NEVADA MORTGAGE EDITION
SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS GOAL CONTRACTS (A LIFE SKILL FROM THE OLD SCHOOL) COVER STORY
ROBERT COOMER
DO YOU ADD CONSISTENT VALUE FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND FOR YOUR CLIENTS? IS YOUR PHONE VOICE ATTRACTING— OR REPELLING?
NEVADA MORTGAGE EDITION
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ROBERT COOMER
ROBERT CONTENTS COOMER
4) IS YOUR PHONE VOICE ATTRACTING— OR REPELLING? 13) GOAL CONTRACTS (A LIFE SKILL FROM THE OLD SCHOOL)
17) DO YOU ADD CONSISTENT VALUE FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND FOR YOUR CLIENTS? 20) SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS
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Is Your Phone Voice Attracting–or Repelling? By Carla Cross, CRB, MA It’s such a simple thing, but so important--the first impression you make with your voice! Recently, I did a presentation to a group of Luxury Agent Specialists. It was about sound and its impact on others (I used the piano to demonstrate). We usually think of visual impact. But, as agents, we come across way more people initially via email or phone than we do by sight. So, isn’t it time to 4
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polish your ‘phone voice’? It’s probably the first ‘warm’ impression people get of you (I call email ‘cold communication’ because it vastly shrinks the three major ways we communicate: sight, sound, and feeling). Here are three tips to assure your phone voice makes the best first impression. Remember, You never have a second chance to make a first impression!
Don’t Mistake Technology as the ‘End’
We are so focused on technology today, that we are in danger of forgetting to effectively use that technology. Here’s an example. When I phone an agent today, I have no idea where that agent will answer his or her phone—or from what phone the call is being answered. And, I don’t really care. Technology allows the phone to follow the agent. That’s great. Here’s what’s not so great. The agent’s message is so dull, powerless, or mumbled that it doesn’t sound as though the agent wants to talk to me. Or, the agent’s message is so long, that I’m impatient by the time I get to leave the message.
Make a Superior Phone Message
For three days, listen carefully to the tone, intent, and messages you hear in phone messages. Listen carefully to how agents, managers, and your affiliates answer the phone (including the receptionist at the office). What do you think? If you didn’t know these people, what would you think of them? Are they excited to hear from you, or are they bored? Here are 4 important tips to remember when recording your own message: 1. Stand up—you’ll sound as though you have much more energy. 2. Write out your script first—and be sure it’s not too long. I don’t really care where you’re going to be all day! 3. Modulate your voice pleasantly. Try to get some resonance. 4. Sound as though you’re looking forward to hearing from me!
Don’t Settle for One Run at It: Re-record Your Phone Message until It’s Perfect
As a musician, I would never play the piano for others unless I had practiced until the performance was perfect. Yet, when we ‘practice’ real estate, we often just ‘let it fly’ with whatever comes out of our mouths! Not good. You have too much at stake to settle for one run at it. Top Agent Magazine
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Advice from a musician: Practice your phone message several times before you record it. Then, record and listen critically. Don’t just use the first recording. Make sure your ‘phone voice’ is the best first impression you can make.
P. S. Managers and team leaders—two tips 1. Call each of your agents’ phone mails. What’s the impression you get? Are they professional? Do they state the company name? Do they represent your culture and image? 2. Create a quick class in phone messaging using the information in this blog. Copyright ©, 2016 Carla Cross. All rights reserved. Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is the founder and president of Carla Cross & Co., specializing in real estate management and sales. Her internationally best-selling start-up plan for new agents, Up and Running in 30 Days, is now going into its 5th edition (!). Carla brings her vast experience as a top-selling agent and award-winning manager and trainer to the podium, blending her musical background with her proven sales and management strategies (she uses the piano AND even teaches someone to play—fast…..—entertaining and practical). Find out more at www.carlacross.com. 6
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ROBERT COOMER Top Agent Magazine
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ROBERT COOMER Robert Coomer is ranked #40 in the nation in FHA originations with the support of his own team called the Coomer Team at Mann Mortgage.
