Right now, I’m writing a new agent training program for a major national franchise. In it,A�I’m guarding against the very training mistakes that cause agents to fail. (See below for what I’ve built into the program). Obviously, new agent training isn’t working very well. About half of all agents who go into real estate sales in a given year fail. A�In this blog, I’ll nameA�3 big mistakes most training programs make, and the ‘cure’ for these mistakes.
Big question: For all that time, money, and effort you spend on training, don’t you deserve a pay-off? Why are you using it as merely a recruiting tool? I don’t believe you’re getting your money’s worth…..
Those Mistakes Most Training Programs Make
1. Don’t make agents do any work
Well, duh. If the agents don’t put to work what has just been taught in the classroom, what’s the point?
Cure: Spaced repetition training. Teach something in class, and then have the agent do it ‘for real’ in the field and report back. I know it’s harder to do, but you’ll get results. Worth it, right?
2. No accountability for action
This is kind of like #1, but I’m going to focus on lead generation here. We teach all types of lead generation techniques, and then don’t expect agents to go out and use those methods immediately and report back. No wonder they wait 6-8 months toA� talk to people!
Cure: Make the course a lead generation/follow-up course with high accountability. Get an agreement prior to starting that the agent will do the work.
3. Wrong topics stressed
Take a look at that training outline. Where are the biggest modules? I’ll bet they are in the ‘technical’ area. Okay. They need to learn how to write purchase and sale agreements. But, how about all the actual business-running topics: Business start-up plan, lead generation, sales skills, time management and organization……How big an outline do these have? I’ll bet just a few pages. So, whatA�do you think the agents think is most important?
Cure: Be sure your course focuses on business-producing activities–in the right order and foundationed by a business start-up plan–and the business-supporting activites that support the business producing activites.A� (See Up and Running in 30 days, 4th edition, for these priorities).
Let Me Ask That Question Again
For all that time, money, and effort you spend on training, don’t you deserve a pay-off? Why are you using it as merely a recruiting tool? I don’t believe you’re getting your money’s worth…..
What do you think is most important to assure your new agent training gets results?
A�
