It's a new year!

Well, its almost a new year...New business plans in the works...new budgets being considered (shoestring, though they may be...). New attitude attributed to a new year.

All good things....

But, none of that will mean diddly if you continue down the same destructive path that a good portion of agents find themselves on currently.

It amazes me on a daily basis how many agents that I deal with actually set themselves up for failure by making simple, yet deadly, mistakes in their business.  Some of these mistakes seem to be so simple to overcome.  Yet, time and time again, they repeat the same thing expecting a different result.  That is the definition of insanity. 

So, in the hopes that I can in some small way help YOU avoid making these mistakes, I wanted to summarize an article I found in BrokerAgentPro that lists 5 of the things agents do that hinder their own efforts...and ways to avoid getting caught in these commission killing traps.

Getting ‘Busy Work' confused with actual ‘Work' - Many agents across the country suffer from not having a consistent game plan for their daily activities.  There are several things that you should do daily.  These include: Lead generation; Contacting prospects that are potential clients; Work and sort out the motivations of existing clients; Negotiate contracts on pending deals; Present findings to your clients.  All 5 of those things MUST be done on a daily basis to maintain a consistent level of effort on all aspects of your business.  If you are not getting any one of these done, you are attempting to build a business on a weak foundation and you will fail. 

Not working a set schedule - Lack of motivation is the biggest cause of not working a set schedule.  "I don't feel like it today."  Guess what...no one *feels* like it.  But, they do it.  Successful agents work a set schedule every day whether they ‘feel like it' or not.  That set schedule might be any time between 8am and 9pm, but its a schedule none the less.  What do you do on days you don't feel like working?  See #1 above.

"It's a numbers game" - Well, sort of.  But, no, not really.  Yes, you need to track your numbers.  Yes, those numbers are important.  But, in no way will those numbers lead you to making any money!  This is a PEOPLE game!  If you are not out helping people with or talking to people about real estate, you are doomed to fail.  Focus on what you have to offer - your talents and abilities to assist people in buying or selling a house. 

Lacking multiple lead streams - That's right.  If you do not have multiple streams of leads, you will fail.  If your only source of leads is making cold calls, asking for referrals from clients, calling expired listings, etc...You are limiting your ability to get new clients.  If you take a day off, you don't make ANY progress.  None.  What if you lose your phone for a day?  What if you lose your voice for a day?  No progress.  So, having several good lead generation sources is a must in order to keep bringing in new potential clients.  Just remember, not every lead will close.  But, every lead needs worked.  That's what you do!

"Its all about the Benjamins, baby!" - This philosophy will ultimately be your demise in real estate.  You should never put earning a commission above your ability to be of service to your client.  If you are not out there to help your clients, you will fail.  If you don't know how to help your clients, LEARN!  The ‘rules' have changed.  Make an effort to adapt to those changes and *help* your clients.  The money will follow.

Looking to add to your client base? Contact Clint at 800-977-7058 and ask about how he can help you. Or, follow him on Twitter. Dont forget to fan us on Facebook!

I admit, this post has NOTHING to do with real estate...

Car. Pool. Tunnel.

That's what the orthopedic surgeon said I had yesterday...

Well...Its actually "carpal" tunnel syndrome...a compression of the median nerve (one of the two main nerves that drive feeling in your hands) in the center of your wrist at the base of the palm of your hand that causes pain, numbness in the thumb and first two fingers, and loss of muscle mass or control at the base of the thumb.

Fun!! Joy!!

Yeah, not so much...Ive been putting up with this in both hands now for roughly 5 years now...and finally decided to do something about it.  Thus the reason for the orthopedic surgeon. (Hey, it's not a carburator. I can't fix this one by myself.)

Who am I trying to kid? I can't fix a carburator either...

Anyway...After having my initial consultation with him, here are 10 things I learned about carpal tunnel syndrome that I didn't know before....

1. In order to determine if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you have to go through a "nerve conduction test".

