Realasponse™

By: Rich Levin

“Gosh darn it” (or stronger) Sean McDonald (name changed to protect the not so innocent) exclaimed. “That’s the second listing presentation that I went on this week that the owners chose someone else. What do I need to do to stop this from happening?”

When Sean doesn’t get a listing he calls the seller to ask why. There is no consistent answer.

This is typical.

Sean hired me to work on his listing presentation. He knows that I work with Agents who take over a hundred listings a year. He asked me what these Agents do that he needs to learn.

Twelve Distinct Skills

There is a lot. It is all simple, not easy, but simple. There are twelve distinct skills and proficiencies below. They are listed at the end of this article.

Reputation

First, the Agents are known. Most of their listing appointments are with people who know them or know of their reputation. You can easily create this same advantage.

Your marketing and networking establish the foundation for your success. It is how you become known.

Do you communicate regularly with your primary sources of business, that is, your past clients and your Spheres of Influence? Is there a geographic market you wish to dominate, perhaps just your street? Do you send them something regularly to those markets? Does it have a significant presence of you? Is the main message that you sell Real Estate?

Presentation Structure

I asked Sean to talk me through his normal listing presentation. It was obvious that he was winging it.

Do you have a structure to your listing presentation? Does that structure begin with your preparation and continue through to twenty four hours after the presentation?

Preparation

Preparation is both the key to your confidence and the key to the seller’s confidence in you. How much time do you take to prepare pricing, your marketing plan and review your entire presentation as it applies to a particular client?

Your First Impression

OK, let’s say you are well prepared. You are standing at their front door as they open it. What kind of first impression do you make? Do you take subtle control with your questions? Are you careful with what you wear? Do you bring them a small gift? Do you have a structured process from the time you walk over their threshold until you are sitting down with them beginning your presentation?

Your first impression directly relates to the ease with which you get agreement and have the seller’s trust on pricing, negotiations and whether or not they send you a steady stream of referrals.

You only have one chance to make that first impression. The seller’s first impression of you will open the door to a permanent great relationship and an easy transaction or end the relationship at that appointment.

Your Opening Questions

OK, let’s say you made a great first impression and begin your presentation. Do you have a thorough set of questions that uncover the seller’s motivation and urgency, plus questions that show you care more about them than about the listing?

Actively Listening

Those opening questions, plus your ability to actively listen, and your sincere attention to them are enormously powerful and important to your success.

Your Marketing Plan

OK, let’s say you have their rapt attention. Do you have a structured marketing plan, the things you do to attract buyers and get the property sold and closed? Do you have a marketing/listing book, computer (PowerPoint) presentation, or a folder of materials to show examples of your work?

Here’s a subtle advantage that can be the difference between success and failure. Do you present your marketing plan powerfully, showing the advantages, benefits and asking for agreement as you go? Or do you simply review a bunch of items?

The strength of your marketing plan and your skill at presenting it determines whether you get a commission challenge, whether they choose to go for sale by owner, or whether they choose to interview other Agents. The strength of your marketing plan and your skill presenting it impact whether you get a priced right listing with a cooperative, enthusiastic seller on the spot or not.

Presenting Pricing and Value

OK, let’s say that so far they are impressed by you, perhaps even more than they expected. Now it’s time to present pricing and value.

There are two reasons that most listings expire. Either the Agent did a mediocre job preparing pricing and value or presenting it.

I always refer to this as pricing and value because the most common mistake of even the best Agents is that they treat the price as if they controlled it. “My price,” they will say.

Let’s get this right. It is always their price, the seller’s price. You advise the seller on price. They choose it. When you master the language and attitude around this subtlety you will never lose a listing you wanted because of pricing.

Do you take an overpriced listing? I say, trust your judgment. There are times to take an overpriced listing and other times to pass.

