Transform XII Workbook

TRANSFORM 2021 Participant Workbook

TRANSFORM is brought to you by:

Technology partner:

Supporting sponsors:

Head to the Kolmeo website. Read our blog. Take a wild guess.

And find the answers you seek. Yolo!

Q1. What does Kolmeo mean?

Q2. Who hasn’t been a guest on Kolmeo’s Agency of Change podcast?

A

Property

B

Triangle

A

Sophie Lyon

B

Jodie Stainton

C

Secret sauce

D

Call me now

C

Barry White

D

Hayley Mitchell

Q3. What best practice steps are involved in migrating your tech?

A

Get timing right, data and process preparation, pick a change champion, communicate

B

Do it immediately, assume your data and processes are ready to go, don’t tell anyone

Q4. Complete the sentence: Kolmeo’s mission is to make it possible for people to _________ renting, owning and managing property.

Q5. What does Kolmeo’s logo look like?

A

B

C

D

A

Love

B

Crave

C

Dream about

Q6. How many years has Kolmeo been around and how many dollars in rental payments has it supported?

Bonus 1000 Leaderboard Points

A

16 years and $1 million

1. Snap a photo of your completed mini Kolmeo website hunt

B

2 years and $1 million

C

16 years and $9 billion

3. Upload your snapshot to the ‘Kolmeo Challenge’ item to receive your points

ANSWERS 1B 2C 3A 4A 5D 6C

2. Look for the ‘Challenge’ tab in the Transform app

WELCOME Thank you all for joining us for Transform XII. Whether you are one of our 'OGs' who have done Transform many times before or a complete newbie, my job is to make sure that you truly enjoy the experience.

This year we have a great program lined up to inspire and motivate you to a brilliant 2022, and you'll find everything you need in this workbook to get your challenge off to a great start. Plus, we are giving away more than $10,000 in cash and prizes, which is super exciting - especially in the lead up to Christmas in what has been a difficult year.

I look forward to catching up with all of you throughout the next month and seeing you all grow, learn and yes, transform. To get help at any time drop our team a text (with thanks to Podium!) on 0488 849 415.

To your great success!

Samantha McLean CO-FOUNDER – ELITE AGENT

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TRANSFORM EXPERIENCE Transform is as close as you can get to a physical event, just delivered digitally. Here are some quick guidelines on how you can show up and make the most of the event (and earn more leader board points!).

1

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Pretty much everything you need to know, including daily challenges, live replays (if you purchased a VIP ticket), challenge information and points are contained within the Transform XII App. Download at app.eliteagent.com.

2

GET AHEAD ON THE LEADER BOARD

3

TURN YOUR WEBCAM ON

Participation in the live webinars can earn you significant leader board points – from using your capture cards, asking questions, being there live and more.

With most digital events, video is one-way. But Transform is designed to be an interactive physical event, just delivered digitally.

headphones in. Also, take note of what’s in your background and in view of your webcam. If there is something private or something you don’t want others to see, we suggest you remove it. And always wear pants. Pants are good.

5

BE ON TIME… OR EARLY

Often, our team will jump onto the live webinars earlier than the advertised webinar start time and it's good practice for you to jump in early and get settled. Plus – as our Transform "OGs" know, Sam is often in there early chatting to everyone and dropping the odd helpful hint on getting ahead on the leaderboard!

6

THE CHAT

So just as you’d show up in person to a conference or training room, we ask that you turn on your webcam – and keep it on for the duration of the live webinars.

The chat is there for you to collaborate, inspire and support your fellow Transformers.

So please share your wins, no matter how big or small and when someone does share a win, it's your job to become their biggest cheerleader (and they will do the same for you).

4

7

QUICK WEBCAM TIPS

Be aware of your surroundings. If you are in a noisy office be sure to plug those

BE PRESENT AND PLAY FULL OUT

Being present during live sessions is the best gift you can

give yourself! Resist the urge to take excessive notes – if you have purchased a VIP Pass you can always come back and watch the replay once it’s posted. We encourage you to listen, and participate in the webinar chat box and get down the big ideas that will make an impact on your business using your idea capture cards.

Another tip on remaining focused: once you’ve taken your selfie and posted on social media about what you’re up to, set your phone on silent and turn off your email alerts.

Avoid multi-tasking – you’ll take in much more if you’re fully present.

8

QUESTIONS

9

CHECK THE SCHEDULE (and your timezone!)

If you have questions for the coaches, submit them using the app, text them to us on 0488 849 415 or pop them in the chat box. If you’re question is asked and answered by any presenter at any time it's worth 100 leaderboard points.

All advertised times are in AEDST (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart).

Please always double-check the schedule in the app for more information.

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

WORLD-CLASS HABITS Over the course of the next 30 days you will have extra work to do completing this sprint (but we promise you it will all be worth it!).

Here are some productivity tips to implement from previous rounds of Transform to create more time and space in your day.

DO

DO NOT

Start the day analog, not digital, with pen and paper. This gives you a great start on proactively working on your business, rather than reacting to the outside world.

Do not start your day with your phone, social media or email.

Write down one item of gratitude.

Write down your top priorities for the day.

Reflect on the client conversations you had yesterday. How could you use video to answer those questions?

For the next 30 days use social media intentionally, as a creator, not a consumer.

Do not fill in spare time with social media scrolling, particularly when it comes to what other agents are doing. If you must scroll, do it after hours and with a view to finding out more about what your target market wants.

Do not forget to have fun! If you need any help with any of the challenges, post in the Facebook Group or text us on 0488 849 415.

Podium Transform Challenge SMS Marketing 101 for Real Estate

What should you do?

Select DO or DON’T for each scenario

1.

DO

DON’T

Use conversational language with clients

2.

DO

DON’T

Respond in real time

3.

DO

DON’T

Include a CTA when chatting with clients

4.

DO

DON’T

Use slang when texting clients

5.

DO

DON’T

Address them by name

6.

DO

DON’T

Ignore clients opt in and opt out status

7.

DO

DON’T

Sound like a mass text

8.

DO

DON’T

Forget to identify yourself

Bonus 1000 Leaderboard Points:

Get the answers from Podium!

1.

Snap a photo of your completed Podium Quiz

2.

Look for the Challenges Tab in the Transform App

3.

Upload your Snapshot to the ‘Podium Challenge'

copy of the free Full Guide

item to receive your points

to SMS Marketing.

Scan the QR code or visit podium.com.au/transform to get the answers and your

LIVE SESSIONS

26 OCT

TRANSFORM XII

1

2

Take each step of the sprint one day at a time and don't forget to check the app for any last minute changes! (Download the app at app.eliteagent.com)

No live sessions today

c Saman tha M

6

5

THE SUNDAY WRAP

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Lean

4

Katie lance

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8

9

3

a Nar ina Amv

zas

10

No live sessions today

e Colin Ansti

30

29

YOU DID IT!

