

Selling with Her Soul - For Ladies Only (and the men who love them) - A potentially politically INcorrect discussion on how there's nothing wrong with being feminine in today's gender-neutral world. No, you DON'T have to become a man to succeed; quite the opposite in fact! Mary Beth Bonacci joins me for what I promise will be a fascinating show. Date TBD

Social Media and Your Sphere of Influence - Don't spam your sphere! ...and other tips for effectively using social media in your sphere of influence business model. Saturday morning, February 20th

Rethinking the List(en)ing Presentation - Do you really need a formal listing presentation? Maybe... but maybe not. A panel discussion on various approaches to seller interviews. Saturday morning, January 9th

Don't Be Dorky, Be YOU! - Why is it that real estate agents, many of whom are otherwise fascinating creatures, insist on being dull as dirt in their written communications? You don't have to be a professional writer to create interesting letters, newsletters or online profiles that will make the reader smile... instead of yawn. Date TBD

B.R.A.N.D.'ing with Tom Gosche - Back by popular demand from the Summer of Soul, Tom Gosche, branding expert, joins us to share his unique perspective on personal branding that actually reflects who you are... and inspires you to become the best YOU you can be. It's good stuff. Wednesday afternoon/evening, December 2nd

Beyond Virtual Tours - Virtual Tours aren't just for listings anymore! So far, my friends at CPG Tours and I have come up with nearly 20 promotional uses for virtual tours outside of marketing your listings. Easy-as-pie to put together and a lot of fun to distribute. Saturday morning, March 6th  

Register for the Winter of Soul for $59

What's the Number One Thing "they" say that homesellers complain about?

All together now...

Communication (or lack thereof) from their agent. And, having been on the other side of the For Sale sign a time or two, I can certainly second that emotion. But "communication" isn't just about calling every week to say "Hi, how're doin'?" No, it's also about keeping the seller informed on local market activity. On providing feedback from showings. On notifying him of new competing listings and recently closed sales. And, frankly, on making sure the seller knows exactly what his agent's been up to to promote his home!

If the only time a listing agent contacts a seller is to ask for a price reduction or a listing extension, well, I can pretty much guarantee that seller is less than tickled with his agent. And that agent deserves every bit of his seller's discontent! Oh, the seller may not complain to his agent, but I'll bet he's not keeping quiet around the coffee machine!

The good news is that keeping a seller happy isn't that hard. They just wanna know what's going on and that their agent cares. Is that too much to ask?

Here are sixteen things you can do to keep your seller happy with you. And a happy-with-you seller just might be a great source of future business!

1. Notify him as soon as the listing hits the MLS and send him a copy of the listing
2. Send him links to all your online advertising (Realtor.com, Craigslist, Postlets, Active Rain, your own blog, etc.)
3. Send him a copy of the home brochure before it goes to print and ask for feedback
4. Make sure he knows when home brochures will be delivered
5. Schedule an open house right away (yes, you must do an open house)
6. Call after the first showing(s) to see if he has any questions about the process
7. Pursue and deliver feedback, especially in the first month
8. If you do any print advertising, send the seller copies (including Just Listed cards)
9. Send him a "state of the market" report showing all the competing listings. Update this report every two or three weeks
10. Call periodically to find out if he's running low on brochures (if it's impractical to keep the box full, just remove it.)
11. Be sure to provide feedback after open houses (if someone else does your open houses for you, be sure to follow up with them afterwards)
12. Schedule an appointment to review the latest market activity
13. Preview any new competition and provide feedback to your seller
14. Refresh your Craigslist ads and send the seller a link
15. Ensure that your photos are in season
16. Ask for feedback on how you're doing

How many of these items do you already do? If you do at least 50% of them, you're blowing away your competition. Sad, isn't it? The last few times I've had my own properties listed, my agents did ZERO of these activities. ZERO... Zero.

A happy seller is a cooperative seller. An unhappy seller is not, and will likely become more and more uncooperative as time goes by. You pick!

RELATED BLOG: Get Good... or Get OUT!

