Life Is Like a Box Of Chocolates...

Stop Prospecting!
Everyone is out shaking the trees for more prospects.  We're looking high and low and we're desperate to find that next hot lead.  Some of us are even spending extra dollars we don't have on advertising and promotion.  What would you say if I told you that you probably don't have to prospect anymore than you already do? 

It's Not Your Prospecting That's Lacking - It's Your Conversion That Sucks
Look at your Google Analytics for your website.  You'll see how many people already come to your site.  Now look at how many leads you actually get from your site.  If you're like most people, it's a pathetically small number.  So isn't the better answer to increase the conversion on the hits you already have rather than to try to increase the hits? 

Make 'Em An Offer They Can't Refuse
So how do you get people to tell you who they are?  Give them something they want - something that solves a problem or addresses a pain point.  Free reports, educational tools, market analysis of their market - all of these things and more can bring you greater results.  If you're in a high-relocation area, then an offer of a free information and relocation package works wonders.  The key is to test your offers and see which one gets the best results.  But don't give it to them until they tell you who they are.  It's a give and take world and they don't get to take your free gift until they give you their contact info.

Deliver With An Autoresponder
Autoresponders are services you use to deliver whatever you're offering.  Why use these services instead of emailing the information when you get back to the computer?  Because we want instant gratification!  If it doesn't come instantly then we're upset.  And the last thing you want is your prospects' first experience of you to be upset.  I use GetResponse for my autoresponder program on selling by the stages of life.  I chose GetResponse because, unlike AWeber (their largest competitor), they will allow you to sign people up yourself.  So if you have people check a box at an open house or seminar asking to be put on the list, you can do that.  AWeber assumes that if you are manually entering people, you are spamming them.  Personally, I prefer the flexibility that GetResponse offers. They're also less expensive at $47/quarter.

How's Your Folllow-up?
Are you following up with the people who do identify themselves?  If not, well then stop prospecting altogether because you're totally wasting your time.  Get a system in place to do your follow-up now!

I'll be blogging more in the next day or two about how to grow your list and how to blog more effectively.  Keep your eyes open!

Parent-Care
I'm spending this week with my mother in Wisconsin taking care of her as she recovers from hip surgery.  This is her third hospitalization in four years and I'm really questioning whether her living alone is a good idea.  Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to live with my mother.  She smokes like a chimney for one thing and I'm allergic to cigarette smoke, so that's a deal-breaker right there.  But I would be happier if she were closer to me.  Perhaps in the next house over so I could check on her once or twice a day - just to keep an eye on things.
 
Custom-Housing
But how often do we really have the opportunity to buy two houses side-by-side?  Not very often.  If you're not interested in a multi-family property, then you're stuck with either new construction or recently converted condos (and with my mother, it's only the former since she refuses to live in a condo). 

Common Issue
And I am not alone.  Many of my friends are going through the same issues that I am, and as the Baby Boomers age, this is going to become even more prevalent.  And currently, there are very few ready-made solutions to be had.  So here is my thought.
 
Re-Visioning Real Estate
Let's start thinking about real estate less as a nuclear family structure and more as an extended family formula.  This means that we should be looking at creating new construction complexes built around a central gathering space; and where the design of the land encourages walking within the neighborhood (parking around the edges only).  We should have larger houses built next to smaller, single-story, handicap-accessible houses.  Because, let's face it, I am not the only person who doesn't want to live with her mother. 
 
Market Niche Alert!
You want to get a lock on the market for the next 20 years or so?  Start buying up properties next to each other.  Renovate them so that they fit this scenario and then put them up for sale as a bundled purchase (but don't combine the deeds - you'll lose value if you do).  Or, even better, find a forward-thinking builder and start building communities of your own. 
 
For More Information About This Topic, Visit These Resources:
 
Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves
 
Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independent Living (Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent)
 
Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing
 
The Senior Solution: A Family Guide to Keeping Seniors Home For Life!
 
Aging In Place, Safely living in Your Home Until You're 100 Plus
 
www.Cohousing.org

I've been talking with some of the top trainers in the personal growth and development industry recently and I've been hearing about a lot of great programs out there.  This one is one that I wanted to pass along to you though.  I've been participating in the free teleseminar calls that Paul Scheele has been doing and I can tell you - this is the real deal.  He's awesome.  I know it's short notice, but if you can at all make it, you owe it to yourself to go.  The details are below.

