Monthly Archives: October 2009

Need Some Excitement? Yes…Yes, You Do!

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I have a friend that just can’t be brought down.  He is excited.  For as long as I’ve klown him, he’s always happy, pleasant to be around, and excited about life.  Now, don’t misunderstand, he isnt independantly wealthy, he doesn’t have perfect health, and his family can sometimes seem to be  adrag.  In fact, he has had incredible adversity…incredible I tell you, but that is probablky a story for another time.  What is impportant is his deterimnation to remain positive. in sales, this is so very important.  As sales associates, we are often times faced with adversity in form opr another.  Rejection for new business.   Client or provider side objection to terms of a potential deal.  Unforseen bumps or virtual mountains on the path to success.  Dare I say..the economy.  These pains in the ass are inevitable.  However the difference between those that make a go at it and those that win, is the ability to look at adversity as opportunity.  They use excitement.  Their excitement is contaigous.  It positively affects all that they come in contact with.   It causes people to see the glass half full.  It creates environments for winning.  Excitement is a resource that cannot be extinguished.  Excitement is the secret to my friend’s overall happiness with life and can be the ingredient to your overall success in sales.
1. What makes you happy.  Write down on a piece of paper 3 things that get your blood pumping. Is it a drive with the music blaring, a good hike in the woods, a solid conversation with someone that you really love?  Whatever it is, make sure you write it down such that you can referrence it again in the near future.
2.  What are your excitement drains?  Write the top 3 things that really turn you into a slug.  Is it not having enough sleep, talking your jerk of a boss when you first walk in the door at work, having to wait in traffic.  Whatever, notate with the ability to come back to it.
3.  Now you have ammunition.  If you have a special meeting or presentation with a client to generate some paper, referrence your excitement toolbox.  Know that you should avoid your bull headed boss and rush hour, in addition to having your ipod juiced up and perhaps an old friend to chat with on they way.  When you arrive, your excitement will be through the roof and your client will feel it.  This will be good.
Onward and upward.

excitementI have a friend that just can’t be brought down.  He is excited. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s always happy, pleasant to be around, and excited about life.  Now, don’t misunderstand, he isn’t independently wealthy, he doesn’t have perfect health, and his family can sometimes seem to be  a drag.  In fact, he has had incredible adversity…incredible I tell you, but that is probably a story for another time.  What is important is his determination to remain positive.  He has decided that no matter what, he is going to exhibit excitement and joy, not drudgery and complaining.  The results are in his quality of life, which is superb.

I can count on him to bring me up.

In sales, this is so very important.  As sales associates, we are often times faced with adversity in form or another. Rejection for new business.   Client or provider side objection to terms of a potential deal.  Unforeseen bumps or virtual mountains on the path to success.  Dare I say..the economy.  These pains in the ____ are inevitable. However, the difference between those that make a go at it and those that win, is the ability to look at adversity as opportunity.

They use excitement.

Their excitement is contagious.  It positively affects all that they come in contact with.   It causes people to see the glass half full.  It creates environments for winning.  Excitement is a resource that cannot be extinguished.

Excitement is the secret to my friend’s overall happiness with life and can be the ingredient to your overall success in sales.

Some of us are just like him.  Always up..  If so, use these tools to laser focus your power.

Some are definitely not, and that is ok.  It takes all kinds to make this world go round..

Here are 3 steps to make excitement be a retrievable resource when you are in a pinch:

1. What gets your blood pumping? Write down on a piece of paper 3 things that really get you going.  Never mind Redbull…I’m talking about total body excitement!  Is it a drive a little faster than you should with the music blaring?  Is it a laugh out loud conversation with someone you know you will always be able to get a giggle from?  Is it spending an unplanned, sweat inducing hour happy with your significant other? Whatever it is, make sure you write it down such that you can reference it again in the near future, even when you energy is sub-par.

2.  What are your excitement drains? Write the top 3 things that really turn you into a slug.  Is it staying up til 3am knowing you have to be at the lab at 9am?  Is it having a “meeting” with your jerk of a boss as soon as you walk in the door at work?  Perhaps sitting in traffic just melts you down?   Whatever, notate with the ability to come back to it.

3.  Now you have ammunition. If you have a special meeting or a presentation with a client to generate some paper, reference your excitement toolbox.  Know that you should avoid your bull headed boss and rush hour, in addition to having your ipod juiced up and perhaps an old friend to chat with on they way.  When you arrive, your excitement will be through the roof and your client will feel it.  This will be good.

