Selling Soulfully with Jennifer Allan

In January, we did two shows on the subject of contact management; the first was an overview of how Contact Management can improve your business and the second was a show-n-tell webinar on using a contact management system to run a sphere of influence-based business. (if you missed either show, you can purchase a recording of them at the SWS Bookstore or join Club SWS and access recordings of all recent and future shows.)

On February 17th, we'll pick up where we left off and talk about using a contact management system to run your business (and even your life). We'll show you, webinar-style, how to:

• Use checklists to manage your active listings, your buyers under contract and your listings under contract. (Hey, it may not sound all that exciting, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Using automated checklists can be truly life-changing).
• How and why to set up tasks to manage the various pieces and parts of your real estate business so that nothing falls thru the cracks.
• (If we have time), how to keep better track of your back-burner prospects so they don't fall prey to another hungry real estate agent they happen to encounter in their day-to-day wanderings.

What does this have to do with being the Best Thing to Happen to Your Clients? EVERYTHING. When things DON'T slip thru the cracks; when you DON'T drop the ball; when you head off problems before they become problems, your clients will love you. And when your clients love you... well... that's a very good thing.

But not only will your clients love you, YOU'LL love you, too! Because when you know you have control of your business and you know you can handle more, you'll exude a confidence and assurance that will very likely attract more business to you (which you know you can handle!)

Yeah, I'm passionate about the topic. I hope you will be, too.

Using webinar technology (that is, you'll be able to follow along on the computer screen as I demonstrate various techniques), I'll walk you thru how I used contact management technology to manage my real estate business. Even if you don't have or use a contact manager yet, the show will still be helpful and informative and will hopefully inspire you to take that next step... 

To get the most out of the program, you'll need to be in front of a computer with a high-speed connection.

Oh, one more thing. If you don't have a contact management system and are looking for one, try mine. It's called IXACT Contact and you can get your first two months free by signing up here. I highly encourage you to explore the site a little before the show so that it looks familiar to you, which will make it easier to follow along.

The Details:
Date: Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Time: 8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Equipment: High speed Internet connection and speakers, or a telephone for audio
Cost: Free to attend live (aside from regular phone charges)

To Register, Go Here!

 

Last summer, Mollie Wasserman (the founder of ACRE, the Accredited Consultant in Real Estate program and author of The End of 6%) joined me for a show about defending your commission - how to feel good about what you charge to list a home and helping your sellers feel good about it, too.

At the end of the show, we were pummeled with questions (in the nicest sense of the word) and promised to reconvene "soon" to chat about it some more.

Well, um, time flies and here we are, more than six months later finally getting to it.

This next episode of the Jennifer and Mollie show will again focus on working with sellers, but this time we'll talk about responding to common questions and objections that arise during the listing process. Trust us, we will NOT be teaching you ridiculous "objection-busting" scripts or intelligence-insulting dialogues, but rather respectful responses that address the seller's legitimate questions, concerns and objections.

We'll get the ball rolling with questions, concerns and objections such as...

• "I'd like to hire you, but I need every penny I can get from my house."
• "How much do you charge?"
• "My sister-in-law will list it much cheaper."
• "I need $xxx,xxx just to break even."
• "How much experience do you have listing homes in this neighborhood/price range?"
• "We want to be home for all showings in case the buyer has questions."
• "We want you to attend all showings."
• "Why don't you advertise in ....?"

... but we're really hoping you'll chime in with yours! 

Sound fun? I think so! Please consider joining us!

DATE: February 10th, 2011
TIME:  8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern
DURATION: 60 - 75 minutes
COST: Free to attend live (but you must register below)
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A computer with an Internet connection and/or a telephone line.

REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE

 

On January 6th, in the SWS Virtual Studio, we did a little show on Using Contact Management to Sell with Soul. Judging from the post-show questions, comments and generally positive feedback, the topic is of much higher interest to the real estate community than I gave it credit for!

