Start With A Win

Adam and Mark are in the Christmas spirit and want to talk all things sentimental on this episode of Start with a Win. They both tend to be last-minute shoppers, and their wives are known to be very specific about what they want, so it usually isn’t too difficult. Adam is particularly fond of Frank Sinatra and big band versions of traditional Christmas carols, perhaps because they bring back memories of his family listening to them on their record player on Christmas Eve under the light of the Christmas tree. Adam and Mark both love “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the stage versions of “A Christmas Carol” over any of the more modern movies. Mark’s most memorable gift was a B.B. gun when he was ten years old, which his dad pretended that Santa had forgotten before pointing Mark to its hidden location. 

All of us here at Start with a Win want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

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In order to create lift and rise into the air, an airplane has to be aerodynamic, not tethered to the ground, not held back by anything, and not keeping its sights set on the ground. The same is true for you: if you want to create lift and soar to your destination, you have to evaluate what is pulling you down and find a way to eliminate it.

Connect with Adam:

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This episode of Start With A Win provides listeners with a framework for planning for 2021 while evaluating the crazy year that was 2020 and regrouping to start next year with a win. Your goal after this episode should be to write out a business plan for Q1 of 2021 that can replicate for the remaining quarters. Take the time to write it down now so you can be intentional with your goals and actions. Your 2021 plan should include these four aspects:

1. Business plan – Walk through these three questions: “Who do you serve?”, “What is their biggest challenge?”, and “Does your product or service solve it?” Consider what business functions are working and which are not, evaluating what you might need to stop, start, or continue.  Remember to spend time working on your business rather than only working in your business.
2. People plan – Whether you are a sole proprietor or you have a team around you, sit down and go through each position to gauge results and come up with a plan for what you need to stop, start, or continue. Perhaps like many businesses, you have had to pivot to a different model or structure due to COVID-19. Consider what changes may be needed long-term or short-term to accommodate safety protocols.
3. Customer plan – Your customers' needs have most likely changed since your last business planning session. Listen to what they are saying through the feedback they are giving you directly or indirectly, and put together a plan for things you need to stop, start, or continue.
4. Profit plan – There is no ROI in a goal, only ROI in action. Evaluate what adjustment you may need to make next year to fill in the gaps or make up some lost margins in 2020. 

If you need help to structure your thoughts regarding where you are now and where you need to go, head over to StartWithAWin.com to download our business plan format!

Connect with Adam:

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Our guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Katie Lance, CEO and Owner of Katie Lance Consulting, and industry expert on integrating social media acuity into real estate. In the midst of turbulent 2020 we have all experienced, Katie observed a lot of real estate professionals trying to “set it and forget it” regarding their social media, posting things that may or may not be relevant and not engaging with followers. She said some people tend to communicate the bare minimum, such as logistical information about their hours, safety procedures, or their adherence to local ordinances. This practice creates missed opportunities for connecting with audiences on a personal level and being authentic about the state of things. 

For 2021, Katie’s primary tips for being social smart are to get intentional about how to connect with people and to concentrate on building up a content library that exists outside of social media and can be repurposed for multiple channels. By focusing on these two pointers, real estate professionals can transition from chasing leads to attracting business. The content you create should provide value to your audiences – which could be different depending on the platform – and it should communicate your commitment to serving your clients and prospects, so they want to keep in touch with you.

Katie is an avid user of an editorial calendar, a straightforward way to plan and be intentional with your messaging. Sitting down at the end of the year and brainstorming a list of the most commonly asked questions, most engaged with topics, and most common email topics is a great way to jumpstart your editorial calendar for next year. Take a look at your calendar and plot where the topics should go. Consider your business goals and the frequency you’re aiming for, and then leave room for time-sensitive or current events related posts along the way, being conscious of how and where each piece of content can be shared or repurposed. Remember that consistency builds trust.

Connect with Katie:

https://katielance.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KatieLanceConsulting/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katielance 

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

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When you face pressure in life or in business, what is your immediate response? All responses could be boiled down to two categories – action or emotion – and only one of these is healthy and helpful. You can set your default response to action, which will lead you to getting things done, rather than emotion, which will cause you to get frustrated, distracted, worried, or many other things before you even consider getting things done. Be conscious of how you react by default and work to shift towards taking action instead.

Connect with Adam:

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Our topic on this episode of Start With A Win is the top five ways to engage with customers, starting with the simplest and moving up to the methods that make a lot of people squirm. All of these methods will achieve more customer engagement by allowing you to be more present in the minds of your customers and leads.