Claudio Encina

28 No live sessions today

Simon Bo wen

Ashleigh Goodch

ild

27 THE SUNDAY WRAP

13

14

THE SUNDAY WRAP

No live sessions today

15

Chelsea Peitz

12

19

No live sessions today

No live sessions today

18

Josh Klein

11

20

21

THE SUNDAY WRAP

No live sessions today

Jack Broadhead and david web b

26

16

Will ainswo rth

17

Melanie Poole and Amy Dabek

22 Scot t Bateman

25

24

23

No live sessions today

Jo e Fi er

Hannah Gill a Tar a Br adburny d

FRICTION-FREE SELLING Customer’s understanding

Sales person’s communication

HOW TO USE YOUR CAPTURE CARDS Grab one every time you have an idea to make your business (or life!) better

D R A C E R U T P IDEA CA ATTRAC

WRITE YOUR NAME HERE.

T

N

URTURE

CONVER

CIRCLE THE CATEGORY. T

LEVERA

SP EA KE R/

GE

WRITE THE SPEAKER’S NAME HERE.

DA TE

YO UR NA ME

ID EA IN BR

WRITE THE NAME OF THE STRATEGY HERE.

IE F

WRITE DOWN WHAT YOUR NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE AND WHO COULD HELP YOU IMPLEMENT AND MAKE STUFF HAPPEN.

NOTES & ACTION

S

DON’T FILTER OR JUDGE THE IDEA — JUST CAPTURE IT FOR NOW. WE WANT 10-20 IDEAS OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS (WE CAN SORT AND PRIORITISE YOUR IDEAS AT THE END OF THE CHALLENGE).

**DON’T FORGET TO SNAP A PIC OF EACH SIDE OF YOUR COMPLETED CARDS AND SUBMIT WITH YOUR DAILY CHALLENGES TO EARN 250 POINTS (TO A MAXIMUM OF 20 CARDS OR 5000 POINTS).

HOW MUCH EFFORT WILL IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT? A DAY, A WEEK, A MONTH, OR LONGER?

One day One week One month Longer

TRANSFORM SPONSORS Transform XII is made possible thanks to continual support from our sponsors who believe education should elevate the industry – and be fun and cost-effective at the same time. linkedin.com/company/homelycom-au instagram.com/homely.com.au facebook.com/homely.com.au

is built using the latest in payment technology to improve the payment flow of rent between tenants, owners and agencies. Digitised rental payments are fast, safe and secure – no one can interfere with the funds as they’re transferred into the owner’s bank account.

Celebrate getting valuable time back in your calendar.

KOLMEO (MARQUEE SPONSOR)

Kolmeo has supported Transform for the past two years and will once again be bringing critical thinking to the table, this time by facilitating a Harvard Business School Case Study. Check the App around Day 15 for more information.

HOMELY.COM.AU (MARQUEE SPONSOR) As one of Australia’s largest real estate marketplaces, Homely helps millions of Australians find the perfect place to call home.

This mission is about more than just a house to buy or rent. It’s about connecting people with a great real estate agent, not just a good one. It’s about the streets, the suburbs, and the community.

Homely has Australia’s largest collection of street and suburb reviews, empowering consumers with the knowledge they need about what life is like in areas they’re thinking about moving to.

The Homely App is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. Homely was founded in 2014 by brothers Jason and Adam Spencer in Melbourne, Australia. Since then, Homely has grown to become a large team of passionate developers, sales managers, account managers, marketers, designers and customer support people across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia.

Homely has supported Transform for the past two years and will once again be providing free Transform upgrades to agent profiles. Check the App for details on how to obtain yours.

Connect with Homely: W: homely.com.au

Meet Kolmeo – property management software that makes it easy for everyone to love owning, renting and managing property. Daily tasks are transformed, making all those todos more productive and fun!

Kolmeo is designed for all three corners of the property management triangle: tenants, owners and property managers. By bringing everyone together in one place, there’s greater transparency over who needs to do what and by when.

One hub for everything – you only login once and all the tools, forms, documents and requests are there.

Enjoy a fully-featured inspection system and maintenance management tool, and best of all, it’s ridiculously good looking.

Work on the go – no need to fly back to the office in peak hour to get the ‘real work’ done. Kolmeo lets you work wherever you are on your chosen device, serving up your tasks when they need to be actioned.

Digitised rental payments – Kolmeo

Connect with Kolmeo: W: kolmeo.com linkedin.com/company/kolmeo instagram.com/kolmeohq facebook.com/kolmeohq

PODIUM (TECHNOLOGY PARTNER) Podium is redefining the way customers interact with local businesses. Podium’s interaction management platform uses messaging to make it convenient to interact with your leads, customers, and teams along every customer touchpoint. With Podium, you can message your leads and customers, get reviews and feedback, and communicate easily with your team, all in one

easy-to-use inbox. It powers the conversations that matter most to your business, putting you miles ahead of the competition.

Podium is our Technology Partner for Transform XII and we will be demonstrating how SMS can be used as a marketing tool by using the platform for live webinar reminders, support (text Elite Agent on 0488 849 415), and we will also demonstrate how easy it is to obtain reviews.

Connect with Podium: W: podium.com Text Podium: 0480 017 768 linkedin.com/company/podium instagram.com/podium facebook.com/Podium

REXLABS (SUPPORTING SPONSOR) Rex Software is a CRM and automation platform for real estate agents created by the team at Rexlabs, a 90-strong PropTech company.

More than 2000 agencies across Australia, New Zealand and the UK – including high-profile firms such LJ Hooker and Place – use Rex as their CRM and workflow platform.

Rex incorporates the essential tools of any successful property CRM and gives users access to them all with just a few clicks. It includes a mobile app, integrations and analytics, as well as marketing and prospecting tools.

The Rex CRM is a whole-of-office solution for any real estate agency that wants to create clients for life, championing simplification through automation to allow agents more time to spend in the moments that matter.

Connect with Rexlabs: W: rexlabs.io linkedin.com/company/rexlabsio instagram.com/rexlabs.io facebook.com/rexlabs.io

yourself great prizes, bonus points and maybe even an ‘immunity idol’.

Connect with Openn: W: openn.com.au linkedin.com/company/ opennnegotiation instagram.com/opennnegotiation facebook.com/opennnegotiation

OPENN (SUPPORTING SPONSOR) Openn is an Australian property technology company offering a proprietary, cloud-based software platform to support real estate agents in selling property online with greater transparency. The Openn platform facilitates a negotiation process, featuring streamlined digital contracting and automated communication tools, which enhances a property transaction. The solution provides buyers with real-time feedback through their device on how much competition exists and where their price stands in the negotiation, providing greater transparency to the sales transaction process.

In August, the group launched Openn Offers to provide another real estate sales method that follows a typical private treaty sales process, enhanced by the benefits of the Openn platform, such as increased buyer transparency, faster digital contracts and automated communication capabilities.

Openn’s vision is to provide agents with the ability to use the Openn platform to conduct any method of sale. The business currently services the Australian and New Zealand residential property markets, with an expansion into the North American market currently underway.

Look out for a live Openn Auction on Day 24 where you may score

DIRECT CONNECT (SUPPORTING SPONSOR) Direct Connect is owned by Snowy Hydro, which makes us 100 per cent Australian owned.

We help make moving easy by offering a FREE service, organising connections such as electricity, gas, broadband, pay-TV, cleaning, truck hire and removalists.

Leading with integrity and expertise in the moving market, Direct Connect is a trusted advisor to the moving community, constantly improving and innovating to create enduring value for our business partners.

Direct Connect partners with leaders in technology, we continue to improve our client experience to make moving easy for you and your clients.

