How often have you looked into a product or service, became interested, then saw that the company did not have any recent reviews or simply none at all? Did it make you question your purchase or commitment?
Your reviews can really make or break a potential client.
Ask For Reviews
“Ask for reviews from people you didn’t sell a house to, but created a relationship with.” – Taylor Hack
As Taylor mentioned in this Over A Pint episode, don’t feel like you can only ask clients that you have sold or purchased with. One of the best reviews I received, when I was selling, was from a family I had recommended not sell.
“It’s the documentation that a relationship exists.- Taylor Hack
Think of it as a “thank your exchange.” For example, when someone calls you asking for a free valuation of their home today or to consult with you on whether or not they should sell, as soon as they thank you for your time ask them if they wouldn’t mind giving you a 5 star review on your prefered platform.
Not only have you created a relationship with a possible future client, but you’ve given yourself the perfect opportunity for someone to let other strangers know how much you care.
At the end of the day, the client’s decision is an emotional one. Even if you have the best stats in town, if people don’t enjoy the process of working with you and share that experience with others, clients will move onto the next realtor.
We Want To Help You Optimize Your Reviews
We can help you optimize your reviews online!
You can book your free consultationhere. We’ll discuss your goals and figure out the best way we can help you succeed online.
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us onFacebook andInstagram.
Your business is growing and it’s time to hire your first employee. It can be a bit daunting to hand over some control over some aspects of your business. You’ll see it’s worth it in the end.
In The Beginning
When I started Just Sell Homes in 2015, it was a one-man show, as it is for many entrepreneurs in any industry. Originally, my services were much cheaper. I would take care of all of a client’s ads for only $425 per month. Within about 6 months I reached $17,000 in revenue per month. I often gave discounts to friends and family, sometimes as low as $250/month. I had well over 40 clients and was working 12 to 15 hours everyday.
Entrepreneurs run into this issue all the time. We start out undervaluing our product or service, take on every client, and do everything ourselves. This leaves us exhausted, overwhelmed, and overworked.
Once I realized I was undervaluing my services and raised my prices, most of my clients left, with only a couple remaining. My business has grown since and not only did my pricing change, but so did my ideal client profile. Today, we sometimes talk people out of hiring us just as much as take clients on.
Time To Hire
So, the business is growing, it’s a one-man show, and you’re working during every waking hour. Maybe you have a significant other. Maybe you have a child on the way. Either way, chance are you’re having difficulty creating a healthy work/life balance.
It’s time to hire someone you can trust to help your business reach new heights while allowing more time for other important things in your life. (I.e. sleep…)
Now that you’ve decided to hire, you need to make a list of the main criteria you’re looking for in an employee. Read this blog post to learn more on what to look for in an employee. Next, write up the ad for your job listing.
Time To Type Up Your Ad
My top 2 tips for writing up a job listing are:
Write it in your own voice
Add a hidden question/request at the bottom of the ad
Writing it in your own voice is an easy way to display your company’s culture. It will attract those who can connect with it. Adding a hidden question or request is a great way to narrow down your applicants, especially if you receive a large number of them.
For example, a year ago I put out a job listing for a social media marketer. When it comes to hiring, a good work ethic and fitting in well with the Just Sell Homes culture are the most important criteria. When people apply I focus on the cover letter and don’t spend as much time looking at their credentials.
In the job listing, down at the bottom, I asked the applicants to include the name of our private Facebook group. You’d be surprised how quickly we were able to narrow down the applicants. We started with over 100 applicants and narrowed it down to around 15 people in one shot.
Most people mentioned our Facebook page, some said it was a trick question, others simply didn’t mention it. Either people didn’t take the time to really read the ad, or they clearly did not understand the basics of social media.
Extra tip : If you already have employees and are looking for a new hire, pass on your shortlist of applicants to the person they will be working closest with for the initial vetting.
The person we hired not only had experience with social media and presented a detailed pdf with details on how they would improve our platforms, but their cover letter indicated they’d clearly done their homework and connected with the culture of our company.
Just like anything else, it’s a learning process and you’ll find the best and most effective system that works for you and your company. In the end, you want to build a team that will keep things running smoothly even when you have to step away from the office for a longer period of time.
We Can Help You
“Andrew, you’re right, it’s time to hire my first employee!”
