Success Manual

Advantage Realty An Independent Member Broker

THE KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations!

You are about to experience the fastest way to build a real estate practice while making money helping others achieve their dream of buying and selling a home. This journey will help you discover that you have chosen a rewarding and worthwhile career.

You are setting out on an exciting adventure. Over the coming weeks, you’ll discover your own unique style and be able to articulate and market your professional services.

This comprehensive program will also:  Train you in the most effective tools for REALTORS®  Inspire you to think like an entrepreneur  Give you tips to run your real estate business with integrity  Provide you with guidance on how to achieve masterful presentations Whatever you focus on expands and what you give energy to becomes your reality.

Take a risk. Stretch yourself and allow your imagination to take over for awhile. If a goal doesn’t make you a little uncomfortable, consider raising the stakes.

Set goals that are ―smart‖. SMART goals have each of these five elements: 1. Specific 2. Measurable 3. Achievable 4. Realistic (but not without risk!)

5. Time limit Create a minimum of three and a maximum of ten SMART goals that you want to accomplish in the next 3 months, so that you will get what you expect from this program.

After you get your SMART goals together, you will want to delineate them into smaller ―bite size‖ goals so that you can support yourself in accomplishing them.

Imagine a successful, happier you. The only limits placed on you are the limits you place on yourself. Picture living your life as you dream it. Hold onto the vision that feels right to you and GO FOR IT!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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The Keys to Business Success Most professionals love what they do and focus on developing their professional skills. That's a great beginning, but it does NOT necessarily lead to business (or professional) success. Being a skilled physician, attorney or coach is not enough unless the world knows about you, knows how to find you, and is willing to hire you. Here are four keys that can help with that process: 1. Specialize until you are the BEST! Being good is rarely good enough. Go beyond very good to extreme proficiency! Choose a specialty that excites you, one you can develop for a lifetime, and become the BEST at it. The day of the generalist is over. Specialize!

2. Choose a niche. Understand and communicate with your target audience. I work with professionals on business development (my specialty) and my first niche were my colleagues in the real estate field. After that, I found niches with insurance professionals and small business owners. That gave me one specialty, and three niches where I could effectively market my services. Who is your audience?

3. The Law of "Enough". You must communicate with your target audience until "enough" of them hire you. Depending on how persuasive you are, you may need to reach only a few colleagues. Or, you may need to reach thousands, or even millions of potential customers. How will you do that? Advertising works, so does networking. How will you reach "enough" of your audience?

4. Persistence. There are very few "over-night wonders", and the ones we hear about have usually been working in the shadows for 20 years. High levels of success usually require time, energy, effort, experimentation and adjustment. Sometimes, it even requires hard work! In the end, persistence pays! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Four Lists of Super Achievers This week a client reminded me of something I had told her several months back: Life lived to the fullest is always based on what I call 'The Four Lists'.

The Four Lists are the guide-posts to success. They are the foundation for life-long achievement, peace of mind, and personal satisfaction. It's simple, really. So simple that we tend to forget them and in our desire for something more complicated or 'modern', we often miss the oldest trick in the book.

Success is based on The Four Lists.

List #1: Your Core Values. Knowing what you believe, what you value, what you stand for, is essential.

Your values are your compass. They are the touchstone against which everything else is measured.

There are hundreds of values that compete for your attention, and knowing which ones 'own' you is vital. If you aren't clear about your highest values, your chances for long-term fulfillment, satisfaction and success are greatly diminished. If you fail to affirm your primary values, you'll wander forever, lost in a world of endless choices with no clear direction.

Among others, my own short list of primary values includes integrity, loyalty, fairness, generosity, and 'putting in before you take out'. I value persistence, consistency and reliability. Curiosity and creativity are high on my list of values.

What's on your list? Have you written it down? Have you reviewed it with loved ones, and up-dated it recently? Knowing your Core Values is List #1.

List #2: Your Long-term Goals and Priorities. Where are you going? What are your 5 and 10-year priorities? What are you doing with your life? What are the big pieces that get your time and your best efforts?

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Have you written your goals down, and shared the list with your partners? Have you reviewed it since college, or up-dated it since the kids left the nest? Do you know why you're working so hard and how you'll measure your success 10 years from now? Write your Major Goals down! List #2 is essential.

List #3: Your Short-term Projects. Do you have a spring campaign, or a 6-week project? Highly successful people know their priorities and they work on them every day. They have 30-day targets, and quarterly deadlines. They have a written list of items to be completed by the end of the month. What are you working on? How much progress will you make by 5:00 P.M. Friday afternoon?

Highly successful people have a written list of projects. They always know the next step, the most important piece of the puzzle, and they don't waste time. What's on your list of projects?

List #4: Your Daily Musts. High achievers know their daily actions in advance. They plan their days, and they know the things that 'must' be done each and every day. They have a written list of their 'Daily 7' or 'Daily 10' that may include things like exercise, meditation or prayer, time to plan, and other daily behaviors that create the life they truly want. My personal list includes an hour to read, and contacting a colleague or loved one to touch base, every day.

What's on your 'Daily List'? Take care of yourself, every day. Have some fun, every day! Do the things that create and build the life you really want, and do them every single day.

These are the lists that make life worthwhile. They are the lists that high achievers keep close to their hearts and on top of their desks. They are the lists that guide their actions and inform their efforts. They are the lists, often written on simple note paper, that are fundamental to creating and living the life you truly want. What's on your lists?

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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13 STEPS TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE A hodge-podge of technology, checklists, and procedures can produce lackluster results for some Realtors速. This is why dovetailing is such an important element. All systems dovetail - they mesh with each other and enhance each result geometrically if used together The agent who uses the following systems will install and implement a seamless system that will take the agent through these steps with each building upon itself.

1. Time and motivation study - having the correct tools at the correct price at the correct time, with minimum effort. Production in your car or office should be seamless.

2. Mentor Program - You can be anybody you want by copying someone that is already where you want to be. We call this the reverse learning curve syndrome.

3. Lead Generation -The freedom to pick between profitable clients and less profitable ones. The real estate business runs on referrals and repeats. These come from 120% effort on the Realtor's速 behalf.

Human nature tells us that 120% effort is easier to deliver to a client that has a high likelihood of hasslefree closing, therefore you must increase your pool.

4. Systems and Strategies - Since the real estate business is a series of repeated actions it is incumbent upon the Realtor速 to perform them in the fastest and most profitable method. Checklists speed the system and provide a consistency of service which clients tell us is high on their request list. Consistent systems also warn of unnecessary overhead that can be reduced to increase net income.

5. Delegation - Whether to technology, your assistant, affiliate or family, the top agent must spend more time on the dollar producing and client pleasing activities.

6. Integrity Counseling - Scripts and dialogues are less necessary to memorize if you are always speaking the truth without exaggeration, doing what's best for you and what's best for your client.

7. Contract Integrity - 90% of all problems in real estate can be cured at the listing presentation, the listing contract, the buyer presentation and the buyer contract.

8. Balance Measurement - The "F" words - family, fun, friends, faith and fitness have a massive effect on finances.

9. Niches - Determination and implementation of different profit centers.

10. Time Balancing - You will never be effective until you realize how little time you spend on dollar producing activities.

11. Hardware Decisions - What's necessary, how to pay for it, minimizing the learning curve and downtime.

12. Net Profit - The act of reducing expenses, being tax aware, income efficient and saving smart.

13. Financial Independence - Money working for you rather than you working for money. The ultimate goal for top producing Realtors速: realized by investing in problem free, cash-flow properties.

When these steps work together in the same direction with a purpose - magic happens!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Why a Coach?

Obviously, there are many wonderful things about having a coach to support and encourage you.

Everyone develops their own working relationship with their coach, and each situation is unique. So, with lots of respect for all the many things you may find valuable about having a coach, here are the Top 10 things clients have said: 1. You get personal time to focus on YOUR concerns and priorities every meeting. It is a wonderful thing to have a personal, private, intimate and challenging conversation, focused exclusively on helping you move forward with confidence. How often do you get the support you need to be your BEST? 2. Having a coach challenges you to play harder. Having a coach focuses your attention, it clarifies your goals and encourages you to aim higher. Your coach is your biggest cheerleader -- and at times the person you love to hate the most!

3. You become more productive. You become more efficient, more effective, more results-oriented.

Many agents work less and accomplish far more in less time, with less effort and with fewer false-starts.

4. You become more honest about what you REALLY want. Do you want to earn more, or take more time off? Do you want more money, more prestige, or more time to work on your novel, build your boat or be with your family? Telling the truth (to yourself and to your coach) makes life much easier.

5. You have fewer frustrations. A coach will challenge you to eliminate the distractions, the frustrations, irritations and annoyances of life. They waste your time and energy, and they hold you back. Eliminate them!

6. You'll likely have MORE money when you use a coach. How? You'll simplify your life, take control of your finances, and live, work and spend smarter. And, since you're more productive, you may even start earning more!

7. You'll clarify your values and live with greater integrity. You'll discover what's really important to you, and devise a strategy for having more of it in your life. Caution: This may result in major changes!

8. Your relationships will improve. You'll speak with greater clarity, more confidence and more power.

You'll expect a higher level of intimacy, honesty and respect from those around you. And, you'll set boundaries so that your needs are met, while honoring the needs and boundaries of others.

9. You'll set real goals! You'll simply aim higher and live larger. The daily grind will no longer be enough, and you'll expect and pursue a life that is satisfying, fulfilling and challenging. You'll understand that you CAN have it all -- that in fact, having it all is just the beginning!

10. Life will be easier and richer. Expect that, with a coach, your quality of life will change. You'll work harder, play more, and do it all with a level of relaxed enthusiasm that is rare for adults. Kids know about it, but most adults have forgotten what it means to live and work with PASSION! Your coach will remind you!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Nine Characteristics of All Successful and Proven Real Estate Agents Although there are as many approaches to the real estate business as there are people, there are certain qualities that are common to successful real estate professionals: 1. High personal initiative. Do what you know needs to be done even if no one else is doing it!

2. Tenacity. Studies show most salespeople give up after the second 'no'. Yet, most customers only say 'yes' after they've said 'no' 5 times! Never give up.

3. Risk taker. Doing it before you have all the answers—taking risks—is a big part of starting your career successfully.

4. Accountability to yourself. Plan your week and work your plan. No one else will do it for you in the real estate business.

5. Reliability to others. The consumer rates "trustworthiness" as the most important attribute they need in a real estate agent. Keep your promises.

6. Willingness to learn. In this warp-speed changing business, being a life-long learner is critical to success in a real estate career.

7. Enthusiasm. Would you buy anything from anyone who wasn't convinced himself that the product or service was important to you? And could convey his excitement and enthusiasm?

8. Handling rejection. Absolute faith in your own convictions and your own self-worth helps you weather those thousands of 'nos' and keep going to get a 'yes'.

9. Creativity. Doing it like we've always done it just won't work in this changing environment. Try it differently. Put you into the sales equation for great success.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #1 There's always opportunity for you to make incredible money in your real estate business. It all has to do with your attitude, your perseverance, your strategy, and whether or not you can recognize the great opportunities that are continually right in front of your face. When you recognize these opportunities, design the right strategy to pursue them, and follow-up with incredible perseverance, you will achieve the success you've always dreamed of in this business in an amazingly short period of time.

So my questions to you are: * Where are the best opportunities for you right now in your market? * What are the best strategies for you to capitalize on these opportunities? * What are your three biggest challenges in growing your business? * What are three things that if you could do them better would dramatically improve your business? * What are three things that your competitors are doing that you should be doing? * Because you aren't doing things the way you would like, 'conservatively' how much money are you NOT making?

Remember...if you've been producing less than ideal results in your real estate business for 90 days or more it may mean you're using a strategy that has flaws in it. If this is true, it may be time for you to talk with someone who can help you update your strategy to one that will have you producing better results and making more money by working the exact same hours that you are right now.

The money is always out there for you...but only if you're working the right game plan.

My job, as your coach, is not to give you the answers. My job is to help you draw those answers out of you. You have the ability to grow as much or as little as you want to. I will be giving you homework after each session that will help you to see those answers within you. My job is to be your mirror. Be creative!!

Take action!! Be accountable!! What is your action plan?

What are the ―secrets‖ for success? Well, the good news is that there are no ―secrets‖ to success! Highly successful people have always known this. There are no secrets, only the ―rules‖ that have always applied. Success requires only tiny amounts of genius, or capital, or ―luck‖, but it does require a recipe and tons of persistence, focus, and at times, hard work.

We all must learn, or be reminded of, the fundamental disciplines, the essential steps that successful people have used for thousands of years. I assume there are things you want for your life, things you want to change or achieve or add, or perhaps there are some things you want to eliminate, from your life. My goal is to powerfully and concretely give you the tools to do that! And here's the good news: You absolutely can achieve your dreams!

Can you become a billionaire in 30 days? No. Can you become President or a movie star or an Olympic medal winner in 30 days? Probably not. But the odds are over-whelming that those are not the things that truly challenge and drive you.

Perhaps you want to increase sales by 10 or 20%, or perhaps you want to spend more time with your family or friends. Maybe you want to develop an effective investment program. Perhaps saving for a new home, early retirement or that cruise you've always dreamed about were the things that caused you to take action and come to RE/MAX Advantage Realty.

Whatever your dreams, whatever specifics you have in mind, my goal is to help you get them and the wonderful news is that those things are completely and absolutely achievable! You can do this! You know people who have accomplished similar things, and you are just as smart, just as healthy, just as alive and just as talented as they are. What you need are the steps, the keys, to unlock your talents and focus your efforts. That is our goal.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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To get where you want to go in business (and in life), you first have to know what you want. Therefore, we will start by creating a powerful vision and mission statement that will motivate you and compel others to support you.

Customers will judge your service performance with every transaction: In today's world of sales no one gets a free pass. You always have to be prepared to perform at the highest level. We are not given a second chance in today's world without a significant reason. The only opportunity we will have to ―play it again‖ will be based on a substantial benefit to the customer the second time around. This usually equates into a substantially lower fee for goods and services or an unbelievable benefit to the client. Loyalty is not as much of a factor in today's marketplace. One mistake can erase years of loyalty.

You must have a real compelling reason for the customer to choose you over your competition: There are more choices and competition in today's new economy than ever before. We must aggressively pursue sales situations where we have a clear and compelling advantage over the competition.

We then need to be prepared with a strong presentation and the facts of why we should be selected over our competition.

Your competition should not be able to duplicate your compelling reason: Your compelling reason should be a factor, or combination of factors, that your competition fails to produce. This could be your success matrix numbers, or savings your client will receive from using your product or service. Any compelling reason that is truly a benefit to your prospect or client.

The benefit or compelling reason must be important to that individual you are working with. To ensure it has importance to the individual customer, you have to ask that customer the right questions to understand what they need. We have to properly diagnosis the problem before we can move into prescription.

Target your prospects well: Success in sales is contained in selecting the right customers that are the right ―fit‖ for your product and/or service. We are not able to service all consumer and customer requests.

We must be selective when evaluating the highest probability of success in making the sale, but also in servicing the client long-term. We need to evaluate the needs of the customer to know whether to pass on this opportunity or go for it with intensity, focus, and the expectation of winning.

Turn down the prospects that don't fit: Most salespeople are not prepared to turn anyone down. They spend their time trying to make lemonade out of lemon clients. These types of prospects create trouble for you in the end. Since in many cases they don't view the service you provide as any different than anyone else. They have limited loyalty and even more limited tolerance for error by you.

One of the best feelings in sales, even greater than getting the sale, is turning the sale down. Being able to say, ―I am sorry I can't help you.‖ Or, ―I am sorry that doesn't work for me‖ is powerful. If you are really working the right group of people you will get to do that often and do more business when you do.

Embrace the 80/20 rule: To be a high-powered salesperson we need to apply the 80/20 rule daily. Most sales people readily evaluate the value of a particular client. They are just working hard to make the sale.

Some prospects and customers are just worth more money. They have the capacity to generate more revenue in less time. For salespeople 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your prospects. Your objective is to spend the most time investing in those 20% rather than the 80%. We need to clearly focus on working that 20% first and the remainder of the time investing in the 80%.

We have to increase the number of easy sales that we can do and reduce the number of difficult sales we do. Sales is a margin-game, not a volume-game. It's the margin between the revenue that you make and the investment you put into it.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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We need to shift the ratio of supply and demand for our products and service: Our objective should be to raise the demand of our product and services to a level where demand outweighs the supply. Where we have more prospects knocking at our door than we can handle effectively or want to handle.

The most successful way to shift this is to increase our prospecting for new opportunities. Most salespeople prospect like their supply exceeds the demand. Because of limited prospecting there is no pent up demand, only over abundance of supply. There is restriction of growth in that model.

Our goal should be to have twice as many leads as you can take to a sale. This is the reward for prospecting. You then qualify the leads based on motivation, your time investment and your revenue generated. Selecting only the best and referring the rest.

We need to apply these seven principles to insure growth and long-term success in our sales business.

Each one is significant on its own, but coupled together, you become unbeatable.

So, for your homework this week: 1. Decide ―Why me?‖ Why would a savvy, sophisticated consumer choose you over another agent? Stare at the wall. How do you convey your message to a potential customer without sounding egotistical. Be authentic.

2. Create your Mission Statement. (A mission statement says exactly who you are, and what you will do … your beliefs and your ―mission‖ in life.) (REMEMBER: What is it exactly that you are selling? Talent?

Education? Service?)

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Advantage Realty An Independent Member Broker

WHY ME? Decide “Why me?� Why would a savvy consumer choose you over another agent? Stare at the wall. How do you convey your message to a potential customer without sounding egotistical? Be authentic. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Advantage Realty An Independent Member Broker

MISSION STATEMENT (A Mission Statement says exactly who you are and what you will do … your beliefs and your “mission” in life. What is it exactly that you are selling? Your talent? Your education? Your service? Be short and to the point.) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #2 - Who Has Time For Success? You Do With These 5 Success Principles!

Most people claim that they want to be "successful," yet few know what kind of success they desire or how to achieve it. They wish their lives were "the profiles of success" or that they could "make it a winning life," but they have no clue how to turn that desire into reality.

Realize that what you do today has a direct impact on whether you'll be successful in life later. How you manage your time, plan your goals, and take action will make or break your future. Unfortunately, between 40+ hour work weeks, the push to "do more in less time," and increasing personal and business obligations, few people actually make the time to follow their dreams. Instead, they resign themselves to their unsuccessful habits of the past, and then wonder why they can't make any progress.

The fact is that many people do not succeed in life because they think they do not have the time to be successful or to follow success principles. But we all have the same number of hours per day. Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, two of the richest and most successful people in the world, do not have an extra number of hours in the day, yet they have achieved more than most people can imagine. The only difference between them and the masses is that they made the time for success and followed proven success principles. You can, too. The following guidelines will help.

1. Know what kind of success you desire.

Just saying you want to be "successful" is fruitless. It's non-specific and causes you to waste your time in multiple pursuits. The key is to focus on the specific kind of success you want. Six varieties of success exist:      

Economic success: the desire to make money and accumulate wealth.

Political success: the desire for political fame, power, and influence.

Social success: the desire to change the world for the better and to be known as a social reformer, philanthropist, and benefactor.

Intellectual success: the desire to gain knowledge and be able to unravel the mysteries behind certain ideas.

Spiritual success: the desire for complete spiritual fulfillment.

Physical success: the desire for inner and outer beauty or athletic superiority.

Obviously, each success category has positive and negative aspects. For example, someone with a desire for economic success can use his or her money for good deeds, or can cross the line to greed. The key is to know the kind of success you desire and then focus your time on the positive aspects of that desire.

Those who are truly successful take the time to define the exact success they want and what they will do with it. They create their vision for the future and devote time to attaining that vision each day.

2. Get your act together.

To be successful, you must take the time to organize yourself and your life. Realize that success does not chase after a disorganized individual. Being organized or getting your act together means doing the right things in the right order. In other words, you must take the time to prioritize your daily activities so you focus on what will truly make you successful.

Unfortunately, our modern array of gadgets and technology do not help people simplify or organize their life. While television, the Internet, and cell phones are tools that can aid us in achieving our goals, if not used properly, they can add to an already information overload, thus making it difficult to carve out time each day to dedicate to our individual goals.

To truly get your act together, you must start with the internal, which involves setting priorities and committing to them. Once that internal organization is complete, the external process is somewhat easier, which includes cleaning up the clutter in your life, scheduling, time management, and manifesting the outward qualities of persistence and commitment. Only then can you plan and follow your route for success.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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3. Respect your time.

