LOS ANGELES EDITION
6 Methods for BUILDING BETTER EMAIL LISTS
COVER STORY:
WHY DOESN'T TRAINING WORK for You?
FEATURED AGENT:
JEN WINSTON
RON WYNN • FIORA ASTON • STEVE SAWAII
COMPLETE RETROFITTING AND WATER CONSERVATION COMPLIANCE (PER SENATE BILL NO. 407)
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LOS ANGELES EDITION
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JEN WINSTON
CONTENTS 4) WHY DOESN'T TRAINING WORK FOR YOU? 13) LONG TERM GOAL SETTING VISION=PERSPECTIVE= BETTER DECISIONS
JEN WINSTON
LA native and up-and-coming Top Agent Jen Winston may have only a little more than two years under her belt as a solo real estate agent, but what she lacks in time on the job she more than makes up for with an incredible enthusiasm, a deep knowledge of the industry, and an equally deep understanding of how to provide top-notch customer service to her many grateful clients.
16) HOW DOES MARKETING DIFFER FROM Currently working with premier Beverly Hills-based ADVERTISING—AND company The Agency, Jen began her career in the business FROM working for a top-producing brokerage in Beverly MERCHANDISING Hills & before obtaining her real estate license and venturing BRANDING
out on her own. Not long after joining The Agency, Jen distinguished herself by being named MVP as the most improved for quickly tripling her business. Her star 20)player 6 METHODS has only continued to ascend since then, and today she FOR BUILDING BETTER is able to boast a client base that consists of over 90% EMAIL LISTS returns and referrals. Her professional reputation precedes her, as she possesses a perfect combination of business savvy, enthusiasm, professionalism and genuine concern Phone 888-461-3930 | Fax 310-751-7068 for all her clients. mag@topagentmagazine.com | www.topagentmagazine.com No portion of this issue may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever prioras consent of the publisher. Top gratitude Agent Jen’s without abilities an agent, and the her clients Magazine is published by Feature Publications GA, Inc. Althoughfeel precautions are taken to ensure the accuracy of published for her services are evidenced in this glowing fivematerials, Top Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. star Zillow review: “Working with Jen was a dream. She To subscribe or change address, send inquiry to mag@topagentmagazine.com. went above and beyond to find me my perfect home. I Published in the U.S. was having a hard time finding a house I loved and she literally drove around the area I wanted to live in and Top Agent Magazine 3 after found me a house that was not even listed yet. Even we closed she continued to oversee and help make sure
Why Doesn’t Training Work for You? by Carla Cross
Why isn’t your training working for as a ‘performance art’, not a you? Every company says they ‘knowledge pursuit!’ ‘have training.’ Yet, whether you’ve been in business 2 days or 20 years, Big question for you: Think of your you’ve probably felt frustrated that last 3 trainings. What were you doing those hours spent in class—listening in class? Listening to the ‘expert’? to someone at the front (the Or, were you putting to work what ‘expert)—didn’t do you any good. you were learning—while in class, There’s one reason training doesn’t so you could get valuable feedback work—and here’s how to make it before you ‘practiced’ on real work for you, so you don’t waste people—your clients? precious hours in training rooms. What you need to be doing in class Training doesn’t work because it’s to assure you can do it ‘for real’: not taught right—and the people in the class aren’t doing what needs to • If it’s appropriate, you need to role be done for training to make a play (like answering objections, giving a listing presentation, etc.) difference in their lives. Here’s what training needs to help • If appropriate, you need to you every time you’re in class: differentiate (like finding mistakes in a purchase and sale agreement). Training must have action inside class to be effective for you. • If appropriate, you need to practice the actions in class and then What do I mean? go out and do it with a ‘real person’—the client—and come back I mean we have to look at real estate and tell how it went (practice a 4
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listing presentation, do it ‘for real’, Real Estate: Performance Art and come back to class and refine it). or Knowledge Pursuit? None of these things happening in class? Make it work anyway. Take the ‘actionable’ items you learned in class and go do them—for real— within 3 days of going to class (otherwise we only remember 10% of what we heard!). Now you’ve made your own action plan. Trainers: I just videos showing training work. uTube channel. Top Agent Magazine
Let’s be honest: Do you know someone in your office who seems to know everything—but doesn’t sell a stick of real estate? Sure. That’s the problem with treating real estate as a ‘knowledge pursuit’. It has little to do with results. It’s a performance art. How you perform in the field—with real clients— did a series of 5 determines your success. how to make your See them on my Big question for you: Which kind of agent are you? A ‘performance art’ 5
How you perform in the field—with real clients—determines your success. agent or a ‘knowledge pursuit’ agent? Which is easier to become? Your Training Should Resemble a Piano Lesson
will ‘do it’ for you 3.Relying on ‘on demand’ video. Many large franchises are providing video on demand training. Brokers may be relieved that this is going to take training off their plates. I wish. Unfortunately, video training can provide very limited production results. Why? Because people don’t learn much by watching video. Yes, they learn a little. They observe someone else doing something; they get information. But, they don’t have to take action.
