Carla Cross, CRB, MA, International Speaker

Does your listing presentation ‘knock their socks off’? We’re all presenters: Any time we’re in front of two or two thousand, our goal is to persuade the audience to our point of view. However, most of the time, we just get in front of people and say whatever we think of first. That lack of attention to presentation organization leads to some big presentation mistakes, and costs us ‘sales’. Instead of stumbling through a presentation, why not organize it to grab their attention, persuade them to your way of thinking, and motivate them to action?

Grab Their Attention in the Opening

Have you thought about your opening? Or, are you nervously standing at the sellers’ door, worried about what you’re going to say? Are you hiding in your office because you dread doing that sales meeting? When we haven’t organized our presentation, we come up with some really boring, off-putting openings, like:

I won’t take much of your time, but

We have a lot to cover today

We won’t get through the outline

I know you don’t want to listen, but

I’m not really prepared

You just open your presentation book, point to the pretty pages, and say, “here’s a keybox” (I’m not kidding. I’ve seen it….)

Great openings, yes? Yet, we’ve heard them dozens of times. You don’t have to settle for whatever comes ‘naturally’. Instead, make your openings

Provocative

Interesting

Different

Engaging

A Middle that Educates your ‘Audience’ to your Point of View

In the middle of your presentation, add those stories, statistics, and visuals that support your point of view. By the way, as you create that presentation, jot down your point of view. If you’re doing a presentation to sellers, one of the major objectives of your presentation is to persuade them to your listing price point of view.

Why use Visuals?

There are two reasons to use visuals in your presentation:

We believe what we see

We retain the information much longer

As you organize your presentation, ask yourself:

What are the main, and frequently, unspoken objections my ‘audience’ will have? How do I educate them to show them the reasoning behind my point of view?

The Ending: Back to the Beginning

Have you thought about your wrap-up? Or, like many presenters, does your ending sound like this?

Well, that’s all. What do you think?

We’re out of time. Thank you. I hope you’ll list with me

I don’t have time to close.

I couldn’t get to much of the material, but you can read it

In fact, even the most professional presenters frequently have trouble with their endings. One of the main reasons is that they run out of time. Another is that they haven’t thought the ending through.

How to Do a Stunning Ending

Crafting an effecting ending is the second most important part of your presentation. (The first is the opening). To craft a great ending,

Go back to your beginning opening theme

Summarize the benefits of going ahead with you/take action

Motivate your ‘audience’ to take action

A Great Presentation is Crafted like a Pop Song

As a musician, I know that all pop tunes are constructed with this format:

theme—variation—theme

This is known in the music business as the ABA format. Think of your favorite pop tune: Hum the beginning. Think of the end. They’re alike, right? It’s the middle—known as the ‘bridge’—that is the humdinger. It wanders all around. Your persuasive presentation should be crafted like that pop tune:

A A compelling start (think Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, etc.)

B An interesting, developed middle, with stories, statistics

A Back to that theme, with a motivating ending

Now, you’re all set to craft a great listing or buyer presentation, great recruiting meeting or sales meeting, or awesome product/service presentation to any audience.

P. S. Practice!

Many more tips on presentations and presentation skills are in my new resource, Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make your Best Presentation Ever.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is a former master-level CRB instructor, popular international speaker, National Realtor Educator of the Year, and author of 6 books and 20 audio programs. She specializes in ‘people development’—strategies for real estate professionals to enjoy highest production and profits. Join her newsletter community and receive her complimentary eBook, Getting to Yes: Ten Powerful Tools to Bash those Barriers to Purchasing Today. Learn more at www.carlacross.com, or contact Carla at 425-392-6914.

With all the real estate SEO focus being put on buyers, sometimes we forget to address sellers, and the benefit that they can be to our overall website. While we should be writing our websites with the buyer in mind, we can also be making money with the seller as well . . . but in a different fashion.

Buyers will find your website looking for the MLS or homes to search. Sellers will see your website because you bring it to them . . . physically. Try this. At your next listing appointment, place on your website their home in the “Featured Listings” portion of your website. (Come on, I know you all have notebook computers by now. It’s time to use them.)