We can help create the ad for your job listing and target it to your ideal employee. You can book your free consultationhere. We’ll discuss your goals and figure out the best way we can grow your successful team!
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us onFacebook andInstagram.
We’ve noticed, through many of our Over A Pint episodes, that one of the most common issues that REALTORS® face is the overflow of work and their need for an assistant. Many REALTORS® are unsure of how to hire an assistant or train them. “What kind of criteria should I be looking for?”“How do I know they’re the right person for the job?”“What if I don’t have enough work for them?”
Start With The Application Process
Once you’ve selected which websites you want to use to find your new assistant (click here for Canada’s 10 Best Job Search Websites), it’s time to type up your job listing. The trick is to include something in your listing that will think out the herd.For example, when I was looking to hire a social media marketer, I included a hidden question at the bottom asking applicants to mention our Facebook group. We had about 130 people apply for the position, around 80% did not answer the question, and only 7 people answered correctly. From the 7, I hired the person that best fit the job requirements and the personality of our company.
Capacity Talent vs. Cul-De-Sac Talent
Next, you need to figure out exactly what time of assistant you need to hire. Rick Sergison, one of our special guests in the above Over A Pint video, mentioned 2 different types of talent that we’ve described for you below.Cul-De-Sac Talent : a person with cul-de-sac talent “is someone who can do the current job really well, but who does not have the desire or ability (thus the capacity) to learn and take on new tasks and responsibilities.” Capacity Talent : this person is someone who can do not only the current job really well, but who also has the desire and ability to learn and take on new tasks and responsibilities.”Rick gave an example where an assistant, who previously worked with him, had come into his office with a question. Because Rick was on the phone with a client, the assistant chose to sit down and wait another 20 minutes before Rick ended his call. This is a perfect example of someone who doesn’t have the motivation to use every minute productively.He then decided to put a job listing up at their local school. He hired a mother who wanted to get back into the workforce while having flexible hours to take care of the kids. Though she didn’t necessarily work a 40 hour week, worked part-time in the summer, and took days off when the kids weren’t in school, she was a fantastic worker! This assistant not only did the work assigned to her, but went out of her way to research and provide extra services that helped Rick grow his business and giving clients that extra personal touch. She didn’t need her hand held every step of the way and was proactive.
Ask The Right Questions
Here are some examples of questions you can ask during an interview that will help you find an assistant with capacity talent!
Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn?
Recall a time when your manager was unavailable when a problem arose. How did you handle the situation? With whom did you consult?
Describe a time when you volunteered to expand your knowledge at work, as opposed to being directed to do so.
Now that you’re ready to hire an assistant, we want to help you with online marketing! You can book your free consultationhere. We’ll discuss your goals and figure out the best way we can help you succeed online.Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us onFacebook andInstagram.Source : Ward Real Estate
Grow your business with the DISC personality test!
When growing your business in real estate, there are many factors that come into play. Referrals, social media, online marketing, and much more. In the end, the idea is to create long-term relationships with clients that will tell their family and friends to hire you as well.
But how well do you know your clients? We’ve all experiences speaking to clients and people in general with different personalities. Do you know the best way to communicate with each individual client?
DISC Personality Types
Have you ever heard of the DISC system? It’s a personality analysis system developed by industrial psychologist, Walter Vernon Clarke, almost a century ago and based on a theory by psychologist and professor, William Moulton Marston.
Fun fact : Professor Marston was the inventor of an early lie detector prototype AND the creator of non-other than Wonder Woman! How cool is that?
There are four main personality types in this system:
D for dominance
I for influence
S for steadiness
C for conscientiousness
There are 12 possible combinations in total. By taking this test, you can identify which traits represent you the most and how they affect your behaviour.
Which One Are You?
Learning about each personality type will give you a more in-depth understand of your coworkers and clients. This gives you an edge because you will then know how to interact with each client in a way that will make them feel completely understood and supportive.
For example, if you have a client who’s main personality trait is clearly “Dominance”, then you will know they are result-oriented and tend to focus on the big picture. They don’t need all the details listed, they want to know what the end goal looks like. Whereas someone who is more “Conscientious” is a lot more detail-oriented and will want everything spelled out in front of them every step of the way.
Click here to take the test now and find out which personality type you are!
