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Archive for Marketing Automation

3 Ways to Boost Your Productivity as a Realtor®

By Nadine Larder on February 20, 2019

Productivity for Real Estate

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but the demands of your life are completely unique. It can be frustrating to try to get everything done!

This is especially true for Realtors®, because you have to work odd hours to accommodate showings and open houses, along with being in the office during the day in case you get calls. It can feel like a 16-hour-a-day job!

Fortunately, there are ways to improve your productivity as a real estate agent. Here are some tips to use this year.

Take Advantage of the Right Tools

Some productivity tools are incredible, and others simply won’t work for you. Experiment, and when you find what works, stick with it! 

One thing that works for almost every agent is email automation. A tool like Infusionsoft can help you respond quickly to your list without having to take the time to type out every single email. When you set up campaigns that run automatically, you can nurture leads without lifting a finger!

Other tools you might enjoy include:

  • Trello, a free and easy-to-use system where you create tasks and drag them to different lists as you move them through a process
  • Zapier, which allows you to connect hundreds of apps so that you can easily move data from one tool to another without spending hours doing it manually
  • Canva, a graphics maker that saves you hours on creating high-quality graphics with easy-to-use templates

Focus Your Efforts on What Works

We talk often about the importance of creating a marketing mix for your business. We suggest mixing social media with email marketing, your business website, and print marketing.

One of the best ways to boost your marketing productivity is to focus on what works. Over time, you’ll be able to test a variety of strategies and make tweaks.

Here are some tried-and-true tips to start with.

  • Farming. Establish yourself in a specific neighborhood with postcard marketing, popbys, and participation in local events.
  • Social media. Start with just one platform, and add more as you get comfortable. We recommend starting with Facebook due to your ability to target with ads and create groups centered on your farm area.
  • Email. Build an email list and send a newsletter with helpful tips for homeowners, buyers, and sellers. Promote your latest listings as well!
  • Your website. Target neighborhood-based keywords and build a community page to share useful information and boost engagement.

To make these even more effective, tie them together. Use postcards to promote your social media accounts. On social media, encourage people to visit your website. On your site, offer a downloadable freebie to build your email list. Through email, share useful information and encourage buyers and sellers to contact you.

Know Your Best Hours

Not everyone is at their best between 9am – 5pm. I have a friend who doesn’t really get “in the zone” until after 12pm, and is often working until midnight.

As much as you can, focus your highest-value activities into your best hours. Whether you’re a morning or evening person, put your best energy into outreach, popbys, and business building. Save your lower energy time for paperwork, email, and lower-quality tasks.

Being in real estate is not easy, especially when you have a family and a life to live! However, by using the right tools, focusing on high-quality tasks, and using your best hours wisely, you can accomplish more.

Speaking of accomplishing more, what about getting your postcard mailing off your plate? Whether you want to use regular farming postcards or EDDM®, contact PrinterBees today to find out how we can make sure your mailings get out on time, every time.

Categories : Marketing Automation
Tags : , ,

Is 2019 The Year You Need a Real Estate Assistant?

By Nadine Larder on January 5, 2019

Real Estate Assistant

One thing we talk about constantly at PrinterBees is that the best marketing strategy is consistency. However, if you’re running your real estate business by yourself, it can be really difficult to get your marketing out on a regular basis.

Are you currently sending farming postcards monthly, following up with door knocking, and getting the clients that you’re looking for? If not, you might benefit from getting an assistant.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to find a budget for a full-time salary. There are a lot of affordable ways to get help. Here are some ideas!

Get a Marketing Assistant With Outsourcing & Automation

The first idea won’t cost you very much at all. Consider outsourcing some of your marketing fulfillment and using automation to follow up with inquiries and prospects.

Outsourcing

You might not realize it, but when you order your farming postcards through PrinterBees, we can take care of mailing for you. With your mailing list, we can ensure that all of your postcards are sent on time, every time.

We’ve worked in real estate – we know that there’s nothing more common than well-meaning marketing sitting in piles around your desk because you don’t have time to send it.

Make sure your marketing dollars aren’t wasted anymore! Let us take care of your mailing.

Automation

Do you reply to all email inquiries within one hour? That’s how fast 89% of clients expect you to reply. If that’s not realistic for you – and it’s not for most business owners – you need email automation.

