We’re living in strange times, and a lot of agents are beginning to worry about their livelihoods, but this is the moment we should really be doubling down on lead generation. Why do we need to make the most of our time in isolation? Is it possible to generate leads while the world is battling a pandemic? In this episode, Founder and CEO of Club Wealth®️ Coaching and Consulting, Michael Hellickson, shares why we should be doubling down on lead generation and how to do it.
Takeaways + Tactics
Where there’s chaos, there’s an opportunity. While we’re in isolation, we have a duty to press forward and look for ways to be part of solutions for the future.
While we’ve been discouraged from going to public places, a lot of people are taking walks with their families around their neighborhoods. Take advantage of the foot traffic by putting up sign advertisements.
Keep holding listing appointments with clients: just do it virtually. People respond to videos almost as well as they do to face-to-face interactions.
Resources + Links
Rockstar Agent Marketing Toolkit - Featuring our favorite scripts, tutorials and quickstart guides to marketing strategies like Facebook Live, door-knocking, remarketing advertising, open houses and referrals. Get actionable ideas and tactics you can use in your career right NOW.
Guest Bio
Michael Hellickson is the Founder and CEO of Club Wealth®️ Coaching and Consulting. After beginning his real estate career in 1991, Michael was a top 1% agent nationally, even before graduating from high school. Michael is considered the #1 short sale expert worldwide, and has been featured on several national television and radio programs including Glenn Beck, CNBC, The Dave Ramsey Show, and The Fox Business Network among many other local and regional programs.
To find out more about Michael, head to
facebook.com/groups/clubwealth
Clubwealth.com
Text Club Wealth to 727 287 5993 to get 17 of Michael’s best online lead sources
And for a 30 Free Trial of Listings to Leads, head to clubwealth.com/l2l
For a free once-off call with Greg, text him on 925 915 1978
And if you’d like to find out how to become Micro Famous, visit Microfamouspodcast.com and microfamousbook.com
To get in touch with Gene, visit GeneVolpe.com or follow #ChallengeToLead on Facebook
Books Mentioned on this episode:
Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World's Problems by John Mackey and Michael Strong https://www.amazon.com/Be-Solution-Entrepreneurs-Conscious-Capitalists/dp/0470450037
To see great results in real estate both now and in the future, team owners need to start embracing digital technologies. Will there ever be an ‘Uber’ of real estate? What does the future of our industry look like and how can we start offering it to our clients today? On this episode, owner of kwELITE, Jeff Cohn, shares what we can expect to see in real estate in the future.
Takeaways + Tactics
Stop looking to create the Uber of real estate. Buying and selling properties is an involved process, so instead of looking to simplify it, Uber-style, we should be finding ways to offer our clients amazing, innovative experiences.
Offer higher quality images. The client of the future wants to see every part of a property virtually, so postcard-sized images aren’t going to cut it anymore.
Create a virtual reality experience. By providing our clients with an opportunity to tour a home no matter where they are, we can offer convenience and value like no other.
Business reviews have become an important part of branding today. Who should we be asking to review us and what formats should we be using? On this episode, President and CEO of Amplified Marketing Group and podcast host, Nick Sakkis, shares how to use reviews to advertise our businesses more effectively.
Takeaways + Tactics
People trust the opinions of other people more than they trust advertisements, so reviews are a great way to attract more clients. Have past and present clients leave reviews of their experiences with us for a cheaper alternative to advertising.
Reviews don’t have to come from people we’ve closed deals with. We can get other business owners to review our conduct and offer to do the same for them in return.
Create video reviews. Most people trust videos more than written text, so ask clients to record a short testimonial that can be shared on a range of platforms.
For many new agents, the thought of having conversations with potential clients is terrifying, but if we learn how to interact with others effectively, we can banish that fear. How can we have more positive conversations? Is it possible to convert leads sooner without coming across as forceful? On this episode, CEO and Founder of Smart Inside Sales, Dale Archdekin, shares how to have more effective conversations.
Takeaways + Tactics
Have positive conversations. If a client is interested in something we know they can’t have, don’t start by telling them that. Instead, ask questions to get a sense of what they want, and offer alternatives later.
When a client isn’t interested in buying or selling immediately, ask the right questions to find out why. Once we’ve heard their explanation, we can start assessing whether we can help them in the near future.
Don’t push potential leads - lead them. Guide people and show them the best way forward, but don’t force anything on them.
