Archive for Training
Brokers: Why Aren’t Your New Agents Succeeding?
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Brokers: Why aren’t your new agents succeeding? (half are failing in their first year; another 25% fail in their second year). What do new agents need to know to succeed? You’ve watched them come into your office and flounder. You’ve watched them become ‘time tornadoes’–whirling around in your office, sucking time from seasoned agents, while seeming to stay in terminal neutral themselves. Here’s your chance to tell me how real estate brokers (and new agents) are going wrong.
Why Tell Me Now?
Right now, I’m doing several things that I think will greatly impact the success of a new real estate agent. Here they are:
1. I’m making a new online version of Up and Running in 30 Days, to help new agents and managers assure that new agent gets started fast–doing the right things in the right order. I’ll be providing coaching, training videos, and accountability to show ultimate support for that new agent–and the broker enrolled in the program.
2. I’ve just been named New Agent Expert for a national real estate publication, which will interact with pre-license schools. So, I’ll have an opportunity to help agents prior to their coming into the business.
3. I’ll be providing brokers with coaching so they can stay on track with their new agents, and assure that everyone has the same focus–success quickly for that new agent.
So, I have two questions for you:
1. What does the new agent need to know to succeed?
2. What does the new agent need to do to succeed?
To answer those questions, think of the successful agents you know. What did they do in the first 3 months of the business? What did they avoid?
Training: What new agent training helped your new agents? What was useless? What ought to be there?
Coaching: Were you coached as a new agent? What was good? What was not useful to you? What do you wish someone would have told you? What about your coaching new agents has worked for you? What hasn’t worked?
Your Opportunity to Help the Industry
Okay. Here you go. Comment on this blog and help the industry, so we can raise the level of expectations of new agents, give brokers some guidance, and help consumers think well of us. Thank you!
Are You Committing These Four Recruiter Sins?
Posted by: | CommentsAre you committing any (or all) of these four recruiter sins? Have you hired ‘abundantly’? Unhappy with your production and retention rates? Most brokers are. Yet, it’s so easy to see why they have low retention rates. They’re creating them with their selection practices! And, in this ‘new normal’ market, we can’t hire so ‘abundantly’ and expect our agents to hack it in the real world.
The Four Recruiter Sins
Here are four of the most common “sins”, with recommendations about how to avoid them.
Sin # 1: Not considering a potential recruit a ‘candidate’
What do you call your potential recruits? I’ll bet you call them ‘leads’ or you say that you’re trying to recruit this person. Stop acting ‘needy’.
To become a ‘saint’: Call those potentials ‘candidates’. After all, you are screening, qualifying, and selecting them to your unique culture, your company. Shouldn’t they consider themselves lucky to get chosen by you?
Sin #2: Selling too much and too soon in the selecting process
The first part of the selection process consists of questions, questions, questions. Why then, do agents tell me they were asked very few questions, but were sold, sold, sold?
To become a ‘saint’: In your first interview, or first part of the selection process, ask questions and listen 75% of the time. Your candidate will tell you exactly what she is looking for, so, you can arrange your ‘tell’ (presentation) portion to fill her needs.
Sin #3: Not using a planned selection process
We teach our agents to use a planned presentation for buyers and sellers. Yet, we selectors just ‘wing it’. We have no system in place. What do you think we look like to the candidate who is interviewing for a position in a ‘real business’?
To become a ‘saint’: Create and master an effective selecting system. Know your steps. Follow your steps. Have your whole system written down. Use it with each candidate.
Sin #4: Asking questions that don’t tell us what we need to know
Most brokers have their favorite interview questions. However, it’s not connected to their agent job description or to the qualities they are looking for in real estate agents. It’s just a question they like.
To become a ‘saint’: Design your questions to reveal the skills, traits, and qualities you’re looking for in that real estate agent who represents your unique culture.
SAVE in March: $70+ off Recruiting Resources
For in-depth how tos in these four sins to saint status, see Your Blueprint for Selecting Winners. 
A $40 value, the Blueprint is FREE to those recruiters who purchase The Complete Recruiter. Plus, get The Complete Recuiter at $30 off (regularly $129.95, now $99.95) AND my new eBook on recruiting, From Romance to Reality. Order now and save $70+. This offer expires Mar. 31, 2012.
