RECR's Blog: January 2010

I dont care who you are....this is funny!

A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client.

He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the Lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply:

"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."

Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:

"Your letter regarding title in Case No. 189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 194 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased, by the U.S., from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Isabella. The good queen, Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus' expedition. Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God,it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana.

God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back, to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it AND the FHA. I hope you find God's original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?"

The loan was approved.

My good friend Tom Royce (@TomRoyce on Twitter) writes a real estate blog and has some really good articles on there. The one he posted today on www.therealestatebloggers.com was just too good not to ask for permission to post on here. Thankfully, Tom agreed. (Its a good thing he did too. Im bigger than he is...LOL)

I'll Take Some Eggs, A Gallon of Milk, and a 3-Bedroom Ranch??

Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it.

Someone please explain that to the braintrust of Re/Max of New England.

Seriously.

They are planning on opening up 17 offices in Stop & Shop grocery stores. Again, my reaction is "Seriously??"

The idea of going to a grocery store to buy a house just degrades the brand. There is no alignment there. Eggs, milk, and Re/Max just does not do the brand justice.

If I was a Re/Max agent in New England I would be screaming at management. Imagine having to do desk duty next to the register? And if they do not listen, time to get new Keller Williams business cards...

Would you like Paper or Plastic?

Jay Hummer, executive vice president at Re/Max of New England, said the Natick company signed an agreement with Quincy-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. late last year to open as many as 17 real estate offices in Stop & Shop supermarkets within the next year. Most of the potential locations are in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Hummer said Re/Max franchisees were told about the opportunity to open offices in the stores last week.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for a year now,” Hummer said. “It’s a great way for our broker-owners and agents to be able to connect with the consumer … in a very convenient location.” via Enterprise News

I would LOVE to hear comments from people with regards to this post!!  Please, share your opinion!! 

If you would like information about RECR and how we can get you more clients, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058. Or, follow him on twitter. Or, fan us on Facebook!

I have written posts in the past about guerrilla marketing....

For those of you that want the whole story here...

This is a viral video started by placing a random Coke machine on a random college campus and filming the results as part of a global marketing campain launch.

If you ask me...what resulted was --- AWESOME!

This is one of the greatest things I have ever seen!!

Because everyone needs to be reminded how not to suck....

I decided I needed to get a new pair of shoes.  The ones that I have are a couple years old and, quite frankly, a bit worn out.  So, I decided to head to the local ShoeEmporiumMart and get myself some shoes.  I knew exactly what I wanted...and in what section of the store to find it.  As I entered the store, I saw a couple customers browsing and 3 sales attendants by the cash register. 

As I stroll past them, one of them says, "Hi. I will be right with you."  Assuming she was discussing something important and required time to finish her discussion, I went on my own. 

Fine with me...I know what I want anyway.  I head over to the shoes I want and the specific shoe I am after is not on the shelf.  So, I hunt around for a couple minutes only to figure out that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason as to how these shoes are shelved...and decide I would "hunt down" that kind lady that said she would help me. 

After a minute or two of looking, I find her at the counter again chatting with the other two sales reps about her obviously too intense weekend of drunken debauchery.  I ask her if she knew where I could find my New Balance 820s in a 4E...and without even skipping a beat, she says to me and I quote...."I said I would be with you in a minute". 

I don't think I have to tell you what happened next.....

Suffice it to say that I got my shoes from FootLocker instead. 

You see...like this example, some aspects of your sales ability are painfully obvious to your customers.  But, some of them are much more subtle than this example...Subtle enough that you probably don't even know that you are doing them.  But, your clients know.  Believe me! 

So, here are some ‘subtle' and some not-so-subtle ways that you suck literally destroy your relationship (and your reputation) with your clients.

Be inaccessible.  One the primary complaints I receive from the clients I refer to agents is that the agent is hard to reach.  Heck, one of the major complaints I hear from other agents is that some agents are hard to reach.  Don't answer your phone.  And, when someone takes the time to leave a message, don't worry about calling back.  After all, if they want to reach you so bad, they will just call back, right? 

