belinda « Sanford Systems & Strategies

Becoming Wealthy by Prioritizing the Important August 20th, 2012 | Posted in Other Interests

In my real estate career, I soon found out that there were great ideas and average ideas. Concentrating on the great ideas made me wealthy. Usually the average stuff is promoted by speakers who have never sold much real estate or writers who have never sold any real estate.

The average ideas take time away from doing the great ideas. Average ideas usually carry with them the promise of working automatically, being fun, or doing easily. They usually have the universal feature that there is no direct conversation with a client. Facebook, Tweets, and non-producing websites are some examples. Can you believe I’m talking about the sacred cows? Yes, you need to be involved in social media, but should it be at the expense of your past clients? This business is a game of producing and closing quality leads with sellers in the shortest amount of time possible. Please think on some of these IMPORTANT priorities:

Spend less time talking with agents. I know this sounds harsh but too many are negative. I’m pretty positive about one thing as well – they will never list or buy through you.
Use your affiliates as team members. If your home inspector can’t take your client through a home and help to close the deal, then he/she is the wrong inspector.
Spend two hours a day calling behind direct mail to hot seller demographics with great value. Get the out-of-state owners and show them how you can be their “eyes,” their counselor, their go to guy/gal, their document manager, their 1031 person, their lender referrer, and many other sources of reference. This is just one of the systems that my coaching clients are utilizing to increase their net worth.
When you’re on the phone, get the appointment! When you’re in person, get the signature! If you don’t get the appointment or the signature, you have lost time and wasted a portion of your day. If you don’t know how to do it, practice by asking for it and giving service that shows you deserve it.
Be the last one scheduled for a listing presentation and know how to sell the concept without losing the transaction.
Stop listening to “gurus” who sold less than you in yearly production real estate.
Sell your own listings. There are systems that allow you to do this ethically.
Sell your buyers on answering questions, meeting with your lender, meeting with you, and signing a loyalty agreement before you show any more property.
Have a Facebook page with a lot of friends but don’t spend more than 15 minutes a day on it.
Have a series of letters to convert buyer B leads into buyer A leads, converting more of your online leads. If you don’t have services beyond showing MLS property for buyers, get educated. Visit my blog and article archives for numerous references at www.waltersanford.com.
Make no house calls on buyers.
Work on a listing presentation that gets a higher commission rate, a longer term, transaction coordination fees, cancellation fees, and fees for extraordinary marketing requested by the seller.
Curb your desire to write to me on how your board, office, or state doesn’t allow you to implement one of my ideas. Find something else that works for you and do it!
Sell higher priced property. Generate a wealthier client base.
Show your listings first, then the best to the worst of the inventory balance.
If your buyer and/or seller have no motivation, think up something for them. If you cannot, let them go, unless they are reasonable…which they won’t be if they don’t have a real motivation.
If you have a very motivated client, you can overprice a listing and show more homes to your buyer.
You can get rich by buying cash flow properties with fixed loans. Stop buying toys and put together a down payment.
Eat healthy, walk for exercise, and find all the answers in the Bible.
Call all of your past clients twice a year. 2-5 calls a day should do it for 95% of you.
Have two hours a day where you return calls and emails. Set definite times; your clients will love it. If you don’t set the time, you won’t get anything done.
When you have time, fill it with a time-blocked, seller lead generation system.
Here’s some tough love — it’s not your broker’s fault, it’s yours (almost always).
The only reason it does not sell is because of price.
Clients can be wrong a lot. Show them love and point out where they are going wrong.
How can you help a client without knowing their exact goals?
Checklists rule! I have one for everything. Yes, I really do. I add to them when I have a great idea. I subtract from them when I am looking at cutting overhead. Display your checklists to your clients to gain their trust. Assistants can use checklists to get the job done way you want. Use checklists to delegate.
Even when you have a lot of pendings, do NOT stop prospecting.
Wake up early and go to bed early.
Pay your income taxes and don’t borrow money on credit cards.

The next time you are presented with a checklist of 30 ways to get social media working for you…refer to this list first.

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.

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Why Are Sanford Systems’ Coaching Clients Getting the Deals? August 14th, 2012 | Posted in Other Interests

Many times, the ability to overcome an objection will buy you a few more moments, allowing you to build a relationship and turning a frustrating call into a money call. Overcoming objections is one of the reasons my coaching clients are getting the deals from the other agents!

Here is a question that I recently received from one of my coaching clients:

Question:

Please give me your thoughts on these. I am putting together the script to overcome these objections.

1. Buyer calls in inquiring about a property or emails in. When we talk to them and ask if they are working with an agent. They say, “I am already working with an agent.” I want us to challenge/question this since obviously their agent isn’t doing their job.

2. Buyer calls in and says “I am calling on behalf or to get information for _____________.” Could be friend, relative, business associate, etc.

Thanks for your input.

John Peterson, RE/MAX Realty

Answer:

“Thank you for calling. With all due respect and I hope not to offend you – but you are working FOR an agent. When we work for our clients, we do the calling, we do the research, we show you items not in the MLS, and we get you some listings before the other agents even get them! Add to those items about ten other exclusive services that we offer our clients. Have I earned the right to try to obtain your business and start with the business of finding you a home?”

Use the same script on the second one but ask them to relay it to their friend, relative, associate, etc.

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Advertising Buyers Makes More Sense Than Advertising Sellers May 15th, 2012 | Posted in Other Interests

Below is a question posed to me about advertising buyers’ needs. I hope this helps you with any questions about how to approach handling buyers and their needs, too.

Question:

How would you advertise buyers’ needs? Examples in doing this? Thank you.