Gaining Agreement and Signatures

OK, let’s say you have agreement on pricing. They like and trust you. How do you proceed to getting the listing paperwork signed? Do you use a seller’s net sheet? Do you have the paperwork mostly filled out ahead of time? As you complete the paperwork, are you involving the seller, gaining their agreement as you go?

Then do you call within twenty-four hours to reinforce their decision and assure them that you are already working to get their property sold?

The Critical Key: Practice

On the whole, there is one simple yet critical key to perfecting your listing presentation. It is the main reason someone taking a hundred or more listings a year will beat you in a competitive situation. It is this. They get lots of practice. They are conducting two to ten listing presentations a week.

The simplest and most critical key to perfecting your listing presentation is practice. Do you schedule one to two hours once a week to rehearse your listing presentation, so that those weeks when you don’t have a live one you still get stronger?

Facing Fewer Objections

Once you have a structured well rehearsed listing system objections become easy to handle. Top listing Agents confront fewer objections because each time they hear the same objection a second time, they build a strong answer into the structure of their presentation to prevent it from arising in future presentations.

The strength of your listing presentation can dictate the success of your career. A successful listing presentation is more than getting the listing. It is creating a relationship that gets the property sold with cooperation and ease. This leads to your being the Agent they will refer for as long as your marketing and reputation keeps you on top of their mind as their REALTOR®.

Sean MacDonald is getting most of the listings he goes after, now. The biggest hurdle for him was recognizing that great listing Agents don’t have to have the latest tools or the fanciest scripts.

Top listing Agents simply worked long and hard to build and practice a solid strong presentation.

Once the basic structure is mastered, you work on your sales and presentation skills. Once you get the listing you constantly work on delivering the service your promise.

There is a lot to learn. It is all simple, not easy but simple. With dedication, hard work, and practice a great listing presentation is in your future.

Following are the twelve skills and proficiencies that lead to the strongest possible listing presentation.

1. Reputation
2. Presentation Structure
3. Preparation
4. Your First Impression
5. Your Opening Questions
6. Actively Listening
7. Your Marketing Plan
8. Presenting your marketing plan
9. Presenting Pricing and Value
10. Gaining Agreement and signatures
11. The Critical Key: Practice
12. Building the answer to objections into presentation.

Rich Levin is one of the most successful Real Estate coaches in the nation by virtue of the measurable results of his clients and creator of the Real Estate Hierarchy of Success, a working model for understanding and planning your business.

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With winter coming for 2010 up it’s going to be difficult for many agents to
survive the market altogether. Just this past week many retail stores
reported less than expected profits for September; and they’re
right. Because many households have aired on the side of caution with
the housing crunch outlook and plan to be frugal for coming months,
overall spending will be less than favorable as a whole. However, this
doesn’t mean people have stop buying homes. It just means it’ll take
more to get them…or at least more whit.

But for many agents that choose to market themselves with real
estate postcards that are plagued with recycled messages and weak
visuals; their days at marketing to today’s buyers and sellers are
almost just about up. Why? Because today’s seller and buyers knows the
game and is being persuaded by the “commission debate” to seek out
selling or buying a home them-self. Companies such as Redfin
are helping consumers to see that the market and times are-ah-
changin’. What agents have to do is PROVE their value. And guess what?
Offering a Free Market Analysis or Free Consultation is not going to
cut it these days! They expect a consultation and are being moved daily to refer
to ball-park estimates on Zillow or Trulia (regardless of how far off they are).

Postcard marketing is not dead, however, the old way of just sending
any ol’postcard in the name of having to touch the prospect is absolutely
the wrong way to think about effective marketing. Prospects aren’t
laughing at real estate postcards with animals having talk bubbles with
cheesy saying. It’s no time to be cute! It’s all about being effective.
With the market the way it is, they’re looking for answers.

And what’s better than meeting prospects at their door and offering
to address what is already on their minds; then by sending postcards
that do, in fact, that. Grab they attention and get them to act.