Are You a ‘Change’ Leader?
Posted by: | CommentsThis January, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because it’s one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of 2012 and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. And, check out my complimentary webinar on Jan. 30 on leadership, trends, and what you should do about it! See more at the end of this blog.
Check at the end of these blogs for those ready-to-use documents and checklists to put these ideas to work.
Leadership: It’s REALLY Big for 2012
According to authors Ian Morris and Steve Murray, leadership is one of the big trends of 2012 and beyond. In fact, to read their take on 10 big trends, grab Game Plan: How Real Estate Professionals Can Thrive in Uncertain Times . In fact, I think leadership is in such a crisis state (think companies, politics, families, etc.) that I created a 12-part subscription series for real estate owners, managers, and team builders. In 365 Leadership, I provide one new leadership strategy per month, with everything subscribers need to put that strategy right to work (low or no cost and workable for the 5 person or the 500 person office). I know how difficult it is to go from maintenance to leadership (and especially so, because the majority of managers and owners now also sell!). So, I want to make it as easy as possible to step into effective leadership.
Needed today: A Special Kind of Leader
I think we would all agree that leadership is desperately needed in the real estate industry. I read a book several years ago titled Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers (I also highly recommend it). In it, authors Kriegel and Brandt show why people resist change, and the kind of leadership it takes to move people off dead-center into new actions. Isn’t that what’s needed in business today? Not ‘maintenance management’ but leadership. (I’ll write more about the differences in another blog). The authors introduced the concept of a ‘change leader’. So, what’s a ‘change leader’?
An individual who leads initiatives that influence others to perform differently–and better.
If you’re an owner or general manager, you need this ‘change manager’ in your organization. If you’re an agent, you’ll want to look for a ‘change leader’ to help you adjust to the rapidly changing real estate industry. How would you identify one? Find a leader who leads the way great leaders of businesses internationally today are leading.
Change Leader Attributes
Commitment to a better way
Personal initiative to go beyond defined boundaries
Stay undercover (stay close to the everyday business)
Sense of humor
Courage to challenge existing power bases
Motivate themselves and others
Care about how people are treated and enabled to perform
Change leaders believe in:
Tough standards of performance
Joint accountability
Democratic principles to tap creative power
Even though the real estate industry cries for ingenuity and creativity, compared to other businesses, it has been slow to change the way it does business. Allowing ‘change leaders’ to come forward and thrive is vital for the very existence of our industry–and, of course, vital for a bright future.
In my next blogs, I’ll be talking about how to implement these attributes of change leadership.
Do you have the attributes and actions of a ‘change leader’? Take the questionnaire I created for you. Click here.
Complimentary Leadership/Management Webinar
join me on Jan. 30, from 1-2 PM PST for Leverage the Top Trends for Profits in 2012. We will explore the top real estate business trends for 2012 and beyond–and I will provide you specific strategies to not only manage to those trends, but to thrive because of them. This is a complimentary webinar. Space is limited, so register today.
Jan. 30
Time: 1-2 PM PST
To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/306755846
Managers: How to Build Action Plans into that Business Plan
Posted by: | CommentsIn December, I’m doing business planning in this blog and my blog for agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. Check back for free processes, checklists, and guidance.
Do you have action plans for each of your specific action areas built into your business plan?
So often, our business plans are ‘big picture’. It’s lovely, it’s inspirational–and it’s utterly not useful to our everyday practice! For a business plan to work, it has to have the ‘big picture’ parts (vision, review, mission, objectives) AND the action plan parts–those things you really intend to do each day and week. These are the actions that result in reaching your monthly and yearly goals.
What Action Plans do Leaders Need?
Here’s a graphic from Business Planning for the Owner, Manager, and Team Leader. You can see the specific action areas I think you need in your business plan. I made these divisions so that you actually could create action plans that had relevance to what you do every day. And, accomplishing actions in these areas assures you are taking daily steps to reach your goals.
Action Plans Must Relate to Your Goals
Too often, when we get to the weekly and daily tasks, the actions that effect our bottom line just don’t happen.