Lorenzo

Answer:

When you control a listing, you are on potentially thousands of websites selling 24 hours a day; however, when you have a buyer, it’s only you! Therefore, I always advertised my buyers on my website and any print advertising where I needed to destroy the competition. A seller would rather list with the agent who appears to have all the perceived buyers rather than all the perceived listings.

I was able to obtain buyers by offering them services and value that no one else promoted. One of these special services was secret, unlisted properties that netted me more listings in my search. Another service was providing my “team,” which put them in touch with their lender early and with benefits. I also provided guaranteed feedback for buyers and many other perks. My buyers were well-qualified, loved that they were able to see more property than anyone else, easily signed my loyalty agreement (buyer brokerage agreement), and loved that their needs would be printed in the local real estate magazine.

The ad would look something like this:

Before you call any other real estate agent for a marketing plan or call to list, we might already have your buyer! Here are our buyers as of press time.

(insert Buyer ID/Area/Beds-Baths/Price range/Special desire/Possession goal)

For an up-to-the-minute buyer list, visit www.waltersanford.com or call 815.929.9258 to discover what buyers might be coming in this week!

If you know of a property that comes close to any of the above buyer’s needs, please call me at 815.929.9258 or email walter@waltersanford.com for a confidential consultation.

The buyers always looked at me as “different” than the competition and that was all it took to get ahead of the pack! Good luck!

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Minimum Telephone Policy April 4th, 2012 | Posted in Other Interests

I’m mystified at brokers, owners, and managers who spend time instructing their agents on activities that aren’t pro-active. Social media won’t pay the bills, but properly handling an incoming phone call will lead to better things.

Included below is the minimum telephone policy checklist for a non-agent who answers the phones at the office. Obviously, if he or she is an agent, he or she would go further using our buyer and seller checklists. For non-agents, this checklist should create more converted leads. Remember, it’s not about the amount of leads you produce but how many you can convert to a client.

Telephone Policy Checklist

Please initial.

____________ 1. When the phone rings, always put a smile on your face! People know by the tone of your voice whether you are enjoying what you are doing or not. We want to keep the idea that this (like Disneyland!) is a happy place to work.

____________ 2. Always answer enthusiastically, “It is a great day at Sanford Systems. How may I help you?”

____________ 3. When answering phone calls, always ask the caller, “Would it be helpful if (agent’s name) knew what this call was regarding?”

____________ 4. When making phone calls for Walter, you say, “Good (morning, afternoon, evening), Mr./Mrs. ____________. Walter asked met to get you on the line to discuss (property address) or ___________ look at lead classification. (example: FSBO, expired, past expired) Would you hold for one moment while I get Walter on the line?”

____________ 5. Give the call to the party for whom the caller is asking. Always ask for permission to put the caller on hold, and wait for an answer.

____________ 6. If that party is not in or is on anther line, ask if someone else can help. For example, “Walter is on another line. May I help you at this time?”

____________ 7. If no one is available and you have to take a message, take the following required information from the caller:

Name: ask the caller politely how to spell his or her name

Phone number: ask for the number where the caller can be reached; be sure to get both a work and home or cell phone number; repeat each number

Message: please find out why they are calling, and be specific! You can say something like, “Walter usually calls in for his messages, and he may be able to answer your question and have me call you back sooner.”

Time: find the best time for a return call and the best number for that time

Note: do not push callers too hard, but try to get the most information out of them.

____________ 8. Always be polite by adding “thank you” and “please.” Never be demanding or rude.

____________ 9. No matter how badly you are treated by someone on the phone, they are always potential clients and are always right. Walter will handle the bad guys – not you!

_____________________________________ _______________
Telephone Operator/Team Member Date

This checklist was included as part of the new employee paperwork that we would acquire. He or she needs to be aware of job responsibilities and expectations. This policy/checklist helps in setting the tone for phone calls. Good luck in your training and in converting those calls to leads!

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Capture Those Expensive Leads March 7th, 2012 | Posted in Other Interests

Through my years of coaching and training agents, I have found the largest training gaps to be in handling leads. Many times, the gap is at the phone level – either the incoming phone calls or the follow up phone calls.

Many leads are internet-generated and are unresponsive to email communication, requiring a phone call. Remember, you can get phone numbers from leads, if the value you offer on your site is compelling enough.

Here is the phone lead checklist that my coaching clients are implementing so no leads go uncultivated.

Phone Lead Checklist

Marketer:________________________________Date:____________________

Client Name:______________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________

City:____________________________ ST:__________ Zip:_________________

Telephone: H:_______________ O:________________ C:________________

E-mail:____________________________________________________________

Decision-Maker:__________ Influencer:__________ Other:____________

LEAD URGENCY — NOW

o Definite, immediate interest to buy or sell – give to Walter
o Intends to act in 3 months or less
o Wants additional information from Walter; what?_________________
o Database

INTERMEDIATE

o Definite future interest
o Intends to act in three to six months
o Gathering information:__________________________________________
o Database
o Re-contact date: ______________________________________________
o LLA
o BA
o Needs to be sold on buyer services.

FUTURE

o Definite interest
o Intends to act in 12 or more months
o Database
o Re-contact date:_______________________________________________
o LLB

Comments/additional information:_________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

LEAD DIRECTION

Lead Referred to:___________________Contact Date:________________

Contact Date Input by:____________________________________________

RESULTS OF WALTER’S INTERVIEW

__________________________________________________________________

Re-direct instructions:______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Whether this phone lead checklist is on your laptop/tablet/smart phone or a printed hard copy, your assistant will find the information to be invaluable in determining the quality of this lead and also in preparing the rainmaker (YOU!) to turn the lead into an appointment. This checklist is from our system Time-Saving Checklists. It comes complete with an easy-to-use implementation CD, and it will help in streamlining your operations to squeeze out every last dollar of profit for your efforts!

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