See, I Told Ya!

I’m gloating.  And I’ll admit freely that I like to be right.

My previous post (from way back on the 20th) was about my client who just got his first listing, and how easy it was going to be for him to sell his first property.  Well, he did it!  I’m very happy for him, and I’d like to think that part of the ease of it all came from our well-laid plans (we don’t really need to mention that he IS a very likeable guy).

Congrats, and here’s to many more!

If you are a real estate agent and would like a FREE copy of my Agent Listing Plan that you can pass on to your Virtual Assistant, leave a comment and I’ll send one out to you right away.

Have a prosperous day!

Put Good, Solid Plans in Place. First.

I have a client that I’ve been working with since July of this year.  He’s a licensed Realtor(r), but like many these days, he also has a day job.  He hasn’t had the chance to fully dive into the real estate world, nor has he had the chance to feel the powerful high that comes from selling your first listing.

But that’s all going to change.  The first listing agreement is signed, and plans are in place to begin the process, and I know for a FACT that even though this is his first transaction, it’s going to be (mostly) smooth sailing until the end.  Why?

Because we have a plan.  I put together, just for him a step-by-step Listing Action Plan that lists every single step of the way, who takes care of it and when.  It’s like Mapquest, but the destination is that beautiful Sold sign on the property instead of Aunt Judy’s house.  And if something unexpected happens along the way (what, in real estate?), we have a plan for that too.  Our plan has a plan.  How cool is that?

I’m Being Generous for Thanksgiving!

Remember to Give Thanks

In June of this year, my 10 year old daughter Devyn was diagnosed with Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes. It’s been a whirlwind 5 months, but with the help of wonderful organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JRDF), we know that there will be a cure in her lifetime.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, 25% of each monthly retainer that is paid between now and December 1st 2009 will be donated to the JRDF in
your name.

All new clients that sign up for a monthly package will receive the usual 5% (or more) discount in addition to their 25% donation.

To take advantage of this offer and help kids all over the country with Type 1 diabetes, simply and an email to april@virtualassistantchick.com and mention “Devyn”.

To learn more about how Balancing Act Business Solutions can help you and your business, go to MyBalancedAct.com

How Are You Asking for Referrals?

Referrals.  You love them, you need them, but are you asking for them?

How are you asking?  Is it with the little keychain that states the obvious:  We Love Referrals!

Ad stamp?  Business card?  On some obscure area of your website?

How’s that working out for you?

Okay, okay, enough with the questions.

Our clients, whether we are Real Estate Agents or Virtual Assistants or whatever we are, are in it for themselves.  Clients and customers are selfish in nature, and will refer on their own, but only if the perceived value of your service is much higher than they expected.

You’ve got to play the game.  The “Refer Me Now!” game.  This means give your clients a real, tangible reason to refer you and to refer you often.  It’s a little like bribery, but the good kind of bribery that makes everyone feel good, and keeps the referral wheels spinning.  Please, don’t roll your eyes.  this is better than purchasing a really nice closing gift and hoping that your client loves it, appreciates it, and feels like talking about you.

Stop hoping and start doing something about it!

While listening to a Client Attraction Inner Circle call with Fabienne Frederickson a while back, she started talking about putting together a referral system.  It was genius!  Since then,  I put it into practice in one of my client’s real estate business and it has worked out really well.

You need to find out what your client is into:  Golf, cars, gardening, coffee, whatever.  When you open escrow, send them a small gift like a gift card along with a short letter that reminds your client that your business is run on referrals.  Let them know that you’d like to continue to thank them for their continued support with a gift of their choice when they send you successful referrals.

They choose a gift, it’s your pleasure to give it since they’ve set you up with a client, and the Client Referral Ju-Ju is spread all around.

The client’s company that I have used this on have reported gift requests for socks, a shovel, and an oil change along with the normal gift cards.

Devise a system, a process for your referrals so that it happens consistently and constantly.  I guarantee you’ll see your business grow!

A Day In the Life…..

A while back I remember there was a blog contest titled something like A Day in the Life of a Virtual Assistant at the Virtual Assistant Forums.  I remember being excited about this one because I thought it would be SO easy, just talking about my typical day.

Here is what I learned:

1. I don’t have a typical day.  I have four kids, it just doesn’t happen.
2. My entry was scary!

As I reread my post, I realized that I wouldn’t work with someone who quadruple-tasked like I did!  I wouldn’t trust someone who literally had a baby on her knee, signed documents in one hand, skyping a client with the other, on the phone with an inspector while making lunches for the older kids.

That’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the picture.  All I could read in my post was chaos!  Who wants to work with that?

That was a while (maybe a year) ago, and the multi-tasking has been cut down tremendously.  I try to only drink coffee while I blog or instant message a client while working on their newest marketing campaign.  The result?  I get MORE done!  What a concept!

Database! Database! Database!

What has your contact list done for you lately?

• How many times are you contacting the people on that list?
• Is your list current?
• How effective is your method of contact?
• Do they remember you?

With the holidays just around the corner, things are getting ready to slow down (if they haven’t already) and it’s a great time to start reconnecting with all of those people just sitting there in your contact management system.

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How can I help you and your business?

Balancing Act Business Solutions’ 7 Step Contact Marketing Plan:

1. Property Postcards (Just Sold, Just Listed)
2. Monthly Mailed Newsletter
3. Monthly Emailed Newsletter (Both include market info, absorption rates, number of listings, vendor articles, seasonal info)
4. Separate Newsletter to your farm area (includes above info PLUS specific market info and open houses in the area)
5. Branded Direct Marketing pieces recipients can “hold on to”
6. Holiday and birthday cards
7. A complete, automated and systemized Follow Up plan put into action for you

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If you don’t connect with your contacts, someone else will!