2. "Nerve conduction test" is a medical term used specifically to hide the fact that they are going to shock the living crap out of your hand not once, not twice....but roughly 20 times PER NERVE (Remember, there is two per my previous statement above)! And, this is on both hands!!

3. Now I know why Frankenstein was so pissed all the time.

4. Faking a heart attack while getting electrocuted a nerve conduction test will cause a medical office to go into full-blown panic mode. For real!

5. My orthopedic surgeon's office staff does not have a sense of humor.

6. Nerve conduction test data is sent via computer to Harvard Medical....Yes, THE Harvard Medical. It takes less time to get the results back from Harvard Medical than it does to do the actual test. So, when the doctor comes in with the results, your fingernails are still smoking just a bit.

7. When an orthopedic surgeon uses the phrase, "...one of the worst cases I have ever seen...", you know you are about to finance something really expensive he has on his Christmas list.

8. You can not do a carpal tunnel surgery on both hands at the same time unless you have some REALLY close personal friends that are willing to do ANYTHING for you. And, I do mean ANYTHING!

9. Opting to do this one hand at a time has given me the ability to say that my wife is incredibly grateful about my decision. (In case you didn't get those last two jokes...We have a 19 month old. She already has one butt she has to wipe during the day. Yeah...now you get it.)

10. "Hand-to-Shoulder" syndrome isn't the same thing as the rubber arm you get when you fall asleep on your arm wrong and cut of the circulation only to realize it when you roll over and try to shut off your alarm clock but your arm is roughly as responsive as a flesh baseball bat. Yeah, it's NOT that.

Comedy aside, carpal tunnel syndrome sucks. It causes pain and numbness, loss of grip, even loss of muscle mass in your hands. And, if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage including loss of feeling, loss of muscle mass or specific movement, even complete breakdowns in moder skill. (How important is typing to you???) From one lucky recipent to another, if this is you, get it checked out.

Oh yeah, if you're curious..."Hand-To-Shoulder" syndrome is a side effect of SEVERE carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a pain transferance from the crushed nerve in the wrist and manifests as stabbing pain in the center of your shoulder joint. Yes, it hurts. No, pain pills dont help. Trust me on this one. I should have stock in Advil.

You will probably hear more about this episodic adventure as my journey continues......

Believe it or not, the human nose can detect and clarify about 10,000 smells.  That's right....10,000!  We know that the power of smell is one of the strongest senses we, as humans, posess.  And recent studies have shown that scent is the strongest of our 5 senses that is tied directly to memory. 

In my parent's house, for example, my mother always made fresh peach pies in the late summer.  To this day, I can smell a peach pie from a mile away and instantly Im transported to my mom's kitchen as a 7yr old boy in my swimsuit pacing around the table hoping to get a shot at sticking my finger into the peach filling while my mom wasn't looking.  (I got caught every time).

Retailers have been using smells to get people to buy their goods with thousands of scents for literally thousands of years.  Scents, as a whole, have a power of their own and, depending on the scent, can even have a profound effect on the very psychology of a person.

It is the same when showing a home!  Strong smells like cat oders (pet orders in general, really.  I just pick on cats because it is the most obvious example of a gross smell that everyone can relate to) or even cooking smells (burnt oil, grease, hard fish smells) can send buyers away faster than any screwed up floor plan or poor staging effort.  In fact, you can stage a home perfectly, and have the perfect floor plan, but if the house smells like 50 cats used it for a latrine, you may as well burn it down where it sits because it will probably never sell.

If you are showing a contemporary condo or loft in a hip, upscale urban setting where young singles and urbanistas are buying, you would want your clients to be highly attentive and excited.  Putting out scents of rosemary, peppermint or grapefruit will help them make decisions more quickly as these scents improve alertness and stimulation.

If you are showing an older home in the suburbs with numerous rooms and a ‘creative' floor plan, you may want them to feel more calm and relaxed.  Lavender is the perfect scent for this.  Mixed with citrus smells, you will have a calm, yet mentally alert client that can make calm, rational decisions.