For example: You’ll see that recruiting plans are one area of our action plans. But, life gets in the way and we just don’t recruit. So, to assure you do the actions you KNOW will result in greater productivity and profits, use these divisions and make your specific plans. In my business planning systems, I’ve made detailed, fill-in forms that assure you think through and make action plans for each of these areas–action plans you can rely on. Otherwise, my experience shows that brokers just don’t get to the details of action planning.
Click here to get a copy of these action plan areas.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
Your Business Plan: A Checklist for the Systems You Need in 2012
Posted by: | CommentsIn December, I’m doing business planning in this blog and my blog for agents, Up and Running in 30 Days. Check back for free processes, checklists, and guidance.
Do you have systems needs built into your business plan?
I am just finishing the 4th edition of Up and Running in 30 Days, the new agent’s business start-up plan. I wanted to update it with the systems and technology I thought the new agent needed. After spending many hours researching and talking to tech ‘gurus’ and thinking through the systems agents need in their first month, my head is spinning! I know you have the same concerns as a broker. So, you need a systems plan in your business plan, just as I put a technology and social media planner in my8 4th edition of Up and Running in 30 Days (4th edition will be out about April).
People Systems are as Important as Software Systems
One of the mistakes we brokers make is to think all our problems will be solved if we just get everything ‘automated’ with technology. Well, let me tell you, it’s hard to automate people! Yet, we need people systems so we can be sure no one falls through the cracks. We need to assess our systems to assure each agent, at each stage of his/her development, is worked with. Otherwise, we fail to meet our segmented agents’ needs.
For example: We may have wonderful seasoned agent training. But, we hire new agents with no orientation and no detailed, high accountability training and coaching. So, we have a huge failure rate with our new agents. Sound familiar?
Click here to get your copy of my systems survey and planner.
Use the planner to access your needs and then create an action plan for those needs in your 2012 business plan. Now, you’re on your way to saving time, money, and having systems you can delegate to free up your time.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
The Rest of those Critical Parts of your Business Plan
Posted by: | CommentsIn December, I’m doing blogs on business planning. Check often for complimentary forms and training.
Do you have a business plan for next year? Is it in a format that I could actually follow if you delegated running the company to me? I doubt over 5% of the brokers could answer that question ‘yes’. Yet, we all talk about the importance of a business plan. In my earlier blog, I discussed points 1-5. Here are next five of ten critical points you must have in your business plan to make it a plan that actually works for you, not just a thesis that looks important on the shelf!
6. Create a robust recruiting plan.
Create a recruiting plan that you can actually follow! I mentioned having a plan for each of the focused areas above, and I mention recruiting again because so few managers have defined, easy to follow recruiting plans. No wonder they put off recruiting because they’re ‘too busy’! Yet, consistent, tenacious recruiting is the basis for profitability.
7. Don’t stop at the goals; get to the activities.
Break down the goals into activities and measure the activities. For example, break down recruiting results to numbers of recruiting calls, appointments, and hires. Then, you can analyze your time management and optimize your time.
Click here for a checklist of what you need in your recruiting strategy.
8. Put deadlines to all your action plans to hold yourself accountable.
Put deadline dates in your activities and put them on your calendar. It’s what you do every day that has a relationship to the results you said you wanted. A mistake brokers make is that their daily schedules have no relationship to their stated goals! They’re too busy in ‘crisis management’ to do the things critical to their success: recruiting, selecting, and training.
9. Assign people to carry out your plan.
Put the names of the people who will carry out the activities, so you know to whom you will delegate. For example, a recruiting postcard campaign can be delegated to a company, a member of your staff, or a mail outsource. Put down who these entities will be, so you can actually use this plan to delegate the activities. It will save you so much time and clarify to your staff exactly what you want.
10. Use a proven system to write your plan.
Use an organized process and system to write your plan. The ‘plans’ I have seen aren’t really ‘plans’—they’re just a small portion of a plan. The most important part of planning is the thinking part. Find a great system that teaches you how to think through your plan. There’s nothing more important to your business than profitability—and thinking through your plan before you launch your actions assures profits.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower said,
Planning is everything. The plan is nothing.
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
Business Planning: Do You Have These 10 Critical Points in your Plan?
Posted by: | CommentsIn December, I’m doing blogs on business planning in both this blog and my blog for agents, Up and Running in 03 Days. Check often for complimentary forms and training.
