Real Estate Marketing Strategies: October 2007

Monday, October 29, 2007

Hate to Make Cold Calls? 5 Tips to Make it Easier

Have you often avoided making those “dreaded cold calls?” Do you dream of how much better your business could be but just can’t bring yourself to pick up the phone?

You’re not alone. In the 10 years that I have specialized in coaching real estate agents, I have noticed the same avoidant patterns in each of my clients. This article gives you 5 tips to make it easier.

Tip 1: Change the name

I’m not kidding. Do the words “cold calls” send a chill up your spine? It’s no wonder. Whoever created that term didn’t know what they were doing. So, change the term, because it’s inaccurate. First of all, many of the people you’ll be calling are leads. Second, why would you think cold? Are you cold? Is the receiver of the call cold? Not likely if you’re living in a human body.

So maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but the point is, call it something different, call it what it is, “direct response calls”. My clients do much better when they realize they are making direct response calls.

Tip 2: Be in the right mindset

Are you calling to sell something? If so, put down the phone and start again. No, you are actually calling to give something and that is your time and expertise. Would you be scared if you had a gift you wanted to give someone? Unlikely. In the same way, be in the mindset that you have a gift and you are it.

Why is this so? Well, think about the fact that you have something to offer. You know much more about real estate than Ms. Jane Doe. So if you call to let her know what properties have sold in her area that is valuable information. Likewise, if you want to offer her a Free Comparative Market Analysis, that’s a gift of your time, energy and expertise. You should be proud to offer that. Guess what? If you are proud to offer that, she’ll most likely feel appreciative of the offer. Our energy and mindset is transferred to our prospective clients.

Tip 3: Use a permission based approach

For example, when I do direct response calls, the conversation goes something like this, “My name is Maya Bailey and I work with real estate agents who want to double their income. If you’d like to take 30 seconds, I’ll be happy to tell you what I do.” Notice that I didn’t barrel my way through. I said as little as possible until I got their permission to continue.

Use this script as a template to make your own direct response calls. For example,” My name is ____________ and I’m your local real estate consultant. I have some news about the value of properties in our neighborhood. If you’d like to take 30 seconds, I’ll be happy to…..” Is this getting clearer? The latest trend in marketing is permission based marketing.

Tip 4: Get excited about the relationships you’ll make

If you approach this in a permission based way, people will be much more open and friendly to you. Instead of focusing on the occasional rude person at the other end of the line, focus instead on what you want.

Most likely what you want is to make some connections with a person, in which you can follow up, convert them in prospective clients and then convert them into transactions. Let yourself feel how good it’s going to feel to close those deals. Pat yourself on the back because it all started with the courage it took to make direct response calls.

Tip 5: Remember to reframe a “no” into a “yes”

What do I mean? First of all a “no” does not mean that you are being rejected. Neither does it mean that your service is being rejected. What it means is “No, not now.”

Secondly, do you realize that every “no” brings you one step closer to your “yes”? It’s a numbers game and you need a certain number of “no’s” to get a “yes”. Just remember to have thick skin and not take it personally.

My experience as a coach to real estate agents has shown me that it’s all about attitude. If you are sold on yourself and your service and you convey that with pride and enthusiasm, the other person will be glad you called. They may even become a client. It pays to know that you are valuable and what you have to offer is equally valuable.

