Nevada 1-2-17

NEVADA EDITION

DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY! SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

COVER STORY

TANIA MICHAELS

HOW TO CREATE A BUSINESSWINNING PLAN IN ONE HOUR WHY FLEXIBILITY HURTS (NOT HELPS) YOUR ABILITY TO CLOSE SALES DEALS

NEVADA EDITION

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TANIA MICHAELS

CONTENTS 4) HOW TO CREATE A BUSINESS-WINNING PLAN IN ONE HOUR

16) SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

13) WHY FLEXIBILITY HURTS (NOT HELPS) YOUR ABILITY TO CLOSE SALES DEALS

20) DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY!

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How to Create a Business-Winning Plan in One Hour

by Bubba Mills

Baloney! That’s what I say to those who think building a business plan should take days, weeks, even months. And I say baloney again to those who think a plan has to have a bunch of pages with graphs and charts.

I know for a fact REALTORS® don’t have that kind of time. But I also know every serious REALTOR® needs a good plan. That means if you’re reading this, you’re in the right place. Stick with me and you’ll end up with a plan that can make your year much better.

A comprehensive business plan (two pages max) can help you: • Account for what you accomplish • Clarify your life • Keep track of each of your goals • Manage your time 4

• Determine if you’re heading in the right direction So let’s get right to it. Here are the steps to take to get your plan in place and your year (and rear) in gear: Create a mission statement. This gets right to the heart of your life and addresses why you’re in real estate. It answers why you’re here, what your purpose is and what your business is truly about. Use positive, present tense statements such as “I am,” “I provide,” “I strive” as you define who you are and what you provide your clients. Take 10 minutes now to brainstorm some possible mission statements.

Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).

For strengths, maybe you’re tech savvy. For weaknesses perhaps you’re unorganized. With opportunities, it could be that a large firm is relocating to your city. And for threats, maybe Top Agent Magazine

Every serious REALTOR® needs a good plan. the mid-term, one year; and the long-term, five years. Also, in this same section, write your personal objectives. We can’t be balanced in life if all we focus on is business.

So consider what your ideal sitWrite your business objectives. In uation would look like with your this section I’d like you to consider family, your spiritual life and your what you want your business to look social life. Spend 10 minutes now like in the short-term, six months; in on these topics. interest rates are rising. Take 10 minutes now and fill in a few items for each category. If you get stuck, ask a co-worker or friend, who knows you well enough, for suggestions.

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Create a mission statement. This gets right to the heart of your life and addresses why you’re in real estate. It answers why you’re here, what your purpose is and what your business is truly about.

Create your sales goals. Here’s where I don’t want you to be afraid to think bigger. Take 15 minutes for this section. As part of this segment here at Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc., we include what’s called a goal achievement system that helps you stay on track with your goals. So for each goal, we include a why, excuses for failure, resolve and action items. I believe this is a vital step because it allows you to examine why you might hesitate in completing parts of your business plan. Email me at Article@CorcoranCoaching.com, and I’ll send you a free worksheet on this system.

Develop action items. To wrap up your plan, you need to get specific about how you’ll achieve your goals.

So for each goal you should have action items, due dates, who will 6

complete the items and a step-by-step daily and hourly plan with what has to be done. Take 15 minutes and do it.

Tell me what you’re thinking. Do you have a plan? If not, why not? What’s preventing you from creating one?

What successes or failures have you had with plans in the past?

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching. com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1800-957-8353 or visit us at www.Corcoran Coaching.com.

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TANIA MICHAELS

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TANIA MICHAELS Keller Williams Realty Top Agent Tania Michaels knows Las Vegas like the back of her hand. It’s the depth of this local knowledge, coupled with years of successful real estate experience and a passion to see the community thrive that sets her head and shoulders above her competitors.

“What sets me apart,” she says, “is the talent on my team, the breadth of my industry experience plus my local Las Vegas roots.