Aside from those, here is a list of scents and their reactions to human behavior:

Chamomile - Calming and soothing; eases anger and anxiety.
Clary Sage - Relaxing; euphoric; eases anxiety, tension, and stress.
Eucalyptus - Fresh, cooling, and invigorating; promotes alertness.
Jasmine - Alleviates anxiety and depression.
Lavender - Calming.
Lemon - Refreshing and energizing; eases tension, heightens mental clarity.
Mandarin - Relaxing and calming; relieves insomnia.
Orange blossom - Relieves stress, anxiety and insomnia.
Peppermint - Refreshing and stimulating; increases alertness.
Rosemary - Promotes mental clarity and alertness.
Sandalwood - A warm, sensual aroma that creates seductive and euphoric moods.

This is just a small sample, obviously.  But, this sample includes the top scents used by retailers to stimulate buyers.  Since you are also assisting buyers, using similar techniques will help move properties faster and put your buyers in the ‘right frame of mind'.

Fan us up on Facebook! Or, follow me on Twitter!

THIS IS SOOO AWESOME!!!!

You can barely toss a random trade magazine or scan through a blog post without there being some reference to fact that real estate agents should be embracing social media. Whether that be blogging to help market themselves or having a business page on Facebook...just about everyone everywhere is agreeing that this should happen on as many levels as can be handled.

The really funny thing is I think this phenomenon is actually hindering a fundamental issue that has plagued (and continues to plague) the real estate industry as a whole --- the fundamental lack of communication between agents and clients.

This issue is no more prevalent than where I work. I deal with this very thing on a daily basis. And, the number one complaint that I get from the prospects that we send out to our member agents is that they never hear from the agent. Yet, when I go to check on the agent, I can see that they have updated Twitter 14 times during the day and have 12 new Facebook status updates and written 2 new blogs.

Really?? You told me you "didn't have time to speak with that client" I sent you....yet, you had time to play Mafia Wars for 3 hours??

Now, before you start to judge me and my position on this matter, I understand the need for the social media profiles. I get it. I actually created the marketing position I am in at my company because of them. I understand. I don't knock you for that.

But, to apply effort in that direction without taking the required time to speak with your clients is cyber-slashing your own wrists. Sure, you might get an additional client or two...maybe pick up a new listing thanks to that blog you wrote. Awesome.

Here's the real deal -- If you suck at follow-up communication with the clients that you already have, getting more clients isn't going to make it any better for you. AND, if you cant follow up on the people you are working with right now because you feel the need to increase the size of your mafia or play Texas Hold'Em with your college buddies on Facebook, all you are doing is turning another good client into a real esate agent hater. Now that person is going to tell everyone they know what a schmuck you are and to never use you (probably naming your company or brand in the process).

Thus...All you are doing is making your actual job HARDER! And, you are making it harder for everyone else in your office, your company, your brand, and your general line of work. 

Nice job. Those agents that are out there busting their tails really appreciate it. (Can you smell the sarcasm yet??)

One of the best things anyone ever told me with regards to sales is to do all your follow-up first. Get the hard stuff out of the way so that you have time for the fun stuff. (That is why we have dessert AFTER dinner!) Calling your mom or your beer-drinking buddies can wait. Call your clients first. Get that handled. After all, they are the ones that will be paying your commissions!

Why in the world would you want to hinder your potential income by pushing them away?? Seems counter-productive to me. Can you afford to just push away money?? Yeah, I didn't think so...

Your clients are expecting to hear from you. Making them wait for information they requested is not smart. In fact, it's rude. Don't push them off. Don't wait until the afternoon or the next day. Making them wait only causes them further frustration and builds up a level of disdain for you and your profession.

Call them. Get it over with...it will relieve them...AND it will relieve you because it has been dealt with -- good or bad.

Social media is a power tool. And with great power comes great responsibility. That responsibility lies right on your shoulders. Don't push away the things that pay your bills -- your clients -- because you have to get a new status update posted about your pedicure or feel the need to tweet about your football team's shoddy performance the night before. That's dessert. Take care of your meat and potatoes first.

