Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

I wanted to talk to you today about your mindset.

As you woke up this morning and were heading to work or going to your office or your desk at home, what were you thinking about?

Were you thinking about the problems and the dramas ahead, that you might be facing in the day? Were you worrying about where your next deal is going to come from? Or were you thinking about the opportunity?

One of the tough things about being an entrepreneur is that you must create every day from scratch, and there's no guarantee of payment. There's no security. And yet the great thing about being an entrepreneur is that opportunity is unlimited.

So as you think about your day today, I want you to think, what are the opportunities that I should be taking advantage of?

What are the calls I should make that will lead to my next big transaction?

And what am I avoiding that if I just do it, I will have a successful day?

So remember, think opportunity.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

I was thinking about something as I was reading a book this weekend called, Talent is Overrated.

Is it truly the natural born talent that separates the super achievers in the real estate industry from those who don't achieve the success they deserve?

After 20 years of coaching and over 80,000 coaching calls, I believe that while talent is great and it's incredible to be a natural, what I notice to be consistent when it comes to top achievers and top producers is drive and determination.

Sometimes people who are super talented are content to rest on the laurels that their talent will pull them through, leading them to possibly be a little bit lazy at times about doing the work.

They may not always put in the effort to laying the foundation, practicing skills, to showing up and doing the things that they need to do even when they don't feel like it.

However a person who is very driven and very goal oriented seems to always find a way.

So if you don't feel like you're a natural born salesperson, don't worry about it.

Because I also read there's only about 2% of the population that would be considered natural born for anything. The rest is just a learned habit.

So practice your drive and discipline.

In fact, one of my clients calls it being rigorous.

It’s time to be rigorous about the activities today to achieve the goal that I have set.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

What is your pre-appointment warmup?

I was talking to someone in Canada, and he is the leader of a team that lists over a thousand properties a year.

Here is his pre-appointment warmup: He puts the top down on his car, and he blasts the theme from Rocky, the Eye of the Tiger song.

This is how he gets his mind in the game, and maybe it works because of course he takes a lot of listings. What’s funny is he even does this in the winter, even though it's a little cold in Canada in the winter. But he's discovered that that's what he needs to get his mind in the game.

But how many times have we done the opposite of this?

We kept putting off preparing for the listing appointment until the last minute, and now we're throwing things together and we're rushing over there. We’re worried about running late, we're maybe even talking on the phone trying to fix a deal problem as we drive, only to arrive with our mind in turmoil and chaos.

So instead, let's set aside at least the 30 minutes before.

Remember, there's a lot of money on the table, so take your time to get your head in the game. Take your time to get organized.

Whatever works for you, if it's listening to great music, listening to scripts, or just driving over quietly thinking about the appointment ahead.

You worked hard to get to the table, we want to be sure that we're at the top of our game when we get there.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about referrals. We all love referrals and want more referrals, and yet sometimes you wonder, why do my friends, my family, my raving fan clients, not give me the referrals I deserve?

A couple of reasons for this could be possible.

One, they just might not be the connector type. There are certain people who are very proactive about helping, but others are a little shy or timid to bring it up. So it could be just their personality type.

Also, often we can give the impression that we're so busy and so successful, potentially they think that you don’t need them. It could also be that they're not completely clear on all the market areas that you service. Along that same line, they might not be aware of all the price points that you cover.

So let's make sure that you talk to them about how much you value and appreciate the referrals, and how you love to build your business working with the people you know and their friends and family, that you're passionate about it.

Also, let them know the geography that you cover. In fact, some of our clients simply say, “I'm licensed in the state of X.” And of course, let them know that whether it's a condo or a mansion, you are there to help.

Be sure to tell them how to deliver those referrals to you.

I always used to say to clients, “I so appreciate it if you will mention my name and give them my number.”

But sometimes they're just a little bit too shy to do so.

In that case you could try saying, "Why don't you do this for me? If you'll call me or text me their information, I'll be happy to reach out, because I want to make sure they're well taken care of."

Make it a great day and go get those referrals! 

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

There is something I keep hearing. I hear it as I travel across the country, and I've already heard it three or four times this week. "I need systems for my business."