Our experienced call centre and support team will speak to each mover and guide them through the moving process. Along with our service for your customers, we will look after you by delivering time back to your workday along with a value-focused rewards program.

Connect with Direct Connect: W: directconnect.com.au linkedin.com/company/directconnect instagram.com/directconnectau facebook.com/ directconnectaustralia

TRANSFORM XII COACHES (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Every 30-day challenge we search high and low for the best speakers and expertise to make this event where the best new thinking and tactics happen. This year is no exception with a lineup that includes CEOs, Inman Connect speakers, podcast hosts, brand builders, social media experts, influencers and more.

WILL AINSWORTH

NARINA AMVAZAS

COLIN ANSTIE

Head of Growth and Training, Openn

Head of Brand, Kolmeo

Managing Director, RD Consulting

The Transform/Openn Auction (win prizes, points and more!)

As McGrath’s top-selling Victorian agent three years running, Will Ainsworth is no stranger to success. He sold more than 100 properties a year and had an impressive auction clearance rate of more than 90 per cent. After 16 years as a high-performing agent, Will is now Head of Training and Growth at Openn (AUS/NZ).

Connect with Will: E: will.ainsworth@openn.com.au W: openn.com.au linkedin.com/in/will-ainsworthb46a8742 instagram.com/willainsworth facebook.com/wainsworth

“Canva + Chardonnay” Narina is an accomplished marketing executive with a passion for brandbuilding. Narina’s experience includes leading marketing for Little Group’s multi-brand portfolio and six years with Toll, leading brand and corporate marketing. Narina’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Business (Marketing), a Postgraduate Diploma in Management, a Certificate in Brand Management from Melbourne Business School and Mark Ritson’s Mini MBA in Marketing.

Connect with Narina: E: narina.amvazas@kolmeo.com W: kolmeo.com linkedin.com/in/narina-amvazas instagram.com/narina.amvazas

LinkedIn: Tapping into the power of professional networking As managing director at RD Consulting, Colin runs a team of strategists, communicators, marketers, trainers, workforce planners, designers and change management specialists in Canberra, Australia.

With more than 16 years of digital experience, Colin is regularly profiled in the Australian media and in business publications as a national authority on communication and marketing. He’s also experienced in real estate, delivering ​​digital upskilling to more than 12,000 real estate agents on behalf of realestate.com.au.

GUESS THE #JELLYBEANS TO WIN THEM ALL*

BUYING AND SELLING PROPERTY CAN BE A SIMILAR GUESSING GAME Openn’s transparent sales methods removes the guesswork - so buyers know how much to offer, sellers feel confident they got the best price and agents enjoy more control.

Learn more at openn.com.au

openn.com.au *Real jar of jellybeans. First correct or nearest answer wins. Entries close 26th November 2021

Connect with Colin: E: col@rdconsulting.com.au W: rdconsulting.com.au linkedin.com/in/colinanstie instagram.com/colinanstie facebook.com/colinanstie

Connect with Simon: E: simon@modelsmethod.com W: modelsmethod.com linkedin.com/in/simonbowen1/

perfectly balance the relationship between renters, owners and property managers.

ANTON BABKOV CEO, Rexlabs

Connect with Scott: E: scott.bateman@kolmeo.com W: kolmeo.com linkedin.com/in/batemanscott instagram.com/batemanscotty facebook.com/batemanscott

Relationship selling vs ‘The Challenger Sale’

SCOTT BATEMAN CEO, Kolmeo Digital leverage vs The personal touch Scott is Kolmeo's Chief Executive Officer, where he provides personalised and fun property management software to real estate professionals. Scott's goal is to help agencies across Australia shift the paradigm in the property management industry by providing the technology needed to

Principal Leasing Agent, Active Agents VIP Session: How to attract and convert your ideal client in PM An award-winning property manager turned BDM coach, Tara has recently rejoined the industry as principal of her own boutique agency, Active Agents. During this transition, she has learnt a number of things about what landlords are looking for in a property manager.

Tara is currently coaching in Elite Agent’s program, The Executive BDM.

Anton Babkov is Chief Executive Officer of Rexlabs. Anton believes 'home' is an inherently human experience and builds tech products to empower agents to deliver great customer experiences to tenants, landlords, buyers and sellers. He also has degrees in law and psychology.

Connect with Anton: E: anton.babkov@rexlabs.io W: rexlabs.io linkedin.com/in/antonbabkov instagram.com/antonbrx facebook.com/ababkov

TARA BRADBURY

SIMON BOWEN Founder, The Models Method Visual value: Discover a bold new way to convert prospects to clients without pressure, ego or overwhelm Simon is the creator of the Genius Model®, Founder of the Models Method, International keynote speaker and the world’s #1 authority on visual models that sell. Simon works mostly with business owners to create powerful, million-dollar, visual models that drive their revenue and growth as well as create authentic connection, effortless conversion and make a greater impact.

Connect with Tara: E: tara@activeagents.com.au W: activeagents.com.au linkedin.com/in/ businessdevelopmentrealestate instagram.com/taralbradbury facebook.com/tarabradbury.bdm

JACK BROADHEAD Account Development Manager, Podium SMS Marketing 101 for Real Estate Jack Broadhead spent eight years working in a prestige real estate agency in Melbourne before joining Podium after discovering the potential the platform had to accelerate growth for agencies and small businesses. He is passionate

Team Transform… it’s time to get zapping with Rex Connect your apps and automate workflows so you can focus on your most important tasks.

Zapier lets you connect Rex with thousands of the most popular apps, so you can automate your work and have more time for what matters most—no code required.

Automating all those time consuming, mundane tasks is the key to scaling growth. This ebook shares the top 13 Zaps to get you started on your automation journey.

Get the ebook at

rexsoftware.com/ourtopzaps 2109-07-RX

Scan to read

agents at events such as AREC. Claudio does 1:1 coaching as well as group coaching in Sales Caffeine (a joint project with Elite Agent).

Connect with Claudio: E: claudio@claudioencina.com W: claudioencina.com linkedin.com/in/claudioencina instagram.com/ coachclaudioencina facebook.com/claudio.encina.18 about Podium’s capabilities to help agents bring the human touch to their marketing while growing their databases.

HANNAH GILL Director, The Property Collective VIP Session: How to attract and convert your ideal client in PM

Connect with Jack: E: jack.broadhead@podium.com W: podium.com.au linkedin.com/in/jack-broadhead9757ba95

JOE FIER Co-Founder Evergreen Profits The tools we use to generate thousands of subscribers and pageviews

CLAUDIO ENCINA Coach, Speaker, Trainer VIP session: How to sign listings before Christmas Claudio is a highly regarded real estate coach, speaker, mentor and trainer. With more than 20 years' industry experience, including almost a decade as a leading real estate agent, Claudio is driven by his passion for helping clients implement proven sales techniques, systems, strategies, and skills to increase their productivity and profitability in all market conditions. An engaging speaker, Claudio's natural and humorous style has seen him present to more than 5000 leading

Joe Fier is the co-founder of Evergreen Profits and a leading speaker, author and coach. A seasoned marketer, Joe applies most of his experience helping digital marketers get more traffic and make more money. Through his podcast, Hustle & Flowchart, DIY training programs, coaching, and events, Joe and his team deliver actionable strategies for growing your business and improving your life. Joe nerds out on great conversations with others around podcasting, marketing, business strategy, and how to make the most of the time we’ve got.

