PROView - January 2008 - (Page 9) so I could take the money and run.” Guideline: Always, always go back. They’ll love you much more after closing, when all the stress is over. Show them you care. • Get Serious About Keeping Your Customers. When things are busy, it’s tempting to treat the business like a “next” business. But, it is not about finding and selling a customer and then going on to another stranger. It’s about finding and keeping the customer for long-term referral business. I estimate only about 20 percent of agents even have their customers in a database! So, establish a database now. Better yet, establish a solid contact management system so you can stay in contact until they buy (and buy again) or die. That world of relationship marketing has been here for decades – and agents are sorely behind the times. Guideline: ‘Touch’ them at least 6 times a year. • Become 100% Committed - or Get Out. The truth is, you just can’t care much about the consumer if you’re not committed and working at real estate at least 50 hours a week. About 65 percent of all agents are part-timers! No wonder the consumer is unhappy about paying those generous commissions. If you’re not a full-time, committed agent, you just can’t rescue yourself in these turbulent times. Do yourself a favor, your company a favor, your fellow agents a favor and, most of all, your consumers a favor – and get out to do something you where can devote 100 percent of your talents. • Get a Commitment from your Manager (or someone) to Hold You Accountable. We all know we don’t change our habits easily. We all need someone on our side – someone who’s interested in enough and believes enough in us to hold us accountable to our goals. If your manager can’t rise to that level of commitment, how successful do you think your manager intends you to be? If your manager can’t be your coach, seek out a tough, focused coaching program to get the support, guidance and accountability critical for challenging times. • Invest in Your Business As Though You Were Committed to It. “I can’t afford a laptop.” “I can’t afford to buy a good contact management program.” “I’ll get coaching and training when I’m successful.” Okay. I’ll be blunt. What’s so great about you that you get to be successful without an investment – when all the rest of us invested thousands of dollars and thousands of hours of our time struggling to be successful? With that PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION attitude, how are you going to compete with those great agents - and how are you going to meet those amazingly high consumer expectations? Decide now that you believe in yourself enough to invest in yourself. Armed with these strategies, you will grasp your future with a strong, firm, confident hold and go on to greatness in this business. About the Author: Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is a popular international speaker, specializing in practical productivity and profitability. She’s the author of five books and nine productivity programs for agents and managers, including her new comprehensive listing process: Your Client-Based Marketing System. It Includes complete marketing plans, PowerPoint presentation, dozens of visuals and audio dialogue for objection busters on CDs. To learn more about Carla, please e-mail carla@carlacross.com or visit BrokerAgentSpeakers.com. We can help you grow your business. At SunTrust Mortgage, our focus is to make the home buying experience as simple and easy as possible. We want you to be able to spend more time selling homes and less time worrying about the financing. We offer: • • • A wide array of products for every type of buyer Marketing support to help bring in new business, including co-branding opportunities Partnership opportunities to extend your business such as a presence at open houses for pre-qualifications and applications Local decision-making and processing Exceptional customer service from start to finish Interested in learning more? Call today! • • 727.726.7065 SunTrust Mortgage, Inc., 901 Semmes Av enue, Richmond, VA 23224 is licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee; is a Lender in Massachusetts having Mortgage Lender license #s ML1216, ML0133, ML1432, ML1914, ML1913, ML1815, ML2411, ML1214, ML2442, ML2491, and ML2538; is licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department; is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, toll f ree 1-888 -994 -7864; is a licensed lender in Rhode Island; is doing business in Arizona as Crestar Mortgage, 7250 N. 16th Street, Ste. 100, Phoenix, AZ 85020 and is doing business in New Y ork at 145 Pinelawn Road, Suite 330, Melv ille, NY 11747. ©2005, SunTrust Banks, Inc. SunTrust is a f ederally registered service mark of SunTrust Banks, Inc. January 2008 9 http://BrokerAgentSpeakers.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - January 2008 PROView - January 2008 Contents Chairman's Notes Feature ProActive Marketing Finance Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report MLS Update MLS Mind Your Manners Education Calendar of Events & Programs PROBiz Special Feature Brokerage Design New Affiliates and Members for 2008 PROView - January 2008 PROView - January 2008 - PROView - January 2008 (Page Cover1) PROView - January 2008 - PROView - January 2008 (Page Cover2) PROView - January 2008 - Contents (Page 1) PROView - January 2008 - Chairman's Notes (Page 2) PROView - January 2008 - Chairman's Notes (Page 3) PROView - January 2008 - Feature (Page 4) PROView - January 2008 - Feature (Page 5) PROView - January 2008 - Feature (Page 6) PROView - January 2008 - ProActive (Page 7) PROView - January 2008 - Marketing (Page 8) PROView - January 2008 - Marketing (Page 9) PROView - January 2008 - Finance (Page 10) PROView - January 2008 - Finance (Page 11) PROView - January 2008 - Finance (Page 12) PROView - January 2008 - Finance (Page 13) PROView - January 2008 - Marketplace Analysis (Page 14) PROView - January 2008 - Home Sales Report (Page 15) PROView - January 2008 - MLS Update (Page 16) PROView - January 2008 - MLS Mind Your Manners (Page 17) PROView - January 2008 - Education (Page 18) PROView - January 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 19) PROView - January 2008 - PROBiz (Page 20) PROView - January 2008 - Special Feature (Page 21) PROView - January 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 22) PROView - January 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 23) PROView - January 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 24) PROView - January 2008 - Brokerage Design (Page 25) PROView - January 2008 - New Affiliates and Members for 2008 (Page 26) PROView - January 2008 - New Affiliates and Members for 2008 (Page Cover4)
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