Do you have a recruiting transition plan? If not, you’re missing an opportunity.
Youa��re at the end of the interview process with Sheila, a potential recruit. Youa��re getting positive head nods from her. She really wants to join your office–and you certainly want her to join. Shea��s the kind of agent you want and need: In culture, a team player, and a great producer. But, wait a minute. She wona��t commit.A� She is afraid to make a change now because
- Shea��ll lose business.
- Shea��s too busy.
- Shea��s not busy enough.
- She feels she has to organize everything before making the change.
Yes, from recruiting for two decades, Ia��ve heard them all, too. In this article, Ia��ll show you how to anticipate and handle those objections through making a great transition plan for each agent.
Why Transition Plans?
- Transition plans address and counter all four of those objections above. (Or, they anticipate those objections so they dona��t even come up!)
- Transition plans make it easier on you and your staff.
- Transition plans actually assure your transitioning agent hits the ground running AND increases business in the first 60 days in your office (a great recruiting tool).
Two Sections of a Transition Plan
To help everyone involve transition successfully, you need two sections of a transition plan:
- Prior to first day in the office (pre-transition)
The pre-transition helps the agent (and staff) prepare for the move, by accomplishing the activities that assure the agent can hit the ground running). (see my offer of a pre-transition plan below).
- First day to day 100 in the office (post-transition)
This part of the plan assures the agent has positive direction, support, and guidance as she implements her business plan in a new environment.
What Plans Should Include
Each part of the transition plan should include
- Who does the action (recruit, staff, manager?)
- Who supports the action (staff, manager?)
- When the action is to be taken
- Costs involved in the action and who pays
- Completion of the action (who checks off on completion?)
This, I believe, is the most important aspect of the transition plan. Why? Because someone must hold the parties and the actions accountable to be completed. One of the mistakes I see in these plans is that this last part of the checklist is not there. So, the checklists look beautiful, but, there is no accountability built in.
The Pre-Transition Plan
This part of the plan assures the agent will have a lot of the a�?housekeepinga�� out of the way prior to his first day in your office. It should include things like ordering business cards, signs, and sign riders.
Click here to get a copy of my transition plan.
How to introduce the plan. Show your pre-transition plan during the interview to anticipate most of objections recruits will make when facing the real decision to move. Explain that the agent will be working with your staff to assure all these items are accomplished easily and in a timely manner. So, for instance, when the agent has a new listing on day two in your office, he will have his signs and sign riders ready to go (plus his business cards!). This answers the objection, a�?Ia��m too busy.a�? If this is an objection, you must be able to assign a staff member to assist with the transition processa��prior and after affiliation (more about this later in this article).
How You May Have to Assist in this Pre-Transition Period
One of the challenges agents have is in telling their present managers they are leaving. You may have to role play with your recruit for dialogue that is graceful and a�?non-engaginga��. That is, dialogue that doesna��t get them into an argument. You may want to discuss the a�?buy backa�� techniques managers use to keep agents (Ia��ll give you a higher commission if youa��ll staya��..). What does this suggest about the value of the departing agent? Why is this coming up now? Discuss fair play and fair value and how your culture and environment are different.
In my next blog, I’ll discuss the second part of the plan: How to transition your agent from day one for retention and teamwork.
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