http://sellwithsoulblog.com/ en-us http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/365292/beware-of-online-movers-feel-free-to-forward-this-to-your-clients- <p><em>(This blog is written in the present tense, but it actually happened a few weeks ago. I decided against posting it until the situation was resolved to avoid any unnecessary angst while the movers still had my stuff!)</em></p> <p><strong>January 24, 2008<br></strong>I've got the moving blues. It's not as if I expected moving across the country to be fun, but one can hope. Actually, almost everything has gone smoothly with one big <img title="moving" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/8/5/9/2/ar12021471629589.jpg" height="166" alt="moving" width="150">exception... my MOVERS.</p> <p>I don't have my stuff yet (that's a story in itself), but I'm almost dreading the day it arrives. I've heard so many horror stories about how crooked movers will hold your stuff hostage until you pay some previously undisclosed and un-agreed-to charge. You can argue all you want, but eventually you give in out of frustration.</p> <p>In a nut, here's what's going on. About six weeks ago, I went online to get moving estimates. Filled out a few inventory lists and was then bombarded with emailed estimates and phone calls. Estimates ranged from $1600 to $5200. I eventually hired <strong><a href="http://www.movingontime.com/">Moving-on-Time</a></strong> because they had both the lowest price and the nicest salespeople. Bad move.</p> <p>Every time I talked to one of these nice salespeople at <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong>, I got a different story as to how my move would be handled. The first guy said that the truck would show up in Alabama on January 15^th and drive&nbsp;straight to Denver where the driver would wait for me to show up if I lagged behind. Wow - that sounded pretty good. The next guy told me that my things would be loaded on a freight truck with other households, but that I'd be the last one on, therefore the first one off, so again, I'd have my things quickly.</p> <p>The next person I spoke to told me I could request a delivery date and as long as I called 48 hours ahead of time, they'd be able to honor it. I requested delivery on January 21, and called to confirm that date three times. "No problem" I was told all three times. Even on January 20, I was told that my delivery was on schedule, but that I should call the driver directly to find out what time he'd be here.</p> <p>So I called the driver on January 21 and apparently got him out of bed. Oops. When I politely asked what time my things would be delivered, he informed me that my things were still in a warehouse in Atlanta and would not be in Denver for at least a week, maybe two. The conversation deteriorated from there as it sunk in that I'd be sleeping on the floor and wearing the same clothes for much longer than I'd expected. Oh, and spending $500 at Target to purchase all the things I'd need to camp out in my empty house.</p> <p>But oh well. Nothing I could do. So, I broached the next subject with one of those nice salespeople at <strong>Moving-on-Time.</strong> I was double-charged for fuel; once by <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong> and once by <strong>A Van Lines</strong> - <em><strong>the company who Moving-on-Time subcontracted my move to.</strong></em> Ahhhhh....a light goes on. <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong> is a moving BROKER, not an actual moving company and I'd been warned not to use a broker because all sorts of fun things can happen!</p> <p>Anyway, <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong> agreed that I'd been double-charged and directed me to contact <strong>A Van Lines</strong> to get the problem corrected. I called <strong>A Van Lines</strong> and spoke with Eddie, the supervisor/owner. I explained that my contract with <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong> included the fuel charge and that his driver made a mistake when he included it on my revised bill.&nbsp;</p> <p>Well, the supervisor/owner at <strong>A Van Lines</strong> told me in no uncertain terms that because I signed the paperwork that showed the extra fuel charge, I was obligated to pay it, whether it was valid or not. He said it didn't matter at this point what the charge was for; <em><strong>because I agreed to it with my signature, the law was on his side</strong></em>. He used the example that if I went to a car dealership and negotiated a price of $40,000 for a car and then signed paperwork agreeing to pay $55,000 without realizing what I'd signed, would I expect the dealership to honor the $40,000 price? I so wish I'd recorded the conversation - the guy was so smug and so condescending and so, well, slimy!</p> <p>I then read <a href="http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=30408183">some reviews online</a> (a little late) and found that I'm not the first person this has happened to with this company.</p> <p>I tried going back to <strong>Moving-on-Time</strong> for some help, but they're tired of hearing from me by now. And I kind of understand - there's really nothing they can do to help. They're just brokers after all and they have to deal with Eddie as well ... who probably isn't any nicer to them than he was to me.</p> <p>So, my point is... listen to those in the know who say not to use a moving broker, who make up the majority&nbsp;of online FREE Moving Estimates sites. I so wish I'd hired the guy who actually came to my house to give me a binding estimate, even though his price was quite a bit higher (although in the end, it's close to what I paid).</p> <p>I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of everything I own and am trying to be optimistic that this final step will go well. But I'm scared. I'm scared that as a single woman who can be a bit wimpy when it comes to confrontation I'll be further taken advantage of by <strong>A Van Lines</strong>. I'm scared that because I've complained they'll intentionally break something or accidently leave something vital on the truck. My imagination is working overtime on all the scenarios that could arise.</p> <p>Wish me luck!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:46:54 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/365292/beware-of-online-movers-feel-free-to-forward-this-to-your-clients- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3195327/getting-lucky-in-real-estate-the-sequel-a-free-teleseminar-at-sws <p><img title="Free Teleseminar" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/2/3/4/ar133535355343249.jpg" height="450" alt="Free Teleseminar" width="300">In March, we did a little show&nbsp;in the <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/about/calendar">SWS Virtual Studio</a> called "Getting Lucky in Real Estate" where I invited a few successful agents to join me in a discussion about what they've done (and continue to do) to generate business for themselves without really trying.</p> <p>Well, the registration and attendance were among the best of any show we've ever done, so we figured - hey, let's do it again! So, on April 26th, we're having two more "lucky" SWS'ers join us to tell us all about their "luck" in finding clients to serve, without spending a fortune or even much time doing it.</p> <p>Here is the description we posted for the first show... so instead of reinventing the wheel, I'll just let you read it again if you like! Or you can just scroll down to register for the show.</p> <p>***</p> <p>Last fall, I was talking with an agent about our coaching program here at SWS. She was interested in hiring me to help her work through some of her business-related challenges such as choosing a contact management system, creating and implementing transaction checklists, setting goals; basically just getting better organized and in control of her day-to-day activities.