People have referred to me as ‘an all-aroundinsider’.” Michaels began her career as a loan officer, and was closing over $30M per year in loans before being recruited by a developer to 8Copyright Top Agent Magazine

do land acquisitions. Prior to switching over to residential sales almost four years ago, she had brokered over $200M in land sales.

Now having started her own residential real estate sales team, Tania specializes in selling the West half of Las Vegas, though ultimately there are plans to expand out into other parts of the Valley. In addition to traditional real estate brokering, Tania and her team process short sales with banks on properties in default. Lee Honish, former IndyMac bank asset manager, has deemed Michaels one of the best short sale agents in the State of Nevada.

At least 35% of Michaels’ sales are from past clients and referrals, something she attributes to her business model. The first half of her business model is to maintain relationships with a database of met and unmet people using the proven Keller Williams’ lead-generation sysTop Agent Magazine

tems which, she says, keeps her top-of-mind.

“It’s our no-leads-left-behind database. When we take a listing, our database gets first shot at it. We sell a lot of our own listings,” she says.

At the heart of her lead-generation model is a large, powerful contact management database which keeps her clients and sphere connected to her team whether via email, phone calls, direct mail pieces or in-person client events.

“We call each one of these a touch. For example, at Thanksgiving, we touched our clients with an event. It was a free pie-giveaway and a coat drive. We invited clients to pick up a free pie, and to donate an old coat that we would Top Agent Magazine

then in turn donate to a ministry that helps the homeless with free dental care, grooming services, clothing and meals. We were able to put buyers and sellers together at that event so it was a win-win for everyone.”

Aggressively marketing her listings is the second half of Michaels’ business model. Her team creates messages, images and methods designed to produce listings. “Listings,” she says, “generate buyers. The more listings I have, the more buyers I have for my seller clients. A listing that’s properly marketed can consistently yield one or more buyers, so we spend a lot of money on staging, photographCopyright Top Agent Magazine9

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“What sets me apart is the talent on my team, the breadth of my industry experience plus my local Las Vegas roots. People have referred to me as ‘an all-around-insider’.”

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ing and marketing our listings. As a result, our listings sell 38% faster than the average agent.”

What drives Michaels is being involved in a deeper way in her own community. “I want to create prosperity in a way that flourishes the community. Our vocation is part of our life’s purpose in the world and we’re using our natural gifts to be of greatest service to humanity.

I love touching as many people as we do.”

During those rare times she isn’t working, Tania enjoys spending time with her two English Bulldogs, Bubbles and El Hefe, playing piano, taking an occasional helicopter ride and baking cakes for her husband.

Michaels also considers herself a “missions junkie,” having traveled globally for multiple humanitarian projects with her local church.

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Looking to the future, Tania is thinking internationally. Fluent in two languages and conversant in a third, she plans to eventually spread her reach to the East Coast, and from there jump across the pond to begin creating real estate opportunities in other countries. “I want to see homeownership everywhere. It’s lucrative therefore it changes lives. It also serves a great cause – the ownership of private property rights is one of the great pillars of human freedom.”

To sum up the reason for her Top Agent status, she says, “One of my clients wrote me letter and observed that we do our work with love and passion. That, plus our work ethic, is why we’ve reached this place in our business.”

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Tania Michaels can be reach on her website at michaelsrealestate.com.

Also, via phone or email at 702-675-8211, assist@michaelsrealestate.com http://

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Why Flexibility Hurts (Not Helps) Your Ability to Close Sales Deals

By Kendra Lee

For many sales reps, being flexible throughout the sales process seems like the best, consultative approach to establish a strong prospect relationship and win more sales. Rather than suggest what a prospective client should buy, reps opt to empower the client to dictate their needs. In doing so, the thought process is that reps convey patience and a commitment to ensuring the client gets exactly what they want, which will in turn improve their chances of closing the deal.

Here’s what that approach accomplishes instead: Slower buy cycles and lower closing ratios.

