Get over your fear of sales calls

So many Realtors and other sales professionals get into a bind when it comes time to making sales calls.  Whether you’re afraid of objection handling or have a fear of being told “No” or anything else, now is not the market to ease off these calls.  In order to keep your business income steady and possibly get more referrals, you still need to continue to make your sales calls.

Dirk Zeller, a real estate trainer, offers a step-by-step strategy to get over your fear in this article. We’ll go over the basics. 

Step 1: Be more confident.  So many people in the sales industry focus on their weaknesses, rather than their strengths.  Before even beginning a phone call to a new prospect, you have to know what it is you’re going to provide to that new prospect.  Write down a list of the benefits you will provide that prospect before picking up the phone.  That way you’ll never get stuck when they ask you what you’re going to do for them.

Step 2: Set realistic goals.  So many people think that in order to make money they have to make 100+ calls a day.  So not true.  It’s better to have made 5 quality calls than 300 calls that yield no results.  Obviously, the more people you call, the better chance of getting business.  Just make sure you set aside time every day to do your prospecting.  Even a goal of 10 calls or as many calls as needed to speak to at least 4 people can be a realistic goal.  Once you’ve hit your number for the day, you’re all set to be guilt-free.

Step 3: Get rid of those voices in your head… telling you that you can’t do it.  Of course you can.  And what’s the worst that’s going to happen?  You’ll be turned down.  These are not life or death calls.  They’re sales pitches.  If it will set your day right, call a past client that you’ve had a friendly relationship with.  That will put you in the right mindset to continue your prospecting.

Step 4: Before picking up the phone, visualize how a perfect call will go.  Think about how confident you are going to sound.  Think about obtaining a new client.  Think about what that money in the bank will mean to you.  That will get all those negative thoughts out of your head.

It can be scary to make those calls.  But if you do it every day, you’ll be so used to it that it will become second nature.  And in this economy, you probably need all the business you can get.  Enlist another Realtor in the office to make calls with you so you’re accountable to one another.  You never know – that next phone call could be your next client.

Once you’ve gotten your new business, or if you need marketing materials to send out to your prospects, be sure to visit us online to get quotes on how we can help!

Get your money faster – tips on invoicing

While you’re doing your best to keep your clients happy and generate new business during tough times, it’s important to get paid for the work you’ve put in, too.  It may be hard asking for money from clients when they’re having tough times from the economy, too.  So you’ll want to be clear on your invoicing statements and make them timely.  Here are some other important tips to get paid correctly and on time. 

1. Don’t surprise the client.  If there’s going to be an unexpected charge this month, be sure to communicate that first via a phone call or e-mail.  If they’re not sure what the charge is for and they can’t get to the phone to call you, it will delay receiving your money.  Be up-front about all costs.

2. Suggest getting paid for some or all of your work up-front.  If you have up-front costs especially, you may want to ask for a down payment to help cover your expenses.  By having this money ahead of time, you won’t be worried at the end of the month that you can’t pay your bills.

3. Consider changing your invoicing date to the middle of the month instead of the end.  That way you could be included in the client’s monthly billing cycle and not have to wait past the end of the month for your payment if you have your own bills due.

4. On every invoice, make sure you specify what your late payment fees are and how it works.  If you charge a percentage after a certain number of days late or just add it to the next invoice, make sure that’s written out each time.  If these policies change at any time, make sure to draw attention to that fact in a bigger font or different color.  You may even want to call your client ahead of time.

5. As a bonus to your clients, you might want to send an envelope pre-addressed with your information and even a stamp if you have it.  This can definitely speed up payment by saving your client a step or two in finding an envelope, addressing it, and purchasing a stamp.

6. When making collection calls, keep a record of the date, time, who you spoke to, and the gist of the conversation.  This can become very important if you choose down the road to sue your client for past payments.  It will definitely work in your favor if you have this information and your client doesn’t.

Another very important step is to make sure you have a contract in place prior to working with/for a client.  What’s going to force someone to pay if there’s no agreement in place stating that money is owed??  More great tips can be found here and here. If you need assistance with getting your projects done, please visit us online.