We Want To Help Your Grow
Now that you’re taking care of getting to know your clients on a deeper level to grow your business with the DISC personality assessment, we want to help you with your online marketing.
Book your free consultation here. We’ll discuss your goals and figure out the best way we can help you succeed online. Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us on Facebook and Instagram.
Setting and keeping a positive mindset everyday and knowing when to take a moment to recharge can change your business and your life.
Perspective
Most people don’t see the stress, struggles, and sacrifices that happen behind-the-scenes in real estate. The long hours, day after day. The interrupted family events, holidays, and vacations. The ones that are missed entirely.
It can be tiresome to smile all day for clients while working your butt off to sell/buy their home. It can be tough to stay positive at the end of a 12 hour day and know you have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
Kristina Wilton, one of the special guests featured in this month’s Over A Pint, brought up the struggle of keeping a positive mindset.
“How do you get yourself out of a negative mindset?”
It’s all about perspective. If the way you are tackling challenges and everyday stress leaves you in a negative space, you need to change your outlook. It can be easy to enter a negative space and stay in it. Rick Sergison shared an example, in the video above. One of his coaching clients continued to self-sabotage everything they were doing. They’d put themselves in a “victim” mindset. One day, he decided to give his client a Superman t-shirt and asked them to go into the washroom and change. When his client came back, Rick said “Let’s start all over again and talk about this situation as if you were a superhero.” The conversation became something completely different.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford
Steven Sarasin, also in the video above, mentioned that wearing a suit and going into the office leaves him far more productive than working at home in sweatpants. Wearing a nice suit is his own version of wearing a Superman suit.
Change the way you think about the upcoming day and its challenges. Focus on the things you’re grateful for, make a list if it helps, and start your day ready to conquer!
If you’re feeling a little run down, as all people do sometimes, give yourself an extra boost. Put the Superman t-shirt under your button-up and wear your Clark Kent glasses. Don’t have a prescription? No problem, get yourself a pair of blue light glasses. They’ll protect your eyes from harmful blue light coming from your device’s screen. Hey, who doesn’t feel smarter with a good pair of glasses on?
Train Your Mindset
Creating a positive mindset doesn’t happen overnight. You need to consistently train your mind and be aware of when you’re entering a negative space.
Rick’s first piece of advice, and Steven agreed, is to read as many books as you can. Read any book that will inspire you. If you’re not someone who likes to read, listen to them. Realtors spend countless hours driving. What better time to put on an audio book and take a moment to put yourself in an inspired space?
I’ve always kept a pretty even, solution-based mindset. If something happened in my business, I’d think to myself “this is my fault, what do I need to do to fix it?” Rick brought up something interesting. He said not to confuse “fault” with “being responsible”. Most of us don’t like to hear this, but we cannot control everything that happens in life. Sometimes it’s just not your fault, but you are responsible for how you react to the issue and what the outcome is.
Your clients get the best of you. You take on their issues, their challenges, and then at the end of the day you have to go home and deal with your own. It can be a lot and leave you with a bad mood and short temper for your family and friends.
Find little tricks that can help you hit the reset button when you find yourself in a negative space. For example, when Rick’s in a bad mood and heading into the office, he’ll park further away from the front door. This gives him time to take a moment by himself, take a short walk to the front door in the fresh air, and reset his mind.
If you love music, create a playlist of songs you love to listen to on your way to an appointment or on your way home at the end of the day. Take a minute to take a few full breaths and list things you’re grateful for. Steven said that working out on a regular basis affected his general mood in a positive way.
Remember, You’re Human
Emotions, negative or positive, are completely natural and only make you human. It’s important to allow yourself to feel whatever emotion presents itself when working towards setting and keeping a positive mindset. Kristina says “if you’re having a shitty day – you can have a shitty day. If you’re feeling angry, if you want to cry, whatever it is you need to do, do it, but then end it.”
Take the hour, the day to feel whatever it is you’re feeling, but then let it go. “Allow yourself to feel it because they’re real and it’s healthy but then release it.”
Give Us A Call
Online marketing is a stress that we can help you with! You can book your free consultation here. We’ll discuss your goals and figure out the best way we can help you succeed online.
Got any topics you’d like us to cover in a future episode or a guest you’d like us to sit down with? Let us know in the comments below! You can also reach us on Facebook and Instagram.