To the degree that you appreciate and respect time is the degree to which you will succeed. If you abuse time, you will surely fail and regret your lack of discipline. In fact, no one can truly succeed without a proper attitude towards time. We each have 24 hours per day, 168 hours per week, and 8,736 hours per year to devote to our dreams, so we all must schedule our time wisely.

For example, if you were to sleep 56 hours per week, play for 42 hours, work for 70 hours, and earn $10 per hour, you are likely to earn $36,400 per year. In 20 years, you'd have earned over $700,000. If you save only 10% of that, you'd have $70,000 sitting in the bank. Realize that most people work for more than 20 years during their lifetime, and that $700,000 does not include bonuses, salary increases, pensions, 401K plans, overtime, gifts, or interest from investments. Now, would you consider yourself unsuccessful today if you had at least $70,000 in the bank? Probably not.

The point is to schedule your time and your life so you're devoted to success 100% of the time. Think longterm and plan everything. The small time infraction you make today may seem small, but the small things add up, compound over time, and affect us profoundly.

4. Be single-minded.

People who are successful devote their time to mastering the one most important detail that will lead them to the type of success they ultimately desire. To be single-minded means you:  Are not easily distracted;  Have your eyes set on the prize;  Devote your time to your purpose;  Have a driving ambition;  Are determined;  Are dedicated;  Have a singularity of purpose.

Most people start something but never complete it because they get distracted. The distraction may have been a phone call, a negative criticism, a word of discouragement from a so-called friend, or a personal fear that we may fail. In order to not let distractions interfere with your success, you must enhance your quality of single-mindedness, which means you devote your time to one pursuit for one endeavor, not break your time up among many activities or goals. Don't be a "jack of all trades and master of none." Stand up for one thing and go for it consistently.

5. Cultivate a proper work habit.

If you intend to succeed in life, you must cultivate a proper work habit. You must make up your mind that no substitute for hard work exists. Cutting corners to save time on your journey will only delay you in the end.

No matter what anyone promises you, when you work less time or less productively, you produce lower volume of goods and services. But it you have a proper work habit, you produce and achieve more. In the end, your attitude towards work reflects your attitude towards life and your propensity to succeed or fail.

How do you cultivate a proper work habit? Realize that a proper work habit involves a change in your mental attitude. If you love to work, then you will likely succeed. If you don't love your current work, then find a profession or cause that excites you. When your work is enjoyable, you will commit more time to it and will succeed.

The Time is Right for Success Consider today what you really want to be remembered for - what type of success you desire. Dedicate and rededicate yourself, your time, and your energy to this one pursuit, cause, or ambition for the rest of your life. Do not give up or rest until you reach your goal. Only then will you attain true success and leave a lasting legacy to the world.

So, for your homework this week: Create your list of ―Rules‖ (Ten Commandments). (The ―rules‖ that you will live by … your list of ―dos‖ and ―don’ts‖.)

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Advantage Realty An Independent Member Broker

TEN COMMANDMENTS Create your list of ―Rules‖, your Ten Commandments. These are the ―rules‖ that you will live by each day … your list of ―dos‖ and ―don’ts‖ for both your personal and your business life (such as ―I will always put my family first‖, or ―I will always treat my clients as if they were my family‖, etc.)

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DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #3 – How to Take Care of Ourselves – Time Management This week, we will: 1. Review your Mission Statement. Does it accurately state your mission in life, and encompass your beliefs and everything you stand for? Remember, this should not be a book! This should be only a few sentences … no more than a short paragraph. If you’re happy with it so far, that’s wonderful!

If not, continue to work on it until you’re satisfied.

2. Review your list of ―Rules‖. When complete, you should be able to frame these and put them on the wall. These are YOUR rules. These are the commandments that you won’t break.

3. Review your ―Why Me‖.

If you are going to achieve your goals in life, you will need at least a minimum of energy, rest, creativity, enthusiasm and basic health. This may seem obvious, but too many of us take it for granted. Many of us are seriously overweight; most of us do not get enough exercise. We suffer a wide and growing number of ailments from acid indigestion to headaches to back problems to asthma, in large part because we simply fail to take care of ourselves.

Making money, building a business (particularly the sales and marketing aspects), leadership, management, the ability to make clear, insightful decisions, and all the other building blocks of success in any field require that you show up! And you can't do that if you are tired, sluggish, ill or dead.

Fortunately, we know HOW to take care of ourselves. Most of us just don’t.

Health, energy, well-being and success can be reduced to three basic issues: 1. Eating well. Eat more fresh foods, less fried and processed foods. Eat more vegetables and less red meat. Eat more fruits and use less sugar, salt and white flour. And, above all, eat fewer calories than you burn every day. If you want to achieve more, make small but vital adjustments to your diet and watch your energy soar! It works!

2. Exercise. As with diet, I am not convinced that any one particular type of exercise is 'special'.

Personally, my primary source of exercise is walking. Whatever your method is, find it and do it.

3. Getting more rest. While Edison's new-fangled light bulb thing is a nice toy, it has totally disrupted our historic bio-rhythms. The human body was designed to work for a while, eat, then rest. Now, we go out in the evening, some of us work all night, and we simply don’t get enough sleep. And we definitely do not give ourselves enough 'down time'.

That pattern limits your success in two ways: First, it makes you tired all the time! Who wants a tired surgeon, pilot or a sleepy truck driver? And yet many of us routinely spend our days trying to perform our jobs and achieve our dreams while we are tired.

Don't do that.

Second, by trying to do so much and, particularly, by trying to do so many different things, we distract ourselves. To succeed, we must be able to focus. Relax. Concentrate. Do one thing, do it well, and do it rested. You'll live longer and you'll achieve more.

Achievement requires energy. It asks us to perform, to show up, and to work hard. Take care of yourself!

This is fundamental. 80% of success is simply showing up!

There's an old adage that says, "If you keep doing the same things, you'll keep getting the same results." If you're tired of living from commission check to commission check, the only real way to climb out of a slump DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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is to change your business plan to focus on lead generation.

Unfortunately, most agents don't have a business plan. Even for those who do, it's still quite common for them to procrastinate about completing their lead generation activities. Even though the market is still strong in most places in the country, there are so many companies and Realtors competing for business, there's simply not enough business to sustain everyone. The winners in this battle will be the agents who keep their focus on lead generation.

There are essentially only two options for generating leads in the real estate business. The first is "by referral" and the second is through "traditional prospecting" techniques. Virtually all agents who avoid slumps have one thing in common--they do both. The key in either situation is to have "face-to-face" contact with as many potential sellers and buyers as possible.

To avoid experiencing a slump, maximize your lead generation activities by doing the following: 1. First and foremost, you must hit lead generation goals on a weekly basis. If you've targeted selling 4 houses per month, you must generate 12 high quality leads. (As a rule of thumb, about one out of three solid leads ends up closing a transaction with us.) At the end of each week, evaluate whether or not you have hit your lead generation goal. If not, clear your schedule and door knock or call your sphere until you've hit your target. Failure to do this one simple step will be the primary cause of any slump you may experience.

2. Focus your efforts in those areas most likely to produce a closed sale. If you've been listing estate properties and there are virtually no buyers, shift to working with first time buyer listings. (The first time buyer market is generally the least affected by a down market). Call on expired listings and FSBO’s in those areas where sales activity continues to remain strong.

3. Prospect for people who have to move: relocation buyers, newly married (or divorced), as well as in areas where there may have been a reduction or an increase in work force.

4. Track your statistics in MRIS. If a certain area in your marketplace is significantly more active than others, prospect for listings and hold open houses (even if they aren't your listings) in that area. The goal is to focus your efforts on areas experiencing the greatest number of closed transactions.

5. Ask people in your referral database, "Do you know anyone who is currently renting who may be interested in lowering their monthly payments?" With the current low interest rates, many renters can actually buy a home for what they're paying in rent. You can also prospect for buyers by cold calling or door knocking in high-end rental apartments and rented houses. Since these individuals do not have to sell another property, they are much easier to place under contract.

6. Get "face-to-face" with your referral database as much as possible. In a slowing market, solid referrals are more difficult to obtain. In-person contact with your sphere maximizes the probability you'll receive the referral rather than someone else.

7. Most importantly, don't stay married to the same plan if it isn't working or if the market changes. To avoid future slumps, you must constantly monitor market conditions and adjust your lead generation activities to those areas experiencing the greatest amount of sales activity.

Remember, the key is in planning and constantly adjusting your plan. If it's working, add to it. And if it's not, fix it or dump it!

The basis of time management is to learn to prioritize effectively and to make every minute count. Learn how to stay on top of prospecting, showing properties, working with buyers and sellers and STILL have more time off for yourself.

For your homework this week: We’re going to begin by creating a calendar of your current week. Using the weekly calendar, keep track of ALL of your time for one full week. This will reveal whether or not you are making the best use of your time. Don’t cheat. No one will judge you but you.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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WEEKLY CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES FOR: __________________________________ START

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

7:30 AM 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM

ALWAYS SCHEDULE A LUNCH - ALWAYS SCHEDULE FAMILY / FUN TIME

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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CHAPTER #4 – Business Planning

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up someplace else," Yogi Berra said. A goal is a way to make sure you don't wind up someplace other than where you want to be.

At its simplest, a goal is just something you aim for. But goals are powerful contributors to successful business growth in several ways. To begin with, the process of setting goals forces you to think through what you want from your business and how growth may—or may not—provide that. This process helps suggest directions for pursuing that growth, which can greatly improve your chances of achieving your goals in the first place.

Goals also give you a framework within which to work. This tends to focus your efforts by helping you rule out actions that won't contribute to achieving the goals you have set. A very important part of that framework is a timetable. Any good goal has a timetable, and that timetable will influence your actions profoundly. For instance, if your goal is to retire by age 50, you'll know that any growth plan with a payoff that won't occur by your 51st birthday is not one you'll consider, no matter how attractive it might otherwise seem.

Evaluating Goals Its not enough just to have goals. They need to be the right goals and ones that are appropriate to your ambitions and abilities. When entrepreneurs talk about their goals, whether they are for the past year or for a lifetime, the most frequent issue is whether those goals were the best ones to have.

If your goals appear to be holding you back or directing your efforts into unproductive areas, then there is definitely something you can do about it. In fact, setting new goals for yourself and your business is both easy and essential if you're going to grow. When looking at new goals, make sure they have the following qualities: Specificity: You stand a better chance of achieving a goal if it's specific. "Raising capital" isn't a specific goal; "raising $10,000 by July 1" is.

Optimism: Goals should be positive and uplifting. "Being able to pay the bills" is not exactly an inspirational goal. "Achieving financial security" phrases your goal in a more positive manner, thus firing up your energy to attain it.

Realism: If you set a goal to earn $100,000 per month when you've never earned that much in a year, that goal is unrealistic. Begin with small steps, such as increasing your monthly income by 25 percent. Once your first goal is met, you can reach for larger ones.

Thinking Short- and Long-Term: Short-term goals are attainable in a period of weeks to a year. Longterm goals can be achieved five, 10 or even 20 years from now; they should be substantially greater than short-term goals but should still be realistic.

Income: Many entrepreneurs want growth to provide financial security. Consider how much money you want to make each year when planning your growth.

Lifestyle: This includes areas such as travel, hours of work, investment of personal assets and geographic location. Are you willing to travel extensively or to move if that's what it takes? How many hours are you willing to work? Which assets are you willing to risk?

Type of work: Your growth plan may require changes in the type of work you do. When setting goals for type of work, you need to determine whether you like working outdoors, in an office, with computers, on the phone, with lots of people, with children, and so on.

Ego gratification: Face it—many people want to grow their business to satisfy their egos. Owning a bigger business can be very ego-gratifying. You need to decide how important ego gratification is to you and what DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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size business best fills that need.

Honesty: The most important rule of goal-setting is honesty. Building a business with your eyes wide open about your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes and your ultimate goals allows you to confront dilemmas with greater confidence and a greater chance of success.

Cost-Benefit Analysis There's no free lunch when it comes to achieving goals. Any goal you set will require some investment of time, effort and money that will cause you to forego other goals. One way you can figure out whether a goal is going to be worth it is to do a cost-benefit analysis. This doesn't have to be complicated. Simply draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper to create two columns. On the left, list the benefits of achieving a given goal. On the right, list what it will cost you to get there. You can simply count the benefits and costs columns and see which has more, or assign weighted scores to each entry and total them at the bottom.

You may not want to let this quick and easy analysis make the final decision for you. And it may sometimes be the nearest thing to a tossup. But even a simple cost-benefit analysis can give you an idea of whether a given goal is worth investigating further.

Creating a Road Map for the Future The difference between a dream and a plan is that the first simply expresses a desire to be someone or to achieve something, while the second expresses a method for accomplishing the first. If you really want to achieve your dreams, you need a plan or a map that is going to show you how to get from here to there. A good road map for future growth needs to have the characteristics of specificity and realism, just like a good goal. It should also contain benchmarks to measure your progress and tools to measure how well you're doing.

Setting Benefits An important part of any growth plan is establishing a way to tell when you have reached important points in the process. These mile markers can be composed of any number of benchmarks. Overall sales revenue is a common one. Many companies recognize the first year they topped $1 million, $5 million and $10 million in sales. Sales is an obvious, important, easily grasped benchmark. You can look at sales growth rates and overall sales volume as valuable benchmarks.

Sales, however, are not the only benchmark. You can also look at benchmarks for such critical variables as number of stores, number of customers and transaction volume. Many industries have benchmarks unique to them. For instance, air carriers think in terms of percentage of seats filled and revenue generated per mile flown. E-commerce businesses measure Web page views and time spent on each page. Your business may be concerned with even more esoteric benchmarks, such as percentage of repeat customers or average sale amount per customer.

Not all benchmarks have to do with growth. You can set benchmarks related to cost savings, error rates, employee turnover and many other aspects of your business. About the only characteristics all benchmarks share are that they should be significant, relevant and measurable.

Establishing Measurement Tools One of the biggest differences between small companies and large ones is the amount of effort each devotes to measurement. Big firms are famous for generating mounds of reports containing measurements of all kinds of performance data. These reports describing what is happening in a company are handy for enterprises with thousands of employees that may be spread all over the globe but still need to be guided in the same direction.

If you're a one- or two-location venture and you've personally hired all the employees and see them every day, doing a lot of measurement and creating reports may seem like a waste of time. And it probably isn't necessary for small firms to spend as much energy tracking performance as it is for big companies. At the same time, most entrepreneurs go out of their way to avoid paperwork. More so than large company DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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executives, entrepreneurs' decision-making is hamstrung by a lack of adequate information about their companies. Although their intuitive knowledge of their companies may be superior to the grasp exhibited by Fortune 500 CEOs, entrepreneurs could generally do a better job of gathering data about their companies.

Entrepreneurs often lack enough data to be able to answer questions such as: What is my most profitable product? What are the traits of my best customers? Which types of promotions have the highest payback?

You will find your growth plan much easier to implement if—along with setting up financing, hiring and other functions to achieve it—you create measurement tools to tell you how you're doing along the way. These need not be overly complex. You need to decide the things that are most critical to achieving your growth objective and then find a way to measure them. If, for instance, competitive pricing is the main thing you feel will determine your fate in the marketplace, you could assign one employee to make a weekly or daily trip to an outlet where your products are sold alongside those of competitors, just to make sure you're not being undersold. It's easy to overdo measurement, spending valuable resources collecting data that isn't useful. But that doesn't mean all measurement is bad.

Revisiting Goals The value of a goal lies in the way it provides you with a relatively steady, unblinking light toward which to steer in the fog of everyday business life. But that doesn't mean a goal should be as immovable as a lighthouse. You should periodically take a fresh look at your goals to see if they need to be changed or, perhaps, dumped. Changes in your personal situation, such as a desire to spend more time with family, may cause some goals to become irrelevant to your true desires. Of course, the best reason to scrap a goal is because it has been accomplished.

The last thing you need to know about goals is that they are just that—goals. They aren't preordained events that will occur whether or not you work toward them. In other words, just having a goal of reaching $10 million in sales doesn't mean you'll achieve it. Nor should the accomplishment of a goal be considered absolutely necessary to your personal well-being. Some goals are more important than others, but it's not wise to be so committed to a given goal that, if you don't achieve it or it's not all you hoped it would be, you'll be emotionally destroyed. Remember, as that great philosopher Yogi Berra also said, "The future ain't what it used to be."

For your homework, begin working on the Business Planning Outline. (Using the Business Plan Outline attached, begin working on your business plan. This can also be called a ―Life Plan Outline‖, since many of the questions will help you to overcome your everyday slumps.)

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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BUSINESS PLAN Executive Summary: The purpose of this plan is to outline and track the way in which I will achieve my professional goals over the next five years. To achieve these professional and financial goals, I understand that my personal life is the most important and most pivotal portion of my life. Therefore, my ultimate goal is to create a harmonious balance between my family and my career.

Objective: My overall objective is ___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ in five years, having _____ employees, and with a financial goal of $_______________ net income at the end of year five. The following is the projected employee breakdown:  1.  2.  3.  4.

Implementation Summary: The following is an overview of the annual goals: Year 20__:  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  Target net income of $ Year 20__:  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  Target net income of $ Year 20__:  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  Target net income of $ Year 20__:  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  Target net income of $ Year 20__:  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  ___________________________________________________________________  Target net income of $

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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Strategy Overview: Recognition:  Get my name out to the public. I will accomplish this by using the following methods.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Reputation:  Create credibility. I will accomplish this by using the following methods.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. 

Build a personal referral network. I will accomplish this by using the following methods.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My clients perceive me as:

I will target the following markets:

I will offer the following programs to my clients that my competitors do not offer:

I recognize my key strengths are:

I recognize my key weaknesses are:

By recognizing my weaknesses, I am able to overcome them by:

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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In the year _______, I will earn $________________.

What will I give?

How will I do it?

I want to work _____ days per week

I will earn an average commission of $______________

I want to work _____ hours per day I want to work _____ weeks per year I intend to spend ___% of my time working on my business and _____% of my time working in my business.

Therefore, I will spend ____ hours per week working on my real estate business and this will earn me: $_________________ per month

Therefore, I must close ______ transactions My transactions will be broken down as follows: _________% from listings _________% from buyers Therefore, I will sell: _________ listings and _________ buyers in the next 12 months.

$_________________ per week worked $_________________ per day worked $_________________ per hour worked

The following is how I will obtain this level of listings and buyers: Goal:

Goal:

I will sell ____ listing sides.

I will sell _____ buyers sides.

I know that ____ of my listing will sell.

I know that ____% of buyers signed to contract actually buy.

Therefore, I need to take _____ listings.

I sign up ___% of sellers I meet with.

Therefore, I must go on _____ listing presentations by the end of the year.

Therefore, I need to sign ____ buyers to contract.

I sign up ____ % of buyers I meet with.

This means I must go on:

Therefore, I must make _____ buyer presentations by the end of the year.

_____ listing presentations per month

This means I must make:

_____ listing presentations per week

_____ buyer presentations per month

_____ listing presentations per day worked.

_____ buyer presentations per week _____ buyer presentations per day worked.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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The following is how I will obtain these listings and buyers: Marketing: Marketing Goals:

Ideas to implement those goals:

I plan to invest $__________ in marketing next year.

I will use the following sources/media:

I will be conveying the following message to the public:

Past client retention goals:

Ideas to implement those goals:

Customer service / referral goals:

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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Ideas to implement those goals:

Education Goals:

Ideas to implement those goals:

Personal goals (i.e.: social, family, physical, spiritual, etc.):

Ideas to implement those goals:

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #5 – Life Tools Review your Weekly Calendar. (Scary, isn’t it? If you were totally honest, this will probably be a real mess.

That’s OK. Studying this will help you see where you want to improve, and why.)

Now that you’ve seen what your normal week is like, you must create a Weekly Calendar of your proposed week. Once completed, your new calendar will be your guide … what you want to achieve in your daily life.

Remember to plan regular meals (your body is your temple), time with your family, and ―you‖ time to do what you love most. Taking the time to do what you enjoy will balance your life, and make you more productive at work and at play. So your proposed weekly calendar is your homework for next week.

Review your Business Planning Outline. To completely finish this Business Plan will probably take weeks, maybe even months. That’s OK. Planning your life can’t be done in a week. And once you finish it, you will want to continue to update and modify it in the months and years to come. But knowing your goals … what you want to achieve and where you want to go … is the first step to achieving them. So continue to work on this and let’s take a real good look at it next week.

Go over your commandments. Are you sticking to them? Tweek it as you need to.

