Scott Jones

Struggling to find new prospects? There are two areas of exploration that can lead to BIG returns!

If you are having difficulty in identifying new leads, try looking in these two areas for business development:

1. Past clients. Have you researched customers who you've talked to once or twice in the last 8-10 months? You would be amazed at how many buyers and sellers you have come in contact one time, not to return. Develop a phone list and start contacting these past leads. After initial pleasantries, tell them how great the interest rates are and how strong the market is now. Ask them if they are ready and you can send them proof that now is the time to buy and or sell! Your path will be clear based on the answers to this question.

1. Current clients. Have you researched your current customers' and their sphere? Many times we can make the mistake of assuming that because a client uses us they will refer business to us. I have found that frequently our "best customers" give us only 40-50% of their referrals. This is another area of prospecting where if we take the time to evaluate our clients we can have a meaningful sales call designed to learn ways that we can earn a larger percentage of their referrals.

The less you say, the more it appears you are listening!

Many of us got into sales because we are talkers. We have the gift of gab. We want to work with people. These were all the wrong reasons for getting into sales. As it turns out, you have to be concerned about others, not yourself. We have to listen to others, not to ourselves, or we will begin to starve! What to do? Take a deep breath. Lots of them! We have to learn to let the other, less interesting people talk. This is a tough business we are in. We have all the answers and they have all the lines. This is not a formula for a hit show. It can be if you just will not step on their lines. Let them talk. They may tell you something. They usually tell you everything if you will just let them get a word in edgewise.

Take notes. You don't ever have to read them, but it keeps you from talking all the time. Even if you know everything, ask "Is there anything else I should know?" Try to slow down. Put pauses in your presentation. Try to sell without a presentation. Some of the best in the business sell only with directional questions.

Bite your tongue. Keep quiet. Maintain eye contact, and good things might happen. Let them buy. You may not have to sell. "Tell me more!"

No one likes to be pushed, so we all try to be gentle with our prospects and customers. Unfortunately, that's really not good for them-or for us. We are paid to help them move forward and facilitate one of the largest investments of their life. We have to move the question. We have to do it politely, but persistently. We must do it with a smile, but we must keep the process moving. "Give me a call when you are ready," or "Let me just leave some information for you," are not acceptable sentences. We are paid as professionals to say things like:

"Now that I have addressed your concerns, do you feel the time is right to start looking for your dream home?" "May I ask that you commit to giving me 4 to 8 of your weekends to find the right home?" "This is what we are going to do next to move this along?" Push a little harder than you think you should. Test the limits on every call.

If you wanted to meet in the middle with friends from Washington, California, Florida and Maine...according to About.com, the geographic center of the contiguous (lower) 48 states is about four miles west of Lebanon, Kansas.

The halfway point between two locations is easier to determine thanks to an increasing number of websites advertising this valuable service.

Whether you are trying to determine a half-point point between your office and a First American Title Insurance company office, a place to meet a customer to sign an addendum, or just looking to get together with friends for morning cup of coffee...the perfect midway location is just a few mouse clicks away. Most of the websites offer suggestion for a point of interest meeting location, not just the exact midpoint between locations...which may be an empty field or the parking lot of the local high school.

First American Title offers mobile closing services as a convenience to our valued customers. As the price of gas continues escalate, choosing a midway point to meet a colleague or customer can mean a savings in both gas and time.

Inserting the words midpoint destination, meet in the middle, or geographic midpoint into any search engine will return a number of websites that are designed to save you time and energy and provide a useful tool that can be incorporated into your business and with First American Title.

I'm sure you're seeing more and more QR codes in the Real Estate industry. They are becoming popular because it's an easy way to link Videos, flyers, Virtual Tours, blogs and your website without taking up a lot of space. Here is a website that I came across and wanted to share with you. This will explain in detail how to create free QR codes.