Connect with Joe: E: joe@evergreenprofits.com W: evergreenprofits.com linkedin.com/in/joefier instagram.com/joefier facebook.com/joefier

Hannah has more than 13 years’ experience in the industry, working in and leading teams in property management, business development and management. An authority on creating teams with a culture of excellence, Hannah is the director of The Property Collective and coaches BDM's across Australia in the Exec BDM program. She’s also the president of REIACT. Connect with Hannah: E: hannah@thepropertycollective. com.au W: sked.link/_hannahgill linkedin.com/in/hannah-gill0b015b94 instagram.com/_hannahgill facebook.com/HannahGill-106746958075869

ASHLEIGH GOODCHILD Director, SOCO Realty How I created a personal brand on LinkedIn Since 1999, Ashleigh has been focusing her energy on managing a successful real estate team and offering support to Perth landlords.

She loves educating others within the industry and hopes to inspire them by connecting and sharing her knowledge freely.

She founded SOCO Realty, which offers uncomplicated management solutions for landlords that want a

Direct Connect Your moving partner

CALL OUR PARTNER SUPPORT TEAM TODAY Since 2004, we have been Australia’s No. 1 Moving Services Company.

Talk to us today to become a partner and let us show you how to add value to your business!

CONNECTING ELECTRICITY, GAS AND MORE

Electricity

Pay TV

CONNECT WITH US

1300 558 169 agents.directconnect.com.au

Gas

Removalists

Phone + Internet

Cleaning

Truck Hire

W: socialstatus.com.au linkedin.com/in/joshkleinofficial facebook.com/SocialStatusMedia

full management service or private landlords that need some extra support.

Connect with Ashleigh: E: ashleigh@socorealty.com.au W: ashleighgoodchild.com.au linkedin.com/ inperthpropertymanager instagram.com/ perthpropertymanager facebook.com/ashleigh.goodchild

JOSH KLEIN Managing Director, Social Status Paid to play: The why, what, how and when of advertising on social media Josh Klein is the founder of Social Status, a leading social media advertising agency specialising in real estate. He is quite the social media management/advertising guru and is known to think outside of the box with his marketing initiatives with a focus on maximising your value while minimising your costs.

Connect with Josh: E: josh@socialstatus.com.au

KATIE LANCE CEO, Katie Lance Consulting Facebook: How to Stay Relevant in the News Feed in 2022 (and, Beyond!)

Katie is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Katie Lance Consulting. Katie is a nationally known keynote speaker and for the past 10 years has been working with agents and brokers to help them use social media to grow their business. She is also the author of the best-selling book #GetSocialSmart: How to Hone Your Social Media Strategy and the founder of the #GetSocialSmart Academy. Katie has also been named one of the most 100 influential people in real estate by Inman News.

relationships through social media.

A former real estate agent, Chelsea now teaches agents how to use effective social media strategies to authentically grow their business.

Chelsea was nominated for Inman Innovator of the Year in 2018 and 2019, and is the best-selling author of What to Post: How to Create Engaging Content that Builds your Brand and Gets Results ( for Real Estate). Chelsea also hosts an award-nominated podcast, The Voice of Social Sales.

Connect with Chelsea: E: cpeitz1@gmail.com W: chelseapeitz.com linkedin.com/in/chelseapeitz instagram.com/chelsea.peitz facebook.com/chelseapeitz1

Connect with Katie: E: katie@katielance.com W: katielance.com linkedin.com/in/katielance instagram.com/katielance facebook.com/katielance

CHELSEA PEITZ Chelsea Peitz Consulting Instagram: How to create shareable, saveable content that generates leads Starting with the social media platform Snapchat, Chelsea has built her brand, business and

MELANIE POOLE Head of Property Management, First National Daystar Instagram: How to get insane reach with reels Melanie is a new client consultant and Head of Property Management at First National Real Estate Daystar.

Melanie helps investors lease their properties for the highest rent, to the best tenants, in the quickest time.

Her team helps her to create longlasting relationships and manage long-term tenancies. She works closely with her team to empower owners and help them reach their investment goals.

Connect with Melanie: E: melanie@daystar.com.au W: daystar.com.au linkedin.com/in/melanie-pooleb117b2b3 instagram.com/melaniepoole. propertymanager

DAVID WEBB Head of Industry, Homely SEO: How Homely.com.au can help you boost your listings, boost your profile, and nurture relationships

Inspiring, informing and celebrating agents.

Just like you.

With 14 years’ experience across sales, property management, business ownership and as an agency supplier, Homely's Head of Industry, David Webb, brings a breadth of knowledge to his work while also seeking to anticipate the demands of an ever-changing industry. Before joining Homely, David won the Living Energy Award for developing a high-performance team culture at Direct Connect.

Connect with David: E: david.webb@homely.com.au W: homely.com.au linkedin.com/in/ davidcrawfordwebb instagram.com/dwebb3013

@eliteagentmag

MEET THE TEAM

Dave {›

Elite Agent is a two-time Mumbrella winner for Business Magazine of the Year (2016 and 2020), and Transform was named Event of the Year in 2020.

So, who are the real people behind Transform, our magazines, our podcast, Extra, Sales Caffeine, The Executive BDM, and The Brief at Elite Agent? linkedin.com/in/samanthamclean instagram.com/samanthamclean facebook.com/samanthamclean1

SAMANTHA MCLEAN

Connect with Mark: E: mark@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/markedwards888

Managing Editor Samantha McLean is the joint owner and Managing Editor of Elite Agent, and a three-time winner of Mumbrella Publish Business Magazine Editor of the Year in 2015, 2018 and 2020. A sales and marketing professional with more than 25 years of experience, she has held senior sales and marketing roles in the past for companies like Optus, Cisco, British Telecom and PwC. Sam’s marketing passions include building audiences, great copywriting, clever videos and keeping the customer top of mind.

Connect with Sam: E: samantha@eliteagent.com W: eliteagent.com

AMY DABEK Community Manager Amy is Elite Agent’s Community Manager, she ensures all social media platforms are updated regularly with the latest articles and assists Samantha McLean with dayto-day tasks.

Connect with Amy: E: amy@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/amydabek

MARK EDWARDS Publisher Mark is the joint owner and Publisher of Elite Agent.

RENEE REID Operations Manager Renee is Elite Agent’s Operations Manager and has been with the

company for just under three years.

Renee works closely with clients and the team to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Connect with Renee: E: renee@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/renee-reid

CASSANDRA CHARLESWORTH Senior Writer Cass is the Podcast Producer for Elite Agent. Cass has been in the industry for more than 20 years and has worked in both metropolitan and regional newsrooms. She's been with Elite Agent for three awesome years. Between perusing property, number crunching and hearing inspiring tales, it’s an industry she loves taking a deep dive into and sharing stories about.

KYLIE DULHUNTY Editor Kylie is the Magazine Editor at Elite Agent and has been a journalist for almost 20 years. A former police and court reporter, Kylie has written for and edited a range of publications, but fell in love with real estate way back in 2008. In a previous life, Kylie was a property editor for News Local papers.