</p> <p>Sounded good to me - I LOVE that stuff and fancy myself an expert in such matters. But out of curiosity, I asked her why she hadn't mentioned needing help in her business-building (i.e. prospecting) efforts and she said something like: "I suppose I should focus on that more, but I guess I've just been lucky. I seem to have a steady stream of business without really doing anything special."</p> <p>It reminded me of a quote I made back in 2001 when I was the agent of the year in my RE/MAX office and was being interviewed about my Secrets of Success. I said "The phone rings, I answer it, and I have a great new client."&nbsp;</p> <p>IS it luck when business just seems to flow in without undue effort or expense? Of course not! Someone is doing something right, perhaps without even realizing it because what they're doing "right" feels so natural it doesn't seem like they're doing anything at all!</p> <p>That's what we're going to talk about in the Getting Lucky in Real Estate show. How two successful SWS agents "Get Lucky" on a daily basis when it comes to finding buyers and sellers to serve. And no, it has nothing to do with secret trigger words or free reports or dorky elevator speeches - but everything to do with being REAL, being GOOD and being OUT THERE!</p> <p>Join us?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><br>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong><br>Date: Thursday, April 26th, 2012<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>Duration: 60 - 90 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers, or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free, but you must register, below:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/lucky2">Register Here</a></span></p> <p><span> &nbsp; </span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:31:42 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3195327/getting-lucky-in-real-estate-the-sequel-a-free-teleseminar-at-sws http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3166136/is-real-estate-consulting-right-for-you-and-if-so-what-to-do-about-it- <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/7/5/6/3/ar133457502436578.jpg" height="300" alt="ACRE" width="300">As you may know, SWS is now the proud owner of the Accredited Consultant in Real Estate&reg; (ACRE) program and designation! Founded by Mollie Wasserman in 2006, the ACRE baton was handed over to me&nbsp;in late 2011, and in the months since, I've completely updated the program with a <a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">new look, a new approach and a new platform</a>.</p> <p>However, the mission of ACRE remains the same - to both inspire real estate practitioners to approach their real estate careers with a "consultative" mindset rather than a sales one, and to teach them HOW to incorporate consulting into their practice of real estate.</p> <p>For those already familiar with the SWS way of doing things, the ACRE philosophy of "consulting with" instead of "selling to" is obviously a match made in heaven.&nbsp;But there's much more to ACRE and consulting than a simple shift in mindset. Real estate consulting opens up a whole new world of opportunity for real estate agents; in the clients they can serve, the services they can offer and the manner in which they can be paid.</p> <p>Consultants can work with homeowners who don't want to sell right now, but need the expertise of a real estate professional. Consultants can help FSBOs navigate their way to the closing table once a buyer has been found. Consultants can work with professional investors who need a knowledgeable expert on their team to help them analyze properties. Consultants can offer their services to landlords who need an objective opinion as to whether to re-rent or sell. And yes, consultants can work with retail buyers and sellers as they always have, and offer them a wider variety of service packages and payment options!</p> <p>But real estate consulting is definitely not for everyone. Perhaps not even for most. To make consulting a reality in your own practice, you need to come in with an open mind and a willingness to reject the notion of "that's the way it's always been done and it will never change." You also need to bring your creativity, your business savvy and the desire to make your real estate career something special ;-]</p> <p>So, do you think real estate consulting and ACRE might be right for you?</p> <p>Let's find out! On April 17th, we're doing a little infoshow about ACRE and consulting&nbsp;in the <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/about/calendar">SWS Virtual Studio</a>. We'll talk about what consulting is (and isn't), what opportunities it offers (and challenges it presents), we'll tell you about the new course and designation, and invite you to join us for the <strong>Grand Opening ACRE Mastermind Workshop</strong>* that begins on April 23rd.</p> <p>We promise a low-pitch atmosphere - we have no interest in pressuring anyone to participate in a program that's not right for them! Come to the show to see for yourself if consulting is something you'd like to add to your business model, either now or in the future. We'd love to have you join us!</p> <p><strong>The DETAILS</strong> <br>Date: Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 <br>Time: 8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern Duration: 60-75 minutes <br>Cost: Free, but you must register, below<br>Format/Equipment: Teleseminar; can access by telephone or on your computer</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/acre-mastermind-show">Register Here</a></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>*What, exactly, is the <strong>ACRE Mastermind Workshop?</strong> The ACRE Mastermind Workshop is a six-week group program where we'll work together in an online group setting to learn the nuts and bolts of real estate consulting. At the end of the Workshop, your final project will be to create a Consulting Business Plan based on the assignments we've completed together, and if you complete the program, you will be ready to Go Forth and Consult!</p> <p>If you do not already have your ACRE Designation, you will receive it once your business plan has been submitted and approved. We're calling the program a Mastermind because it will be led not only by the leaders of ACRE, but also by ACREs who are actually practicing consulting. We'll have several "break-out" sessions where we'll discuss a wide variety of consulting-related topics, such as marketing yourself as a consultant, working with non-buying or -selling clients, consulting with FSBOs, broker issues and much more. You can read more about the Mastermind Workshop here: <a href="http://swsstore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&amp;p=126">http://swsstore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&amp;p=126</a>.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:22:07 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3166136/is-real-estate-consulting-right-for-you-and-if-so-what-to-do-about-it- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice- <p>Like most of you, I talk to other real estate agents on the phone pretty regularly. Some in the course of my real estate business, some in the course of my writing, training &amp; speaking career.<img title="phone" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/0/0/2/ar124075339320047.jpg" height="322" alt="phone" width="300"></p> <p>And I tell ya - there are a lot of unfriendly voices out there.</p> <p>Within an hour the other day I spoke with two different agents, about two totally different topics. The first was calling me to ask about some Open House signs I had listed on Craigslist. He was distant and dismissive and didn't seem much interested in having a conversation with me. The second was calling for information on a listing and she was delightful. The kind of voice you'd like to ask to meet you for Happy Hour, and be pretty sure you'd have a wonderful time.