Check out Realasponse.com and view our demo for more.

Real Estate Postcards, Just Sold Postcards, Just Listed Postcards, Real Estate Marketing

by Robert Boduch

Postcards can be valuable marketing tools for any business. Here are a few ideas that will help you get the most from your own postcard marketing campaign.

The magic of these eye-catchers is that they deliver short, concise messages in the minimum amount of time - perfect for the “time-poor” society we live in today. They get the important information across rapidly, with a quick and easy flip of the wrist.

You can take your idea from concept to distribution within just days. Since they can be produced in any quantity to suit any budget, postcards are great for businesses of all sizes. You could save a bundle on your marketing expenses by utilizing these simple two-sided pieces, instead of other more costly tools.

Currently — at least in the U.S. — postage costs are considerably lower for postcards vs. first-class mail. Unfortunately, this advantage is not available to marketers in other countries such as Canada. Full rates apply. Even still… these attention-grabbers offer tremendous marketing opportunities to entrepreneurs and small business owners — at any rate.

Postcards are most effective and profitable when used to:

generate new leads
follow-up with prospects as part of a campaign
make an announcement to your existing mailing list
thank customers for their patronage and invite them back with a special offer
draw traffic to your web site

The key to success is to deliver instant impact. You’ve got to make your piece command immediate attention in your prospect’s crowded mailbox. Catch the eye… pique curiosity… and unload your magnetic marketing message as quickly as possible.

Every card has two sides — a front and back. Use the front side as leverage with maximum appeal to compel your prospect to flip the card over and get the full impact of your complete message.

Use the back of the card to unveil all the key benefits of your product or service… provide an strong offer to trigger action… and list prominently your contact information. You’ve got to make it lightening quick and unquestionably easy to respond. Eliminate any obstacles that might be in the way to getting the results you want.

As with any type of advertising, be sure to include a powerful headline. Your headline is key. It’s the most important part of your postcard and should be featured prominently on the front side.

When you’re sure you’ve got a headline that works, try enhancing it visually to make it figuratively jump off the card. One method is to use reverse-type (white text on a dark-colored background). Always use a larger font size, preferably in a bold typeface. Make it clear and unmistakable… so prospects are sure to understand the message.

Consider employing graphic options such as cartoons only if they assist you in getting your message across. Use topnotch color photographs (like popular tourist postcards) when you can clearly tie the visual to the message in your headline.

The text of your postcard should be benefit-laden. Communicate to your prospect in clear, vivid detail all the advantages that s/he will enjoy by taking advantage of your offer TODAY. Stress the unique benefits unavailable elsewhere. Include a few testimonials — even if you have to shoehorn them in. Actually, this can be extremely effective as the eye is naturally drawn to anything on the page that is a little out of the ordinary.

Testimonials act as proof of your claims and help build your credibility as a reliable supplier. They also help overcome the fear many people have in trusting a vendor they haven’t done business with before.

One absolutely essential ingredient of successful postcards is the offer. It must be promising and compelling. Give the reader an incentive to act now. Be clear and specific. Make responding a simple, one-step process.

If your postcard is sent as a “thank-you” to new customers after their first purchase, entice them back with a 17% discount on the next. This approach transforms your postcard into a valuable coupon that’s worth something in terms of redeemable value. Since recipients have already bought from you, most would be happy to do it again at a substantial discount.
The mission of your postcard is to inspire a positive response. Always keep that objective clear in your mind as you plan your strategy.

To maximize results, craft a targeted message and make it easy for recipients to take action. This means providing clearly legible contact information — whether it’s a telephone number, fax, mailing address, or web site. Keep in mind that everyone has a preferred method — people like to respond in different ways.