So...on January 27th (tomorrow), we're going to pick up where we left off and SHOW you (not just tell you) how to use your contact management system to generate business and referrals from your sphere of influence - that is - how to use the conTACT management features of your system to soulfully reconnect and stay in touch with the people you know... and the people you meet.

If you don't have a contact manager yet, don't despair! The show will still be helpful and informative and might just inspire you to take that next step and commit to getting a contact management system of your very own. I hope it does, anyway. It really is important.

Using webinar technology (that is, you'll be able to follow along on the computer screen as I demonstrate various techniques), I'll walk you thru how I use contact management technology to, to put it bluntly, make money. It's pretty simple stuff, actually, but in so many cases, simple is ... simply better.

We'll talk about acknowledging birthdays and other important dates; how to group and categorize your sphere without overdoing it; how to set up action plans and tasks to stay in touch your sphere of influence both on an individual basis and with mass-communications projects. Stuff like that.

Again, we'll be using webinar technology, so you'll need to be in front of a computer with a high-speed connection to get the most out of the show.

Oh, one more thing. If you don't have a contact management system and are looking for one, try mine. It's called Ixact Contact and you can get a 60-day free trial by signing up here: http://www.ixactcontact.com/JALM. I highly encourage you to explore the site a little before the show so that it looks familiar to you, which will make it easier to follow along.

Join us?

THE DETAILS
Date: Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern (you'll need to show up a few minutes early to download the webinar software!)
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: A computer with a high-speed connection and speakers. 
Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register, HERE.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR HERE!

THE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH SOUL SERIES
Part I - The Unanswered Questions
Part II - The Two Things a Contact Manager Should Do Very Well
Part III - Creating Reasonable Expectations for Your Contact Manager
Part IV - "But I Can't Afford a Contact Management System!"
Part V - Contact Management Pays for Itself - if you use it!
Part VI - Which System do I Recommend?

Over 350 people signed up and about 75% showed up for last Thursday morning's show about Using Your Contact Management System to Sell with Soul. Wow - I guess it was a Hotter Topic than I expected it to be - I figured it would just me and a handful of other technologically-curious agents who had nothing much better to do on a Thursday morning. (If you missed the show, you can purchase a recording of it HERE for $3.99)

Anyway, lots of folks showed up and asked lots of good questions - 30 pages worth to be exact. Couldn't get to all of them during the show, so, as promised, here are some of the Q's (with A's) that went unanswered during the show.

(Oh, before I proceed, several listeners asked questions about the specific contact management system I recommended at the end of the show. I didn't have all the answers, so I've referred those Q's to my contact at Ixact Contact to answer for me... so... if you attended the show and don't see your unanswered question below, that's probably why! Stay tuned.)

Q from Loreena
Why wouldn't you use a contact manager as your sole contact management tool? That is - why do you use a separate email system? (I mentioned during the show that I use Windows Live Mail for my general email, not the email program in my contact management system.)

A from JA
I believe that you should use the best tool or system for the job, so I use a lot of different task-specific systems in my business. Windows Live Mail does email - very well, and doing email very well is probably more important to me than anything else. It's not worth it to me to sacrifice function for the simplicity of only having one "all-in-one" system. In my experience, contact managers are not fully-functioning email programs.

 

Q from Sabrina 
What program do you recommend for CMA's? I use Top Producer, but that is all I use it for. I would like to switch to Ixact, and cancel with TP, but I do like their CMA's.

A from JA
I'm not familiar with TP's CMA's, but in my experience and opinion, the best CMA's are done through your own local MLS. I prepared my CMA's using reports from my MLS, not the actual CMA program because I was never quite satisfied with the information the CMA-specific program came up with. Just my opinion. But if the only reason you're using TP is to do CMA's, I'm sure there's a better solution locally!

Marie in Canada comments - Prospects is a relatively simple CMS with a great support system and it's FREE....covered by our fees with our Board

Q from Connie
Can you recommend a contact management system to install on your computer? (she's referring to a contact manager that is housed on the computer as opposed to accessed online.

A from JA
I've heard good things about Advantage xi and REST. I've never tried any of them, though. Any other feedback is welcome! 

