Okay… We are at the half way point of the year…..So the question is…What has changed in how you are doing (or not doing) your business to make real money?

We are all prisoners of our habits, and especially after a certain age, it is tough to “change”.  It’s been said, that if we keep on doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep on getting what we have always gotten….but that is not true anymore!  In today’s competitive marketplace we may not even be able to survive doing the “normal”.  Today’s market requires innovation, creativity, and execution, using new tools, systems, strategies and the biggie: A willingness to CHANGE!

If we don’t change who is going to notice?  From losing that extra five pounds to adding another day of exercise, or making more money…unless you have a plan and a coach to help you stay focused, there are no real outside consequences.

We are in a world that requires dollars for sustenance, survival and comfort, not to mention that money has been the measure of success.  So with that said, there are several experts out there that offer us a new path to create more guaranteed profits at this time next year if we are willing to embrace a few small changes.

Don’t have time??? Not an excuse anymore! With NAR’s FREE Realtor University Webinars, you can learn from top experts anytime, anywhere. All you need is the willingness to learn, a computer and a little willingness to CHANGE!  Here are some great resources:

Follow a Plan – Expert coach, author and speaker Carla Cross offers the best first step, and that is to have an effective business plan.  She did a brilliant job presenting what you need to know in the Realtor University free webinar now available online: http://budurl.com/BizPlan2010withCarla

List for More $$ – More expertise to increase your bottom line with listings comes from super coach, author and speaker, Bernice Ross.  Bernice’s webinar offers solid direction on how to list more properties at higher commissions in 2011 by developing a premium marketing plan and use Web 2.0 strategies to get the listings signed up, priced right and sold!  Her million dollar information is offered FREE. Click here to get one on one direction: http://budurl.com/ListMore4MoreMoney

Be the First Agent they call – Did you know that an NAR survey shows that 60-80% of consumers work with the first agent who responds to them?  If you are not up to speed on the latest applications that the top agents are using to out respond and out communicate their competitors, you need to get with it!  Expert and social media instructor Amy Chorew offers an information-packed power hour on the PDA applications top salespeople all over the world are using to respond, engage and connect with hot prospects. Get the scoop by clicking on: http://budurl.com/AmysKillerAps4U

There is a WEALTH of information available to agents that are sick and tired of not making the money they want.  The choice is yours to take advantage of these valuable online webinars that are guaranteed to take your profits from dull to dynamic! WARNING: It does require CHANGE on your part!

Are you ready???  Then check out these and others at: http://budurl.com/FreeNARWebinars4U

Do it! And we’ll see you in the winner’s circle…same time next year!

First impressions are almost always irreversible, and can make or break your connection in a matter of seconds.  How you connect on and offline will determine whether you will win or lose.

What can you do differently from what you have been doing?  Are you relying on the same old things, systems, and habits?  Or, even more concerning, are you doing the same things your competitors are doing?

Today’s savvy consumer knows what they want, and they are not willing to pay for services that do not meet their needs.  The largest buying segment of housing is GenX, and they are especially good at finding another professional who is willing to do it “their way,” and fast!

So, how about a tune-up for your presentation program?  Whether you are presenting to a buyer or seller, creativity, expertise, and delivery will boost or beat your chances.

Here are three key tips on how to fine tune your connection.

1) Speed of response:  How fast are you responding to your lead requests?  If you don’t have systems in place to respond in a nanosecond, your prospects are moving on to the next agent who does have a method to respond in real time with targeted information.  That is what it takes to make a first WOW impression!

2) When you are meeting face-to-face, have you revamped how you personally “go to market”?  Are you “market” presentable?  Are you fully focused on your client?  Have you anticipated their every need?

Before your meeting, are you equipped with a deep needs analysis, pre-written questionnaire that demonstrates you are prepared, interested, and focused to authentically discover and fulfill their real objectives?

Unfortunately, this is an area where many of us have slacked off.  Having left a fast and furious marketplace, we didn’t have the luxury of time or the need to build trust bridges with our prospects.

A slower market is loaded with multiple opportunities to engage, connect, and earn the right to provide our services to those in need, and it’s a great time to demonstrate strong differentiation from our competitors.  As an example, if you are still running a paper CMA from your local MLS and showing up with a worn-out, one-size-fits-all presentation, you might need to start looking for another job!

NAR reports that in 2009, 34% of the properties sold were purchased by GenX.  Translated, that means they are driven by their own core values and preferences.  Those preferences include real-time responses, deep expertise, and real accountability.  Think about investing some time in a marketing makeover, and don’t wait another minute to re-design how you go to market, while you still can!  NAR’s Learning Library offers some free and inexpensive online webinars to help you do just that.  Check them out at (http://budurl.com/MurphyMktgMakeover).

