This is a test of some new software I am using for blog delivery to my subscribers. Spring is coming!!! I hope you have a great day!
Category Archives: Marketing
Are You Riding A Hamster Wheel?
The most challenging part of selling real estate or any sales for that matter is keeping your lead funnel full. In a perfect world while you are working with your clients selling them what they need there would be a process in place attracting new clients to you.
I used to feel like I was out of business after the closing of a transaction because I would be out of clients and need to start pounding the pavement again to find one. It can be so hard to stay motivated to “start over” after each and every sale. Then I figured out the secret solution.
The trick is to have a way to attract the people who are not yet ready to buy before your competition does by giving them something they want. I learned that my best and most favorite clients want information. They are learners. They want to research before they buy. They want checklists and information so that is what I provided. This is my tribe. The people I best fit with.
Once you figure out who you like to work with it gets easier to narrow down your marketing to find them. I would love to brainstorm this with you. Set up your free 30 minute strategy session with me here and we can get you off the hamster wheel!
Let’s talk Change
Every October our school district takes a couple of days for teacher enrichment classes and gives the students two days off from school. It is almost like an extended holiday weekend here in Minnesota because we all are anticipating the long winter that is coming and so we squeeze the last bit of outdoor fun we can into these few days. Normally we will try to go “up north” and have some family time hanging out and making pumpkin pies, but this year I have the privilege of accompanying my daughter on some college visits. She is our youngest child and the last to leave the nest. I have been through this before a few times but this time it is very different. It is exciting and nerve racking to watch her make decisions that could affect the next 40+ years of her life. There is the college choice, the degree program, the housing options and the debt… But what is getting to me the most is watching her as she is listening to the presentations. She has such excitement and anticipation in her eyes and I am so happy for her but am also realizing that when she goes to school next fall things will be really different for me. I will still be a Mom but there will be no one home to Mother. I don’t want to let her go. I want to grab her and somehow squish her back down to a little girl again. I want a few more years of helping her and loving her and the truth is I don’t really want my life to change.
Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, said that “Change is the only constant in life” and usually I have embraced that change. The president of the brokerage I worked for for 25 years called me the Queen of Reinvention and that really was true. With each shifting market I would adapt my business strategy and figure out how to find clients and thrive. In business this comes easy for me. It is fun and challenging and my gift. My goal over the next few months is to figure out how to make this a positive transition as I navigate the waters into emptynesterhood. Today we head down to Iowa to look at another school and I am going to share with her lots of jokes about Iowa since they are our rivals. There are some really good ones about cheerleaders and grazing. She will love that.
If you are struggling in your business and need to make a shift or small course correction in navigating your lead generation and follow up systems I invite you to download my freebie course designed to fill your funnel. You can find it under the tools and downloads tab or by clicking here.
Attract – Sell – Wow!
Have you ever asked yourself… why aren’t more people interested? Why aren’t they buying from me? Why don’t my customers tell their friends about me?
Attracting customers starts with focus because, let’s face it, most consumers aren’t actively looking for your company. More often than not they’re looking for a solution that satisfies a particular need they have and will discover you either by accident or because you have a great Attract strategy in place.
Getting noticed in this noisy world is critical for the success of your business, but it’s not always easy to get the word out. The best way to get noticed is to start with a narrow focus. Define your ideal target by researching their demographics, attitudes, behaviors, motivations and favorite places to hang out, both online and in person. Then, start engaging with them in a helpful way, but be sure to have a way to follow up with them before they leave.
Convincing Sellers To Price It Right?
I have found that an overpriced house actually helps other houses get sold, because they look like an even better value by comparison! I feel it is important to help my sellers to understand who their competition is so we can be the best and most attractive home value in their price range.
There are three places sellers compete. Price, terms and condition. Make sure all three of these are researched and discussed.
In our Minneapolis / St Paul real estate market we have a two week window at the beginning of the listing period to get the highest price. After that time consumers want a discount.
If you have a seller who is not willing to price where you believe the value is, discuss and agree that once you have had 10 showings without an offer it is time for a price reduction down to your price recommendation. Set up this expectation with your seller at the time of the listing agreement. Have scheduled price reductions already agreed upon in the terms of your listing agreement and as part of your overall marketing plan. This makes the price reduction calls so much easier to make and gives your seller a benchmark to measure against.
What is the best way to attract a steady stream of clients?
Think of your ideal clients. The people in your niche. Your target market. Now think of all the people who fit into that group. There are likely a lot of them.
But here’s the bad news.
3% are actively looking for your solution. They’re googling it at 3 am. They are super, actively looking for a solution to their problems and everyone is marketing to and fighting over this 3%.
It’s not that this kind of marketing doesn’t work. It does. It reaches and works on that 3% of your ideal clients. But it’s ignored by everyone else. This means your marketing might be being totally ignored by 97% of your target market.
What’s Your Perfect Customer Lifecycle?
There are seven distinct phases to the Perfect Customer Lifecycle:
Attract Traffic
This includes all of the work you do to generate interest in your business, like website traffic, foot traffic, etc. that comes from online/offline advertising, partners, etc.
Capture Leads
Smart businesses are very intentional about capturing contact information for interested leads as well as permission to follow up. As a real estate agent you run a small business. You can’t follow up if they leave your site or store, open house or showing appointment without giving you their info! What thing of value can you offer in exchange for their contact information.
Who Is Your Perfect Target Market?
Success in real estate sales involves constant evolution and adaptation to the ever changing market. Over the last 24 years I’ve been fortunate to have found success in a few different verticals within the real estate industry. Looking back I see a common series of steps that were taken to get to the point where the leads were coming in to my team at a steady pace and our sales cycle was even and profitable.
The first step is to determine your target market. This is really important. You cannot be everything to everybody. The more narrow your focus, the more accurate your marketing message will be for your targeted audience. You will have success in generating the right leads that will be seeking you out because you are a specialist in their particular need and you will have more sales as a result.
Get Your Free Download of Think and Grow Rich
I am an avid reader and I can honestly say that of all the books I have read, besides the Bible, this book changed my life. I read it in 1992 while pregnant with my daughter Maria. I have had a handful of defining moments and this was one of them. I remember clearly the moment I took responsibility for my own life and career. The moment I realized that I would take care of my daughter and provide for her and that it was it was up to me.
Please download a free copy of this classic on me.
Here is a great synopsis of Think and Grow Rich by Mandi Woodruff published on Business Insider.
Do You Have A One Page Business Plan?
Let me ask you a question. When you jump in your car or on your bike, do you do so without any idea of where you’re going? Nope? Didn’t think so.
Unless you just felt like taking your car out for a spin or getting lost on a bike ride, I’d say you would almost always know a rough route of where you’re going, how long it will take and what you’ll do once you get there.
So it blows me away that people do not have a road map for their business. A business plan is quite simply a great investment of your time. I hear excuses flying at me from left, right and centre such as:
“I just don’t have time”, “I have too much work to do”, “I’ll do it someday”, “It seems like too much work and too complicated”, “I have no idea where to start”, “I don’t need a business plan, I’m making money already.”
I’d also like to let you know that contrary to what people may tell you, your business plan does not have to be a book. It can be just one page and still work wonders.