Who Says Prospecting Doesn't Work
One good thing about a challenging economic climate is that it forces all of us to get a little tougher. Rather than rest on our laurels We have to be smarter and work harder to prosper.
One good thing about a challenging economic climate is that it forces all of us to get a little tougher. We can't rest on our laurels for even one moment. We have to be smarter, work harder, and stay sharp to prosper in today's tough market.
I've recently been working with a group of five agents who have gotten in touch with their inner toughness. These five are doing things that they never would have considered two years ago.
And guess what? It's WORKING. At first, when I told them what they needed to do to survive and thrive, they didn't want to do it. They, like all of us, had become accustomed to the seemingly endless supply of transactions that paraded past our desks in the past few boom years.
They, like most of us, were resistant to trying something new and putting their all into it. They, like most of us would be if we did the same, were surprised at how much business is out there if you're willing to take risks and think outside the box.
So what is it that these five agents did? They went prospecting. If you think prospecting is dead, think again. There's still some life left in it yet.
What kind of prospecting did they do? I coach agents to success with For Sale By Owners, geographical farming, niche marketing, and working with renters-but this group all worked with expired listings.
Yes, that's right. Nothing but expired listings. And what a success all five are having with them!
It has nothing to do with experience. While some of them have been in the business over 12 years, one has only been an agent for just under 2 years.
All it takes is a determination to succeed at a proven system-no matter if it seems like the world is crumbling around you. These five agents, of whom I am so proud, wanted more business and decided to go get it.
They are hunters. There's no sitting and waiting around for this bunch. They're willing to do whatever it takes to get the transactions they need. They've chosen to do something they thought they would never do-much less with the belief that they would ever have this much success with it.
Have any of them had a hard time? You bet. Nothing is easy nowadays. It's tough to suddenly pursue a new lead generation target. But with perseverance against perceived odds (and a little coaching from me), they are getting invited into the homes of their target market. They have been getting listings. They have been getting sales.
Whatever type of lead generation you're doing-whether it be expired listings, FSBO's, geographical farms, niche marketing, or working with renters-you have an amazing opportunity in your hands right now. While other agents are hiding their heads in the sand and letting themselves get buried, you can build tall sandcastles by picking a lead generation system and sticking with it day after day.
It's all a matter of selecting a system that works and performing all the tasks related to it-even if it feels at first like you're just spinning your wheels. A system is your guaranteed road to success because it ensures that every step you take along the way is covered. You always know what to do because you have a detailed plan, much like a blueprint for a construction project.
With a system in place-just like the five agents I've been working with-you will know exactly when to call your prospect and with what information. You will know exactly what you're going to send and at what intervals. If you follow the system, you will have success no matter the market and no matter the lead generation program you choose.
The bottom line is that buyers and sellers do want your help right now. They want to get moving. They're tired of sitting and waiting. Now is the time to get out there, target a lead generation group, and put your system into place.
Here are your action steps:
- Find your target market and set up your database.
- Get all your marketing collateral ready. Have everything prepared and ready to go.
- Set up a system for tracking each prospect including times of contact, what the result was, and what the next step is.
- Send them weekly information from the MLS that details what's new to the market, what's recently pended, and what's recently closed. Ultimately, what prospects want is information-NOT an aggressive salesperson.
Think prospecting is a waste of time? Think again. By exercising patience, having a system, and working that system, you will have great success selling to any lead generation target market.