Posts Tagged ‘self help’

Adequate Thinking Will Result in Adequate Results

November 16th, 2009

Since 2000 it seems that the American economy is changing in every which way. The mindset of the American people seems to be changing as well. We have seen fraud with major corporations, the uneasiness of the stock market, banks folding, bankruptcies escalating rapidly, and the housing market breaking records with foreclosures. We are awed and questioning the stability of our nation.

If employees aren’t getting laidoff, corporations are instituting hiring and spending freezes. The continued terrorist attacks and attempts has left an uneasiness in America. As business owners, employees and our customers are molding into a changed mindset. Our behavior is more conservative no matter what the geographic area or industry we are in. The American public are not making hasty decisions and are more conscience when it come time to make a financial decision whether small or large. As I converse with people every day, I continue to hear complaints but everyone seems to think doing nothing is “good enough” for the time being. Everyone is waiting for everything to “fix” itself.

We don’t have much power to alter the situation, but we do control how we react to the current climate. Now, more than ever, we are challenged to rise to the occasion and be the most skilled salespeople possible. We have to be embraced with a distinct advantage of a quality proven product and system for sales.

If we were successful in the past, we can be successful in the future. We need to trust the system if we expect to flourish and enjoy continued success. Yes, we will get knocked down along the way, but we get up, dust ourselves off, and drive forward. This part of being successful has never changed. There will always be obstacles in the way. Customer’s mindsets and anticipations have changed and we need to be accommodating to meet their requests. We need to ask ourselves, what can we do to reach that success at the end of the pipeline?

Consistent prospecting keeps our pipelines full giving us a greater chance to make sales and protect our income streams. Many people in the sales workforce are required to cold-call to set appointments that lends itself well to our Initial Benefit Statement. We simply have to make more contacts during the day to arrange a meeting than the hit and miss process of simply cold calling 100% of the time.

If we are talented and experienced with postcard prospecting, then increasing our volume and frequency might be the key. Email prospecting is becoming more and more popular and we can use this to our advantage as well. There are unlimited ways to obtain potential client contact lists. The most important strength of an email lies in the subject line. Be sure it’s powerful and catches the attention of the customer. You can touch many more customers through an email campaign quicker and usually less expensive than a postcard campaign. Alternating your campaigns and using a variety of both could be more beneficial.

Creating value in the customer’s mind is one of our primary responsibilities. What customers were willing to find acceptable in the past may not measure up to their current standard. This is the principle that U.S. automakers were slow to embrace and lost market share as a result. Let’s learn from their experience.

The business world is concerned with economic challenges and constantly changing rules. There is only one question we need to ask ourselves in reference to our roles: Is “good enough” really good enough?

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Job Termination in This Economy

November 14th, 2009

In our current uncertain times we are now faced with the economic downturn affecting nearly everyone. The potential for losing our jobs can be psychologically and economically devastating. Uncertainty and instability can create unneeded turmoil.

The number one cause for termination usually is accredited to inferior work performance. Policies and procedures should be clearly outlined and the employee should review this information periodically to help safeguard them from an unexpected departure.

Commitment and loyalty to an employer goes a long way to keeping a job. Commitment coupled with a good work ethic usually goes hand in hand.

The method in which you carry yourself significantly affects your quality of work and the quality of those around you. A problematic or demanding attitude tends to reduce overall group morale. Lack of enthusiasm is not tolerated in the work environment.

If it is a consistent practice for an employee to not show up for work or to be tardy, then these are clear indications to an employer that this person has a resentful, unwilling thought process. Again, not a characteristic of an ideal employee.

As an employer, you need to set realistic expectations for your employees. A well written job description, a company mission statement and good leadership are just a few of the ways to set people up for success. Successful employees equates to successful employers.

When challenged with the task of delivering the bad news, be understanding but proficient. Always discuss issues with employees in private. Inform the employee of the skills in which they could improve in an attempt to help them understand.

As a leader, you too should learn something from your experience. Something as simple as a suggestion box in the break room may allow an exchange of communication which could help prevent a reoccurrence of the same situation. Communication is key to a long term employee to employer relationship.

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Tips on Prospecting To Generate New Leads

November 7th, 2009

Ever notice how difficult it is to start a project? Then once you start it, it easily becomes a creature of habit. Take for example an exercise program. We keep putting it off but once we start, we ask ourselves, “why didn’t do this earlier?” We seem to have the same mindset with proactive prospecting. We continue to find excuses not to prospect even though we know how productive and the positive results that will come from it. So why is it that we will make every excuse in the world not to do it?

Make an appointment with yourself for one hour each day to prospect using your sphere of influence. Prospecting, like anything else, requires discipline. (Seems like prospecting can always be put off until a later day when the circumstances will be better.) Make an appointment with yourself each day to prospect.

Have a specific message. Everyone needs to hear the latest news of markets conditions in your area. It’s likely that they have some misinformation and you can become the expert to help them get a more accurate picture.

Sales have always been a “numbers” game. You want to touch as many people as possible. Defining your target market and being organized will help you obtain your goals.

Before you start prospecting, gather a list of names so you don’t spend valuable time you are using for prospecting. Get an idea of how many customers you plan to call in your allotted hour or two and have at least a one month supply of names.

Remember you have set aside some time for prospecting. Work in an area without interruption. Don’t answer calls or schedule meetings during this time. As you start going through your calls, you will find each call will become easier and easier. Before you know it, you will feel like a pro. You will learn as you go and practice makes perfection.