To really make this feature prominant, add background music, voice over and/or titles to your listing presentation on the “Featured Listings”. While it probably won’t have taken you too long to do, it will look like it took HOURS. Plus it will really impress the seller. For more information on this and other areas for sellers and Featured Listings, watch the video below:

What do you think is worse?   The person who wears you out with hourly phone calls and multiple emails…or the person who seems to never return a call or email? 

It’s a real life story for sure!  Surveys show that one of the biggest reasons that sellers get frustrated with their listing agent and buyers move on to get the services of another Realtor® is often due to the lack of communication.  An important tenet of any relationship is the interchange and connection that is fostered through purposeful and relevant communication.

 I work with several top producing, very busy professionals that often WOW me with instant or quick response.  And if for any reason they are even remotely delinquent, I get a solid apology and acknowledgement…. and that makes people feel valued and important!

But so often in any business, tardy or non-existent responses can set a negative tone.  No response is considered a severe rejection, and if that is not your intent, then get better at communicating.  Use multiple mediums and never forget that document always trumps conversation, so take good notes in any interaction and clarify so everyone is sure that all parties are clear and informed.

 There are hundreds of historical examples of how miscommunications caused wars; deaths and family break ups…so why don’t we be more purposeful when communicating?

Here are a few thoughts for you to ponder

1) Simply ASK your client, customer, prospect, friend, spouse, or partner how they prefer to receive their communications from you.   Do they prefer email, text, phone, letters, or is Facebook their favorite medium? In any case, using a medium that is their preference does increase the probability that they will in fact respond to your communications.

2) Have a system in place that makes it easy for you to connect. If you use a smart phone, then communication using text and email can be more easily exchanged. If they prefer Facebook, then get a Facebook app for your phone to save time.

3) Email is still a popular medium, but in general we all suffer from email overload.  A smart move is to not assume that your communication actually went through.  Spam filters, and email fatigue contribute to lost connections and if your email was not read or was lost in a junk file, your lack of response can easily be misinterpreted that you are not interested, don’t care, or are unwilling to communicate.

4) Don’t mistake using a singular medium as the only type of interchange. Good old fashioned voice connection should be included in your communication strategy periodically.  Letters, postcards and voice mail can still support the exchange of information. But hearing the tone, inflection and timbre of a voice tells you more than any flat medium can provide.

5) Always confirm what you think was transmitted.  Clarify. Ask Questions. Confirm….all are important to keeping the conversation clear, understood and validated.

6) Be cognizant of the 4 generational dynamics of age and behavioral styles when communicating. People are always more comfortable when you speak to their core values and preferences and through a channel of their choosing.

No matter what you are doing with any one person or group, communication is the KEY to relationships and clear responses build ongoing referrals, trust and confidence.  Pump up your awareness and get better at communicating!  Now…who should you call…right now?

Bio: Terri Murphy, is a Social Communication specialist is an author, speaker, communication consultant, and author of 5 books, including her latest with Donald Trump. She is the founder and Pres. of WomensWisdomNetwork.com  www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com and serves as CIO of U. S. Learning in Memphis and Email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com – And for more info visit: www.MurphyOnRealEstate.com

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, International Speaker

My dad used to say when my sister and I were behaving badly he thought we needed a ‘whack up the side of the head’. Don’t worry. He didn’t actually do it, but we did pay attention when he said it, because we knew it was time to stop, look, and listen—and change our behavior! It’s time, I think, for brokers to get a few ‘whacks up the side of the head’, too.

Why Listen Up Now?

You have heard many of the ideas here before. Businesses in other industries have embraced these business concepts in the past decade. But, brokers simply have not adopted them. Why should brokers listen and take action now? Because times have changed enough that we can’t afford to keep persevering in old ways and expect to make the profits we deserve for the risks we take and the hard work we do.

Small actions finally create a ‘critical mass’ and a trend.