 

Q from Dee
If my Group 1 and Group 2 are very small should I start using a contact manager? (for the uninitiated, Group 1 is my social network; Group 2 is everyone else)

A from JA
Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps if you're using and paying for a contact manager, you'll be inspired to increase the number of contacts in it! But regardless of whether you use a CMS or not, the size of your contact database is directly related to the size (or rather, number of) your paychecks. The more people who know you, like you, and know that you sell real estate, the more real estate you'll sell. So, perhaps the first step is to meet more people, with a plan to keep them organized and stayed-in-touch with... which may very well include a contact management system.

 

Q from Sarah
What do you think about gifts for past clients around the holidays or new year to stay in touch? I make homemade chocolate sauce each year and I am not sure if is something to continue. It's personal..they like it....but is something like this tacky? I dont want to be the tacky realtor who gives gifts that people don't really want. Should a realtor ask a client if they are enjoying it?

A from JA
I think that's a perfect holiday gift and I don't see anything tacky about it at all. But if you're wondering if it's appropriate...ask yourself... would you enjoy receiving homemade chocolate sauce and/or would you think it's tacky? And give (or don't give) accordingly! (You might want to read my related blog: "Doo-Dad unto others..."). But no, don't ask people if they like it. It'll either sound like you're fishing for compliments or feeling insecure.

Q from Sarah 
I'm in a book club. We never talk real estate..everyone knows that I am a realtor...I want them in my SOI.....I would love to meet them for coffee...it feels a bit "awkward" to meet them for coffee when the only reason I would meet them at the time is because I am in real estate, but I will do it and be good at it.....what is the end result of this? Is it keeping my name in their minds? or just keeping in touch?

A from JA
Great question! I advise that you go out for coffee with people you'd enjoy having coffee with. Period. If you stick to this strategy, you'll find plenty to talk about without begging for business (ugh). Don't try to be friends with everyone in the club unless you truly feel friendly with everyone! Just take it slow, one relationship at a time... and, as I'm sure you know, leave your sales pitch in the car and just be YOU.

Q from Maureen
How often do you suggest contacting people in our SOI? And, do you suggest contacting them with the same means in a row?? i.e. postcards each time, letters.

A from JA
First, you might want to read my series on this topic which begins here: "How often does your SOI need to hear from you?" Personally, I send a mass-email every month (of interest to them, not about real estate) and 3 postal mailings a year to everyone in my SOI. I also try to touch base with everyone in my Group 1 at least once a quarter with a coffee date, phone call or personal email exchange. But as you'll see in the comments of the series, everyone has a different opinion on the matter!

Q from Jennifer (not JA)
Should you house/store prospects you meet from Open Houses? Would these be Social Network/Group 1?

A from JA
I would enter contacts from open houses into my database if we made a connection and there seemed to be some mutual interest in pursuing a professional relationship. I would not add people who simply signed in (if I required sign-in which I don't) and left without a good conversation. In all likelihood, the folks I do add to my database would not be in my social network (Group 1) at this point, although that could happen later of course! Here's a short series I did on the topic of getting contact information from open house visitors.

Q from Brian
Do people in Group 2 move into Group 1?

A from JA Absolutely! Not all the time, but sure, if someone isn't a "friend" today but becomes a friend later for whatever reason... that's great!

Karen from Canada comments: I tried Agent Office and Top Producer...and recently changed to a system in Canada called Prospects that is so intuitive I don't even know where the help button is!

Q from Anonymous
What do you do if your contact doesn't have an email address?

A from JA
Are you asking if they don't HAVE one or if you don't know it? If they don't have an email address then you'll just have to stay in touch the best you can via other methods they are comfortable with. Don't fret about it or make any big effort; just include them in your regular mailings, whatever those may be and if you're comfortable doing so, call 'em up every once in awhile or go out for coffee.

Q from Loreena
I'm on the hunt to find a system that is trackable (opens, clicks, etc.). What are your views on the importance of knowing the trackable information?