</p> <p>Last week, I participated in a couple of Real Estate Week online seminars in which all participants had the opportunity to chat one-on-one with other participants on the call. The difference among the various voices I was matched up with was striking. Some of the voices were hesitant and unsure; some were bold and somewhat abrasive and a few were warm and inviting. I naturally have fond memories of the warm &amp; inviting voices; not so fond memories of the others.</p> <p>Hey, I'm the last one to tell someone to change who they are, but it's a fact that many of your clients and prospects are going to judge you by your phone voice. Of all the real estate agents I've spoken with on the phone this week, only two or three of them would have inspired me to pursue a professional relationship with the person, had I been in the market for a real estate agent.</p> <p>If you can stand it, record some of your phone conversations. Then listen... and see how you feel about both the warmth and confidence of this person (that would be you!). Try to be objective - I know it's hard - on one hand you hate the sound of your voice, but on the other, it's tough to admit that perhaps you sound a bit unsure or conversely, brash.</p> <p>You might also pay closer attention to the people you speak with on the phone, whether they're in the biz or not. What is your impression of this person? That they're confident? Competent? Caring? Knowledgeable? Or bored, scared or clueless?</p> <p>It sounds trite, but if you stand up (or sit up) straight when you talk on the phone, put your shoulders back and smile, your phone voice will improve exponentially.</p> <p>By the way, I met the afore-mentioned "distant and dismissive" agent in person later in the day, and he was quite pleasant in person. But that phone voice... ugh!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img title="ja" src="http://activerain.comhttp://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/0/7/3/ar124057404137032.JPG" height="157" alt="ja" width="204"></p> <p>&nbsp;<strong>ON SPECIAL THROUGH TONIGHT!</strong></p> <p><em><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/savvyprospector.htm"><strong>The Savvy Prospector - Eight Weeks to a Full Pipeline for Life</strong></a></em><strong> <br></strong><br><strong>$199 til Monday evening</strong> <br>(regular price $249)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:35:15 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2236113/20-ways-to-make-100k-this-year-or-not-part-deux-the-20-ways <p>Well, thank you AR Gods for featuring my little teaser blog about <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2230605/20-ways-to-make-100k-this-year-or-not-">20 Ways to Make $100k This Year... OR NOT!</a> As promised, here are those 20 ways you could make (or NOT make) $100k by simply attending (or NOT attending) to "minor" details.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you have a&nbsp;photo on your business card? <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=jldck9bab&amp;et=1105071496618&amp;s=0&amp;e=001JynPTg-lsKBlBDqRgekQSg7MUVuJBR8m7jlk6v0VDGToDQ4HPOEdwPbRn3MMXSzXke6CM8m09wBqWpbjCSu01a2V6PG6EEeSV7OBnhkh1V1oTDt-Jnw4doelIx_OiiMluYFm1bQmzhgir5N-sTVpbPE-yur9xg32QX55Nb-HwzI=">("To Photo or Not to Photo?")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you follow up on referrals sent or received?&nbsp;<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1224375/ten-tips-to-being-a-good-refer-ee-that-is-one-who-receives-referrals-from-other-real-estate-agents-">("Ten Tips for Being a Good Refer-ee")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Does the&nbsp;Contact Me link on your website work?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Does the&nbsp;link to your website in your email signature work?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is your&nbsp;phone voice is off-putting? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice-">("How's Your Phone Voice?")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Do your eNewsletters go out from your company name instead of yours (so your SOI might delete them unopened and maybe even block you)?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Are your incoming emails&nbsp;aggressively blocked by your ISP? <a href="http://newsgeni.us/?p=9519">("Why You May Not Be Hearing From Me")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is your&nbsp;business/cell phone&nbsp;ever answered by your child?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is your&nbsp;outgoing voicemail message&nbsp;friendly and/or professional?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>10.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you&nbsp;return calls or emails on the weekend? "(<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/935940/workin-on-the-holiday-weekend-">Workin' on the Holiday Weekend?")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>11.&nbsp;&nbsp; Is your business card&nbsp;boring? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/288106/the-dorky-business-card-and-my-three-faves-from-vegas">("The Dorky Business Card")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>12.&nbsp;&nbsp; Is/are your About Me profile(s) boring? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/220935/the-dorky-active-rain-profile-darp-">("The Dorky Active Rain Profile")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>13.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you risk offending&nbsp;contacts by misspelling&nbsp;names in your database (and therefore your communications)?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>14.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you risk offending&nbsp;open house visitors by asking them to sign in "for security purposes"? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1379757/real-estate-prospecting-turning-cheese-into-soul-open-houses">("Open Houses - Turning Cheese into Soul")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>15.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you&nbsp;post on Facebook about a difficult, PITA client (or real estate clients in general)? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2145847/-5-00-charge-for-whining-">("Five Dollar Charge for Whining"</a>)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>16.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you blow off parties&nbsp;you RSVP'd for? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/169774/introvert-tip-4-show-up-when-it-s-the-right-thing-to-do">("Show Up When it's the Right Thing to Do")</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>17.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you change your email address every time you change brokers?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>18.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you&nbsp;use an email address you "never check" in&nbsp;your marketing?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>19.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you go on vacation without good backup?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>20.&nbsp;&nbsp; Is your email auto-responder&nbsp;obnoxious? <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1162745/do-you-use-an-autoresponder-please-be-careful-with-it-">("Do You Use an Autoresponder? Please Be Careful with it!")</a></p> <p><br>Will attending to any <strong>one</strong> of these&nbsp;make or break your career? Nah. But at $5,000 a pop (or whatever your average commission is), they can add up to some real money pretty quickly!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:06:13 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2236113/20-ways-to-make-100k-this-year-or-not-part-deux-the-20-ways http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3119166/-you-have-reached-850-xxx-xxxx-please-leave-a-message-at-the-sound-of-the-tone- <p><em><img title="voicemail" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/1/6/8/8/ar13333652388619.JPG" height="233" alt="voicemail" width="350"></em><em>"You have reached &lt;insert pause&gt; 850-xxx-xxxx. Please leave a message at the sound of the tone."