Talk more/listen less.  Youre the important one here.  Youre the expert.  What they have to say is not important at all because you have all the answers.

Be dishonest.  Nothing will turn off a client more than being dishonest.  The phrase ‘a web of lies' implies that it takes a lie to cover up a lie.  And another one to cover up that one and so on. 

Ignore simple manners.  Whether you like it or not, your manners matter to your clients.  Go ahead...keep your clients on hold.  Talk on your cell phone about nothing that relates to your clients that are standing right in front of you.  Use profanity and disrespectful language around your clients.  Say something negative about another client in the presence of one of your clients.  Go ahead...it's the truth, right?

Take "No" for an answer.  That's right...just give up.  Automatically assume that the client will never work out because you heard the word ‘No' the first time you contacted them.  After all, only the "serious" customers that are ready to go right now are worth your time.

Don't get to know your customers.  Ignore the important things in their lives.  Don't worry about birthdays or anniversaries.  Forget that they have 4 dogs they treat like children.  Ignore the fact that the ugly vase on the mantle is actually Great Grandpa George.  Don't get to know them on a personal level...its not required anyway.  After all, they are just walking dollar signs, right?

I would bet that 98% of the people that read this will already know why you shouldn't do these things and completely deny that they suck do any of them.

So, the next logical step in this conversation: Well, what should I do instead?

Simple. Dont suck.

BE ACCESSABLE!  Answer your phone whenever possible.  Reply to all messages and email within a maximum of 6 hours.  Make sure that your clients understand that you are there for them and that you appreciate the fact that they trusted you enough to want to contact you.

LISTEN!  You were given two ears and only one mouth.  That means you should listen twice as much as you talk.  Take the time to listen to your clients.  What they have to say is important to them.  Therefore, it MUST be important to you.  Ignore your rehearsed responses to standard objections and tailor them to fit the specific needs of your client's concerns.  Make them feel important...because they are!

BE HONEST!  Be honest to a fault, if need be.  In this market, clients need an advocate that is out for THEM not THEMSELVES.  Say what you mean.  Don't beat around the bush about facts that need to be said.  Even if what is needed is a smackdown...it would be better for you to do it and be honest about it than to be deceitful and then get caught in the lie later on.  You have one shot to build trust...don't blow it.

USE YOUR MANNERS!  For sales people that want to reach the top rung of the ladder, there is no substitute for patience, civility, and good old fashioned manners.  Say ‘please'.  Say ‘thank you'.  Make eye contact with people when they are speaking to you.  Open doors for people.  It sounds silly, but these things are not just marketing gimmicks designed to make a client happy.  They are the tried and true marks of good character.

FOLLOW UP!  Whether you want to believe it or not, sometimes "no" means "not right now".  I see this every day with my company.  Agents simply give up after the initial contact with a potential customer because they were told "no".  It has been proven time and again that it takes seven points of contact for a consumer to remember who you are and why you are trying to contact them.  So, it is up to you to ensure that happens.  Call your prospects.  Email your prospects.  Work your leads.  Don't just give up initially because you didn't get the answer you wanted on the initial request.  Sales isn't a McDonald's drive-thru.  You might have to ask more than once...or twice...or eight times.  I work with an agent currently that just landed an exclusive agency agreement on 35 properties because she followed up on a referral from my company that screamed at her on her initial phone call.  (If you want to hear the whole story, contact me...be happy to share.)

KNOW YOUR PEOPLE!  Notice I didn't use the word ‘client'.  I have said time and time again that this is a people business.  You deal with people.  And, they should be treated as such.  Get to know them on a personal level.  Use that to your advantage.  Remember their kids' names; their dog's name.  Ask about the things in their life that are important to them and make them important to you as well.  By the same token, allow them to get to know you.  Developing a rapport and trust is mutual.  It has always been true, you must be able to give before you are proven worthy to receive.  That rule holds true here also.

It is a hard and fast rule of business that it costs six times more money or time to cultivate a new client as it does to retain a current one.  And, in this market, I would bet it costs even more.  Extraordinary customer service skills will only lead to successful retention of your clientele.  And that will ensure that you dont suck.

