Week 1 - get ready to sprint
"We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire... give us the tools and we will finish the job." - Winston Churchill
Boy! Sometimes it seems like we've been running this real estate race forever, doesn't it? I mean - who ever warned us the business was going to be this hard, this long? I know I didn't plan on this career being a marathon, although if I'd been smarter I would have known. Real estate is a fabulous career. It can be rewarding both financially and emotionally. It can give us flexibility and meaning to our lives. It is also very hard work.
Our real estate business is very much like running a marathon. You see, when running a marathon it's actually better to run-walk-run than to run continuously. (At least that's what they tell me. I'm not crazy enough to actually run a long-distance footrace!) In fact, statistically, a runner can finish in 13 minutes less time by using a run-walk-run strategy than running continuously.
It's the same with our business. We have to schedule periods when we walk so that when we run, we can run harder, faster, and more effectively.
Now the bad news: This is one of those times when you've got to run. Run harder, faster, and more effectively. Don't worry, we'll plan some time off when this is over, but right now, it's time to turn up the heat and sprint to the finish line. Of course, we're going to start with a good warm-up.
With that in mind, here are your tasks for the first week:
_____ Day 1 Take stock of where are you are right now. If you have listings, prioritize them from 1 to 10, one being the most likely to sell, 10 being the least likely to sell. Re-examine each listing and ask "what do I need to do to get this house sold in the next 30 days?". More than likely the answer will be price, but don't look just at price. Make a full assessment of each listing. Call each seller and check in with them, and review the status of their listing with them, discuss what needs to be done, and directly confront the need for a price reduction or whatever other improvements you need to make by asking for a face-to-face meeting to discuss those things. Click here for dialogues. If you need a price reduction, ask them to come into the office to go over things. It is best to have the price adjustment conversation in the office, second best in their home, not good to have it over the phone, inexcusable to have it via email. Price reduction scripts are here.
Today is also the day to check in with your active buyers. Prioritize them, too, and ask yourself "What do I need to do to help this buyer find a home in the next 30 days?" Call them. You may want to discuss their motivation, review their timing, what they are looking for. Even if you think you know the answers to these questions, ask your buyers about them. Things may have changed since the last time you spoke with them. Here are dialogues for current buyers. It would be a good idea to have them come into the office for a more detailed review, as well.
_____ Day 2 Call and check on the status of all clients currently in a transaction with you. Make sure you talk to the lender, title company, and anyone else you need to in order to make sure you have answers to any questions your client may have. Then, call each client and update them. Even if there isn't anything to report, call them anyway!! Tell them how much you appreciate them as clients... and don't forget to ask them directly if they know anyone who needs your services... especially to help them sell their house. For suggested dialogues when you call these current clients, click here.
If you don't have anything in process, that's ok. You will. This is a perfect time to preview at least 5 houses today.
_____ Day 3 Check your database and re-calibrate it as necessary. This may take some time because either you may not have a database, your database may have grown too large, or you may not know the people on your database anymore :) Categorize these people into friends, family, repeat clients and clients who have already sent you referrals. These are the folks you want to take the best care of. Next, past clients and folks with whom you have a good relationship, but they haven't yet referred anyone to you; and finally those people who may know you or you know them, but there isn't any kind of strong bond. (If this sounds like Brian Buffini, it is. But don't worry, I'm going to add in a bunch of non-Buffini stuff, too. Just trust me). One thing that will be important: make sure you have an email address for everyone in your database. EVERYONE has an email address. If you don't have one for them, what a great excuse to call and get one from them.
_____Day 4 Finish cleaning up your database. Call those people who you still need email addresses for - please do not skip this task! We will be using emails quite a bit over the next five weeks.
_____ Day 5 Send the email found here. I've given you a couple of choices, but send one. If you are in the habit of texting your clients, use one of these texts.
There. That wasn't so bad, was it? One more thing. You might be tempted to skip a step in this sprint to the finish. DON'T! Each and every step in this 45 day program is designed to get you successfully to the finish, get you more clients and to make you more money. Trust me, please. I actually do know what I'm doing. I have sold hundreds of homes, coached and taught hundreds of agents, learned from some the best trainers and teachers in the business over the past 34 years. Believe in yourself, believe in me, and believe in the system. You won't regret it. You will win the race.