With Infusionsoft, you can gain the benefits of email campaigns, immediate follow-up, and nurturing and education emails. You don’t have to type these out – you can put your prospects into a campaign and emails will go out automatically as scheduled.

If you want to learn more, we wrote a post a few years ago about how using automation has revolutionized our business! Check it out!

Consider a Virtual Assistant for Part Time Help

If you are nervous that you aren’t going to find good help in your area, or you don’t have desk space to have an assistant work with you, why not hire a virtual assistant (VA)?

A VA works at their own home and takes care of specific tasks as assigned. Generally, you choose how many hours a week you want them to work for you, and pay accordingly.

There are two kinds of VAs that can help you – a general VA, and a real estate specialist VA.

Here are some tasks a general VA can do for you:

  • Update listings on the MLS, Zillow, or other portals
  • Enter leads into your customer relationship management (CRM) system
  • Updating social media accounts & answering comments
  • Research on listings or leads
  • Handle scheduling and your calendar
  • Reschedule late/canceled appointments
  • Monitor Help a Reporter Out (HARO) to offer you as an expert for quotes

This is only a sample – there are so many things a general VA can help you do!

You can also find a real estate specialist to work as a VA for you. What exactly you need will define who you look for.

Here are some ideas for a real estate specialist:

  • A virtual transaction coordinator
  • An inbound leads assistant who help qualify and nurture leads
  • An outbound sales VA who can do cold calls, identify expired listings, and more.

Make sure that they have the proper licensing to perform the work you’re looking for, and that they are licensed in your state. If the VA lives out of state, they may not have the credentials you need.

Know if You Need a Real Estate Assistant

You may think you don’t need an assistant because you haven’t reached a specific level of revenue or sales. However, that’s not the only indicator.

Is your real estate marketing falling to the bottom of your to-do list? Do you find that mundane but important tasks are getting pushed back until they become an emergency? Are you concerned that leads are slipping through your hands?

If so, then 2019 could be the year to get a real estate assistant!

Do you have an assistant, either on-site or remote? How has it impacted your business? Share in the comments!

Categories : Marketing Automation
Tags : ,

Save Time in Your Real Estate Business by Outsourcing

By Nadine Larder on February 6, 2018

Outsourcing

Never have enough time in your real estate business? You’re certainly not alone. There never seem to be enough hours in a day, week, or month. You just want to clone yourself!

The good news is, you don’t have to do it all. The bad news is, many real estate agents choose their tasks unwisely.

What do you actually need to focus on, and what can you handle with outsourcing? Find out now.

Be There in Person: When You’re Needed

There are times you need to be present, and things that you absolutely must handle. Beyond the obvious, though, there’s actually a lot you don’t need to have a hand in. Here’s where you’re truly needed.

Live Events

If you’re sponsoring a community event, need to network, or are hosting a live event for your prospects, you need to be there. There’s a lot of work that goes into it, and your face – in person – is what brings it all together.

It doesn’t surprise anyone that live events are a must-do for agents.

Showings and Listing Presentations

Unless you have a strong team with specific listing and buyer’s agents, you need to handle your customers personally. People are hiring you to work with you, and it’s important to be as present as possible.

This doesn’t mean you have to be taken advantage of. And you don’t always need to be face-to-face – phone calls and emails are also great communication. However, your personal touch is the key to how you build your business.

And that’s it!!

Focus on Outsourcing: Mailings, Social Media, and More

Would it surprise you that you can outsource your well-designed marketing plan? If you know what you need to send and when it should be done, you can have someone handle it for you.

In fact, at Printerbees we are able to handle your mailing using your mailing list or Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM®). Your mailing list should be CASS certified, meaning that your addresses are known by the postal service and will be delivered to.

For social media, consider having someone keep your posting consistent while you focus on person-to-person outreach and serving your customers. We enjoy using Socially Posted. They have plans that will allow you stay consistent on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. Instagram is available as well.

You can also use automation to handle email marketing as well. By planning ahead, you can use an email service provider to set up immediate responses to inquiries, regular marketing outreach, and much, much more.

Save Time and Improve Your Income with Outsourcing!

Here’s the bottom line – if you don’t have enough time to do something, it’s not likely to get done. And what does that mean?

It means:

  • Inconsistent marketing mailings
  • Abandoned social media profiles
  • Slow follow-up to inquiries online
  • Missed calls from clients
  • Missed appearances at marketing events

Can you afford that?