To learn more about how my business can help your business, please visit our website!

Why Most Marketing Plans Fail

Let’s face it: most marketing plans aren’t really marketing plans at all.  They are simply short advertising campaigns designed to generate new business.  Generating new business is the name of the game, but if you’re constantly advertising to get it, you’re  doing something wrong.

So, what is a true marketing plan?  To me, it’s a SYSTEM that is put into place and USED every day.  Every day!  Even when you are so swamped with business that you can’t possibly take on another client.  Why?  Because when the well runs dry, your system will still be working for you.

After listening to a great webinar put on by Chip Cummings with the Underground Marketing Network today, I really began thinking:

Why do so many people fail in their marketing? Although there were a lot of points made in this webinar that my company has been doing for our clients for a while, he also pointed out a lot of new ideas.

This is a mixture of his reasons and my own that I see quite often.

1. They are advertising only what they have at the moment
2. They live deal to deal, not looking far enough into the future
3. Business comes in on a one-on-one basis
4. People aren’t leveraging the contacts they already have
5. They use their company’s branding, not their own
6. When a deal is closed, they close their eyes and hope for a referral instead of asking
7. Not contacting their contacts enough (why else would they be called contacts?)
8. They don’t have a systemized follow up process in place

The bottom line is:

YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN FOR EVERY COMMUNICATION OR “TOUCH” WITH THE PEOPLE ON YOUR LIST

A Real Estate Virtual Assistant can help you by:

• Putting your list into your database of choice
• Choosing a CRM if you don’t already have one
• Setting up a system for each type of contact (SOI, past clients, prospects, hot leads etc.)
• Contacting those people at specific intervals that keep them thinking of you often
• Automating these processes like crazy!

Remember, you are BUSY (at least you should be!) and if you aren’t, get in touch with an EXPERIENCED Virtual Assistant to put the proper steps into motion that will MAKE YOU BUSY!

Virtual Real Estate BarCamp

This is going to be awesome!  A full days worth of information – and for free!  If you haven’t read it already, here is the information taken directly from rebarcamp.com.  See you there!

Some said we were crazy, but no one said it was a bad idea.

On November 17th from 9AM until 4PM PST
we will be holding the first of its kind,
Virtual Real Estate BarCamp.

What is it?

• In place of a rented venue, we’ll be holding the event online.
• In place of break-out sessions in rooms, we’ll we have simultaneous webinars, all day.
• In place of the hallways, we will be chatting on Twitter, Facebook, Backnoise and  TomatoChat.
• In place of traveling you’ll be able to attend from the comfort of your home or office.
• In place of an impromptu calendar, we will be filling presentation slots all month.

Attendance is unlimited, and it is still FREE!

And finally, so as to not lose the Social Aspect of the BarCamp atmosphere, we are encouraging volunteers around the country to organize In-Real-Life MeetUps for immediately after the online event.  Sponsorship donations will help fund these Social Media Happy Hour style gatherings, so please let us know if you would like to help by volunteering your time to organize a local MeetUp.

As the calendar of sessions and the IRL MeetUps start to come together, we will keep you all posted through Twitter and our Facebook Fan Page.

Block off your entire calendar for Tuesday, Nov 17th.  None of these webinars will be available after the event.  You do not want to miss this.

Balancing Act to Offer Database Management

It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to post anything here, let alone time to think of a topic to blog about.

I’ve been working on my new website, VirtualAssistantChick.com (not live yet) that will focus on assisting real estate agents and other professionals with the management of their database.

Keeping your name and face fresh and in front of your clients and prospective clients is a time consuming but necessary job of real estate agents.

I’ve been interviewing agents, setting up JV partnerships and putting together all of the pieces that will help you succeed with this all important piece of the real estate marketing pie.

I’ll keep you updated!

Setting Up Your Real Estate Goals

Real estate agents are an odd bunch. Yes, they are my clients, and no, I probably shouldn’t talk that way, but they are.

What I mean by this is, some agents think like employees and some think like entrepreneurs, and the way you think vastly changes the way your business is run.

Do you have a business plan?  No?  Did you skip that step because you work (or worked) for a large company?  Did you not see the importance because, as an agent there are just things that you do?

Usually when I begin working with a new agent that doesn’t know where to begin with a VA I ask them what their goals are.  “I want to sells lots of houses and make lots of money” is not a goal.  I take a step back, and then I ask:  “What are your goals for the next 90 days?”  That almost always elicits some thought and a more thought-out answer, but not always.

When trying to determine your own goals think about these goal-setting steps from Marketing Tools For Real Estate:

1. MY FINANCIAL GOAL for this year (next 12 months) is to earn pre-tax income of $______________________.
2. MY LISTING GOAL for this year is to take ____________listings for the year, or _____________listings for each month, or one listing every ___________days.
3. To work an average of _________hours per week of which at least 65% is highly productive (“Hot Time”)
4. To work a maximum of ________days a week and take ________weekends off a month.
5. To take ____________vacations during the course of the year.
6. To Prospect a minimum of ___________hours a week of which a minimum of 65% is “HOT” and 35% is “WARM”.

Examples of “Hot” Time:

• Showing Properties
• Presenting an Offer
• Asking for a Price Reduction
• Canvassing Past Clients for Referrals
• Contacting FSBO’s
• Follow Up by phone on Mail Campaigns or Web Site Leads
• Doing a Listing Presentation
• Contacting Expired Listings
• Holding Open Houses
• Visiting Unlisted Builders on Site
• Cold Calling for Leads
• Door Knocking Prospecting for Leads

Find some time (no really, find some time; it’s important) to write down some actual goals that are achievable yet challenging, then find a way to put them into action.