The Ultimate U Retreat

Have you been searching for a way to accelerate your results in life?

What would you do if you could reclaim more of your mind’s ability?

Paul Scheele is one of the world’s leading experts on the power of your mind. When you experience his work, your ability to create the results you want can be exponential!

Paul began his work as a hypnotist at the age of 19 and went on to become one of the first individuals certified in NLP. Since then he co-founded a leading multi-million dollar company in personal development known around the world. In fact today, many of the top transformational leaders such as Jack Canfield, Marci Shimoff, Brian Tracy and many others work with Paul.

Why?

Because he knows how to access and leverage the power within your mind.

This June, Paul Scheele is offering a 3-day highly experiential retreat. In it participants will be freed from the limiting mental models that have kept them from their highest potential. Surrounded by gorgeous nature, engaged with like-minded people, immersed in emerging new human development technologies, he will personally guide how to become the "ultimate you."

Ultimate U Retreat
June 12 - 14, 2009 in Minneapolis, MN

A Deep Exploration of Transformational Leadership & Transformative Change

As you go through the 3-day process, you'll breakthrough beliefs, thoughts, and habits that limit your full potential. You'll also learn Himalayan Yoga Meditation, increase your vibration through Qi Gong, and play with techniques that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are far more powerful than you've imagined.

All this will take place in an arboretum setting in which beautiful nature will feed your soul and delicious food will nourish your body. And the best part is that you'll have the tools to transform your personal and professional life in a meaningful and lasting way.

So come discover...

The Technology of Transformative Change: Using Genius Code techniques, Paraliminal learning principles, instant meditation and "presencing" practices

The Language of Transformative Change: Fostering effective brain/mind communication

The Structure of Transformative Change: Applying Natural Brilliance and Accelerated Learning processes in all areas of your life

And you'll gain the tools to:

Breakthrough limitations and past failures to achieve your full potential and abundance for life

Eliminate stress and disease so you can attain radiant energy and vibrant health

Avoid misunderstandings and conflict so you attract supportive relationships with clear communication

Overcome anxiety, shame, guilt and stuck states so you grow spiritually and experience your brilliance

Engage emerging complexity and lead from the emergent future in your daily life

Develop your internal resilience and gain an adaptive work ethic

Check It Out Now

On the first day, you'll learn to suspend the activity of the critical mind which references past experiences in order to understand your future. You will learn "sensing" as a means to transform perception, and begin truly seeing the interconnected whole rather than the individual parts.

Then on day two, you'll learn to "let go and let come." When you take time to retreat from the hurried, harried pace of our day, you can go into the silence within and be present to the vision of your highest future possibility.

And on the final day, you'll crystallize the envisioned expression of your potential and transform your actions to facilitate the full realization of your goals. Synchronicity and magical results will become your modus operandi.

Plus, you'll participate in 6 coaching calls with Paul designed to empower your progress in reaching your goals and receive over $700 worth of products as part of your retreat package.

When you add up the value of the products, coaching, and retreat which is complete with morning and afternoon refreshments plus a sumptuous lunch, you'll be delighted with the special offers below.

The retreat package has a value of over $4600! Now, you can attend for only $1800.

Sign Up Now

I know you’ll gain a tremendous advantage towards attaining your goals. Sign up today and invite those you care about to register by forwarding them this email.

There's a big difference between thinking tactically and thinking strategically.  The former is "what am I going to do to get more business in the door today".  The latter is "how can I think about and approach my business from a new perspective that will feed me leads over the long haul". 

Thinking Strategically
Taking a strategic approach to your business requires a change in mindset.  You need to stop thinking about the details and start focusing on the bigger picture.  You also need to stop thinking small.  Don't look for someone to sponsor your next seminar, look for someone to sponsor a whole year's worth of seminars who can not only pay for the room, but can also fill it.  Stop worrying about how to bring in the next lead and think more about how you can get a steady stream of leads coming in the door and put systems in place to nurture them until they are ready to move.