What else can you do to generate excitement?  Let us know in the comments.

Onward and upward.

facta, non verba

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facta, non verbaThis is my mantra. I repeat it over and over as I move through my day and my life.  This is written on the bottom of my business card and under the my name on my personal website.

It’s latin and the literal translation is “deeds, not words“.

For me, abiding to this law is absolutely crucial to live a life of happiness, gratitude, and success.

It is calling when you say you will.  It is showing up, on time, as promised.  It is going the extra mile when you advertise that you do.  It is sticking to changing a habit when you’ve vowed to do so.  It is making time for your family or friends when you said you would.

Facta, non verba is the raw truth.

Today, more than ever, talk is cheap.  Anyone, anywhere can say what ever they please.  But it is those that walk the walk, never mind talk the talk, that really hold value.

I do not always hit the mark.  Sometimes I drop the ball.  Of course I fudge things up.  But it doesn’t happen without awareness.  It doesn’t happen without reflection on how I can avoid it taking place again.  It doesn’t happen without patience to strive for betterment.

I take responsibility for my actions, or non-actions, and I move forward.

Gary Vaynerchuck talks about customer service as being more than a “Feedback” button on your website.  Customer service is actually giving a crap and being there to help.  A real live person that will commit time to you in an effort to solve your problem.  That is walking the walk, never mind just talking the talk.  That is facta, non verba.

I was looking for some new software today to log my diet and my fitness regimen on my Blackberry and found this app.  Now just quickly browse those comments.  Can you believe that no one from that company is available and even worse, not around to refute the things people are saying about them.   That is not facta, non verba.

Facta, non verba might be important when in business for yourself or otherwise.

Do you walk the walk or do you talk the talk?

You Must Do 1 Thing Today

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To-DoWe all have goals. But goals do not complete themselves.  Goals are the sum of a specific set of actions that must
be completed.

1 action must be completed today.  Period!

Here’s the thing…Goals do not get done unless we do something.  Too often, goals reside on a the shelf or on a list or on a task list and we put them off to tomorrow.  Tomorrow I’ll not be so tired.  Tomorrow I’ll have more time to devote to it.  Tomorrow I’ll be better prepared.

Tomorrow sucks!

Today is what needs your focus.   Today you must do 1 thing.

By taking action, every day, your goals are so much more apt to become a reality.  You simply must do it.

For those of us in sales, this is something we’ve known for a long time.  The pipeline in sales can often be quite long, however if you do not plant the seeds today, you can expect to see absolutely zero trees down the road. Conversely, by doing small tasks each and every day, the outcome is much more predictable.  Perhaps it is committing to making 1 call for new business.  Maybe it’s working on your website for a 1 hour to better your online presence?  In an effort to further hone your skills, you pledge to read just a bit..every day.

If you are an entrepreneur or even better, wish to become one, this facet of diligence is also marquee.

Right now you work for the man, and it makes you crazy.  Your boss is a jerk, you aren’t paid what you’re worth, and you are not given the latitude to spend as much time as you would like with your family and friends.  I know what this is like.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Do you need to get some sort of training or certification?  Do you need to outline a budget?  Do you need to do some research on your market place?

You set a goal.  You identify the steps that must be taken in order to reach them.  And then, here’s the kicker, you do them.  1 by 1, day by day, you complete the action steps needed in order to be a success.

This doesn’t happen by waiting until tomorrow.

Maybe you wants to go crazy and do a few tasks today? Fine, but at a minimum, you must do 1.

For today, I have committed to doing at least 1 task to improve the SEO (search engine optimization), to write at least 1 post for my blog, and to reach out to at least 1 person to create new business.

What 1 task will you complete today to get on down the road?

Onward and upward!

How I Used Craigslist To Launch My Real Estate Career

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CraigslistThis week is all about marketing methods that work today.  These might not be the same methods that our parents used.

I started a career selling real estate in arguably one of the most difficult markets to penetrate in the country.  My feet lead me to Sotheby’s International Realty in Brentwood, CA, a small community on the west side of Los Angeles, flanked by Bel Air, Santa Monica, and the Pacific Palisades.

I wasn’t married to an actress, I did not attend Beverly Hills High School, and my father wasn’t an entertainment agent, like many of my colleagues.  I literally knew about 20 people in the city when I got licensed and those folks were my buddies from the rugby team, thus were probably not going to buying any homes in Brentwood or otherwise any time soon.  Sure, some have gone on to get in the mix since, but when I started at 27, my circle of influence was quite small.