Do you have a business plan for next year? Is it in a format that I could actually follow if you delegated running the company to me? I doubt over 5% of the brokers could answer that question ‘yes’. Yet, we all talk about the importance of a business plan. Here are five of ten critical points you must have in your business plan to make it a plan that actually works for you, not just a thesis that looks important on the shelf!
1. Spend much more time in review.
Your plan must include an in-depth review of the past year, or, better yet, the trends of the past three years—both inside and outside your company. Your plan must draw conclusions about this review, so you can use what you learned in planning for the next year. Write it out, so you can remember why you’re making the moves in that next year. 
Click here to see the areas you should review.
2. Analyze your budget vs. actual expenses.
Measure your last year’s budget versus your actual expenses—and do an analysis of what happened along the way. How can you set up your budget for the next year without analyzing last year’s budget and consequences?
3. Create separate action plans for each area of responsibility.
Create separate action plans for each of your areas of responsibility: Financial/operations/planning/staff, recruiting/selecting, orientation of agents to assure quick assimilation and retention, training (new and experienced agents), higher production/retention, marketing (internal and external), professional development. That way, you’re actually creating a road map to use every day, not just a broad brush picture. In Business Planning for the Owner, Manager, and Team Builder, I have a road map that allows you to do just that.
4. Use the strategic planning process to think through your business.
Use a strategic, or thought-out approach to each of the planning areas—based on your vision, mission, and positioning of the company. Don’t just copy a particular company because they’re successful. It may not be ‘like you’.
5. Be sure your objectives are measurable.
Write measurable objectives in each of the action plan areas—so you know what you’re shooting for and can celebrate the attainments. For example, in training, decide on measurable production goals that should result from your training– and measure the results of your training frequently.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
53 Business Planning Tips from ‘The Coach’
Posted by: | CommentsDuring this month, I’m focusing both of my blogs on business planning. Look for ready to use checklists, processes and systems. Let’s make awesome 2012 plans!
Have you ever seen anyone follow a process doggedly–and then fail? Of course. Whether we have a bad roadmap, a poor teacher, or a lacking coach–it all leads to less than exceptional performance. I know this intimately, as a musician. I’ve worked with musicians who learned a piece of music wrong. Then, they just keep playing it wrong! They can’t seem to break those bad habits–even when they know they are playing it wrong.
The Power of Models
We blithely follow just about anyone’s directions, because we assume they must be good if they’re published (ha!). Or, we follow them because we like them. However, sometimes the plans we are drawn to are really, really bad! We like them because they ask little of us.
Be very critical of the directions, plans, processes, and systems you get from someone. If they are poor, they will lead you in poor directions.
Watch a Failing Real Estate Agent to See What I Mean
So many times, agents come into the real estate business and make up their own ‘version’ of the business. After all, they come into the business to be ‘independent’. If they only knew what they were doing to themselves…..You see them sit around and wait for something to happen. You see them criticize the ‘leads’ they are given. Left to their own devices, they create a plan for failure. The worst thing is that they don’t even realize they are doing it! They think that any plan of action will work to get them to their goals.
Be sure you are using proven plans–whether you are a new agent, a seasoned one, or a leader. From coaching many managers and owners, too, I know the difficulty for you of finding models and examples you can trust. Sometimes we end up knowing what we don’t want to do–but we can’t figure out what to do! (that’s from the behaviors we see of managers we don’t admire….)
Some Business Planning Tips from the ‘Coach’ (That’s me…)
In an effort to help you evaluate your business plan, I’ve made an extensive checklist for you. Please don’t copy someone else’s plan! Your business is unique. Click here for those 53 tips from the Coach.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
Your 2012 Business Plan: How to Create your Training Calendar
Posted by: | CommentsThrough December, I’m focusing my blogs on business planning. Look for ready to use checklists, processes and systems to help you and your agents plan for a successful next year.
You’re putting together your business plan. How do you know what training to provide your agents? One method is to look at your profit and loss. More about that in my next blog. Here’s the other way to do it. Simply provide your agents an ‘internal review ’of their sales performance mastery (or not) as part of their business planning process.
Click here to see the internal sales performance review, excerpted from The Business Planning System for the Real Estate Professional .
What You’ll Find When They Rate Themselves
Have your agents rate themselves on their performance skills. You will see that they rate themselves lower than you would rate them. Why? Because we’re harder on ourselves than we are on others.