Boy! Sometimes it seems like we've been running this real estate race forever, doesn't it? I mean - who ever warned us the business was going to be this hard, this long? I know I didn't plan on this career being a marathon, although if I'd been smarter I would have known. Real estate is a fabulous career. It can be rewarding both financially and emotionally. It can give us flexibility and meaning to our lives. It is also very hard work.
Our real estate business is very much like running a marathon. You see, when running a marathon it's actually better to run-walk-run than to run continuously. (At least that's what they tell me. I'm not crazy enough to actually run a long-distance footrace!) In fact, statistically, a runner can finish in 13 minutes less time by using a run-walk-run strategy than running continuously.
It's the same with our business. We have to schedule periods when we walk so that when we run, we can run harder, faster, and more effectively.
Now the bad news: This is one of those times when you've got to run. Run harder, faster, and more effectively. Don't worry, we'll plan some time off when this is over, but right now, it's time to turn up the heat and sprint to the finish line. Of course, we're going to start with a good warm-up.
With that in mind, here are your tasks for the first week:
_____ Day 1 Take stock of where are you are right now. If you have listings, prioritize them from 1 to 10, one being the most likely to sell, 10 being the least likely to sell. Re-examine each listing and ask "what do I need to do to get this house sold in the next 30 days?". More than likely the answer will be price, but don't look just at price. Make a full assessment of each listing. Call each seller and check in with them, and review the status of their listing with them, discuss what needs to be done, and directly confront the need for a price reduction or whatever other improvements you need to make by asking for a face-to-face meeting to discuss those things. Click here for dialogues. If you need a price reduction, ask them to come into the office to go over things. It is best to have the price adjustment conversation in the office, second best in their home, not good to have it over the phone, inexcusable to have it via email. Price reduction scripts are here.
Today is also the day to check in with your active buyers. Prioritize them, too, and ask yourself "What do I need to do to help this buyer find a home in the next 30 days?" Call them. You may want to discuss their motivation, review their timing, what they are looking for. Even if you think you know the answers to these questions, ask your buyers about them. Things may have changed since the last time you spoke with them. Here are dialogues for current buyers. It would be a good idea to have them come into the office for a more detailed review, as well.
_____ Day 2 Call and check on the status of all clients currently in a transaction with you. Make sure you talk to the lender, title company, and anyone else you need to in order to make sure you have answers to any questions your client may have. Then, call each client and update them. Even if there isn't anything to report, call them anyway!! Tell them how much you appreciate them as clients... and don't forget to ask them directly if they know anyone who needs your services... especially to help them sell their house. For suggested dialogues when you call these current clients, click here.
If you don't have anything in process, that's ok. You will. This is a perfect time to preview at least 5 houses today.
_____ Day 3 Check your database and re-calibrate it as necessary. This may take some time because either you may not have a database, your database may have grown too large, or you may not know the people on your database anymore :) Categorize these people into friends, family, repeat clients and clients who have already sent you referrals. These are the folks you want to take the best care of. Next, past clients and folks with whom you have a good relationship, but they haven't yet referred anyone to you; and finally those people who may know you or you know them, but there isn't any kind of strong bond. (If this sounds like Brian Buffini, it is. But don't worry, I'm going to add in a bunch of non-Buffini stuff, too. Just trust me). One thing that will be important: make sure you have an email address for everyone in your database. EVERYONE has an email address. If you don't have one for them, what a great excuse to call and get one from them.
_____Day 4 Finish cleaning up your database. Call those people who you still need email addresses for - please do not skip this task! We will be using emails quite a bit over the next five weeks.
_____ Day 5 Send the email found here. I've given you a couple of choices, but send one. If you are in the habit of texting your clients, use one of these texts.
There. That wasn't so bad, was it? One more thing. You might be tempted to skip a step in this sprint to the finish. DON'T! Each and every step in this 45 day program is designed to get you successfully to the finish, get you more clients and to make you more money. Trust me, please. I actually do know what I'm doing. I have sold hundreds of homes, coached and taught hundreds of agents, learned from some the best trainers and teachers in the business over the past 34 years. Believe in yourself, believe in me, and believe in the system. You won't regret it. You will win the race.