Great top producing agents are making terrific money, and yet they're saying, "I'm not sure where that next deal is going to come from. I hope I achieve my goal, but how do I create this predictable machine that delivers the same amount of production, month after month after month? I need to be sure this gets me towards that ultimate annual goal that I have set."

This is probably one of the biggest challenges of the real estate business.

In the book the E-Myth, which Michael Gerber wrote years ago, he talks about the entrepreneurial myth. Just because somebody, for example, is a great pie maker, doesn't mean there'll be a great pie shop owner. So there's a difference between being an entrepreneur and being a technician. The real estate business attracts entrepreneurs.

I want you to ask yourself, are you truly building a business?

There needs to be structures and systems for everything you do, so that you can fine tune those structures and systems to create a predictable process.

Next, there needs to be at least three to five methods of lead generation. I always encourage agents to start first with their three best methods. This is common sense, going to areas that you're already good at and closing the gaps. When you have your three methods dialed in and running like a machine, you add a fourth and even a fifth.

Running a successful business includes tracking your numbers. Both your conversion numbers, money and financials, profitability. We need to track our numbers because businesses measure profit.

Also, I want you I think about increasing your opt-in list.

Now, there's a difference between leads and contacts and connections. I know an agent that has 20,000 people in his e-marketing list. Now, some of those people, a much smaller number, are receiving mailings and phone calls.

But then there's this nice large group that are just the community connections that his team has collected over time, that they e-market to. And you know what? They get seven to nine listings a month, often from people they don't even know or remember.

So think about yourself as a business. Run your business as a business.

If you need some help, reach out to us. Our coaches are experts at creating a business that is yours, unique and alone, your custom success blueprint.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

I wanted to answer an interesting question that came in to me today.

Someone asked, "Debbie, what do sellers really want from me when I go out on a listing appointment?"

This is a great question. Often here at Excelleum, the coaches and I say to clients, let's enter the conversation that's going on in the mind of the prospect. Let's not push our agenda at them, instead, let's meet them where they're at. So if we think about it that way, what does the seller really want from us?

First of all, they want to be heard. They want us to listen to their goals, their dreams, their wishes. They want to tell us about their property. They want us to appreciate their property. They want us to be the champion of their home, of their value, and they want to know that you're going to fight for them.

Next, they want to hear about the marketing. What are the things you're going to do to bring exposure to the property, but to also deliver that right buyer? And for all of you listening to or reading this, if you think about emphasizing the proactive marketing methods, you can also get a little bit away from some of the heavy spend. Because now you're showing them that it's not just about running ads in a magazine, it's about the proactive things you do to go out and find the ideal buyer.

And let's be sure that you're leveraging the tools and the resources that your company provides and always thinking too, that whatever feature or tool we're presenting, we're going to need to also answer the question, what benefit does this provide to the seller? Because to everything you say, often they're thinking, so what does that mean to me?

Of course they want to know a little bit about you and your track record. For those of you who have a great track record, leverage the power of that. For those of you who do not have a big track record, leverage the power of the track record of your company. Use what you've got.

After that, are we going to be able to prove to them that everything we say we'll do, we'll actually do? Absolutely. The proof would be in your reviews and your testimonials.

So here’s what they really want to know, to sum it up.

That you're on their side, defending their home, defending its value.

They want to know who you are and what you bring to the table and if they feel comfortable working with you.

They want to know a little bit about what are you actually going to do to market their home and find their ideal buyer.

And last but not least, they want some reassurance or proof that you will actually keep those promises and keep those commitments.

So think about it from their perspective.

Walk a mile in their shoes, enter the conversation in their mind and make sure that when you're there at that meeting, that it's very engaging and interactive and they feel that you are really listening.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

Do you time block?

Agents often come to me and tell me that they need to time block, and that it's one of the things that they struggle with most. There's just so many things flying at them every day throughout the day, that it's hard to focus.

Often, I even hear, "One of the reasons I got into real estate is because I wanted freedom, I wanted flexibility. I don't like a rigorous schedule." So then I figure out what's going on in their business and ask them, “How is that working out for you?” And usually, not that well.