Keep customers for life with these tips

We can’t stress enough how important it is to stay in touch with past customers since they can be your best source for referrals.  Small business owners and Realtors all know that you build your customer database with past customers and you should have many repeat clients throughout the years.  There are important strategies to learn about how to make sure a first-time customer is a lifelong customer.  If you are happy, your customers will be happy.  Here are a few of the tips:

1. Expect the best from your customers.  Don’t meet someone new and worry that they won’t pay on time and haggle them about your payment deadlines.  Don’t think they won’t show up for appointments and remind them how busy you are.  Expect that they will be a customer who pays on time.  From the very beginning, treat your customers with respect.  Expect upfront that they will be one of your best customers.  This will help keep your relationship a long-term one.

2. Beat their expectations.  Of course, it’s important to have quality products and offer what it is you are promising in your marketing pitches.  That is the first step.  But once you have that under control, go beyond the norm and what is expected.  If you’re a Realtor, offer to help them stage their home at no additional cost.  Send them articles about their neighborhood they would be interested.  As a small business owner, if you have a customer looking for a product that you don’t stock, offer to find it for them.  If you have someone who can’t get to your store during business hours, offer to have it open when they’re available or help them order online.  By exceeding expectations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how loyal your customers can be.

3. Incent customers to want to remain your customers.  Offer a loyalty program for repeat customers.  For instance, they can regularly get a discount on regularly priced merchandise or free shipping with every order.  Realtors can offer money back on their commissions or always provide a $250 gift card to a home improvement store upon closing.  And always provide an incentive for customers who offer you referrals.  Always send a handwritten thank you note with a token of thanks, whether it’s a $5 Starbucks gift card or a coupon for a free dinner at a local restaurant.

4. Listen to their opinions.  Find out what products you don’t have that you should offer because it’s what your customers are looking for.  Ask for suggestions on store layout or how you can speed up your service to make them happy.  By implementing their ideas, they’re more likely to come to you in the future.  Not only that, but it’s an other easy way to earn their referrals.  They’ll know that you’re likely to listen to what they have to say.

More great tips can be found in Jeff Wuorio’s article here.

completeREsources Chicago prides itself on customer satisfaction. We are available for all of your marketing needs. Give us a call at 773-267-6167 for help with your next project.

Get them to open your mail!

If you’re going to start a mailing campaign, you want a good response rate.  It won’t  be worth it to you with postal rates increasing to send out letters without any of them being opened.  Here are some tips to help your mail stand out among the rest of the junk and get your customers opening it quickly!

1. Use a unique envelope.  Most business letters come in the same legal-sized, white envelopes.  How boring!  Make yours stand out.  Choose a bright color, a different size (how’s square?), or even an airmail option.  We’ve seen many creative options including sending a letter in a tube.  Go to Action Envelope to see all of the different options available.  You can even design your own!

2. Handwrite the address.  It may take a lot longer, but this way looks so much more personal.  Try a different ink color instead of black.  Don’t make it too formal, though.  You want your prospects to be able to read it.  Don’t have the time?  Visit us online for a quote and we’ll do the hand addressing for you!  If you really don’t have the time, choose a font that is made to look like handwriting instead of the traditional Arial or Times New Roman.

3. Either handwrite the return address or use mailing labels.  Don’t you have a ton of free stickers with your address on them lying around?  Use those instead of a bulk stamp.  It also makes the envelope look more personal.

4. Do away with bulk rates and use postage stamps.  The larger the stamp and the more you use, the better.  So if you still have plenty of 42 cent stamps lying around, use those with a 2 cent stamp.  It may seem silly, but it looks a lot less “professional” and has a higher chance of being opened.  This will cost you more in the long run, but can make a big difference.

5.  Add something to the letter to make it appear stuffed or lumpy.  This can be a coupon that is folded so it creates the appearance of a bulky letter.  People will want to open it to know what that is. 

Once you’ve gotten them to open it up, make sure that your marketing piece stands out.  Give them a call to action.  Give them something worth calling you about. Make the message timely and urgent.  “If you call within the next 48 hours…”, for example.  Also, make sure your mail is going to the right target audience.  We blogged about this last week.  Otherwise, you’ll be wasting the money you just spent on those colorful envelopes! 

We’d be more than happy to help you with your marketing campaign.  We’re just an email away at susan.kraut@sbcglobal.com.