</em></p> <p>That's the greeting I received yesterday when I dialed the phone number on the rider perched atop a For Sale sign. I wasn't calling to buy the house, but rather to let the listing agent know that her vacant listing appears to be squatted in - that&nbsp;someone might be living there without the blessing of the owner.&nbsp;</p> <p>As I dialed the number on a Sunday morning, I assumed I'd get voice mail since this is the south and a lot of people tend to hang out at church on this day and time of the week. But I laughed out loud when I got the "standard greeting with your telephone number telling callers you are not available" on a real estate agent's direct line! Seriously?! Someone goes to the trouble of printing up custom sign riders with their name and number and then can't even bother to record their NAME on their voicemail greeting, never mind a warm, friendly, inviting personal greeting?</p> <p>I must confess the snarky side of me was tempted to play dumb and say something like "<em>Oh, um, I thought I was calling a real estate agent, maybe I dialed the number wrong. Well, I'm looking for Judy Smith - it's about the house on Luna Way - if this is the right number, please call me back...</em>" But I managed to restrain my snarky side and left a detailed message with my concern about her listing, included my name and phone number (what a concept!) and invited her to call me back if she'd like.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'll give ya three guesses as to whether or not she did. Not that she needed to, but it would have been a nice gesture. Hey, you never know where you'll meet your next biggest client and if someone takes the time to call YOU with information you might appreciate, it's probably a good idea to call them back. What the heck.&nbsp;</p> <p>But that's not my point; I'm sure anyone reading this blog would have already made that Thank You call. My point is that maybe, just maybe this agent doesn't realize her voicemail is the "standard greeting telling callers you are unavailable" - after all, how many times do we call our own number? Maybe she USED to have a warm, friendly, inviting personal greeting on there and somehow it was erased? And she'd be stunned to find out some snarky real estate writer was criticizing her on a public blog? It's possible!</p> <p>So, don't let this happen to you! Take a moment right now and dial your own direct line; lines if you have more than one. Make sure the outgoing greeting you hear IS a greeting and one that would inspire YOU to leave a message if you were in need of real estate assistance! Might be the best investment of 60 seconds of your day today!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED BLOGS</strong></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1050765/how-s-your-phone-voice-">How's Your Phone Voice?</a></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2236113/20-ways-to-make-100k-this-year-or-not-part-deux-the-20-ways">20 Ways to Make $100,000/year... or not</a>! &nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1162745/do-you-use-an-autoresponder-please-be-careful-with-it-">Do You Use an Autoresponder? Please be careful with it!</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:17:08 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3119166/-you-have-reached-850-xxx-xxxx-please-leave-a-message-at-the-sound-of-the-tone- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/252277/soi-gone-bad-21-ways-to-blow-it-with-your-sphere-of-influence <p>I love SOI*. It's my thing... it's my passion. I think every self-employed salesperson oughta include a little SOI <img title="soi" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/3/9/3/9/ar119986091893934.jpg" height="128" alt="soi" width="150">in their arsenal. <strong>Or a lot</strong>. During my real estate days, my business was nearly 100% SOI with a few random floor calls, walk-ins and web leads tossed in as gravy.</p> <p>But if you're gonna SOI, you better do it right!&nbsp;Not everyone does. In fact, most don't. Not because they're stupid or incompetent or insensitive, not at all! Rather, because most salespeople have never been shown the right way to do it. When done right, an SOI business model&nbsp;<strong>actually changes the way the salesperson views his business ... and his world. </strong></p> <p>Most experienced real estate salespeople claim to embrace an SOI philosophy. They support the idea of generating business and referrals from the people they know. But the reality is that the vast majority of real estate agents fail miserably in their SOI efforts. Even worse, they manage to alienate many of their friends and family members along the way!</p> <p>And then they proclaim that "SOI is a lousy way to run a business!"</p> <p>Well, they're wrong. And, they're right. They're wrong that an SOI strategy is a poor business model, but they're right that it was a lousy business model for them. Because they didn't understand how to do it right.</p> <p>If you're gonna SOI, you better do it right. If you're gonna do it wrong, don't do it at all. The personal relationships in your life are far too important to risk!</p> <p><strong>21 Ways to Blow it with Your SOI</strong></p> <ol> <li> <div>Ask a friend to lunch and give her your sales pitch (every time)</div> </li> <li> <div>Call your friends on the first Monday of every month and ask if they have any referrals for you.</div> </li> <li>If they don't, ask them why not.</li> <li>Angrily (or tearfully) confront your friends and family if they use another real estate agent</li> <li>Take on business you aren't qualified to handle</li> <li>Send your friends weekly emailed newsletters of your listings</li> <li> <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/169774/Introvert-Tip-4-Show">Blow off your friend's housewarming party</a>, but expect her to be loyal to you </li> <li>Attend your friend's housewarming party and sales-pitch everyone to death</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how lousy the real estate market is</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how overwhelmed you are</li> <li>Tell everyone you know how depressed you are about your real estate business</li> <li>Send out an announcement letter with typo's and misspellings</li> <li>Send your friends frequent "forward this on for good luck or else" mass emails</li> <li>Pepper your language with four-letter words</li> <li>Borrow money or books or tools or whatever and don't return them in a timely manner</li> <li>Don't return social phone calls or RSVP's</li> <li>Try to hijack referral fees from your family's pre-existing real estate relationships</li> <li>Ignore your SOI in favor of mass-advertising projects (then get your feelings hurt when they use someone else)</li> <li>Contact your friends only when you're looking for business</li> <li>Offer bribes to your friends for referrals</li> <li>Sell real estate "on the side"</li> </ol> <p>*<em>An "SOI" (sphere of influence) business strategy means to generate business and referrals from the people who know you.</em></p> <p>To Read About "Doing SOI Right", check out these blogs:<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/211928/Jake-s-New-Real">The Jake Series</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/34280/Are-You-Tired-of">Are You Tired of Pestering Strangers for Business?</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/79075/What-s-the-Best">What's the Best Way to Ask for Referrals? Don't.</a><br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/180058/SOI-and-the-Single">SOI and the Single Gal</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com">www.sellwithsoul.