With her 30 years of psychological expertise, Dr. Maya Bailey specializes in helping Real Estate Professionals who want more clients, more free time, and a better lifestyle to create confidence, a positive mindset, and a step-by-step blueprint for success.

~~~
Dr. Maya Bailey, author of "Law of Attraction for Real Estate Professionals", integrates 20 years of experience as a Psychologist and 12 years as a business coach with her expertise in the Law of Attraction. Her powerful work creates a success formula for Real Estate professionals ready to double and triple their incomes. Get Dr. Maya’s free report “7 Simple Strategies For More Clients in 90 Days” by visiting www.90DaystoMoreClients.com

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Real Estate Marketing Strategies: Release the Struggle and Start Attracting

Having been a business coach for more that 10 years, I often hear my clients say things like, “Why does this have to be a Struggle?” or “I’m feeling desperate, I need more clients.”

They try the right marketing approaches, they manage their time and it looks like they are doing everything they can. However most business owners are missing the key ingredient: The Law of Attraction.

In this article, Part I, I will give an overview of the Law of Attraction and how it can make all the difference in your success or failure. In future articles, I’ll go into more detail on each step.

The Five Steps of the Law of Attraction:

Be aware of what you don’t want. Believe it or not, it is essential that we all know what we don’t want. Why? Because it helps us identify what we do want. What don’t you want in your life? Make a list and write it down.

Be aware of what you do want. So after making your list of don’t wants, go back to each item. Write next to it a list of what you do want. It’s helpful to take one page and divide it into 2 columns, the left column is “Don’t wants” and the right column is “Do wants” After you have your "Do Wants", just scratch out your “Don’t wants”. That's right, just scratch them out. If you really want to get rid of them, burn them, both in your mind and literally.

So what do you want in your life and/or your business? If you’re like most of my clients you list off "Do Wants", reads something like this: I want an abundance of clients, I want a full bank account, and I want a 6 figure income", and so on. Please be detailed in your list of your “Do Wants”.

Clear your beliefs. What does that mean? It simply means to do a little soul searching and find the self-limiting beliefs that get in the way of your success. Here are beliefs I often hear:

• “I don’t have what it takes”
• “I’m not smart enough”
• “I’m afraid of failing”
• “I can’t find any joy in my work”
• “If I succeed, I’ll have to give up my family life”

What are your Self-Limiting Beliefs? Here’s the crucial thing to know, even if you are doing all the right marketing strategies, you would sabotage your success as long as these beliefs are hidden away in your consciousness or unconsciousness. What are your self-limiting beliefs? Write them down.

Feel what it feels like to have your ideal professional life. Simply put, when you “act as if”, you send an energy out to the universe that magnetizes the results to you that you want. I will elaborate in detail on future articles.

The last step is the most understood. It’s called “Allow”.

In other words, allow your desires to come to you. What does allow mean? It means to suspend doubt and assume that what you want is on the way.

This is only the overview of the steps. I hope I have whetted your appetite to know more. Practiced correctly, the Law of Attraction is your best Ally on your path to success.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

INSTANT 'I am a Money Magnet' RECORDING

In this TELESEMINAR RECORDING, "I am a money magnet ", you'll
have a chance to hear Judy M., a real estate professional, and a
client of mine tells how she TRIPLED her income!

There was a technological glitch, so the seminar is
divided into 2 recordings.

The first link is the first 15 minutes and the second link
is the last 45 minutes:

http://90daystomoreclients.com/audio/100407-1.mp3

http://90daystomoreclients.com/audio/100407-2.mp3

Listen as I interview Judy.

She will share with you her adventure into personal
transformation.

She began the journey when her business was in a slump.

What she didn't realize was that she was in a slump because of
her self limiting beliefs.

**** Here are a few of the self limiting beliefs that I helped
her reprogram ***** in the 6 months Law of Attraction coaching
program:

=> I'm too old, I can't possibly be successful

=> I don't have what it takes

=> it's not okay to ask for what you want

=> it's selfish to want too much

Once we found out where those self limiting beliefs came from and
helped her to see that they no longer served her, she was able
to release them and replace them with Empower to Beliefs such as:

=> I don't "do age" and I'm just the right age to be successful
in whatever I set my mind to do.

=> I have all that it takes to succeed

=> it's perfectly okay for me to ask for what I want

=> I always remember to be grateful for what I have and allow
myself to attract more of the prosperity I deserve

********* What are yours?********

=> what self limiting beliefs hold you back?

=> what inner conflicts are keeping you stuck or keeping you at a
plateau?

=> what will it take for you to move to the next level?

Find out the answers to all of these questions in this AMAZING
and inspiring
teleseminar recording in which I interview Judy, who once did
not believe in herself at all.

Now she has TRIPLED her income and has unwavering FAITH in her
ability to succeed.

Listen and find out how that happened!

Best,
Dr. Maya

Maya Bailey, Ph.D.
Professional and Personal Coach
http://www.90daystomoreclients.com
drmaya@90daystomoreclients.com

To apply for a 'Sky Rocket Your