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals www.recr.com, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint

If I were to hand you a paper clip and were to ask you to sell it to me, could you? How would you go about it? What features would you mention? What uses would you bring up? What "special" thing about this paper clip would be the key item in your head that would click in your mind as being "the hook" in your sales pitch?

Interesting questions, right??

Honestly, I've sold paper clips before. Well, office supplies in general. And, when I was hired as a sales rep for the company, I was handed a paper clip and asked to do this very thing. More on that in a minute...

First, let's take a look at how the majority of sales people would handle this issue...

Better than 80% of sales people start the exact same way -- they pitch!

Immediately, you are flooded with every possible fact and figure about the paper clip from its length to the type of wire it is made from and how it is bent into its convenient shape to the color to the protective plastic coating they overlay on top of the implant grade surgical steel wire to avoid accidental nicks to the skin, clothing, or worse -- damage to the documents you are securing....blah, blah, blah.

Some sales people can (and do!) talk about a paper clip for the better part of 6 or 7 minutes. As the diatribe continues, you could literally see the attention span of my sales manager waving goodbye and flying right out the window on melancholy wings.....which would cause them to talk even longer and with more animation and conviction. And all of this without ever asking for an order or even asking one simple question!

So, there I am, hoping with every fiber of my being that I get this job and some schmuck hands me a paperclip and tells me to sell him???

I paused for a minute closely examining the paperclip, then I started my pitch by asking several questions.

"How often do you use paperclips during your daily operations?"
"What other locations within your company are these paper clips used frequently?"
"How often do you order new paper clips?"
"When you do order, how many do you usually buy at one time?"
"Besides yourself, who else is involved in buying paper clips?"

Quite the difference in approach, isnt it.

Quite frankly, anyone can look at a paper clip and see what it is and what it is made of and how it works. And, quite frankly, no one cares. What is important, however, is HOW they are used, how OFTEN they are used, WHERE they are used, and how MANY are used. That information is important to both of us because it determines need and gives me information I require to propose a solution to my client's problem. When you start asking questions about WHY this paper clip is so important to the buyer, things change dramatically.

Take a close look at your "pitch". Do you focus on all of the things that you do? Is your elevator speech filled with all of the facts and figures of your previous sales experience and how you are the #2 blogger on ActiveRain in the county and "you've done this"'s and "you do that"'s? Are you merely brow-beating your potential clients into a mind-numbing submission with impressive facts and figures that do nothing but attempt to make you better than everyone else?

Or, is your focus more on questioning your potential clients and finding out what it is they need and then trying to find a solution that best fits their needs? Do you make a point in finding out what specifially your client wants of you and then explain how your experience can solve that problem for them?

See, once you do this, you have actively involved the prospective client in the pitch of your product and have related it to them by referencing their specific needs. Also, it shows that you really care about what the prospect wants and that you have the ability, knowledge, and want to make that problem go away for them and are willing to help achieve that goal WITH them.

If you would like more information on RECR and how we can help you get more clients to work with, please contact Clint directly at 800-977-7058. Or, fan us on Facebook! Or, follow Clint on Twitter!

With so many people doing their best to set themselves up for a better year in 2010, I thought I would share a post I wrote a while back that seems to be more pertinent now...

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.

I have to admit...Im a mountain man at heart.  But, my roots are in the south.  I'm a 6th generation American and the only one to be raised outside of the Mason-Dixon line or west of the Mississippi.  So, I have a fair amount of good ol' fashioned redneck blood in me. 

So, with that in mind, I wanted to pay some respect to the ingenuity of my fellow rednecks.  Lets just take a quick snapshot of the things that we wouldn't have were it not for the glorious people of the south:

• Jack Daniels.  (OK, I don't need to say any more, do I?)
• Moonshine or any major form of alcoholic production in general.  (Bootleggers of the world, unite!)
• Alligator skin boots and handbags, alligator farms, alligator restaurants...pretty much anything involving the alligator can fall into this category.  (I, for one, would not be caught dead within 100 ft of a live alligator.  Those suckers scare the holy beejeezus out of me!)
• Anything Creole!  (And being a foodie like I am, I would be sooo sad to not have this around!)
• Bass fishing tournaments!  (Any excuse to fish!)
• Air-boats!  (Any way to get to fish we cant get to with other boats!)
• Monster Trucks!  (Again, I don't need to say anything else here...)
• And the ultimate advent of the south -- Nascar!  Gotta love Nascar!  Gotta love anyone willing to drive 1,000 miles just to watch someone else drive 500 miles!  (I'm not really sure what Nascar stands for, but Im pretty sure its 'Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks'.)