1. Phone calls – This is the traditional method of engagement, which was the only option before the technological advances of the past few decades, and it remains the foundational component of the customer experience. Even if you initially reach out to customers through a different method, the ultimate goal is to connect with them over the phone. This personal conversation creates an emotional commitment.
2. Email – This is the next level of communication because it allows you to scale your message, reaching more people in less time. With email, your subject line and subhead are crucial for achieving a desirable open rate, so consider using a “listicle” or a group of three. Analysis after the fact is very important in determining why more people didn’t engage and how you could improve the next email or campaign.
3. Video – Video is the way to scale your message and still be present with each customer. In 2020, more than ever before, video is playing a huge role in business and relationships. Evergreen videos have a long shelf-life because people like to see how things are done rather than just reading articles about it. Studies have shown that most executives prefer video to text. 
4. Storytelling – By nature, people are attracted to and fascinated by stories. The chemicals and hormones released by this type of connection and engagement create action and lead to loyalty and long relationships. If you take people on the hero’s journey, presenting a problem, agitation, and a solution facilitated by a guide, they will stick with you and want to hear more.
5. Live streaming video – All of the other methods have been building up to this moment, this opportunity, this unnecessarily terrifying action: combining public speaking with video. Rather than letting the fear of public speaking overcome you, be confident and put yourself out there through live streaming video that is dynamic, authentic, and engaging. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn all offer live video options, so go for it!

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

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https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 

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Leave us a voicemail:

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On this episode of the Start With A Win podcast, we are joined by Kelly Contos, which gave Mark the perfect opportunity to practice his game show host skills during a lightning round of the Newlywed Game. You may be surprised to find out who looks better in glasses and who is the better singer!

When it comes to supporting Adam as the CEO of such a large and prominent company, Kelly says that her main objective is to be there for whatever he needs. Sometimes that means making sure he stays on schedule and gets from place to place, and sometimes that means noticing when he needs some human interaction and sending him to the office. Kelly knows how important Adam’s work is to him, but most important are the people around him, so she encourages him to lean into his team.

Adam and Kelly are both thankful for their health, the people they choose to spend life with, their freedoms, opportunities, and the successes that have resulted from those opportunities and hard work. 

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

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During this Quick Win, Adam outlines the 4 W Process that leads to getting in motion and accomplishing your goals. The first W is wish – to work towards something, you really have to want it. The second W is why – this means that you have a genuine motivation to reach the goal and that it is not just a fleeting thought. The third W is when – this puts a timeline on your action. And the fourth W is what – you have to know what you are going to do or nothing will ever get done.

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

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Our guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Bryan Greene, Director of the Fair Housing Policy Committee at the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Bryan has spent his career helping individuals, landlords, and real estate professionals understand the civil rights laws associated with fair housing and advocating for equality and nondiscrimination. His goal is for landlords, lenders, and real estate professionals to judge people only by the standards they have put in place for legitimate business practices, not litmus tests that will confirm or strengthen their own biases. The Fair Housing Act protects everyone from discrimination and is enforced by the local, state, and federal levels of government, including the US Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Bryan has seen the shifts in the housing market due to COVID-19, such as the transition to virtual platforms and higher demand driving prices up. He has also seen the intersection of this higher demand with the recent awakening to racial injustice and inequality in that many more Americans now recognize that populations of color have fared worse during this pandemic due, in part, to the overcrowding of their housing situations. The geographic fault lines are apparent now more than ever. Many now recognize that health and housing are interconnected, spurring on the needs for change and more equitable housing for all people in accordance with the Fair Housing Act and overall compassion for humanity.

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing

[email protected]

Connect with Adam:

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Leave us a voicemail:

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Our guests on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast are Son Nguyen and Dustin Luce, co-founders of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP). Son served in the U.S. Navy for many years, and upon being discharged, he found himself uninformed about the programs available to veterans looking to buy homes, namely the VA Loan program. He made the realization that there must be other veterans out there who feel ill-equipped to start the home buying process. Additionally, veterans and members of the military want to have a rapport with their real estate professionals and know that they can trust them. They want to be able to work with someone who they feel understands them, especially coming from the military context.

VAREP was formed in 2011 to organize real estate practitioners who are focused on the military and to provide training to those who want to learn as a HUD Housing Counseling entity. Now they have 36 local chapters in 19 states, with 70% of their 7,000+ members being veterans. VAREP’s local chapters offer educational opportunities, they interview subject matter experts on their podcast, and their certification courses are offered on their website. They hope that more real estate agents, veterans, and civilians will become a part of their organization and learn how best to interact with and assist veterans through the home buying process.

Connect with VAREP:

http://varep.net/

Connect with Adam:

https://www.startwithawin.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/REMAXAdamContos

https://twitter.com/REMAXAdamContos 

https://www.instagram.com/REMAXadamcontos/ 

Leave us a voicemail:

888-581-4430