Here's what I would encourage you to do.

What if you just started by time blocking just the morning? Set a specific time that you're going to wake up. Figure out what time will you be at your desk, either at your home desk or your office desk working. What are the important things that you must do in the morning so that we can keep feeding that machine?

Things like lead follow up, new lead generation, negotiating contracts, or preparing for the day's appointments ahead. If you’re locked and loaded and focused intensely in the morning, for most people the afternoon is going to take care of itself. You're going to have appointments, activities, and a little bit more freedom and flexibility. So let's start with time blocking the morning.

I read something the other day and it said, all the money is made before noon. This makes sense and here's why. In the morning, you're at your best in terms of energy and focus, the day's problems haven't beat you up yet. So it just makes sense that that's the time to get those big rocks out of the way.

And by the way, speaking of big rocks, try to limit the big rocks on your list. Most of our coaching clients feel that if they start out in the morning with a list of five big rocks on their list and they can check those off and get them done in the day, then it’s a pretty good day.

Of course, if you have time left after that, you can always add a few more rocks to the pile, but let's just start with five big rocks a day. So remember, a terrific morning routine supports a fabulous career.

Hello it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie's Tips.

Are you still on track to hit your goal for the year?

Perhaps you’ve fallen into the trap where you set these great goals at the beginning of the year, we've all done this, and somewhere along the line you lost the vision, maybe you fell a little bit behind.

So is it time to revisit the goals that you have set? Are you still committed to that number that you selected at the beginning of the year?

As I've worked with top agents across North America and over the last 20 years, one thing that's very clear to me is that the year isn't even.

Here's what I mean by that. You don't take your number for the year and divide it by four quarters. In a perfect world, that would be great. But many markets are seasonal, and I find that most agents do the majority of their business in the second and third quarter.

If you're not on track for your goal, if you're falling behind, take a moment and do the math. If you took the number you wanted to hit in the remainder of the year and you divided that up over the number of months ahead, would you be able to catch up?

Now, if you're feeling overwhelmed and you're feeling that it would not be possible to hit that number, then take a minute and reset your goal. Reset and set a new goal that's realistic and that you're excited about.

I do encourage you though, don't give up on yourself too early, because it's amazing when I see what agents can often turn around and do in just a quarter.

So ask yourself these questions. What is the goal that I really want to achieve this year? If I break that down into weekly actions and activities, what do I need to do? What is it that I'm avoiding that if I stopped avoiding and just embraced it, would make a huge difference? What changes in my schedule and improvements in my skill do I need to make so that I can make more money faster, and achieve this goal with less effort?

So remember, it doesn't take much to have an incredible 90 day cycle. Usually it's just a few tweaks or changes.

Hello and welcome to Debbie's Tips. And today I wanted to talk a little bit more about overcoming the "Will you cut your commission?" objection.

I know we've talked about this before, but it's something that I hear every day from great agents, who say that they're just struggling to hold the line on commission.

Now of course we all know that commission is negotiable by law, and yet I also believe that you do have the right to earn what you deserve to earn, to support your business and to support your family.

Today's consumers, though, they're more savvy and they're more demanding than ever, aren't they?

Today's consumer is probably going to ask you to cut commission. And yet, just because they ask you doesn't mean they won't ultimately pay more.

In fact, I read that if you take any group of consumers for any product, 70% will pay more for perceived value. This is why it's critical to have a well-prepared and a well-planned listing presentation. Because so much money is on the line, it just makes sense to practice, to rehearse, and to find at least three to five outstanding ways to handle the commission objection so that you'll feel comfortable and confident that you can respond with ease.

Also, remember it's critical to stay in rapport with your sellers. So if you flinch, scowl, or act mad, you won't be able to maintain rapport. So when they bring it up, just be calm. And one thing you can control, don't ever volunteer to take a cut. Because when you do, you show the seller that you're weak and you open the door for them to try to get into your pocket for even more later. Here are just a few scripts that I've used and our clients are using to hold the line to earn what they deserve. I hope you find them helpful.

"Will you discount commission?"