It's WHO You Know
Think about what connections you can make that will put you into the next strata of business.  It's WHO you know, not how much you know that often makes the difference between just getting by and flying high.  Think also about how you can create and nurture new connections. 

Don't Be Afraid to Ask/Call
A few years ago, I called Chellie Campbell, the author of a book that I enjoyed, to encourage her to come to the east coast to teach her program.  I wanted to take it and I didn't want to fly back and forth every week to California to do it.  From that phone call and subsequent emails we've had over the intervening years, we've formed a friendship.  She never did come to the east coast, but next month when I'm in Los Angeles, we're going to try to make a connection for coffee so we can finally meet in person.  But the point is that I've called many authors over the years whose books I've enjoyed.  I've also called many business owners with potential joint venture or cross promotional opportunites.  Most of my calls have been greeted with a positive response.  A few ignored me.  That's fine.  I didn't care.  Because the ones I made a connection with have been the source of a lot of good business for me. 

Make The Call
The same can be true for you if you're not afraid to pick up the phone.  Come on.  What's the worst that can happen?  You say "I'd love to make you some money" or "I loved your book" or "I love where your company is going and I'd like to help you get there" and they say, "No thanks"?  For one, it's not likely they would say that.  For two, who cares?  If they say "No", move on to the next call.  SOMEONE will be very happy to hear from you.

This morning I'm hitting the floor at the NAR MId-Year Convention in Washington, D.C.  If you've never been to one of the big conventions, you will be stunned the first time you go.  I love conventions.  Why?  I'm glad you asked.  Here are my top reasons for loving to attend the big cenferences:

1. The BEST people show up there.  These are the top agents and brokers from around the country and those who want to be the top.  They are addicted to learning, networking, and being friendly and supportive of each other.  The cream of the crop comes out to play.  You will find virtually no whiners in this bunch.  After all - it takes a sense of optimism to spend over $1,000 to attend an event to learn more about your business.  Whiners are never optimistic enough to do that.
2. All the vendors are there.  I love new technology and I love to outsource.  Every year there are bright new ideas that are brought to the convention.  Some of them are awesome - sign me up!  Others, not so much.  But I get a chance to hear, from the people who designed them what is so amazing about their product and how I can put it to use in my business.  No wandering a website and hoping I can figure it out.  In one day, I can find out about 50 technologies.
3. Fabulous Speakers.  Every year, many speakers compete for the chance to speak at the conventions.  I doubt you know this, but those speakers are speaking for free.  They pay their own way to the event and their own expenses while they are there just to get the exposure.  That's someone who is either passionate about what they have to say, or really good at marketing and either way, I want to know what they know.
4. After-Hours Meetings - One of the best things about the convention is what you do after it closes for the day.  That's when you go out to dinner with the person you "clicked" with on the expo floor or in a breakout session.  You learn more about each other and you form friendships that can last a lifetime.  Oh, and you might get business out of it too,

So, if you want to get the most out of your experience, here's what I suggest you do for planning.  Before you ever leave your room, plan what you're going to do for the day.  If you let yourself float through, you'll miss out on a lot and you'll be sorry you did. Here is the order of operations for a successful day at the convention.

1. Pick the speakers you want to see and the events you want to attend.  They are only doing their talks once or twice in the course of the convention, make sure you get to see them when they are running.  Be sure to plan the entire convention out because sometimes you'll have  two speakers you want to see in the same time slot and if you plan ahead, you can see one of the speakers on another day instead. 
   
2. Wear a watch.  I don't care if you normally don't wear a watch, wear one.  You'll be checking it a lot to make sure you're on track. 
   
3. Bring an ENTIRE BOX OF CARDS.  It never fails, people tell me that they have run out of cards by the end of day one and now they have no way to get in touch with them.  The expo floor has many opportunities for you to hand out your cards to win free prizes, speakers collect cards for their mailing lists, you'll hand out cards like candy to other participants.  Bring a TON of cards - and you MIGHT have enough.
4. Schedue evening meetings in advance - but leave space open as well.  If there are people you absolutely know you'll want to spend time with, schedule an evening meeting with them BEFORE you ever get to the convention.  Otherwise, you may find yourself without a slot in the other person's agenda.  But don't schedule yourself solid because there will be people you meet at the event that you'll want to spend time with too. 
   
