Archive for June, 2009

An Overview of Web2.0 Tools for Small Business

Today Topic is all about Catching your breath. Sometimes it can seems like there is so much to keep up to speed with concerning web2.0 technology that we get overwhelmed. Just take one piece of the puzzle at a time and use those pieces to drive your business.

Please take a moment to prepare for next weeks meeting “Show and Ask”. Please ask questions about what ever problems are troubling you in your small business. Do not leave anything out. Even if it does not seem like a cutting edge technology problem please share it with us so we can help.

Topic: Powerful Proactive Prospecting

Click Here To download the MP3 for This Episode
I am very excited about this topic because it is the most important thing that you can do in your business on a regular basis. As all of you know by now I am a Realtor. What I am about to present to you is a overview of a training I attended at Keller Williams Realty. It quite simple changed the way I do business and I am sure you will find it just as valuable as I did. If you are looking for the ultimate 20% activity in your business you have found it in prospecting. If you will dedicate your self to becoming a good prospector you can double or triple your business in 12 months. I feel confident saying this because I know the benefits of prospecting first hand. If you where going to be good a just one thing in your business let it be your lead generation activities. Almost everything else in your business can be very bad but if your lead generation is working then you will always have people to work with. I guess my point is very few business would be hurt by an overabundance of high quality leads. Even if you where bad at converting them the quantity of them would give you practice so you would get better just by handling clients. Remember the 80/20 rule where you get 80% of your results from 20% of your activity. Well you can think of prospecting as the most important activity of your 20% activities.

I have a couple of examples to share with you:
• Liz and I where attending a press conference with the major of Springfield a couple of weeks ago and we helped a fellow Realtor find a BNI Chapter to join. This help came back to me via a referral to a buyer client I am currently working with. Just interacting with people gives you a chance to find more prospects if you are looking. Now if I told you I have recieved 4 referrals from other Realtors this year would that shock you? People in your profession are some of the best lead generation sources that you will ever have. Go out and help them today.
• This past weekend Liz and I where doing pop bys to our clients that just purchased homes. We spontanously stopped by to talk one of my clients for a referral and we discovered a business opportunity. My client can get granite counter tops really inexpensivly. It just so happens that one of my other clients is looking for a way to install granite counter tops in homes. This could lead to a very profitable niche with my investor clients.

What is it about asking for help that is so difficult for us to do as adults? When it comes to lead generation this always stumps me. If you where looking for a plumber because your water pipes where broken you would not hesitate to ask everyone you knew for a good plumber but, when you are looking for a new client everything seems to change.

KeyPoint – If you don’t get yourself out there then the people are not going to be served correctly. It is your duty to make sure you give people a choice in the marketplace.

Prospecting VS Marketing

Prospecting is proactively finding people that need your product or service.

Marketing is what drives the leads that you find. It attracts customers to you through your material. For the most part marketing is passive and indirect.

Remember it is the combination of these and they way prospecting and marketing activities support one another that yields a bounty of leads. Think of this as a conveyor belt. You take your prospecting and marketing skills, we are going to call them P&M skills, and apply them to “strangers” to turn them into “friends”. Then you apply the same P&M Skills to these “friends” to cultivate and convert them into “clients”.

Myths and Truths about Prospecting

1. Myth1 – Prospecting = Cold Calling = Rejection
   Truth – Prospecting = Meeting People and Building Purposeful Business Relationships = A Strong Business
2. Myth2 – Prospecting means contacting people you don’t know
   Truth – Prospecting means contacting people you know as well as those you don’t know.
3. Myth3 – Prospecting is what you do to launch your business. Only new employees have to prospect.
   Truth – Prospecting is what you do to keep your business running and growing. You should never stop prospecting.

Five benefits of Prospecting

1. It is inexpensive and yields immediate results
2. Puts you in control of filling your pipeline of leads
3. Increases your confidence and skill
4. Yields quantity leads which yield quality leads
5. Keeps you in direct contact with the market and protects against market changes


Exersize1: Organize these benefits in your own words and prioritize them. Now take a minute to write your reasons why you ordered them in this way.


Here are the basics of Prospecting:

1. Approach – Your Mindset and attitude not everything but it is pretty darn close to everything
   1. Be proactive – dont’ wait for people to come to you
   2. Be willing to break the ice
   3. Be friendly, caring, and most importantly, be real
   4. Be curious about hem and their concerns
   5. Be ready to give positive feedback
   6. Be confident in your pace and posture
   7. Be ready to connect
2. Connect – Be a giver: Always come from contribution
   F.O.R.D – Family, Occupation, Recreation and Dreams
   You can connect with people by calling, visiting or attending and/or Hosting Events. My favorite technique is hosting events. It gives you an excuse to contact people at least 5-8 times. The most important thing to remember about connecting with people is to have fun. Have a relaxed open mind read to entertain ideas that might shock you. You can use positive self talk or affirmations to help you easy into this mindset.
3. Ask for business
   • Are you or someone you know thinking for buying X?
   • Are you or someone you know in need of X?
   • You know how it is always a problem when Y? Well my service X solves that problem?
   • Example: You know how difficult it was coming up with the down payment for you first home?Well my service solves that problem. If you know of anyone looking to buy a home....

This information is great but if you don’t use it we are just wasting our time. If you take nothing from me but this:

Above all else take action everyday!
1. Assemble call list
2. Prepare handouts for visits
3. Prepare and mail invitations for events
4. Make phone calls
5. Add Two new people to your database every day!
6. Host and/or attend events

Finally – Track, Measure, Evaluate, Tweak and Repeat for all the days of your business life!