Commonalities
What do you think the agents rate themselves lowest in? You’re right. Prospecting/lead generation. So, you’ll want to create – with them—a dynamic lead generating plan for next year—and coach them to it. See the lead generating plans in The Business Planning System for the Real Estate Professional, and, for new agents, in Up and Running in 30 Days.
Planning your Training Calendar
Your training plan should be a part of your business plan. Your training plan should tackle the challenges you have noted as a part of your own business review—and of the agents’ business review. By the way, be sure those challenges you noted can be handled through training.
For example: You’ve noted an ethics problem in your office. You want your agents to ‘be more ethical’. That’s not a training problem. It is a selection problem. You can’t train your way out of the ethics we grasped when we were 5! But, you certainly can solve a listings sold problem with training. Be careful when you’re creating your training, and tackle the problems that you can solve with training.
Put That Training on a Calendar
You’ve done your own analysis of your profit and loss statement. You’ve done your analysis with your agents. You’ve made your training plan. Now, you’re going to put it on a training calendar–and use it to guide your agents, your staff–and to recruit. Not only that, you have an integrated training system that you can delegate. Good work.
Recruiting tip: Include your training calendar in your recruiting handout, in your faxes, in your emails, and in your social media. Let prospective agents know you are organized, and you are committed to their success.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?
Managers: Are You an Effective Business Plan Coach?
Posted by: | CommentsThis month, I’m focusing on business planning. I want every professional to have a great plan for next year. Look for checklists, processes, and systems, too, ready to use.
You’ve decided to coach your agents in creating great business plans. but, if you’ve never coached an agent in business planning, it can be quite daunting. So, what do you look for? In this blog, I’ll show you how to use their statistic
listings taken to listings sold in normal market time.
to coach them to a better year next year. You would think agents know this statistic, but very few do. It’s so important, because it
- Determines whether the agent makes enough money per listing or not
- Determines whether the agent builds a positive reputation or a poor one
- Reflects the agent’s value-proposition strategy
- Reflects on the office’s productivity and profitability
Your success rate with listings sold is, in my opinion, the one most important reflection of agent value propositions out there.
For example: George Smith, a 10-year seasoned agent, has demonstrated a consistent listing strategy. George’s ‘success ratio’ is 40%. That is, he sells 40% of his listings in normal market time. What does that say about George’s values proposition strategy? How is George ‘using’ his listings? Is that the culture you want perpetuated in your office?
Sally Overton has a different value proposition strategy. She has a 90% success ratio in listings taken to listings sold in normal market time. Obviously, she is building her referral system—her raving fans. She is making herself more money in less time. She is drastically reducing the number of complaints (and attacks on her self-esteem, too). She is a role model for best practices in her real estate office. Is that practice more in line with your culture?
Your opportunity: As George’s business planning consultant, you’ll be ‘testing’ George to see if he wants tochange his strategy (some agents love being ‘bait and switchers’ too much to change). You’ll have the opportunity to help Sally leverage her awesome conversion rates to obtain even more raving fans. (Nothing succeeds like success).
Do you know your ‘conversion numbers’ in listings taken to listings sold for your company? When you make your own plan, be sure to do a thorough review, and find this number. A high number means you’ll be able to recruit better, get better retention, have better team spirit, and your agents can build on that reputation. A low number means you have a lot to work on!
Click here for a list of common agent business planning mistakes to help you as you coach agents through the planning process.
Excerpted from my agent business planning system, The Business Planning System for the Real Estate Professional.
New Business Planning Program for Managers
Do you find it difficult to get your agents to plan? Do you put off doing your office plan? Here’s your solution. This all-new program does several things for you:
2 webinars teach your agents how to plan using Carla’s strategic planning system
14 planning documents are included to guide your agents right through the planning process
3 webinars for you:
1. How to Create a Great Office Plan
Included: 22 office planning documents to make it easy for you to stay on track and create a great plan
2. How to Convince your Agents to Plan
3. How to Integrate your Office and Agents’ Plans
Also: Hundreds of dollars of bonuses included. See more at Come See 2012: Beyond the Basics of Business Planning. Why not build a great office plan and get every agent a real strategic plan–one that’s inspirational all year?