You are NOT going to like this but you need to hear it anyway if you want to remain in the real estate business -

YOU NEED TO GENERATE LEADS!!!

Most of our dislike for lead generation is based on pure myth:

•  Myth: It is too difficult and no fun.

♦  Myth Buster: You’re confusing effort with enjoyment.

• Myth: I’m too busy and it takes too much time.

♦ Myth Buster: It’s an issue of making time and then protecting it.

• Myth: I’m afraid of making mistakes.

♦ Myth Buster: It is nothing more than a set of skills easy to learn.

• Myth: I don’t have the capital and it costs too much.

♦ Myth Buster: You don’t have to spend any money if you don’t want to and the old saying, “It takes money to make money” is pure nonsense.

• Myth: I don’t like it and I just plain fought it.

♦ Myth Buster: There are no natural born lead generators so let’s face it, refusing to do lead generation is like a butcher who refused to touch meat!  It won’t work.

There are some simple steps to effective lead generation:

Step One – Find out what doesn’t work and STOP DOING IT!  The only way you can know this is to associate your valid leads and your sources with closed sales.  If you haven’t kept those records, start right now.

Step Two – Figure out what works and do more of it.  Identify your lead sources and concentrate on the top four sources.  Keller says to narrow your focus and then concentrate on the Message and the Method.

Message – If you read “Real Estate Rainmaker” by Dan Gooder Richard you will fully understand this type of solution marketing. Find the areas of pain in this market such as buyers worried about paying too much, sellers worried about how long it will take to sell and, of course, have we reached “bottom”.  Concentrating on your message brings a solution to that pain.  Keller suggested, for example, using “bargain” in this market because buyers are attracted to that aspect.  It should not be difficult in your advertising to offer a solution to some of the problems in this market.

Method – How are you delivering the message?  There are only two ways of generating leads – marketing and prospecting.  Marketing is attracting business, in a sellers’ market that works well because the product sells itself. (Marketing = Attracting) Prospecting is seeking business and in a buyers’ market when the product no longer sells itself you MUST prospect!  (Prospecting = Seeking) Marketing is passive and reactive (i.e. mailing, etc.) while prospecting is active and proactive.  By the way, marketing can cost a ton of money while prospecting can be practically free.

Step Three -Now that you have honed your message and your methods its time to put them to work.   Ramp It Up!  “To do this you must subscribe to one simple belief; dealing with business never takes precedence over finding business.”  If you don’t embrace this philosophy, everything else will interfere and you will constantly find other things that seem more important.  You must block out your lead generation time and consistently focus on prospecting and marketing.  Keller suggested you time block three (3) hours each day for this important activity and “if you erase, you must replace”.   I almost fell out of my chair when I first read that but the book lays out EXACTLY how to block out the time and then a step-by-step list of what needs to be done in those three hours daily.  I highly suggest that you read the book but you probably know that by now.

Finally, Keller says when the market slows it is naturally for agents to “cocoon” hanging around their office or home waiting for the market to pick up.  Instead, gear up.  Real estate and lead generation are both contact sports.  Your job is to find ways to get in the path of motivated buyers and sellers.

DF

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