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or follow me on Twitter. If you are on Facebook, fan us up!

Whether you want to admit it or not, you are using something to your advantage to get someone to buy from you.  You do it all the time.  Sales people are the kings and queens of taking advantage of the things we call “buying signals” and applying leverage in whatever way we can in order to get a deal done.  I know I do it all day long here.  You may think that you don’t, but you do.  And, if you really believe that you dont...you are lieing!

What am I talking about??

I am talking about the fact that we, as salespeople, take advantage of the emotional triggers that every single human uses when making a decision. 

There are seven of these triggers in total.  And, regardless of whether or not you have been aware of this list in the past, you are keenly aware of how to use them to your advantage.  These emotional triggers are the very things that everyone uses in order to make a decision.  They include:

The Friendship Trigger – This trigger activates both trust and agreement through bonding on a social level. Essentially, this is the trigger that you apply directly to your sphere of influence.  You use this on your friends, family, close acquantances, etc, that most sales people rely on as their base clientele.  They can also include past clients that you speak with on a regular basis.  The application of this trigger is specifically designed to leverage your friendship with them in the hopes that, when needed, they call upon you because you are friends.  Social networking to build business fits into this category also.

The Authority Trigger – This trigger activates acceptance through expertise.  A perfect example of this is agents that specialize in REO property or in high-end luxury property.  That specific specialization makes them an "authority" and those that need this type of specialized help would instinctively choose them as a result.  Another example of this is the multiple designations that an agent can get and list behind their name in an attempt to seemingly appear to have more authority or training than another agent by comparison.  This trigger is specifically designed to cause someone to choose to work with you because you have the knowledge to be able to help them.

The Consistency Trigger – This trigger motivates potential customers by causing them to recognize consistency with your past actions and repeat contacts.  In other words, this is your follow up skills hard at work.  (As a smart person once said, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.)  You leverage this trigger every time you follow up with a lead or schedule appointments (and keep them!) with potential customers.  You want your potential customers to recognize that you are consistent in your efforts to earn their business and you will be there when they decide to move forward based on your previous attempts to earn their business. 

The Reciprocity Trigger – In short, you give, you receive. This trigger is based on the idea that you use the services and businesses that your clients own or work at and they will do the same for you.  For example, if you use the services of a mechanic locally, when he needs help with buying a home, he contacts you.  This is also the “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” trigger, if you will.  If you have a client that needs a roofer, you know who you will recommend because they are good at what they do…AND you know that person will recommend people that they hear about to you when they need your service or expertise. 

The Contrast Trigger – This trigger is the one that is used any time you do a side-by-side comparison of options to show that one is more attractive than the other.  Any time that you list the pros and cons of given options, you are leveraging this trigger. 

The Reason Why Trigger – This trigger is specifically used to invoke emotional reasons to make decisions.  Buying is an emotional thing. So, we keep coming up with emotional reasons to say yes.  This trigger is based on ‘thinking with your heart’ and not your head.  When your clients see things inside a home you are showing that ‘they just love’, this trigger has been tripped.  Instictivly, you will remember that and remind them of that, if needed, at a later date in order to leverage this memory to assist in a decision.

The Hope Trigger – This trigger is specifically designed to instill positive expectations to help persuade one side of an argument.  In other words, this is the application of positivity.  In order to effectively leverage this trigger, you have to get your client to “see the bright side”, as it were. 

Whether you know it or not, you are using one of these to your advantage to get someone to buy from you.  Chances are, you are using more than one of them at any given time with any one of your potential or current clients.  In fact, in some instances, you have probably used all of them in order to get a deal done.  

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058.  Or, hit me up on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint. And, while you're at it, fan us up on Facebook!

Also, for more information on these seven triggers, you can check out www.seventriggers.com.

My good friend Matt Stigliano spent some time at REBlogWorld recently...

Despite the pains of jealousy, I am reblogging this awesome post of his!!

I recently read an article that really sparked my interest.  The article was simply a basic list of the ways that someone could re-invent themselves by investing time and effort into the one asset that all agents have - Themselves. 