Let’s talk about your Personal Environment… or the art of giving yourself room, tools and the opportunity to succeed.

This is where your systems and your environment come into play. You deserve a great office, perfect tools, first-rate skills, good lighting, the right music, and cheerful colleagues. Success requires that you give yourself every chance to succeed! That’s why you’re here at RE/MAX Advantage Realty. This allows you the chance to succeed … to grow your business.

If you were building a new home and interviewed two carpenters, one who arrived with a wide selection of the best tools, while the other had only an old rusty hammer, which would you hire? My bet is you'd hire the one with the best tools, and that principle applies in your own life, and in every area of your life.

What are the 'tools' in your life? That's an important question.

Among the tools in my life and work, are a great desk chair and a perfect laptop computer. Yes, my new Toshiba cost a bit more than one at a discount store, but it suits me perfectly and I have confidence in it.

Personal Environments are about giving yourself the opportunity to succeed. Too many of us 'can't afford' good tools, a great office, or even training to use the tools we have. That's wasteful and, to be blunt, it's just plain stupid.

Fortunately, Personal Environments often cost little or nothing in terms of cash. How much does it cost to play your favorite music while you work? How much does it cost to 'dress for success', to look and feel like a million bucks when you step into the office? How much does it cost to clear off your desk, or to return that last phone call at the end of the day so you can start fresh in the morning? These things cost nothing, and they can make all the difference.

Here are a few quick categories to examine in terms of your Personal Environment: 1. Dress well. Not expensive, unless you prefer that sort of thing, but clean, pressed, neat and ready to go.

2. Your car. The make, model and year are irrelevant, but keep it clean, neat and always play either your favorite music or educational tapes while you drive. Never permit yesterday's fast-food wrappers or other trash in the back seat! Maintain it well. Keep it tuned up, with safe tires, and nothing to worry you.

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3. Your office. Invest in a chair that fits you perfectly, a phone that works, a computer that works, file systems and equipment that make your job easy. Keep it clean, with pictures of your loved ones on the desk and posters that motivate and inspire you on the walls. Whatever you need to make your work a joy, and your office 'perfect' …

4. Your skills. We all need to improve in some area. What one thing, if you did it better, faster, easier or more effectively would make all the difference? Is it time to learn more computer skills?

Whatever it is, just do it.

5. Your attitude. It was once said that, 'We don't see the world the way it is, we see the world the way we are.' Vince Lombardi said it this way: 'Fatigue makes cowards of us all.' When you have energy, humor, resilience and optimism, you work better, you achieve more, you feel better and you make more money. Period.

Take extreme care of yourself! Surround yourself with the best, and never settle for cut-rate, second-best or grungy. It’s just not worth it!

You have tools, you have energy, you have desire – do you know where you're going?

To achieve anything significant, you have to see it, smell it, and want it! You have to believe that it’s possible, and you have to keep your ―eyes on the prize.‖ Those are all clichés, but they are clichés because they are true! Use your imagination! (That’s what it’s for!) Some people call it a vision or a goal; others call it a mission statement or a sense of purpose. I don’t care what you call it; I care that you can see it!

In navigation, there's an old truth that to move from anywhere to anywhere, you must precisely know at least two points: where you are now, and where you want to go. The same is true in life.

It is never enough to want to be 'successful', or 'rich' or 'married'. To achieve our goals, we must answer the questions: Successful at what, when and how? Exactly how rich and how soon? Married to whom, and with what kind of relationship? I hope the point is clear. To achieve meaningful results, you must know exactly what you want.

Such life-long dreams often tell us the steps to develop our career, and they certainly influence our personalities and the way we evaluate our choices in life. On the other hand, smaller dreams that some people call goals or objectives, or projects, are also vital because they help to organize our days and clarify our priorities in more immediate ways.

Whatever your dream, write it down. Say it out loud. Picture it, and go for it! To get from where you are to someplace better, you must know where you want to go. You must have a dream, and dreams can be fuzzy, foggy, vague or weak, or they can be clear, strong and powerful. Make your dreams clear; then use them to guide your actions and change your life.

Your homework for this week is going to be easier in some ways … and harder in others. This week is a review week. Now that you know some of the tools you need to become successful, you need to review your Mission Statement, your Ten Commandments and continue to work on your Business/Life Plan. Put your ―wish list‖ of tools on your Business Plan … when will you have them? Put what you’ve learned to work for you, and focus on what you want. Put YOUR wants and desires into your plan for the future.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Top 10 Time Management Rules of Successful Real Estate Salespeople 1. The 80/20 rule always applies.

It is estimated that 80% of a professional salesperson's selling success is a result of selling skills obtained from willing participation in training programs. 20% of a professional salesperson's success is a result of complete product knowledge. 80% of a professional salesperson's time should be spent prospecting and 20% spent in presenting products and services and following up.

2. Determine your hourly value.

Each hour that you work, what are you worth - $20/hr or $50/hr or $100/hr? This is a valuable exercise towards determining where you are now and where you want to go. Professional salespeople know exactly where they are going. They have calculated what hourly rate is required in order for them to achieve their annual income goals. They understand that each day has an identical amount of time available, therefore in order to achieve higher income goals, more productive activities need to be engaged in.

3. Know what activities are required to achieve your annual, monthly, weekly, daily, hourly income goals.

These include: a) number of prospecting calls per day b) number of presentations per day c) number of sales per day, per week d) number of proposals, follow up calls 4. Plan every day in advance.

Advance written planning of daily activities provides professional real estate salespeople with a "jump start" each day, over competition that fails to plan. The best time to plan is either at the close of day before leaving the office or at home in some quiet time.

5. Think geographically.

Avoid lengthy journeys between clients located miles apart, instead, start to group sales calls in the same geographic area. If long journeys are unavoidable, make use of this time by listening to sales programs on tapes and CDs. 6. Think Strategically.

The word "procrastination" is not in a professional salesperson's dictionary when asking for a meeting.

Although they work with a sense of urgency, top salespeople also work to a strategic selling plan to maximize use of their valuable time. They understand the importance of always being in charge of the selling process and that there are few shortcuts to this process, which includes: a) establishing trust and rapport b) thorough needs analysis c) presentation d) close Furthermore when with customers, these real estate salespeople know at any time where they are within that process.

7. Confirm all appointments.

Nothing is more annoying than to turn up at an appointment to discover that the other party cannot make it.

Avoid this potential time-waster by confirming appointments before you leave the office.

8. Thoroughly prepare your work and presentations in advance.

Not having answers readily available can waste a lot of precious time in the selling process. When either telephoning or meeting with potential customers, professional salespeople are prepared for just about all eventualities. They have complete property knowledge, are aware of competitor's offers, possess excellent presentation skills complete with testimonials from previous satisfied clients, etc.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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9. People don't buy listings, they buy salespeople!

It's a competitive world out there. Customer allegiance to products and services is fast becoming a thing of the past. Real Estate sales success today largely depends upon a customer's perception of a salesperson's personality and attitude. Professional productive salespeople are in sales because they WANT to be in sales. They are more optimistic with high levels of self-esteem via self-knowledge. These are people who have taken time to plan their lives and who see their current situation as a planned stepping stone towards achieving their life goals.

10. Learn additional skills.

Real Estate salespeople who continually perform to the highest levels, recognize the importance of ongoing skill development. The learning and application of new skills provides the ability to sell more effectively, via higher quality prospects achieved from greater understanding of their needs and the world which surrounds them.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #6 Build on your strengths. Manage your weaknesses. We’ve all got our unique strengths. But it’s pounded into us from the time we are toddlers that we have to excel at certain things … ride a bike well … write our name well … run the fastest … play baseball. Whatever. But what if we have no balance to ride a bike?

What if we really hate team sports? Do we do it anyway because it’s what’s expected? Probably. But we won’t ever be the best if it’s not what we truly want to do. But if we do what we love to do … if we build on our strengths, just think what we can achieve! There would be no limit to our abilities. If, however, you push yourself to do what you think is expected of you, you are doomed to achieve only mediocre results.

You have defined your dreams and begun asking effective questions about how you will achieve them.

There is a wonderful quote from Henry David Thoreau that, 'if you have built castles in the air, wonderful!

That's where castles should be built. Now, you must build foundations under them.' Many people have a dream, but never take action to build a solid foundation to support it and, over time, the dream collapses.

We’re going to build your foundation.

There are two related but seemingly opposite temptations that can limit your success. One is nearsightedness, and the other is being too far-sighted.

People who are too near-sighted are afraid to dream. They refuse to challenge themselves, to look over the horizon or pursue of what might be possible for them. They see only the immediate road-block and never look to the stars.

Those who are too far-sighted, on the other hand, are simply dreamers. They imagine a glorious future in every detail but refuse or forget to take any action. They spend their lives waiting for opportunity to knock, but when it does, they refuse to get off the couch to answer the door!

Highly successful people master the art of shifting from their distance vision to the practical aspects of immediate solutions. They ask themselves where they can start, what action they can take next. They take the initiative and make the phone calls, write the letters, practice their skills and move forward.

Where can you begin today? What needs to be done first? Where can your energy be used constructively right now?

Let’s discuss how YOU want to get to your goals. What is uniquely YOU? So the focus is … be yourself, be genuine, stop beating yourself up for not being more like your hero, and begin being your own hero! Be positive.

Now, let’s identify your ideal client and define your niche. Create your unique advantage. Position yourself to become the #1-choice agent by prospecting in your own sphere of influence.

Your homework this week is to choose YOUR niche. This will be fun. Here is a list of possible ―niches‖.

Begin with these. Add your own. Your job is to identify what is uniquely YOU. What you choose should be easy and fun.

Also, I want you to continue to work on your Business/Life Plan. And incorporate your niches into it. Next week, once you have identified your niches, we’ll put them into use with your own unique marketing strategy.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CATEGORIES OF POTENTIAL BUSINESS / “NICHES” 1. Sphere of Influence 2. Past Customers 3. Referrals from sphere and past customers 4. Expireds 5. FSBO’s 6. Advertising 7. Sign Calls 8. ―Up‖ Time 9. Incoming referrals from other agents 10. Outgoing Referrals 11. Networking Group 12. Farming / Bulk Mail 13. Internet 14. Personal Clubs, Organizations, Hobbies 15. Children, Spouse, Family Members 16. Friends of Children, Spouse, Family Members 17. Doctors, Attorneys, Dentists 18. Former Co-Workers 19. Insurance Agents, Financial Advisors, Hairstylists 20. Car Mechanics, Dry Cleaners, Florists 21. Church 22. Customers on the other side of the table 23. Meeting one new person each day 24. Neighborhood Specialist / Newsletters 25. HUD/VA Foreclosures 26. Personal identity / Logo

Which of these categories have you chosen for your business? Pick two, or three, or four.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Niche Questionnaire Is This the Right Niche for My Business?

This group of people have specialized interests and needs They have a strong desire for what you offer You have (or you can create) a compelling reason for prospects in the group to do business with you instead of with someone else You can easily reach individual prospects within the group The group is large enough to produce the volume of business you need The group is small enough that your competition is likely to overlook it You are, or used to be, a part of this group of people Your target prospects are in the financial position to afford your services You enjoy working with people in this niche You can see yourself creating various services to offer to this market

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Are You a Mega-Store Provider or the Specialized, Hometown Favorite?

The nice thing about the real estate profession today is that the options for practicing within it are very diverse. While we acknowledge that the Internet is a critical component of an agent's overall marketing initiatives, there are several niche pursuits that suit some folks just fine. Those individuals prefer to specialize within a target market and hone his/her expertise in order to provide that market with exemplary service.

While there is nothing wrong with being a jack-of-all-trades service provider, very few people are able to do all things well. When there is a formidable support network working with an agent, such as a franchise one-stop shopping system or a team, it becomes easier to provide multiple-service systems simultaneously. However, when you are a lone ranger or part of a small team, spreading yourself thin might be more problematic than effective. Be cautious of becoming a dilettante. (Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall's ‌) Some of the more popular niches are: SRES (senior real estate specialist); ABR (accredited buyer representative); commercial; new construction; land development; luxury homes; vacation homes and condo/co-op markets. What does it mean to develop expertise in a niche market? It means you are simply the best. Consider the following musts: 1. Have acquired all possible accreditations relative to the niche 2. Are a member of and active in any groups, societies or organizations, both locally and nationally (internationally,) who cater to the specialty 3. Created professional-looking marketing pieces and an Internet presence that articulates your qualifications in the pursuit of choice 4. Know the folks in your marketplace who are involved in your niche. For example, if your specialty is SRES, you would introduce yourself to senior centers, assisted living facilities, attorneys that specialize in estate planning, participate in senior activities, offer relative seminars, etc. Cultivate ongoing relationships in all areas.

5. Network with other real estate professionals within neighboring communities (not necessarily those served by you) who also pursue your niche. There is nothing more powerful than a committed mastermind group to move all members forward.

If and when you decide to specialize in a niche market, first create the implementation plan: do your homework and learn all there is to know about the niche to ensure it is for you; follow the steps above (it will take upwards of 1-2 years) with initial focus on getting your accreditations sewn up. Without credibility you will not be favorably positioned to succeed.

Get some professional assistance when creating your marketing campaign. You are judged by the caliber and professionalism of your marketing. Marketing in building a niche is as important as it is in bringing a property to the attention of prospective purchasers. If no one knows you're out there, you're doomed before you begin.

Whether you are taking a broad stroke to your career success or narrowing down the field and specializing, just remember that if the game is scheduled and you're going to play, you may as well win. Be the best!

Copyright Realty Times. All Rights Reserved. \

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Real Estate Prospecting Real estate prospecting is an extremely vital component in developing your real estate brokerage business.

Yet so many agents make simple mistakes that take them away from doing the prospecting that will have them earn and get paid the amounts of money they want to make each and every year. Keeping this in mind these are what I refer to as The 7 Deadly Sins of Real Estate Prospecting:

Prospecting is a great way for you to find the leads that will become your successfully closed transactions in the weeks and months ahead. If you don't do what will have you find the best people to work with in your territory your competitors will find these people and successfully close transactions with them instead.

Many, many people will be buying, selling, and leasing property in your territory in the months ahead. You have to be willing to do what will have you find these people before your competitors begin forming solid relationships with them.

Do you ever notice how sometimes a person's attitude can change your own attitude? In addition to this have you ever noticed how quite often what you expect to happen does happen? People respond to you based upon what you are putting out to them. When you have a great, positive, fun-loving attitude people will like talking to you more. And when your prospects need a real estate agent they are more likely to remember the agent who made the best impression on them. Make that agent be you.

When you begin your prospecting sessions coming from a positive attitude and an expectation that you are definitely going to uncover some solid leads, you will often prove yourself to be 100% right.

-Up With Prospects If you've ever uncovered leads from prospecting and weeks or months later found out that these same people listed their property or completed a transaction with another agent, you know exactly what I'm talking about here. Doing your prospecting is only part of the formula for success in your real estate business. Following-up on the leads you've uncovered and enrolling your prospects in working with you exclusively is really what being a successful real estate agent is all about.

Are you prospecting the people you ideally want to be working with? Are you prospecting in the geographical area that has the properties you really want be working on? Sometimes agents get to the point where they now want to work on transactions that will earn them more commission dollars per transaction than what they've normally worked on in the past. If this is true for you make sure you are prospecting the people who will be closing the exact kind of transactions you want to be working on.

When you are prospecting you will maximize your results when you ask your prospects who they know who may be interested in buying, selling, or leasing in the near future. If any of the people you are prospecting right now aren't looking to do anything themselves you might as well ask them who else they know who may be looking to buy, sell, or lease. And if you have the great attitude we talked about above you are much more likely to have these people want to refer you to someone. Remember...when you're prospecting you're not just prospecting the person you're speaking with in the moment. When you ask the right questions you can also begin prospecting everyone else they know.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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You should also ask for referrals in your signature of your e-mail. For instance, set up your auto signature to ask for the business, such as: Best Regards,

Donna J. Arndt Donna J. Arndt, Senior Vice President RE/MAX Advantage Realty 800-548-3416 djarndt@remax.net www.homesdatabase.com/donnaarndt Your referrals are greatly appreciated! If you or anyone you know is planning to buy or sell a home in the near future, please let me know. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine! With my personal contacts, I can even help them with their relocation needs around the world!

Mailing to your prospects can literally be considered as "prospecting in print." If you have a territory with hundreds or thousands of prospects that you'd like to work with there's no way that you can possibly talk to each and every one of these people every single month. Mailing to them, though, allows you to get their attention and remind them of who you are every single month. You just have to be committed to doing it.

The more you mail the more you increase the probability that one of your prospects will be looking to buy, sell, or lease right around the time that one of your mailers arrives with your name and phone number on it staring them right in the face.

This is one of the biggest, most common mistakes that many agents make. To be the best you can be in your real estate career you need to be prospecting constantly. As you already know there's a time lag from the moment you identify a prospect to the time you successfully close a transaction with them. If you get busy with activity and stop or substantially reduce your prospecting you will most definitely experience a gap in your incoming commissions in the weeks and months ahead. Don't delude yourself about this. Know with certainty that whenever you slow down your rate of prospecting you will substantially decrease your income for the year.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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How many sales have you lost in your career because of a failure to focus on the details? The old saying that "The Devil is in the Details" is absolutely true when it come to managing a real estate practice.

Many agents have lost thousands of dollars in commissions because of a failure to manage those small, nagging details that never seem important until it's too late. The trouble is there are so many details to manage its easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items to remember. After all, no one seems to want to simplify the real estate sales process. In fact, according to some estimates, the paperwork in our industry is increasing by one third every five years!

So I thought it might be fun and profitable to look at 50 details we need to manage to stay at the top of our game. Think of it as facing the monster, a monster that you must tame in order to become a true superstar.

Are you ready? Here we go: 50 Important Details: 1) Ask for testimonials from everyone and create a form to collect them 2) Ask for referrals 3) Add people to your sphere of influence daily 4) Send thank you cards daily 5) Visit clients a week after closing 6) Print new listings from MLS and placing them in your listing file 7) Email MLS and Web page links to your new sellers.

8) Send monthly marketing reports to your sellers.

9) Schedule a monthly meeting with your sellers.

10) Ask a series of pre-written qualifying questions to buyers and sellers 11) Build and use a buyer and seller presentation 12) Update your personal photo (You’re not still using that photo from 1989, are you?)

13) Create a contingency checklist and timeline for each transaction 14) Send a postcard to your sphere of influence monthly 15) Update and check you're personal website data for accuracy 16) Check your company websites for correct contact information 17) Open a business checking account, and charge card account 18) Create a wealth building plan starting with a retirement account 19) Write a formal business plan (and refer to it monthly!)

20) Create and use a personal brochure 21) Use a contact management system 22) Build or buy an email newsletter 23) Talk to lenders weekly on every sale in your pipeline 24) Talk about sales remorse with buyers and sellers 25) Prospect uninterrupted for one hour everyday 26) Use a closing gift with buyers and sellers 27) Build a "trunk" kit so that you can do business anywhere and anytime 28) Schedule four vacations a year in advance 29) Invest in an oversized 12 month calendar that hangs over your desk 30) Find a good mentor or coach 31) Send a prelisting kit to buyers and sellers before the first meeting 32) Copy every advertisement you run and send it to your sellers 33) Ask for buyers loyalty either verbally or with a written agreement 34) Use a script when handling UP calls 35) Use an after sale survey to find our how you can get better 36) Handle paper once 37) Schedule every day using appointments 38) Invest in health insurance 39) Create a series of draft emails that you use repeatedly 40) Create an email signature that is stamped on every email DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50)

Invest in a high quality wardrobe and wear a name badge Call people within your sphere of influence daily Identify and treat special those people who send you the most referrals Provide buyers and sellers with "Homework" Deal with every crisis quickly Obtain a new designation Double check signatures and initials on every sale and listing Create a home book for each listing Ask sellers why they bought their homes Create systems and checklists for everything!

Can you think of anymore? I'll bet you could think of hundreds more if you put your brain to work, and by doing so you will be taking the first step to taming the monster. The next step is to take the advice listed on the last line which is to "create systems and checklists for everything!" Why? Top agents know that consistent systems create consistent results! Agents who take the time to pay attention to details adhere to a higher standard for both their clients and themselves.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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WEEK #7 - Marketing Strategies Today, we focus on the repeated, daily habits that will take you from where you are to where you want to be in every area of your life. These are the building-blocks for your foundation.

Highly successful people thrive on disciplined daily action. They know that success is the result of a lifestyle of achievement. They know that true success is not winning one medal, climbing one mountain or achieving one goal. Rather, true success is living the life and the lifestyle you truly want.

