1. Your speed to react is critical
2. Avoid complacency
3. Don’t act as if nothing has changed
4. Communication with Sellers needs to increase dramatically
a. More face to face in particular
b. More phone calls
c. More reporting
d. Use newspaper views (if a benefit and relevant to this market)
5. Test – If the right buyer came in today and offered a fair price, is your vendor motivated AND priced to sell?
6. Dialogue – Our job is to keep a close eye on market conditions and report them, we don’t set them
7. Check motivation – Dialogue – A decision not to sell and meet market TODAY is a decision not to sell for maybe another year or two. That’s how long it may be for things to pick up.
8. Conversations with buyers need to be upbeat
9. Although they may have been only ones at open or maybe one other, talk about your high activity mid week
10. When speaking to buyers, continually talk about the sales you are making Read the rest of this entry »
20 Tips for a Changing Market
November 22nd, 2010Communication is KING!
September 12th, 2010Our results, our client satisfaction and our growth, are all largely going to be determined by our ability to communicate. Our adeptness in being able to influence the client, will ultimately lead to more, and a higher quality of business.
The necessary tools needed to affect this require that our awareness, knowledge and skill around this topic be exceptional. In business it is getting so much harder to differentiate ourselves, therefore communication holds the key. To have compelling reasons to do business with us is one thing, but to effectively articulate it, is another. Really great compelling points, but delivered or emphasised poorly is just like a good joke told badly! Read the rest of this entry »
You Management
January 12th, 2010For a long time I have heard it called ‘Time Management’. Time though, is really a misnomer as everyone has the same amount of months in the year; the same amount of days in the month and the same amount of minutes in a day. So I guess if time remains a constant, then it must be me (or You in this case) where the challenge exists. So here are some ‘ YOU Management’ tips to ensure we stay on track and each and every working day is a productive one.
1. Eliminate the perfectionist attitude – challenges and errors in a day will always arise
2. Handle papers once – open mail over a recyclable bin
3. Make sure the first two hours of the day are super productive
4. Develop systems such as a range of standard letters
5. Delegate anything that anyone else can do better, quicker or more efficiently
6. Use ‘to achieve’ lists (formerly known as ‘to do’ lists)
7. Use last 15 minutes of day to plan tomorrow
8. Start each day ensuring all is in place for day – this will involve W.I.P. (work in progress) 10 minute power meeting with team
9. Bed by 10pm and feet hitting floor at 6am
10. Swap “How do I feel?’ with “What should I do?”
11. Be results driven
12. Finish what you start – don’t jump around. Be focused
13. Organise time in blocks (group calls)
14. Be time selfish – Control unnecessary interruptions
15. Master the telephone – Get to the point, have an outcome and action result of call immediately (written note, future call)
16. Control your inbox. Checking emails isn’t a constant process. Check at designated times – action, delete or put in relevant mail folder
17. Have flexi time every 2 hours – controls those sudden emergencies
18. Know the 90/10 rule. 10% is what happens to you and 90% is how you react to it
19. Clean desk = clear mind
20. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, exercise daily – keep your body in great shape and people will naturally be attracted to you.
Success Habits for 2010
January 9th, 2010Question: How has 2010 started for you?
Are your goals set? Values clearly in place? What are you going to be celebrating on 24th December this year? And how are you going to grow as a person?
It’s important (especially at this time of the year) to be aware of the failure cycle that effects so many people.
First there is excitement – “I am going to do this, and this, and this” …and so on. And you do have the best of intentions I know!
Then comes avoidance – it may only be slight at first (in fact it is always only slight at first!) and then the law of diminishing intent creeps in… one day avoidance turns into two days and then three days, then four. This is then followed by excuses – “I am going to ease into it… I’ll leave it until school holidays finish… One more day wont hurt”… and so on. Then the final nail comes in the form of blame – “It’s not my fault. I am not getting any support. No one is here to help…” and the cycle is then complete with nothing achieved. Except perhaps more frustration!
Make this the year you really do make a difference to your life and the people lives who are most close to you. Family, friends and work colleagues. Be proactive in what you do instead of being reactive and waiting for things to come to you. “Too many people live from the outside in rather than the inside out.”
So if you haven’t yet set up a plan and written some goals for this year, here is a snippet of the three pages of my commitments (or habits) to give you insight on how I plan to make 2010 a successful year… hope they help!
- Read more books (autobiographies, business, health)
- Surround myself with inspirational people and learn from them
- Commit to 2 new ideas a week (104 for year)
- Journal thoughts more
- Inspire more people
- Create client loyalty
- Exercise daily
- Grow Jolly People to help more charities
- Create more business relationships
- See my family more
- See my friends more
- Utilise time efficiently and effectively
- Breathe, relax, live in the now!
… and the list goes on. So I hope that gives you a little insight and best wishes to you to go out and make it happen!
What does good service really cost?
November 10th, 2009Never underestimate your ability to affect other people – both in a positive and negative way. I wanted to start my blog with something I am not only extremely passionate about, but also just really love to observe. As a frequent traveller, spending a lot of time on the road, I am continually amazed by service standards in business.
Whether it is airlines, cafes, restaurants or even just filling up with petrol, the thing we all need to remember is that for the person you are serving, it is the first time they have seen you that day. The fact that you may have had 50 customers prior, that may have ‘annoyed’ you, should most definitely not impact on their first experience with you for the day.
My big question at the moment is with budget airlines. What does “budget” actually mean? In airline terms, I thought it simply meant no blankets, no pillows, no TV and you had to pay for your own food. So why then do the procedures to check in and the difficulty with staff seem to always be an issue when it comes to budget? Why does it seem to compromise an effortless smile and notable efficiency?
I do though choose to fly with one of the cheaper carriers as I think they, in particular, keep it real. And it’s always nice to hear “Welcome back Peter”. Simple, yet very effective and overlooked by a more prominent airline group who do “know” me?!
Delivering exceptional service has little to do with cost. So here are my quick tips (which will be a regular addition to my blogs)
- Move effortlessly and with purpose. I can always tell how efficient someone is by the way they move. That’s why before hiring I walk prospects through the office or to a cafe.
- Have peripheral vision. Know when a customer needs help or has concerns. Be proactive instead of reactive.
- Ask, “Is this the most effective and efficient way to make it easier to interact with my customers?
- Have ownership. It is your problem – even if it doesn’t appear in a job description. Face it and deal with it.
- Remember someone is always watching. Always.
- Use their name (where appropriate). Everyone wants to feel important.
- Smile – the simplest and most effective way to influence.