S WITH THE BUCK STOP 22 THE BOSS PAGE

Connect with Nicole: E: nicole@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/nicolemadigan Feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn (or email us with any story tips!)

Connect with Cass: E: cassandra@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/cassandracharlesworth-918651118

NICOLE MADIGAN

Connect with Kylie: E: kylie@eliteagent.com linkedin.com/in/kylie-dulhunty502487a5 GROW LIKE A 36 STARTUP PAGE

at the centre of the real estate community, bringing together multiple businesses and people, from agencies and PropTechs to coaches and legal professionals.

Nicole has been a journalist and editor for almost 20 years, and was previously the Media and Communications Manager at the REIQ.

Senior Writer Nicole is a Features Writer at Elite Agent. Nicole loves being

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e 1 rollercoaster wher described as a that Real estate is often sional lows. With al highs and occa a sense of there are sensation s, countered by fair share of stres ride comes its achievement. and n actio satisf lows, with two ng the highs and perspective on managi comebacks guests share their setbacks to enjoy This month, our they overcame major the stories of how agents recounting tions. ed their expecta who that far surpass and Eoghan Murphy AREC, at stage the to . who recently took careers from scratch Tanja Neven-Jones, both rebuilt their in 2019 in Love Island, graced our TV screens g, along with the to reset their thinkin Issue 24tips August on what 2021it took a wealth of solid .

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ts and real esta te professionals attest, success will doesn’t happ en by accident. planning, mot It involves ivation, and an inner drive to succeed.

More often than not that drive is backed by consis behind the s tent ha

FRICTION-FREE SELLING Marketing is the process of helping potential customers find your business or service.

We know people don’t buy and sell homes continuously, so in real estate we need to be marketing well before the customer is ready to make contact.

B

y making yourself ‘followable’ and providing valuable marketing that consumers actually want, it’s possible to digitally nurture prospective customers (and past clients) over time.

This can lead to a brand preference for your service and ultimately turn them into prospects, revenue and clients for life.

It’s the process of marketing in this way that leads to an idea of what we call friction-free selling.

ATTRACT – NURTURE – CONVERT In Transform XII we are going to be learning a bit about a guy by the name of Marcus Sheridan.

When Sheridan graduated from university in 2001, he joined two of his friends who were starting a swimming pool company.

For the next seven years, business was good. With real estate prices rising to historic levels, anybody could get a loan for a swimming pool. Many folks did.

As you might have predicted, the wheels started to fall off in 2008 when the GFC hit.

Pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, Sheridan was forced to pivot (yes,

the word has been around for a while!), and he found it in a simple but powerful content marketing strategy he calls They Ask, You Answer.

He used it to save the company, ultimately generating millions of dollars in new sales directly attributable to this methodology.

A SHIFT IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND THE BLUR BETWEEN SALES AND MARKETING Before we move on to the principles of Sheridan’s system, we need to cover a couple of important points.

First, consumer buying patterns have gone through a monumental shift over the past decade. As Sheridan points out, multiple studies show that the vast majority (Sheridan tells us that it’s 70 per cent – his book was published in 2017, so it’s likely higher than that now) of the buying decision is made before a prospect talks to a company. This is consistent no matter what market you are in – large, small, B2B or B2C.

the way this system suggests they do. Ultimately that’s up for you to decide, but there’s only one way to find out for sure, and that’s to try it.

Everything is a test until it’s not, right?

“THEY ASK, YOU ANSWER” DEFINED At the core of They Ask, You Answer is an obsession with what your customer is thinking, searching, asking, feeling, and fearing. So if you are only following other real estate agents on social media, if you are only writing articles like 7 ways to get ready for Spring and not thinking about what your customers want to hear from you, it might be time to think about your own pivot.

Anyway, as the story goes, Sheridan was pondering how to save his company, he sat down at his kitchen table late one night and brainstormed all the questions he had received about fibreglass swimming pools over the previous nine years.

When he was finished he had more than 100 questions listed on the piece of paper.

Then, as you might have guessed, he and his business partners set off to answer each one of them in a blog post or video. Most of the articles were published to their website as blog posts, with the title of the question becoming the title of the post.

Second, you might be inclined to think that the lessons don’t apply to real estate or your specific market.

These weren’t one or two sentence answers – these were real answers with deep explanations. And they weren’t glorified sales pitches – they approached each answer with an educator’s mentality – answering without bias and only trying to educate the readers.

But funnily enough, everybody believes their business is the one exception to the rule - that the people in your industry don’t buy

As Sheridan points out, every single industry has hundreds of buyerbased questions. So it’s ironic that most company websites don’t even

address more than a few of them.

This is definitely true of the real estate industry!

If you find yourself thinking, “There’s no way our buyers have that many questions,” this means you’ve lost touch with your customers and you need to start learning what your ideal customer wants to know.

After a few months of doing this with his pool company, Sheridan started to look at the web analytics on their website to determine what was working and what content was generating the most traction.

He found that there were five types of content that seemed to generate the most interest and buying behaviours: 1. Pricing and costs 2. Problems 3. Versus and comparisons 4. Reviews 5. Best in class Why were those the ones that moved the needle the most?

Because those are the issues that we (and all consumers) obsess over when considering a purchase.

Most businesses hide from those questions or only deal with them when face-to-face with a customer.

works, whether you happen to be in sales or property management.

2. Your competitors will find out what you charge.

Spoiler alert: It’s unlikely that your competitors have no clue what you charge. And I can tell you right now that the national average is about 2 per cent plus GST, in some states it’s regulated, so there’s no big secret.

3. You’ll scare customers away.

Sheridan makes two great points here. First, if your customer can’t afford your product, there’s little to no chance that you’ll convince them on a cold call. Second, talking about price is not about affordability, it’s about psychology. You are more likely to trust a business that’s upfront about their pricing.

Everybody in the pool industry thought they were crazy for writing that post. How many of their competitors had that information on their website? Zero. How many prospects wanted to know the answer to that question? All of them.

An article that Sheridan posted titled How Much Does a Fiberglass Pool Cost? has generated $3 million in additional sales, directly attributable to the article.

CONTENT SUBJECT #2: PROBLEMS This content subject is all about turning weaknesses into strengths.

If you’ve ever gone on a website to research a product and couldn’t find pricing information, you’ve likely felt what Sheridan calls the “F-word of the Internet”: frustration.

When people make big purchasing decisions, their instinct is to worry more about what might go wrong than what might go right. They know that they can go to your website to find out all the great things that will happen if they buy from you - that’s what they get from every website they visit.

1. Every situation is different.

Yes, it’s true that your pricing might vary from client to client depending on their needs. But no matter what business you are in, it’s possible to give your prospects a range of probable fees. At the very least, you’ll want to give your customers a sense of how your pricing model

And that’s why they ended up writing a post titled Top 5 Fibreglass Pool Problems and Solutions.

So instead of hiding behind one of those excuses, be willing to specifically address the main pricing questions you get.

CONTENT SUBJECT #1: PRICING AND COSTS

Most companies resist putting pricing information on their website because of one of three reasons.

be fairly certain that whatever questions people ask you in person, they’ll search for online as well.

