Salesmanship

I had lunch today with a broker who asked why the term “salesman” seems to have dissapeared in our industry? He, like me, has been in the business a long time and remembered when our licenses from the state of Colorado actually called us all salesmen instead of brokers or broker associate.  So what happened?  Did we all become consultants to our buyer and sellers? Well yes I think we did.

So then are we salesmen? The answer is–Positively.  You are constantly selling yourself as their preffered provider of real estate services.  How do you do that? do you have a plan or do you just hope and pray they will use you in the future?  I don’t think that hoping and praying is much of a plan. So here is a goal for the new year: build an active plan to be able to sell your service.  work on your appearance (wear a tie more often) Work on your handshake and your smile. Dress for success. Work on your script, if the ask you “how is the market”? saying “great” might not be the smartest thing you could say when all the national media is saying the opposite.  Are you materials first class? Are you the most knowledgable and the person most committed to customer service-I mean real service?

Are you the best at what you do or do you settle for mediocrity or even worse. Tune up YOUR salesmanship.

Professionalism

The Twitter world was alive with the discussion between REALTORS on the subject of professionalism.  Their seemed to be an outcry for a greater emphasis on REALTORS being more professional in the way they conduct their business.  I pondered the statements and here are a few of my disconnected thoughts.

1.  Everyone has different definitions of the term “professionalism”.  I think that most people think of themselves as professionals and everyone else as questionable. 

2.  Like it or not professionalism is consumer driven.  I assume that most of the employees of Nordstrom are more professional than the average employee of Walmart.  This being said I think that most of the public chooses Walmart over Nordstrom for their purchases.  Isn’t that the same in other businesses.  If the consumer wanted the employee better trained, dressed better, better educated, etc wouldn’t that likely cost more?

3.  I want “professionalism” where ever I go. Here is a sad reality: what do you call the person who graduates last in medical school-Doctor.  Some agents are awesome and some not so much, just like doctors lawyers and other professionals.

4.  We must allow many different models in the delivery of real estate.  Some offer tons of time, knowledge and energy and some don’t.  Some ask for high fees and some don’t.  Some offer lots of services even value added services, and some don’t.

After all of that I am totally confused. How about you weigh in on the subject

“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
General George S. Patton

Great Douglas County Housing help is now availalble

The Douglas County Housing Partnership (DCHP), a Multi-Jurisdictional Housing Authority, was formed as a cooperative effort between businesses and local and county governments to address the issue of the lack of affordable housing for people who work in the area.

The DCHP operates with financial support from the jurisdictions of the City of Lone Tree, the Town of Castle Rock, the Town of Parker and Douglas County as a political subdivision and public corporation of the State of Colorado. 

http://www.douglascountyhousingpartnership.org/

Metrolist and the Boards

SMDRA had the opportunity to sit in a linkage meeting today with Metrolist.  We were very impressed by the open communication and the real sense of  team Metrolist has.  The are giving maximum  effort to bring the finest of MLS services to our members.  Metrolist has gone through an amazing transition year with many bumps but they really moved forward. 

They are encouraging our members to continue to provide suggestions for what changes Metrolist might consider.  Let me know and I will pass them on.  They really are listening!!

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

But the classroom at SMDRA is delightful.  The first of the CREC update classes for 2010 was today and I sat in it.  I really enjoyed getting new information when it is hot off the presses and still relevent. The class had a focus on Short Sales and Froeclosures as you might expect.  It seems to me that if you are going to practice in those areas in 2010 you better know what the commission is requiring of you.  Damian Cox, ESQ taught today and brought an awesome energy to the class. Thanks Damian.

I think that many small businesss (I include our members in that group) are stuggling to find the right technology for their 2010 business plans.  Everything from the compexities of WordPress to the ease of Facebook confounds us.  Honestly, at our house, we are having trouble deciding if we should get rid of the land line, get rid of the fax machine, get rid of the credit card reader, etc.  Is Twitter going to make you a little richer or not?  Is Facebook going to build a business for you? I don’t know any of this but I do think it would be naive to think that you can ignore technology in your business plan.  Take some time and make sure you have a category for the growth, costs, time  and implementation of technology! Have a great 2010

Happy New Year from SMDRA

We are watching the Rose Parade and celebrating the new year with lot’s of coffee.  Thinking about resolutions.  This blog is one of those resolutions.  We hope this becomes an interactive way to communicate.  Let’s hear your resolutions for 2010

Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow

1. Give people gifts other than those that you buy. This means giving someone a second chance, giving someone the benefit of the doubt, and giving others a reason to want to work for you besides earning a living. It entails giving others latitude, permission to make mistakes, and all the information they need to do the job. It means giving them the authority that goes with that responsibility and giving them due credit for their ideas.
2. Become a talent hunter. The biggest hunger in anyone’s eyes is the hunger for appreciation. Genuinely acknowledging others is high octane fuel for the soul.
3. Sharing ideas and information that can enrich. To that end, derive inspiration from Charles Leadbeater’s words: “In the past, you were what you owned. Now you are what you share.”
4. Spend more time in the “beginner’s mind.” This means replacing “Been there, done that” with “Tell me more.” It translates into moving away from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, and from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. It’s forgetting about being perfect and enjoying being in the moment.
5. Don’t tell people what they can’t do. Instead, show them what they can do. If some of your habitual phrases are “Let me explain why that won’t work” or “Let me play Devil’s Advocate for a minute,” read Tom Kelley’s book The Ten Faces of Innovation: Ideo’s Strategies for Beating the Devil’s Advocate & Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization.
6. Minimize the space you take up. When you enter a crowded coffee shop with a partner, don’t hog two tables to spread your papers around. It’s a form of theft.
7. Become a relationship anthropologist. Know the difference between a conversation and a discussion. A discussion involves issues or right vs. wrong. It is an exchange of facts, opinions and data. A conversation involves an exploration of another person for the sole purpose of learning about that person.
8. Be happy for others. The exact opposite of the word envy is farginen, which is what happens when you celebrate others’ accomplishments as you would celebrate your own. Take a moment to absorb the spiritual beauty of this concept by viewing this video clip that explains the Generosity of Spirit.
9. Get rid of grudges. Whether they are for real or imaginary slights, raise the bar on your own behavior by forgiving and moving on.
10. Help others caress the rainbow. This means show them how to have hope. There is tremendous positive psychological capital to be gained if we are resolute to tap into it to help others.
11. Make people feel better about themselves. We cannot control everyone liking us, but we can control how others feel when they interact with us. Do others feel better about themselves after they spend time with you?
12. View all promises you made in 2009 as an unpaid debt. Promises imply trust, but trust is fragile. It’s like a Christmas tree ornament—one slip can shatter it. And we all know that once it’s shattered, it’s very difficult to put it back together.

    Dec 29, 2009 –

    Bruna Martinuzzi is an expert in leadership and presentation skills. Her latest book The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow explains how to become the kind of person others want to follow.

Sitting in the dentist chair

I was thinking, while sitting in the dentist chair, how to explain the addition of a late fee for members just paying SMDRA dues now.  People call and lay a guilt trip on SMDRA for a $25 late fee.  We explain that the dues were due many months ago and that SMDRA provided a 4 part payment plan at no additional costs to help our members and yet they are not satisfied or happy with us.  We speak about the fairness to the 2,000 members who did pay on time and still they are not happy. I am searching for some way to explain and make them feel better but grasp for the perfect words.  And then I remember, talking to them about late fees is not near as painful as this dog gone dentist. OUCH