Highly successful people know that living well is based on a strong personal foundation, and that like the foundation under a beautiful home, foundations are pretty basic things. Made of concrete or stone, laid in the ground with sweat and hard work, there is nothing sexy or exciting or romantic about foundations. You win few awards for having a strong foundation, but try building a life without one!

To create the life you want, lay a solid foundation of daily disciplines. Things like: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Eat well.

Exercise.

Never deceive yourself or others.

Practice the Golden Rule and treat others with respect and courtesy.

Establish and follow a personal spiritual path.

Let your loved ones know how much you care.

Keep a journal to reflect on your goals, your insights and your progress.

Read, study, take classes. You are either growing, or you are stagnating.

Practice excellence in all things.

Success in life often looks boring and slow and simple from the outside, and the 'secret' is that…it is!

Success is staying focused, choosing wisely, and eliminating clutter, confusion and chaos so you can enjoy your life free from worry. Living well is actually much easier than living badly! Failures race from crisis to crisis, always living on adrenaline, trying to fit just 'one more thing' into their crowded daily schedules. They juggle and fret, worry and wonder how life ever got so hard.

Success, on the other hand, is orderly, quiet, disciplined and focused. It is based on daily habits, patterns and routines that lead slowly but surely to the life you want. Set your priorities. Decide what is important.

Choose your goals and quietly, methodically eliminate everything else. What you'll find is that what's left is (surprise!) the life of your dreams.

Now...let’s take a look at the niches you’ve chosen. Then let’s put those into play by working your marketing plan around your ideal niches. …

80% of your business should be done with the top 3 categories.  Past clients  Sphere of influence  Referrals 80% of your dollars should be spent on these categories.

20% of your dollars should be spent on the remaining categories.

For each category: Set a goal (what is your end result), a method (who, how) and an action plan (when, where).

1. Set up a database.

2. Set up a direct mail campaign … to whom, what are you saying, newsletters, etc.

3. Develop phone contact on a regular basis. (Scheduled with a purpose)

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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4. Warm calls - Plan, develop, how many times each week, etc.

5. Face to face opportunity … Strategic opportunities. Make an effort to go to them, not them coming to you.

6. Special event. Participate in a special event, or sponsor a special event.

7. Item of value. What will you give to your clients?

Let’s develop the action plan for your business!

You will send your personal sphere differently than your farm area.

If I have 50 people in my sphere of influence, and each of them have 50 people in their sphere of influence, you would have 2,500 contacts.

One trick – certificates can be sent out for ―free‖ copies, free fax, etc. etc. This will bring in the clients and make sure they know that you are ready and willing to help them.

Since lead generation is a repeatable activity, you need to make a checklist as to how you do it … listings, sales and settlements. You can add as you go along, subtract when you want to … cut overhead and delegate the list when you get tired. You can (and should) have checklists for everything, including listings, sales, marketing, etc.

Your homework for this week: Begin creating checklist for listings, sales, closings, marketing, everything you do repeatedly. Manualize everything! And, by the way, we will begin our next session by going over your Business / Life Plan, so work on finishing that up.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Systems Contact Mgmt (Agent 2K or Top Producer)

Direct Mail

Telephone contact

Face to face opportunity

Advertising

Internet – E-Mail

Special Event

Thing of value

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Activity Get e-mail addresses – enter buyer/seller info/b’days, etc.

To-do lists for Listing plans To-do lists for Buyer plans Birthday cards / Anniversary cards Coupons Neighborhood Specialist Survey – Send back - get a free..(use your imagination!)

5-YR follow-up program Newsletters Postcards (Just listed / sold / from your vacation spot, etc.)

Agent 2K letters Cold calling Follow-up calls to mailings New listing calls New neighbor /settlement calls Holiday calls Call after settlement Quarterly contacts Door to door canvassing Special event* Drop off something of value Home buyers seminar Wearing name tag everywhere!

Give out business cards always!

Canvass local businesses Open houses Brokers opens Attend community meeting Give a class (at an HOA meeting, etc) Can effect all categories – Name recognition Local market newspaper Homes magazines Community newsletter Specialty magazine HUD classified ads Senior newsletter Business cards Car logos Newsletters; Tips Active agent (Internet presence & prospector) Custom websites / Realtor.com st 1 time homebuyers seminar Appreciation party Participation in community event Church event Hud 1 in January Free home warranty Gift for referral Postage stamps Senior discounts / Guidelines for Seniors (SRES) Home security info Free CMA with daily update Calendars List of neighborhood svcs. / Vendor list Settlement gifts Coupon Orioles Summer Schedule Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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You can set these systems up for all phases of clients, such as: Before the Sale Prospecting

During the Sale Process Ask for referral Communicale via e-mail/phone Thing of value (information)

After Closing Past clients & customers

If you pick 3 or 4 categories ….

And each month (or two or three) you do a  Thing of value  Phone call  Mailing for each category, your business would be unbelievable.

For instance if our category of business was past customers:  Call quarterly  Special event  Survey for e-mail addresses  E-mail tips  Referral gift’s  Thing of value (Brian Buffini’s class – what is a thing of value??)  Send calendar Then put it on a calendar! Know what you’re going to do in advance… not just what, but when. Which dates do you plan to call, or mail. Put it in your Daytimer, or on a big wall calendar. Do the same thing each year, but ―tweek it‖ each year! For instance…

Month

Neighborhood Spec

January

Newsletter Happy New Year call

February

st

Past Customers

1 time buyers

Newsletter Happy New Year call

Ad Phone call

Newsletter Valentine Newsletter St Patricks Day Newsletter Thing of Value Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter

Seminar

May June July

Newsletter Valentine Newsletter St Patricks Day Newsletter Thing of Value Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter

Sphere of Influence Newsletter Happy New Year call Newsletter Valentine Newsletter St Patricks Day Newsletter Thing of Value Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter

August September October

Newsletter Newsletter Pumpkins

Newsletter Newsletter Pumpkins

Newsletter Newsletter Pumpkins

November

Newsletter Thanksgiving Card Newsletter

Newsletter Thanksgiving Card Newsletter

Newsletter Thanksgiving Card Newsletter

March April

December

Mailing Ad Phone calls Seminar Mailing Ad Phone Call Mailing Seminar Ad Phone Call Mailing Something of Value

Remember… What do all buyers and sellers want? What do only Realtors possess? Detailed knowledge of local market conditions For your homework, work on your personal Annual Marketing Outline.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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ANNUAL MARKETING OUTLINE

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Marketing takes time. Selling is easier to teach than proficiency in the real estate business. But in the end, marketing allows you to spend more time with the customers and referral sources of you're choosing. You developed them and no one else can advertise them away from your brand.

Marketing your brand to your community rather than being dependent on the warm leads of your company is in-line with how the role of brands has changed.

"We are on the cusp of a major shift in how we think about branding. Historically, a brand has been a promise that says, "If you buy this product or buy from my company, you can rely on me because of the attributes attached to the brand." We're going to see a new kind of branding emerge, a much more customer-centric branding where the promise is, "I know you as an individual customer better than anyone else, and you can trust me to assemble the right products or services to meet your individual needs." …JOHN HAGEL, chief strategy officer Twelve Entrepreneuring in San Francisco, was formerly a principal and head of the e-commerce practice at McKinsey & Co. He is the author Net Worth: Shaping Markets When Customers Make the Rules (Harvard Business School Press, 1999).

If you haven't yet developed a brand you will want to consider three things:   

Define the result you want.

Identify the target market you will market your brand to.

Design your brand to reflect your uniqueness and be effective with your target market.

Defining the result As a real estate practitioner, good times or bad, you want a nice fat portfolio of well priced listings because some of them will sell every month. Doesn't it make sense to market in a way that produces that result?

That is why I coined the phrase, "First time seller." Entry level housing always sells. Owners don't like where they live. They are just waiting for someone to show them how to move up into a better community, school district, or bigger house. If they bought the house two, three or four years ago, they probably don't remember much so they are very easy to work with.

This is achieved by establishing in the minds of your community that you are the trusted advisor in all matters related to real estate.

Identifying the target market You cannot be all things to all people but you can be very special to a few if you choose wisely. Chances are that you already know a few hundred people. But part of the daily grind of real estate is adding new people to your community who are likely to refer your preferred client to you.

You only need one or two hundred people who believe in you and have your brand registered in their brain to maintain that listing portfolio. Think of it as a process of selecting and upgrading. These people are the gateway to the actual sellers. Make sure your brand will resonate with these people.

Incorporating your uniqueness and strengths into the brand You are a one-of-a-kind. There is nobody else like you, and Walt Disney once remarked that what makes us unique is what makes us valuable. Your brand should reflect your uniqueness and strengths. These are the qualities that will help differentiate you, attract to you people of similar values and interests who in-turn will refer to you people like them.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Seize a Niche Do you love golf? Why not learn every golf course and associated housing opportunity within an hour's drive. Speak about it, write about it, and of course, build your brand around it.

What's in a name?

Over the years I've seen some people use their name to great advantage. Nancy Brite is leaning against a giant florescent yellow light-bulb and her last name is highlighted in the same color. A practitioner named Nickels says, "Get your Nickels worth," and Crystal Pierce even introduced the aspect of consumer education with the phrase, "Making your real estate options Crystal clear."

Consider a Slogo A slogo combines a slogan, a logo, and a graphic such as a photo into one easily identifiable symbol that can help you to create a memorable image in peoples' minds.

Avoid logo conflict Maybe it only seems like everybody is branding everything but when it comes to clothing, many people are starting to resemble a NASCAR entry. If you have more than one logo in the same vision field, it's probably counterproductive.

Personally, as my own form of personal protest I refuse to wear anything with someone else's name on it.

Clever not corny There is a very fine line here. You want your brand to be memorable but also to stand the test of time.

What seems cute and clever today might seem odd in a few years.

The same applies to photos. I remember a new agent who had her photo taken with her two cats. Cute, if you are a cat lover or appearing on the cover of People Magazine. But in a subtle way it argues against professionalism, reliability and other qualities necessary to assume the role of trusted advisor.

Do not be disinclined to seek professional help in what might be the most important decision you ever make about your business.

In the end, you and not the brand, still have to be that trusted advisor, who, in the words of John Hagel, is trusted to provide the best products and services.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #8 Technology doesn't create transactions! Relationships create transactions! Technology is just technology.

In it's purest form it does one thing...it speeds our ability to communicate. And that's what success in real estate is all about... rapid and effective communication!

Again, success in real estate is launched and grows by creating RELATIONSHIPS! And relationships start with quality communication.

Initially it all begins with some form of communication that causes a prospect to "identify themselves" to you. They step forward from the cold market, raise their hand and say to you, "Here I am. I want to buy or sell." Not in the same words, but essentially that's what they do.

Where good clients come from will sometimes amaze you! That initial stepping forward can come from MANY different places. It can come from ads, fliers, sign calls...and most important it can come from referrals.

OK, I'm going to be a little redundant here but it's for a very important reason. You really need to get the bigger picture view of this concept and develop strategies based on its timeless truth.

According to NAR 93% of the business is being done by 7% of the agents. And the amount of business the 7% generate from referrals ranges between a low of 67% to a high of 98%! Now if you haven't already deeply reflected on this somewhat shocking "revelation," you really need to! Think about what this statistic really means to you and your real estate business! If 80-90% of your marketing is focused on the cold market and only 10-20% of your marketing is focused on your network...you're aiming in the WRONG DIRECTION! Does that mean you should stop marketing to the general marketplace? NO! The truth is it's not entirely possible...and you shouldn't stop marketing to the general market anyway.

You still have to keep sellers happy. And yes, there is a very effective and profitable way to market to the "masses" when you know how to "target" your message. But... that should not be the majority of your focus. The larger portion of your focus needs to be on your network, sphere or what I call your "database."

2/3 of the time spent on your marketing should be spent doing this... Of the time you spend thinking about marketing, at least 2/3 of it should be spent on strategies for maximizing the value of your current "circle of influence"...past clients, contacts and anyone else who knows you.

For most agents, even new agents (if they really brain-storm and think), their sphere is 300 people or more.

So let's talk about those 300 people and how you can build on the value of those "relationships" and grow your business significantly.

According to NAR, nationally, homeowners move every five years and eight months. For the sake of this example let's say it's every six years. So out of your 300 (or however many) people who are part of your network, how many will move this year? The answer is 300 divided by 6 or approximately 50 people who are part of your network will move this year. 50 will buy or sell... How many will you hear from?

Of those 50, when the time is right, how many of them will instantly think of you? How many of those 50 will, the moment they make the decision they are buying or selling, immediately think they need to call you?

How many of those 50 do you have complete "top-of-mind awareness" and a relationship with? Next question: of those 50, how many will create transactions with you?

Do you see what I'm getting at here? Can you see the importance of nurturing the relationships in your database? When agents start to get this it's almost always this grand "AH-HA!" kind of feeling. They can see the "bigger picture."

And when agents start to "see it," they tend to start asking a lot of good questions. Generally one of the first questions is, "How often should you contact the people in your database?"

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Well, there is no cut-and-dried perfect answer. According to the Direct Marketing Association, it's optimum to contact prospects once every 21 days!

Another old axiom in direct marketing is for every month that passes where you don't contact the people in your database, your relationship reduces in quality by 10%!

Now if that's true, you may have some ground to make up just getting back to where the people in your network will favor you with their business. But the effort is more than worth it!

How do you grow the value of your relationships? Another really important question is "What do you send the people in your database?"

What a great question! Why? Because you can't send these people dry, useless, self-important crap like most agents do. You know, the old "I'm the biggest, I'm the best, I can do back-flips better than anybody in my office" garbage!

So what do you send these folks? You have to send them information, articles, things that actually mean something to them! Information that could be helpful. Try to "think outside the box" a little bit.

One example is an agent of ours in Texas. Every year, on the anniversary of his past client's closing date, he gives them a free termite inspection.

I understand this is a big deal in Texas. Termites are a huge problem there, and he's worked out a deal with his local termite company where they'll do it for him for only $15.

Every year he sends each client an anniversary card with a reminder that the termite inspector will be calling to set up a time for their free inspection.

For $15 a year he virtually guarantees that client's ongoing, never-ending loyalty. So six years down the road, when they're ready to move, who do they list with? You got it! They listed with the agent who took care of them and stayed in touch.

However, I would add one thing to this awesome strategy: a monthly contact that would nurture and build on the value of that relationship. This leads directly into the next example.

Another very powerful strategy one of our agents uses is a monthly newsletter. Now I know what you may be thinking. You've seen some of these canned, plug-and-play newsletters companies put out, and they're nearly useless!

They’re pretty four-color, nice and neat newsletters... but they get nearly ZERO readership because they're bland, boring and have few (if any) real benefits for the reader.

We must generate a phenomenal newsletter that conveys real, meaningful benefits to our readers. Plus we must use good response "hooks" and psychological triggers to get those who are considering buying or selling to respond. One agent who has created a terrific newsletter told us that she's getting tons of referrals every single month from it! In fact, she told me she did ten transactions the previous month directly from her newsletter! Why? Because it is a well-done, well-crafted newsletter that gives her clients real meaningful benefits! It's always interesting, funny and each month she has a simple inexpensive contest that draws huge participation.

Think outside the box! Be creative! WOW your future clients!! Work on creating your newsletter for your homework. We will review it next time.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Three Easy Steps to Generating a Stream of Referrals for Your Business Attracting new customers is a constant challenge for most business owners hungry for growth. Many resort to mass mailing and some even try cold calling. Unfortunately, the money and effort expended often brings modest rewards. Campaigns like these might succeed in attracting new prospects, but often they are the wrong kind of clients. However, if you have a business with satisfied clients who appreciate what you and your company do for them, then you almost certainly have untapped opportunities to find great new clients.

By implementing a successful word-of-mouth referral campaign, your business can thrive and grow with minimal cost, and your new customers are more likely to be ideal clients.

Creating a referral system is simply good business sense. Dalbar Associates, an independent research firm, found that referrals are seven times more likely to become clients than cold call prospects. That's a seven hundred percent increase in success! Many business owners already know that they should be asking for referrals, however they simply don't know how or where to begin. While interviewing dozens of successful business owners for Start it, Sell it & Make a Mint (John Wiley & Sons), our research team found that the overwhelming majority of high growth firms had implemented some form of ongoing referral system. Here are three time-tested ways to build a new stream of referrals for your business: Step One: Identify which of your good clients like to help.

One of the keys to generating referrals is to ask the right people. Bill, who runs a successful auctioneering company in the South, relies primarily on word-of-mouth to attract new customers. He has some simple guidelines for referral sources: "The right people to ask for referrals typically have three traits: they are good clients, they are happy with the services we provide, and they like to help." This last trait is an important one.

"Not everyone wants to go out of their way to help. When we have a helper client, they actually feel good about helping us," explains Bill."

To put this first step to work, identify your best, most satisfied clients. Asking your best clients for referrals is important because people tend to congregate with people similar to themselves. Chances are your best clients' associates will, in turn, make great clients for you.

Then ask yourself which of these clients are "helpers" who will go the extra mile when asked for some assistance. "I have a simple test," says Bill. "I ask the person if they know of a restaurant they'd recommend for me to take my wife; a helper will immediately want to tell me about a great place.

They might even tell me to use their name when I make the reservation, and afterwards, they always want to know if I had a good evening." If your clients are in a different town, try asking where you should be staying when you visit their city.

Helpers enjoy connecting and assisting others and make the best source of referrals because of the personal pleasure they derive from the exercise.

2. Ask for referrals in the right way.

Sometimes referrals will happen even if you exert no effort, but most of the time, you will have to let your clients know you want them. Making referrals conditional upon success is one way Joan, an accountant, has grown her business exclusively by word of mouth.

"Whenever I bring on a new client," she says, "I let them know that I grow my business only by word-ofmouth. That way, I can concentrate all of my energies on taking care of my clients. I ask them, if they are happy with the service we provide, to please think of us should they have associates who need an accountant. No one objects because what you are asking for is conditional upon their level of happiness with what you do for them."

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Other business owners prefer a more subtle approach. They might place a simple statement on a business card, a newsletter, or on a small sign in their reception area. The goal is to kindly let customers know that referrals are appreciated.

Here is a great example of an annual thank you note sent by Mary, who owns a printing firm: "As you know, we grow our business primarily by word-of-mouth, so I want to give special thanks to our dear clients who thought of us and sent us their friends and associates to help with their printing needs. We could not grow without your help. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving."

3. Always give personal thank-yous.

After someone has sent you a new client, take the time to show your appreciation. A hand-written note goes a long way, and a personal phone call can make a big difference, to someone who likes to help.

David, who runs a successful financial planning practice, finds personal calls most effective: "It's amazing what happens when I call to thank them. They love knowing that they helped their friend and that they helped me. The key is to make them feel good with what they did. I will often get another referral right there and then!"

It can also help to offer a discount to clients who provide a referral, though that sometimes provides mixed results. "My clients," says Mary, "Help me because they want to, not because they might get a discount."

But, in more transactional businesses, giving a discount can be a nice incentive. Mark, who runs a yoga studio, gives a free class to anyone who brings a friend who hasn't come to the studio before. "It's a little extra incentive for somebody to tell their friends about our studio, and we know that most people who come once will come back," says Mark.

One of the keys to building and growing a great business is to find ways to attract the right kind of new clients on a regular basis. Implementing these steps is a relatively easy and rewarding way to grow your business.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Market Smarter, Not Harder How effective are your marketing efforts? Are you getting the greatest return possible for the money you spend? If you're interested in how to "market smarter," rather than "harder," try following the guidelines below.

Begin by identifying how much money you spent in each of the following categories (If you don't have numbers for 2001, use your figures from your Schedule C for 2000) Category 1: 1. Web site expenses (this includes hosting, design, and updates).

2. Print (newspaper) advertising.

3. Brochures and other prospecting materials such as magnets or notepads that you place in the mail rather than distributing personally.

4. Postage and other "farming" costs.

5. Sign riders without an 800 number, brochure boxes, etc. (Having an 800 number lets you "harvest" the phone numbers of people who call you on your listings or from your print advertising).

6. Any other marketing resources where you do not have personal contact either in person or by phone with the potential prospect.

Category 2: 1. Client appreciation events where you invite past and present clients to a summer barbecue, fall football kickoff or any other event where you have personal contact.

2. Calling your sphere of influence to ask for referrals or to invite them to an open house.

3. Dropping by to see a past client "just to say hello."

4. Sending out a monthly email comparable sales update to people you have done business with or whom you have met on open house.