Charismatic, business-oriented and determined, it was only natural for Robert Coomer to enter the mortgage industry 18 years ago. At a young age, after moving to Las Vegas, he was looking for new opportunities to set up a lifelong career. When the chance to join a small broker8 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
age presented itself, Robert jumped on it, obtaining his license in both California and Nevada. Today, he’s a top originator in Nevada, ranked #40 in the nation in FHA originations with the support of his own team called the Coomer Team at Mann Mortgage. They set themselves Top Agent Magazine
apart in many ways, including offering a variety of unique products. “I have any product out there that is in high demand, like down payment assistance, portfolio products, or hard money lending,” Robert explains. He truly wants what is best for his clients, and will work hard to get them what they want. “What keeps my clients coming back is the fact that I care,” he says. “That’s the number one thing that drives me and my business. We care about our Realtors and buyers coming back. We Top Agent Magazine
only have one reputation, and it’s hard to repair that once you damage it.” Robert and his team take their roles very seriously, guiding their clients throughout the transaction and ensuring they arrive at their goals in the end. “We have a reputation for delivering on time, every time, and for doing a great job,” Robert explains. “I have an extremely efficient staff, I’m up to date on all the guidelines, and I approve as many loans as possible.” Robert Coomer and his team has grown tremendously over the past decade, Copyright Top Agent Magazine 9
One of Robert’s philosophies that has stuck with him from the beginning is “Start where you are use what you have do what you can.” mainly through word of mouth and referrals. When reading their endless five-star reviews, it’s clear why others are eager to share their exceptional experience with friends/family. One recent review said, “The Coomer team with Mann Mortgage is absolutely Copyright Top Agent Magazine 10Copyright
amazing. I got a new job in Vegas from Montana and moved here into temporary housing. I received pre-approval right away. It took an agonizing 7 months to sell our house in Montana. However, Robert did not lose interest in me. He kept in contact to see how things were Top Agent Magazine
going. Once we sold and had a contingent offer here in Vegas, they moved into overdrive. From open escrow to close of escrow to an unheard of speedy time of 3 weeks! I don’t know how they accomplished this, but I will never tell anyone to go anywhere else but Mann Mortgage! They are absolutely fabulous to work with and met every need and want! You would be foolish to go elsewhere!” In addition to their work in the mortgage industry, Robert and his team are committed to the community. They are involved Top Agent Magazine
with Kicking for Cancer, a football event that raises money for children with illnesses. They also donate monthly to a veteran’s charity called Camp Patriot. Years into his career, Robert can’t imagine doing anything else. He’s excited to continue growing, and looks forward to opening up a new location on the west side of town, while also expanding into Phoenix next year. “What I love most about it is that no two days are alike. We are constantly helping people, and it’s very rewarding.” Copyright Top Agent Magazine11
For more information about Coomer Team, call 702-850-2000 or email coomerteam@gmail.com http://www.justingrable.com
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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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Do You Add Consistent Value for Your Business and for Your Clients? By Walter Sanford
We recently received a question from some of our favorite coaching clients. The Premier Team is lighting up the upper end, downtown, and historical St. Louis real estate markets. As coaching clients, they are challenging for me because they demand new value and service for their clients each week. In fact, Chris and Lisa know that to dominate an industry they need to have tools that the competition does not. They require tools that not only make the job easier, but also more profitable for their clients. Here is the result from a recent request from which we created a letter handout for the listing presentation and for advertisement in other media: The Premier Team Helps Clients Achieve Goals through Pre-Launch Inspections We have found that all buyers should have their purchase inspected. When we represent our sellers, the negotiations start with offers and potential counter offers. Traditionally, the buyer obtains and pays for an inspection of the property. The negotiations start again. Top Agent Magazine
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Rightfully, the buyer wants any challenges to be addressed; the seller feels they had lived with the challenges, sold the property with the challenges, and do not want to repair if they have no chance to enjoy them. It’s a difficult negotiation and can sometimes leave clients unhappy. As we do many times, we have devised a system to help all involved parties know what they are buying and selling while also saving our client’s time, trouble, and money in the mix. When we custom-design a marketing plan to achieve our seller’s goals and receive a commitment to market the property, we then offer our seller an opportunity to have the property inspected by our team inspector. The inspector will review all systems of the home and write a thorough report on the findings. We then discuss the findings with the seller and place any challenges in different categories. There is the “must fix now” category that deals with safety of the occupants or the property. There is the sub-standard category that is below the expectations a buyer would expect of a property for the area and price range. Lastly, there is the upgrade category for items which buyers would like to see done. By having the report and determining what categories, we can offer many opportunities to our seller clients: 1 We eliminate the “rush into a repair” syndrome by having the repair report early and without the input of a buyer waiting for an answer to complete the next step of their purchase. 2 We have time to contact numerous vendors who will compete for the best price. 3 We have time to make decisions on the condition vs. price, which is much better determined before the buyer has made a successful offer. 4 We know early if there are any big ticket items that would prevent a sale from a buyer not wanting the property or the seller not being able to afford the repair. 5 We can choose the mode of repair before a buyer has a stake in the decision. There are many ways to repair rather than replace. Replace is usually how a buyer wants the challenge remedied. 18
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6 We have time to get government or utilities involved if needed. 7 A seller’s net proceeds or “net sheet” can be professionally prepared. 8 We might receive a higher offer when a potential buyer is presented an inspection with all the repair receipts attached. 9 The one to two week wait is eliminated by having a report done before an offer rather than waiting for it after the offer. 10 Since we are paying for the report, we get to choose the inspector. Finding inspectors without the drama gene is important. There are many other reasons to be knowledgeable about the property, prior to negotiations. We have arranged a team of inspectors who have agreed to wait to be paid for their inspection and report until the seller receives their proceeds from sale. This cures the cash flow problem. We, at Premier Real Estate, believe that this is not only an outstanding investment that pays many dividends, but it is also the most professional way to handle a sale including all possible disclosures to all potential parties. Should you have any questions, please feel free to discuss. We have much experience in this little utilized system to increase our seller’s net proceeds. Many people have a coach who has not been through the ups and downs as Walter Sanford. Many coaches do not have the same achievements as Walter. He has millions in cash flow equity that came from his real estate business, and he developed systems that can be implemented without any special abilities. We currently have a few availabilities in our coaching program, and this year’s schedule has some availability for seminars as well. Copyright©, 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Walter Sanford has been designing and implementing real estate systems for 30 years. One of the most successful REALTORS® and now wealthy from his systems, Sanford teaches his systems and strategies through his products, seminars, and personal coaching producing the best results in the industry. Do what works, do what is proven. Hire Walter Sanford. Call our office at 800.792.5837, email walter@waltersanford.com, or chat with us online at www.waltersanford.com. Top Agent Magazine
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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. 20
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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, Asking for it’s a good idea to take the time to role-play with your advocate referrals prior to to demonstrate how to approach and talk to their referral. A brief closing the sale is a role-playing exercise will build your advocate’s confidence and big mistake and keep them from over-educating may even jeopardize their referrals. During your roleplay session, be sure to prepare the sale itself. 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. Top Agent Magazine
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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. 22
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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. Top Agent Magazine
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