Earning a high, six-figure income is easier when you employ the following strategies that I have identified from working with top producers. They are not made up, theoretical strategies that may work in the real, rough and tumble world of real estate marketing. They are proven strategies that do work, and work in a big, big way. Need proof? Take a close look at any top producer and check off those that apply!

1.Have a business plan

You absolutely must, must, have a plan in place to make a success of this business. How in the world can you get to where you want to go without a plan, a system designed to get you there? For that matter, how will you ever get to where you want to go if you have never taken the time to actually determine, specifically where that is? Take a lesson from the King in Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

"Begin at the beginning," the king said gravely, "then go 'till you get to the end."

Wise, wise, words. Do you have a plan... or ...are you just hoping for the best?

2. Leverage Yourself

Leverage can take many forms. For instance, you could choose to work with one couple for one solid weekend, driving them to-and-fro looking to make one sale... or ...you could delegate the showing out to your hired assistant and you could concentrate on adding to your listing inventory where, on any particular weekend, a dozen or more agents could be out driving their buyers to-and-fro to your listings where you stand to profit from multiple sales.

Leverage also means locating and working with investors...

• Listing home builders...
• Joining a national referral system...
• Using direct mail promotions versus door knocking and cold calling...
• Optimizing your internet presence...
• "Listing" buyers and taking them off the market...

3.Maintain a Direct Line

A direct line is an absolute must in today's highly competitive environment. It lends credibility. It speeds things up. It ensures you get your calls without having to worry about the receptionist losing a message or whatever.

Also, you should maintain a couple of E-mail addresses, voice mail numbers, autoresponders, fax-back systems and any other device you can think of to intercept and measure the results of all your advertising. Ideally you should maintain at least two lines for every type of marketing campaign you get involved in... just for testing purposes! Remember, at least two lines! (two E-mails, two web sites, two extensions, two fax-back options, two headlines, two 'deals', etc., etc.,).

In fact, I would make getting a direct line a priority in my business if I didn't already have one. I mean, think about it. If you average $2,500 per leg and an interested buyer calls in from a promotion you paid for and implemented... and the call gets transferred to the up-desk because you aren't available... well... need I say more?

4.Use Direct Response Marketing

Is there any other profitable way? Is there any other marketing method that makes sense? That pays the bills? That generates leads?

Direct response marketing is the ultimate tool for creating leverage. Depending upon the media you choose to disseminate your message, you could potentially reach thousands, ten of thousands, even millions of people all at one time! How can telemarketing or knocking on doors compete with that type of massive exposure? It can't!

Remember the old adage, "The more you tell, the more you sell." Direct response marketing is the tool to tell the most for the least. Master it, my marketing friends. Master it.

You are the housing expert in your town -not me. You have a better grip on the situation, the local flavor, the needs, wants, desires, hopes, fears, concerns, and aspirations of your local prospects and customers. You know much more about how to motivate "your own" than I ever will because you are right there in the midst...whereas I'm way out here in Carson City, Nevada of all places!

My goal in designing the systems was nothing more than to open your eyes and minds to the virtually endless possibilities and profits available to the astute marketer. The tools, ads, free reports, etc., were merely provided to help you get started. Nothing more. And I highly encourage you to begin researching, designing, and implementing your own direct marketing messages, ads, and free reports. Use your personality, the buzz words of your area, the message most apropos to the needs and concerns prevalent in your area. Anyway...

Let's take a quick review, shall we? Targeted, emotional response marketing in a nutshell:

The first rule of successful, massive lead generation marketing is to develop a compelling marketing message targeted to a very specific prospect.

Successful lead-generation starts with an exact answer to the question "who?" The closer the match between your message and the specific type of prospect you want to work with,the higher the quantity and quality of leads you'll get. In other words, the more bang for your buck.

The free reports provided with your membership were designed specifically to address the wants, needs, and concerns of buyers and sellers (depending on the report) to a point. Since I knew I was going to market the systems nationally, I actually redesigned my original regional version to embrace a more generic style in order to address a wider number of issues. In so doing...a lot of the power of specific targeting was lost.

For instance in one of the reports I relate a story of an older couple who sold their home and unwittingly lost money due to a failure to "reinvest" in a similar property within the time allowed by the rollover law.

Now, if memory serves me right, I mentioned a selling price in the $200,000 range which is average for my particular area. Is it the average for your particular area? If not, then by all means, take the time to rework the report! Get specific. Target your prospects!

If have a computer so you have no excuse not to have a number of different reports... one for doctors, dentists, first-time buyers, renters within your geographical territory, those blessed with a recent birth, or devastated with a recent loss of life, property or income... all available for immediate use. And sure, I realize it all takes time -- but it is time well spent. You work once and reap the bountiful rewards again and again.

Design your marketing materials to spark emotional issues.

Everybody responds and buys for emotional reasons. Emotions reign king. Emotions rule our behaviors, our decisions, and our inner thought processes. The secret to getting your phone ringing off (or your site counter clicking) is to target a very specific, emotionally compelling message to your prospects.

Fact of the matter is, studies have shown that we are all bombarded with upwards of 1,200 marketing, advertising messages every single day. Consequently, since the average human mind can only process 5-7 pieces of information and sensory messages at any one time before going into a state of mental breakdown, we've all become very adept in the art of “deletion.” That is, we have this uncanny ability to simply ignore anything that doesn't reach right out and grab our attention in a meaningful way...

And what's meaningful? How we feel. How things look to us. If what you're saying rings a bell with me. If you somehow are addressing my concerns. My emotions. What's important to me at that particular moment in time.