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:13:40 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/252277/soi-gone-bad-21-ways-to-blow-it-with-your-sphere-of-influence http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3019344/launch-your-website-with-a-scavenger-hunt- <p><span><span>This blog was originally posted in mid-2007, but&nbsp;</span></span><span>in honor of my own Scavenger Hunt scheduled for this Friday morning, I thought I'd run it again...&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span>...read all the way through to learn more about how to enter the 2012 SWSConnect Scavenger Hunt!</span></p> <p><span><span><strong>___________________________</strong></span></span></p> <p><strong><span><span>Announce Your Website with a Scavenger Hunt!&nbsp;</span></span></strong><span>(August 2007)</span></p> <p><em><span>Got your new website all fired up and ready to go? YEAH!</span></em></p> <p><em><span>Waiting anxiously for the inquiries, leads and, admit it, the compliments to start pouring in?</span></em></p> <p><strong><em><span>Waiting... waiting... waiting...</span></em></strong></p> <p><em><span>(Don't worry, this is NOT a blog about SEO, key words or Google rankings.)</span></em></p> <p><em><span><img title="scavenger hunt" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/1/0/2/9/ar133164062892017.gif" height="89" alt="Scavenger hunt" width="95">It's about how you can generate interest in your cyber-baby among the people you know.&nbsp;</span></em></p> <p><em><span>Have a Cyber Scavenger Hunt!</span></em></p> <p><em><span>It's pretty simple, really.</span></em></p> <p><em><span>Go through your web site page by page and find interesting little Tidbits and Factoids. (If you can't find any, you might wanna hit the drawing board again!).</span></em></p> <p><em><span>Formulate questions around these Tidbits &amp; Factoids.</span></em></p> <p><em><span>Send out an email to everyone you know announcing the scavenger hunt. Offer fun prizes, preferably ones that will give them ongoing warm fuzzies about you. Such as... I dunno... Starbuck's gift cards, a local magazine subscription, a year membership at the zoo....? Be creative... you'll come up with something cool.</span></em></p> <p><em><span>And send ME an invitation to your Scavenger Hunt so I can join the fun!</span></em></p> <p><span>_____________________</span></p> <p><span>Sound like something you might want to try? Well, if you'd like to see such a thing might work, you're welcome to join the SWS crowd on Friday for the 2012 SWSConnect Scavenger Hunt.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span>Here's the scoop.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span>On Friday morning (March 16th), around 8am (Pacific) / 11am (Eastern), I'll send out and post a <img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/6/4/6/1/ar133114280516465.jpg" height="184" alt="" width="362">list of "items" that can be found at the all-new <a href="http://www.swsconnect.com">SWSConnect</a> - and you'll need to... duh... FIND them! <strong>YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED MEMBER OF SWSCONNECT AND LOGGED IN</strong> to participate! So, you might want to do that ahead of time (<em>like, now</em>) and make sure your profile is completely filled out (hint). If you're already a member of SWSConnect, make sure you remember your username and password - once the Hunt begins, I won't be able to address login issues in a timely manner.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span><span>The list of items to find will be provided in three places at the appointed time: 1) via email to the SWS mailing list; 2) on my Active Rain blog (right here); and 3) at the SWS Forum under the "<a href="http://swsconnect.com/forum/connect-forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=44">Selling Real Estate with Soul</a>" board.&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p><span>The first five finishers (who "find" all items correctly) will win a $300 gift certificate to the SWS Bookstore; the next ten will win a $100 gift certificate and everyone else will receive a $20-thanks-for-playing-but-you-didn't-win gift certificate. &nbsp;</span></p> <p><span>So... watch this space on Friday morning... make sure you can log all the way into SWSConnect... and let the games begin!</span></p> <p><span><br></span></p> <p><span><br></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:11:52 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3019344/launch-your-website-with-a-scavenger-hunt- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3032552/would-you-be-willing-to-show-your-business-plan-to-your-clients-and-potential-clients- <p>Yesterday I read yet another (<em>ho hum</em>) article about how important it is for real estate agents to remember&nbsp;that their primary obligation <em>(to whom?)</em> is to prospect for new business. Every day. Before they do anything else.&nbsp;</p> <p>Blech.&nbsp;<img title="Frustrated" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/1/0/1/4/ar133147328941011.jpg" height="350" alt="Frustrated" width="350"></p> <p>This attitude literally nauseates me. The article went on to say that (I'm paraphrasing) since the non-income producing activities (<strong><em>specifically client service</em></strong>) we "have" to do are typically the activities that give us the most grief (<em>um... really?</em>) and create the most frustration in our lives, we should spend as little time as possible on them and relegate them to the hours of the day when our energy level is the lowest so as not to "waste" our high-energy hours taking care of those pesky clients who have the nerve to want our attention after they've hired us.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wow.</p> <p>Now, if the author of the article was saying that a natural rainmaker should go out and make rain all day long and bring the results home to a more client-oriented PARTNER (not assistant) to actually care for, I might be less critical. But nope, that wasn't the gist of the article - it was simply to say that because client service activities are not directly income-producing (<em>although I'll argue that one all day long!</em>), they should be the lowest priority on your daily to-do list.&nbsp;</p> <p>I've ranted about this before and if you'd like to read more, check out the links below. But for now, I'll just ask this...&nbsp;</p> <p>If you were to sit down right now and write up a business plan for the next twelve months where you outlined your business development (i.e. prospecting) <strong>and</strong> client service goals and commitments, and then created a mission statement based specifically on that business plan... <strong>would you be willing to share it with your clients and potential clients?&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>If the mission statement you create from your business plan reads anything like: "<em>Taking care of my current clients will NOT be done until I've run out of energy to search for new ones</em>" - would you be proud to post it on your website, your blog and in your listing presentation?&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>RELATED RANTS</strong></p> <p><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2606244/how-do-you-think-your-current-and-future-clients-might-feel-about-your-80-20-plan-">How do you think your clients feel about your 80/20 plan?</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2607682/80-20-prospecting-service-model-let-s-turn-that-around-can-i-interest-you-in-a-20-80-model-">80/20? Let's turn that around</a>!&nbsp;<br><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1786789/if-real-estate-is-so-easy-how-do-you-justify-your-fee-">If Real Estate is so easy, how do you justify your fee</a>?