I needed new business. I needed to find people that I did not know that would appreciate me, my enthusiasm, and my expertise.

I found them on Craigslist and it started with leases.  Thats right, I started my career with rentals.

Leases may not be the best route if you work in a market with a lower price point, by virtue of the fact that the commission might not warrant the effort, but the method can be applied to sales as well.  The key is engage with people where they have low risk.  By offering to be a lesee or buyers agent, they can always go in another direction if they are not satisfied with your level of service, contrary to being in contract when representing a seller.  Manage the expectations of a lessee or buyer, as to avoid them leaving you without reason or because they feel they may be able to get a better deal without you is a post for another day, so for now, read on to get a tool that you can use today to create business.

I learned how to articulate my value.  I refined my ability to valuate property using comps and connecting with other brokers.  I taught myself the contract and all of the supporting documents (which there are tons!).

Most importantly, I was able to create new business.  Perhaps it was only a lease, but those that were leasing may ultimately go on to make a purchase or even better…refer me to someone that might be even sooner.

How did I do it?

1 – I went to every other broker’s desk at my office and asked if they had a lease that I might be able to put on Craigslist. See, if you have a big book of business, leases can be frowned upon.  It requires nearly the same amount of paper work and effort to show and market, all for a much lower commission.  Most were happy to oblige.  If I leased it up, they represented the lessor and I usually got the lessee.  I made a small nugget and I learned my craft.  Everyone won.

2 – While I started with just one property, I quickly began to acquire a nice pool of clients that were actively looking for a lease. I needed to find them something.  This was opportunity.  I then scoured the MLS for listed leases that might suit their needs.  Here, I learned how to negotiate and how best to explain the contract.

3 – I contacted folks that had listed themselves as looking for a lease and explained the value I could provide them. Did you know that there is a section of Craigslist where people list what they are looking for?  I honed my telephone skills.  It was fun.  Their are tons and tons of them, so if I messed up and got my words jumbled, it was ok.  I set appointments to see real clients, thus was forced to create a packet about myself and my company to leave behind.  Not such a bad thing, however it was a much better to test with low end leases than $2,000,000 homes.  Trust me when I tell you that it is much easier on the psych to lose a 6 month apartment lease than a 4 bedroom house with a pool that may be for sale.

My client pool began to grow, both of lessees and lessors.  Aaron was a happy boy.

4 – I posted ads on Craigslist that I could be a resource to those looking for a lease.

I used this simple ad:

Hello,

I am a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty in Brentwood. Sotheby’s lists many of the nicest homes and condos on the Westside. As a potential tenant, my services cost you nothing.

I specialize in properties in the Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu. With that in mind, if you are looking in another part of town, I can probably refer you to a competent broker to help you out.

In order for me to assist you with your search for the ideal property, I will need the following information:

- How much square footage and number of bedrooms/ bathrooms are you interested in?
- What is your budget?
- Where would you like to live?
- When do you plan on moving?
- When are you available to view properties?

I can take this information and start searching for the properties that would best fit your needs.

Oh by the way…If you know of someone that is thinking of renting, buying, selling, or investing in property who would appreciate the level of service I offer, I’d love to help them. So, as these people come to mind, just give me a call with their name and business number. I’ll be happy to follow up and take good care of them.

Warm regards,

Aaron

If the person was looking for something that was out of area of expertise, I would refer them to someone that I knew could help, creating goodwill with my clients and other brokers (this created reciprocal referrals, which are quite nice).  It was awesome!

I made a point to advertise this ad at a price point that would allow me to actually make a bit of money, and I got responses from all sorts of folks. I got requests from people looking for leases at $550/month all the way to folks looking to sell their homes at price points well into the millions.  Owners told me that they appreciated my drive and creativity.  It was something that they wanted in a broker.

Ultimately, I found that as the price point and level of sophistication went up, so did their desire for me to have help.  That was easy.  I just brought on a partner to help, to bring what my dad likes to call “grey equity” or expertise from a fossil (ha).  I went to several brokers in my office and really meshed well with one of them and we work together to this day.  I bring clients that he may not have reached and he helps provide the experience to close the sale.  We share in the proceeds.

Craigslist was the catalyst for my learning my trade and it was….free! Read that again.  FREE!  Sure, I had to put in a little time to write the ads and test which ones worked best, but it cost nothing.  The nice thing is that while Craigslist will only allow an ad to be up for a 7 days, it is saved and reposting is a 4 click process…now your back in business for another week.

Onward and upward!