Truth is, most buyers don’t know exactly what they need from you.

Sure, prospects know the outcome they want to achieve. They might even have an idea of which tools or services might help accomplish it. But they don’t know which specific products, services, or solutions will get them there. Other prospects know the outcome they want to achieve, but have no idea how to get started, let alone which products, services or solutions to look at.

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Either way, to achieve the outcome they’re aspiring to, buyers often look to you to guide them toward the right decision.

When you don’t provide that guidance, it stalls the sales process and dramatically reduces closing ratios. Here’s why: 1 Flexibility doesn’t empower buyers — it confuses them 2 Forcing work on to your buyers typically causes them to look elsewhere for someone who can figure out how exactly to address their problem In both cases, your performance suffers.

Ultimately, buyers — particularly in the earlier stages of their buy cycle — don’t want total flexibility or the freedom to choose any possible solution.

They want, and need, guidance from you to navigate toward the right one.

When you provide that definitive insight in the early stages of the buying cycle, customers gain confidence that you’re the right person to get them to where they need to be.

To put it more bluntly, being “flexible” is a cop out. It might make you feel better, but it’s not helping prospects.

If you really want to empower small and mid-size businesses to make meaningful change, you have to be willing to make a definitive, confident recommendation and show prospects a clear path to addressing their problem.

When you do that, you’ll close sales faster and your clients will be happier.

They’ll get what they need (and want), and your closing ratios will trend in the right direction.

Copyright©, 2016 Kendra Lee. All rights reserved.

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 strategies.

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Six Powerful Prospecting Tips to Build Your Business

By John Boe Why is it that some sales reps consistently earn a six-figure annual income while other reps, putting in the same hours, selling the same products, and trained by the same sales manager struggle each month financially to make ends meet? The answer to this question is painfully simple; the six-figure sales reps understand the importance of business development and never forget to ask for referrals.

Top producing sales reps set high standards for themselves and spend the majority of their time either actively prospecting for new business or closing sales. Successful sales reps set productivity goals, establish priorities, and don’t waste their precious time hanging out in the break room or taking twohour lunch breaks.

Top producers don’t need to be reminded to ask for referrals on a daily basis or follow-up on hot leads, because they understand that prospecting for new business is a necessity and not just an activity. The good news is that prospecting for new business, like any other learned skill set, can be trained and developed into a habit.

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Tip One: Don’t Forget to Ask for Referrals.

When it comes to asking for referrals, timing is everything. Research indicates that the most effective time to ask for referrals is right after you’ve made the sale or provided a valuable service for your customer. Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale is a big mistake and may even jeopardize the sale itself. Once the sale has been completed, your customer will be on an “emotional high” and far more receptive to the idea of providing you referrals. When you ask for referrals, your goal is to get as many names written down as you can. Just keep asking... Who else? Once your advocate has given you all of his or her referrals, then go back over the list of names to get details on each prospect.

Tip Two: Train and Reward Your Advocates.

An advocate is a person who’s willing to go out of his or her way to recommend you to a friend or associate. Most customers are initially reluctant to provide referrals without some basic training and motivation.

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Once you’re given a prospect, it’s a good idea to take the time to role-play with your advocate to demonstrate how to approach and talk to their referral. A brief role-playing exercise will build your advocate’s confidence and keep them from over-educating their referrals. During your roleplay session, be sure to prepare your advocate to expect some initial resistance. This training will pay big dividends by making your advocate more effective and less likely to become discouraged when faced with rejection. Always take the time to thank your advocates and give them feedback on the status of their referrals. I recommend that you call them and then follow up by sending a thank you card and or gift.

Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale is a big mistake and may even jeopardize the sale itself.