&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:43:37 -0700 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3032552/would-you-be-willing-to-show-your-business-plan-to-your-clients-and-potential-clients- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3018427/-getting-lucky-in-real-estate-a-free-sws-teleseminar <p><img title="Free Teleseminar" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/1/2/9/5/ar133112446459216.jpg" height="525" alt="Free Teleseminar" width="350"></p> <p>Last fall, I was talking with an agent about our coaching program here at SWS. She was interested in hiring me to help her work through some of her business-related challenges such as choosing a contact management system, creating and implementing transaction checklists, setting goals; basically just getting better organized and in control of her day-to-day activities.</p> <p>Sounded good to me - I LOVE that stuff and fancy myself an expert in such matters. But out of curiosity, I asked her why she hadn't mentioned needing help in her business-building (i.e. prospecting) efforts and she said something like: "<em>I suppose I should focus on that more, but I guess I've just been lucky. I seem to have a steady stream of business without really doing anything special</em>."</p> <p>It reminded me of a quote I made back in 2001 when I was the agent of the year in my RE/MAX office and was being interviewed about my Secrets of Success. I said "<em>The phone rings, I answer it, and I have a great new client</em>." &nbsp;</p> <p>IS it luck when business just seems to flow in without undue effort or expense? Of course not! Someone is doing something right, perhaps without even realizing it because what they're doing "right" feels so natural it doesn't seem like they're doing anything at all!</p> <p>That's what we're going to talk about in the Getting Lucky in Real Estate show on March 8th. How successful SWS agents "Get Lucky" on a daily basis when it comes to finding buyers and sellers to serve. And no, it has nothing to do with secret trigger words or free reports or dorky elevator speeches - but everything to do with being REAL, being GOOD and being OUT THERE!</p> <p>Join us? &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong></p> <p>Date: Thursday, March 8th, 2012<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern &nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Duration: 60 - 90 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers, or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free, but you must register, below</p> <p><span><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/lucky">REGISTER HERE</a></span>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:48:57 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/3018427/-getting-lucky-in-real-estate-a-free-sws-teleseminar http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2719116/you-can-sell-anything-you-believe-is-a-good-deal-for-the-customer <p>I've been watching and commenting on <a href="http://activerain.com/leslierojohn">Leslie Rojohn's</a> fine <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2703119/time-is-money-unless-you-re-a-realtor#10893969">blog</a> called "<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2703119/time-is-money-unless-you-re-a-realtor#10893969">Time is Money-- Unless You're a REALTOR</a>" - about charging retainer fees. Maybe you saw it, too,&nbsp;since it was Active Rain's headliner of the day last&nbsp;Thursday or Friday.</p> <p>As typically happens when any topic of non-contingent compensation is featured, the comments came in fast and furiously, most <img title="Question" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/1/7/7/2/ar1326722327713.jpg" height="413" alt="Question" width="350">along the lines of "<em>Sounds great, but it will never happen. If buyers (or sellers) can get it free down the street, why would they be willing to pay for it</em>?"</p> <p><strong>Indeed. Why would they?</strong></p> <p>Hmmmmmm?</p> <p>That's not a rhetorical question - I'm asking it. Assuming you like the idea of getting a retainer or upfront fee, WHY would a buyer or seller be willing to pay one&nbsp;for your real estate service?</p> <p>Hmmmmmm?</p> <p>No answer? Well, then there's the problem!</p> <p>Unless you're some super-duper salesperson who can sell the proverbial snow to an Eskimo, you need to believe that what you're selling is good for your customer. Great, even. AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT ABOUT YOUR SERVICE OR YOUR FEES, no one else is&nbsp;going to believe it either!</p> <p>Of course, this applies to any product or service someone might&nbsp;be pitching, but for our purposes here, we're talking about non-contingent (<em>aka</em> retainer or upfront) fees.</p> <p><em>"Sounds great, but it will never happen. If buyers or sellers can get it free down the street, why would they be willing to pay for it?"</em></p> <p>Well... in the last few years of my active career, I offered my sellers the choice&nbsp;to pay me&nbsp;$500 upfront... <strong>and most took me up on it -&nbsp;happily</strong>. Was the guy or gal down the street also charging&nbsp;$500 upfront? Nope. Were my seller clients so filthy stinkin' rich that they had an extra $500 lying around they wanted me to have?&nbsp;Nope. Was I such a super-duper salesperson that I was able to overcome their objections with a masterful script and a mega-watt smile? Oh, heavens NO!</p> <p>Most of my sellers paid the $500 upfront fee because I made it a good deal for them to do so. And they recognized a good deal when they saw one and cheerfully wrote the check. <strong>And because I knew what I was offering was a good deal for them, it was no problem at all for me to "sell" them on the idea</strong>.</p> <p>So... instead of moaning and groaning about how unfair it is that we Work for Free (<a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/1481362/real-estate-agents-ask-why-should-we-work-for-free-answer-we-don-t-">which we DON'T</a>) and that "no one will ever be willing to pay us non-contingently unless everyone else does it, too," get out of your own way&nbsp;and think about how you could make getting what YOU want&nbsp;also be a good deal for your customers. And you'll be able to sell it All Day Long.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:15:37 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2719116/you-can-sell-anything-you-believe-is-a-good-deal-for-the-customer http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2922456/what-s-going-on-at-acre- <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/4/9/4/9/ar133017660594941.jpg" height="160" alt="ACRE" width="160">As you may know, back in November, I took over as Commander in Chief of the ACRE (Accredited Consultant in&nbsp;Real Estate) program with the full blessing of ACRE founder, Mollie Wasserman. (<a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs011/1101468339561/archive/1108606734978.html">You can read more about the baton-passing here</a>.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><br>Since November, we've been working feverishly behind the scenes on what we're calling (oh-so-cleverly) ACRE 2.0 which includes a <a href="http://sellwithsoul.com/images/stories/acre013012-sphered-01.jpg">new look and brand</a>, a new website and two new designation programs. We're making great progress and are hoping to have everything ready to launch around the first of April.&nbsp;</p> <p>More details will be released soon, but here's a summary of what's coming...</p> <ul> <li>A fully renovated ACRE Designation course which takes a hands-on, apply-what-you're-learning approach to real estate consulting so that when students finish the course, they are pretty much ready to Go Forth and Consult;</li> <li>A new consulting-related designation course that includes a competence component - telling the world that the designee takes this career seriously and is committed to providing competent, even exceptional client service;</li> <li>A new, easy-to-navigate website with a public and private forum, member map and locator, resource library, consumer material, searchable blog archive and more (it's looking goooood!).