3) Get rid of the old tools and get good at using the NEW ones!  You are right to be confused, frustrated, and downright stubborn about trying to figure out what’s in what’s out; what’s hot and what is not, but that is no excuse.

You might be able to connect with prospects, but keeping all the updates consistent and valuable takes help from techno tools.  Set aside some time, or ask the experts what tools are recommended to help you service clients and prospects 24/7 without actually working all of those hours.

Learn how virtual tours like OBEO.com will do the reporting on activity to the seller automatically for you and engage an interested prospect with interactivity on the tour.

Your time is your money, so employing automated, customized drip systems that offer opt-in/opt-out options integrated with your IDX information is the only way to provide real-time information as it is listed to prospective buyers or sellers who are considering marketing their home.

NAR reports that approximately 98.9% of prospects search for properties on the Internet BEFORE engaging an agent.  Surprisingly only 60% of agents even have a website!  Do the basics, but do them right.  Get a full web marketing website that does the work for you.  Check out www.RealProSystems.com and get the whole enchilada, Podcasts, blogs, drip systems, automated campaigns, back-end training, etc.  You can’t afford to be the jack of all trades, so figure out what systems can best support your goals, and go for the gold.

We’ve all heard that if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten, and that’s just not true anymore!  We know that we can no longer do what we’ve always done to stay even with what we’ve generated in the past!  If you are truly serious about making money by leveraging your time and expertise, get with the program.   Very few customers or clients say, “I don’t want to work with that professional because they are too good at what they do, too eager to help me get exactly what I want, and too much of an expert at their craft.”  Just ask them!

Today, everyone seems to beam about their ability to multi-task.  With the revolution of technology and communication going from simultaneous exchange (phones) to non-simultaneous exchange (texting) we continue to handle multiple activities in what appears to be one increment of time.

But is this a good thing or a bad thing?   A recent study from the American Psychological Association released in August suggests that not only do we get less done by multi-tasking, but it can be hazardous to our productivity!

Even though we think we are multi-tasking, according to reports by Vanderbilt University, we are still only able to process one activity at a time, but since we can do it fairly quickly, we have the illusion that we are in fact doing it concurrently.

Our “executive control center” is our decision making center, which takes significant amounts of time and, according to the report, several tenths of a second, which adds up when people switch back and forth repeatedly between tasks.  Where multi-tasking may seem more efficient, it may actually take more time at the end.  In this report, Dr. David Meyer pointed out that a mere half second of time lost to task switching can result in life or death of a driver operating a car using a cell phone.

Another survey done for small businesses revealed that 56% of the responders indicated that they often handle three or more tasks at a time, and reported that one in four business owners stated that multi-tasking does, in some ways, hinder their working ability.  The results from obsessive multi-tasking shows decreased quality of work, actually taking longer to complete a simple task, and eventual burn out.

So, what can we do?  Many of us will continue to perform master multi-tasking activities, and sometimes that can be done appropriately.

But here’s an interesting fact, did you know that by cutting back on multi-tasking for only 20% of your day, you have the potential to free up about 237 hours, or almost six weeks each year?

Chris Crouch, President of DME Training & Consulting and developer of the GO System Training course is a productivity expert and coach.  In his program, he asks his students to perform a simple exercise that takes less than 30 seconds for most people to complete, but found that on the first exercise, the multi-taskers took 61 seconds!

The bottom line is that multi-tasking is really an illusion.  Science Daily claims we can improve our multi-tasking timing, but in reality, we still can only process one rule or command at a time, maybe faster or slower, but our brains still process one at a time.

The bottom line is this, be aware that multi-tasking is okay in moderation, but know that you might not be getting as much done in less time as you thought.  But, by making a few small changes you can get more done and free up real time.  Crouch suggests that we perform “deliberate” practice of focus and block out 96 minutes per day.  To achieve and maintain this focused state of mind he suggests we use a behavioral ritual, or an anchor to help us stay focused on completing a task.  He tells us to practice blocking out 96 minutes every day for deliberate practice (20% of your workday) to stay totally focused on a high-priority, high-impact task and watch your productivity increase.

It’s all about mindful productive tasking versus unproductive multi-tasking driven by habitual behavior.  You don’t have to give up multi-tasking, just give it up for 20% of the day, and be aware of the fact that when you do multi-task, it may be costing you!

Practice your “right now” technique and become a master at mindful multi-tasking, and then figure out what you want to do with all that extra time!

Not everybody loves listing properties, but I surely did! I loved taking at least 10-12 a month for many years, and the reason I loved listing so much is that all of my competition literally was working for me! If a property is listed thru MLS, you’ve got a huge team out there that have more buyers than I could handle at one time, so my job was to make my listings really stand out!