Business with the Law of Attraction'
Coaching session,
visit www.coachmaya.com

'All achievements, whether in the business,
intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of
definitely directed thoughts.....'
James Allen
As You Think

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Real Estate Marketing Strategies: Do You Find It Easy or Difficult to "Toot Your Own Horn?"

One of the biggest concerns I hear from my clients, almost on a daily basis, is “How can I market myself without being pushy?” or “How can I be assertive without being aggressive?”

A client’s story:

One of my clients, Shelley, came to the session bewildered. “I didn’t know approaching people and giving out my cards was going to be so difficult. I’m afraid I’m imposing on people and they won’t like me.”

As we explored further she began to remember that whenever her mother was assertive, she was judged by her father and terrible arguments would ensue. To protect herself, she decided she would be safe by not asking for what she wanted. That worked beautifully in her previous job, she explained, because she was a waitress and all she had to do was act charming and serve people.

“I like serving people and I like putting them at ease. I just feel anxious about approaching people and trying to sell them on my service.”

Reframing marketing yourself:

Shelley was making the mistake that a lot of entrepreneurs make which is to feel like they are sales people trying to manipulate a client into buying something. When I point out to my clients that it isn’t their job to “sell”, they start to wonder what to do. “Your job, “I explain, “is to approach a prospective client with the attitude of giving, not taking.”

Ask yourself how you approach a prospective client? Do you get anxious, thinking “I have to make the sale” or do you approach with the attitude of “Wow, this person can really use my service, and I want to give them the gift of offering to help them.” Whether you’re a real estate agent helping others to buy and sell homes or whether you’re a coach helping your clients to live their dreams, in either case, you are giving of yourself.

Shelley’s story had a happy ending:

Once Shelley understood that her job is to give, not take, she started to give herself permission to be assertive. She released the old belief that it wasn’t safe to be assertive and realized her safety now depends on her success and her success depends on being able to “toot her own horn.” She concluded the session that there’s nothing to be nervous about. All you need to do is realize that what you have to offer is valuable and being willing to communicate that in a consistent way.

Questions to ask yourself:

§ Am I convinced that what I offer is valuable?

§ Am I willing to communicate that on a consistent level?

§ What is my "Unique" selling point?

§ How can I be assertive without being aggressive? (It depends on whether you see yourself giving or taking)

Monday, October 1, 2007

Real Estate Marketing Strategies: Are You Sharpening Your Saw?

What does it mean to “sharpen your saw?”

According to Dr. Steven Covey, “sharpening your saw” means increasing your personal production capacity by daily self-care and self-maintenance. Why is this important? In my 30 years of working with clients to help them maximize their success, it is so clear that those who neglect this will never reach their goals.

For example, one of my clients, Sandra, (all names have been changed) struggled with a sugar addictions for years. Her business was always in chaos, as she had roller coaster moods that would never allow her to focus on her business. Another client, Jane, never wanted to look at how her addiction to alcohol affected her business. Once she made the decision to limit her alcohol intake, she regained energy and strength and her business took off.

The four levels of “sharpening your saw”:

1. The physical level — How good are you at getting enough rest, sleep and exercise? Is your diet healthy or do find yourself relying on fast foods? What about your water intake? Are you drinking 2-3 quarts a day? Very important: are you allowing yourself to breathe deeply? So many of my clients were in the habit of shallow breathing and depriving themselves of the needed oxygen for energy. How well do you take care of your physical body? The answer to this will determine not only the health of your body but also the health your business and your ability to wisely market yourself.

2. The mental level — What kind of thoughts do you entertain? Are you focused on what you don’t want or what you do want? Your thoughts create your reality, so what thoughts are you thinking right now? Whenever you catch yourself in negative self talk, use the STOP Technique. Just say STOP, take a deep breath and change that thought to a more positive one.

3. The emotional level - Are you doing things that make you happy? Are you around people and activities that bring you joy? So many times in our focus to achieve success, we deprive ourselves of a balanced life. Guess what? You attract the energy that you radiate. So if you want to attract happy appreciative clients, become happy and appreciative. Before you know it the business you had been struggling to have is now drawn to you like a magnet. Everyone wants to do business with people who are positive and uplifting.

4. The spiritual level - What are you doing each day and each week to nourish yourself spiritually? Whether you are religious or not, I have never met anyone who didn’t sense that there is a Diving Intelligence that created this universe. And this Divine Intelligence is abundant, just look at the trees and the flowers. The more you are aligned with this essence the more your have a solid spiritual foundation. Maybe your spiritual nourishment is church; maybe it’s the trees or the ocean. Find that place where you are in a state of awe and wonder and visit there often.