In his book, Microtrends, Mark Penn identified 75 microtrends sweeping the nation. One of them he calls ‘southpaws unbound’. Since I’m a lefty, I read that trend with interest, because I was one of a few of those children of my generation who learned to write properly with my left hand. When I was about four, my mother, a schoolteacher, taught me to write, and let me use my dominant left hand. When she found out schools were forcing kids to become right-handed, she asked my kindergarten and grade school teachers to allow me to write with my left hand.

Now, though, the trend of making all lefties into writing with the right hand (or at least trying) is reversed. According to Penn, the number of left-handed people has doubled in two generations.  Why? The idea of writing with your ‘natural hand’ has reached critical mass. Parents are encouraging their children to use the naturally dominant hand. Schools are now teaching left or right hand writing. What does that trend mean to business? A wealth of opportunities to create left-handed gadgets. What does that mean to the lefty? No conflict in the brain about natural dominance. No failure in school because we couldn’t translate the right-hand directions. More confidence in our own abilities. This trend may seem very ‘micro’ to you, but, to a lefty, it’s huge!

(My mom, who worried a lot about what people think, would feel very pleased that her bravery in insisting I stayed left-handed in school was vindicated).

A ‘Whack’ for Brokers and Recommendations

As with all adopted practices, several principles and actions come together to create a ‘critical mass’. Below is my observation about one of our very important traditional business practices that has become ineffective, due to consumer dissatisfaction, business expectations, much more education, mass communication, and market conditions.

Whack: Recruiting can no longer be thought of as an ‘on accident’ occurrence.

In a fast market, everybody wanted to sell real estate—and, most of them could sell—a bit. Then, the market turned and it seemed no one was selling real estate! As the market picks up, it’s our opportunity to change the way we recruit and select, so we won’t experience that lack of sales to that degree ever again. To change our businesses for the better—forever—we need to find agents who will actually develop careers. That means brokers must search for capable agents on purpose (just like agents must lead generate on purpose).

In the next blog, I’ll make several suggestions about how to ‘whack yourself on the side of the head to recruit on purpose–and double your profits.

Question: What ‘whacks’ do you see that brokers need to give themselves now? What ‘whacks’ are you giving yourself?

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is president of Carla Cross & Co., a speaking, coaching, and resources provider for the real estate industry. Carla specializes in real estate leadership. She’s the author of 6 internationally published books, including Up and Running in 30 Days. Recently named one of the 50 most influential women in real estate, Carla is a former master level CRB instructor, writer of coaching/training programs for most of the major international franchises, and is a National Realtor Educator of the Year. Contact her at 425-392-6914 or www.carlacross.com.

This is an amazing time to be an agent!  And I don’t mean that in the false “rah-rah…let’s all think positive even though we want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over our heads” way of thinking.

I mean that in the “survival of the fittest” way of thinking.

This is one of those times when good agents become great ones.  When great agents become legends…and when everyone else sends in an application to work at Starbucks.

This is the type of market that will force you to practice excellence as a way of life.

Think of it as the best self-help and success course – that you are getting for free.

Why do I say this?

Because in the demand-driven market, you could get away with lazy, sloppy business and still do pretty well. But today we’re experiencing the consumer-driven market.

Consumers have become more savvy, more discerning – almost overnight.  And that means that you get the opportunity to step-up your game and become the businessperson that you know you can be.

The elements of success have not changed.  It is simply that the great and legendary agents have already made them a way of life, whereas the other agents have been one-hit-wonders or “lucky.”

Those days are over.

If you haven’t been living the three core fundamentals of true, lasting success then now is the time to start living and practicing those fundamentals.  Of course, if you aren’t ready for massive success, then I hear Starbucks is hiring.

The Success Triad Fundamental #1:  Mindset

The three core fundamentals of true lasting success are built like a triangle. At the base –  the critical foundation – lies mindset. The only difference between people who are rich and those who want to be rich is what they think about.  There are a lot of self-help books, programs, DVDs out there that all teach this fundamental principle of…what you think about comes about.

Another way to say that is that what you focus on you manifest.