A from JA
I used to find it fascinating to see who opened my emails and clicked on what, but I rarely look anymore. I'm sure there's some value to that information, but aside from curiosity, I'm not sure what. I suppose if you have a big enough sampling, you'll get a feel for which topics are "click-worthy" or which subject lines inspire the most opens. I do look to see how many people open my newsletters and the subject line does make a huge impact, but I don't look to see who, specifically, opened them. I'm also not convinced that the data is all that accurate.

Q from Antoinette
How often do you need to do email campaigns?

A from JA
See my response to Maureen, above, and do take a look at the blog series referenced there!

Q from Heather 
I was wondering,,,I am having problems keeping track of who I have "touched" and how I "touched" them, Is there an easier way to do that?

A from JA
A contact management system will do that for you... if you let it! That is, if you add notes to your contacts' profiles after each "touch." You can also get a little fancier and set up action plans in a contact manager to remind you to do your touches, so you'll know that they're getting done. Curious - what sorts of "touches" are you forgetting about? Mailings? or more personal encounters?

Q from Kate
Will you talk about what is covered in the follow up class? Thanks!

A from Jennifer
Thanks for the nudge! I'm doing a follow-up show on January 27th (stay tuned for registration details) where I'll demonstrate on a live webinar the various ways I use my contact management system to generate business and referrals from my SOI. It's fairly simple stuff, by design, 'cause I believe simpler is usually better. Specifically, I plan to talk about acknowledging birthdays, setting up action plans to stay in touch, grouping your contacts without getting carried away; stuff like that.

If you'd like to comment on any of the questions and share your experience and knowledge, please do! And watch this space for an upcoming series on Contact Management - the topic has inspired me to write write write, it appears!

 

Contact Management! Woo Hoooooo! Now THIS is a topic you've been waiting all year (well, six days anyway) for, huh?!

Actually, I get more requests for recommendations on contact management than almost any other topic. Since I'm a big fan of running a Sphere of Influence (SOI) business, which naturally involves getting and staying in touch with one's Sphere of Influence, it seems obvious that I might be the perfect person to point you toward the perfect system for you.

Well, unfortunately, there is no perfect system and which one you choose will be a decision you'll need to make for yourself - which may involve some trial and error. However, part of the challenge agents have with choosing the right system for them is figuring out exactly what they want and need that system to do! They look at all the features and benefits and costs and platforms the various systems offer and get overwhelmed into inaction. I've been there... I get it.

But... good news! While I can't tell you with authority which system is best for you, I can help get you started sorting thru all the noise.

On January 6th, we're doing a little show about using your contact management system to run a Sell with Soul-style business. Managing your Sphere of Influence. Remembering to stay in touch without making your friends feel like a number. Not relying on a fancy system to do your staying in touch for you, but rather using it as a tool to help you do it yourself. Identifying who within your SOI is due for a coffee date or catch-up email. Grouping your SOI without complicating your life unnecessarily. Stuff like that.

We'll also touch on using your contact management system to organize your business, which, in my opinion, is one of the primary reasons to even have a contact management system!

This show will be an audio-only program - that is - I won't be demonstrating any of the contact management strategies I'll discuss during the show. BUT... later in January I'll be holding the first ever live SWS webinar where I will show you how to do the stuff I'm gonna talk about on January 6th! So, do try to tune in for both...

Join us? 

THE DETAILS Date: Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Time: 8:00am Pacific / 9:00am Mountain / 10:00am Central / 11:00am Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you must register below! 

REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE
See you Thursday!

Ho, hum, yet another end-of-year show about business planning. Enough already with business plans - I know I need to do one, so leave me alone to do it!

But wait. Do you really NEED to do a business plan?

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on your personality and preference. Some of us function just fine getting up every morning and working hard without a detailed plan of where we hope to be in 3 months, 6 months or 12 months. Others thrive on having a comprehensive road-map detailing their goals, dreams, aspirations and commitments.

To each his or her own! However, this time of year does seem to be suited to evaluating your recent successes and challenges, and making adjustments for the year ahead.

So, let's just call it that. A session on evaluating what's worked, what hasn't and what we'll consider doing differently in 2011.

That's the topic of the final SWS Teleseminar show of 2010. Getting ready for 2011 by looking back at 2010 and figuring out what the heck you want to do more of, less of... and perhaps most importantly, WHY you want to do more or less of it in this new year.

Join us?

The DETAILS
Date: Thursday morning, December 16th, 2010
Time: 8am (Pacific) / 9am (Mountain) / 10am (Central) / 11am (Eastern)
Duration: 60 - 90 Minutes
Equipment Needed: Just a computer and/or a telephone
Cost: Free to attend live, but you must register below! 

REGISTER FOR ONWARD TO 2011 - WITH SOUL!

On Wednesday evening, we had a fantastic discussion (if I do say so myself) in the SWS Studio about succeeding in real estate without selling your soul. In other words - doing it YOUR way, using methods and strategies that feel good, feel right and don't feel, um, icky! It can be done - in fact, it should be done! So many agents think they have to do things that conflict with their gut instincts to be successful... and then wonder why things aren't going as well as they'd hoped. As one of my guest-hosts asked, rhetorically: "So, how's that workin' for ya?"

Melissa Brown and Kathy Manoogian were my guest-hosts for the show and they were fabulous. They were open, honest, transparent and authentic about their journeys to success - from being frustrated, overwhelmed and discouraged rookie agents trying to do as they were told - to figuring out that most of what they were being told was WRONG (for them) and that they COULD listen to their own inner voices and do just fine. Better than fine, even!

We had a great crowd with some great questions. We didn't get to all the questions, though, so I promised to post them here and let my guests answer them when they get a chance. If YOU have thoughts you'd like to share, you're certainly welcome to as well; in fact, please do!

(See comments for responses)

Lisa asks - If you could do it all over again- what would you do as a new agent to build your business? 

Vicki asks - Did either of the gals have an extensive SOI list? And, if so, did they work the list to obtain buyers and sellers - after they found their path?

John asks - I have been in RE over 2 years now and agree with SWS but I find I am not getting any new business because I am not known. How do I get the word out that I am in RE so someone will call me? I think I am a Master of my market too but who knows that but me?

Rob asks - I'm starting my RE career in a city where first-time home buyers need to spend $500,000 to $750,000 for a decent place -- is that a big obstacle right now? Am I better off trying to "work" lower-priced areas?

Rob asks - What are your thoughts on partnering with a seasoned agent, as a mentor, in your first year?

Lisa asks  - I hate making phone calls. Even to my Sphere. Is this "normal"? How do I deal with this? IS IT something to be overcome?

Ron asks - Do you have a good way of asking a client to rate you as their agent on websites such as zillow? (I think Ron is referring to asking clients for testimonials.)

Marilyn asks - To farm or NOT to farm that is the question!

Gwen asks -  Since most of you seem to not use business plans, how do you keep track of what you need to do daily for business? What do you do daily for generate business? (during the show all three of us confessed that we don't do formal business plans).

Tim asks - I'd like to know where their very first listing came from. Thanks! 

Anonymous asks - If you don't listen to news or any media, do you risk seeming uninformed? I can't imagine not being able to comment on the Bronco's losing streak or the threat of eliminating the mortgage interest deduction. (Kathy mentioned that she stopped watching the news or reading the newspapers in order to keep her positive attitude and I concurred).  

Jim asks - What kind of volunteer/community involvement do you engage in? Chamber of Commerce? Rotary Club (or similar)? Habitat for Humanity?

Jim asks - What are your voicemail greetings like?

Dan asks - Do you work with more buyers or sellers? How much competition do you have in your market?

Sherry asks - Does Kathy turn down any listings in the neighborhood she works? (Kathy mentioned that she has a 100% success rate on selling her listings.)

Sandy asks - I work at the largest brokerage in my market. The agents in my company know my SWS philosophy, and that I NEVER ask for business constantly tell me "Just think of how much you could do if you actually ASKED for business!" How would you reply to that?