</li> </ul> <div>The new ACRE Designation course will be released in mid-April as a six-week Live Workshop where participants will gather together (in the cyber world) and create their consulting business plans together, with hands-on guidance from both the leaders of ACRE and ACREs who are already successfully practicing real estate consulting. Going through the program in a group setting will offer participants the opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, &nbsp;support each other and even provide a little accountability!</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There's lots more, of course, but if what you just read sounds interesting so far... just go here:&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://sellwithsoul.com/about/acre.html">http://sellwithsoul.com/about/acre.html</a>&nbsp;</strong>to read more about ACRE and real estate consulting and to sign up to be kept in the loop of our progress. Subscribe with confidence; no salesperson will call ;-]</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Good Stuff Cometh!</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:35:32 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2922456/what-s-going-on-at-acre- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2905590/reblogged-i-am-your-customer- <p>Love love love this post. I'm dismayed on a pretty regular basis reading blog after blog written by way-too-full-of-themselves (IMO) real estate agents who seem completely oblivious to the fact that without their customers, they'd be out of business.</p> <div class="comment-content"> <p>It's the utter disdain that just drips from these posts for the people who PAY OUR BILLS&nbsp;and we should feel honored to serve, and appreciative of their business - which, by the way, isn't a bad way to build a business... by treating customers with respect and appreciation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Every time I see one of these posts&nbsp;that belittles, insults, patronizes or scolds the "customer" I cringe... especially when it's followed by comment after comment of approval and "you tell 'em's!"&nbsp;</p> <p>Yes, some individual clients are PITAs, but this pervasive attitude that our customers should show up at our doorsteps grateful for OUR attention and if they aren't yet "perfect" they better GET perfect before they're worthy of our respect.... UGH.&nbsp;</p> <p>Thanks for the opportunity to reblog, Glenn!</p> </div> <div>Via <b><a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2887406/i-am-your-customer-">Glenn Freezman (Family Abstract, Inc.)</a></b>:<br><blockquote> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p>I am someone that you should appreciate and hope to develop a relationship with<a href="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-1.jpg"><img title="customer 1" src="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-1.jpg" height="194" alt="" width="259"></a></p> <p>I don&rsquo;t want to be &lsquo;sold&rsquo;, I want information</p> <p>I am not an annoyance, I am someone you should be happy to educate on your business and the things you offer</p> <p>I am not someone for you to match wits with</p> <p>I am not someone to lie to, deceive, bait-and-switch, or otherwise treat differently than your own mother</p> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p>I am six to seven times more expensive to acquire than to retain</p> <p>I have rights &ndash; that should not be the thing that keeps you following the law</p> <p>I expect to get what I pay for</p> <p>I don&rsquo;t forget things as easily as I used to</p> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p><a href="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-relations.jpg"><img title="customer relations" src="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-relations.jpg" height="184" alt="" width="242"></a>I am a person, not a lead</p> <p>I do not like being dripped</p> <p>I do not like restocking fees</p> <p>I do not like being nickel-and-dimed or being hit with nuisance fees &ndash; do better pricing strategy</p> <p>I do not like being gouged &ndash; you may get me once but probably not twice (see my above comment about retention vs. acquisition)</p> <p>I will grow resentful if you do these things to me</p> <p><span><strong><br></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong><br></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p>You should be listening to me. In fact, you should be ASKING me for my opinion. It&rsquo;s valuable.</p> <p>Customer service is an art. It requires more than simply answering the phone</p> <p>I can&rsquo;t spend money with you if I don&rsquo;t trust you</p> <p>I talk to my friends after I talk to you &ndash; they trust me</p> <p>I have a voice &ndash; and I&rsquo;m not afraid to use it</p> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p><a href="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-bad-service1.jpg"><img title="customer bad service" src="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/customer-bad-service1.jpg" height="118" alt="" width="177"></a></p> <p>You need me more than I need you</p> <p>I am the lifeblood of your business</p> <p>I deserve your time and respect</p> <p>I deserve your honesty</p> <p><span><strong><br></strong></span></p> <p><span><strong>I am your customer</strong></span></p> <p>The last time you had a positive experience interacting with a business, I&rsquo;m betting that the way they approached you was in line with these points. And I&rsquo;m betting that you are going to think of them first the next time you have a need they can fill &ndash; and you may even call them if it&rsquo;s outside of what they normally do because you want to work with them again.</p> <p>It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s B2B or B2C, this ideology is universal. People want to be treated <a href="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/be-honest.jpg"><img title="be honest" src="http://familyabstract.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/be-honest.jpg" height="225" alt="" width="225"></a>honestly and fairly. They want you to over-deliver. They want you to be passionate, knowledgeable, sincere. They want to fall in love with you. Every customer is unique but they all have these needs in common.</p> <p>I did not write this to offend anyone but if it did then perhaps you may want to rethink your business. Reread the above points as a customer. Customers are becoming more savvy, more technical, and less tolerant of businesses that don&rsquo;t do what these above points convey. You are a customer. What do you do when these points are not met?</p> <p>At <a href="http://www.familyabstract.com/">Family Abstract, Inc</a>, we get it!!&nbsp; We have been treating our customers and clients with high ethics, morals and values over over 25 years, we know YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER and WE THANK YOU!</p> <p>This article in all its greatness was originally written by Patrick Healy of&nbsp; Phacient, and redistributed with his knowledge.&nbsp; Thank you Patrick!&nbsp; You can find his blog at</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://phacient.com/2012/02/i-am-your-customer/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150613137959138_21424985_10150621353254138#fd8267c66b959e">http://phacient.com/2012/02/i-am-your-customer/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150613137959138_21424985_10150621353254138#fd8267c66b959e</a></p> <p>===================================================================================</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <h1>About Family Abstract, Inc.</h1> <p><strong>Established in 2002, Family Abstract, Inc</strong>. provides Title Insurance to clients and customers throughout <strong>Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania</strong> with more than 40 years of combined experience in management alone. We pride ourselves on retaining the most skilled and knowledgeable employees who share our goals of providing the best service in the industry.