For instance, Sheridan tells the story of how somebody might decide between getting a fibreglass pool or a concrete pool. For years his prospects would ask him something along the lines of, “What are the problems with a fibreglass swimming pool?” And, you can

When considering whether or not to address the elephant in the room, you need to make a choice. You can allow them to search for and find the answers to those questions themselves, or you can address them directly and allow your customers to determine whether or not it’s an issue for them.

Aside from creating a level of trust your competitors won’t dare match, doing this has two advantages.

First, you get the opportunity to explain why, in spite of the problems, your service would be a good fit for the prospect. For instance, one of the drawbacks

to a fibreglass pool is that it might not be as long, deep or as wide as the client might like. But if lower maintenance and a pool that will last a lifetime are more important to the prospect, it might be worth the trade-off. This turns your weakness into a strength.

Second, you eliminate people from your sales and marketing funnel that will never become customers, freeing you to pay

closer attention to those that might. If they’ll find out the problems eventually (they will), they might as well find out now.

CONTENT SUBJECT #3: VERSUS AND COMPARISONS The third major content subject is something that consumers are fascinated with – comparisons.

This versus that.

One agent vs the next.

Over the years, Sheridan and his colleagues had heard the same question from their prospects: what’s the difference between a fibreglass pool and a concrete pool?

So, they wrote a post titled, Fiberglass Pools vs Vinyl Liner Pools vs Concrete Pools: An Honest Comparison.

Again, the temptation here is to avoid bringing these types of questions up. Why address problems that some of your prospects might not even consider?

Two of the reasons we covered in the previous section – turning weaknesses into strengths and using marketing to eliminate bad leads.

The other two reasons are traffic and trust.

If people are thinking about these questions they are searching for the answers online. Would you rather they come to you for the answer, or some third party site that lets other (sometimes misinformed) consumers answer it for you? To top it off, search engines love this type of content and serve it much higher in the rankings than self-serving sales messaging.

HOW MUCH DIGITAL ACTIVITY IS ACTUALLY GOING ON? The COVID-19 pandemic upended everything, from how we engage with each other to how we engage with brands and the digital world.

At the same time, it transformed how we eat, how we work and how we consume information and create data.

As of July 2021, the internet reaches 65 per cent of the world’s population and now represents 5.17 billion people – a 10 per cent increase from January 2021. Of this total, 92.6 per cent accessed the internet via mobile devices. According to Statista, the total amount of data consumed globally in 2021 was 79 zettabytes, an annual number projected to grow to over 180 zettabytes by 2025.

(Source: domo.com)

When your prospect sees that you are open and honest, they are more likely to trust you during the rest of the sales process and you are more likely to make a sale.

CONTENT SUBJECTS #4 AND #5: REVIEWS AND BEST IN CLASS One of the questions most consumers will ask (whether it happens to be Google, or their friends) is, “Who is the best ______” Sheridan tackled this one by writing

a blog post titled, Who are the Best Pool Builders in Richmond Virginia (Reviews/Ratings)?

He listed the five companies he truly believed were the best. And, for good measure, he neglected to include his own company.

Sounds crazy, right?

Well, Sheridan reasoned that as soon as you put yourself on that list, you lose all credibility.

It becomes a puff piece, and you jeopardise the trust you are trying to build with this strategy.

The second reason is less obvious, but even more important. Where are those prospects when they are reading this post?

Hopefully on your website.

THE BIG 5 In Transform XII we will be applying Sheridan’s framework to the real estate industry, and helping you to create practical content for your blogs, newsletters, videos and social media posts around his ‘big five’.

Here is some inspiration to get you started:

1 COST/PRICE • How much does it cost to hire an agent?

• What are the fees involved in selling my home?

• How can I calculate my profit after I sell?

• What is the impact of taxes when selling my home?

• What is the cost of waiting to buy a home if mortgage rates rise?

2 PROBLEMS • If prices are on the rise, why shouldn’t I wait to sell?

Not your competitor’s website, or a third-party website.

This means that you control the messaging. And while you don’t want to include your company in the list, you can position yourself as the expert building trust with your potential customers and increasing conversion rates.

THE LINK TO FRICTIONFREE SELLING Let’s go back to the beginning.

The more knowledge a customer or prospective customer has of you, your service and is comfortable in that knowledge, the more likely it is they will say yes to you when it comes time to make a move.

• Can I still sell my home if I don’t have a place to move into yet?

• What if I can’t buy after I have sold?

• What should I do if there are multiple offers?

• Auctions frighten me, how do I hold my nerve and succeed?

• What happens to the real estate market if mortgage rates rise?

• What home improvements will increase my home’s value?

• What home improvements should I avoid when selling?

• How much will the marketing costs be?

• Why should I go all out on a marketing campaign when my home will sell quickly?

• I’ve missed out on so many properties lately, what should I do?

3 COMPARISON • If my house will sell quickly, why do I need an agent?

• Should I wait to sell in Spring instead of right now?

Sheridan says that if a prospect consumes five articles from you and then organises a meeting they’re more likely to do business with you over someone who booked the call straight away. In essence, the prospect is qualifying themselves in or out to see if they are a good fit.

So if you can build trust before you get to the appraisal or appointment stage, the prospect is much more likely to convert particularly if you can employ a tactic we call “The Challenger Sale...” (to be continued...)

SAMANTHA MCLEAN is the Managing Editor of Elite Agent.

4 REVIEWS • 5 reasons why (a past client) hired (your office) to sell their home • How we helped (insert client) secure their dream home • Why (vendor) decided to sell his property before the Spring selling season • How (investor) increased the value of their property through making (specific type of) improvements

5 THE BEST/TOP • This is where it’s important to be unbiased.

• What are the best questions to ask when interviewing an agent?

• How to find the best agent for you?

• The top 10 homes for sale in (insert area) • The top housing trends of 2021 • The most notable real estate sales in (insert area) in 2021 • The best way to attract buyers when selling your home in 2021.

VIDEO IDEAS WORKSHEET What questions are you commonly asked by consumers that you can turn into helpful content for future customers?

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VIDEO PLANNER WORKSHEET

WHAT IS THE ONE BIG IDEA FOR YOUR VIDEO OR BLOG POST? (Or the question you wish to answer!)

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS + CLIENTS TO FEEL WHILE WATCHING YOUR VIDEO? Inspired

Motivated

Hopeful

Entertained

WHAT IS THE OPENING OR HOOK OF THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE FIRST POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE SECOND POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE THIRD POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT SOMEONE TO DO AFTER THEY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE ONE BIG IDEA FOR YOUR VIDEO OR BLOG POST?

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS + CLIENTS TO FEEL WHILE WATCHING YOUR VIDEO? Inspired

Motivated

Hopeful

Entertained

WHAT IS THE OPENING OR HOOK OF THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE FIRST POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE SECOND POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE THIRD POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT SOMEONE TO DO AFTER THEY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO?

VIDEO PLANNER WORKSHEET

(Or the question you wish to answer!)

VIDEO PLANNER WORKSHEET

WHAT IS THE ONE BIG IDEA FOR YOUR VIDEO OR BLOG POST? (Or the question you wish to answer!)

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS + CLIENTS TO FEEL WHILE WATCHING YOUR VIDEO? Inspired

Motivated

Hopeful

Entertained

WHAT IS THE OPENING OR HOOK OF THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE FIRST POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE SECOND POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE THIRD POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT SOMEONE TO DO AFTER THEY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE ONE BIG IDEA FOR YOUR VIDEO OR BLOG POST?