5. Calling on expireds or FSBOs by phone or in person.

6. When you take a new listing, calling buyers' agents or listing agents with properties in the same price range as yours to determine whether or not they have a buyer for your property.

7. Any other marketing expenses including "lead follow up" where you made contact either by phone or in person.

Compare your two totals. The total for Category 1 represents the cost of your "passive marketing" efforts.

"Passive marketing" refers to waiting for the business to come to you. In contrast, the second category represents your "proactive marketing" efforts where you actually generate leads rather than waiting and hoping they will happen. In almost every case, agents spend significantly more money on the items in the first category, when in actuality, the items in the second category not only cost less, but are more effective.

Thus, to market "smarter" rather than "harder," shift to doing the following.

1. Focus on whatever puts you "face-to-face" with as many people as possible. As a rule, "face-toface" is better than telephone contact and telephone contact is better than mailing. Also, personal notes are better than sending preprinted material. Thus, marketing "smarter" means allocating the bulk of your marketing dollars to whatever puts you in a "face-to-face" with potential leads or with your sphere of influence.

2. Personal contact is useless unless you're willing to have a discussion about the real estate market.

A simple way to engage people you meet in a discussion about real estate is to always have three or four interesting pieces of real estate related information to discuss. For example, interest rates are extremely low right now. For many owners, refinancing can save them hundreds of dollars a month. Also, if you work in an area where prices have decreased, many people may now be eligible for a reduction in property taxes. In each of these cases, you can be the conduit for providing service, which, in most cases, will produce a loyal person who will refer business to you.

3. Once you make a contact, follow up is essential. In most cases, it will take 5 or 6 contacts before someone will actually refer business to you. In addition, even your most loyal source of referrals DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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can occasionally forget you're in the business. Keeping your name in front of them at least once per month is the best way to make sure they remember to call you when someone they know is thinking about buying or selling a home.

Get Them a Reason to Rave About You Referrals are one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business. But they don't come without effort, and they won't come if your services or products are just 'average.' It's the exceptional services and products that people rave about to their friends, relatives and associates.

Here are a few simple ways to get people to rave about you: 1) MAKE THEM FEEL IMPORTANT. Treat the people who have the ability to refer you--your customers, friends, associates, family members, church members, etc.--like the gold they represent. Be interested in what they have to say. Compliment them whenever the opportunity arises. Talk to them with respect.

Congratulate them on their successes.

2) GIVE THEM VALUE-ADDED SERVICES AND PRODUCTS. It's not enough to only give what you say you will. Give 'more' than you say you will. If you promise 5-day delivery, deliver in 3 days. If you promise to complete a job in 7 days, finish it ahead of time. Give them an hour's worth of complementary coaching, for allowing you the opportunity of helping them. You get the picture. Add value, and you'll get them talking.

3) RESPOND PROMPTLY. Get back to people within 24 hours, or sooner! The quicker you get back to them, the better they'll perceive your customer service to be.

4) REALLY LISTEN WHEN YOU TALK WITH THEM. When people talk to you, listen closely to what they're saying. If Jim mentions he enjoys golf, the next time you see him you'll be able to ask him how he's coming along with his swing. If Jean tells you her birthday is coming up in a week, you'll have the opportunity to put a birthday card in the mail.

5) SEND THINGS THAT WILL INTEREST THEM. Whenever you see or think of something that will interest someone, let them know about it. If you see an article that pertains to a particular person, send it in the mail. Have you read something in a book that you were just talking to someone about? If so, write them an e-mail and give them information about the book. Know that your prospect is about to visit Hawaii? Send her a Web site that may interest her.

6) BE CARING. Be genuinely caring and willing to help people. If you are not being sincere, they'll know.

Be generous in offering assistance, giving information and making offers.

7) GIVE THEM A 'LOT' FOR A 'LITTLE'. Perception is everything. The phrase, 'How could they afford to give me so much, for so little!' is definitely one that you want to strive for. You wouldn't want to strive for the opposite of that, 'How could they give me so little, for so much.' Be sure that your products and services are perceived as an excellent value.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Bite-Sized Strategies to Grow Your Business The best way to begin maximizing your business potential is to ensure you're applying the basics effectively. Here are 6 bite-size strategies that can help.

1. MARKET YOUR BUSINESS REGULARLY. The time to market is NOT when you have run out of clients. It's important to devote a large portion of your business week to work on efforts that will bring in more prospects and customers. Either spend a few hours each day marketing, or dedicate a day or two per week specifically for marketing purposes--such as dedicating Mondays and Wednesdays as your Marketing Days.

2. RESPOND PROMPTLY. Whenever you get an e-mail, phone call or any type of contact from a prospective client, or someone who may be able to refer your business, respond within 48 hours or sooner.

Your promptness reflects your professionalism and can make or break a sale.

3. ENCOURAGE PROSPECTS TO RESPOND FAST. The longer the amount of time that a prospect has to respond to one of your offers, the colder that person will get. If you make an offer, put a deadline on that offer to urge the prospect to make a quicker decision. Here are some examples: * Act Now. * This offer ends on July 5th. * Respond within 10 days and you'll get . . .

4. KEEP IN CONTACT WITH REFERRAL SOURCES. Have a database of all your potential referrers and keep in contact with them on a regular basis. This doesn't mean that you call them just to ask if they have anybody they can refer to you. Rather, it's about building a relationship. If you see an article that might be of interest to them, mail it along with a personal note. If they refer you all the time, perhaps you might ask them to lunch. Treat your referrers like gold, and they will help you grow your business.

5. DON'T BECOME A JACK OF ALL TRADES. If you try to offer too many different services, you will confuse your prospects and referrers. You should be an expert in your specific field. You don't want to give the impression that you know a little bit about this, and a little bit about that. To be perceived as an expert, it's best to know a lot about 'one' thing.

6. PROMOTE YOUR SUCCESSES. When you do a great job for a client, it's important that you use that success to your advantage. Tell people about that success--especially prospects. It's not bragging. It's merely showing people how you know your business well, and that you can be a major benefit to others.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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By now, you've probably "seen the light": a good, deep web site should become the heart and soul of your business...at tremendous profit to you. An estimated 80% of today's agents have a Web site.

Unfortunately, 90% of them have sites that are not making them money. They either have the wrong kind of site (a "cheapie" site, a cheap Realtor.com site, etc.), they don't publicize it, or they don't follow up promptly and efficiently on leads generated from the site.

If you're not earning AT LEAST $20,000 each year from your site and you've got a good one, the problem is probably that you're not "getting the word out" about your site. Here are some ideas for publicizing your site. See how many you're currently using, and make it your goal to add the other methods to your marketing efforts...soon! ___Is my site address on my business card? ___Is my site address on my sign riders? ___Is my site address on my letterhead? ___Is my site address in the "signature" of every email I send out? ___Is my site address in every ad I place? ___Do my "Just Sold" and "Just Listed" mailings feature my Web site on the postcard‌along with a reason for the recipient to visit it? ___Do my virtual tours have a link that automatically opens my site when clicked? ___Do I include my site address in every online listing, when permitted? ___Is the top 1/3 of every real estate magazine ad I run devoted to my site, and does it give readers a reason to visit the site? ___Do I create "My New Home" pages for every home I sell and for every one of my listings that sells so that the buyers/sellers will publicize my site for me? ___Do I take photos of local youth sporting events, put them up on my site, then send emails to all the parents telling them they're there? ___Do I hold regular client appreciation parties, take lots of photos, post the photos or virtual tours to my site then send an email telling my guests that they're up? ___Do I have a link to my monthly newsletter on my site, and do I send an email to my Sphere of Influence every month announcing that it's up so that a majority of them will visit my site? ___Does my car have anything with my site address on it?

TIP OF THE MONTH: This month's tip is an "oldie but goodie," not exactly high tech, but it pays off!

"My best tip to generate business is to wear your name badge everywhere. I have even sold/listed property from a simple grocery store trip!"

We’d love for you to share your ideas with us. Just e-mail your tip to ReMAXDA@aol.com. Be sure to include your name, so we can give you the credit you deserve!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #9: - Working with Sellers

Before we begin, let’s take a look at your newsletter draft … Can it be used for both buyers and sellers?

Building trust is the most important part of working with sellers. Let’s face it – if they can’t trust you to do the job, they won’t hire you. Therefore, it is essential that you create a powerful marketing plan that makes sellers WANT to list with you. Take the time NOW to work on your marketing plan. Include pricing strategies. Consider using a Menu of Services (see attached). If you want to try the Menu of Services, begin by using the Menu of Services Worksheet, which will show you what your time is really worth.

Additionally, a pre-listing package is a MUST. This will sell your prospective clients on YOU … and you are what you’re selling. If they like you, the rest, as they say, is a snap. Make your listing presentation effective. The best advice I can give you in creating your pre-listing package is to focus less on yourself, and more on what you can do for your seller. They honestly don’t care if you are a multi-million dollar producer. They don’t care if you have been in the business since you graduated from college. What they truly care about … what they obsess about … is getting top dollar for their home while paying as little commission as possible. Period. This is why I recommend the Menu of Services. It allows the client to choose the service that’s right for them. People appreciate choices. More than not, the seller will choose the ―top of the line‖ once they have an opportunity to see their alternatives.

Develop a quality product/service and create a superb system for delivery to make sure that your customers experience no snags, no wasted time, no frustration. Try to exceed their expectations every step of the way, whenever possible. Service your listings to make them not only SOLD but to also earn seller's loyalty and referrals. This takes COMMUNICATION!! Of all the problems and complaints management gets, by far the #1 issue is lack of communication. Therefore, communicate with your sellers often. How often is ―often‖? Ask them! Tell them up front what to expect. Then follow through! Always promise them the best service possible and then exceed their expectations.

Your homework this week is to continue to work on your marketing plan and begin working on your prelisting package. Additionally, review your seller’s check list (for each one of your many listings). Our goal is CONSISTENCY! Does your checklist allow for the proper communication we have discussed?

When you contact your potential clients, you must create URGENCY. Create a reason for them to contact you… NOW! PS. The Children’s Listing Agreement is on the following page. This can be a great listing tool for those potential clients with young children or grandchildren. Think about it … most agents want to speak to the ―owner’s of the property‖. They shoo the kids away so they can talk directly to the ―decision makers‖. Be different! Stand out! Take 10 minutes to speak to the children and have them sign their own ―listing agreement‖. By the time you finish with them, the ―decision makers‖ are so ―WOW’ed‖ by you that they won’t want to talk to anyone else about selling their home. Try it! It really works!

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Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Children’s Listing Agreement I know that our parents have asked our sales associate from Re/Max Advantage Realty to sell our house.

I know that our sales associate is going to work hard to find a family to buy our house, a family that will love our house as much as we do.

I want to help! I promise to help our sales associate by doing the following things: ____ Making my bed in the morning ____ Picking up my toys ____ Turning on lights when people come to see our house ____ Helping Mom and Dad keep out house neat and tidy ____ Smiling when people come inside our house I understand that if my parents affirm that I abided by this agreement, I will receive a $10.00 “Kids R Us” or “Best Buy” gift certificate. My preference would be:

My Signature:

________________________________________________ (Printed Name)

(Date)

Sales Associate’s Signature: ________________________________________________

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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LISTING PRESENTATION SUCCESS ANTICIPATE AND AVOID POTENTIAL PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: 1. PRICING AND OTHER SALES ADVICE CONFLICTS 2. PROMISES OF PROSPECTS AND IMMEDIATE BUYERS 3. PERSONALITY AND PHILOSOPHY CONFLICTS 4. COMPETITOR’S MISLEADING PERFORMANCE RECORDS 5. MISCONCEPTIONS OF PURPOSE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ADS / PROMOTION

PRESENTATION SEGMENTS AND GUIDELINES: A. ESTABLISH A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP: 1. BE ON TIME 2. LOOK PROFESSIONAL – CLOTHES AND NAME BADGE 3. SHOW ENTHUSIASM 4. TAKE CONTROL – USE AN AGENDA 5. HAVE A WRITING PAD – TAKE NOTES 6. USE THEIR NAMES OFTEN 7. WALK THROUGH WITH THEM 8. LOOK FOR AND ESTABLISH COMMONALITIES

B. EXPLORE THEIR SITUATION: 1. DISCUSS THEIR MOTIVES 2. DISCUSS “OTHER’S” FEELINGS 3. DISCUSS THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION / QUALIFICATIONS 4. AVOID DISCUSSING SPECIFIC VALUE / PRICE FOR NOW 5. AVOID OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS / CONFLICT AREAS FOR NOW 6. DISCUSS THEIR EXPECTATIONS / CONCERNS

C. SHOW THEM YOUR PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS: 1. TELL THEM YOU ARE ANXIOUS TO START REPRESENTING THEIR INTERESTS 2. DISPLAY A SOLD STICKER OR “PROOF OF YOUR PERFORMANCE” 3. SHOW MATERIALS AND EXPLAIN YOUR REPRESENTATIONAL SERVICES 4. FOCUS ON THE SELLER’S NEEDS & MEETING THEIR EXPECTATIONS 5. SHOW THAT THE VALUE OF YOUR SERVICES EXCEED THEIR COSTS 6. SHOW AND EXPLAIN YOUR “SUCCESS STATISTICS”

D. CLOSE ! CALL FOR POSITIVE ACTION: 1. STATE THAT YOU ARE THEIR BEST POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SERVICE 2. ASK THEM TO AGREE TO HIRE YOU NOW

E. DISCUSS VALUE AND PRICING: 1. PROBABLE BUYER’S VALUE 2. PRICING STRATEGIES 3. LISTING PRICE DO NOT COMPETE FOR LISTINGS BASED ON YOUR: 1. LISTING PRICE 2. ADVERTISING / PROMOTION 3. YOUR PROFESSIONAL FEES

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #10:

The Listing Presentation Let’s begin by reviewing your marketing plan, your pre-listing package and your seller’s check list.

PowerFact: You can be good at many things, but if you can’t effectively communicate with the seller, real estate is always going to be frustrating work.

Overview: The importance of listing presentations can’t be overstated. To succeed, I believe an agent must really, really master this one area. Now, what I’m about to share with you isn’t the only way to do a listing presentation. I’m sure there are certain techniques that you do really well and I want you to keep doing those things.

My objective is not to teach you how to get the listings you’ve already been getting, but how to get the ones you’ve been losing. I want you to think about what you’ll learn by reading this, and use what works for you.

If there are certain things you do differently, by all means keep them — if they work.

Preparation for Listing Rather than calling it the ―selling process,‖ we’re going to call it the ―coaching process.‖ Doesn’t that sound better? I want to take the words ―selling‖ and ―close‖ out of our vocabulary because they have a negative connotation. I believe that we ―coach‖ buyers and sellers into making a decision. They ultimately choose, but we coach them to get there.

Build rapport.

In this step, your objective is to be present and to show them that you care. I can’t tell you how important this is. If you can increase your skill of connecting with people, you will increase your closing ratio. You won’t need better dialogue, you won’t need pearls of wisdom, you won’t need better technique, because you will really BE there.

If you’ve been having difficulty closing listings up until now, listen up. You need to really connect to people, completely clear of the little voices in your head that talk to you constantly, telling you ―I’ve got to close this deal‖ … ―He’s going to be tough‖ … ―This house reminds me of when I was a kid‖ … and so on. These thoughts are completely normal, but they distract you from truly listening. So, become aware of them and really focus on the seller.

Being present with people will enable them to be present with you. They’ll see past you as an agent and view you just as a person who is committed to making a difference in their lives by helping them move on to a new location. You can do that without uttering a word — just by being present. That is the miracle and a key to success. It’s important that you’re communicating to the seller why it’s not about price — that it’s about hiring an agent based on their ability. Just let a seller know what you know, and help them understand what you understand about listing and selling a home. If they understood about multiple listing and yard signs and relocation and everything that we offer — if they really understood that — I believe they would ask YOU if you would take their listing. Because it just makes sense.

Be committed.

It’s imperative that you find out what they’re committed to. In order to do this, you must learn to ―listen for what’s possible.‖ Listening for what’s possible builds on the earlier concept of ―being present.‖ It means that you specifically listen for what can be done to make the seller’s goals come true. Here’s a terrific illustration.

One of my agents went on a presentation. The sellers wanted to buy a house in the same neighborhood for $275K. Their own house was listed for $169K, which was $10K more than it should have listed for. So they’ve got an over-priced listing and the reason their selling is to buy a house for $275K. Now, based on

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this scenario it looked like there was no way they could make all this work. It wasn’t going to happen. And that’s one potential way the agent could have listened to them.

But instead, the agent listened to their commitment and focused on what was possible. He didn’t listen to all the reasons why they couldn’t — the market, not enough money, we can’t, we can’t, we can’t — he listened for what was possible. So he said to the sellers ―If you can buy that house for $239K or $245K, would you drop your list price $10K to make the move?‖ The seller said, ―Yeah, but there’s no way that’s going to happen.‖ The agent said, ―It doesn’t hurt to ask.‖ So he called the sellers of the $275K home and made them an offer. They accepted $235K … down from $275K. His seller then dropped his price $10K and now they had a line out the door for the other house.

This agent really looked for what was possible, based on the seller’s burning commitment to make this move. He understood that his own thoughts, opinions and feelings — and those of the seller — weren’t important. All that mattered was the commitment. That’s what he listened for, that’s why he acted, and that’s how he achieved success.

Coach them.

Based on what they’re committed to, ―enroll‖ them into what’s possible. What’s another word for ―enroll‖ them? ―Sell‖ them. But I don’t like the word ―sell;‖ it’s too manipulative. Here in step three is where we speak about how to best market their home, based on what they’re committed to. We introduce the concepts of multiple listing, yard sign, etc.

Invite action.

Here’s where we invite them to move forward and allow us to list their home. Now let’s break down each step in greater detail and with actual dialogue.

Step 1: Build rapport.

Make sure that you bring the right attitude to the door. Give them a friendly greeting when you arrive, and guide them to the kitchen table. Why? Because that’s where friends go; it’s more comfortable. Here’s how I used to do it.

I would take my briefcase and say, ―Let me just go put this down‖ and I’d walk right into the kitchen. When you walk right in and say those words, they will follow.

Preview the house.

Before I sat down and opened up my book, I previewed the house. Here is when you begin to communicate, connect and coach. I believe that we owe it to them to first preview the home.

My suggestion is to have them take you through the house. You do this to build rapport and show them that you care. This is an opportunity to bond. You see golf clubs, you can talk about sports. You see a workbench and say, ―Oh, great!‖ You can spend a half hour previewing the home and there’s nothing wrong with that. Why? Because they’re not going anywhere tonight. If you need to take hours with these people, take it. As long as it takes for them to feel comfortable about you and what you’re doing. Have a genuine interest in them and their home; don’t just zip through.

Another thing here is to acknowledge the pluses and point out some of the flaws. I used to think that if you went through the house and said, ―That’s a really nice room and it’s spacious,‖ they were going to think they’d get more for their house. But that’s not true. When you go through a house and say, ―Hey, nice windows,‖ ―Cool carpeting,‖ whatever it is, you’re really acknowledging them personally. After all, a home is a very personal thing, right?

Now, you should point out some of the flaws, too, but be subtle about it. I mean if a room smells from the dogs you can go, (sniff, sniff) ―Hmmm. So you folks are dog lovers, huh? Yeah, I like a dog or two. Six is my limit.‖ Go back to the kitchen table after you’ve previewed the home. This is when you sit down.

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Handling interruptions.

I want to address something here. As you’re walking through their house, or just when you sit down to the table, the sellers may throw out a few questions. They might even do this in the middle of your presentation. Here’s how to handle what comes up.

Mr. Seller: Now that you’ve seen my home, what do you think it’s worth?

Agent: Well, Mr. Seller, you know that the price on your home is determined by the market, and by how much marketing you do.

Here, let me show you what I’m talking about. See to get the best possible price, we want to get as many buyers to the door to look at the house, wouldn’t you agree? It’s better to have 100 buyers interested versus just one. How we do that is by giving the house as much exposure as possible. That means we expose the house to anybody looking in this price range for this style home. How we do that is through a number of marketing tools. The more tools you use as a homeowner to market your house, the more exposure, the more potential buyers, and the better your odds of getting the best price. Does that make sense? So I can’t tell you the price right now because I’m simply sharing with you the tools that I use to get the best possible price.

And you pick up where you left off. Don’t let them distract you from your presentation. Meaning, if you’ve got ten things you want to share — MLS, lock box, etc. — and right around item number three they jump in, don’t feel compelled to answer at that time.