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Tip Three: Strike While the Iron is HOT. Prospects, like food in your refrigerator, are perishable and therefore need to be contacted quickly. Each day you let slip by without making initial contact with your referral dramatically reduces the probability of you making the sale. Develop the habit of contacting your referrals within two-business days or sooner. Have a system to keep track of your referrals so they don’t end up falling through the cracks. It’s critical to have a computerized client contact management system to record your remarks and track future contacts and appointments. Relying on your memory alone is a very poor business decision that will cost you dearly.

Tip Four: Schedule a Minimum of Two-Hours a Day for Phone Calling.

Make your phone calls in the morning while you and your referrals are both fresh and alert. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect you would give to any other important appointment. This Treat your prospecting is not the time to check your e-mails, play solitaire on the time with the same computer, make personal phone calls or chat with your respect you would give associates.

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to any other important appointment.

Avoid the temptation to try and sell your product or service over the phone. Your objective for every phone call is to create interest, gather information and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response.

Don’t shoot from the hip use a script. It’s important to use a phone script when you contact your prospect so you don’t leave out any key information.

It’s a good idea to role-play your script over the phone with your sales manager until he or she feels you sound confident and professional.

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Tip Five: Qualify Your Prospect at Maximum Range.

Unfortunately, not every prospect will be interested or qualified financially to purchase your products or services. Successful sales reps don’t waste time chasing after low-probability prospects and know when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

Tip Six: Don’t Take Rejection Personally.

Selling, like baseball, is a numbers game pure and simple. Rejection is to be anticipated as a natural aspect of the qualification process, so don’t take it personally. Learn from rejection by using it as a valuable feedback mechanism. Salespeople who take rejection personally lack perseverance Salespeople and seldom make the sale.

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who take rejection personally lack perseverance and seldom make the sale.

For the majority of salespeople, prospecting for new business is without a doubt the most challenging and stressful aspect of the selling process.

Selling is a contact sport and daily prospecting for new business is the key to every salesperson’s long-term financial success. By integrating these six powerful prospecting tips into your daily business routine, you’ll be able to keep your appointment calendar packed with qualified prospects!

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.”

– W. Clement Stone Copyright ©, 2016 John Boe. All rights reserved.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001. Free Newsletter available on website.

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Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

– Bobby McFerrin

By Barry Eisen

A gizzillion years ago I had the honor and privilege of spending time with Norman Vincent Peale, Methodist minister, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, controversial thinker and one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard.

He told of a chance encounter with one of his parishioners, George, on a street in New York City. George was despondent. When Dr. Peale asked him about his state of mind, George let go with a tirade of confessions of being so overwhelmed with problems and worries that he couldn’t sleep at night and couldn’t think straight by day. “I’m a depressed mess,” George sadly confided.

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the end of TODAY. Preparing for tomorrow at the end of today helps you rest well. The mind doesn’t have to spend the night worrying “Remember this and Don’t forget that!”

You wake up knowing how to start and where you’re going! Be sure to prioritize your list with an A, B, or C. Let go of yesterday and focus on your To-Do-List of today. If it was important from yesterday and “George,” Dr. Peale said, waiving his incomplete, it’ll be on today’s list. arm slowly over the horizon, “here Do things, not because you have to, are thousands of souls who haven’t but because you get to. got a worry among them. If death means you have no worries, to worry • Keep your mind busy with the must mean you’re alive! And if you highest priority in the moment. Inhave lots of worries, how much more stead of figuring out why you are the alive you must be!” It’s a matter of way you are, stay on task knowing that you can only do one thing at a perspective.” time. Consider the satisfaction you Worry is something we choose that will feel when that one task is acis not of the world, but rather, in complished and then turn to your how we think. It’s a distraction that next. Of course interruptions will takes us away from confronting our happen. When they do, ask yourself: Is the interruption or is the task at realities. hand of HIGHER VALUE for THIS Here are nine potentially life chang- moment? (Most therapists don’t try ing ideas. Some you maybe doing, to figure out why a person is worrysome you have done in the past, ing; but will prescribe that a patient and for some may these serve as a do something or learn something on reminder to get back on track. If any which to focus positively. Learning/ would serve you, start now. stimulating the mind can get a person out of their ego-centric predicament.)