No!

Instead, invest strategically in outsourcing. You’ll need a plan, but you don’t have to personally execute every step. Let Printerbees send out the mailings you purchase from us. Let Socially Posted take care of your social media. Get a great email marketing service.

From there, you’ll have more time to handle the things that really matter in your business. You won’t be inconsistent. You’ll make more money because your business will be on track. There’s nothing but winning!

What do you outsource? Share in the comments!

Categories : Marketing Automation
Tags : , , ,

Real Estate Emails That Make an Impact!

By Anna Spooner on October 7, 2016

Real Estate Emails That Have an Impact

The other day I got an email from someone who has a very professional website. Their business is all about constructing a professional brand image online. I love their website!

There was one problem. The email was dismal.

It was full of grammatical errors. It was too short. It lacked a point. It gave a sloppy call-to-action that directed me to a blog post that wasn’t even connected to the company.

It did NOT make me want to work with that company.

Is that the impact that your emails have? Do they match up to your professionalism, or do they fall short?

You can create real estate emails that make a real impact and build your business. For every $1 in marketing, email marketing can return $44.25! If you’re not seeing that, consider making these changes.

Use the Right “From” Address

One of the most important aspects of an email is often overlooked – what “from” address shows when you email your list?

If it’s not a personal email that seems to be coming directly from you, you have a major problem. In fact, the “from” address of an email matters more than the subject line. And the subject line is vital!

People aren’t interested in irrelevant email, and an email that comes from a company (info@company.com, for instance) screams advertising. And an unknown Gmail address seems like spam. Instead, make sure that your name is involved. That way, your recipient knows exactly who is contacting them.

An effective “from” address has these characteristics:

  • Comes from someone the contact knows and trusts (you, not your company)
  • Helps readers find your messages if they get misrouted or put in the junk folder
  • Stands out in a sea of other email addresses

Be Personal and Engaging

Using your customer’s name – without overusing it, of course – is essential to making a connection with your reader. The subject line might say, “-Name-, thought you might enjoy this article” or something equally personal.

In addition, an email should always begin with the prospect’s name. That way, everyone feels like they are hearing directly from you even if the email is automated.

Once you have the personalization, be engaging! Don’t send boring, shop-talk style emails. No one wants to read that. Instead, focus on the following types of email:

  • Q&A: Answer common questions that your prospects have
  • Story-Based: Tell a story about something you encountered and then draw a short applicable lesson from it. The story should be fun – and don’t underestimate how much people want to know the real you!
  • Testimonial: Use a review or testimonial to share a great experience that a client had with you. It helps others want to work with you as well. Be sure to end with “This is why I love what I do”, along with a gentle call-to-action. No need to be too salesy.
  • Drive to a Blog Post. If you have a blog, consider having one email a month that directs people to the blog. That will get readers to your site so they can see your listings and other materials.
  • Having local events can be a great way to share information and get leads. Use your email list to promote any local appreciation or workshop events that you hold.

Be Entertaining

One mistake many Realtors® – and other professionals – make with email marketing is that they think their subscribers want to learn more information.

The truth is, everyone has far too much information. No one wants to learn more! Instead, you need to be as entertaining as you can be. Try to be 80% entertaining and 20% educating. That way, you are getting a point across, but you’re doing it in a really fun way.

Don’t feel like you have to be a professional comedian to entertain. All of us have silly, funny, or even embarrassing things happen in our daily lives that we can share. Those things are often great stories! By sharing a story about yourself, your family, or your business, you can be authentic while also selling your business.

Be Consistent

Are you worried about how often you email? Do you wonder if you email too much? Let me tell you a secret – there’s no magic number. The trick is to be consistent.

If you email once a month – sometimes – but are inconsistent, you’ll get complaints and unsubscribes every time you send an email.

On the other hand, if you set the expectation that you’ll email every week or once a month, and you actually do, you’ll get more engagement, fewer complaints, and fewer drop-offs. It’s not about how often you email. It’s about setting an expectation and being consistent.

Consider varying your emails to make them easier to craft and more predictable for readers. For instance, you could email weekly using a cycle like this:

  • Week 1: Just for Fun
  • Week 2: Testimonial and Ask for Referrals
  • Week 3: Story and Ask for Business
  • Week 4: Drive to a Blog Post

This way, you never wonder what to say next. Your readers will also know what to expect. The consistency will work wonders.

Email marketing is very effective. It just has to be done correctly. It’s also best done in conjunction with regular postcard and mailing campaigns. If you’re ready for your next batch of Just Listed or Just Sold postcards, let us help! We have tons of templates to choose from.

How do you use email marketing? Share in the comments!

Categories : Marketing Automation, Real Estate Email, Real Estate Internet Marketing
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Automation Tools for Real Estate

By Anna Spooner on August 26, 2016

Automation Tools for Real Estate

Some Realtors® feel that automation is the death of personalization. That’s not true at all!

In fact, you can make your leads and customer feel even more attended to by automating a few things, while giving you more time for you to interact directly with the highest probability leads and give them the personal touch.

What Can Realtors® Automate?

If you’re not automating or using a Customer Relationship Tool (CRM), you’re probably doing something like this:

  • A lead emails you or fills out the form on your listing/website
  • You manually check your email (Hopefully, not too long after they reached out)
  • You follow up with them with another email, and try to schedule a time to get together, when you get a chance
  • You manually follow up when you can, and add them to your newsletter/e-blast list to possibly nurture the lead.

Or, your CRM tool can take over those responsibilities for you.

“Enter marketing automation. Most automation platforms allow you to set up workflows that dictate what email messages to send after certain actions are taken on your website,” wrote Inbound marketing expert, Matthew Bushery.

“You can even set up multiple emails following a download: one to thank the user, then three, four, or more emails over the span of months to provide them with your digest, newsletter, and/or promotional emails.”

Imagine CRM as a paid employee who follows up with leads right away, and manages your relationship with customers at every phase.

Should I Automate Social Media?

The jury is actually out on social media. There are those who have data they claim proves that using a third party automated social media tool (like Hootsuite) actually hurts at post’s performance and visibility.

“Using scheduling services such as Hootsuite, Viral Heat, or Sprout Social to schedule your Facebook posts will gain you only one thing: an even lower reach,” wrote social media blogger,  Ash Reed.

“That’s because Facebook recognizes, and penalizes these third-party apps, giving them less credibility than posts made directly on Facebook.  This is true for businesses that push their Twitter feed through Facebook as well.”

Keep in mind, Facebook has openly denied this. So it’s your call on what you want to believe.

What Automation Tools Are Good For Realtors®?

You will find a ton of tools out there, but Infusionsoft is one of my personal favorites. It’s a complete CRM tool that helps you automate your lead management, customer interactions, and marketing, all in one place.

“Those in tune with their audience (or those who would like to be) will love Infusionsoft,” wrote Matthew Toren, Mentor and co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com.

“Staying connected becomes second nature after importing and organizing contacts using tags and segmentation. Infusionsoft tracks and records leads’ behavior (like checking your website or archiving your emails), then scores each lead based on ease of conversion.”

In my own business, Infusionsoft improved my revenue 472% and my marketing ROI by 4000%. A good CRM tool like Infusionsoft can help you reclaim your valuable time, by handling the burden of doing everything yourself, while making MORE money than ever!

They can also remind you to follow up with clients and send out postcards, thank you notes, and other materials on time. If you don’t have print marketing ready to go, you should! Let us help get it ready for you.

Categories : Business Practices, Marketing Automation
Tags : , ,

How to Use Email Marketing in Real Estate

By Anna Spooner on April 25, 2016

Email Marketing

Email marketing delivers an ROI of 4,300%. You read that correctly. This is surprising to most, but not to those who are doing it correctly.

The numbers prove that for every $1 spent, email marketing generates $38 in return-on-investment. This means Email marketing still remains the heavyweight champion of the ROI.

The good news is this powerful lead generator is predominantly under-used or misused, so you can really stand out immediately by doing things the right way.

Let’s take a look at how Realtors® can leverage this tool and turn emails into sales.

Even Email Marketing Needs a POSTAL Return Address

First, and most importantly, don’t leave yourself open to unnecessary and expensive fines.

This may seem counterintuitive, but always make sure your business snail mail address is somewhere in the body of the email – generally at the bottom. Otherwise, the FTC can slap you with a fine that would completely destroy your marketing budget for a whole year.

“With each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act subject to penalties of up to $16,000, there’s a lot at stake if you screw up. For that reason, and for the sake of marketing with integrity, it’s wise to educate yourself—and anyone helping you with your email marketing—about the law,” wrote Forbes Contributor, Nellie Akalp.

Avoiding this can be as simple as adding your business office address or a PO Box to your signature or footer.

You’re in Real Estate, So Provide Real Value!

To make the most of your email campaign, you need to do more than simply talk about all the great work you’re doing, and send out a weekly blast of your current listings.

People need to see you as an expert, not just a salesperson. So take an email marketing campaign as a chance to share tips, trends and helpful anecdotes that will entice your recipients to open your emails AND look for more next week.

Of course, you can share your current listings. But don’t lead with them. Lead with value, and add a link to your listings subtly in the body of the text, or in a soft-sell call-to-action at the end.

Tailor Your Message with Drip Email Marketing

You know you can automate the entire email process. But did you know you can actually automate the cultivation of an entire relationship? You can, with what’s called a drip campaign. Simply put, you’re automatically sending subscribers an email that’s specific to an action they’ve taken.

“For instance, those who visit your site and fill out a form could begin to receive a string of drip emails that slowly but surely nurtures them through your inbound sales funnel,” wrote marketing expert, Matthew Bushery.

“The first email could welcome them to your newsletter, while the second and third could provide an overview of your social media profiles and what you offer on your website.” Infusionsoft offers a great platform that allows you to fully customize email campaigns in exactly this way.

Create a Checklist and Use it

Ideally, lots of people are going to see each email you send. So make sure it’s as good as it can be.

You’re going to proofread the copy. Great! You’re going to use more than just one proofreader and have someone else read it too. Even better! But embarrassing mistakes aren’t limited to typos, so experts recommend a “pre-flight checklist” to look at everything. Most Realtors® don’t do this, and most pay for it in lost leads without even realizing it.

“Those marketers are leaving their program open to simple mistakes — like missing links, missing approvals or using the wrong audience segment — increasing the possibility of needing to send an apology email,” wrote Chad White of Marketingland.com.

When you implement these four strategies to getting the most out of your email campaigns, you will instantly put your email marketing ahead of most other Realtors®. You’re going to know how to avoid spam fines, provide information that really engages your audience, be more dynamic with a drip campaign, and create a checklist to follow before you hit send. These are the little things that set you up for success in email marketing.

While you’re revisiting your digital advertising, how does your print marketing look? Is it time for new business cards or postcards?  If you need new materials, you can easily create your own design online, and give your branding a quick refresh.

Categories : Lead Generation, Marketing Automation, Real Estate Email
Tags : , ,

4 Tips for Those Just Starting in Real Estate

By Anna Spooner on February 1, 2016

New Realtor® Tips

Getting started in any new industry is never an easy task. There’s always so much to learn, and often money is tight.

And with so many different marketing strategies and promotional ideas out there, how do you know which ones are worth investing in? How do you know what’s best to help you get started?

Real Estate is no different. Starting a new career as a real estate agent is fun and exciting, but can also be pretty scary and intimidating at times. Because of this, we’ve put together a list of 4 great tips for those just starting out in the business of real estate. Hopefully, you’ll find some of these helpful, especially when deciding where to invest your time and money.

Develop a System to Generate New Leads and Stay in Touch with Old Ones

Lead generation is, of course, extremely important to real estate. In fact, it’s important to pretty much any business out there. With that said, the best thing that you can do when just starting out is to develop a solid lead generation (and client retention) strategy right from the get-go. For example, you could send mailers out to people in your area or host an event for locals interested in buying or selling their homes.

Don’t do it just once – keep it going regularly by creating a system that will remind you when it’s time to reach out again. And once you have clients, you also need to keep in touch with them on a regular basis through phone calls, additional mailers, or via email, which brings us to our next point…

Email Marketing

A great way to both stay in touch with old clients and also reach potentials is through email marketing. Not only does email marketing have an awesome return on investment – 4,300% on average – but it’s also great for promoting new deals you might be offering or even local events that you might be hosting. Generally speaking, people who are on your email list have opted in to be there through your website, so they’re already interested in what you have to say – they want to hear from you! Don’t be shy. Keep them in the loop and informed about what’s going on in the industry.

Email marketing that uses automation, like Infusionsoft, can be a great way to make sure that no leads fall through the cracks and that you follow up on a regular basis – without having to drive yourself crazy with a mile-long to-do list.

Blog and Website

If you’re just starting out in real estate and you don’t have a website and blog yet, that should definitely be your first order of business. Having a website is pretty much a necessity in today’s world. The majority of people are looking online to find real estate agents, so you’re going to want to be where they are already looking. You can use your website to showcase current listings, share success stories, host your blog, and offer free information in return for email addresses so that folks will join your email list.

Blogging on a regular basis is a great way to provide your clients with useful real estate related information, such as what’s going on in your target neighborhoods, how to care for and organize a home, staging tips, and more. As a bonus, they keywords you use in those articles will also help to push your website towards the top of search results in search engines. Finally, an active blog will help draw people to your website so that they see your listings and learn more about you.

Design Quality Business Cards

Even though we live in an increasingly digital world, there’s just something about a physical business card that will never go out of style. A business card helps potential clients remember who you are, and makes it simple for them to recall your contact information when they are ready to do business with you. So don’t skimp on your business cards! Make them truly shine and stand out from the crowd. At Printerbees, we offer a wide variety of business cards – take a look at some on our website to get an idea of what you should be going for!

With so many people focusing only on digital marketing, there’s less competition in printed advertising that ever. Having high-quality business card, postcards, and flyers will help you stand out in your target neighborhoods and help you establish yourself as an exceptional full-service Realtor®.

When you follow these four steps, you’ll be well on your way to establishing yourself as a trusted real estate agent within your community. And even if you’re struggling at first, don’t give up – consistency is vital and over time you’ll really begin to develop a solid client list.

Are you a newer Realtor®? What’s the biggest struggle? Share in the comments!

Categories : Lead Generation, Marketing Automation, Real Estate Marketing
Tags : , , ,

How to 10X Your Production in the New Year

By Anna Spooner on October 28, 2015

Multiply Realtor Production

As winter comes upon us, most Realtors® are facing the slowest time of their year. In a way, it’s nice to have time to spend with family during the holidays, but for many Realtors® it’s nerve-wracking as you wonder how the bills will get paid through the end of the year. But what if you didn’t have to worry? What if you already had enough in the bank to easily weather the slow season?

As we approach a new year, it’s natural to start thinking about new goals, new approaches, and new strategies. Here are some ideas that you can use to 10X your real estate production in 2016.

Focus Ruthlessly on the 20%

The Pareto Principle states that 20% of your activities create 80% of your results. The first step to 10X your production next year is to be ruthless about focusing on that 20%. During this slow season, write down the things that really help you hit your lead gen and appointment goals. Then, brainstorm ways to outsource or delegate everything else.

This may seem unrealistic, until you realize that hiring a VA can get you the help you need very affordably. A VA can go through your email for you and only forward you the important ones, which keeps you from getting sidetracked on meaningless things. You can also block social media on your computer during the work day, and use a written schedule to block out time for your lead producing activities.

The bottom line is that every hour you lose to candy crush, cat videos, and meaningless emails is an hour of business building you can never get back. Focus ruthlessly on the 20% of valuable activities, and cut everything else out. You’ll be amazed how much your business will grow.

Use a Written Schedule

I’m as guilty as anyone of having “shiny object syndrome”. However, when you want to 10X your production, you need to stay on track. A written schedule can do that for you. Only schedule time for things that build your business, not for goofing off or non-valuable activities.

The first step to using a written schedule is to set written goals for yourself. If you 10X your production this year, how many leads does that equal? How many appointments? Then, break those numbers down into 10 months – not 12, because you want to really zero in on activity during busy months and leave space for slower times. Then, set weekly goals based on those monthly numbers.

Once you have your weekly goals, build your daily to do list with those daily goals in mind. How many contacts do you need to get your daily lead number? How will you achieve that? With a focused schedule each day, you’ll be making daily progress toward reaching your 10X production goals.

Choose a CRM and Work Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with folks in less time than calls and door knocking. By having multiple databases, you can keep up with each group in a personalized way. Automation is key here – be sure to use a system that allows automated follow-up, because typing 50 emails a day is NOT value-added.

My favorite system, as you may know if you have read many of my blog posts, is Infusionsoft. It allows amazing customization and segmentation, and I’ve gone from following up with 70% of my leads to getting 100% without fail. That has done wonders for my business, and I know it would yours as well.

If you already have another CRM, though, just use it. Make use of the tools you already have, segment your database, and follow up regularly. I suggest having three groups: sphere of influence, new leads, and other agents. Each of these groups would require a different follow-up structure – set it up to be automated, and you’ll rarely have to mess with it!

Create Systems for EVERYTHING

The last piece of advice for 10X your production next year is to create systems for everything. When you have a system, it allows you to hire help without having to lose tons of time training people in order to maintain your quality. Anything you do can be documented and made into a system. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • What’s the process a new lead goes through? Regardless of source, you can make sure all of your leads get high quality service.
  • What’s your process for preparing for a listing appointment?
  • What’s your process for onboarding a new buyer client?
  • What’s your process for onboarding a new seller client?
  • What’s your process for following up after a sale?

As you sit down to do this, it may seem overwhelming because so much you do needs to be systematized. However, this is really an amazing opportunity, because every system you create helps you save time, energy, and money while growing your business. Systems are an essential key to creating any significant production growth, especially when you grow enough that you need to hire additional staff.

Deciding to 10X your production next year seems audacious, but by following these four simple steps, you can definitely achieve it. Focus ruthlessly on the essential 20%, create a written daily schedule based on your goals, work your CRM and email marketing, and create systems for everything. During the slow season, make a plan – and next year, rock that plan!

Which of these tips would mean the most in your business? Share in the comments!  

Categories : Business Practices, Lead Generation, Marketing Automation
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How Realtors® Can Create Systems for Success

By Anna Spooner on September 16, 2015

Realtor Systems for Success

None of us have enough time or mental energy to think carefully through every decision we make. Some decisions are worth a lot of thought – like whether or not to invest $1000 into your marketing. Some decisions are not – like whether to wear the red shirt or the blue one. Knowing the difference is a key to success.

You may be thinking that I’m being silly – no one wastes time on what color their shirt should be. (Oh, but we do…) But I’m making a broader point. Having appropriate systems is essential for success. Systems that automate what can be automated and leave you time – and energy – for the places that your personal touch matters.

Here are some specific ways that Realtors® can create systems for success.

Have a Daily and Weekly Routine

It can’t be emphasized enough how important routine is when it comes to handling the mundane portions of your life. When you go to bed, when you get up, how you prepare your family in the morning, and much more can be made easier when you develop a routine.

When you have a routine, you know that certain things are going to happen without fail. You don’t have to think about it, and you can easily tell others that specific times are booked. Some of the things to include in your routine could be:

  • Going to bed at the same time every night, and getting up at the same time every morning. This routine alone will give you tons of energy and help your body be ready for the day’s challenges.
  • Preparing for the week on Sunday night, and preparing for each day the night before. Whether you lay out clothes, check for key appointments, or prepare your breakfast or lunch ahead, you’re positioning yourself for a much more successful day.
  • Realtors® seem to always be on the go, and yet we rarely get real exercise. Scheduling specific time in the calendar for exercise is a key part of success – it will keep you healthier, help you burn off stress, and improve your focus.
  • As Realtors®, we don’t get vacation days very often. But we can schedule specific downtime into our days and weeks. Put it on the calendar and protect it as strongly as a client appointment. You need to refresh in order to be your best.

Use Technology That Solves Specific Problems as Part of Your System

It’s easy to buy technology that promises to make you better, faster, and more efficient, but do you have a specific problem that you’re solving? Does it fit into your existing work system? If not, the money is better used elsewhere.

When you buy technology, be clear on what problem it’s solving and exactly how – and when – you’ll implement it. Add the technology to your existing systems. When you have a clear goal and plan, you’ll be much more likely to reap the rewards of your investment.

Too many Realtors® spend a lot of money on tools to become more effective, and then never implement the tools. Obviously, this won’t make anyone more successful. Technology is an amazing boon to the real estate industry, but only if it’s the right technology for your specific practice and way of doing business. Invest wisely, and then implement promptly!

Automate Lead Follow-up

Speaking of technology… the tools we have available that allow us to do personalized, automated follow-up are unbelievable. As you know, I personally use Infusionsoft and have seen my lead follow-up reach 100% and my business growth explode as a result. I invite you to give it a try yourself.  But even if you don’t use Infusionsoft, you need to create a system to automate lead follow-up.

