Generate leads without selling! Call Challenge!

Here we are at the beginning of the Holiday season (Which by the way I have a hard time believing) and what a perfect time to reconnect with our past clients, friends, and family!  In our business, this is also a perfect time to qualify and cleanse our list of relationships.   I always enjoyed this time of year because it meant that I had reason to contact my list of relationships to wish them holiday cheers.   Again, I created a high level of lead generation activity during this time because of the holiday season, but mostly, it was to evaluate myself and the services I provided over the past year.  The call or reconnection had a two fold purpose; to qualify my relationships and to evaluate myself as a loan originator and now a as title rep.  You ask, how does this help to generate leads?  One word, Survey! 

In my past 11+ years of being in the real estate, I used techniques that help me generate referrals without having to be in the position to sell.  I know we all have been there at some point in our sales career where we are reluctant to make that call to past clients because we already have sold them the product or service.  What’s the purpose? What would I say?  You don’t say, you Survey!   Here is the survey that I used which built solid relationships with my clients, generated referrals, and qualified my database with out having to sell a thing  accept who I am, what I do, and the value I bring to the relationship. 

Survey Dialog:   4 simple questions.     

When making the call to your past clients, the first thing is to engage in conversation and what a perfect time to do that during the holiday season.   Also, make the call short and simple.  After engaging in opening conversation, here are the 4 questions I used in surveying my past clients.

(Dialog) “To better and grow my business in 2012, I wanted to reconnect with you to ask you a few questions on the services I provided during our transaction” (Make the dialog as you feel comfortable in presenting)

1.)    How did I do for you?   Qualifying question.  If they were dissatisfied find out why so that you can correct any issues in the future.  May be a client that you would remove from your database.

2.)    Was there one thing that I did well or stood out during the transaction?  Here you are gathering positive information that you can use in the future promotion of your business. 

3.)    Was there anything that I could have improved upon or did better during the transaction?  Here you’re gathering information to help with potential issues in the future.  Nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism.  Make you look like a true professional.

4.)    Would you refer me in the future?  Here you are getting the validation that the client would refer you.  If yes, then remind them that during the Holiday season, while with family and friends, the topic of real estate may come up and that you would ask to keep me top of mind during those discussions.  I am grateful for any referrals that you pass along.   Don’t be surprised, they may have a referral for you right then and there!  It happens. 

I challenge you to make calls through out the holiday season, and any time during the year, utilizing these survey questions.  Customers need a gentle reminder on how to refer and keep you top of mind.  Again, for me it was a great way to connect and generate referrals with out having to sell! 

 Let me know how it goes!  

Also, don’t forget to have a Positive Market Mindset!  It’s a great time to be in the business! 

Also, check out our new online ordering for title applicattions.  Order title online

Mike Elwell                  LinkedIn     Join me at my Blog: http://mikeelwellaat.blogspot.com/

All American Title Company

V.P. Business Development

2680 Snelling Ave. N.

Roseville, MN 55113

Direct: # 651-283-9914

www.AllAmericanTitleco.com   

mike@allamericantitleco.com

My Mission Statement: “Providing value added services and resources that create value added partnerships within the real estate and lending communities”

Having a Give, Grow, & Gratitude Attitude!

Over the last several months I have been writing blogs on growth and development topics such as Dollar Productive Time (D.P.T.) Working Through your Strengths, Having a Forward Market Mindset, Do you feel S.I.C  When?, and much more.  The topic to which I am about to blog is a very vital to my core value philosophy, both in Business and my personal life.  I call it having the Three G Philosophy (I know with the ever growing technology we have stepped up to 4 G’S) 

Give
Grow
Gratitude 

By applying the Three G Value Philosophy, particular to my business, has developed long lasting client relationships, steady stream of title order referrals and industry professionals, along with increased sales and revenue for my business.  Here are a few examples of Give, Grow, & Gratitude that may generate ideas for you to incorporate in your business.  
Give

• Give value: For example my Unique Selling Proposition is helping my clients grow their business and deepen their referral relationships by providing growth and development workshops to help increase sales, discover new markets and opportunities for their business, create a proven plan with coaching and accountability, and much more ….
• Provide tools and resources for your clients; for example, create a directory of services for your clients. This would include your business to business relationships such as carpet services, roofer, plumbing, siding, etc….. Be the go to person for all your clients needs.
• Give your time and energy to your list of relationships: You’re in sales, educate your clients on how to keep you “top of mind” when it comes to referring your products and services. Your lists of relationships are vital to a steady stream of business.  Trust me, your past clients need a gentle reminder on how to refer you.