So, here are a couple of tips I found to be extremely successful to helping get my listings sold no matter what the mood of the marketplace at any one time:

1. First, choose your listings well! I know, there are sometimes we feel like we just need to list about anything for any price just to have a few listings … and our strategy is HOPING that they sell! Well that’s your first mistake! Like any good professional, only take those properties that are PRICED RIGHT, and work with sellers whom you like and would enjoy a good professional relationship with. If they are high maintenance before you list, they are generally more demanding later! So, identify properties in an area where you have great confidence and expertise, and choose to work with property owners who are motivated and willing to work with you.
2. Price properties with the market! READ your marketplace! If the market shifts, you don’t want to chase the market. Studies show that overpriced properties sit longer and generally sell for less than fair market value in the end. Coach your sellers right from the get-go on this important facet of their marketing strategy. Study the market WEEKLY to report what’s happening so they are part of the decision process.
3. No matter what, the property must show well and you must provide easy access. It’s at this point you must have control of how the property can be shown. Nothing is more frustrating than investing your time and money only to have a prospective buyer not able to see the premises because it’s a bad hair day for the owner. Just remember when there are plenty of properties on the market, if your listing is hard to show, the buyers will just move on to the many other choices available.
4. Don’t insult the sellers, but insist that they make particular improvements BEFORE you begin investing your precious money and time to market their property. Who wants to buy a property that is messy, smells bad or needs fresh paint? Unless you are selling distressed properties, your listing becomes YOUR house, so if your sign is on the property it must GUARANTEE that it is in tip top shape from the curb to the kitchen! There’s simply too much competition out there and today’s market has been described as a beauty contest and a price war. So be firm about having the changes done before exposing the property to the buying public.
5. Use technology! A recent study revealed that only 10+ percent of all listings were marketed with virtual tours. And this is a GREAT way to get the new GenX/GenY buyers involved in your listings, as well as creating differentiation at the listing table with your sellers. Use the best virtual tour programs that help ENGAGE the buyer into the property. My favorite is OBEO.com virtual tours because it offers a myriad of features that allow the prospect to interact with the tour, like changing the colors of the flooring, walls, and cabinetry. It also has a great “automagic” reporting capability to your sellers.
6. Use MORE e-tools: If you aren’t using some of the latest tools to market properties why should your sellers list with you? It’s like hiring a doctor that doesn’t have the right medical equipment to make sure you are healthy! If you want to dazzle your prospective listing clients, demonstrate your incredible box of power tools to get their property sold! Are you using BLOGS that help direct search engine optimization or web traffic? Are you using a tour that helps submit your tour to major web portals? How about podcasts? Are you maximizing search engine optimization using iTunes and Technorati? What about offering your sellers their own property website, which, by the way is a feature offered by some top virtual tour services. Brochure boxes are nice to have, but what happens when a buying prospect opens the box and it’s empty?  Do you explain to your sellers that you have that covered with a call capture number that works 24/7?

It’s been said that in order to last in real estate, you need to LIST to LAST!  There are a million ways to win the listing and get it sold, so grab a few of these great ideas and take your listings to SOLD!

Do you suffer from “Negotiaphobia?”

You are not alone. Many people in this country have a fear of negotiating.

Yet, negotiating is a fundamentally important component of a REALTOR®’s duties to their customers and clients, you also need to negotiate to get what you want in your personal life, as well as your professional life. I recently collaborated with Dr. George Lucas, an expert on negotiating, and together we worked on compiling the five biggest mistakes REALTORS® make when negotiating. They are as follows:

1. The first one is this, we fail to invest in a concerted personal development effort.

   Too many of us fail to take a class, a seminar, or even read a book to hone our negotiation skills, and yet we use negotiation every day in both our personal and professional lives. It pays to invest your time in learning the differences between collaborative (win-win) or competitive (win-lose) strategies. Studies indicate that neither men nor women are better at negotiating, but there is a traditional perception that men are stronger at the negotiating table, so we need to study, so we can to do our best for ourselves and our companies.

2. The second biggest challenge is our fear of confrontation. Many of us suffer from a malady called “Negotiaphobia” – A term Dr. Lucas coined to deal with the desire to avoid confrontation. Negotiaphobia is a challenge for many of us who have a fear, or a distaste of anything associated with the negotiation process. In many cases, we’ll often settle for a bad deal, just so we can avoid talking about the deal, and avoid negotiating. To overcome Negotiaphobia, we need to learn more about the actual negotiation process, and then learn to focus on the MEANS, and not just the END, when negotiating, which will help you to negotiate from a place of POWER instead of WEAKNESS.
3. The third challenge is that we are typically less likely to ASK for what we really want (and this is especially true for women).

   Dr. Linda Babcock and Sara Lashever observed in their book, Women Don’t Ask that their male students asked for all sorts of extra’s that the female students rarely asked for. As a result, the women were missing out on a lot of resources and opportunities that the men were getting! So in negotiations, there are many times the other side doesn’t even know there is a problem or concern, and would be willing to consider another option if those options were put on the table. So we must learn for ourselves …and for our clients …to simply ASK for what we and they want. We may still have to negotiate, but we are more likely to have a greater probability to get more than we thought. This comes from good and detailed preparation, which we’ll talk about in a minute.

