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A Broker who
successfully recruits provides an exciting work environment for Agents.
Existing Agents are stimulated by meeting and working with new people.
New Agents create new competition within the "pecking order" for
listings and sales. They have a level of excitement that can be infectious
to the whole office. If you successfully recruit, you will not miss the
opportunity to put your office on a new higher production bracket and
yourself on a new, higher income bracket. There are three essential components
of recruiting. You must create a written profile of your perfect agent.
By writing down what it would take him or her to be perfect, your mind
will actively look for people who fit your profile. Your mind will also
quickly discount people who do not meet your profile. You will not waste
any time with people who fall short of your criteria. You will also be
able to tell an agent who wants to work for you, specifically why he
or she fell short. Exactly what must be done in order to qualify as an
agent? A focused person will change and improve in order to earn another
opportunity.
The written criteria
or profile will enable you to evaluate your current Agents.
It should be the minimum standard for your current Agents.
They should understand that if they wish to improve, they must
exceed that profile level. They will clearly know that you
are running a quality office with high standards.
If you decide to take
new Agents, for them you may need a separate profile, which
may encompass areas such as passion, drive, experience in other
sales fields, and education. You must quantify the skills the
new Agent has and his mental state. A new agent’s desire and
persistence will overcome many problems in his profile.
For experienced Agents
you will need another profile, which will include an evaluation
of the time constraints each one will put on you. It seems
there are always a few Agents in each office that take up the
bulk of the manager’s time. You do not need to add any more
of these people to your current mix. Your focus should be to
find good people so you can replace the time wasting people
from your staff of Agents.
Once you have completed
and studied your profile, you are ready for the next phase
which is prospecting. Prospecting effectively allows you to
fill your office with the kind of Agents who fit your profile,
which will enable you to earn more money. Prospecting is not
mailing out a bunch of marketing pieces about your company,
which is not a very effective way to recruit new Agents. You
must be willing to pick up the phone and personally call the
Agents in your market who meet your profile and ask for an
appointment. You will not be able to persuade an agent to move
his business over the phone. You need an appointment face to
face. Most Brokers and managers do not prospect. They prospect
less than their Agents do. How do you expect your Agents to
do something you are unwilling to do?
George Washington,
when he was a general, was riding his horse one day in civilian
clothes. He happened upon a group of soldiers who were trying
to push out a cannon that was stuck in a large muddy trench.
The men were struggling in mud up above their knees and had
mud all over their clothes. A young officer on the edge of
the trench was shouting orders at the top of his lungs ordering
the men to get the cannon out of the trench. General Washington
got off his horse and jumped into the trench. After a few minutes,
the men and General Washington extricated the cannon from the
trench. After he got out of the trench the General approached
the young officer and asked why he had not helped his men remove
the cannon? He replied, "I am a Second Lieutenant. That
is why." To which Washington replied, "If you ever
get something stuck in the mud again give me a call and I will
help remove it." The young Second Lieutenant asked his
name. To which General Washington replied, "General George
Washington." At that moment the Second Lieutenant learned
clearly what leadership was.
Are you willing to
get in the mud with your troops? Are you willing to show and
teach them by example the value of prospecting? Are you going
to teach them through your actions what leadership is about?
In over eight years
in real estate sales I never received a phone call from another
Broker recruiting me to work for him. I have spoken to many
other Agents over the years and most have never been called
by another Broker for the purpose of recruitment. If you tried
recruiting, you would be the only Broker calling and prospecting.
You would have a corner on the market. You would land the best
Agents in your market place. You would also set a strong example
to be followed by all your Agents. In less than 18 months you
would have the best real estate office in the area.
The last area is presentation.
You need to create a dynamic presentation for each appointment
with each agent. The agent needs to feel that you have a lot
to offer him in knowledge and experience. Just as your Agents
can get more listings by reducing their commission. You can
always get more Agents by creating more attractive commission
splits for Agents. Is that the mark of a great salesperson
reducing their profit?
Your presentation
should be well planned and scripted so you can focus on reading
the Agents' answers and expressions. You need well-scripted
questions to find out the Agents’ hot buttons and services
that he is looking for that you provide. The better you learn
what the agent is looking for the quicker you can target him
as a prospect or remove him from your list. When you have determined
whether to add him to your office, ask for the order. Do not
conclude a selling situation without asking the Agents to come
to work with you.
The skills you need
to use daily are the same that will create success for your
Agents. If you daily show them daily the value and the need
for those skills, they will work to acquire the same skills
you have and use. If you do not set the strong example of selling
skills, how do you expect your Agents to acquire and believe
in them?
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