Grow

• Grow and expand your referral network: Leverage your business to business relationships to create new opportunities. For example, collaborative marketing campaigns (Within RESPA guidelines), partnering up on workshop and seminars, blogging, networking, etc…. 
• Personal Development:  If you’re not growing, then you’re business is not growing.  Take time to Develop yourself through, reading, attending seminars (Like mineJ) sitting down with top business professionals to learn their strategies on becoming successful, gathering industry information, and so on…
• Lead Generation:  Number one on the list as far as Dollar Productive Time (D.P.T) As the Nike slogan says “Just Do It”. Very easy equation; increased lead generation activity + S.I.C ² = greater sales and referrals for your business. 

Gratitude

• Grateful for the opportunity: everyday is a day that I am grateful for the opportunity to work with my clients and referral partners.  If it’s by phone or out visiting accounts, I learn something new that assists me in the growth of my business.  By bringing value, such as marketing ideas, industry updates, seminars, etc.., it generally reciprocated through an exchange of information and discussion which generates leads, referrals and new opportunities.
• Referrals: I am very grateful for the referrals and leads that I receive in my business.  Each one is like gold and is treated with great care. 
• What I do: I am very grateful for the job and position that I have with All American Title.  I can truly say that I look forward to everyday where I can intertwine my passions and strengths to help others grow their business.  Its rewarding to know that through hearing a client success story, a thank you email, a phone call, or just seeing someone implement an idea to take there business to another level is very rewarding and that I am grateful for. 

Again, by applying the Three G Value Philosophy in business and life ha, in return, created a solid foundation for growth and success.  

Also, don’t forget to have a Positive Market Mindset!  It’s a great time to be in the business!  

Mike 
mike@allamericantitleco.com

Do You Feel S.I.C When??

Let me paint the picture of the times I had in the past, (and still do today occasionally), when I would get this queasy feeling at the end of my work day and possibly the end of the week!  The feeling of, what did I get done today, why are my numbers down, why can I get the phone to ring, where is my next deal going to come from?  We can get so caught up in being so busy during our day to come to find out it was not productive busy! Just Busy!!  I was tired of the feeling of always being behind and disorganized, so here is what I did to correct that issue and now it is becoming one of my strengths.

S. = Schedule

I. = Implement

C. = Commit / Consistency

I started focusing my business on Dollar Productive Time (D.P.T), which meant that I had to schedule my time for my business activities, made sure that I Implement the process and most of all, commit and stay consistent to my lead generation activities. When I failed to do the above mentioned activities, I actually felt sick!  Sick to my stomach!  (Guilt was involved as well).  Here are a few areas in my business that I apply S.I.C.

Lead Generation:  Schedule the time to sit down and exclusively lead generate.  This has to be a high priority in your business, in fact in should be number #1 activity during your work schedule. The agents and loan officers that are most successful in the real estate business are the ones that, schedule, implement and commit to lead generation for 2+ hours a day.  Nothing will get in their way to reschedule or blow off that appointment.  (Golf might be the exception to the rule!)

Marketing Efforts:  I have seen this and heard this way too many times over my career from loan officers and agents “I have great marketing ideas but just don’t have the time to put it together!” I was always wondered to myself if they are such great ideas that are going to generate leads, then why you would not apply S.I.C.  Schedule time to create, implement the marketing piece, and commit to delivering it to the market place, and most of all stay consistent.  Don’t give up on the plan! Marketing takes time and I have seen loan officers and agents give up because they do not see the immediate results and the return on investment.   In fact, they were just on the cusp of return on investment when they stopped the marketing campaign!  Marketing strategies takes patient’s and persistent.  Don’t give up!

Personal Development:  For me this is one of my top 5 Dollar Productive Time activities for my week.  Life can get very busy and in the midst of trying to create and generate new business, we tend to forget about ourselves!  Personal development is very important to the growth of your business and it only takes a few hours out of your week.   If you are not growing personally then your business is not growing as well. It’s amazing by just sitting down and reading a business/sales book, taking time to research the market, setting goals, etc….  you can create new ideas and opportunities for your business, plus it's motivating as well! 

So remember!  Don’t feel Sick; be S.I.C!  

Also, don’t forget to Have a Positive Market Mindset! 

