
Following up on yesterday's blog about making sure your prospecting goals are compatible with your business model (in a nut, don't set goals that will force you to sacrifice your quality of service, if providing quality service is important to you)...
The agent who inspired yesterday's blog is following a popular prospecting program that's making the rounds these days. It encourages agents to spend so many hours every day doing X (basically, some form of cold or warm prospecting), with the goal of reaching Y number of prospects every day, with the ultimate goal of securing as many new clients as possible by the end of the program.
Y'know, your basic Numbers Game strategy. Fair enough.
He's all ramped up about it because he says that another agent who is participating in the program got 41 new listings in 30 days. My agent friend is very impressed.
Initially, so was I. But then my cynical side kicked in and I said "hmmmmmmm."
Let's do some math.
41 new listings in 30 days. Assuming these aren't batch listings (10 building lots from a developer; 15 spec homes from a builder, etc.), I'm wondering how this is possible. Not saying that the agent in question isn't capable of securing 41 listings with her Super Sales Pitch, but in a month?
That means that she did at least 41 listing presentations (probably more as it's unlikely she has a 100% success rate, but let's be generous and say she does). That's 41 CMA's, 41 sets of contracts and disclosures, 41 copies to seller and broker, 41 keys-in-the-lockbox, 41 MLS entries, 41 signs-in-the-yards, 41 whatever-she-does-to-market-her-listings, etc. etc. etc. And none of this includes explaining the process of being on the market to those 41 new sellers, answering the inevitable questions that arise as showings for 41 sellers begin (or don't begin as the case may be), keeping up on the market in all 41 seller's neighborhoods, pursuing and delivering feedback, and managing offers that come in.
Have we mentioned the time that this agent was dedicating to her daily prospecting for these 41 listings, or the time she was devoting to her existing clients or to her family? And let's not forget eating and sleeping. All the while, preparing for, going on and processing these 41+ listing appointments.
I call BS. I don't think it's logistically possible to get 41 new, individual listings in 30 days. Could you list a developer, builder or bank and find yourself with 41 listings? Sure. But 41 individual sellers? I don't buy it.
What's my point? I dunno. Maybe just to demonstrate how smart I think I am to see through the nonsense and call it what it is. Or maybe I just want to assure agents that this sort of production isn't realistic and not be discouraged if they don't experience it themselves.
Probably a little of both.
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find out more information about something. Seminars and workshops are like books in 3-D. Introverts study and research everything. To the introvert, facts are far more important than opinion. This comes in very handy in preparation for and during the listing presentation and when assisting buyers with their search, offer and negotiations. You don't ever have to worry about introverts winging it. It's just not going to happen. Preparation RULES: Data is the introverts friend.
LISTEN UP: Of all the strengths that come in handy in the real estate business, the ability to listen probably tops them all. While one thinks that introverts never talk, it's probably because they too busy listening. It's almost unheard of for an introvert to speak without having given some thought to a matter. We're not talking about long drawn out contemplative situations just to answer a simple question. How often have I heard it said that buyers and sellers don't want to know how great we are, they want someone to listen to their needs and act accordingly.



pesky DNC.