</p> <p><strong>Located in Horsham, Pennsylvania</strong>, Family Abstract, Inc. maintains an extensive network of skilled title insurance abstractors in all the states we service in addition to a nationwide network of qualified closing agents who are available to close loans at any location.</p> <p><strong>Backed by the strength of four title insurance underwriters</strong>, we are able to provide expert attention to detail without sacrificing versatility in the closing process, thus providing more options in difficult title situations. Due to our depth of industry knowledge and commitment to excellent service, Family Abstract, Inc. has been able to develop client relationships that have endured for decades.</p> <p><strong>Having successfully settled and insured thousands of transactions</strong>, we have already earned the trust and confidence of hundreds of customers, lenders, brokers, and realtors and now we would like to share our expertise with you!</p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:03:43 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2905590/reblogged-i-am-your-customer- http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2896232/-building-your-team-teleseminar-show-at-sws <p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/0/9/9/0/ar132993235809907.jpg" height="336" alt="" width="350"></p> <p>A few months ago, we did a survey of SWS readers asking for opinions on what makes a real estate agent an Exceptional Agent. One of the items listed was "having a great team of service professionals." Unfortunately, while that item was rated as one of the Most Important factors in making an agent Exceptional, it was also one of the lowest-ranked items when agents rated themselves on how Exceptional they themselves are for each item. In other words, agents know they need to have a great team, but to put it bluntly, they haven't done much about it.</p> <p>So, let's do something about it.</p> <p>Putting a team into place may just be one of the most critical projects you can do for yourself to assure your long-term success. Once you have a team, you'll wonder how you ever closed a real estate transaction without it.</p> <p>So, what is a "team?"</p> <p>While your team can certainly include some great lenders and inspectors, that's not what we're talking about here. We're referring to service contractors who can help both your buyers and sellers deal with the inevitable issues that arise before, during and after a real estate transaction. Instead of sending your clients to the Yellow Pages to find help, YOU give them names and numbers of people YOU know and trust... people you know will get the job done and make you look gooooood.</p> <p>During the show, we'll answer questions such as:</p> <p>&bull;WHY do you need a team?<br>&bull;WHO do you need on your team?<br>&bull;WHERE do you find your team?<br>&bull;HOW do you protect yourself from liability?</p> <p>If we have time (and we probably will), we'll talk about taking the project to the next level which is creating a referral directory to distribute to your sphere of influence.</p> <p>Hope to see you at the show!</p> <p><strong>THE DETAILS</strong><br>Date: Thursday, February 23rd, 2012<br>Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern&nbsp; <br>Duration: 60 - 75 minutes<br>Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers, or a telephone.<br>Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register, below.&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span><a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/team">REGISTER HERE</a></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:42:29 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2896232/-building-your-team-teleseminar-show-at-sws http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2652731/are-you-the-best-agent-you-know-three-reasons-you-want-to-be- <p><br>On Thursday, December 15th, we convened in the <a href="http://www.sellwithsoul.com/about/calendar">SWS Virtual Studio</a> f<img title="Best" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/6/2/3/4/ar132412806143268.jpg" height="409" alt="Best" width="350">or the last time of the&nbsp;2011 season for our final show entitled "<em>Are You the Best Real Estate Agent You Know</em>?"</p> <p>Fun was had by all (well, I had fun anyway), as we discussed the reasons one might WANT to be the best agent they know and HOW to tell if you are, indeed, an exceptional real estate agent.</p> <p>By exceptional, I should probably explain that I don't necessarily mean "top-producing," although you certainly may be. I don't mean that you have a gazillion For Sale signs around town (unless the majority of them have SALE PENDING riders on top of them). I don't mean that you have a well-oiled machine in place to efficiently "care for" your current clients so you can devote 80% of your time to prospecting for new ones.</p> <p>No, by "exceptional real estate agent" I'm refering to someone who is competent at managing a complicated process (i.e. a real estate transaction) with its many moving pieces and parts and personalities and&nbsp;emotions, and who consistently EARNS rave reviews from his (or her)&nbsp;clients for his (or her) exceptional client service and satisfactory results.</p> <p>(Whew, that was a mouthful).</p> <p>So, to put it more succinctly: Competence + Compassion = Exceptional.</p> <p>Anyway, during the show I described three reasons one might strive to be an Exceptional Real Estate Agent, <em>aka</em>, the Best Agent They Know.</p> <p><strong>Reason #1</strong><br>Confidence. When you're great at what you do and you know you're great at what you do, that confidence will be apparent to others. You won't have to come up with a compelling elevator speech,&nbsp;create clever business cards or use magic trigger words or gestures to inspire people to trust you; the people you meet will be able to tell that you are capable of handling their (or their friends') real estate needs. No sales pitch required.</p> <p><strong>Reason #2</strong><br>When you're a great real estate agent, your current clients will notice - and they won't be able to help themselves from singing your praises to everyone they know. Unfortunately, the bar in our industry is set rather low in the customer satisfaction department, so if YOUR clients are satisfied and they talk nicely about you behind your back, referrals will come. I promise.</p> <p><strong>Reason #3</strong><br>The third reason you might want to strive to be an exceptional agent is a very practical one. More paydays. Exceptional real estate agents enjoy more visits to the closing table because they know how to get the job done. They know how to put and hold real estate transactions together! Their contracts don't fall apart when things get sticky because 1) they're keeping a close eye on things as opposed to chasing after new business and 2) they know what to do to solve those&nbsp;potentially deal-killing challenges that inevitably arise during the&nbsp;contract-to-closing period.</p> <p>So... how does one become an Exceptional Real Estate Agent? Well, it's not a class or a certification or an event; it's a process. It's making the commitment to BE great at what you do and then DOING what you need to do to be great.</p> <p>More next time...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span><strong>The New ACRE</strong><strong><span>&reg;</span><span> is HERE!</span></strong></span><span><strong><span><span>&nbsp;</span><span><span><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p> <p><img title="ACRE" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/3/6/9/6/ar132948795069638.jpg" height="113" alt="ACRE" width="350">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com">http://www.theconsultingprofessional.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul) Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:24:53 -0800 http://sellwithsoulblog.com/post/2652731/are-you-the-best-agent-you-know-three-reasons-you-want-to-be-