As a long-time pianist and teacher, I know intimately that, if you don’t practice, you can’t play (or you play badly)! Think of effective training like a piano lesson. You practice outside class. You come prepared. You get tips and modeling from your teacher. Then you practice in class with your ‘coach’ watching and listening. Then, you ‘go out in the field’ and practice. You come back When you’re ready to get results ready to perform for your coach from your training, you’ll be ready to treat your training like the power again. That’s effective training. tool it really can be. Here are 3 things that don’t work in training (and things for you to avoid): Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is an international 1.Listening for a long period of time and thinking you can do it (you already know that, from your experiences, right?) 2.Thinking most company training 6
speaker and president of Carla Cross Seminars, Inc. and Carla Cross Coaching. A former national Realtor Educator of the Year, Carla is known as one of the ‘go-to’ experts in her profession. She’s written training and coaching programs for most of the major real estate franchises. Contact Carla at 425-392-6914 or www.carlacross.com. Top Agent Magazine
RON WYNN • FIORA ASTON • STEVE SAWAII Top Agent Magazine
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It’s the highlight of every day. It’s our “Hour of Power.” Infused with energy and passion, it takes place every morning before 10 am. Ranging from casual to at-times intense discussions, we pool our experience, creativity and contacts to provide the leading edge to our clients. We address the needs of our buyers and our sellers, crafting new ways to connect people and often turning the “long shot” into the “game-winning point.” Imaginative thinking arouses creative conversation and turns the impossible into reality. In countless tangible examples, the bite-sized pieces of information we share yield life-changing opportunities for our sellers and buyers. The Hour of Power sets the stage for us to deliver valuable Solutions by Collaboration – all day,
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every day. Through our collective 100+ years in the business, we have amassed a universe of individual talents. We exemplify the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts as we share the results of our combined expertise with every client. Propelled by our desire to provide real value, the collective “We” – Ron, Steve and Fiora – conduct business in the most Hands-On, Executive-Level fashion. While the size of our business might suggest that we employ a multitude of associate brokers, this simply is not the case. No undertaking ever leaves the hands of Ron, Steve and Fiora from the first meeting to the finish; we focus on quality control and attention to detail. We are your task force, day in and day out, merging our unique skill sets to guarantee your success:
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STEVE SAWAII • Magic with Numbers: Steve provides brilliant market analysis and indisputable appraisal justifications. • Every Detail, Every Property: He knows each property backward to forward, side to side.
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• People: He’s our up-to-the-minute encyclopedia of Who, What, When and Where. We are in the People business and there’s not a person Steve doesn’t know. • Neighborhood Authority: He knows every nook of the Westside. Clients sit in awe over the anecdotes and facts that Steve shares from his knowledge of neighborhood real estate history and trivia. Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9
FIORA ASTON • International Allure: Fiora discreetly maintains an endless database of high-profile personal relationships and clients from all corners of the globe. By finding meaningful ways to connect buyers and sellers, she creates win-win situations. An elected director with Coldwell Banker Previews International, Fiora brings the best of the Westside Luxury market to Asian, European and Middle East brokers with an impressive portfolio of closings representing some of the world’s highest-net-worth individuals and corporations.
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• Impeccable Training and Taste: Her exquisite flair for design and architecture brings unmatched class to the design coordination and staging of our homes. • Imparting Lifestyle through Story: No agent on the Westside can draw emotion from buyers the way Fiora does. With precise artistry, she creates sensory experiences in a home that leave buyers dreaming of their lives there. Reinforced by her ability to connect people’s needs and tastes with the lifestyles they crave, she is the perfect matchmaker between people and homes. Top Agent Magazine
RON WYNN • Always ON: Amazingly perceptive, Ron unfailingly uncovers the smallest details to give our clients the greatest negotiating advantages. • Problem Solver: There is no “can’t” in Ron’s vocabulary. Incredibly astute and remarkably calm, Ron’s positive and unassuming demeanor makes even the greatest challenges surmountable. If there’s a missing puzzle piece, Ron finds it. • The Professional’s Ally: Attorneys, Accountants, Business Managers and Corporate Professionals are drawn to Ron. He speaks their language, quickly gleaning Top Agent Magazine
critical insights from each collaborative conversation. By breaking real estate into easy-to-process pieces of a larger strategic plan, he helps elite professionals conceptualize and discern their best options. • Finger on the Pulse: A second-generation, top-producing Westside real estate professional, Ron knows today’s Westside market as if he were still on his newspaper route hand-delivering the LA Times. People come to him for the latest word on the street. Nobody knows every block, corner, turn, slope or estate property like Ron does. Copyright Top Agent Magazine11
REPRESENTING LIFESTYLES FROM CONDOS TO CASTLES To us, the joy of real estate is in making people’s dreams come true while building our family of beloved clients and friends. We cher-
ish our ongoing connections with the people we serve. For us, it’s all about you.