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR FOLLOWERS + CLIENTS TO FEEL WHILE WATCHING YOUR VIDEO? Inspired

Motivated

Hopeful

Entertained

WHAT IS THE OPENING OR HOOK OF THE VIDEO?

WHAT IS THE FIRST POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE SECOND POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT IS THE THIRD POINT YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT SOMEONE TO DO AFTER THEY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO?

VIDEO PLANNER WORKSHEET

(Or the question you wish to answer!)

THE CHALLENGER SALE It’s long been conventional wisdom that the key to sales success is building strong relationships with customers, while waiting patiently in the wings for them to call you when they think the time is right. To a degree, this is what everyone has aspired to – the holy grail of what’s known as ‘relationship selling’. But a Gartner study of sales reps during the GFC turned this idea on its head by studying the habits of top performers across many sales industries. Anton Babkov explains The Challenger Sale and how you can use it to your advantage to win more business.

D

uring the recession, business dried up for a lot of people, yet those who succeeded in selling despite the downturn demonstrated significantly different characteristics than the ‘relationship sellers.’

These salespeople responded to their customers in a new way - and the term “Challenger Sale” was coined in 2011 with the release of a book of the same name by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson.

At Rexlabs, we’re constantly challenging the way we do business, looking at new ways to assist and engage our clientele.

The concept of the Challenger Sale piqued our interest as something we could share with agents due to its ability to translate into more effective customer conversations.

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGER SALE? The Challenger Sale is a skill found in salespeople who are able to constructively challenge a customer’s world view.

Today, it’s rare for a vendor to come to an agent with zero knowledge of the sales process or where their property sits in the market.

Similarly, when buyers first meet a real estate agent, they’ve already done many hours of research and usually know what type of property they want, where they wish to live and how much they’ve got to spend.

Everyone is an armchair property expert.

But there are still things the consumer does not know.

And it’s this ‘gap’ between what consumers know and what they don’t… and perhaps even more importantly, what they don’t know they don’t know, that gives you as a sales professional a unique

opportunity to position yourself as an expert.

In practice, that means delivering important information and expertise the customer needs and cannot get anywhere else.

WHAT DO CUSTOMERS REALLY WANT? The same Gartner study shows the most important thing to customers is not the product, service or price, but the actual sales experience.

That is, customers actually enjoy being challenged if they learn something new and valuable to them.

HOW CAN I BECOME A ‘CHALLENGER’?

Given that becoming a challenger is about skill, market knowledge and communication - there are three key skills that define ‘challengers’.

1

BE AN EDUCATOR

To be an educator, you first need to have a critical piece of knowledge (or multiple points of knowledge) you can share with your overly well-informed customers.

Ideally, these pieces of knowledge demonstrate a USP, which challenges the customer’s assumptions.

This could include highlighting a problem the customer didn’t know they had or the shortcomings of other approaches.

It could also include things like: • Teaching sellers about the value of digital marketing for demand generation.

• Showing marketing expertise beyond the portals, backed by personal data analysis.

• Teaching sellers about the segments of each class of buyer in the local market and they might position their property to one or more of those segments.

• Showing expertise in a particular

type of sale - like ‘off-market’ sales – and teaching the seller about the cost or benefit of doing this in both current and future market conditions.

• Sharing data around prices achieved at auctions – and teaching the value of promotion, building up to a big day event and price competition.

2

TAILORING

The way to reach a ‘challenger’ consensus with your buyer or seller is to tailor your teaching message so that it resonates and sticks with them.

To do this successfully, you will need to understand their position – perhaps including their financial position – significantly better than they do themselves.

This means a deep dive into the outcomes the person cares most about, the result they need delivered to get them on to the next stage of their journey, and a big picture of what their true economic drivers are.

Then combine these with your unique skills and knowledge in the conversation to create that experience where you are demonstrating your value, and the customer is learning something they didn’t already know.

3

TAKING CONTROL

Just as you can’t be an effective teacher without pushing your students, you can’t really teach customers without pushing them to think and act differently.

So the third and final behaviour Gartner found in challengers is they are assertive and not afraid to take control.

That doesn’t give you a license to be irritating or aggressive, but it does mean standing firm when the customer pushes back.

Customers actually enjoy being challenged if they learn something new and valuable to them.

This is especially important when it comes to money; for example, a challenger won’t give in to a request for a 10 per cent discount on fees. They will instead refocus the conversation on the value they provide and what the next step might be.

There are a lot of messages out there about the need for real estate salespeople to have the talent to accommodate every customer they come across in every way known to mankind.

But I don’t believe this is altogether true.

By all means, build relationships – but don’t forget to challenge your clients with a set of clearly differentiated facts that your competition is not providing.

If you can be really clear about a handful of things you are truly an expert in, everyone wins.

ANTON BABKOV is CEO of Rexlabs – a team of entrepreneurs taking complex problems and untangling them into simple, usable products for the real estate sector. For more information visit rexlabs.io.

LEAD GENERATION

THE FIVE DRIVERS

LEAD NURTURE

CONVERSION

HOT PROSPECTS EFFORTLESS CONVERSION MORE LISTINGS

KICK START 2022 WITH AN EXTRA SHOT OF CAFFEINE eliteagent.com/salescaffeine

W

hen a potential client asks you, “Why should I use you?” have you ever found yourself saying any of the below?

• We are a long-established firm • We have the most experienced team • I’m a trusted professional • We use the latest technology • I’m passionate about real estate…

Many folks in the industry declare these statements as what’s unique about them – but unfortunately, when everyone says the same things, it’s not unique at all.

USP DEFINED Refer to the diagram on the opposite page and let’s redefine what a good unique selling proposition (sometimes also referred to as a UVP – or unique value proposition) really is: • One factor, or several factors of a service that differentiates you from your competition that the customer actually cares about.

For example, Dominos Pizza.

• A lighthouse of values or a higher purpose that your customers care about and your employees can be proud of. For example, Virgin.

If a USP is crafted well it can:

WHY YOU? Whether it’s pitching for new business or tidying up your social media profiles, a crisp unique selling proposition (or USP) can make all the difference if it properly addresses a specific consumer need. But if like all other agents you are including ‘passion’ and ‘trust’ as your major differentiators, is it really unique?

• Help you prioritise the creation of content that is useful and relevant to your ideal client.

• Empower you to share why someone should work with you over someone else.

While a USP is usually a short, crisp sentence it must also be memorable and repeatable, identify your ideal client and what benefits you provide.

NB – Saying you are ‘passionate’ about real estate squarely falls into the ‘who cares’ zone.

CAN YOU BUILD A REALLY CRISP ELEVATOR PITCH? There is a four-step formula for building a great USP. This is

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

WINNING ZONE Clear point of differencethat meets the needs.

WINNING Make it even bigger. ZONE Clear point of difference that meets the needs.

WHAT YOUR BRAND DOES WELL

✓ WHAT THE CONSUMER WANTS

Make it even bigger.

LOSING ZONE Your competitor meets the consumer needs LOSING competitor meets the consumer needs better than you do.ZONE You’ll beYour crushed.