The key principle to this article was the fact that, despite this uncertain market, there are people that appear to be striving to make their own abilities better and five ways to do so.  Below is the list that was in the article...and a good healthy dose of my own explanations as to why this is so important in this uncertain market.

IMAGE: You chose a career in real estate to be an independent business person.  So, do you carry yourself in a professional manner?  Do you "look the part"?  Do you have your business cards on you?  Are you showing that you are proud of whom you work for or what you do?  Whether you want to believe it or not, your image IS your first impression.  Make sure that the impression you are making is the on that you actually want to make.  There are some places where you can get away with blue jeans and a nice shirt.  There are other places where a suit is more appropriate.  Dress the part!  Maintain your personal image.  Get your hair cut or styled.  Ladies...get your nails done.  Guys...shave every day.  (Believe me, I realize that sucks ...I'm a guy...I understand.  But, its 2 or 3 minutes...and it makes a ton of difference to those around you.)  I actually know of one agent that wears a tuxedo to all of his closings.  That is part of his image.  It is what sets him apart from the rest.  (His name is Todd Waller out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he works for RealEstateOne.  But, you can get more info on him and his Team366 at www.blog.team366.net.) 

TRAINING: Aside from the mandatory requirements involved, you should try to find as many different options to better your ability as you can.  Take the time to sit down with your broker to discuss some in-house training options.  If you know of any free options for training, jump on it.  Any training you involve yourself in will only re-emphasize the skill set you already have developed.  So, it will not be wasted time or effort.  You never know, you may learn something.  (Also, anything that you can learn about social networking...that is a must!  Trust me on this...this is a skill that does require some time to master, but you will not regret it!)

NETWORKING: Making yourself known in the community by getting involved with community events is a great way of networking with some of the more influential people in your market.  Get involved with the community.  Start working with the Chamber of Commerce.  Go to PTA meetings.  Join Toastmasters.  Get involved in your local neighborhood activities.  Surrounding yourself with such innovative, like-minded people will help you with both your image and your over-all success.  Most people do business with people that they know on a social level.  So, networking like this is a key to success in a troubled market.

MENTORING: They say that the teacher will always learn something from the student.  Become a mentor for younger agents.  Help them be successful.  This will cause you to make sure that what you are doing is what you SHOULD be doing.  It will help you cross your ‘T's and dot your ‘I's, as it were.  Besides...there are times when you can actually team up and work together for the success of each.

YOU: Seems weird that I have to add this since this entire post is about you.  But, if you are not taking good care of yourself, you will not have the energy or the will to commit to the rest of this list.  Take care of your own body and mind.  Get sleep.  It is probably more important than anything else you can do for yourself.  Make sure you get some exercise.  (In this industry with showing property and running from one location to another, that usually isn't hard...but you should do 30 minutes of cardio every day.)  Eat right.  (Did you know that eating an apple will actually wake you up better than a cup of coffee??)  Bring fresh fruits with you on your appointments and eat them when you can.  Avoid the drive-thrus.  If you don't know where else to start in your investments in you...look in the mirror and start there.

If you would like information on how to get more clients, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058.  Or, visit www.recr.com.  Or, follow Clint on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.

DO NOT USE Real Estate Client Referrals?? I don't think so!!

Suchita Kahlon was skeptical. Very skeptical!!

After doing a little research online and finding a few posts telling her not to sign up, she questioned as to whether or not it would be good idea to give Real Estate Client Referrals a try...

But, after speaking with a couple of other agents that had been using RECR to great success, she decided to give it a try and signed up for a minimum package of referrals.

The rest you can read for yourself in her own words:

I have been with Real Estate Client Referrals since March 2009. I have already closed a number of deals from the leads that I have received!! RECR is an amazing and reliable referral system and, even when the market was slow, RECR was consistant in sending me solid leads. It's worth every single penny that I have invested!!  RECR is the best investment that Realtors could do for themselves.

Suchita has purchased additional referrals from RECR since her initial success!! If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint