Everything is coming together.  You have prospected, contacted and now, finally you get to do your listing presentation.  You have gathered all the information to present your marketing plan, company and self to your new prospect, but how do you do so in a way that is truly effective?  Here are a few tips to help you do an effective listing presentation:
Keep It Simple
Keep the listing presentation informative, yet simple.  You might know all the minute details on how you will market their …

Success in Your Direct Sales Business
By Cheri Alguire
How effective are you at sales?
How many skills do you need to be good at in order to be effective?
Where do you start improving your sales skills?
What if I told you there was a way to measure exactly how effective you were at sales? Well, there is. And not only that, there is a way to measure and access progress made in learning and mastering the direct sales process. It is called the Personal Effectiveness Profile and it assesses the 50 critical skills …

The Trail Approach: Business Plan Review and Vision Casting on the Hiking Trail
By Cheri Alguire
Where do you plan your business?
For me, I do my best thinking and long term planning on the trails. I LOVE hiking. I love to be outside, far away from phones and the internet and my office and really let my brain go. This is where I have come up with some of the best ideas for my business over the years.
I try to get in a short three mile hike daily with longer hikes on the weekends. A few …

PSST.  We are in the People Business, not the Houses Business.
Do you believe that?  Now it is true that you do have to have a working knowledge of home basics.  If you don’t know what a water heater looks, like or the difference between a Rambler and a Split, you may have some challenges being in this industry.  However, having a background in structural engineering won’t help you either, unless you have clients to work with.
I am sure …

by Cheri Alguire
The tax credit has almost expired, now what?
Well, the good thing is that it is SPRING!
I saw some flowers off the trail on a recent hike. It reminded me how much I love Spring.
I love the fresh starts. Beginning all over again. It’s like hitting the refresh button.
And now that we are finally getting some good news about the economy, maybe it will be time for some of those old stall leads to finally buy or sell.
Spring is always a good time to check in with leads, past …

By Cheri Alguire
Remember the “best made plans of mice and men often go astray?” The old adage applies readily to your business plan if you do not manage your time effectively and/or delegate activities when needed. You can have the most inspirational vision, the tightest budget, the most sensible production plan, but if you don’t have the time or resources (staff) to accomplish the goals, you are little better off than when you started.
To better understand the importance of the concept of time management, take a look at how you …

By Cheri Alguire
Like the budget, writing a production plan for success is a lot about numbers. Black and white. Hours, dollars, and widgets. There is a sensible layout to follow. You map out the big picture by breaking down your transactions to quarterly and monthly goals. You examine the buyer sales, listing sales, and number of new listings it takes to produce the income needed to support the budget. Easy, right?
Well, straightforward, maybe. Easy, no.
Production planning is as much about problem solving and perspective as it is about the numbers. …

By Cheri Alguire
With the constant bad news about the economy, everyone is talking budget these days as if it were a new and exciting phenomenon—just discovered!
* How to save a buck
* How to budget for a successful future
* How to make your dollar stretch the farthest
The truth is that there is nothing new, trendy, or sexy about budgeting. A well-planned budget is simply the most practical aspect of your business plan—and one of the most important. It’s also not that much fun. But if you think about it, if you …

It is almost time to begin creating your Business Plan for next year. One important part that is often overlooked is what I call the Development Plan. A Development Plan helps you to look at your overall business in different specific areas.
A great story is told by Jeffrey J. Fox in HOW TO BECOME A MARKETING SUPERSTAR. It is the story of Pablo Picasso, dining at an elite New York City restaurant and being approached by a socialite who presumes to ask him for a drawing.
Fox relates, “Picasso grabbed some …

I am often asked, What do you say when a For Sale By Owner seller says [asks] …? I always have an answer for every FSBO objection, but only because I have the advantage of both knowledge and skill over the FSBO seller. Here is a list of common FSBO seller objections and a quick follow-up statement for the listing agent.”
They say: “I’ll save money. I won’t have to pay realtor commissions.”
You say: “Well, you may save a portion of the commissions; did you know that over 90% of the …