OK, here we go!  As I said last week, we have TWO MONTHS to light it up.  Believe me

when I tell you the next 60 days serves as a launch pad for 2010.  If you go into the year

limping from a poor performance in November-December, you will take valuable time

during the first quarter to establish momentum.  Let's get the momentum going in the

remaining weeks.  We are going to take time off for the holidays, but we can work smarter

rather than harder for the next eight weeks.

I'm going to give you a short list of activities, but I sincerely hope you take them seriously. 

Here's the message to concentrate on for the next few weeks.  You've heard it before but

this time, HEAR THE MESSAGE.

FOCUS ON ACTIVITIES - NOT RESULTS!

For the next five work days I will:

·        Identify your "most valuable" twenty-five people within your database

·        Put their names/phone # on a sheet of paper to keep with you this week

·        Call five of these people per day to simply build the relationship you share

·        Write five personal notes each day to these special people 

·        Pop by to visit at least one person per day

Also:

·        Identify your strongest 2 or 3 buyers

·        Identify your weakest 2 or 3 buyers

·        Eliminate the weak buyers today!  Tell them whatever you need to, but get

them out of your life.  Perhaps you can simply tell them "I'll keep my ears and

eyes open for what you've described and give you a call if I see something that

matches."  However, be honest with them and tell them, "what you're looking

for is going to very difficult to find, but I'll let you know if I do find it."

·        DETERMINE WHAT THE AVERAGE MARKET TIME FOR

RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS IS RIGHT NOW IN YOUR LOCAL

MARKET AND COMPARE IT TO LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.

·        Find as many opportunities during the next week as possible to use this

information

Here are two basic ideas that are stumbling blocks for many of us.  We have heard for a long

time the importance of calling people within our sphere of influence and making sure they are

on our direct mail list.  However, here's the problem.  How do you call those people closest

to you and how do you tell your closest friends you want to put them on your mailing list?  I

struggled with that as well.  I knew I had to maintain contact with them, because if I didn't it

would cost me business.  If we don't treat our closest people like others we can inadvertently

send a message that we really don't "need your business" any longer.

So, how do you call people your closest to and not offend them or cross the line of "talking

real estate" to your friends.  You may find these two approaches will help you get around this

issue.

When calling the people closest to me, I said, "Duane, I'm calling you tonight with my real estate hat on."  This opening line grants you permission to now have a real estate conversation without violating the relationship.

In order to get those closest to you on your monthly mailing list, you may want to try this:

"Duane, I'd like to put you on my mailing program and I know you're going to tell me I don't

need to do that, but here's the reason I'd like to.  I never want to take your business for granted."

This is a powerful message and people want to hear that you're not taking them for granted

and truly appreciate their business.

Here is another idea for those of you who have assistants.  The chief mistake many of us make with our assistants is a lack of a job description.  Here's the best suggestion I can make when it comes to job descriptions.  Every time you have your assistant do a task for you or with you, have them write out each step they take in completing the task.  Once they complete the task, you look at it and perhaps ask for clarification, offer additions or make corrections.

If you do this each time they perform a task for you, within a few short weeks you will have a well defined job description for their replacement in the event they move on.  From personal experience I will tell you this also helped me have a better understanding of each component in a process.  Here is an example; once the listing contract is signed there are things that must happen.  It's one thing to know what to do, yet something totally different to realize there are 15 specific things that must happen.  It not only helps the assistant, but it will also help you have a deeper understanding on precisely the level of service you are providing and how to improve on it if you choose.