Aside from those outstanding and 'cant-live-without' contributions to society, I have complied a stack of inventions and oddities that are truly "Redneck".

If you would like information about www.recr.com and how we can provide you with clients, please contact Clint Miller.  You can either call 800-977-7058 or email me at clintmiller@recr.com.  Or, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.

A-FREAKING-MEN!!! I dont have much interest in the contest, Bob....but the info prior to that is MONSTEROUS!! :-)

Being the mega-geek that I am, I'm more than willing to jump onto any technological geek-fest that seems like it might be fun to do or a cool way of connecting with other people. Some of them I like...some of them, not so much. But, one of the more recent ones that I am really enjoying lately is FourSquare.

FourSquare is an internet based location updater in a game-style format.  Basically, it works like this...

You are going to the grocery store. As you pull up, you grab your smartphone, activate the FourSquare app, and "check-in" at your destination. This will then notify your friends on Twitter and Facebook where you are potentially allowing others that are following you to connect with you in real life at that location. As you check in at different locations, you build points (cause everyone likes to keep score) and can become a virtual "Mayor" of locations you visit more than anyone else. (I personally am the Mayor of the RECR Global Headquarters and CostCutters in the Southgate Mall.)

You can add tips on what to do at certain locations for future visitors to do and check off things other visitors have recommended you do when you visit a location. You can also win flare to put on your profile that says that you have checked in at multiple locations in one night or you have 50 check-ins at one location, etc. Kinda like collecting charms for a charm bracelet. (Anyone other than me remember those things??)

Anyways...Seems kinda silly, right??

Well...THINK BIGGER!

From a marketing standpoint, this "game" is a GOLDMINE!! Businesses all over the country are keenly aware of this little techno-geek game. In fact, there is an exponentially increasing group of tech-savvy companies all over the country that are using this to their advantage.

"How??", you may ask...

<----- THAT's how!! If I were to be going to this location and I was the Mayor of this bar, Id get a free beer! (Personally, I love free stuff!) Id be back again and again and again just because I would get a free beer. Not only that, but others would come here over and over just for a chance at becoming Mayor so they could get a free drink also.

Here is another example...this is a coffee joint that also offers live music in the evenings. And, they take this whole discount thing a step further.

In case you cant read that tiny print (and believe me, I had to blow it up to get it right) it says....

"Mayor of The Marsh Cafe? Show the barista your check-in and your drink is on the house.

Not the Mayor?? We still love you!

Check on at the The Marsh or The Marsh Cafe, show us, and we'll give you $2 off a ticket to anything we have playing that night."

So, not only do you get free stuff for being the mayor, but you get a discount merely for showing up there and checking in at that location.

There is one word for taking advantage of this "game" and using it to help market your business --- Genius!!

And, this "techno-geek" marketing is an incredible way to drive traffic directly to your business using technology that was originally designed as a social networking "game".

If you have not tried FourSquare yet...you should. It's fun. It's free. And, its a great way to connect with people all over the country and apply your voyeuristic tendencies (and if you're on Facebook or twitter, you know you sit and watch others....don't lie) in a new and fun way that might actually get you a free latte some morning.

And, who couldn't use that, right?

For other techno-geek assistance, you can connect with me on Twitter or on Facebook. And, if you need any help getting internet buyers, I can help there also!

Feel free to contact me directly as well -- 800-977-7058, or email me at clintmiller@recr.com.

I think this post is DEAD ON accurate.  It is written by Steve Shatsky. I have no dealings with Mr Shatsky other than to see his post on the AR email today...but, I could not agree more!!

If you fit this bill, I can help you!

Thank you, Steve! Excellent post!