"You know, if I were you, Mr. Seller, I probably would ask the same question. And when you think about it, I'm sure you'll realize commission is really a powerful marketing tool.

And what I mean by this is, when you offer a reasonable rate of commission, it incentivizes me to work overtime to spend the money I need to spend to properly market and expose the home, and it causes the buyer agent to put your property at the top of the list.

So when you think about it, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I'm sure you realize, you are not paying anyone anything today. Today, commission is actually nothing more than a marketing carrot. And when the offers come to the table, you're going to make the decision whether or not to accept that offer.

Now, let's do the right thing today. Let's put the proper incentive out there to attract the showings we need, in order to sell your home for the highest realistic price possible."

Now I understand they may say to you, yes, but the buyer will find my house on Zillow and tell their agent that they want to see it. And to that, you can say, "Yes, you're right. That very likely may happen. And yet we can never underestimate the agent's ability to persuade them towards or away from your property. So again, let's do the right thing today."

And if they're really grinding on you and you need to do it, you can always say to them, "You know, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I am a reasonable person and I want this deal to go together. So if we get an offer on the table but we're a little way apart and we just can't quite make it work, I'll work with you."

Because you see, if you're going to have to take a cut, I would rather you are able to put that off and do that at the end when there's an offer on the table, because now we have a buyer, a seller, and potentially two agents involved. Plus when you take the cut up front, they just think they're going to be able to get in your pocket later.

So be well-prepared. Have a great presentation. Use your reviews and testimonials that talk about how you got them the highest price possible. Go out there with at least two or three great ways to overcome the objection with confidence to earn what you deserve to earn.

Hi, it's Debbie and welcome to Debbie Tips. I got a message this week and I thought it'd be good for us to talk about today. The question was, “Debbie, I've heard you talk about being a wise advisor in your marketing to your geographic farm and to your past clients and sphere. But what exactly should I be mailing?” In other words, they were asking me if it was okay to still be mailing out things like a calendar on the local sporting events, a recipe card, or dropping off pumpkins or 4th of July flags. Their point was, I know that's not really sending anything that's making me shine as a wise advisor, but it is getting my name out there. Well, and it's fine. I mean, it doesn't hurt you. Well, I should take that back. I did hear a story last 4th of July that caused a bit of damage.

An agent told me that they got a bright idea to pass out happy 4th of July door hangers in their geographic farm, and they thought it'd be really cool to attach a sparkler to the door hanger. Well, if they'd been coaching with us, I would have told him that's a not a good idea because every action has a reaction. So guess what happened? All the little kids in the neighborhood dug lighters out of the junk drawer in the kitchen, and they were running around with lighters and sparklers in the neighborhood. Not a good idea. Right? So that might have hurt them a bit. But generally speaking, stuff that just gets your name out there, it won't hurt you, but it also won't necessarily help you. And it can be expensive.

Now for example we're here in Orange County, California, my daughters went to Mater Dei High School. If you guys watch sports, you've probably heard of Mater Dei, they're obsessed with sports at that school. So if I was sending to the neighborhood around Mater Dei, a sports calendar, they might really love it. That might be a good thing to do.

So there will be situations where it would make sense, but for the most part, what I'd like to encourage you to mail is things that are helpful resources. For example, we give our coaching clients consumer guides on topics such as how to move up, how to downsize with distinction, selling your home through divorce, buying your first home, buying an investment, etc. And those are educational books that our clients offer via postcards, they offer through Facebook ads, and then when a consumer see that great information and they raise their hand and say, yes, I would like a copy of that, then we shine as wise advisors by providing relevant content about the conversations that might be going on in their minds.

This way we're using our marketing dollars wisely, because we're offering bait that they want. Bait that they will bite on. So I'm not saying that it's bad to send a sports calendar. However I am saying it's bad to send a postcard saying it's time to change your clocks. You guys have heard me talk about this before, but I think they already know to change their clocks, right?

So think about your marketing dollars. What's the point you're trying to make? What's the impression you're trying to make? And is that going to set up some lead bait that will cause them to bite and reach out to you? If you need some more examples or some help with that, just email me [email protected], and I'll make sure you get invited to one of our upcoming marketing webinars.