Mike Elwell

mike@allamericantitleco.com

http://www.allamericantitleco.com/

Don't Sell; Engage

Over the last several years I have been working with loan officers and realtors though seminars and workshops and assisting them with growing their business.  Through seminars and individual discussions, I have been finding out something that is pretty consistent amongst sales professionals.  Call reluctance.  As in my previous blog post, I mentioned how the phone can look as big as the Grand Canyon.  Trust me; I have been there before sitting in front of that phone bead of sweat running down my cheek wondering what the heck I am going to say.  I was also thinking, "they don’t want to hear from me I am just going to be a bother", which by the way, really gave me a negative mindset before I even made the call.  It was over before it began!  Here is how I corrected the call reluctance issue.  I stopped selling!  (I can hear everyone say while reading this blog “Mike has finally lost it”) I took the approach of engaging in conversation with my list of relationships.  It was really about asking questions and gathering information.  It’s not about selling to the individual, but tapping into their relationships as well.  I love the saying “we are made with two ears and one mouth” I would asking simple questions like “how is life treating you” then I would sit back and listen.  Instead of being a sales person, I engaged in conversation and took a genuine interest in their life.  What I ended up discovering is that most of the calls ended up being the opposite of what I had initially had set in my mind.  Not only was it great to connect with my past clients, but just the gentle reminder that generated many referrals for me.  Writing this blog reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from the movie “Tommy Boy” (1995).  In the scene Tommy wants to order chicken wings but the server explains that the kitchen is closed and the fryers are turned of. Tommy then engages the server asks a few questions, and continues to explain how he takes such good care of his sale and then it blows up on him at the end.  At the end of his rant, the server looks at him directly, and says she will turn the fryers on for the wings.  Richard, sitting in amazement, explained to Tommy, “That’s what sales is all about” Tommy’s response was, “who cares if we did not get the wings they still had the pizza in the car” Meaning, he went for it and if they did not get the sale, he moved on.  He stopped pressing.   I think all sales professional have gone through a Tommy Boy moment. But again, the key is, don’t sell; just engage. Ask questions and meet the need of your clients.   And remember “Chicken Wings”

Have a Positive Market Mind Set! 

Mike Elwel

Having a Forward Market Mindset!

First of all, before I get started with this blog entry, I want to make it clear that I am not suggesting that we mentally skip summer or not enjoy the warm weather (Which I am still waiting for!) and all the activities that go along with the summer months.  And no, I did not get an endorsement fee from Old Man Winter for writing this blog.   In fact, before writing this blog I had multiple discussions with my clients and presented them an overview of the content that I will be posting. two things happened, 1.)  The look of sadness and dismay on their faces that I had suggested to mentally skip summer was not a good thing. 2.) I could hear the lighting of the fires and the rattles of the pitch forks and the words “Let’s get him”   By the way, I barley escaped a few offices.

Now, in no way am I saying not to enjoy and work hard in the summer.  The fact of the matter is that we are almost half way through the year.  (Yes, this is where the buzz kill comes into play) The Reality in the real estate business, and in most other businesses, is that we have to have a forward market mindset.  What I mean by that is we must be thinking what our lead generation plans are going to entail for the 3^rd and 4^th quarter of the year.  The old saying, “summer goes by so fast” is true.  Next thing you know you’re in September and looking at the end of the year.  Here are a few suggestions that I have that you can implement immediately to be proactive in not just generating leads for the 1^st quarter of next year but actually closing deals in January, February, or March. 

• If you don’t have a business plan in place right now, it’s time to get to it! (If you have questions on that please let me know.  I am here to help) If you do have a business plan in place it’s time to review it!  The real estate market can change, so your plan has to adapt to that as well.  I suggest reviewing your plan at least twice a month to make sure that you are on track. 

• Don’t feel S.I.C!  We all may feel a little SIC when we don’t this in our business.  S= Schedule.  Must schedule time to sit and create your review your plan.  I= Implement. Take action and execute the lead generation and marketing actions steps in your plan. C= Commitment.  Make sure you stay focus and commitment to the strategies and lead generation activities that you have within in your plan. 

• Tools & Recourses. (Now before I give you this valuable resource for your business, I just want to make it clear that I don’t receive compensation or sell this product.  I have used it for several years personally and it has been a great planning tool for my business.)   www.forecasts.org  This is a site that gives you economic forecasting for the next 3 years.  They forecast Housing Starts, Interest Rates, Oil, Dow Jones, Treasury Indexes and etc…..  Now the market can change at anytime, and nothing is guaranteed, but to have a tool that you can build your business around, that is pretty priceless.  Check it out and see what you think.  Please use this site at your own risk. 

Again, I am in no way wishing the summer away, I’m merely suggesting that we be proactive now in our marketing efforts to set us up for high level of activity in the 3^rd and especially the 4th quarter so we can come out of the gates in 2012 not just generating leads but actually closing deals in the 1^st quarter. 

So I ask you, do you have the Forward Market Mindset? 

Also, don’t forget to have a Positive Market Mindset as well!

Mike 

Contact me at: 

Mike@allamericantitleco.com 

Do you have the D.P.T Mindset!