When it comes to the experiences we give our clients, we should all be striving to go above and beyond. Why is it so important to exceed our clients expectations? Do our gestures need to be extravagant? How can we let our clients know about all the small additional things we do without bragging? On this episode, we discuss how to create amazing experiences in a simple way.
Takeaways + Tactics
Most people can’t put a finger on the specific elements that make an experience more memorable, but there is a big difference when every component is well done. People feel perfection, so strive to give clients that.
Little details make all the difference. Stop thinking it’s difficult to offer exceptional service and focus on all the minor components that add up.
Often, agents are overlooked for all the extra services they offer because clients simply don’t know about them. Use videos to show what’s happening behind the scenes.
To become ‘MicroFamous’, we have to build exceptionally strong rapport with a relatively small group of people. How can we build effective connections, and what value can we offer business owners in our communities? Do we need to create viral content to capture attention? In honor of Matt Johnson’s book launch, Zach Hammer joins us to discuss how to become MicroFamous in the real estate space.
Takeaways + Tactics
Reach out to local business owners, build relationships with them and find out what value they’re looking for. It’s not a great connection until we know who they are and what they need.
Once we know what the people in our network need, we can introduce them to each other behind the scenes. Strategic introductions like these help build rapport in the community.
Don’t aim to create viral content. Being MicroFamous is about being exceptionally well known to a relatively small, but strategic audience, so focus on offering them valuable content.
When we think of Disney, one of the first things that comes to mind is excellent customer service. How can we implement Disney principles to our businesses, and why should we be paying attention to how we make people feel? How can we continue offering a stellar service, even after a transaction is complete? On this episode, Ryan and Monica Shea from the Platinum Group, share how to create fantastic customer service based on Disney’s principles.
Takeaways + Tactics
At any Disney park, the entire family is engaged by cast members. We can replicate that inclusion of the whole family in our deals, by paying attention to our clients’ children. Doing this goes a long way in creating a memorable experience.
Anyone can complete a transaction with their clients, but if we want to truly stand out, we have to pay attention to the way we make people feel. This has an incredible impact and we’ll be more likely to have repeat clients because of it.
Consistent engagement is vital for repeat clients. Show genuine concern and reach out to see if they need anything. We have to remind clients that they’re more than a source of income to us.
Converting leads in 2020 will come with unique challenges and we have to learn to adapt our marketing strategies accordingly. Are we still making cold calls in 2020 and if we are, how should we be approaching them? What are the quick, easy ways to stay top of mind for clients, both past and present? On this episode, owner and founder of Balance Business Consulting, Beverly Ruffner shares how to convert leads in the new decade.
Takeaways + Tactics
Most people don’t like being cold called, so start making ‘warm’ calls. We should aim to create a real connection with the person on the other side of the phone, and show we genuinely care about their best interests.
Stop selling and start telling. People react very differently when they know they’re learning something.
Keep in contact with past leads on Facebook; this is an easy, free way to stay top of mind. We can do this by sending a video to ourselves, and then forwarding it to our Facebook friends
A lot of team leaders think that a bigger team means better results, but that’s not always the case. Why should team leaders be less concerned with having big teams? Is there any room to give unproductive agents a second chance? Why is it important for business owners and team leaders to show their teams that they care? On this episode, broker at Infinity Real Estate Services Bakersfield and host of the Be Better podcast, Lee Barrison, shares how to build a team that’s better, not bigger.
Takeaways + Tactics
A bigger team often sounds impressive, but we should be more concerned with having a productive team.
Unproductive agents should be dismissed, but not without having an opportunity to prove themselves. Put them through a 90 day process to see if they’re able to be more productive.
Good leadership requires care. Start thinking of the deals and money we make with our teams as a by-product of great personal relationships.
The online space is saturated with content, so to stand out, we have to ensure that we can easily be found on a range of platforms. How can we create effective content for different platforms? How can we link our audience to our content across these platforms, and which online spaces should we be using as search engines in their own right? On this episode, founder of Nao Media, Chris Craft, shares how to be ‘Googleable’.
Takeaways + Tactics
Create pieces of core content consistently, then repurpose by slicing and dicing smaller pieces for other platforms.
Don't put links to your core content when you repurpose it for other platforms. Put any links in the comments.