5. Don't spend time with people you traveled with.  You will see them when you get home and likely, you'll have a long plane ride to debrief from the day.  Get in there and meet new people - that's the point.
6. Schedule time on the expo floor.  Yes, schedule it.  The expo is HUGE and you will miss out on something if you don't give it a big chunk of your time.  I like to spend the early part of the convention working the expo floor hard.  Why?  Because the vendors are fresh and so am I.  I don't like to buy things when I'm tired - I don't give them enough time.  By the end of the second day, your legs will be sore, your back will hurt and you'll want to lie down for a while if you're not careful (see next point).  PLan the expo end early and the speaking at the end (where you can sit) if at a ll possible.
7. Stay in a hotel with a jacuzzi.  This is my saving grace each time.  If I can get in the hot tub before i got to bed and when I get up in the morning, I can move during the day - even when it's been a hard day.  There's no substitute for this.  Even Advil has its limitations.
8. Are you Gellin'?  Those wh work the expo as vendors will tell you that having the right shoes can mean the difference between a good show and the show from hell.  Put some good gel insoles in those shoes and bring a few different pairs so that your feet have a change of pace.  This is one time to put comfort over fashion.
9. Bring comfortable but nice clothes.  You will be making a first impression on the people you meet, dress with that in mind, but also realize that you need to be comfortable.  A pencil skirt and stiletto heels are as impractical here as they are on a construction site. 
   
10. Bring a rolling bag.  If you are going to work the expo floor, you'll need a bag (and a big one) to keep all of the papers in that you gather from the vendors.  You'll want something that rolls because that stuff gets heavy after a while.
11. Bring a notebook.  You're going to get overwhelmed.  Plan for success by bringing a notebook where you can keep your most important notes to follow-up on after the event.  I also like to put these notes into my schedule for the coming weeks so that I set aside time to deal with them.

Whew! That's a lot more than I had thought I was going to say, but it seems there is a lot to know.  I'm off to get ready for my first day on the expo floor.  Now where did I put those insoles...?

How to Create Business Out of Nothing

I know the tales.  Everyone is crying that buyers are skittish, the market is down, and no one has any money.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find a buyer who was looking longer term than the next five years?  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find a bunch of buyers who could see that the market is the best market for investing that has existed in 20 years?  And, if you could find these elusive, imaginary creatures – wouldn’t it just be amazing if they had money – and lots of it?  Guess what?  You can!

The Baby Boomers Have It

Many agents are focusing on the first time buyer market right now.  They are seeing low prices and low interest rates and figuring that first time buyers are where it’s at.  The problem with this idea is that first time buyers are always skittish and afraid.  And in this market, their inherent fears about becoming homeowners are compounded by the market decline and economic woes.  It’s enough to put many first time buyers into a tailspin.  And they will never buy in that state.  It’s the Baby Boomers you should be looking at.  But, you may say, the Baby Boomers have just lost a good portion of their wealth in the stock market crash, they have no money!  Not entirely true.  They have less money than they once did, and they are more conservative about how they are spending it, but they have it – it’s just not liquid. 

IRAs and 401Ks Hold Billions in Untapped Dollars

Individually, people in the Baby Boomer category hold tens of thousands of dollars in their IRAs and 401K plans.  Many of these funds can be tapped for use in real estate investing.  There are some rules and restrictions that come into play depending on the type and nature of the investment plan.  For IRAs, if they are not currently Self-Directed IRA programs, they can be converted into a self-directed program.  401Ks are a little trickier if the person is still employed by the company directing the 401K plan.  A financial advisor with knowledge in this market can help you get the details ironed out.

Self-Directed IRAs

A self-directed IRA means simply that you get to decide where the money is invested.  Unlike most IRAs where your investments are typically stocks and bonds, a self-directed IRA allows you to invest in real estate and business ventures as well.  If you’ve never heard of this before, you’re not alone.  Most financial companies don’t talk about this instrument to their clients because they only make a commission once or twice rather than every time they buy or sell stocks and bonds.  It’s been around since 1974 though and it’s a time-tested way of creating real estate investors.