Remember that follow-up can be automated without being impersonal. A referral from a friend shouldn’t be treated the same way as a lead from the internet, but both can be automated. It’s just a matter of personalizing your system in the right way, and using different email campaigns for different types of leads.

You can’t afford to have leads fall through – a fail-safe system will make sure that you stay in contact with everyone you meet, whether it was yesterday or three years ago. You never know when someone will be ready to buy or sell.

Systems are an amazing way to reduce the drain of certain types of decision making. You can create routines and habits that make your daily and weekly tasks easy to execute. You can adopt specific technologies that fit your work systems. And you can automate your lead follow-up to make sure you’re not leaving any money on the table. These systems will help set you up for tremendous success.

What systems do you use that contribute to your success? Share in the comments!

Categories : Business Practices, Lead Generation, Marketing Automation
Tags : , ,

Time Management Tips for Busy Realtors®

By Anna Spooner on August 27, 2015

Time Management for Realtors

If there’s one thing I know we all wish we had, it’s more time. Realtors® have a ton of demands on their time – farming, answering inquiries, marketing listings, keeping up on social media, running clients to showings, managing their budget, and keeping their important partnerships intact. No one I know thinks real estate is a 9 – 5 job. But they still find it worth the work.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make time management easier. Here are four. Take a look at these and see what you can implement next week – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes!

Automate Your Lead Follow-up

If you’ve read many of my blog posts, you know I’m a huge advocate of marketing automation. That’s because before I implemented it, I was losing 70% of my leads because I simply didn’t have time to follow up with everyone. Now that I’ve automated my follow-up, I lose ZERO leads. The transformation has been amazing.

Automated follow-up sounds very impersonal, but it’s not. I use Infusionsoft, and couldn’t be more in love with its versatility. You can customize not only the emails – which can include the customer name and other personalization – but the actual flow of email itself. Based on what the reader clicks, you can trigger different email paths. It’s the ultimate in reacting to each customer individually.

I wrote a post that gives far more details about this a few months ago, called “How to Have a Full-Time Marketing Assistant for $199/month”. Take a look if you’re interested!

Be Choosy with Social Media

I hear so many Realtors® say “You have to be everywhere on social media,” and it makes me cringe. You DON’T have to be everywhere. You simply can’t!! Instead, be choosy. Select 1 – 3 social media platforms that make the most sense for your business demographic and neighborhood. Then, do the absolute best you can with these. It’s far better to have a great presence on a few sites than an inconsistent presence on many.

Like all marketing and relationship building, consistency is the key to success. No Realtor® or real estate office can be consistent on every social media platform in existence. Instead, choose 1 – 3 and focus on building those relationships. You’ll end up with far better marketing results in far less time.

Consider Hiring a Virtual Assistant

In today’s world, you no longer need to have an on-site full time administrative assistant unless you want one. If you’re in a position where you could use the help, but can’t afford a full-time employee, consider hiring a virtual assistant, or VA. A VA is a contract employee that you simply pay an hourly fee. You are not responsible for office space, benefits, or anything else.

A general VA can do basic office work, filter email, answer the phone, mail outreach material, and more. This can make a world of difference in how much time you have available. If you need more specific real estate help, there are also real estate VAs available. These people are often former Realtors®, and can help with more specific real estate paperwork, deal with banks and inspectors, and much more. In either case, a VA is a great solution for an overworked Realtor®.

Systematize Your Prospect Outreach

A lot of us put a TON of thought into what we are going to send our prospects each month/week. We all know that we need a ton of “touches” before we’re going to make a sale, but often we panic because we don’t know what to say. But what if you created a system?

Decide on how many “touches” you want to do, and designate specific content for each one. Touch #1 could be a specific welcome email you write in advance. Touch #2 could be a newsletter. Touch #33 could be a Buyer FAQ. Whatever it is, decide and create it in advance. Then, when a new prospect comes in, they just go into the system. No more deciding what to send – just send the next item on the list. How much easier is that?!

There are tons of ways you can plan your day and organize your time. These four tips are actionable, solid approaches that will dramatically reduce the amount of time certain tasks require. If you put them into practice, you’ll be less harried and more able to focus on what you love – helping people buy and sell homes.

What do you do to focus your time? Share in the comments!

Categories : Business Practices, Lead Generation, Marketing Automation, Social Media
Tags : , , ,
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