People don't use Facebook and LinkedIn search engines, so don't waste time on things like hashtags for those platforms
There are so many opportunities for wealth creation in Belize, so agents should be looking to invest as much as possible. What makes Belize such a great place to invest in? Should we be advising our clients to put their money into countries like this? What is holding American and Canadian clients back from new opportunities in Belize, and how can we allay their fears? On this episode, agents at 17 North Ltd, Jeff Coats and Josh Frazier, and owner of Ceiba Realty, Jonathan Lohr, share the benefits of buying in Belize.
Takeaways + Tactics
Buying in Belize is a great investment, because anyone can buy property and own it outright forever.
Belize is an entrepreneur’s paradise. Take advantage of every opportunity to invest in real estate, local businesses and the farming sector.
American and Canadian buyers have 3 main fears: who they can trust, whether they can keep their investments, and safety. We have to help set their minds at ease, and then we can go back to real estate and marketing basics.
There are so many leads available to agents today, but only a small portion of them will actually convert. Therefore, we need to find ways to ensure we target the right people. How can we increase our likelihood of success? Would using a predictor or algorithm change anything about the way we do business today? On this episode, CEO of Likely.AI, Brad McDaniel, shares how we can increase our chances of success.
Takeaways + Tactics
Be aware that while around 200 million leads are generated every year, the number of actual transactions hasn’t increased by much. That means most of the leads we buy aren’t going to convert.
We can increase our likelihood of success by using a predictor such as Likely.AI. Using a predictor allows us to cut through the clutter and speak to the right people.
Using a predictor doesn’t mean we have to change anything about the way we do business. We still need to build relationships with our clients; the difference is, by using a predictor we don’t waste time with the wrong leads.
No matter how technologically advanced our businesses become, real estate will always require human interaction, so we have to focus on building relationships. Is it possible to build trust faster or could speeding things up actually be harming our businesses? How can we boost our professional profiles, and is there a way to offer high-tech services without sacrificing real human interaction? On this episode, CEO of Smart Alto, Hassan Riggs, shares how to build stronger relationships with our clients.
Takeaways + Tactics
Don’t expect to see immediate results with clients. Trust takes time, so build relationships with clients at a natural pace.
The best way to build a relationship is by teaching people. Offer knowledge and information, and clients will associate us with value.
There’s so much emphasis on becoming high-tech, but to build great relationships we also have to be high-touch. Technology means nothing if we’re not using it to connect with other people.
Relationships are central to the real estate industry, so it’s our responsibility as agents to build connections with as many past, present and future clients as possible. How should we react when our past clients choose to work with different agents? What can we do to make sure we stay at the top of their mind between transactions? On this episode, industry veteran and the Grand Master himself, Terry McDaniel, shares how to build a relationship-based business.
Takeaways + Tactics
Don’t be deterred when clients leave. There are so many reasons they may work with another agent that have nothing to do with us, so we shouldn’t question our abilities.
Instead of asking how we can make our clients lives’ better, we should be asking them to teach us how to do that. This shows our dedication more clearly.
To stay top of mind, have something on hand to give to clients so we have a reason to see them in person. This can be something small, like a handwritten note.
Having multiple income streams is the best way to create freedom for ourselves. We can create those streams by getting involved in the development process. How can we start building relationships with builders and developers, and what kind of value can we offer them? What should we be avoiding if we want to build successful relationships? On this episode, real estate and home building expert, Matthew Clawson, shares how to forge successful relationships with builders and developers.
Takeaways + Tactics
Go out and approach builders and developers. Even if there’s nothing we can help them with now, at the very least, we can start building relationships with them.
Provide value by creating edited videos of developments and sharing them with the developer. Offer to do more videos in the future, once a partnership is established.
Avoid wasting a builder or developer’s time by sharing deals they already know about. Time-wasting is the easiest way to frustrate a builder.
Starting a podcast is a lot easier than most people think, but when it comes to creating content, we tend to worry about what we should and shouldn’t share with the audience. Can we start podcasting before we’ve reached a certain level of success? How can we gain credibility with our audiences? Should we be sharing our vulnerabilities? On this episode, Will Grimes and Eli Schmidt, team leaders at Genesis Home Team and co-hosts of the Day One Dollar Zero podcast, share how to create podcast content that resonates with our audiences.
Takeaways + Tactics
Document the present. By showing our audience where we are now, we not only make ourselves more relatable; we also allow them to see us grow over time, and create a stronger bond with them.