401K Dollars from Layoffs

I spoke with Adam M. Wood of Baystate Financial Services in Boston when I was doing the research for this article; and one of the things he mentioned to me was a beneficial side-effect of people being laid off.  When someone gets laid off from work, they can take their company 401K and turn it into an IRA.  This is the perfect time to approach people about buying real estate as investment property.  The downside is that they can’t take any of the profits out without paying an early withdrawal penalty.  But if they are laid off and looking for work, they might have the time to do a fix and flip or two on the side. 

Over $100K Earners

Anyone earning over one hundred thousand dollars each year is likely to have the extra cash in their IRA to start purchasing property with a self-directed IRA.  (They also might have funds to purchase investment property in general – especially when you tell them about the great tax benefits of owning investment property.)  Here’s the key – the person to educate them is the person most likely to get their business.  That means you need to learn enough of this stuff to get their attention and then have the right people to pass them off to for getting all the details handled. 

Partner with Professionals and Run a Seminar

One of the best ways to identify these buyers in bulk is to offer a seminar or two.  You could do one seminar specifically for people who have been laid off.  Another for high net worth individuals looking for high-return investment opportunities (and there aren’t many of those around right now).  Get your financial planner and your CPA involved.  Do a joint seminar with them on the benefits of investing in the real estate market today, both using their IRAs and just in general.  Be prepared with statistics about the market in your area, historical appreciation rates, and current rental prices and vacancy rates.  Have a mortgage officer on hand to talk about investment mortgage products.

You Don’t Have to Know Everything – You Just Need to Know People Who Do

Agents often look at me and say that they don’t want to have to learn about the financial end of things – that numbers just aren’t their strong suit.  Here’s the deal.  You don’t have to know all of the numbers and how they work together.  You just need to have enough knowledge to speak intelligently about the issue and then refer the client to a professional for the rest.  If you can open the door, there are many professionals out there waiting to shepherd the client through the process from there. 

Get a free copy of a white paper “Buying Real Estate In Your IRA” and a banner ad that you can post on your website to educate your prospects.  This white paper also includes links to several brokerage companies that specialize in creating and managing self-directed IRAs.  Information is courtesy of The Real Estate Training Center.

I'm in the process of listening to a webinar tht David Wood put out.  As I'm listening to the program, I'm writing an email to David inviting him to a group I have on LinkedIn for Real Estate Trainers and Coaches and asking to talk with him about a new project I'm rolling out in June.  The funny thing is, as I'm writing this email to him, I'm listening to his voice.  I feel like he's chatting with me.  I feel like I know him - even though we've never met. 

I Just Love You!
It occurred to me that this was exactly how my prospects feel when they listen to my online materials and read my newsletter.  And this is exactly how YOUR readers can feel if you give them the tools to do so.  For the longest time, I was surprised every time I got a call from a new potential client who would start the conversation with "I just love you!"  I had no idea who they were, but they felt like they were in relationship with me already 

Give Them Access to a Relationship With You
So here's my challenge for you today.  What can you put up on your website this week that will allow your prospects to get into relationship with you long before they ever meet you?

I was responding to a comment on my post about Solving Some of the Housing Crisis and I realized that I had just effectively written another post but no one was likely to find it.  So I'm going to post the answer here. 

Why You Have to Participate in the Bailout (a.k.a. Why do MY taxes have to pay for someone else's house?)

Our society has always been built around those in the know "taking care of" those who are not so bright.  Our founders built it into the very fabric of our government using the republic system rather than a democracy as we are often told.  This is what the electoral college was originally designed for - to make sure the masses made the right decision.  Sadly, this time they didn't and we as a country pay. 

Here's Why You Have to Participate
Remember the 80's and the Savings and Loan failures?  Remember what a hit that was on the economy?  Well take that and multiply it by several thousand and you're getting an idea of the ramifications of what happens if all of the troubled loans foreclose.  You're going to pay whether you do it this way or another.  Either you'll pay in your property values bottoming out at a ridiculously low price, or you'll pay in your bank going under and the FDIC having to bail out depositors (which it won't have enough money to do if all of these banks fail and therefore, we'll have to raise taxes so that you can get your money from the bank - then I'll be paying for that for you), or you'll pay with the rest of us as foreign investors come in and buy all of the property in the country because it's at firesale prices.  We won't have to be conquered as a nation - we'll be owned.  It's a bleak reality, but it's there. 