Providing various response options eliminates another cause of inaction. The more of these objections you address, the more likely it is your postcard campaign will be a rousing success!

by Bob Leduc

If your marketing activity doesn’t include postcards, you’re overlooking a highly effective and very low-cost sales tool. Here are 12 of the many reasons postcards should be part of your marketing program…

1. Postcards Work for Any Business

Postcards can produce all kinds of sales activity for all types of businesses esp. realtors. For example, they can produce web site traffic for online marketers, floor traffic for retail stores, sales leads for direct marketers …and just about any other type of sales activity a business wants.

2. Designing Postcards is Simple and Uncomplicated

Designing an effective postcard is not complicated. It can be as simple as printing your best small ad on a 4 x 6 card and sending it to a list of potential prospects. real estate postcards usually work best when the message is brief and the postcard looks at first glance like a message from friend.

3. Printing Postcards is Easy and Inexpensive

You can print postcards with your own computer for about 1 or 2 cents each …or have them printed and mailed professionally for about 28 to 40 cents each.

4. There’s a Special Low Postage Rate for Postcards

You can send any quantity of postcards by First Class Mail in the US for only 23 cents each. The only requirement is that your postcards must be at least 3 1/2 x 5 inches but no larger than 4 1/4 x 6 inches.

5. Postcards Nearly Always Get Read
Because postcards are delivered “ready to read”, almost everybody will read it - even people who usually throw out other types of direct mail without opening it.

6. Postcards Produce Fast Results

Because postcards are simple and easy to use - they produce results fast. You can mail postcards within a few days of deciding to use them …and you’ll start getting sales activity 2 or 3 days later.

7. Postcards are effective for Generating Web site Traffic

One of the most effective postcard formats simply lists a few benefits of a product or service on the card and tells the reader to where they can get more information. This makes them ideal for generating traffic to a web site.

8. Postcard Multiply Themselves

Postcards are like small billboards - and they are easy to handle. They often get saved by recipients or passed on to others …providing additional exposure of your advertising message.

9. Markets Can Be Precisely Targeted With Postcards

You can accurately target your best markets by sending real estate postcards only to mailing lists of prospects likely to be interested in what you’re offering …and who also have a history of acting on offers that interest them.

10. Postcard Marketing Results Are Easy To Measure

Postcards normally generate over 90 percent of their total response within 7 to 10 days. This enables you to quickly and accurately evaluate the results of a real estate postcard campaign.

11. Postcards Put You in Control of Your Sales Activity

You can quickly boost (or reduce) your sales activity anytime you want by simply regulating the number of postcards you mail and how often you mail them.

12. Postcards Conceal Your Marketing from Competitors

Most advertising uses mass media where your competitors hear or see what you are doing - and copy it. Postcard marketing is personal. Only you and your prospects are aware of what you are doing.
Postcards may be one of the best kept secrets of modern marketing. They’re highly effective, very low-cost, simple to use …and they work for any business. You’re overlooking a profitable marketing tool if don’t use them.

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards …and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper.

A friend and I just finished a wonderful conversation on how perfect a time it is to use real estate postcard marketing as an effective means to reaching prospects. Here are three things we concluded on the benefits of real estate postcard marketing in today’s market:

Open Mail (no need to open)
When mailing brochures, packages, and envelopes, you’re left hoping that prospects take the time to open and read your message. However, with postcards the visuals and message go to work immediately without any need for opening. Prospects are hit upon contact. This is important since research shows that your marketing pieces have only 3 seconds to capture the attention of potential clients.

Effective -vs- other methods
Unlike emails or websites, postcards are held in hand while read. The act of consciously picking up a postcard is the first step toward opening up your prospect to your message. Remember, the prospect is physically holding your message and has to interact with your postcard (turn it over) for more information. This experience makes for a loose personal contact between you and your prospect from right within their home.

Personal Interaction
Aside from being cost-effective, real estate postcards beat out other real estate marketing methods by sheer circumstance. Unlike an ad, your postcard competes with only a handful of items in the mailbox on that day, rather than with the 250-300 ads in a typical newspaper or magazine.