To gain credibility, we have to stay in our own lanes. In other words, don’t offer advice or opinions on things we have no experience with.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Audiences tend to seek out people they can relate to, so it’s okay for us to share our flaws in our content.
Agents have abdicated their responsibility to keep in touch with our sphere and past clients, and Zillow has taken over that job and we’re paying for it financially and relationally. What are the problems that come with being overly-reliant on Zillow leads? What are the 3 Cs of successful database management? On this episode real estate superstar, speaker, author, and consultant, Jim Remley shares how we can take control of our sphere and avoid becoming the equivalent of Zillow employees.
Takeaways + Tactics
We have to religiously nurture our CRM
In order to switch from a reliance on Zillow leads, it’s important for us to capture client data and cultivate that data over a long period of time by incubating it in a CRM; and then closing them into transactions and referrals.
An anemic database will be low on referrals
Take the total number of your transactions, and the total number of people in your database. 10% of your database should be sending you at least 1 referral a year. If not you have an anemic database, mainly caused by not communicating.
Leverage the database behind each client
The reality is there’s a time window within which our clients are most likely to refer us, and that is the 31 days after the transaction or leading up to it. During this time, we can offer to throw our clients a “sorry to see you go” or “welcome to the neighbourhood” party and be in attendance to build relationships with the sphere of influence that person has.
TikTok is becoming one of the more popular social media platforms, so real estate professionals should be taking advantage of it now. What kind of content can agents and mortgage professionals share on TikTok? How can we create successful videos, and is it possible to use success on the platform to see real-life results? On this episode, licensed mortgage originator, author of Color My Credit and TikTok enthusiast, Alisa Glutz, shares how to build a massive following on the platform.
Takeaways + Tactics
Take a script we would use on a client and act it out dramatically. Bring the script to life, and take advantage of all the creative tools TikTok offers.
TikTok videos are short, so be sure to capture the audience’s attention right from the start. Jump out at the camera if need be, but make sure the audience is hooked from the first word.
Don’t feel limited by TikTok’s short video format; direct the audience to other platforms, like YouTube. Be sure to have more in-depth content on these platforms, and use it as a way to boost credibility.
So often, people hold back from making an impact on others’ lives because they’re trying to be someone they’re not. How can we become more helpful to others? Why is it so important to let go of our egos and be our authentic selves? On this episode, developer of the 36 to Life movement, coach Hank Avink, shares insights on the importance of authenticity.
Takeaways + Tactics
Have a mindset of service. We need to stop thinking about selling something, and genuinely want to help others with our knowledge.
Stay in your lane. Being authentic brings phenomenal results, while being inauthentic tends to have poor results. Just be yourself.
Drop the ego at the door. People lose the most money when their egos are involved, so present yourself as someone with a genuine desire to help others.
As real estate professionals, being visible is non-negotiable, so we have to make sure we’re gaining as much meaningful visibility as possible on social media. Which platforms should we be taking advantage of to boost our followings, and should we be striving for a high number of followers in the first place? How can we connect with the kinds of people we want to work with when we don’t have a big following? On this episode, we discuss how to use social media for meaningful engagement and better results.
Takeaways + Tactics
Dealing with objections in real estate is a frustrating reality for agents, so it’s a good idea to have responses to those objections prepared in advance. How should we react to protestations in the buying process? Is there a way to stop objections from forming in the first place- and how should we approach buyers who stall the process to speak to other decision makers? On this episode, CEO and President at BrokerageUP! Inc and RealEstateCoach.com, Bernice Ross shares how asking the right questions can help us tackle objections.
Takeaways + Tactics
Asking questions is extremely powerful. Instead of telling a client what to do, formulate questions that will help them rethink their objections.
To avoid objections being raised at crucial moments, be upfront with buyers at the first meeting. Ask if they would be ready to make an offer immediately when they find the right house.
It’s extremely frustrating for agents when buyers stall the buying process to consult with their decision makers. To stop this from happening, encourage buyers to bring decision makers along to each listing.
As we head into a new decade, it’s time to start thinking like the next generation of real estate agents. What is the new generation doing to reach a wider audience? Once we connect with a bigger audience, how can we build stronger relationships with our markets? On this episode, Gene Volpe joins us to discuss the next generation tactics to take our businesses into the future.
Takeaways + Tactics
Use social media to share content everyone enjoys. While cat videos might not tell our audience we’re great agents, they do humanize us and show our personalities.