After we’ve built rapport, we move forward.

Step 2: Find out what they’re committed to.

When you first sit down with them, don’t open up your presentation book just yet. You begin by asking them questions about what they’re committed to. Some of you may want to write down their answers, but I don’t recommend that. I also don’t think your questions should be pre-printed. That’s too scripted, almost like a survey. Know your questions ahead of time … practice them so you don’t have to read them.

These questions should flow like a conversation. Ask whatever you need to find out what they’re committed to. I’ve culled it down to a few key questions.   

  





Have you looked at any houses yet?

When do you need to make this move by?

Have you ever sold a home before? (Why is this question important? They might say to you, ―Yeah, we’ve sold a house before, that’s why we think we can do it on our own.‖ If this is the case, ask: ―Oh, really, when was that?‖ ―Ten years ago.‖ To this, you can say, ―I see. Well, things have changed….‖) Why are you trying to sell it on your own?

What is the next step in your marketing plan? (They might say, ―My what?‖ You say, ―Marketing plan.‖ ―We don’t have one,‖ they say. ―Well, aren’t you lucky that I just happened to bring mine?‖) What is the most important thing to you, the price or time? (Watch this. If they say that price is the most important, you follow it up with, ―So, in other words, if it took you nine months to a year to get the price you want for the house, that would be okay with you?‖ ―No.‖ ―Oh, so we’re saying time is more important?‖ See, right there in the beginning you’re putting the entire conversation in its proper context; it’s not about price.)

If I could help you get moved to Florida, would you be interested in me doing that? (That’s an important question. After you get clear about what they’re committed to you ask them, ―If I can help you do that would that be of interest to you?‖ By them saying ―yes‖ you’re getting permission to give them some coaching.)

So what happened? (When you’re dealing with an expired listing or a FSBO, this is the best question to start off with. You just sit down, let them get it off their chest and say what they need to say.)

Has it ever happened to you that as you’re walking in the door, the sellers say to you, ―Listen, I just want to be clear with you that we’re not listing our home tonight‖ … then two hours later, they’ve listed with you?

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My point is that whatever concerns and objections they put out in the first fifteen to twenty minutes of you being there will in most cases disappear after you’ve spent an hour or two with them. If not, you handle it at the end.

Step 3: Coach them.

This is the step when you use your listing presentation book. So, before we go on, I want to review how you put together your book and what the sections are. I teach that there are four sections. However, it doesn’t have to be four. It could be five or ten. Four is just an easy way for you to understand the flow of the presentation.

Section ONE should be selling yourself. The reason that you sell yourself first is because the seller has to buy into you — your credentials and power — before they’ll buy into anything else. It doesn’t make sense to do it any other way. You talk about your certificates, your license, the code of ethics, the fact that you’re a member of NAR, your community involvement, etc.

You may not use all the pages you have. Once you get a sense that they’re sold on you and your abilities, even if you have more pages selling yourself, skip them and go to the next section.

Section TWO is where you sell the power of RE/MAX Advantage Realty. Here’s where you’ll probably have a promotional piece with your photo, information about your office, your mission statement, your office stats, your market share, etc.

Again, once you sense that the seller is sold on your company, move to Section THREE — the step-bystep process you go through to sell the home. Here’s where you speak about the yard sign, MLS, fact sheets, broker’s open house, opinion sheet, the local advertising that you do, public open houses, qualifying buyers, mortgage info, etc. My personal preference is to begin with MLS. I believe that this is the foundation of what we do, and it’s one of the most powerful tools that we use. Everything else I speak about after MLS ties into it.

Section FOUR is additional support material. This is where you may have your CMA, your objectionhandling visuals, your net sheet, etc.

Step 4: Invite action.

After you’ve communicated how you market homes, the last part of the ―coaching‖ step, you move into step four, which is to invite action. It’s really important to understand that first they’re hiring you, your abilities, your company and your skill level. All this before you talk about price. I know that many homeowners hire agents based on the best price they hear. But they don’t understand that we don’t have anything to do with price. The only thing we have control over is how we market a home. So it only makes sense that they hire us for our abilities and that they recognize the value of a real estate agent.

Filling out the listing agreement.

Make sure you agree on price and ―assumptively‖ start filling out the form. Just say, ―Let me just get some information.‖ Get them involved. Remember, to keep the momentum going and break silence just ask them, ―What is today’s date?‖ Ask other minor point questions, for example, like ―Are you folks leaving the washer and dryer?‖ Ask the significant other a question —e.g., ―Mrs. Seller, are you excited about the move?‖ It keeps the momentum going while the other is signing, keeps the signing spouse from speaking with the one who’s waiting for the pen and helps things flow smoothly when the first signer is done.

The Brag Book The purpose of the brag book is to keep selling you in the event you don’t get the listing from the first appointment. You do your presentation, you coach them, you try to handle their objections and concerns.

You try your hardest to get them to list with you and they don’t. Now you leave behind your brag book.

Now they’ll go through it, you’re going to be by in a couple of days and they may say, ―You know what, Mr. Seller, I think we’re ready to put this in the MLS.‖ So you use this only in the event that you don’t get the

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listing the first time you’re there. Secondly, it gives you a reason to go back another time. The third thing it does is it gives you an edge over other agents.

Elements of your brag book.

Your brag book should include photos, certificates, awards, letters of recommendation, advertising and open house information, photos and listings of sold homes, community involvement, family, etc. It’s similar to Section One of your presentation book, but it’s more elaborate — with much more detail. ***************** For the next 30 days, I encourage you to go on as many listing presentations as possible … if not for the increased production, then simply to increase your skill level. Bottom line: you need to have the integrity, the commitment and the responsibility to keep your word and move forward to achieve your next level.

Let’s go over the two concepts that I feel are most important. First, when you’re meeting with a seller, you want to look at yourself as a coach. You’re there to coach them and give them the best advice based on what they’re committed to. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the best thing for them to do is to hire you. The second thing is when you’re there with that seller, you must truly be present. Be present to their situation; be present to what they’re saying. Don’t talk at them, but talk with them.

Great Answers to Common Objections Always have the right response, and you'll see your listing inventory soar.

Would you like to close more listing appointments? A quick way to bring this about is developing great answers to common objections. Your answers should be short, punchy, and to the point. They should remove all possible objections so that you walk away with the listing. And, yes, you should practice your answers so that you'll never be at a loss for words.

Here are some common objections, along with listing-tested answers from top performers in the industry.

Objection: "I have a friend in the business."

Your answer: "I understand your feelings, but consider this: You may have to reveal more to your friend than you would like. When we get into discussing the sale, your life, your finances, and your bottom line are going to be laid out in the open—warts, blemishes, and all. Do you really want to expose that much to your friend? Plus, as nice as you are and as perfect as we all try to be, things happen. When you get irritated or mad, would you rather be yelling at your friend or yelling at me?"

Objection: "We're not ready. We have to fix up the house first."

Your answer: "That's a good idea. We want your house to be 100 percent ready when it goes on the market so we can maximize its impact. Let's get the paperwork signed right now, then we can pick the target date for putting it on the market. Let me get my calendar out. When do you think you'll be ready?"

Objection: "We want to try selling it ourselves."

Your answer: "I understand many people like to do a for-sale-by-owner. The main reason they do this is to save money on the commission. But also keep in mind that most buyers will offer a lower price for your house because they know you're not paying a real estate professional. The challenge isn't in writing up the sale. The challenge is to find a buyer who is willing to pay your price for your home. I can find a buyer who will pay your price. Chances are it won't cost you to use my services, because I can help you get the best price. In fact, you may net more money than if you do it yourself."

Objection: "Another real estate practitioner says he can get more money for our house."

Your answer: "I know you are probably interviewing other real estate professionals, but it is not a good idea to select someone to work with based on home price. I could guess right now at your home's value and say it's worth twice what anyone else says it's worth. You could list with me based on that, but perhaps I couldn't sell it. It's your home, Mr. Seller, and I can list it at any price you want, but it's better to find out what the market is likely to pay. I'm going to come back to you with a CMAa competitive market analysis.

That will show you what the market indicates your home will sell for. We'll discuss the offering price at that DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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time. Is that all right with you?"

Objection: "Lower your commission."

Your answer: "I'm sorry, but I just can't take less. Here's why: if you took $6 and laid it here on the table, $3 of that would go to the buyer's company, $1 goes to my broker, and $1 goes to all the marketing work I do. Do you want to take the last dollar away from me?"

These are just a few ideas for handling objections. Ask other practitioners in the office how they handle these questions, and try their answers out as well. Master these answers to commonly heard objections during listing presentations, and you'll see your listings and your success increase dramatically.

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CHAPTER #11 - Working with Buyers There is a step-by-step process in every transaction. The initial buyer consultation is essential to setting the groundwork. Explain what you will do for them, and what you expect in return. Inspire your buyers' loyalty. Your prospective buyer must agree to sign a Buyer-Broker Agreement up front. Working with anyone who refuses to sign this is simply setting yourself up for failure. Any client who is truly interested in finding a home will happily sign this document. Identify the most-qualified, motivated, and easy-to-workwith people before you show them property so you’re not spinning your wheels (and spending precious time and effort needlessly).

The best advice I can give you when working with buyers is to find out what the prospective client wants.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, it is! Yet most of your competition is still guessing and assuming! So you should decide to become a true LISTENER. Like a good doctor, ask your customers where does it hurt and then offer solutions. Yes, it does take work and time and skill and patience. But it is the best investment you can make.

Find out what they want and expect, give it to them! Find out what exactly their looking for in a home. Find out their ―MUST HAVES‖ in a home, their ―WANTS‖ and their ―DON’T WANTS‖. Once you know what they want, the rest is easy. Just give them what they want. If you’re priority is to find them their dream home, and you have listened to their wants and desires, if you pre-qualified them in advance, servicing the buyer should be fun.

Keep in mind: it is all about what THEY want.

Your homework is to have, by next week, your list of buyer questions. Make a questionnaire that you can give to each buyer that will tell you their wants, needs, don’t wants, etc. REMEMBER: Make it personal!

What one thing do they remember from their childhood that they would really LOVE to have in their new home. Our goal, as always, is CONSISTENCY! Additionally go over the TIMELINE for tracking the sale.

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Buyers Questionnaire In an effort to help me find your Dream Home, it is extremely important that I know as much about you as possible ‌ your needs, your wants and your dreams. Your answers to the following questions will help me find the right home for you and your family in the time-frame that you deem necessary. My ultimate goal is to assist you in finding the home of your dreams.

Name(s): _____________________________________________________________________________ Current address: _______________________________________________________________________

Phone Numbers: ______________________________________________________________________ Home Work Cell Other

When do you prefer looking for a home? ____________________________________________________

Do you own the home in which you are currently living? ________________________________________

If so, must you sell your current home to buy your new home? ___________________________________

Number of children: _________ Names and ages of your children: ______________________________

Number of bedrooms: ____________________

Number of baths: ______________________________

Special needs (in-law apartment, wheelchair access, etc.): ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Do you require special needs for pets? _____________________________________________________

In what area do you work? _______________________________________________________________

How far are you willing to drive to get to work each day? _______________________________________

Do you have a specific area in mind where you would like to live? If so, where? ____________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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What one thing did you love most about your childhood home that you would love in your new home?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

What one thing about your childhood home would you never consider having in your new home?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How long do you intend to live in your new home? ____________________________________________

What is your passion / your favorite hobby that may effect your living space? _______________________

What other indicators do you feel we should know that may affect your home choice? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Advantage Realty

Your name here Real Estate Consultant 8815 Centre Park Drive Columbia, Maryland 21045

410-740-1200

Week #11 - Working with FSBOs and Expireds

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Before we get started, let’s review your Buyer Questionnaire…

How do you approach FSBO’s and Expireds, win their trust and compel them to list their property with you?

First of all, understand that it’s all about THEM, not YOU. Effective FSBO and expired follow-up strategies are essential. Think about it, the average FSBO is selling his home himself because he thinks he can do YOUR job as well as you can, and he thinks he can get the price he wants without paying a commission. It boils down to money, doesn’t it? If you sold his house for free, do you think he would turn you down? Of course not! Understanding this should give you some idea of how to best work with the FSBO. Now, I certainly don’t recommend lowering or cutting out your commission! Quite the contrary. But don’t you think that you can save him money in the long run? The seller focuses on the commission. ―This agent will sell my house for 5.5%. Can you do it for 5%?‖ Why would you want to underbid the competition? Don’t play this game.

Use your menu of services. Don’t be a ―discount‖ broker. If you’re going to lower your commission, also lower your service. Once again, just as we learned earlier, you are worth what you charge.

Now, you can also use the ―time‖ technique. This is also called Risk Reversal, and these tactics will inspire confidence in your sellers. Time is so precious. And when the client realizes the time it takes to always be at home to get those buyer calls, to show their property (sometimes on a moments notice!), to negotiate the deal, to order the inspections, to be there for the inspectors, and on and on, they will become a little more pliable. Offer to give them a copy of your checklist. (Don’t give them specifics! No names or phone numbers.) This is just enough to scare the typical seller.

I would recommend giving them a copy of ―Negotiation Elements of a Residential Contract of Sale‖ (attached). This is just a taste of what they can expect, but usually, enough to work with you. Also, do you think you can sell their home more quickly than they can do it themselves? I do! The longer the home is on the market, the more the price drops. And the more mortgage payments they’re paying. You can sell it faster, for more money, and save the seller all the aggravation and headache of doing it themselves.

Bottom line, by listing their home with you instead of trying to sell it themselves, you can actually SAVE them money! WOW! Believe it! If you believe it, you can make them believe it! (Read ―So you want to try to sell your home yourself‖ – attached.)

Your homework this week is to work on your Menu of Services.

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A to Z - Reasons to Use a REALTOR® Advertising - The REALTOR® handles all advertising.

Bargain - Research shows that 77% of sellers felt their commission was "well spent."

Contract Writing - A REALTOR® can supply standard forms to speed the transaction Details - A REALTOR® frees you from handling the many details of selling a home.

Experience/Expertise - in marketing, financing, negotiations and more.

Financial Know-How - A REALTOR® is aware of the many options for financing the sale.

Glossary - The REALTOR® understands, and can explain, real estate lingo.

Homework - A REALTOR® will do homework on how to best market your home.

Information - If you have a real estate question, a REALTOR® will know (or find out) the answer.

Juggle Showings - The REALTOR® will schedule and handle all showings.

Keeps Your Best Interests in Mind - It is the REALTOR® job.

Laws - A REALTOR® will be up-to-date on real estate laws that affect you.

Multiple Listing Service - The most effective means of bringing together buyers and sellers.

Negotiation - The REALTOR® can handle all price and contract negotiations.

Open Houses - A popular marketing technique.

Prospects - The REALTOR® has a network of contacts that can produce potential buyers.

Qualifies Buyers - Avoid opening your home to "curiosity seekers."

REALTORS® - An agent who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to a strict Code of Ethics.

Suggested Price - The REALTOR® will do a market analysis to establish a fair price range.

Time - One of the most valuable resources in a REALTOR®.

Unbiased Opinion - A REALTOR® provides objective opinions about your home.

VIP - That’s how you will be treated by your REALTOR®.

Wisdom - A knowledgeable REALTOR® can offer the wisdom that comes with experience.

X Marks the Spot - The REALTOR® is right there with you through the final signing of papers.

Yard Signs - A REALTOR® provides a professional sign, encouraging serious buyers.

Zero-hour Support - Buying or Selling a home can be an emotional experience. A REALTOR® is there to help.

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POSSIBLE NEGOTIATION ELEMENTS OF A CONTRACT OF SALE: 1. Settlement Date: a) Convenient time b) Moving twice c) Rent back d) Settlement coinciding with new home purchase e) Packing in time / Movers 2. Closing Costs: a) First time home buyers issues b) Split of recording and transfer fees c) Additional closing assistance strategies d) FHA/VA mandatory fees 3. Termite Inspection: a) 2% VS 1% b) FHA/VA loan considerations for sellers 4. Contingency Upon Sale of Existing Home: a) Time frame b) Back out clause c) Already listed or *** d) Listing of another real estate company 5. Contingency Upon Successful Settlement: a) Copies of contract b) Inspections completed? Issues? c) Release of all inspections d) Commitment letter e) Appraisal completed?

6. Financial Application: a) Time frame for application b) Time frame for commitment letter 7. Loan Transfer Fees / Charges: a) Points vs b) Closing help 8. Inclusions / Exclusions 9. Buyer Agents Fees / Tactics: a) Demanding requests b) Conduct 10. Lead Paint Inspections: a) Timing b) Completing within or outside time frame c) Pricing of house vs addressing to fix the problem d) Price limitations 11. Septic Inspections: a) What type? b) Who pays for what? c) Repairs d) Decisions to repair e) Price limitations DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

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12. Home Inspection: a) Time frame b) Proper timing c) Nature of inspector – Qualifications d) Items to be completed e) Items to be fixed f) Items to be refused g) Who will perform repairs? h) What is satisfactory? i) Price adjustments vs. price limitations j) Reviewing all ―what if‖ scenarios 13. Radon Test: a) Time frame b) Completing within time frame c) Remedies d) Who is going to perform? e) Price limitations f) Weather conditions 14. Well Test: a) Timing b) Completion time frame c) County & local requirements d) Buyer’s requests e) Limitations on price f) Qualifications of tester 15. Home Warranty: a) How is seller covered? b) What is customary? c) What is covered?

16. Loan Type: a) Who is the lender? b) Loan officer c) Product line d) FHA vs. VA vs. Conventional

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So you want to try to sell your home by yourself…. …but you're concerned about the amount of time it will take, as well as which parts of the FSBO experience will be the toughest. And what about the legalities involved? Will you know what paperwork to do and when?

For-sale-by-owners often realize that the adage, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" aptly applies to their eager naiveté. That's why it's important to determine up front what's involved, what you will be capable of doing, and identify which seller's activities are perhaps out of your comfort zone. This is especially important in a seller's market, when the FSBO may believe that his job is over once the buyer is found. In reality, his job has just begun! The toughest part of the transaction for FSBO’s is what can be termed the "meat-in-the-middle". This is the period of time after you've advertised for a buyer, a serious one is found, and you must then put the sale together and bring it to a successful close (the most important part!) Similar to a sandwich, the "meat" includes vital components like negotiating with the buyer, writing up the purchase and sales agreement and making sure the buyer follows through on applying for a mortgage.

The majority of real estate transactions that fall apart do so as a consequence of inadequate preparation midstream in the sale.

The most difficult part (with the highest liability for the seller) is the due diligence that the seller must provide to the buyer during the "meat" phase of the transaction. A term often used in the legal profession, due diligence means that that FSBO must make sure that pertinent information about the property and the circumstances of the sale are shared with the buyer.

For FSBOs, this may more accurately be termed "do" diligence since many of these activities require the seller to DO something. These include (but are not limited to) filling out property disclosure forms and fact sheets, locating information regarding conditions, covenants and restrictions on the property and documenting information about any local improvement district, liens/financial obligations for sidewalk or lighting improvements, etc. that would transfer with the property at closing, becoming the responsibility of the buyer. Unless all of the i's are dotted and the t's crossed, the buyer might have recourse to back out of the sale, or worse yet, sue the seller.

So … what's new on the menu? Fee-For-Service … It's a Whole New Breed of Real Estate!  It's for any Seller who really doesn't want to play Realtor but is forced to go it alone because a onesize commission doesn’t really fit all...  It's for any Homeowner who’s deciding whether to move or improve and wishes they could get objective counsel...  It's for anyone who's ever resorted to a discount broker or a discount commission and found out too late that they got discount service which didn't get the job done - thus losing money and valuable marketing time...  It's about telling - not selling...  It’s about guiding - not deciding...  It's about getting what you need and paying what its worth!

Therefore, we're pleased to offer various fee-packages, a-la-carte Services, hourly consulting, or traditional commissions based on YOUR needs and goals. Our consultative approach is a WIN-WIN; you get professional, objective counsel devoid of selling anything and save money by paying for just what you need. We, in turn, are fairly compensated for our time and expertise.

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LISTING PREP Like so much else in life, a successful listing presentation begins with preplanning.

The 5 'Ps' of Listing Prequalify the seller. Before you make an appointment, decide if the seller is serious, and learn more about the property to determine if it fits your target marketing strategy.

Prepare the seller. A well-developed prelisting package presents you favorably to a prospect even before your listing appointment.

Present yourself. Remember that the most important part of a listing presentation is to differentiate yourself and what you'll do to sell the house.