Make sure your marketing messages hit the right target

Have you ever been in a situation where you just moved into a new apartment complex and you received a postcard for someone offering discounted exterior painting or snow shoveling service?  Obviously, as a renter, you don’t need these services.  So the person that is sending you this mail is completely wasting their money and they’re completely wasting your time.  If you are a small business owner or real estate agent, you want to make sure your marketing pieces get to the right audience.  Otherwise, you’re wasting everyone’s time and money.  Here are some simple ways to get to the right target.

1. Identify your potential customer.  You want to aim your marketing pieces at those people who are likely to be your customer – not to everyone.  Pay attention to those who are your customers already, since future customers will most likely resemble them.  You’ll want to identify where they’re from, their demographics (age, gender, income level, household makeup, etc.), and their behaviors and beliefs.

2. Pinpoint your actual market.  How often do you check out at a store nowadays and the sales clerk first asks you for your phone number or zip code?  They’re collecting this information so they know who is shopping with them so they can market to that target area in the future.  Start asking your customers for a zip code and/or phone number (for the area code).  If you have customers that are shopping online, it’s still important to collect this information.  You never know – you could be in Chicago and have a huge group of customers on the East Coast!  Find out that information so you could potentially market to them in the future.

3. Observe your customers.  Gather important information such as: age range, gender, job titles, owners vs. renters.  You may gather some of this information by observing them.  However, it’s important to ask questions, too.  Try to strike up a conversation as they’re checking out.  Not only will that make you seem more friendly, but you can learn a lot about them.  Maybe they’re purchasing something for their son’s graduation from high school.  Now you have an idea of their age range, that they have children, and money could be tight in the next few years if they’re going to help him with his education. 

4. Find out what interests them and their purchasing habits.  Are they online shoppers?  Do they get product recommendations from friends or family?  Do they make most of the purchases for the household or does their spouse or partner?  Do they choose quality or price first?  These important questions will help you learn what they value in making purchase decisions.

All of these bits of information will help you stay informed of your current customers to help you generate marketing messages that are getting to the right target audience.  Not only will it save you time and money, but hopefully it will help you learn more about your customers to generate referrals for years to come.

More information can be found in this article. Now that you know who to market to, let us help you get that done! Visit us online to get started.

Easy ways to get someone to say yes to what you’re offering

Whether you’re currently negotiating a real estate deal, handling an objection with a customer you’re trying to prospect to, or need a lower price from a vendor you work with, you want (in all of these situations) to get the opposite side to agree with you.  Nobody likes a tough negotiation.  And for a customer, of course you want to guarantee a sale.  So here are some easy ways to get them to say the answer you’re longing to hear: YES!!

1. Don’t react.  This could be tough.  You hear something and your first instinct is to launch into your pitch or type your reply e-mail.  Just give it a minute (or 10 or 100) to take a breath and develop an appropriate response.  You most often get your foot in your mouth when you instinctively react to something without thinking. 

2. Do the exact opposite of what the other side expects.  Do they expect you to agree to their counter offer in price?  Don’t.  Try to get another $500 off.  William Ury is the author of Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People.  He says to try to replace the word “but” in a conversation with “and.”  So instead of, “But I won’t go down anther $2,000″ try, “And I will go down if you agree to throw in all the appliances.” 

3. Reframe the objections to your counterpoint in your negotiation.  This not only allows you to deflect the objection, but it makes you come off stronger by showing the other side that you’re willing to work with them.  If an objection when you list a house is that you’re charging 7% commission and they only want to pay 5%.  Talk with them about how you’ll hold an open house every weekend until an offer comes in as long as they agree to your commission. 

4. Make it hard to say no.  Show the value in what you’re offering, not just the specifics or the price.  Isn’t this something they can’t bear to be without?  Aren’t you the best Realtor in your area?  This is a lot more important than your price or what you charge.  Get them to see the price of not saying yes. 

Now, once you get them to agree, you want to start marketing their home, if you’re a Realtor.  We’re here to help.  Visit us online for information on what we offer.

How to handle the tough objections

Anybody who has ever tried to sell a product or service before has run into the problem of dealing with objections.  You know, those few words that can pull you right back down after you felt so good delivering a presentation sure to close your sale.  Jeff Wuorio is a small business writer, and he offers suggestions on how to deal with some of the more popular objections that occur in a business setting.