Why is that critical to your success today?

Because if you are thinking about how you can survive this market that is what you are going to create. Survival. Contrast that with the agent who is 100% focused and committed to thriving in this market.

These two agents will have a very different outcome.

The agent with the positive attitude will automatically be more attractive to prospects.  If you are focused on the negative elements, you will miss seeing the business opportunities that the positive agent will effortlessly spot.  You must cultivate a state of positive expectancy.

There are only two things you are doing in business all the time.

You are either attracting or repelling business. There is no neutral.

The Success Triad Fundamental #2:  Mechanics

The second core fundamental of lasting success is mechanics. Mechanics are the “how-to’s” of any business.

And mechanics are what most agents love to focus on.

But mechanics without mindset will not make you successful.

People who learn how to “build rapport” without an abundant, positive, generous mindset will always come off as manipulative and untrustworthy.  And people who learn the powerful marketing strategies that I teach, but who fail to adopt a “give to get” mindset, will not be successful.

Once you do have the mindset in place, however, there are certain skills that you can use to boost your business into the stratosphere.  Particularly in this market, there are several tools that will have you dominating your market in no time flat. 

Because consumers are now more demanding and informed, it makes sense that to compete effectively you are going to have to “up” your game.  And how do you do that, you ask?  Well…

The #1 way “up” your game is through marketing.

Building your marketing toolbox is the most powerful thing you can do to insulate yourself from competition. Creating a powerful marketing machine that can generate a predictable, steady stream of prospects that are qualified and committed to working with you is the tool to cultivate in this market.

Tune in next time for part 2 of this post…you don’t want to miss it!

For the past two decades, Jennifer Cummings has been one of the most sought-after marketing experts in the nation.  Her “out-of-the-box” approach to marketing has won her the respect of advertising agencies and the adulation of entrepreneurs and business owners from all over the world in over a dozen unique markets. 

Using the same strategies she now teaches, Jennifer transformed her life from being a juvenile delinquent at 15 to a millionaire by age 30.  With her practical, no-frills approach to marketing and revenue generation, YOU can now join the thousands of other agents and brokers who have been excited and empowered to get back into the driver’s seats of their businesses!

Jennifer Cummings ~ www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com ~ 888.208.2309

[***To get a $50 discount off of Jennifer’s Potato Chip Marketing Tools’ plug & play marketing pieces, simply enter the code “basb” when you join at www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com!***]

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, International Speaker

How effective is your ‘phone voice’?
We are so focused on technology today, that we are in danger of forgetting to effectively use that technology. Here’s an example. When I phone an agent today, I have no idea where that agent will answer his or her phone-or from what phone the call is being answered. And, I don’t really care. Technology allows the phone to follow the agent. That’s great. But, there’s much more to it than that.

Dull, or Delightful?

Many times the agent’s message is so dull, powerless, or mumbled that it doesn’t sound as though the agent wants to talk to me. Or, the agent’s message is so long, that I’m impatient by the time I get to leave the message.

What Impact Do You Want to Make?
Surveys show that consumers want their agent to be enthusiastic. So why do many of the agents’ (or managers’) phone messages sound as though they are terribly tired or uninterested in the caller?

Here’s the principle. We use our senses to make snap judgments about people. The less senses involved, the more important it is that we communicate properly. On the phone, there is only once sense involved–that of hearing. You have no ability to communicate your warmth, your interest, etc. visually on the phone. You have only your voice.

Decide What You Want to Communicate

What conclusions do you want your caller to have about you? Write down the five most important judgments you want your caller to make about you and your business approach. Now, listen to your own voice message. Do you believe you are communicating your ‘best self’? Ask five other people to listen, too. Decide what you like and what you want to change.

Research your Competition

Don’t listen only for your own communications. For three days, listen carefully to the tone, intent, and messages you hear on answering machines or voice messages of other agents and brokers. Listen carefully to how agents answer the phone at their offices. What do you think those agents are communicating? Do you believe they are communicating the kind of qualities they want to communicate-and think they are communicating?