Price effectively. Unless you can arrive at a reasonable price for the home, the listing will become a burden instead of an opportunity.

Press for the agreement. Once you've completed your presentation, don't hesitate to ask for the business.

9 Prequalifying Questions Effective seller Prequalifying helps you tailor your materials and presentation to each client's needs and determine if they're truly viable prospects for your services. Develop a single sheet of your prequalifying questions, and write in responses to check before your listing appointment.

1. Why are you selling? Are the sellers serious? If a new baby is on the way and they only have one bedroom, you know they mean to sell. If they're just "thinking about moving," probe further.

TIP: Answers to this question may also be a way to learn about problems with the house or the neighborhood that may make for a hard sell. Again, listen and ask a sympathetic follow-up question.

2. When do you plan to move? Is the move urgent? If it's a job transfer in two months, emphasize your ability to sell properties quickly.

3. What's most important to you in this sale? Price, speed, easy transaction? Slant your presentation to the sellers' prime motivator.

TIP: Sometimes stated motives aren't the real ones. Let the person ask you three questions or make three statements. The third one is more likely to reveal the real concerns.

4. Have you ever sold a home? How sophisticated are these sellers? If they've already been involved in five transactions, you may be able to skip the basic materials on how a sale works.

5. How much of the proceeds of this home will you need to purchase your next home? How important is price to the sellers? This question determines that motivation, as well as helping you assess their knowledge of home prices in their area.

6. What did you like least and most about the other real estate practitioners you've worked with? What are the prospects' expectations of you? This answer may be a clue to the best way to provide service or may indicate that this seller won't be profitable for you to sign.

7. What have your home buying and selling experiences been like? Do these prospects have any preconceived notions about the real estate industry—positive or negative? You may have to work hard to prove that you'll make this experience a good one.

8. Do you use the Internet and e-mail? How techno-savvy are these sellers? You may want to replace your laptop presentation if they're tech-shy or emphasize your virtual tours if they're comfortable with online real DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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estate.

9. Would Wednesday at 4 p.m. be a good time for me to come to your house to meet with you both, or is Thursday better for you? Are you ready to meet with these sellers and are they ready to do business with you?

TIP: If possible, set the first home visit during daylight hours so that you can assess the physical condition of the house more easily.

TIP: At the end of your call, don't forget to ask how the prospect heard about you and record the answer so that you can track your personal marketing efforts.

Your homework for this week is to being creating your own ―menu‖. Let’s look at some options…

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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(Your Name Here…)

Realtor

Menu of Services Our unique selling options are part of our Comprehensive Seller Package. Just choose your option and we’re on our way to getting your home SOLD! Full Service Contingent Rebate Fee: In addition to the calculated amount (from the rebate schedule below), at settlement the sellers pay 3% of-sale-price commission to the buyer’s real estate brokerage.

My professional service fee is 3% of-the-sale-price and sellers receive their rebate at settlement according to the following schedule: If your home sells in:       

1-15 days, your rebate at settlement is 20% of my professional service fee 16-30 days, your rebate at settlement is 16% of my professional service fee 31-45 days, your rebate at settlement is 13% of my professional service fee 46-60 days, your rebate at settlement is 10% of my professional service fee 61-75 days, your rebate at settlement is 6% of my professional service fee 76-90days, your rebate at settlement is 3% of my professional service fee 91+ days, your rebate at settlement is 1% of my professional service fee

Full Menu of Services Program: At the time the listing is signed, sellers have the ability to choose their services based upon a published commission plan. Pay only for those services you choose.

RE/MAX Advantage Realty 8815 Centre Park Drive, Suite 110 Columbia, Maryland 21045 410-740-1200

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Advantage Realty An Independent Member Broker

Services

4.5%

5%

5.5%

6%

Review the home selling process, initial interview Measure the home & take digital photos Prepare a photo digital library presentation for the home Comparative Market Analysis Customized Sellers Pricing Instruction Guidebook Sellers How to Prepare your home for the Market Instruction Guidebook Consultation reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of hold vs sell Prepare a Homeowner's Analysis of the property Review and Prepare a Personalized Marketing Plan Listing Kit essentials guide 1 - 18 x 24 color RE/MAX Advanyage Realty yard sign (leased) 1 Color "SOLD" Sign 1 Brochure box for the yard sign with 50 color marketing flyers Sellers Survival Guide Real Estate Advisor's Tool Kit with purchase contracts Place a full color ad in the Real Estate Review Magazine 25 Photo Customized Property announcement post cards to send to potential buyers Install a Secure Lock Box for added exposure to show (leased) Consult and review the estimated closing cost for the seller to determine net gross from sale and who is responsible for what charge Market on MLS (Multiple Listing System) Tips on "What you can do to make your home show like a pro" guidebook Review Due Diligence and trouble shoot property issues of a material nature

Services DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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4.5%

5%

6% 5.5%

Prepare a Real Property Disclosure Statement of the home Show the home to prospective buyers and schedule appointments Personal consultation and prepare a homeowner's Tax Guide 50 professional color photo Property Feature cards to place in entryway of the home Host a Buyers Open House event Hostess a Broker/Agent Open House event Place a local advertisement in the Classifieds Prepare Contract purchase documents, disclosures, and make copies for buyer and seller Professional representation at closing for absentee owners Enroll property in CSS Challenge Property Appraiser (approx. 3 hours) Consultation should you prepay your mortgage (flat fee) Review how you can have your Mortgage PMI payment removed including a current CMA Shopping tour of homes and listings in the ***** area for new residents (2 hour min.)

Deliver all purchase documents to closing agent, lenders, and outside interest along with the earnest money Review all Purchase disclosures, addendums and documents presented by buyers or buyers agent Notify the MLS of any status changes relating to the property Schedule all walk-throughs, inspections, closing, meetings Follow-up with buyer(s) and maintain communication through closing

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER#13 - Advertising That Works in the Real World Some salespeople seem to generate referrals and attract business as if by magic. In reality, these agents are usually top producers who make their own magic or luck. This "luck" of theirs stems from their concentration on most, if not all, of the following activities: 1. Personal marketing campaigns; 2. Previous buyer and seller referrals; 3. Pursuit of repeat business; and 4. Community involvement.

Being a successful real estate salesperson means being self-sufficient and having the ability to create business, especially listings. By leaving no stone unturned when it comes to potential business, you will increase your earnings and business base dramatically.

PERSONAL MARKETING: Personal marketing can and will create and enhance your professional image. When you are referred to buyers and sellers who have already been introduced to you through your ads, direct mail, on signs or in press releases, there is a far greater chance of success.

Have a theme for your total marketing efforts which carries throughout all your material. Put this theme on your business cards, in personal brochures, in your advertising and press releases.

IMPLEMENTATION A number of agents across the country may make similar offers. Some have formed a network for sharing of ideas and experiences as well as advertising.

You can take ads out in Homes magazines, local newspapers, "val-pak" mail coupons, local TV guides, charity journals and other vehicles. I highly recommend you work out a strict and reasonable budget each month for your advertising. Also keep in mind that you must advertise over a sustained period of time for effective results. Remember: Consistency created credibility.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #14 –Referrals / Create Your “Team 100” Real estate’s top professionals generate a large portion of their business from satisfied buyers and sellers.

And it’s a given that providing top-notch service is going to give agents satisfied buyers and sellers. This doesn’t mean, however, that they will, on their own initiative, tell others about you. The key to getting referrals is conditioning.

Whenever you make your initial contact with buyers or sellers, tell them that your business is based on referrals and that you hope they’ll recommend you to friends if they’re satisfied with your service. Such a statement at the beginning of our relationship conditions them to remember your request for referrals and pre-conditions them to expect excellent service from you.

People love to tell others, "I have a friend in the business." We all can recall numerous times when lawyers, doctors, landscapers, accountants, and the like, have been recommended to us. What agents must do then is become the one and only agent their buyers and sellers recommend. There are three steps to making this happen ... by careful design.

First, they must have total confidence in you. No one wants to recommend anyone who can’t do the job.

Gaining people’s confidence results from doing a fine job from beginning to end. Be respectful and let them know they are important to you. When buyers or sellers are in the process of a transaction, they are not interested in the time your other business is taking. They only want to know that your time and attention is for them. Simply put, a high level of service with genuine personal attention will inspire confidence in you.

Second, make the buyers and sellers aware that you really want referrals. If you don’t ask, you won’t get many. Explain that your business is based on referrals and that you’ll greatly appreciate any leads they can provide now or in the future. It is certain this will stimulate some referrals. When they give you a referral send a "thank you" note immediately. These "thank you’s" will be noticed and remembered.

Third, stay in touch three or four times a year after the closing. Top producers think of the closing as the start, rather than the end, of a lasting relationship.

REPEAT BUSINESS Many agents are frustrated because homes they sold previously are re-listed with other agents.

Professionals consider this almost inexcusable for, had the agents stayed in touch, they would probably have received these listings.

An easy method of staying in touch with past buyers and sellers is through direct mail follow-up programs -usually friendly letters and small gifts sent over a period of years. A program I have used automatically sent out bi-monthly newsletters and 4 holiday cards each year .... spring, summer, fall and winter. I also enrolled myself so I could call all my clients to make sure they had received these mailings.

Anniversary notes congratulating another year of owning the home is fantastic for staying in touch with buyers. To keep this easy for myself, I used a "tickler system" and at the beginning of each month, send notes to owners of properties which had closed in that month. It is important to remember to ask for referrals or to suggest upgrading.

At a minimum, call your past clients once a year. When you call I always start off by asking about them.

Then offer assistance with any real estate needs they may have and finally ask for referrals. These calls are usually welcomed and warmly received year after year.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Local organizations provide a perfect forum for doing good for the community and, at the same time, enabling you to become better known through networking. Pick organizations that interest you on a personal and/or business level. Be careful to join groups with which you will enjoy becoming active. When people join organizations only for the purpose of getting business, other members sense it and that can be counter-productive.

Groups such as Chambers of Commerce are ideal to join because they work on improvements for the community and they usually receive lots of publicity while doing it. It is also common for Chamber members to refer business to each other. As a past President of a local Chamber of Commerce, I addressed many local groups and this led to several listings.

Business organizations can also lead to exposure. For instance, if the senior market is your specialty, become involved with the local AARP and senior centers. This will not only give you direct access to many senior owners, it will give them easy access to you. Groups like this lead to an abundance of business.

In addition, if you use reply cards with your mailings, add a box which states, "We would like you to address our organization." This will offer access to groups you otherwise might not have even known. Remember, when you address such groups you gain powerful recognition as an area expert.

By itself, being involved with an organization may not have great immediate impact, but by being involved with a number of them and by sending mailings to their members, it will pay off eventually. By addressing groups and teaching classes, the visibility and recognition you achieve is significant.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION TOPICS: TAP YOUR RESOURCES Being known in the community as a top real estate professional requires a combination of many activities: a.) follow-up contacts with regular phone calls, mailings and, when appropriate, personal visits; b.) a marketing campaign to promote yourself and your successes; c.) involvement in many organizations; d.) letting other real estate professionals know that you want ... and can give ... referrals.

While doing any or all of these suggestions ... especially those with which you are most comfortable ... you will take great personal satisfaction when your phone rings and the voice on the other end says, "I would like to sell my home and I’ve heard that you’re the best!"

Top Ways to Attract Clients 1. Shift from personalities to operating systems.

Most real estate professionals run by their personality. A longer-term, successful approach is to systemize your business to avoid burn out and business resentment.

2. Shift from adding value to doubling expectations.

If you give too much to your client, they will feel overwhelmed. The goal is to exceed their expectations and to wow them, not just to provide value or "stuff." When you exceed expectations, you will get referrals.

3. Shift from selling to educating.

Selling is a way to convince someone to purchase something. Educating is being honest vs. seductive with the client, giving them a straighter story.

4. Be interested, not interesting.

People want their real estate agents to be interested in them, not just help them to buy or sell a house. You will be most effective when you demonstrate an interest in your potential client versus a flashy brochure or presentation. Ask them questions and don't give slick answers. Be credible, not impressive. Plenty of business will find you if you demonstrate a sincere interest in the person you are speaking with instead of talking or "pitching" them.

5. Attraction vs. advertising / promotion.

Invest in sponsoring special events for clients or potential clients such as picnics, golf tournaments, an informative website, etc. People are numb to advertising, brochures and promotion. They are attracted to people who are great at what they do, offer a great service, anticipate their needs, tell the truth, and fully listen to and respond to them. This is the nicest, cheapest and easiest way to get clients.

6. Structure vs. momentum.

Structure comes from having systems in place, which will accelerate your momentum. Momentum by itself will fade.

7. Agent vs. consultant.

An agent sells a product. A consultant is more than a seller of a product. You are the center stage of a highly emotional transaction. You have the opportunity to be part of a highly intimate relationship with your client. Educate your clients about who you are - not just what you do.

8. Team 100 vs. Rolodex.

Create a list of 100 key people in each business line you can think of from A-Z. This will be your ―Team 100‖. Your clients will have many needs. You are in a position to refer dozens of service providers to your clients. Ask each team 100 person to do the same for you. Forget the Rolodex of people you aren't connected with.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER 15 - Strategies for Working Smarter, NOT Harder I remember an observation that Howard Brinton, one of the funniest trainers in real estate, made many years ago at one of his seminars. He said, "I don't have a problem if you just want to make $12,000 a year in real estate, just don't take all year to do it. Do it in January!"

We all know folks that are working lots of hours and producing very little. In the real estate business, you only get paid for the results you produce. There's no money in just showing up. The difference between the very successful and the wannabees is the effective use of time.

New agents have a steep learning curve and those activities during the first year may be primarily gaining experience and hands-on learning. The habits and activities that are needed to learn the business are often different than those needed to be wildly profitable. Experienced, successful agents prioritize and focus on the activities that are the highest and best use of their time. They practice habits that support creating results, rather than getting ready or being busy. Busy doesn't necessarily mean productive.

As I coach my clients in their business planning, the simple questions of "What's working?" and "What isn't working" give us the clues to what priorities they can be leverage into the most lucrative rewards. Take a look over the last 6 months and ask yourself those questions, making yourself two lists. Then consider ways you can take what is already working and do MORE of that! Then look at what isn't working and STOP doing those things. Remember, if you keep doing what you are doing, you'll keep getting what you are getting.

Here are a few tips to help you shift from working harder to working smarter: 1. Focus - Start each day by identifying your three top priorities for the day (in line with your goals).

Write these down or keep them in front of you all day.

2. Make your performance peak - Plan at least one "Peak Performance Day Shift" in your weekly schedule. A Peak Performance Day is one where you'll focus 80% of your time and energy on the dollar-productive activities. Imagine the day before vacation and how you are in action and focused that day.

3. Fire some clients - Life is too short to work with jerks ‌..and with the clients that don't "fit." Let go of the energy drainers, the people who don't fit your perfect client profile, the unreasonable sellers, and the people who do not respect you and your boundaries. The people who waste your energy & time.

4. Be Consistent - Work on your business, not in it. Systems can be created for almost every part of the business and give consistency to what you deliver.

5. Use technology wisely - It's not about buying the latest "toys", but about finding the tools that save you time and money and help you be more effective. One of my favorite is the automated voice broadcasting that will leave your message on answering machines, saving you prospecting time. Automatic Response Technologies is one of the sources for this technology.

6. Be curious and learn. The key to being successful in the future is to have the services people need. Pay attention to the trends by reading a wide selection of magazines and books beyond just real estate topics. Attend seminars, buy tapes and pay attention to what others are doing in other industries. CRM, Customer Relationship Management and One on One Marketing are two trends that we've seen mushroom in corporate business. How could you translate this into services for your sphere of influence? Become a strategic thinker.

7. Create a team Relationships are the best source of attracting business. Are you nurturing your relationships? Are you expanding them?

8. Have one or more coaches All great athletes use coaches! There are lots of opportunities for coaching, ranging from free to expensive, from personalized to standardized, group or individual.

9. Delegate and outsource It's been said, "If you don't have and assistant, you ARE an assistant."

But, this doesn't mean you have to hire s full time person. What are you doing that can be outsourced? Let go of the things you don't do well or you could pay someone else to do. You can actually buy back hours of your time for $10-$12!

10. Do what you love Discovering your uniqueness and brilliance is one of the most important things you can spend time on. There are things you are able to do and groups of people who will naturally DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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feel affinity with you and trust you. These may be transparent to you—it's so much just who you are, you may not see it as a strength to leverage or a as a gift. Ask others what they perceive your strengths are. Once you have clarity of purpose, magical things happen. You have more fun.

People are attracted to you. Business booms!

Take some time this week to work on your business. What shifts would make you more productive? What activities, if you made them habits, would increase your effectiveness? What activities are getting in your way? Then take action! Work smarter, not harder the rest of the year.

Business is much more enjoyable when clients find you instead of you having to continually search for or struggle to convince them to buy or sell with you. Learn to use Attraction Marketing Principles to become a recognized real estate expert.

Begin to conduct educational seminars and stage events that will set you apart from your competition and bring qualified prospects to you. You can do this with the ―help of some of your friends‖ … mortgage counselors, lenders, title attorneys, or anyone else that has provides service to the potential homeowner.

Offer a first-time homebuyer class, and ask a CPA or tax professional to speak about the tax advantages of owning a home. Or offer to be a guest speaker at a local Senior Center, and give a class on staging your home to prepare for a showing. (After all, they want to get the most money for their home when they sell it, and they will need the best agent to help them get top dollar for their home … YOU!) I also believe you want help in actually running your office from day to day. You must attract clients or customers, serve them very well, and earn their return business - and do it every single day. So, let's talk about some practical steps to build your referral business quickly and systematically. I call it the "5-by-5" process. Let's walk through it.

Monday: Take care of, clean up, and get rid of 5 tolerations in your office or work. Make a list! Look around your space, your car, your desk or office, and commit to spending an hour taking care of at least 5 small, daily annoyances that have been bugging you, robbing your energy, or making life difficult. Do that filing! Repair that broken light, or throw out those old magazines. Buy a new desk chair, or a whole new desk! You can't afford to be distracted by these things. Fix them. Do it on Monday!

Tuesday: Contact 5 former clients or customers. Send them a letter, call them, even send them flowers or a small gift in cases where that might be appropriate. Invite them back, offer them a free follow-up or consultation. Ask them to help you evaluate your service by completing a questionnaire or ask them to come in for an interview. Tell them you value them as customers and want them to come back - and refer their friends! You can do this! Schedule an hour and do it on Tuesday.

Wednesday: Contact 5 current clients. Follow a similar routine from yesterday. Call them up, or send a card or letter telling them they are valued customers. Invite their comments on how you can improve your service or expand your business. Let them know you appreciate their trust and value their ideas. Do it nicely, with tact and sincerity, but ask them to help you build your business. You practiced on Tuesday, so you know you can do this. Schedule an hour and do it on Wednesday!

Thursday: Contact 5 potential customers or clients who have never used your services, and make them an offer they have to respect. Go through your rolodex, your list of friends, colleagues, associates and members of organizations you belong to - use the Yellow Pages if you have to - but pick up that phone and invite 5 people to check you out! Tell them you want to grow your business and offer them something free (naturally, it should be something that’s valuable to THEM, but inexpensive for you). If that's not appropriate, tell them you want to grow your business and you'd love to meet with them, buy them lunch, whatever it takes. You've been practicing for two days, so you know you can do this. Schedule an hour and do it on Thursday!

Friday: This is the hardest one of all: Do 5 wonderful things for yourself! You've worked hard all week, taken risks, put the word out that you are ready and eager to handle more business. That means you need to be healthy, energized, relaxed and ready. So, go for a walk. Take a long lunch and visit a friend.

Read a great novel - or a trashy one, your choice! Enjoy the sunshine, or relax and listen to the rain.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Spoil a neighbor's kids, then give them back! Schedule TWO hours, and do it on Friday! This week, take 25 specific, measured steps to create more room and build your business. If you wanted practical, this is it. Now, it's your choice.

I've tried to summarize the steps that I believe are the critical, essential elements for long-term success in life.

1. You will not achieve your dreams or be successful in life if you fail to take care of yourself. Insist on time for rest, time for fitness, time to review your goals, time to develop your plans and develop better strategies.

2. Beyond taking care of yourself, you will need tools and equipment, skills and resources to achieve your dreams. You will need quiet in which to concentrate. You will need a 'problem free zone' where you can be productive, creative and effective. Highly successful people invest in a Personal Environment that lets them function at their best.