Consider prospecting during off peak hours when conventional prospecting times don’t work. Some of your best work will be done between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, and between 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM. Vary your call times. We are all creatures of habit. So are your prospects. In all likelihood, they are attending the same meeting each Monday at 10:00 AM (or whatever time you can’t seem to connect with them). If you cannot get through at this time, call this particular person in your sphere of influence at other times during the day or on other days.

Don’t stop. Persistence is one of the key virtues in selling success. Most sales/valuable contacts are made after the fifth call, and most sales people quit after the first.

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Sales and the Power of the Business Card

November 3rd, 2009

The power of the business card. I have been in commission sales for over 20 years and wanted to share with everyone the simplest and most cost effective marketing technique that has generated more sales more than any other approach. The examples below are based on my direct experience in real estate. No matter what type of sales industry you are in, I think you will find it possible to use this same approach. It might require a little more initiative and creativity but the basics are there to help you generate more sales than you could ever imagine.

When I first started in the business, I had absolutely no prior sales experience. I was actually a computer geek and spent most of my time talking to computers. My first month in real estate I had 4 sales. Well, it was just luck and when those sales closed, I had no more business.

I needed to market myself and felt I had to “get the word out” to let everyone know what I did for a living. My finances were limited so I wanted to be cautious as to where I would spend money for my business.

I stood outside a football stadium prior to a Super Bowl game and handed out 1000 business cards. It took me approximately 3 hours. I generated 15 sales from this venture. You can also purchase plastic business card holders for around $.75 each. When you are out at some of you most visited establishments such as restaurants, dry cleaners, shoe repair shop, ask management if you can place your business cards on a table or desktop.

A good habit to be in, is always keep a box of business cards in your car. Over the years I have asked so many people for their business card and they didn’t have one on them. As far as I’m concerned that is a “lost” sale.

In the next 14 months my sales increased over $100,000 directly from distributing these business cards. It was amazing. I always kept track of where my sales came from and that is how I knew it was from passing out my cards.

Let’s dissect this further by saying at the time, the average sales price of a home was $250,000. The average commission for the sale was 3%. This would calculate to $7500 per sale. I made $110,000 from passing out 1000 business cards, which means I sold approximately 15 customers or clients a home in the next year. It cost me $75 for 1000 business cards. That equates to only .015% in conversion but over $100,000 in my return on investment. Could you image passing out 1000 business cards per quarter. That would be 60 sales per year. Incredible for a real estate professional.

The cost of buying business cards is probably the least amount of investment required for marketing your services. Pass your card out to everyone you know. Leave business cards at establishments if possible. Leave your business card with your tip at a restaurant. This is the fastest and best way to generate leads and referral business.

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Do Not Be Involved In A Self Help Eviction

August 13th, 2009

Self help eviction is when you take your own actions to kick out a tenant without going through the courts. There are procedures you have to go through with the court and that is the only legal way you can evict a tenant.

A self help eviction is any one of the following actions to remove a non-paying tenant from your home: changing the locks to prevent the tenant from entering your property, threatening the tenant, turning off vital utility services, and remove a tenant’s personal property.

Never threaten self help eviction in order to get the non-paying tenant out. You can not threaten a tenant with changing the locks or shutting off the phone. Almost every state has statutes that prohibit threats of self help eviction.

If you are dragged into court for a self help eviction, the judge won’t care that the tenants were behind on the rent. If the tenant is in possession of the premises, and you want him out, and he won’t leave, you have to go through the correct procedures with the court.

Do not even think about engaging in a self help eviction. There have been many cases where a landlord removed a tenant’s personal property and put it on the sidewalk or even in the trash. A judge could easily award your non-paying tenant with a $20,000 damages award. Most judges will not require the tenant to produce receipts for his belongings because such proof of purchase could have been disposed of in the lock out.

There is also a law you can be sued under called the common law intentional torts of conversion. This is simply fancy legal wording that means the exercise of control over an item in a manner inconsistent with the rights of its owner which permanently deprives the owner of its value. You can also be sued for trespass to chattels which means which is the same as the law above but which temporarily deprives the owner of its value. And of course you can be sued for trespass which is the unlawful entry upon the property of another enjoying right to possession. Because these claims for relief are intentional torts, if court can award not only nominal damages, but punitive damages plus attorney fees as well.

Take a look at WILLIAM SPANO v. HANNA ABDALLA South Carolina Superior Court (October 3, 2002) Hanna Abdulla engaged in the act of self help eviction by changing the locks and removing William Spano’s personal property from the premise to the sidewalk. Hanna Abdulla’s defense was that she thought the tenant had abandoned the premises (she should have posted an abandonment notice but she did not). The court was not convinced that she was telling the truth and awarded Spano $1,800 for the three months of rent expense he incurred to live elsewhere. The court further awarded $1,200 in punitive damages and attorneys fees.

In the case of Gordon v. Morris, 2001 Ohio App. (February 2, 2001) the landlord changed the locks just before the end of the month upon learning that the tenants had shut off the utilities and removed most of their belongings. The trial court awarded the tenants only $96.77 in actual damages (they had paid rent through the end of the month but were deprived of the use of the apartment, and this was the prorated amount). But the trial court further awarded $1,000.00 in punitive damages and $1,462.00 in attorneys fees.

I often hear owners complain that the courts are siding with the tenant and not owners. This is simply not true. The courts are not siding with non-paying tenants. What the courts are doing is trying to prevent violence in our society that frequently occurs over the struggle for the possession of land. Think about this. If it was legal for a landlord to turn off the electricity or to change the locks, that same tenant could turn violent and club you to death. While on the surface it might seem like the courts are on the side of the tenant, they are actually protecting you. Just follow the court approved procedure for evicting a tenant and you’ll be fine. If you don’t know the legal way to evict a tenant, then hire the surfaces of a professional property management company.

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