One of the biggest challenges I talk with professionals is a struggle to offer, provide and sustain value to their clients.  This can be difficult for the simple fact that "value is in the  eye of the beholder".  

What one may see as a value another may think of as standard or unnecessary.  When it comes to our business we need to be able to provide a value to the majority of our target market and if necessary offer customization for others.

The best advise I can give is not to downgrade what you offer to fit into a client's want or budget because (1) they most likely are not your target market (2) your name is on the product so it must be up to the standards at all times (3) there most likely is not a complete understanding of why and how you do your job

Other useful tips:

• Provide Rules of Engagement
  
• Clearly define the Value you bring and why 
  
• Put together a strong presentation with facts and examples
  
• Always ask how you can help
  

I have been involved in the Western Michigan Women's Council of Realtors for the past few months and was asked to give a 2 minute inspiration at an upcoming Luncheon.  I had to take some time to think through what it was I wanted to share and this is what I have come up with:

You Are an Entrepreneur

"In trying to decide what to share with you all today that could be inspiring I sat back and looked at the industry as a whole and the one thing I realized was that no matter what role you play in a transaction, who you work for or how you are compensated you are all really Entrepreneurs. 

As an entrepreneur in the Real Estate industry you ride the waves up and down and face the many challenges head on.  But, there are times when those waves begin to wash away little bits of the belief that you have in your self and the industry.

So I want to remind you that when that next wave comes You are an Entrepreneur and You Believe.

In Real Estate you are Entrepreneurs that must believe and as an Entrepreneur you believe in your product, your business and most of all yourself.

Believing in yourself is when you compare yourself to a successful college and don’t make excuses why you are unable to compete with them but look at what you can do to surpass them.  You don’t tell anyone “no” instead you work with them to be able to say “yes”.

As an Entrepreneur that believes you become laser focused on what you have accomplished and what accomplishments lie before you.  You strive to believe in yourself and remain positive beyond all else.

If you begin to think negatively and your belief fades remember you are an Entrepreneur who is laser focused on your goals and you believe in yourself, your product and your business."


What are your thoughts on this?  Please share your feedback.

Just like anything else, the more practice the better you become.  When it comes to blogging in the beginning your goal is to put together a consistent schedule of blogging.   After being able to blog consistently it is important to begin to refine what and how we are writing our blogs.

What keywords should you be using?  How are you blogs written?  What are the best days and times to post a blog? ect.

Goals for you this week is to set a blogging calendar and just get started writing.  It is more important to start somewhere and we will grow your abilities from there.

As we have discussed in the past make sure to keep a list of topics you want to write about for the days when you draw a blank you have a list to choose from. 

Now that the new year has begun, take a little time to remind yourself of some of those little things you have forgotten and start 2012 off on a high note.

Keys to a Confident Closing:

1. Be confident.  Make sure you have an extensive knowledge on your products and services  so you can confidently present your offering and answer questions.  You must also be confident in yourself  and your presentation skills.

2. Make eye contact.  Eye contact shows your engagement and interest in what your customer is saying.  Eye contact will also help to build trust.

3. Always smile.  It is important to always smile so you will be more engaging to potential and current clients.  This also shows your confidence and attitude that screams success. 

4. Present your proposal in writing.  Make sure that your proposal includes all details of what products and services you are providing to insure their confidence in what you are selling and the costs they will incur.  This will further build trust and a clear understanding of what they are receiving. 

5. Present your proposal in a seated position.  This insures eye contact as well as a more formal non-intimidating situation.  Your customer is less likely to get up and walk away before a confident decision is made.  If you are a male presenting to another male sit across the table for each other, if you are presenting to a female present while sitting next to her.  If you are a female feel out what is going to seem more appropriate for the customer and situation.

6. Always carry a pen.  Make sure that you always have a pen available for your customer to sign with.  If you do not have one or it is out of ink some consumers may take it as a sign that they should not go through with the transaction.

7. Treat all customers equally.  It is important to treat all potential and current clients the same.  This includes those who are not prepare to complete a transaction at this point as everyone is a buyer at some point.

8. Stay positive.  Think glass half full at all times when working with customers.  If a customer is not yet ready to purchase walk them through what they need to do to get there and present it in a positive manner.  

Even the greatest athletes have coaches, so why doesn't everyone else have a coach?

If you have ever taken me up on my Free Evaluation, you know the first question I will ask you is if you are honestly looking to grow your business.  The second question is on what challenges you are facing today and how this is effecting your business.  These two questions lay the ground work for you to decide what is important to you and what kind of a plan must be laid to grow you and your business.

Now, I may not have as many years of experience as many of my clients but I bring that new point of view, new ideas and most importantly I am here to remind them of all the things they know but have forgotten.  I am going to ensure they have a solid plan with no wholes for poor implementation.  If nothing else I ensure accountability.

"It's ironic that in writing you have an editor who pushes and prods, even when you reach high levels. But I was really struck by the fact that I've been a surgeon now for eight years, and no one's ever come in and watched me operate, much less tried to help me think hard about how I get better results."  Surgeon, Atul Gawande (The New Yorker)

Coaching is far more than teaching.  A coach provides non-biased honest feedback.  A coach strips one down to their raw self and allows new heights of growth with a sense of clarity.

It is not always easy to take feedback from co-workers, friends and family either because of our stubbornness, pride or fear of personal bias.  A coach not only will provide honest feedback but assist you as an individual to properly evaluate yourself and your business.

Many coaches work off of the Six Disciplines Methodology.  This  includes Deciding What is Important (Strategy), Setting Goals that Lead (Plan), Align Systems (Organize), Work the Plan (Execute), Innovate Purposefully (Innovate) and Step Back (Learn).  This methodology is a cycle that is ongoing.

The Six Disciplines Methodology may seem to be focused on a company platform which was the initial intent, but for those who are self employed  you are the company and need to run your business as such to be as successful as you should be.

So what is one of your ultimate fears? 

Statistically speaking if you are like most Americans you are more afraid of public speaking than you are of death!  This seems to be a bit of an exaggeration to me, but I do know that Public Speaking does making many people sick to their stomachs just thinking about it.

The thing you need to know though is:
                         Public Speaking is an outstanding way to grow your business!Public speaking gives you the opportunity to speak to many potential customers at once.  You are also able to show your knowledge and build a strong rapport with the audience. (step one of the sales process)The key with public speaking is making sure you know who your audience is to accurately determine the best topic to talk about to engage the group.

You will also build your confidence  and presentation skills the more public speaking you do.  Public speakers are also considered to be top experts so the more speaking you do the more informed your potential customer base will be, the more sales opportunities will come your way and the smoother the sales process should be.

The best way to secure new business is to be available and top of mind when a need arises.  This can be difficult online in such competitive markets.  The easiest way to be found is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

Your website/blog must be full of the keywords and phrases that consumers are going to search for when looking for your product.  The findings are arranged by those that are thought to be the best match.

Make a list of the keywords and phrases you would search for when looking for your product.   You can also research which keywords and phrases you should be optimizing by using a tool such as Google AdWords Keyword Tool.  Once compiled post this list near your computer so that at all times you have it as a reference when editing content and writing blogs.

Quick Tips:

• You only want to use these words and phrases where they make sense.  Do not use them just to increase their usage through your site/blog.  You want your information to be coherent  not just keyword jumble. 
  
• Use keyword in page descriptions, URLs, headings, subheadings and picture alt tags
• Feel free to use variations and synonyms of the keywords and phrases
• Use keywords and phrases in bulleted and numbered lists