What Are Your Favorite Marketing Tools? [Survey]

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MarketingThis economy is a bit of thorn for most.  Budgets have gotten tighter, sales volume is slower in addition to lower sales price points, and metrics for doing business have been rearranged all together.  However, it has been the catalyst for quite a bit of innovation as well.

The age old adage speaks now more than ever – “Necessity is the mother of invention”

One place that I have seen a ton of innovation is in the area of marketing.

Gone are the days of reckless spending just to see if things work.  Today, the model is more along the lines of baby steps, see what illustrates the best return on investment, tweak, and repeat.

I love the strategic use of Craigslist. (Free)

I love blogging to voice opinion and to reach broad audiences. (Free)

Asking for referrals. (Free)

I love hand written letters to say thank you and open doors (The will be a special feature on this tool very soon) (~$.55 each)

The return on each of these is absolutely remarkable, given the investment.

What are you favorite marketing tools for this economy?  Please list them in the comments.  Many thanks!

Onward and upward!

10 Tips For Dealing With Clients That Are Driving You Crazy

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CrazyI wrote an article a few days ago about the importance of saying “thank you”, even if you no longer want to do business with a person.  I feel that it is just good manners and may end up serving you in the future.

However, you may not be ready to cut the cord, but your client really is driving you crazy.  You’ve devoted who knows how many hours to them at this point and to say good-bye now is perhaps not the best business descision.  With that in mind, you do know that you need to retain your sanity.

Here is a quick guide on how to do it.  The first 5 are to help you take care of yourself and the last 5 are for dealing with the crazies:

1 – Take a break. Getting outside, even if you’re in the city, is a wonderful way to let your nerves settle.  Just taking your mind off the of the hectic issues at hand can have a wonderful ability to let you come back to it with ease and grace.

2 – Get some exercise. Maybe the person or situation you’re dealing with deserves more than just a break. Getting some exercise is just wonderful.  It doesn’t need to be a marathon, however I suggest a bit of pep in your step.  Raising your heart rate does all kinds of good things for us physiologically.

3 – Put yourself in their shoes. Chris Kelley, 3-d animator sevant,  commented on my other article to explain that it is important to remember when we are the client, and I think this is a great tip.  By stopping for a moment to really view their side, we may see something we had not before.  By intentionally being aware of a situation or circumstance that someone may be dealing with, we tend to have more compassion, thus better ability to help.

4 – Find something light hearted to think about. Laughing has all kinds of beneficial physiological effects on the body and engaging in something that isn’t quite as serious as the situation you are currently dealing with might be all it takes to get things moving in the right direction.  You may not want to do this in the face of the person who is making you pull your hair out, but to explain that you’ll need a few moments is completely acceptable.  Take 10-15 minutes and watch some stuff like

[youtube 5MeiwLLZjDo]

[youtube CQzUsTFqtW0]

5 – Indulge…a little bit. I’m not advocating going nuts yourself, but indulgence has a way of making everything all right.  I keep a pretty strict diet, but when I’m not feeling so hot I love to indulge with a King Size Hershey Bar w/ Almonds.  I also love to turn the radio up much higher than my dad ever thought was a good idea.  It’s just my thing and it always makes me feel better.  When I am collected and feel good, I am better at absorbing and deflecting the not so good stuff from crazies.

6 – Ask solution oriented questions. The ultimate goal is to provide a service and to help, so arguing and righteous indignation usually do not serve anything.  By asking pertinent questions about ways to move toward a solution, everyone wins.

7 – Be the opposite of them. Remain the constant, consistent, collected part of the equation.  Crazies are used to getting their way with the actions that they are currently displaying.  You have an obligation to them and yourself to offer objective advice and prudent direction, with regards to the service that you sell.  You cannot allow inappropriate behaviors on their part to inhibit your efforts.  Remain calm and even keel.

8 – Highlight “small” wins. Has there been a minor victory?  Revisit it!  Reminding them of a decision that you both agreed upon can be contagious.  By getting them into the mode of agreeing with you or accepting your advice as being good advice, it may begin to spread into other areas of the dynamic.

9 – Listen. This may seem a bit over simplified, but if we laser focus our listening, we are able to hear all kinds of things.

“We have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason” – unknown

Listening is also being aware of body language and tone.  The way someone is engaging with you, posture, and direction of communication can all be really good cues to the message they are really trying to convey.  Also, the tone in which someone is speaking can speak volumes, by itself.

