A major activity for a real estate agent is to prospect for, and convert leads. This seems to be the most avoided activity due to its unnatural, time consuming and difficulty to do for most agents in the business today. This week we look at some of the best practices of prospecting in real estate from the book “Fanatical Prospecting” by Jeb Blount. We help the agent to overcome call reluctance, structure your referral requests and leave a message that will increase your prospecting conversion.
Let’s begin by accepting the fact that prospecting requires you to interrupt people and it is not bothering people but you are interrupting people in a relevant way and that’s what we do in sales. I believe I am an excellent resource in real estate and the agent that they need for help. Stop asking people “Is this a good time to call?” The reflex response from anyone to this over used question is always “NO” but instead give them the reason for your call and get to the point. Be Brief! Be Bright! Be Gone! The 1,2,3 punch to prospecting.
Learn how to ask for the referral. Don’t overcomplicate it, simply ask “Of all the people you know who do think will be moving next?” Just pick up the phone today and call a few past clients and ask them this question and let me know what response you get?! It is important you not only know how to ask for the referral but also educate them on how to give you that referral. “Give me their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and I promise not to pressure them at all.”
Once you have got past the reluctance of prospecting and you get good at being brief, bright and be gone. You master the ability to ask for the referral and remember to educate them on how to give that referral, you then block time for prospecting daily. The key to changing your business is blocking the time to prospect. Like exercising, the best workouts are usually intense, small intervals. So block your prospecting time to an hour a day. Yes an hour a day. Then break the hour into three separate 20 minute chunks of prospecting time. I guarantee you will see better prospecting results for your business. Remember! One hour a day, split into 3 twenty minute chunks will have a greater impact.
The last prospecting tip is removing all distractions and stop the multi-tasking insanity now! Turn everything off. Be present and focused for that intense interval of twenty minutes of prospecting called your Golden Hour. Maximize that prospecting effort and see the results begin to change for you by being completely focused on the task at hand.
So there you have it. We have to interrupt people in real estate to make money and accepting that fact will make your life a lot easier. If you are polite and relevant your interruption will always be welcome to any prospect. As an exercise today take the time to create a weekly grid and start blocking your one hour of prospecting every day but remember to block it into three separate twenty minute blocks of focused uninterrupted prospecting.
Let me know your results in the next couple of weeks!
- Grid the time, block the time
- 3 twenty minute chunks a day
- Do it first thing in your day
- Remove all distractions
- Repeat!!
Strength and courage,
Wade