RON WYNN 310.963.9944 STEVE SAWAII 310.261.3777 FIORA ASTON 310.480.3585 wsarealestate.com www.
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Goal Contracts
By Barry Eisen
(A Life Skill from the Old School) A few months ago I spoke at a real estate sales meeting in an office where I’ve spoken and taught seminars for many years. As soon as I was finished, an agent, who had transferred into this office about a year before, standing in the back of the room, graciously offered a glowing testimonial about my seminar he had taken ten years ago. He talked of a number meaningful changes for the better he had experienced in his life since that seminar. Then he took out Top Agent Magazine
of his pocket a small number of 3 by 5 cards and held them up like he was holding the Holy Grail. Of all the internal and external techniques he was exposed to in the seminar, these cards (Goal Contracts) were his game changer. I stopped guessing years ago, which ideas or systems I teach will be best or most appreciated. We all perceive ideas so differently. Generally, feedback I get in coaching sessions is 13
that the biggest issue for most, who are not fulfilling their own personal promises, is lack of focus, not lack of ability or planning. There are lots of good ideas available to shake a person out of the Limbo they’ve created. Here’s one that has worked for many. If you like the idea, don’t just acknowledge it as a “nice idea.” Do it for a month. Get past the initial new/awkward/judgmental stage. Then decide whether this is an idea worth continuing or not. Come from KNOWING, not second-guessing. 3. On the second line, answer the You have everything to gain and time question. What is the specific nothing to lose. TARGET or DUE DATE for that goal to be accomplished? (A specific The Goal Contract date creates a sense of urgency.) Get as many 3 X 5 cards for as many 4. On the third line of each card selected personal/business goals answer the HOW? question. This is the action step, where the rubber you’d like to accomplish. meets the road. How are you going 1. Create 4 horizontal lines across to get from where you are to where each card with a few spaces in you are going? Dig deeper than the lazy answer: “If I knew what to do between each. I’d be doing it!” If you’ve crossed the street by yourself a few times You have everything to already, chances are you know what gain and nothing to lose. you need to do. Write this down in a few words on the third line. 2. On the top line of each card answer the question WHAT? What 5. On the bottom line of each card, is that card’s goal? Write that goal SIGN YOUR NAME. As simple and on the top line (e.g. Weigh 150 lbs., perhaps silly as this may seem, we $200,000, run a 42 minute 10K, etc). have been conditioned to live up to 14
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responsibilities we sign for (mortgages, insurance, credit cards, cars, etc). Personal and business goals don’t generally fall into that category. A small action can have a huge impact. As you sign your name, feel the responsibility of your commitment. 6. Stick a small piece of double sided tape on the back of each card.
you feel self conscious), on your office and home office desk, etc. Just the physical act of moving the cards, subconsciously reinforces what the cards represent. Since most of our attitudes and actions are subconsciously motivated, you will feel more immediately compelled to make the better, usually more productive decision.
This is a little idea that can play 7. Carry these cards with you big in getting you to another level. through the travels of your day. In Because it’s easy to do, it becomes your pocket or handbag, carry case, easy to NOT do. Do it, you’ll like it! on the dashboard of your car (not when you have others with you, if Copyright©, 2015 Barry Eisen. All Barry Eisen teaches personal development seminars and coaches Southern California top producing rEALtOrS®. “Your business will never grow more than you do” is the theme; self hypnosis and behavior modification are the tools for playing a bigger game. barryeisen.com, barryeisen@LA.twcbc.com 818-769-4300 Top Agent Magazine
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How Does Marketing Differ From Advertising—And From Merchandising & Branding by Rob Flitton
Almost everyone has trouble sorting out how marketing differs from advertising, not to how it differs from mention merchandising and branding.