4. The fourth challenge is that in many negotiations we all tend to generally make ineffective concessions.
   It is common for people with an accommodative interactive style to try and please the other party in the negotiation process; and often times, they confuse AGREEMENT with NEGOTIATIONS SUCCESS, and they think the negotiations are DONE!

   All too often, we tend to believe that once everyone shakes hands on the agreement, that the negotiations are complete; when, in fact, this initial agreement may actually initiate multiple phases.

   Just know that the agreement is not done until it is written up and executed. Once the agreement is executed, then give it a careful review, as a competitive negotiator may have added or changed some options to include more than what was originally agreed upon.

5. And the last challenge is lack of preparation.

   The real key to successful negotiations is PREPARATION.

   Many novice negotiators think deals are won or lost at the negotiating table; but, in fact, the biggest impact on negotiations is what you do before or after the initial meeting. Preparation helps you understand both your needs and their needs, and allows you to brainstorm a set of options consistent with the real needs BEFORE you get there. You are more likely to reach a collaborative agreement when you are acutely aware of the differences between the negotiable and the non-negotiable issues of the agreement.

Imagine if you were negotiating an agreement for a seller and the buyer says the carpeting is going to have to be replaced and is offering $8,000 off of the list price. If you were properly prepared, you would have already secured a bid for a similar replacement that is really only $3,000. You win, and so do your sellers!

It takes real preparation to get as much information as you can about what the other party’s real needs are, and to be clear about what the distinction is between their wants and needs. Experts are adamant that most negotiations are won or lost by the depth of preparation, so do your homework!

Just learning about negotiations won’t be enough to make you comfortable in the actual process. You’ve got to actually practice, and you can do that when it doesn’t really matter or count.

One of my favorite examples is to practice negotiating with your dry cleaner. They say they can have your cleaning ready by Thursday, take that opportunity to “practice” and say, well, I really needed to pick this up on Wednesday”…can you make that happen? And then watch how getting what you want, when you want it, was simple, and even a little fun!

We negotiate every day in real estate for ourselves, and for our clients and customers, and even in our personal lives, from giving our kids that extra cookie, or negotiating with the dog for the evening walk. In any case, studying these five steps can help you begin learning a better process so that you negotiate to win!

If you think it has been a tough year and find yourself thinking from a scarcity point of view, you might find yourself believing that there is little you can do to get more business…Think again!

Before you go with “scarcity thinking”, expert Harvey MacKay gives us 66 creative and meaningful ways to connect with even the most elusive prospects.

MacKay is the bestselling author of “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He says, “Anyone can get the order if he’s willing to stretch the truth far enough. Whether you tell the truth or not, you don’t come out a winner just by getting the first big order. The mark of the pro is to get the RE-Order!” That said, ask yourself these questions:

1. What am I willing to do to connect with a prospective client? (Or do I quit after a few attempts?)
2. Am I just trying to get another sale, or are there ways I can make an investment in a long term relationship?
3. What can I offer that will differentiate my service offering and add more value for prospects who will do business with me?

A great lesson from MacKay’s book is found in Lesson #3 – He says, “Knowing something about your customer is just as important as knowing everything about you or your product”.

MacKay was so passionate about wanting to know all he could about his customers; he is famous for developing his MacKay “66” question profile for each of his salespeople to fill out on their customers. He is adamant that when we know more about our customer, we enjoy a huge advantage when they know we care about them, their needs and ultimately then we have earned the right to work with them.

All too often, we fail the first step many high-paid coaches, consultants and top performers know and teach: Do a deep and thorough needs analysis of what THEY want, and not what you HAVE. But first you have to get the appointment and be willing to accept the challenge of winning their business.

Asking questions and then clarifying the answers is one of the most powerful ways to establish confidence and begin building a bridge of trust between you and your prospect. They want to know that you know not only what they want, but most importantly, why they want it. It is only when you act as their sales leader that you can help them determine what the appropriate solutions to their needs will actually be.

Many times we approach our buyers and sellers with a barrage of self-serving information about our experience, tout top testimonials and are convinced that WE are the answer to their needs, when in fact, that may not be the case at all! Regardless of your outstanding sales volume, negotiating acumen and years of experience, if they need a salesperson who can speak Vietnamese, you may not be their best choice!

The battle cry for successful sales that will never go out of style – RELATIONSHIP selling is the key to more sales. Ask well thought out questions, be a skilled, active listener, and craft solutions with your prospects for best results. You may not subscribe to doing a MacKay “66”, but knowing all the facts, motivations, limitations and best solutions for your customer will pave the way to create raving fans and endless referrals.