Note to managers: Listen to your staff. Do they sound friendly, eager to hear from someone–or put out because they have to answer the phone?

More on communication skills:  On June 9, I’ll be a presenter for NAR’s huge Webinar Summit. Get more information: Click here.

Four important tips to remember when recording your own message:

• Stand up-you’ll sound as though you have much more energy.
• Write out your script first-and be sure it’s not too long. I don’t really care where you’re going to be all day!
• Modulate your voice pleasantly. Try to get some resonance.
• Sound as though you’re looking forward to hearing from me!

These simple tips will improve your phone voice, increase your trust rate and elevate your business. Get to ‘hearing’ today!

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is an international speaker, performance coach, and resource provider for the real estate industry. She specializes in maximizing performance. A former master level CRB instructor, Carla is author of 6 internationally published books and 20 resources for real estate professionals. Recently, she was named one of 50 most influential women in real estate. Contact Carla at www.carlacross.com.

My self-appointed mentor, Albert Einstein, once said…

“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

I am a big fan of both the man and the message.  And here’s why…

Simply put…our own unwillingness to accept ourselves as creative beings bogs us down.  I happen to believe we are ALL creative in one way or another.  However, I also know that most of the time we don’t feel that way, especially when we’re working on marketing campaigns and other promotional endeavors in our work.

For example…

How many times have you sat in front of your computer screen and willed a brilliant ad to materialize?  If this sounds familiar to you, then I have a question:

How big is your marketing antenna?

What I mean by this is that creativity is simply being open to inspiration, and, if you have your antenna up – that is to say that if you are paying attention to other good marketing out there – you WILL learn the secrets of the master marketers. 

And I’m going to share one of those secrets with you right now!  Do you have your antenna up?  Well, get ready folks, this is a good one…

It is better to edit than to create!

Now you may be saying, “Just what does that mean?’  Well, let me explain… 

Creativity is driven by curiosity.  Pay attention! Ask questions!  Get inspired!  Success leaves clues, my friend!  Have that antenna up and you will find inspiration in the most unlikely places.

If you need to create a postcard, for example, you may find something really juicy you can use on the back of your grocery receipt, or in the way a dish is described on a menu.  Or your teenager might actually say something incredible that you can use!  Perhaps you can even justify reading that tabloid because the ads in the back have amazing copy that really gets your own writing juices flowing.

The National Enquirer is one of the most expensive magazines to advertise in, so those ads in the back HAVE TO work!

By taking an existing marketing piece and editing it as your own, all the work is done for you! You just have to breathe it all in and then make it our own –

what a relief, huh?!

Einstein was absolutely right… 

Creativity is being mindful enough to be stimulated by your environment.  You then simply edit and mold that environment to fit your needs.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time we have to create a new ad or marketing piece – we simply have to let our surroundings illuminate our own wheels turning inside our heads. 

That Einstein was onto something. Maybe he was so in-tune with his environment that the theory of relativity was something he creatively lifted from him own surroundings! 

If we sharpen our own antennas, we could ALL be little Einsteins…

changing the world one postcard at a time!

For the past two decades, Jennifer Cummings has been one of the most sought-after marketing experts in the nation.  Her “out-of-the-box” approach to marketing has won her the respect of advertising agencies and the adulation of entrepreneurs and business owners from all over the world in over a dozen unique markets. 

Using the same strategies she now teaches, Jennifer transformed her life from being a juvenile delinquent at 15 to a millionaire by age 30.  With her practical, no-frills approach to marketing and revenue generation, YOU can now join the thousands of other agents and brokers who have been excited and empowered to get back into the driver’s seats of their businesses!