3.You have a product or service than can and should innovate as the market reflects back to you Marketing is the ongoing activity of interfacing your business with the marketplace—of communicating the value of a product or service for the purpose of selling that product or service.
So here is a definitive statement on the definition of what each activity is, and the order in which they should occur—disobey the order, and you cannot reliably or rationally market your product or service; you MERCHANDISING will only be guessing. Merchandising is the activity of creating a segmenting strategy for MARKETING the promotion or sale of a product or Marketing is what happens first in service for the purpose of selling the process and is the most important that product or service. role in any business organization. You need to decide what market segment you want to appeal to with Think of marketing from 3 angles: the level of quality of: 1.You have an industry that your business is in, and this does not change • Quality of merchandise 2.You have an audience or market- • Speed and availability of service place that can change or innovate to some degree • Dress code for representatives 16
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• Returns, customer service, or warranty policy • Office or retail store aesthetics and degree of luxury Think about the difference between Nordstrom and Walmart (two profitable companies)—just as Walmart will never have a piano player, Nordstrom will never have a vague return policy. You cannot find good floor-service at Walmart, but you don’t expect to. The CEO of Walmart Top Agent Magazine
doesn’t lament “I wish I was the CEO of Walmart,” and vice-versa. Profitability is about making everything in your merchandising line up in accordance with your chosen product or service and its theme. BRANDING Branding is the strategic ascribing of words, a name, term, sign symbol or design, or a combination of these, so that a user may easily identify the product or service—so that the user will regard the product or service as 17
If sales don’t happen, you need to begin back again at the beginning and innovate your MARKETING. the solution to their problem and motivate them.
persuade the audience to take or continue some action.
When you think of any great brand, or observe their logo or imagery, it evokes certain words or a phrase to pop into your mind.
Advertising can occur in numerous ways or methods ranging from simple to complex, free to hugely expensive.
The goal in branding is to encapsulate your offering into a word or phrase— to make your proposal to solve a known problem obvious to the potential user taking a look at you. Ideally, a phrase or image allows the user to make an emotional connection to the product or service, and to be able to relate its story to others. You want a word, or a few words (a phrase) to pop into their heads when they see or think about your product or service.
In simple terms, it is the process of telling the world (or your intended audience) about what you have to offer to them.
ADVERTISING Advertising is the activity of telling or communicating to potential users the benefits of using or employing a specific product or service to 18
And…at the end of all of this process is making the sale—of closing on a deal to sell your product or service. And if sales don’t happen, you need to begin back again at the beginning and innovate your MARKETING. Rob Flitton is a Seattle Real Estate Marketing specialist helping independent agents to increase their income. Email Rob robflitton@gmail.com at any time or call/ text him at 206-612-2314. Top Agent Magazine
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6 Methods for Building Better Email Lists By Kendra Lee
Email lists can be a blessing or a curse. When they’re composed of real email addresses of people in your target micro-segment, and those people recognize you or your company by name, an email list is an invaluable lead generation resource. When the list is filled with contacts who don’t know of you or your company, i.e. a cold list, lead generation can be though – really tough. Likewise, if your list is populated with fake, inactive, or irrelevant accounts you’re at risk of being banned by your email software provider. Not surprisingly, I hear from clients all the time asking how to build an email list that will get results for their campaigns. Should they purchase? Should they attempt to build their own? Remember that with email list building your goal is to build a list of people within your micro-segment, so quality is more important than quantity. The more similar the contacts, the easier it is to tailor your nurturing and lead generation content to their specific needs. Here are six methods that will help you build a quality email list. 20
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1
Nurturing and lead generation activities: When you engage in social media, nurturing activities, SEO, and Adwords, those mediums provide forums for you to drive people to your website, start a conversation via a social channel, attend an event you’re hosting, and add people to your list. People who respond really do want to be part of your list.
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Membership organizations: Whether it’s through industry associations, mastermind groups, or networking events, these types of organizations provide an excellent means for collecting contact information. Generally, people will update or provide their own information because they want other members to have easy access to them so you know the data is current.
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Shared lists: By finding a peer who targets a similar microsegment with a non-competitive offering, you may be able to forge a partnership in which you promote to each other’s lists. This happens frequently within the high tech space, with consultants, and with professional services organization where they understand the value of collaboration.
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Research the web and build your own: Increasingly, we’re seeing companies comb LinkedIn, Zoominfo. com, InsideView.com, DiscoverOrg.com and other websites for contact information, and then follow-up with companies to confirm the validity of that information. This approach is time consuming, but it can be very effective. A client who we coached through this process recently got a 41% open rate on their email nurturing campaign. I really like DiscoverOrg for the detailed information they have if you’re selling in the IT or telecom industry.
