Welcome To The Listing Challenge

1.  A FORD (or FROG) conversation. This is a conversational pattern that allows you to truly connect with the people you meet while being intentional with your dialogue.  Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams or Family, Recreation, Occupation, and Goals.

2.  The days that you work on the challenge activities, make sure to stick with the numbers.  As you start to go through this you will get motivated to want to do “more” contacts per day.  This challenge is not about getting you to make contacts, it is about getting you in the habit of intentionally working and growing your database!  

As Darice Johnston the Author of Efficiency by Design says “Your database is your most important revenue generating asset and is the central nervous system of your business.  If you don’t have a database you’re not serious about this career, you are a hobbyist”.

3. When you make contacts you are not going to put information and people into your database as you are working the challenge.  You are going to put them in after you complete your challenge for that day.  In other words don’t do one of your activities and then put it in your database and then do number 2 of your activities and then put it in your database.  There is a prospect tracker as part of each challenge as needed. Use it.  Put your names and notes on those as you go. Then as you finish your challenge, put the contents of your prospect tracker in your database.

4. As you go through some of these activities you are going to be asked by people that you talk with “so how is the market?”  Do not say:

·   “Awesome”

·   “Terrible”

·   “It’s a Seller’s Market”

·   “It’s a Buyer’s Market”

·   “Unbelievable”

·   Etc…..

The reason is simple. All of those phrases pertain to the market in a reactive or passive sense. None of them are answering the question that they are truly asking, “Is the market in the right place for me to do what I want?” So from now on I want you to use the opportunity presented by their question to prequalify what they are really asking. They could be saying, “Hey, I want to make a move in real estate” or they could just simply be making small talk.  It’s important for you to know what they are really asking.  Your answer must be direct.  To make the most of this challenge I would like for you to say, “That is a great question, tell me…..which sector of the real estate market are you actually asking about…….commercial, residential, rental, new home sales, investment, homes coming onto the market to be sold, or homes being purchased because each of those segments have their own tempo and pace?” Then, what they say next will either help you decide if they are a “now” or a “future” business opportunity.

5. Some of these days will be 1 time per week or month, 3 and follow up, or a 5 and follow up challenge.  That means to make that many connections that day (speaking with people is what counts, not just leaving a message on an answering machine.  Do whatever it takes(within reason and the confines of your licensing) to hit your number and meet people who could become part of your database!

6. If you don’t have someone’s phone number and you need it for one of your activities then look them up however you can.  If all else fails, connect with them on social media and say, “I was updating all of my friends’ information on my phone and realized I did not have your phone number, mine is ________what is your number?”

The underlying principle is a simple one, get a true connection with your database.  This will help you not only grow your database in a truly productive direction but I promise you will enjoy what you are doing because of the depth of relationship you are creating!

Finally, and most importantly, I am proud of you.  These efforts will help you offer a level of service for the people you work with that they not only want but deserve and your referral base will grow.