3. Dream big dreams, complete in every detail and rich in sensory cues. High achievers imagine the future exactly the way they want it, then develop plans and strategies to create the life they envision. Set goals. Develop plans. Write them down and review them daily. Once you have a goal and a strategy, pursue it with all your heart, mind, strength and energy. Use your imagination to create the life you want!

4. Ask better questions. Asking better, more powerful and more interesting questions will transform the quality of your life. Ask yourself, 'What are my most important values, priorities and goals, and how can I reach them?' Focus on great questions and let the answers pull your forward.

5. Whatever you desire to achieve, start it today. Take some action in the direction you want to go.

Then take another, and another. Action has power and decisiveness in it. Action gives us enthusiasm, builds our confidence and encourages us to go further. Success requires and is based on action. Do it.

6. Create a lifestyle based on repeated daily habits that reflect your values and your ideals. Living well doesn't cost; it pays! Living well is simple, orderly, and powerful. When you have a strong, reliable foundation of repeated daily habits you achieve more, with less effort, less stress and far less confusion. Remember the KISS formula: Keep It Simple and Stress-free.

And here is your bonus item: In every area of your life, develop benchmarks that let you know you are on the right track. Remember, 'what gets measured, gets done.' Track and benchmark your savings, your fitness, your sales, the time you spend with loved ones, or anything else that is critical to your success.

Schedule a date with your spouse. Write it on the calendar, and better yet, put a date on the calendar each week for the next 12 months, then keep your promises!

Create simple charts or graphs to monitor your weight and put them on the wall where the whole family can see your progress and encourage you. Monitor anything and everything that you want to achieve. Even seemingly intangible things like 'peace of mind' can be tracked if you are creative. Simply rate your 'peace of mind' on a scale once a day and write it down. Anything that is important to your success deserves to be benchmarked, tracked and recorded.

Highly successful people have always known this. High achievers monitor their finances. The best sales people record the number of calls them make. Athletes measure their times, their distances and their Earned Run Averages. The numbers may not tell you everything about the quality of your life, but they are an essential tool for moving in the direction you want to go.

Read books, listen to tapes, go to seminars, take classes. Classes work! Books help! Do whatever it takes to learn from the masters. You cannot afford to spend your life re-inventing the wheel. What others have achieved, you can achieve. But be smart and let them teach you.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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WEEKLY ACTIVITY RECORD & EVALUATION Date: ____________________ Daily Disciplines

Contacts Face to Face Phone

Name: _______________________________________ Leads

Past Clients/ Sphere Expireds

Appts

Activity

Personal Growth

Total Contacts # of Hours Prospecting Leads Generated Listing Appt Set Listing Appt Gone On Listings Taken Listings Cancelled/Exp Listings (I turned down) Listings (I didn’t get) Price Reductions Listings Sold

FSBO Calling Around Listings & Sales Door Knocking Cold Calling Current Lead Follow-Up Goals Totals

Personal Development Quiet Time/Prayer Workout Review Life Plan Review Bus Plan Coach Staff Time In Time Out Total Hours

Buyer Appt Set Buyer Interviews Buyer Contacts Qualified Showings Offers Written Buyer Sales Escrow Fallout Listings Closed Buyers Closed Commission Paid

T-CHART High Payoff Activities

RATE YOUR WEEK (0-10)

Low Payoff Activities

Why I rated it this way: _________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Number of Hours: _________ Percentage of Time: _________%

―The daily disciplines lead to success. Don’t neglect to do them today.‖ --Dirk Zeller DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Top Ten Time Tips Here are some simple, but perhaps not easy, ways to streamline and become more effective at what you do.

Know where your time goes - Keep a log for 5 consecutive days in 15 minute increments. You can print a log for doing this at www.joeann.com/time.htm This may seem like a very big chore, but it is integral to really being able to make some changes and know exactly how much time you are now spending on each area of your business. It will determine how much is productive time versus busy time.

Know what you are worth per hour - Take last year’s income and divide it by the number of hours worked. If it is substantially lower than you are shooting for, give yourself a hypothetical raise. Now, delegate everything that can be done by someone for a lower hourly rate. For instance, if your hourly rate is $50 per hour, hire someone to do the $10-$12 per hour jobs. Or hire a transaction coordinator to handle the details of your closings.

Use the 80/20 rule - While not a hard scientific calculation, the basic rule of a small amount of your effort usually produces a large amount of your results is operable in almost every area of business. 20% of your clients will be responsible for 80% of your referrals. 20% of your actions produce 80% of your results. Find ways to do more of the 20% activities. Take your time log and circle the 20% activities. Then design your days to do more of those activities.

Eliminate energy vampires Everything that is incomplete, broken, annoying or in the way of your life running smoothly is draining your energy. Take 12 large green garbage bags and fill them! Throw away or give away, but make space. A strange phenomenon is that when you clear space…you have the feeling of less stress and more time. Take this simple assessment test and see what you could clear up to free energy and space. A couple of books that also will allow you to explore this further are: ---Cleaning Your Clutter With Fen Shui by Karen Kingston ---Take Time For Your Life By Cheryl Richardson Define what success is for you - Not what you think it should be or someone else’s idea of it, but what is it that would define your life, if you had a perfect life? What was success for you last year may be entirely different this year. As your family situation changes, your financial needs change and you grow through life, success will be different with each change. So, after you’ve defined what would have you feel very proud of yourself today, revisit the question at least every year, so you are consciously creating what you desire.

What motivates you? - Make four lists: When were you happiest? When were you unhappiest? When did you feel successful? When did you feel unsuccessful? Put about 10 items on each list and then look for similarities. This should give you some insights into where your ―magic‖ is…where you are motivated from deep held values and passion and where you are your best self.

Have a plan - People with a written plan are said to outperform those without by tenfold. Do a yearly business plan.

Make a list of priorities - Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, wrote down the six things that were most important to accomplish the next day the night before she went to bed. I make a note of the three things that would be the highest and best use of my time each day. Top producer Allen Domb said in a recent interview that he identifies 10. Choose for yourself the right number of items to make it easy for you to keep your priorities straight each day. Then as distractions and crises arise, keep coming back to your priorities. Also, notice at the end of each day what you accomplished!

Time-block your calendar - Mark blocks of time for the important items: your prospecting time, your personal time, your family time. Then work around those time blocks. Start using a 15-minute or 30-minute Swiss cheese method of getting larger projects done-each day, spend the allotted time on it and then move on. You’ll start seeing forward momentum and progress. Each week timeblock a day for peak performance and use 80 percent of the time for dollar productive activities.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Spend 15 minutes daily in reflection and meditation - Gandhi said ―The bigger my challenges, the longer I need to meditate.‖ This seems to be the first thing we drop out when things get crazy and is really the best way to stay focused and calm. When you slow down, your body is less stressed and your mind makes better decisions and is less reactive. If you’ve never done any meditation and are interested in starting a great book for beginners with simple meditations is The Three Minute Meditator by David Harp and Nina Feldman.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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The Top 10 Strategies for Creating the Personal and Business Life You Want 1. Begin with yourself. Focus on caring and giving as much to yourself as you give to others. An old Scandinavian proverb says: "The mark of a well-nourished self is the ability to nourish others." In other words, you must be well-nourished in all aspects of your life to share with others. Make a conscious effort to do at least two things each day that really show you care for you.

2. The universe is a mirror: whatever we send out is "mirrored" back to us in every aspect of our lives.

Improve the quality of your life by consciously being aware that what you give always comes back to you.

When we love and support others, that love and support flows back to us.

3. Establish standards and boundaries: Let others know what your needs are and how to best communicate with you. Choose to work with only those who honor your standards and boundaries.

4. Move from "just getting by" to "having reserves" to "having abundance". Everyone has "abundance" in some aspect of their lives (even if it's your bills! Others have an abundance of trust that you will pay them!)

Focus on what you have that is your special talent or gift. Be thankful for what you have rather than focusing on what you don't have. Seek to spread the "abundance" to those areas where you are "just getting by". The notion of "self-fulfilling prophecy" tells us that what we focus on is what we create. When we focus on struggle and lack, we create more struggle and lack. When we shift our focus to what we do have and are grateful for it, we create more of that which we are grateful for.

5. Don't just settle for being competent at what you do: become a master. Whatever you have chosen in life--spouse, parenthood, career, friend—be the best you can possibly be.

6. "Go with the flow". When you are in synchrony or on the right path, your choices and decisions become effortless. We experience struggle when the path we have chosen is not the best one for us to travel. When you experience difficulties, instead of continuing to resist, pause and rethink your decision. Is this the right path for me? Does this decision truly support me and if so, how? Is there another course of action that would be better for me in the long run? Stop "fighting to make it happen" and surrender to the "flow". Watch the magic that happens when you do.

7. Allow your heart (i.e. "right brain") to be your guide rather than the logic (left brain). Follow the "inklings", that "little voice", that speaks softly to us if we will only listen.

8. Create each present moment as fully as possible. Keep your thoughts on the present at least 80% of the time. Give the past and future only 20%.

9. "Strive for Excellence". Polish and perfect what you already have. Strive to make what you already have excellent. When you set higher standards, your personal and professional growth with always continue to blossom and develop.

10. Focus on the positive in every aspect of your life: Be accurate, tell the truth, but do it in a way that is constructive to all involved. Remember, you attract who you are.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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CHAPTER #16 – Building a Team Ten Things That Should Happen Before You Hire an Assistant Finally, some relief! I am going to take some time off, have fun, be with my family, work out, volunteer, and get my investments in order when I get my new assistant! Oops, I forgot those ideas from my coach! Now, I'm staying late to clean up the mess that my new "assistant" has created. I have no net to invest because my overhead is way up. I am working harder to pay for it all because all he/she does is put WD-40 in lock boxes and file paperwork that I don't need anyway!

The assistant "panacea"/pain cycle has everything to do with your preparation of "The Ten Commandments" of building your office to profitably accept an assistant.

1. Checklist and manualize everything.

This week you're going to do an open house. Today is Monday - start writing down every step you take in holding a successful open house from the phone call to the sellers in the planning stage to following up with the clients you meet. Opening, closing, and lead generation checklists/manuals are also required to minimize the learning curve for the assistant and you are forced to re-think your business practices toward delegation.

2. Everything in real estate starts with cash flow.

Cash flow starts with getting signs up and signs up means that you spoke to lots of potential sellers. Are you efficiently handling your database, the expireds, the FSBOs, the absentee owners, and your web site leads? You need to identify the demographics most likely to list and how to research them then get their address and phone number. Then you must devise a service message that will delight them and have them call. Figuring out an impressive delivery system (phone, mail, email, and/or website) is the next step.

Written letter samples, scripts, and tips to overcome objections need to be written down and then a written follow-up plan on hot leads needs to be put into place. All this paper work necessitates that you, the agent, have to have done those procedures first. You can't train an assistant on something that you are not efficient at yourself. This procedure forces you to write an efficient manual on proactive lead generation for sellers, which, in my opinion, should encompass 60% of your new assistants' activities. Just think how much money you are going to make while you are building your new assistant proactive lead generation manuals!

3. Start with giving assistant responsibilities to your family.

Your sixteen-year-old would love to wash the car for less than an assistant costs! The same goes for your spouse - he/she can take care of bank reconciliation. Broker paid staffers are sometimes available for web work, direct mail, or follow up - all in the spirit of "helping out." Before you pay for an assistant make sure that all your inexpensive or free resources are utilized!

4. Joint lead generation should be initiated with your business affiliates.

It's time for affiliates to realize that top Realtors® hear the quality service and low rates cheer every day from their lender affiliates. In return for your unbridled business loyalty, why don't you, the Realtor®, initiate joint lead generation and training programs? Joint lead generation is the melding of two great minds for the greater good! My lender contacts FSBOs by helping them to pre-qualify their buyers and offers other marketing "helps." The pre-qualified buyers that do not buy the FSBO end up on my desk. As the FSBO/lender relationship grows then the FSBO, upon being discouraged by no sale, takes the helpful hint from my lender to use my services. In a town of 500,000 (Long Beach, California), the system is worth two loans for my lender and one listing presentation for me - a month! I had programs for each of my affiliates such as my termite man, who, at close and after, would retrieve my sign, sign rider, brochure box, lock box, and caddy tray from the premises. All of these systems help lessen the load on my future assistant and me; in fact, my affiliates also trained my assistant in their chosen professions.

5. Got seller help?

Perception of value is enhanced when you get your clientele involved in the process. I always asked my seller on the pre-listing phone consultation to have two keys ready for me at the presentation. If two keys were there at the time of the presentation, I was "flush" with excitement on the expectation of a new listing and the satisfaction of knowing that my assistant had more time to generate leads instead of making up DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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keys. My sellers cooperated in "during business hours" (daylight) listing presentations because I always look the digital picture, put up the sign and installed the lock box as I left with the signature, thus saving another step for my assistant through my systems. My seller was responsible to keep my brochure box full and report showings to my website that once again kept them involved in the process and kept my assistant's nose to the proactive lead generation machine!

6. I always beat the competition by outsourcing.

Rather than having my lead generating, valuable assistant wash my car - I had a detailing service come to my office. Rather than burning my time, my paper, my ink, and my putting up with maintenance, I outsourced my large printing jobs rather than making it an assistant's job. Whether it is direct mail, website maintenance, or dog walking, it can usually be better delegated, at less money, to a professional.

7. Is your technology up to speed?

Have you eliminated film with a digital camera? Do you make office database calls with a PDA attached to your phone? Get to presentations with a GPS? Office equipment, like fax machines, is nearby so that your assistant does not have eleven "social engagements" before faxing a document? By the way, if you don't have room in your office for an assistant - get a new office! "But Walter, my assistant is a tech-whiz! He/she can work from home as a "remote office" assistant! I have heard variations of this for thirty years and the truth is, that you will be paying for your assistant's home to be vacuumed, cleaned, the dog walked, and reruns of 90210 to be studied.

8. "So, what exactly do you want me to do" will be the first question.

Well, I want you to take over three of my lead generation programs - here are the manuals. I want you to monitor the marketing of my listings - here is my checklist. I want you to handle all my closings - this is how each step is done in chronological order. Here is what your perfect day, week, and month look like. We have office meetings each morning to make sure you are on task, that all priorities are being handled and that we, as a team, are meeting my pre-determined goals. Please let them know that you base performance on results and the results that I watch most are the number of leads that you are responsible for! Are you ready to say this to your new assistant?

9. Gotta, gotta, gotta!

Got the room? Got management approval? Got your accountant's approval? How about your tax ID number and payroll account? If you pay them "under the table" expect a call from your local beady-eyed bureaucrat with so many fines and penalties that you would gladly rather be with the buyer from hell!

Assistants are not independent contractors - no matter what you say! Do they need a license? Well, there is the expensive and time intensive answer of yes or the less taxing answer of "it is better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission." So, do your homework, talk to your broker, and your State Department of Real Estate. Very few states are crystal clear on the subject of licensed real estate assistants.

10. The day has arrived.

You took all my advice and completed one through nine. You are now ready to find your perfect partner!

Finding them the way headhunters fill positions is best because you have a suspicion as to aptitude.

Advertising for them in the paper or a 3x5 card at the senior center/local college will make the phone ring.

Past clients, friends, and even family have gone through my doors. It is important to devise your thirty questions like "where do you see yourself in two years?" If the answer is sailing the Mediterranean, maybe you don't want to invest the resources. If their answer is "being the best real estate agent in the world" maybe you don't want to be training your competition. Ask question after question until you get a feel that this person would advance the systems mentioned in steps one through nine. You will be fooled and disappointed, or like my most recent experience with my assistant/office manger, Cyndi - you'll be delighted and your expectations will be exceeded every day. What you can control the best is the preparation because once you have put a human at the helm - anything can happen but at least now, you are prepared!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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COACH’S ACCOUNTABILITY SHEET

AGENT: ________________________________ Office: _______________________ Week 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Assignment Why me?

Mission Statement Ten Commandments Current Calendar Business Plan Proposed Calendar Day Tracking Choose a Niche Develop an Action Plan for your Niches Create checklists for repeatable work Pre-Listing Presentation Package Buyer Questionnaire Create a Menu of Services Create a TEAM 100 Celebrate your accomplishment!!

Weekly / Bi-Weekly Accountability Weekly / Bi-Weekly Accountability Weekly / Bi-Weekly Accountability Weekly / Bi-Weekly Accountability Weekly / Bi-Weekly Accountability

Assigned Date

Completion Date

Notes:________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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Increase Your Productivity The fact is that the average person today is working at 110% to 130% of capacity. And the jobs and responsibilities just keep piling up. Everyone has stacks of reading material they still have to go through.

One study concluded recently that the average executive has 300-400 hours of reading and projects backlogged at home and at the office.

Obviously, there’s plenty to do every day to stay busy. Is it making you go numb or are you using your time to the best advantage? Do you jump from one crisis to another or start something and get distracted by something else? Do you try to keep up by multi-tasking, only to end up making mistakes and being stretched to your limits?

If this sounds familiar, here are some, just-in-time, tips to increase productivity and stay more focused: 1. Use the Pareto Principle: 20% of your activities create 80% of your results. Identify a Peak Performance Day each week and focus that day on DOLLAR PRODUCTIVE activities (the 20%). Know what they are.

Be ruthless in setting this time as sacred. By increasing the time you spend on these activities, you can increase your results without having to significantly increase the hours you work. Ask yourself frequently, ―Is this the highest and best use of my time, right now?‖ 2. Keep a time log. Do this for 4-5 days and note every 15 minutes what you just did. DO NOT fill it in at the end of the day from memory. Review to see where the time leaks are and where and how you sabotage yourself. I have seldom spoken with anyone who did this who did not find it enlightening. You’ll see right away an hour or two where you can be more productive each week.

3. The goal is to figure out WHY you are doing what you do. Picture the outcome rather than the process (putting a check in the bank vs. picking up the phone to call a FSBO or even a friend). Doing the things others won’t do can yield big payoffs. It’s not about the momentary discomfort for those people --- it is about the end result. If you really want something, you will endure what it takes.

4. Have a Plan. As the Cheshire Cat told Alice when she asked which road to take but didn’t know where she wanted to go.…‖any road will do‖. However, if you know where you want to go, a plan will enable you to know what you need to do. Then your priorities become obvious. As the day or week unfold, the plan gives you focus.

5. Get A System. In his book ―Getting Things Done‖, productivity guru, David Allen shares his 5 Steps for Focus. It all begins with getting everything OUT of your HEAD!!!!

1. Collect - List every item that is incomplete. Make a placeholder for every open loop.

2. Process - Make decisions about exactly what to do. Three choices are: Trash, Incubate or Make Actionable.

3. Organize - Sort into appropriate categories or lists. Put things where they will appear when the next action is needed or the next time you assess what your next set of priorities are. You could have 30-100 projects going on at any given time.

4. Review - 1 hour per week. Sunday night is best. The Care and Feeding of the system happens here where you look at your lists and update and decide on the actions and priorities for the next week. This is what we call your ―staring at the wall‖ time.

5. Act - Use the system to make good choices about what actions will give you the highest payoff.

Your focus will naturally increase when you have emptied your mind as the place where you store all of this and when you have implemented a system to support all of your open loops.

A coaching distinction I find helps my clients is ―complete vs. finished‖. For each thing you do, ask yourself, ―is this complete for now and what or when is the next step?‖ Then use your existing systems (your calendar, your Palm Pilot, or one of your lists) to capture the next action. Then your mind is free until it is the right time to take action or think about this item again.

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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You will notice a feeling of calm and increased energy and ability to then focus on just one item until completion when you don’t have dozens of incomplete gremlins racing around in your head. You will get more done in less time and be more relaxed!!!!

Author Debbie Ford says ―the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the word "organize" as follows: ―To form into a coherent unity or functioning whole; to arrange by systematic planning and united effort.‖ This is the time for you to prepare and create a rock solid foundation, to organize your projects and affairs so that you are set up to accomplish all the things you envision for your best year. This is the time to put into place the systems, structures and practices that will support you in fulfilling your hearts' desires.

Commit to becoming radically organized, and it will ensure that you have the physical, mental and emotional space to create the things that are most important to you.

CHALLENGES: 1. Get Organized. Throw out the old. I challenge you to fill at least 6 big green garbage bags!

2. Get everything out of your head and into a system that will let you relax.

3. List everything you are tolerating and quit letting that stuff drain energy. Do something about each item, even if what you do is accept it. But quit letting it take your precious life energy.

4. Commit to raise a standard to be the best that you can be this year so it will be the best year of your life!

DonnaArndt 2008 - The Keys to Your Success Ver. 4

Questions? Contact donnaarndt@mris.com

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