People are people. We may look different or talk different or eat different types of foods, but inside... in our hearts and minds, in our very beings... we are all very much basically the same.

We are curious. Inquisitive. We hurt and hunger for compassion and understanding. We have an insatiable desire to be recognized and appreciated. To be loved. Cared for. Understood. Deemed important.

So be bold in your marketing. Be creative. Take risks.

Risk caring enough to differentiate yourself from your competition and provide a marketing message that is real, that will strike right to the heart of things for that particular prospect.

And I'm telling you... the emotional concerns of a doctor buying his or her first home is quite different that those of a blue collar worker. Likewise the emotional concerns and motivations of a retired couple are much, much different than those of a young, just-getting-started couple.

You have to ask your prospects to take action, to make some kind of response.

The beauty of direct response marketing lies in the fact that it can be measured. If you run an ad which you believe to be targeted, emotional in appeal... and it doesn't produce... there's no getting around it. What is, is.

If you don't get any calls... dump the ad! It's not working!!

5. Hire a Personal Assistant

This relates back to leverage. It also relates to self-image and accountability. Let me explain.

I can hire a sign placement agency to post for sale signs for $18 dollars a shot. It takes about a hour or so to place the sign. Now, if my goal is to make $100,000 next year, I have to be earning approximately $40 per hour. And this means I could not afford to work for only $18 an hour.

Likewise... opening mail, making routine follow-up calls, going to the printers, designing house brochures and a lot of other time consuming, non-revenue producing tasks... should all be delegated to someone who has made the choice to be content with earning $10-$15 dollars per hour while you spend your time doing those things which will bring you at least $40 per hour.

And if you think you cannot afford a personal assistant or that your volume doesn't warrant a personal assistant, might I suggest your volume is where it is because you lack help. Might I suggest you hire an assistant and thus commit yourself to providing for two families...yours and theirs?!

It's funny what accountability will do to one's motivations. It's one thing to be responsible solely and only for yourself - - quite another to be responsible for the well being of other also.

6. Prospect 90 minutes a day.

You should prospect at least 90 minutes a day and by "prospecting," I'm referring to calling on FSBOs and Expireds or doing some other high leverage marketing activity like creating a global, Internet classified advertising campaign designed to drive more traffic to your site.

I'd make it a point to play the numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Lots and lots of contacts. Then...I would strive to qualify those leads which showed the most promise and focus my attentions on them and refer all others.

And if there we're simply too many prospects to follow up on and not enough time... well, gee, I guess I'd have to hire a personal assistant or a good telemarketer or have to systemize"

7. Maintain a Data-Base of all Contacts

Studies have shown again and again that the “gravy” business comes from people who either know you or know of you. But, as the old saying goes..."out of sight, out of mind.”

If you don't maintain a system of consistent, persistent contact with everyone you know - it won't be too long before they'll forget they know you! It's your responsibility to develop, maintain, and nurture a significant center of influence... not theirs.

I know of a member who maintains a data base of everyone he meets and mails to them monthly. His current list numbers over 25,000! His monthly mailings are the only “marketing” he does... and he receives over 50 calls a day from interested buyers and sellers!

Imagine... (and what would happen to your referral income if you focused on driving people to your site, qualified them, compiled a database... and referred these wonder leads out for 15% -- all electronically without the cost, headache or hassle of direct mail!)

8. Prequalify Your Buyers

Back in my childhood days I earned money picking apples. You were supposed to pick a tree clean which meant climbing a ladder, etc., etc., and it was very time consuming. It would have been a lot more profitable if you were allowed to simply pick the apples you could reach from the ground and move on...

Well, you have that option when you master the art of generating lots and lots of leads. YOU can then “cherry pick” the best, most promising, most qualified prospects to work with and pass on the negligible ones to others for referrals.

You need to protect your time at all costs, and that means spending the time up front qualifying both buyers and sellers. Chose to focus only on those most promising. I mean, what good does it do to drive a prospect from house to house... hour after hour... using up gallon upon gallon of gas... only to discover later that they don't or can't qualify? Likewise with sellers. Why take a listing that's overpriced when they aren't motivated to sell? Why? It doesn't make sense? You can only lose...

9. Master Your Presentations

Every presentation you give that results in a closed transaction is worth a tremendous amount of money to you. Have you spent the time necessary to polish your presentation? Do you have a standard come back to every objection you might encounter? Have you learned how to close? Have you actually recorded one of your presentations to determine how you sound? You should!

10. Give Yourself Time

Strive to get 12 month listings if at all possible and obtain price reductions every 30 days. In other words, buy yourself time to market the property. Need to know how? Download a copy of the $30,000,000 listing presentation!

11. Call Your Clients Weekly

This basically is follow up and, if you're doing your job, if you're doing what you said you would do... there isn't any reason in the world why you shouldn't be calling all of your clients.

I can't begin to tell you how many expired listings I've talked to who were primarily upset because of the lack of communication between them and their previous agent. And, as you know, the easiest way to make money in this business is through referrals and referrals will only come when you conduct your business in such a manner that literally compel people to tell other people about their absolutely wonderful experience with you. And, quite frankly, people don't have wonderful experiences with salespersons -- they have wonderful experiences with friends, with those who are concerned about their needs and who care enough to communicate that care with them.

12. Make Yourself a Celebrity.

People do business with people they know. Are you known? Are you known as the local real estate expert?

13.Educate Yourself.

As you are...and as we'll continue to do.

Published: November 23, 1998

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