WHO CARES?

RISKY better than you do. You’ll be crushed.

Competitive battleground. Use emotion, innovative, superior RISKY execution.

Competitive battleground. Use emotion, innovative,

?

X

WHAT YOUR COMPETITOR DOES WELL

superior execution.

WHO CARES? Many times, competitors battle in areas the consumer just doesn’t careMany about.times, Have fun WHO CARES? competitors battle in areas the wasting your time.

consumer just doesn’t care about. Have fun wasting your time.

where you ask yourself a series of questions to figure out what you can deliver that literally, no one else can.

Here is a simple version: 1. Tell me what you do (the problem you solve, the job you get done, the experience you deliver)?

2. Tell me who you do it for?

USP 21 QUESTION CHECKLIST 1. Can you advertise that your service is specially crafted for a particular demographic?

2. Is there a specific problem you solve that others don't?

3. Tell me what it results in?

3. Can you emphasise something unique or special about yourself?

And lastly, this is the one everyone kind of forgets, but is definitely worth bonus points as far as the consumer is concerned:

4. Can you emphasise that you have a ‘system’ that's consistent, reliable, thorough, foolproof, or unusually effective?

4. Make me a negative promise (What won't I have to deal with if I list with you? What bad outcome will you avoid? What unpleasant or time-consuming thing will I not have to deal with as a result of working with you?).

5. Is there anything special about your service?

Here are some examples of crisply worded USPs:

6. Do you have a higher purpose or company values that would appeal to your demographic?

7. Is there something unique about your track record, or that of your service?

Dominos – We will deliver you a fresh, hot pizza in 20 minutes or it’s free.

8. Is there something unique about the environment or surroundings you provide for your customers?

Elite Agent – We deliver agents the best and brightest in the real estate industry without the bad news, scaremongering and clickbait that you generally see in the mainstream media.

9. Do you have a unique method/ mechanism for getting your result that your competitors don't, or that makes for a story worth telling?

Leigh Thomas Brown1 – “I get my jollies out of helping people navigate the minefield of real estate. At any time, you might get blown up, and I might get blown up, but pieces of us will cross the finish line together.”

10. Can you give your sales or PM process a special brand name or Trademark of its own?

11. Is the quality of your product or service demonstrably better than your competitors?

12. Can you create a higher-end version of your product or service?

13. Do you offer a lower grade or less elaborate product or service than your competitors, making it more accessible to more people?

14. Is your product or service customised for your customer in a way that your competitor's is not?

15. Can you create a customised service for your customer?

16. Do you offer a complete donefor-you (DFY) version or service that your competitors do not?

17. Do you offer a do-it-yourself (DIY) version or service that your competitors do not?

18. Do you offer a done-withyou (DWY) version or service that combines DIY + DFY elements?

19. Is there something unique about the overall experience of doing business with you?

20. Do you combine and bundle your service with your other services or products in a way that your competitors do not?

21. Is there something unique or special about your price or pricing model? n

SAMANTHA MCLEAN

1. Leigh Brown is a realtor in North Carolina who we interviewed a few years ago. Make sure you read her UVP with an appropriate southern accent…! https://eliteagent.com/keeping-it-real/

BRAINSTORM YOUR ANSWERS TO THE 21 QUESTIONS

USP WORKSHEET

FINAL SENTENCE

NEGATIVE PROMISE

WHAT DOES IT RESULT IN?

WHO DO YOU DO IT FOR?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

GROW THE RENT ROLL MAKE AN IMPACT SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT

JOIN THE EXECUTIVE SUITE WITH HANNAH GILL + TARA BRADBURY Visit eliteagent.com/execbdm

YOUR NOTES AND IDEAS

CONTENT IDEAS AND EXAMPLES

HOW TO DEFINE IT?

Client for life initiatives?

Can you create content around how you serve this niche?

What are people always surprised to learn about you?

Your family.

Can you be an expert in a type of property or a particular demographic?

What topics are you most passionate about?

Your hobbies? For example guitar or Peloton?

What brings you joy?

An authentic look at what’s happening in your life and your business (behind the scenes).

An authentic look at what’s happening in your life and your business.

Engaging regularly with other people’s posts.

DIMENSION 3 PERSONAL

A favourite feature of your latest listing?

Events you attend?

How do you help clients work with these people?

Write down the names of the businesses you regularly work with?

For example: trades, accountants, finance, and builders etc?

DIMENSION 2 YOUR ‘SPHERE’

Can you answer their questions?

What feels easy to you that is difficult for others?

Write down the names of your 15 most recent clients. What do they have in common?

DIMENSION 1 YOUR ‘NICHE’ OR SUPERPOWER

FIVE DIMENSIONS WORKSHEET

Earned media

Education

Market monitor

Property values/ Property clock

Auction clearance rates

What’s happening at a state level? national level?

Current listings, OFIs etc (Circle sales)

Client testimonials

Answering common questions

Show your expertise what do people always ask you about?

DIMENSION 4 REAL ESTATE EXPERT

Reviews and conversations on homely. com.au

School dates and information.

Suburb on Google Alert.

Shout outs and shares of local businesses.

Share intimate knowledge of your local area.

Local news

If you were to move into your suburb, what do you know that other locals would want to know?

DIMENSION 5 YOUR COMMUNITY

Share one of your favourite things about your latest listing

Engage

TYPE OF CONTENT (SAMPLE ONLY!)

DON’T FORGET

YOUR NOTES AND IDEAS

Dimension 1 – Your niche

EXAMPLE SCHEDULE

MONDAY

Engage

Answer a question

Dimension 2 – Your sphere

TUESDAY

EXAMPLE WEEKLY SCHEDULER

Engage

Share one of your favourite things

Personal

Dimension 3 –

WEDNESDAY

Engage

Market monitor/ weekend preview

Dimension 4 – Expert

THURSDAY

Engage

Shout out to local business

Dimension 5 – Community

FRIDAY

Engage

Behind the scenes/ testimonial

Repeat 3 or 4

SATURDAY

Engage

Local news item

Day off or repeat 5

SUNDAY

Why?

1

2

THIS WEEK What are you most confident about?

3

QUESTIONS What questions do you have for the upcoming week?

Wins

What are you most proud of?

LAST WEEK

THE WEEKLY MOMENTUM BUILDER - WEEK 1

4

5

What are you most excited about?

MOVING FORWARD

Why?

1

2

THIS WEEK What are you most confident about?

3

QUESTIONS What questions do you have for the upcoming week?

Wins

What are you most proud of?

LAST WEEK

THE WEEKLY MOMENTUM BUILDER - WEEK 2

4

5

What are you most excited about?

MOVING FORWARD

Why?

1

2

THIS WEEK What are you most confident about?

3

QUESTIONS What questions do you have for the upcoming week?

Wins

What are you most proud of?

LAST WEEK

THE WEEKLY MOMENTUM BUILDER - WEEK 3

4

5

What are you most excited about?

MOVING FORWARD

Why?

1

2

THIS WEEK What are you most confident about?

3

QUESTIONS What questions do you have for the upcoming week?

Wins

What are you most proud of?

LAST WEEK

THE WEEKLY MOMENTUM BUILDER - WEEK 4

4

5

What are you most excited about?

MOVING FORWARD

Try something else

Caution

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