1. I’m already working with your competitor.  First of all, know that no matter if the customer is happy in that relationship, they may feel particularly loyal to the competitor for a number of reasons.  It could be a past sale with them, a family relationship, etc.  And you don’t want to destroy that loyalty.  What you do want to do, is try to get them to listen to what you have to say.  The customer can’t lose anything from hearing your sales pitch.  Worst case is they don’t leave your competitor.  Nobody got hurt, and you got to practice your sales pitch again. 

2. You’re too expensive.  This could be another reason why they choose to go with a competitor.  When they say this, they often don’t understand the concept of the value you’re offering them.  They’re focused, instead, on the price.  Show them how your product or service will offer them a return on their “investment.”  Don’t automatically bring down your price because it takes the value out of what you do.  Instead, try to find out what they’re willing to pay and offer them a replacement product that will equally suit their needs for less money. 

3.  I don’t have time to talk or meet with you.  At least they’re taking the time to let you know that.  That’s a sign that you’ve already gotten through to them.  Wuorio’s article says, “”They may be dealing with something you’re not privy to,” says Chris Deren, CEO of SellMasters Inc., a Boston sales performance consulting concern. “Help them understand that what you do may help with what’s soaking up all their time.” Deren also suggests networking with colleagues, other people within the prospect’s company and others to try to get a personal feel for what your prospect may be dealing with. If nothing else, any extra insight may impress your prospect: “He may decide that you’re one of the few people that he does have time to talk to,” says Deren.”

4. I don’t see the value in what you offer.  Again, this is another misunderstanding because the customer knows that your offer does have value, they just don’t see it.  Try to sit down with them to show them how your service or product will help them.  Whether it saves them time, saves them money, keeps employees working their longer, etc.  Try to do research on the customer ahead of time to find out what’s most important to them, and then figure out what the value you’re offering can do to help.

Knowing these objections ahead of time won’t leave you tongue-tied when it comes out of your customer’s mouth.  It’s best to know the proper way to handle them to appear in a most professional manner. 

Visit us online to see the value and the time savings we offer for all of your marketing materials!

The truth behind online faxing

If you’re anything like us, you hate dealing with those clogged up fax machines with jammed paper, busy signals, and having to worry about replacing ink and toner cartridges.  Plus, that can cost a lot of money!  Have you given any thought to purchasing an online fax service?  This is where you can send and receive faxes directly from and to your e-mail account.  It makes them easier to get forwarded on (via e-mail) and saves the cost of ink and paper.

Another bonus is that it can save you a lot of money in phone charges.  If you’re just starting your business, a fax machine will be one less thing to buy and worry about.  And since the service is web-based, it will store past faxes for you (in case you tend to easily lose things).  You won’t have to run to the office to collect a fax, either, as long as you have Internet access from your current location.  The service will provide you with a toll-free or local fax number that will go directly into your e-mail account. 

The Online Faxing Guide provides a checklist of the different online fax service providers to help you choose the best one that will work for you.  They also suggest these tips in making a decision:

1. Check for quality.  Talk to others that are currently using the service to see what they think about it.  You want good tech support available if you’re a first timer.  And see if they’ll let you do a trial run for no charge, to make sure you like it before you buy it.

2. Check for competitive pricing.  Most services run anywhere from $10-$20 a month, but there are ones that are cheaper.  And purchasing the plan on an annual basis, can save you more money than paying every month.

3. Determine if there is a set up fee.  If you don’t want to pay one, see what other companies do not charge for this.

4. Read the fine print on extra hidden fees.  If you do a lot of faxing or fax internationally, you’ll want to make sure that’s all included in your monthly cost.

5. Check on the storage limits.  As we mentioned earlier, a lot of companies hold past faxes for you.  Find out how long they stay in your account.

If you are a company or business that sends lots of faxes to clients, another option to consider is fax broadcasting.  This allows you to send a lot of faxes simultaneously, which will save you time and money.  Check to see if the online fax service you want to purchase offers fax broadcasting.

Have a great weekend! Visit us online if there’s anything we can help you with.