It's Not IF You Pay, But How
So, one way or another, you're going to pay.  The question we are asking now, is what is the least costly way to do it?  In the plan I've offered above, we can hopefully get the money from investors rather than taxpayers, keeping costs low, while at the same time offering the deeded right to repurchase the land, so that we don't end up owned by other countries.  Taxpayers would bear the burden of administering the program, but that's it.  And it's not a free ride for anyone - everyone is asked to pay for their mistakes in some way, but no one is devastated by it.

If Your Neighbor Were Drowning, Would You Save Them?
This economy is the equivalent of the perfect storm.  I know professionals in the industry (myself included) who didn't anticipate the full scope of the decline that we would see in the market.  There were too many factors from too many disparate sectors for most people to see the size of the drop coming.  In effect, it was the Hurricane Katrina of the economy.  We should have been able to anticipate it, and we should have been able to manage it, but we failed.  Does this mean that we now allow our neighbors who are stuck on their roofs after the levies have burst to drown in the flood waters that are coming for them?  Perssonally, I'd prefer to send in a life boat.  They're not getting off easy.  They are still going to have to rebuild their credit and pay the consequences of having made a bad decision.  But can we spare them the 10-year stigma of a foreclosure when they are otherwise upstanding citizens with nothing else to tarnish their records but being foolhardy enough to wander into the middle of the perfect storm?  I don't think so.  Perhaps you do.

Drawing The Big Red Dot
One of the things I teach my clients is that it is important to be clear about where you are before you try to move forward in life.  Because if you fail to accept the reality of your current situation, then you run the risk of making a bad decision about the future.  That's what happened with the people who bought houses they couldn't afford - neither the banks nor they weren't realistic about their current situation and that's how we got here.  Let's not make the same mistake they did by assuming that we have a choice about whether to participate in creating a solution to a problem we may not have helped create.  Everyone suffers if we don't fix this.  Don't fool yourself into thinking that isn't true.  If you're honest about the reality of the situation, then you'll see that there is no choice but to act.  Then it's just a matter of what action to take to stave off the flood waters until they subside.

You read that right.  I'm doing a free training session
on BlitzTime Today at 12:30pm EDT (9:30am PT).  It's called Prospecting Using Social Media and it's one of the programs included in Real Estate Week on BlitzTime.

Prospecting Using Social Media
In this program we'll look at ways to improve your prospecting using social media. We'll explore the dos and don'ts of blogging, micro-blogging (Twitter and status updates), Facebook, and LinkedIn. This quick overview will give you tips to avoid breaching social media etiquette and tools to help you Tweet when you're on the street. Chock-full of tools, links, and more information than you can shake a stick at - you'd better be prepared to take notes for this one because it's going to blow you away. We'll even be sharing links to additional free resources to get you even further along the road.

You CAN get on the call, but only if you act quickly. 
You'll have to leave yourself enough time to sign up for the system including creating a profile for yourself. 

Are you reading this too late?  Not to worry,
I'll be making a recording of the call today.  Follow this blog below (by checking the "Notify Me of New Comments" button) and you'll get notified when I post the link to the MP3.

As Promised:  Here's the Link!

The Shame Factor
It's something that people are often ashamed of - financial problems.  Most of their friends will never know that they have a challenge, but we will - because we have to.  They are selling their house because they can't afford it.  We have to know that or they would never tell us either.  And they will be embarrased or ashamed to admit it even though they know they have to.  But because they have to tell us, we'll be in a position to help them.  With the right resources, we can make a stressful situation less so.

Recource For Those In Bankruptcy
If you have a client going through bankruptcy, you should know about an online education and support structure that is in place for them.  It's called The Institute for Financial Literacy and it's run by some really knowledgeable people (I know them personally, and they rock).  They can offer education for people thinking about filing (the general rule is that if you owe more than you make in a year, you're a candidate for bankruptcy - Source: Suze Orman).  They can provide the legally required education programs for those who have already filed and they can generally answer the questions that people have around bankruptcy. 

Check them out and share the knowledge with your clients.  They will thank you for it.