Luci asks - What is the best way to 'master your market' and get your name out there? I recently moved from a large firm to a very small one... more of a hometown thing. Not sure how to get my name out there. 

 

A few months ago, an agent wrote to me saying something like - "I love your book <thank you> and I can't wait until I'm successful enough to be able to do things the Sell with Soul way. Until then, I guess I'll have to keep doing all the Old School things my broker tells me to do."

No, no, no! You don't have to do things ANY WAY BUT YOUR WAY, even from Day One! Selling with Soul (to read more about Selling with Soul - just download the ebook below) is not a luxury enjoyed only by those who have already "made it!" Not at all - in fact, the sooner you figure out what works for you, what feels right to you and what you enjoy doing, the sooner success will find you.

And that's the topic of our next show which is this Wednesday afternoon/evening (tomorrow, December 8th). We'll be chatting about succeeding in real estate without selling your soul to do it. In other words - how to do it YOUR way, whatever that way may be, even if it doesn't involve pestering strangers, harassing your friends or spending a fortune (unless, of course, THAT's your thing!).

I'm bringing on three successful SWS'ers (that is, agents who Sell with Soul) who are willing to talk to me (and y'all) about how they've succeeded in their real estate careers without Selling their Souls to do so. How they've done it their way, using techniques and strategies that feel right to them, that don't make their skin crawl or reduce them to smiley-faced, cheesy real estate hucksters. How they've resisted the pressure of their brokers, trainers and associates to Suck it Up and Just Do It in the interest of generating business... if that "it" is something they don't feel comfortable doing.

Join us?

THE DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
Time: 4pm Pacific / 5pm Mountain / 6pm Central / 7pm Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you have to register HERE!

Be assured, this is not a sales-pitch for any SWS program or product. Just an hour or so of intelligent, common sense discussion on ways to succeed selling real estate without becoming someone you don't recognize... or even much like.

It's been a year and a half since we had Broker Bryant Tutas in the SWS Virtual Studio to talk about one of his favorite(?) subjects - the short sale! We're definitely past due to have him back on to update us on what's new and exciting(?) in the wonderful(?) world of the short sale. 

Broker Bryant is the co-founder of the Short Sale Superstars network (www.shortsalesuperstars.com) which has a membership of several thousand real estate agents who want to master the art of the short sale to serve their clients who desperately need their help. It's free to join, so check it out.

And come to the show prepared to ask questions! Broker Bryant loves to share his knowledge spout his opinions so let's give him that opportunity and maybe even see if we can't stump him a time or two! (I doubt it, but it'll be fun to try).

Seriously - this will be a show for YOU - to answer your burning questions about the short sale process and hopefully help you improve your odds of seeing that short sale to closing. Not only so that you enjoy your paycheck, but also to earn the undying love and support of your grateful sellers.

Join us?

THE DETAILS

Date: Saturday morning, November 13th, 2010
Time: 8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you must register, below  

REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE

 

Have you considered adding "Become a Neighborhood Specialist" to your 2011 business plan? To establish yourself as the Go-To Guy or Gal in your favorite neighborhood, subdivision or market area?

Good for you! Being a master of a particular market is a fantastic way to attract business, not to mention how much fun it is to be known as the local expert. Very good for the ego which is very good for the confidence.

But, um, how exactly does one go about:

1) becoming a neighborhood specialist, and
2) letting everyone know about one's status as a neighborhood specialist?

That's what we're going to talk about at the next SWS teleseminar show. Erica Ramus and I are going to discuss ways you can "own" (or at least, "co-own") a neighborhood or market area, using a variety of marketing strategies. Some are free... some aren't so free, so there's a little something here for all budgets.

Join us?

THE DETAILS

Date: Wednesday Evening, November 3rd, 2010
Time: 4pm Pacific / 5pm Mountain / 6pm Central / 7pm Eastern
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Equipment Needed: Nothing fancy - just a phone and/or computer
Cost: Free, but you must register, BELOW

 

REGISTER FOR THE SHOW HERE!