Subscribe to my Selling Your Listings blog
www.SellingyourListings.com

If the brochure box is empty... they notice

If their brochures still show the original price after two reductions... they notice

If their agent hasn't done in an Open House in six months (or ever)... they notice

If no feedback cometh after showings... they notice

If there haven't been any showings in a month... they notice

If their Craigslist ad hasn't been refreshed... they notice

If their agent hasn't updated them on market activity... they notice

If their online photos are from two seasons ago... they notice

If the only time they hear from their agent is when he calls to ask for a price reduction... they notice

Just because a seller doesn't complain doesn't mean he's happy. And just because he's not complaining to his agent doesn't mean he's keeping quiet elsewhere. Trust me on this. If his agent doesn't seem to care about selling his home... the seller notices.

Coming soon - 16 Ways to Keep Your Seller Happy

Quick announcement before I head to waters bluer (Bahamas, here I come!)...

On Saturday morning, October 10th, I'm hosting a teleseminar with four newly NON-rookie real estate agents in their 2nd & 3rd years, who obviously did NOT become first-year statistics. They're doing quite well, thank you very much, even though they started their careers at a really lousy time.

The show will be structured as a panel discussion, with each guest honestly answering a series of questions about his or her rookie year (actually, they all happen to be female this round). They'll tell us what prospecting strategies worked... and which didn't. Where they spent money wisely... and where they threw it away. Their biggest success... and their most embarrassing moment.

Stuff like that.  

My guests are all readers of Sell with Soul, so their secrets of success probably don't include any cheesy closing tactics or aggressive sales pitches. And this will not be a brag-fest where each guest tries to out-shine the others with outrageous claims or trumped-up production levels. Nope. These are real people, with real challenges, frustrations and fears.

Anyway, if you're in your first year... or just feel as if you are... or if you're in charge of training the newer agents in your world... please join us! It'll be fun!

HERE'S WHERE YOU REGISTER FOR THE ROOKIE-TO-ROOKIE SHOW

Bon Voyage!

Yesterday I promised to share some ideas to become a Master of Your Market so you can capture more of that business that crosses your path in your day-to-day wanderings!

First, if it's customary to "preview" in your market, do that. A lot. (If previewing IS customary in your market, you might be surprised to hear that it's frowned on or flat out not allowed in some! If that's the case in your market, you might want to move;-])

I advise all new agents to spend some serious quality time previewing in their first few months. By "serious," I mean every other day if they can. The best way to effectively preview is to practice what I call "Opinionated Previewing" or "Previewing with a Purpose." That means to look at somewhat similar homes and compare them to each other or against your "subject" property. You would practice both when you preview in preparation for an open house, or preview for a new buyer. If you don't have a new buyer or an upcoming open house, go preview all the houses in a certain price range or architectural style. Whatever your excuse, being able to compare homes to each other helps you internalize the data you're gathering (so you can spit it out intelligently if the opportunity arises).

A great side benefit of pro-active previewing is that karma always seems to provide you with an audience to share your newly-found expertise with. What I mean is that if you go out and preview all the Bungalows between $250,000 and $350,000, within a week or two, you'll almost certainly meet someone with one of those to sell, or who knows someone who'd like to buy one! It's previewing magic!

Another way to Master Your Market is to always have your antenna up for opportunities to show properties to buyers. Even buyers who probably won't ever lead you to a paycheck.  It's one thing for you to go out alone and preview, but quite another to have someone else with you to provide feedback on what you're seeing. And if you make conversation with this person, you'll get to hear their impressions of neighborhoods and styles and features, which will help you better understand what's important to the consumer. So, drive across town for a sign call.  Take a buyer out to look at properties even if she says she won't buy til next spring.

If you've chosen to master a particular geographic market, you'll want to learn about the flow and amenities of the area as well as the housing stock. Drive the area using a variety of access points. Visit the grocery stores and the neighborhood parks. If you have friends who live there, ask them what they like and dislike about their neighborhoods. Read local neighborhood newspapers and subscribe to other agents' newsletters who specialize in your new favorite neighborhood.

Do open houses in that neighborhood as often as you can, even if you have to do them for an agent in a different office.

The job of "becoming" a market master is never really done. Markets change (duh) and in order to truly be a master, you have to keep up with the changes. Don't go overboard - you do have other things to do besides preview (I hope!), but try to keep Market Mastery on your to-do list. You'll feel awfully smart the next time you capture a great new client at a party because you knew how much that Victorian down the street sold for!

 Next up - Nurturing Relationships TODAY for Business Tomorrow