• Make your list for tomorrow at Multi-tasking has been proven not to

Dr. Peale asked George if he could spare some time to meet a large group of people who might have answers to George’s worries, since this was truly a worry free group. George, at his wits end grunted “sure.” After a long car ride to near the tip of Long Island, Dr. Peale had the taxicab stop in the middle of a large cemetery and the two men got out.

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likely to show you their good if they feel that availability from you. Don’t listen to T.V. or read internet news be• Allow yourself to risk. Enter en- fore you go to sleep at night. Count the ough. A friend of Nan’s had won the things for which you can be grateful grand prize on the American Chop- (full of greatness!) and sleep better. per contest. When asked how he won, he laughed and said, “When the con- • Smile more and hold eye contact test was announced, I ENTERED.” with others. Create a positive posYou’ve got to allow yourself to enter ture. Your positive physiology will the game and know that you aren’t be reflected by others and even if going to win every time, but you’re a you’re faking it, your forced smile, winner by playing and playing your eye contact and positive posture will best. Enter enough! If worrying about feel more natural and comfortable. losing stops you from entering, it Little shifts. guarantees a loss. Enter enough and you’ll find those places where you • Delegate responsibilities. Do what win. And as you enter enough, your you can, but let go of things before skills get better. Make up for lack of you become overwhelmed. If someskills, not by thinking about the lack, one else can do a task only 80% of but with enough activity. Show up... the way you would do it, but it gives you 100% of that time for another most don’t. taks which only YOU can do...you • Focus on what is right, the good, are 180% productive with that time. rather than on what is wrong. So Life is too short. What parts are really much of the media focuses on the worth your attention? isolated disaster story. Happy stories don’t sell. Media stories appeal to • Exercise/eat well/sleep well. Exthe lowest common denominator of ercise is a great idea even though our interests. Don’t go for the easy you may feel stressed about time and “take” or opinion of others. Consider other preoccupations. The endorthe possibilities. Have you ever had phins that reduce feelings of worry, your good intentions misread by fear, adrenaline production, also others? Allow the benefit of doubt by promote a more relaxed mind and seeing good in others. They are more body. As we grow older it’s inactivity be the best way to go. Slow down and focus.

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On the top of a full size piece of paper or, if you prefer, a digital memo app, write or type the words WORRY LIST. When a worry comes to mind, instead of letting it interrupt what you are doing, take out this list and jot down/type the worry. Keep doing this for one whole week. On Friday afternoon between the hours of 4:005:00 PM lock yourself up in a room • Take breaks. Short (10-15 minute) alone and take out your worry list. periods of meditation, stretching or Worry about everything on your list self hypnosis have been proven to for that full hour. So, you haven’t minimize mental fatigue, re-direct missed your self-made opportunity thinking to positive vision, and (choice) to worry, but you did it prompt productive, feelings of well under your conditions, and wasted a lot less time. being and energy. that will contribute most to pain and suffering. Do what’s right. Stay active. Cutting back on simple carbs allows the brain greater clarity.

Good sleep patterns promote a healthier brain and better transmission of neurotransmitters (especially dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin -- happy! happy! happy!).

• Do something nice for at least one someone each day. Go out of your way to make some else’s life a little better. Get out of your own head, just a little. Pass it forward.

If this idea seems silly, it is...and it’s not. (You might be surprised at how many people with whom I’ve shared this thought, took it seriously and found great benefit.) Value yourself and those around you by not sweating Worry is not caused by external events so much of the small stuff... And as or situations, but by how we perceive the wise man said, “It’s ALL small those events or situations. But for stuff.” those self sabotaging warriors who are reluctant to give up worrier ways, Copyright©, 2015 Barry Eisen. All here is a great idea: rights reserved.

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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