For those of you that have been following this blog, you know that I am a big proponent of working through your strengths and the S.W.O.T analysis (soon to be S.C.O.T analysis, Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Threats) and how it can have positive impact on your business.  Well today, I am going against the grain and share a challenge (Weakness has such a negative connotation to it that I like to think to use the word challenge, and challenges are something that we can overcome) that I struggled with, and still do today, in my real estate career.  The challenge I’m speaking of is analyzing how my time and lead generation activities was being spent during the week and the direct results that it would have to increase the sales in my business.  I like to call it Dollar Productive Time or D.P.T.  I would go a mile a minute (which has not changed) and feel like a pinball being bounced around all over the place with no direction.  In fact, I was chasing time instead of creating time to be proactive and productive in my business. Being time organized and having a well thought out place for the week is a key in creating a successful business.  Having a Dollar Productive Mindset can mean many different things and it can be overwhelming at times.  What worked best for me was to sit down and qualify the activities that I was doing on a weekly basis and rate them from high priority to low priority.  Here are just a few of the activities that were considered of the up most importance. 

• Lead Generation: Minimum of 2 hours a day. For the successful loan officers and agents, this is an actual appointment that is never moved or changed! It’s the highest priority and importance when it comes to generating new sales for your business. 
• Database Management:  This is going to be ongoing on a daily basis but needs to be consistent.  If new contacts are being created, take time in the day to qualify and add them to the database.  Don’t be in a position of having 64 new business cards (to be exact) in your suite pocket that spill out and create a massive pile on your desk.  This creates an overwhelming and guilty feeling of not doing the due diligence of following up with your new contacts.  Each day that goes by, it becomes more unlikely that you will capture that business.  Don’t let the moment pass you by. (Trust me; this has never happened to me in my career!  In the immortal words of George Strait, “ I have ocean front property in Arizona” )
• Qualified Meetings: Make sure that meetings aren’t going to be a time sucker.  Evaluate why and who you are meeting with.  Make sure you have an objective or goal to come away from the meeting.  Coffee is good, correct that, phenomenal, but don’t walk away empty handed.  Make sure you come away with a commitment or at least another step in the direction of closing the sale. 
• Networking Events, Seminars, etc.: Great way to build new business to business contacts that can refer you the business that you are looking for. 
• Business and Personal Development:  At least 2 hours a week needs to be spent on business and personal growth   Take time to read a book, attend a workshop or seminar, grab coffee with a successful colleague that can give you tips and ideas on how they became successful, or just keep watching and reading my blogs. Now that is D.P.T well spent!

Again, this is something that I have been working on for a long time and still a work in progress.  Life can be hectic, but having a D.P.T mindset can help in harnessing and controlling your time which will create an efficient and productive work week! 

So I ask you, do you have a D.P.T mindset? 

By the way, there may be a D.P.T Seminar coming to your area soon!  I will keep you posted!

Also, Keep a Positive Market Mindset! 

Early on in my mortgage origination career, I met a gentleman, who today is a very good friend of mine, who coincidentally started his mortgage career around the same time I did.  We became fast friends and because of the lack of training and support at that time within the Mortgage industry, we ended up working together to help mentor each other to grow and learn more about the mortgage business. In fact, I would recommend having a colleague you can lean on for support no matter how long you have been in the business, especially in this challenging market.  From that support, it’s amazing how many marketing ideas, sales techniques, and loan solutions come from hours of discussions and synergizing. 

This colleague of mine, also love to invested in the stock market. Now, with me coming out of a family business after 16 years and into a new profession, I was clueless on how the financial sector worked.  He would come in and say you have to take a look at investing in this certain company.  I would return his statement with a question.   “What makes that company so great and why I would invest my time and money into them”?  After he had analyzed the company and did his research, he then proceeded to let me know about the products and service they provide, the systems they have in place, the growth strategies they have developed, the public perception, the ownership, and etc…..  Then it hit me like the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona! (Now, I have not experienced that in my life, but it’s on the bucket list) I asked myself “why am I not running my personal mortgage business like a major corporation that offers a stock.  My thought was that people can invest in me and the services I bring to the community. I started to analyze every detail of my business. For example:

• What products and services do I offer that would make me unique in the market place. (Unique Selling Proposition)
• What systems do I have in place to create new sales opportunities while maintaining my current clients as well as my current list of relationships?
• What plan do I have in place to create strategies and activities to meet my goals and objectives?  (another shameless plug for my “Check Up From the Neck Up”)
• What Value do I bring to my referral partners and business to business relationships?
• How could I get my clients to buy into my stock and then tell their relationships about what a great return on investment they had through the products and services I had provided during their transaction? 

As soon as I was able to answer these important questions, I adopted the Stock Market philosophy  and my business started to flourish!   My goal was to be the E.F. Hutton of the mortgage business. “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen” (The 40+ year old club may get a chuckle out that one)

So then the question I ask you; Is your stock rising?  

Again, remember to keep a Positive Market Mindset!