Jennifer Cummings ~ www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com ~ 888.208.2309

[***To get a $50 discount off of Jennifer’s Potato Chip Marketing Tools’ plug & play marketing pieces, simply enter the code “basb” when you join at www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com!***]

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, International Speaker

In my resource, The On Track to Success in 30 Days System for Experienced Agents, I introduced a concept called the ‘Career Life Cycle’. I learned this concept as a CRB (Certified Real Estate Broker) instructor. Simply, the concept says that real estate agents (and managers, and companies), go through four career phases:

1. Introduction
2. Growth
3. Maturity
4. Decline
   

Each of these phases has its own opportunities and challenges, which I discuss at length in the On Track resource—as well as provide best practices for each phase. In this article, let’s tackle the unique challenges of the ‘mature’ agent.

The Mature Business and Agent

If you have been in the business for over five years, chances are you have enjoyed a ‘mature’ business. When the market was on fire, you were getting most of your business from repeat and referrals (and some happy ‘accidents’). You have built up a strong enough business that you do most of your business based on pre-built trust and confidence. You are admired in your office (and perhaps your whole company) for your leadership and mentorship.

The market changes…..

All of a sudden (at least it seemed sudden), your referral business dried up. You are searching for other means of business. But, you’re relatively unprepared, since your business had been repeat and referral. You didn’t have to prove your professionalism. Now, you do.

Competition raises its ugly head. Because the mature agent gets most of her business from referrals, she may not be prepared to compete against more aggressive agents—or agents trained with the latest presentation methods. This happened with one of my mature agents in my office, Martha. She was referred to George and Betty Smith, who wanted to sell their home. But, George and Betty also were referred to John Schlock, of ABC Realty.

Martha knows John Schlock, and she thinks his last name is appropriate…… Of course, though, she can not say this to George and Betty. Martha’s in kind of a bind here. She relies on word-of-mouth for her business, and she relies on this word-of-mouth building her credibility to the point where she has no need to build it herself. This works fine when she is not competing with another agent, and the sellers already think she is the best thing since sliced bread. It does not work so well when she is competing with another agent—especially one who will tell the client whatever they want to hear!

Martha relies solely on her ‘known’ reputation. Martha has no testimonials in writing, no Professional Portfolio, no visual marketing presentation, and no statistics systematized to teach George and Betty the principles of how real estate works. Why not? Because, Martha did not need these credibility-builders very often, like those newer agents need. And, when she does, it is too late to create them.

This ‘mature business’ attitude and practice results in lost listings or over-priced listings. This makes Martha mad, but, to do anything about it, Martha would have to admit she needs to quit acting like a ‘mature’ agent and push herself back into the growth phase. Just like the Ford Taurus, she needs to ‘re-tool’ herself. You, dear reader, may be like Martha. Congratulations on taking the risk to even look at your business today. Many ‘Marthas’ in real estate are just waiting out the inevitable–their descent into decline.

In my next blog, I’ll give you eight methods to decide if you’re in the ‘mature’ phase of your business—and what to do to push yourself back to ‘growth’ to revitalize your business—and yourself.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is president of Carla Cross Seminars, Inc. and Carla Cross Coaching, specializing in real estate sales productivity and management profitability. One of her most popular presentations and webinars is Seasoned but Stuck. Cross, an international speaker and coach, is the author of 6 internationally published books, 20 productivity programs, including On Track to Success in 30 Days System for Experienced Agents (and its coaching companion for managers) Carla is a winner of the National Association of Realtors’ National Educator of the Year award. Contact her at www.carlacross.com or 425-392-6914.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, International Speaker

Are your students nodding off as the day goes on? Do you frantically wonder how to keep their attention—all day? The answer is not what you think it is. Last week, I taught my Instructor Development course to real estate professionals and affiliates. I’ve taught this course for about fifteen years. Here’s the biggest mis-conception students come in with:

If I’m just learn how to be a more captivating speaker, I can keep the students’ attention for hours on end.

NOT! In today’s frantic world, the person in front of everyone cannot hope to hold students’ attention for more than 10 minutes at a time! If you think I’m wrong, just count the number of commercials in a TV break. These commercials are down to about 15 seconds apiece. The images go by so fast you can scarcely count them. In fact, we’ve become a society of easily distracted, multi-tasking, not very focused beings (watch pedestrians—or drivers—in action with a cell phone…..).