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Purchase lists: There are numerous companies that sell email lists, but you need to be careful which vendor you buy from
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and how much you spend. Prices typically range from hundreds to several thousand dollars depending on list specificity and size. One warning: Expect higher bounce rates with these lists and negotiate for that issue when you purchase. To avoid high bounce rates, look for a list company that validates the information. In this way I’ve been very pleased with ExchangeLeads for new lists and validation of current lists. If you don’t have any list, this may be the way to get started.
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Trade information for information: Sites like ExchangeLeads and Data.com community give you credit for providing contact information for companies you’ve worked with in the past. As you earn credit, you can use it to acquire lists for free. These services generally have a fee option as well, and the data integrity is dependent upon users keeping it current. Again, look for companies that validate data to reduce bounce rates and wasted time. I really like ExchangeLeads for trading information as well as purchasing it. Ultimately, my advice would be to focus as much on the organic list building methods (#s 1-4) as possible, and supplement with the purchased methods (#s 5 and 6) when necessary. If you start with a purchased list, plan to nurture it and build your recognition. Don’t toss it away if you don’t get immediate results. At the end of the day, you want to strive for list quality over list quantity. Pushing your messaging out to unwitting, uninterested, or unsuspecting prospects won’t do anything to help you close more deals.
Contact details for Kendra Lee: Phone: 303-741-6636 (Old fashioned, but very effective.) Email: Info@klagroup.com (Yes, I get every one of these personally.) Twitter: @KendraLeeKLA (And I do follow all direct messages on Twitter!) KLA Group is a sales consulting and training firm focused on helping clients get more customers in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment through lead generation, prospecting, hiring and onboarding Copyright©, 2016 Kendra Lee. All rights reserved. strategies. 22
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JEN WINSTON LA native and up-and-coming Top Agent Jen Winston may have only a little more than two years under her belt as a solo real estate agent, but what she lacks in time on the job she more than makes up for with an incredible enthusiasm, a deep knowledge of the industry, and an equally deep understanding of how to provide top-notch customer service to her many grateful clients. Currently working with premier Beverly Hills-based company The Agency, Jen began her career in the business working for a top-producing brokerage in Beverly Hills before obtaining her real estate license and venturing out on her own. Not long after joining The Agency, Jen distinguished herself by being named MVP as the most improved player for quickly tripling her business. Her star has only continued to ascend since then, and today she is able to boast a client base that consists of over 90% returns and referrals. Her professional reputation precedes her, as she possesses a perfect combination of business savvy, enthusiasm, professionalism and genuine concern for all her clients. Jen’s abilities as an agent, and the gratitude her clients feel for her services are evidenced in this glowing fivestar Zillow review: “Working with Jen was a dream. She went above and beyond to find me my perfect home. I was having a hard time finding a house I loved and she literally drove around the area I wanted to live in and found me a house that was not even listed yet. Even after we closed she continued to oversee and help make sure
the house was ready and perfect for my move in. I would highly recommend working with her.” Jen, a Los Angeles native who sells homes in the entire greater Los Angeles area - all the way from Silver Lake on the city’s east side to the beach side community of The Palisades - prides herself not just on her wealth of local knowledge, but also the level of integrity and conscientiousness with which she approaches her craft. “My clients always know I have their best interests at heart,” she says. “I always go above and beyond, and I think I have a strong moral compass. They also appreciate my diligence, integrity and care throughout the transaction.” When asked what she enjoys most about what she does, Jen expresses a love for being able to help her clients find their dream home. “It brings me a lot of gratitude and fulfillment. Even from the seller’s perspective, helping them liquidate assets for the next stage of their life, that’s very rewarding as well.” A strong commitment to community underlies Jen’s drive to succeed, and to that end she has founded an organization called LA Power Ladies, a women’s networking group which was spawned organically from meeting and networking with so many inspiring women. “It’s to connect and to help everyone grow. I like to share my friendships, my contacts, and to see everyone succeed,” she says. Jen altruism also encompasses her involvement with local charity A Place Called Home, which serves underprivileged and at-risk youth through after-school activities. As for the future, Jen strives to continue growing as an agent: “Although having only been in the business for four years, I’m very confident and certain I will be one of the top agents in Los Angeles.” This writer has no doubts, either.
For more information about Jen Winston, please call 424-230-7792 or email JWinston@The AgencyRE.com Top Agent Magazine
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