10 – Reiterate your desire to help. Reminding an impossible client that you are on their side and that you wish to help can be very disarming.  If they are able to truly understand that you are their advocate, the’re actions may shift to that of being a bit more bearable.

If, in the end, you seem to be losing for more sleep and gaining more grey hair than it’s worth, it may be time to say goodbye.  However, if this is the case, I suggest doing it with manners and grace.  Thank them.  Wish them well.  Offer an alternative that may be able to use.

Onward and upward!

LearnTrends 2009 – The Corporate Learning Trends and Innovations Conference

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learntrends 2009I am excited to attend this year’s LearnTrends 2009 Conference.  Tony Karrer, George Siemens, and Jay Cross are putting on the 3rd annual event and their should be plenty of good stuff shared…and learned.

You may find more information about the event here and you can register for the event here.  It is free.

Topics covered will include:

  • Enterprise 2.0
  • Communities and Networks
  • Knowledge Management
  • Corporate Libraries
  • Talent ManagementI’ll be back with goodies that I picked up from the conference when it’s over.

    Onward and upward!

    • The Importance Of Saying Thank You

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    thumbI read a compelling article from one of my favorite authors, Tim Ferris, today and it didn’t sit well with me.

    The article highlights a rejection letter written by Edmund Wilson, that he gave to those that desired something of him.  Sure, he was extremely successful and in high demand, but is prudent to be a jerk?

    The letter would be fine with me, if it added two words: Thank you

    Its just good manners.

    Even Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google) has the decency to say thanks.  He is busy, real busy, but his display of a bit of gratitude goes a long way.  It shows class.

    On his blog, he writes:

    “While I would like to receive and post many insightful comments, realistically I am unlikely to be able to read through all of them and may accept very few or none at all. Thank you for your understanding.”

    Back to brokerhood…

    We have all had a client that is a royal pain in the &^#.  They wanted everything yesterday, simply could not be satisfied with the service, and wanted a discount to boot.  They made you talk to yourself while you were driving; “That dag blasted fraggle something or another wants me to <insert ridiculous task>”, you said to yourself.  It’s ok.  It’s happened to the best of us.

    So what do you do about it.  You let them go.  But how?  Thank them, and tell them that you’ll no longer be able to provide them service.  I do not believe you need to get into the ins and outs of how they are driving you crazy, as this usually don’t serve anything, but you may need to give some sort of explanation.

    The important lesson I took away from Tim’s article, is that while you may not have time to help someone/everyone, it is good measure to always…ALWAYS say thank you for a chance to do so.

    After all, if someone, even the crazies, hadn’t been interested in your services at some point, you wouldn’t be letting anyone go today.

    Onward and upward!

    FTC Disclosure

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    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unanimously approved new guidelines for endorsements and testimonials on Monday.

    “…“material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed.”

    In the spirit of disclosure, please allow me to list  affiliations, with regards to this blog.

    I am the Chief Technology Officer of InternetCE.com and I am also the lead writer and editor for this blog.  I receive a salary from InternetCE.com and may also retain ownership in the future.

    I have not received money or gifts in exchange for reviews of products or services from outside vendors.  Should I be presented with such, it will always be disclosed with the review.

    When being invited to conferences or events, in lieu of sponsorship or otherwise, I have had my admission fees waived for myself and a traveling companion or colleague.  I do however, pay for my own lodging and transportation.

    Do You Close The Office When Its Slow?

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    ClockThis week I am staying with a friend who lives in a relatively slow coastal town in NC.  I know, tough life, but something happened tonight that got my brain working.

    We went out to find a bite around 8:20pm.  The cafe where we headed was almost closed when we got there.  It said on the door that they closed at 9pm, but they were mopping the floor and had cleaned the grill when got there at 20 minutes after 8.  They said they were closing up because it was slow.

    Could they be slow because other folks had tried to visit them at off peak hours to find them closed, because they had been slow?  Could they be breeding distrust in the potential customers because they always close up shop when they get slow, thus continue to be slow?  If they would just stay open as long as they advertise they will be, will customers not realize this and perhaps show up?

    Shift gears.

    Do you keep your office open to the full extend that it should be?  Do you sit your open house the full time it is advertised to give those that may want to see you an opportunity to do so?  Do you call it a day when you get slow?

    If the answer is yes to those questions or any variation thereof, you may want to recalibrate.  I know that when I hold a house open on the weekend, invariably, 3 new groups show up within 5 minutes of my advertised closing time. These are folks that rushed to see it.  They are keenly interested.  They might be my next buyer.

    Do you close the office when it is slow?