All the Focus Doesn’t Have to Be On You

So, what are you going to do to ‘hold’ students’ attention? You are going to implement some teaching methods called

alternative delivery methods

Alternative delivery methods: all those methods used to teach that are NOT lecture. Examples: Town hall, task force, case study, role play, action plan.

Give your Students some Credit

People who lecture their way through a day (or days!) either

1. Just don’t have any repertoire of alternative teaching methods

Or

2. Just don’t think the students can be involved with theirs and others’ learning

How to Teach through Student Involvement

Instead of talking through each point you have on your PowerPoint slide or in our outline (boy, is that riveting!), use town hall, task force, case study, and role play to teach. To do that, you’ll need to take an Instructor Development course to learn those methods, and practice using them in class. You’ll find your students know much more than you think they do about what you’re teaching. You’ll be able to clarify points of concern, use the talents in your class, and actually provide a stimulating, active learning environment. The result: your students will be energized all day.

References: In June, I’ll be publishing two new training tools for those who want to present and train more effectively: Knock Their Socks Off: Tips to Make your Presentation the Best Ever, and The Ultimate Real Estate Trainer.

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is an international speaker and author focusing on real estate management, training, coaching, and business planning. She is a National Realtor Educator of the Year and former Master Level CRB Instructor. She coaches trainers and coaches on advanced skills methods. Reach Carla at 425-392-6914 or carla@carlacross.com.

There is a crucial part to marketing effectively that almost ALL agents and brokers have been leaving out of their marketing campaigns.  An effective and successful marketing campaign – meaning one that will truly appeal to your prospects – is all about THEM – not YOU.   It’s all about GIVING – not TAKING.  It’s all about practicing what I call…

Potato Chip Marketing!

And this isn’t just some random concept I created out of thin air.  This Potato Chip Marketing has been VERY successfully used by REALTORS® from around the world – and it’s tried and true…guaranteed.  Especially in these market conditions.

So, let’s break it down a little bit more.  An effective and proven Potato Chip Marketing™ campaign has seven crucial steps.  We discussed the first five steps in my last three blogs.  Here are the last two:

6.  Make It…Layout to Stand Out!

This one is simple.  Legibility refers to the “quality of print that can be

easily read.”  Readability refers to the “quality of language that makes

it easy to understand.”

With your marketing pieces…

use short paragraphs, bullet points, headlines, and sub-headlines to keep the eye engaged.

7.  You MUST, MUST, MUST Have a Call-to-Action

What truly differentiates advertising from marketing is a call-to-action.

Here’s the thing…prospects are begging to be lead – and they want free information (yes, even in the internet-age…prospects still want free information from YOU)! And remember, they want to try before they buy. On the other hand, they don’t want to talk to you right away.

Make it safe for them to contact you by creating a free hotline where they can order a special report or a checklist that will HELP THEM with their sale or purchase. You can also make the same offer online.

Ultimately, service and giving are at the heart of attraction – no matter what business you’re in – no matter the market conditions. We are paid according to the value we give. Get excited about creating value for your clients and being the resource to solve their problems.

When you approach your business with the Potato Chip Marketing, give-to-get mindset…

you’ll never want for business.

© Jennifer Cummings 2010

For the past two decades, Jennifer Cummings has been one of the most sought-after marketing experts in the nation.  Her “out-of-the-box” approach to marketing has won her the respect of advertising agencies and the adulation of entrepreneurs and business owners from all over the world in over a dozen unique markets. 

Using the same strategies she now teaches, Jennifer transformed her life from being a juvenile delinquent at 15 to a millionaire by age 30.  With her practical, no-frills approach to marketing and revenue generation, YOU can now join the thousands of other agents and brokers who have been excited and empowered to get back into the driver’s seats of their businesses!

Jennifer Cummings ~ www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com ~ 888.208.2309

[***To get a $50 discount off of Jennifer’s Potato Chip Marketing Tools’ plug & play marketing pieces, simply enter the code “basb” when you join at www.PotatoChipMarketingTools.com!***]