Once we’ve branded our personalities, we have to remind our audiences of the work we do. This doesn’t need to be a time-consuming task- we just have to be more intentional about our content.
Build stronger relationships by approaching local businesses and asking to promote their special offers. The businesses will benefit from the awareness, customers will benefit from the specials and we’ll be known for sharing value.
For a free once-off call with Greg, text him on 925 915 1978
For more on Gene, visit Genevolpe.com
And if you’d like to use podcasts to take your business to the next level, head to Howtogetfeatured.com
The top performers in real estate share common habits, so ambitious agents should be paying attention to what those habits are and implementing them in their own lives. How do successful real estate professionals overcome their fears- and is it possible for new agents to do the same? Can we stop ourselves from reaching a plateau of success- and why is it so important to be more intentional about our futures? On this episode, clinical psychologist and leadership coach Dr Sheri Fluellen shares how to emulate the habits of top producers.
Takeaways + Tactics
Build the habit of having courage. All of us have fears, but the only way to overcome them is by taking action and doing what scares us and eventually the fear will subside.
Keep increasing necessity. As we become more successful, we stop feeling a need to achieve. We have to keep pushing our limits and increasing our necessity as we grow.
Be more intentional. We have to know where we’re going in business and in life, and surround ourselves with people who can help us achieve our goals.
One of the biggest barriers to our success in marketing is that we’re putting out a lot of content, but we’re not saying anything arresting, surprising or compelling. How should we approach marketing so that it doesn’t waste our time, energy and resources? Why is it so critical to think of marketing from the perspective of the audience? On this episode, Gene Volpe joins us to talk about the right way to go about marketing.
It’s not just about mass broadcasting, it’s about being able to communicate effectively to the people who need to hear your message. -Greg McDaniel
Takeaways + Tactics
Rockstar Agent Marketing Toolkit - Featuring our favorite scripts, tutorials and quickstart guides to marketing strategies like Facebook Live, door-knocking, remarketing advertising, open houses and referrals. Get actionable ideas and tactics you can use in your career right NOW.
Additional links to books or other resources mentioned during the show
A changing real estate market presents opportunities that we can use to be more valuable to clients. What is the opportunity in doing real estate on-terms? How can agents add these to their listing presentation, and bring more value to prospective buyers? Why is it so important to expand our approach to real estate beyond listing homes? In this episode, author, investor and founder of Smart Real Estate Coach, Chris Prefontaine is back to talk about this incredible opportunity in real estate.
Nationally, more and more real estate is being done on terms because banks are getting harder to work with. -Chris Prefontaine
Takeaways + Tactics
Selling on terms is a win for everyone in the transaction
The great thing about doing real estate on terms is that a seller doesn’t lose any money, and can get out of the home quickly, a person who wants to get into the home but can’t easily get a bank loan can rent to own, and the investor gets a property that will cash flow.
Build up your credibility
Not everyone has an established reputation, and that can make it scary to approach sellers. It’s important to have confidence, and to mention any partners you have in the business who have more experience, and it’s also important to join the Better Business Bureau. It’s important to have ties to credibility.
The value of being investor vs. an agent
It’s better to say you’re an investor with an offer to buy a house than it is to say you are a real estate agent saying you want to list their house.
Guest Bio
Chris Prefontaine is the best-selling author of 2017's Real Estate On Your Terms and this year's The New Rules of Real Estate Investing. A real estate investor with over 27 years experience in the field, Chris is the founder of Smart Real Estate Coach and host of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast. He lives in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife, Kim, and their family. Chris operates the family business with his son, Nick, his daughter, Kayla, his son-in-law, Zach, and an amazing team.
Chris is a big advocate of constant education. He and his family mentor, coach, consult, and actually partner with students around the country, teaching them to do exactly what their company does. Between their existing Associates nationwide and their own deals, Chris and his family are still acquiring 5-10 properties every month and control between $20-$30 million dollars worth of real estate deals — all done on TERMS without using their own cash, credit, or signing for loans.
Chris and his family believe strongly in giving back to the community. They currently support Franciscan Children's Hospital in Brighton, MA, 3 Angels Foundation in Newport, RI, and the Wounded Warrior Project by giving a percentage of all deals to those causes.
To find out more about Chris, head to the following links:
http://prepropertysolutions.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisprefontaine/
You can also listen to his podcast on
Smartrealestatepodcast.com
To get a FREE copy of Chris’s latest book, visit https://freesrecbook.com/