Negotiate your way to a better deal

A lot of Realtors believe that when it comes time to negotiate a deal, if they don’t agree to everything the other side wants, that their clients will be at a great loss.  Fortunately for you, this is not true.  Negotiating tactics can help get your client the most for their money, or even save them money if they’re the sellers.  Jennifer Allan, a Re/Max Hall of Fame agent and author of several real estate books, offers these tips when it comes to negotiating.

1. If you are the listing agent, and the other side is in the process of finishing their home inspection, do not call the other agent asking how it went.  That could make them think that there are problems you’re hiding or are worried that something significant came up.  Let them make the call to you if they need to discuss something.  It makes you appear more confident that the inspection didn’t have any issues.

2. Most Realtors put the day the mortgage commitment is due into their calendar to call the lender or agent to make sure that approval is complete.  You shouldn’t be concerned about the buyer’s earnest money.  Wait a day or two, and then make the call.  If they don’t have the commitment done, then it’s their side who is losing their deposit.  A lot of attorneys (especially in Illinois) will even make this call for you to make sure the deal is progressing.

3. If you’re negotiating back and forth for several times a day and are unable to come to an agreement, hold off.  Especially if you are representing the seller.  Give the buyers some time to think that they could have blown the deal by not responding right away.  However, you don’t want to make them back away, either, so don’t allow this time to go for too long.  Just enough to push them into wanting the house even more.

4. Remember that you can always say no.  You don’t have to argue back and forth over a few thousand dollars.  You can always say no and say that your last offer is what stands regarding a repair issue, for example.  Who knows?  The other side may just agree to it.

5. Try to always find something to negotiate in a deal.  We’ve seen Realtors just accept contracts which makes our buyers feel that they came in too low, initially.  Even if everything looks perfect, try to ask for a tad more money for your seller or one more item included in the sale for your buyer.  Negotiating makes everyone think that they came out on top. 

Jennifer also says to always stay pleasant during these deals, even when times get tough.  You never know when you can encounter the same agent on another deal, and you want to make sure they’ll continue to work with you.  Everyone’s job is to best represent the interest of their clients, not of your own needs.

What other tips do you have when negotiating deals?  Jennifer has a few more tips here. Leave us a comment or visit us online.

Be a team player

We all know the results of great teamwork.  Take the Olympics for example.  You have the four members of a relay team competing for Olympic gold.  These four athletes rely on each other to win.  If one person drops the baton, the entire team is disqualified.  It’s important in the real estate industry to understand this concept if you’re working on a team.  And by “team,” we mean those who have one or more partners that all benefit from sales.

Dirk Zeller is the president and CEO of Real Estate Champions.  He trains agents throughout the country.  He wrote a great article on the importance of teamwork in the real estate industry. Here are some of his biggest tips:

1. Accountability.  It is so hard to know you’re being productive when you’re only accountable to yourself.  It’s so simple to say that you’ve worked enough for the day so you can now go home.  When you’re on a team, you need to be accountable to each other.  Make sure that reports are done with how many prospecting calls you made, what your time was devoted to in a given day, and how many deals were closed.  Turn these reports in and discuss them.  Changes should be made to team members who are under performing.

2. Cooperation.  A closed deal is a win for all team members involved and everyone should benefit.  It’s important that you’re all working toward one common goal.  And everyone should always be willing to help everyone else out.  You shouldn’t always assume that it’s one person’s job to take care of A, another takes care of B, etc.  While everyone has their own responsibilities, if someone needs help, a team player will always jump in to help.

3. Caring.  Caring for each other and caring for clients is key.  A great motivation for this category is to work toward a common goal, aside from making money in sales.  It might be nice if you reach a certain monetary goal that the entire team gets a vacation together or a big gift certificate to a favorite retailer.  It will motivate everyone to work harder and to support each other.   It also helps make everyone more…

4. Competitive.  While cooperation and caring are equally important, if you’re not competitive, you won’t be successful.  You should be striving to get more sales than the other agents in your office.  You should be competing to be the most helpful and giving the best service to your clients.  You want prospects to believe that you are the only team they should be calling when they have a real estate need.

Please write us a comment if you can think of other important attributes to real estate teams.  We’d love to hear them!  For help with your online marketing and client prospecting, please visit us for a quote online.