The Difference Between the Amateur and the Pro

I was listening to a podcast this week as I was traveling to spend a few days at the global headquarters of the Massimo Group. I love listening to podcasts.

Amateurs practice until they get it right.Pros practice until they can't get it wrong.

And most of the major thought leaders in just about any industry have them now. I’d like to have create one myself at some point.

But consider this, you can learn anything through podcasts. The major thought leaders are offering to personally and virtually mentor you. And most of us don’t take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that is out there waiting for…just waiting.

I listen to podcasts when I work out. I listen to them when I’m traveling in my car. I listen to them when I’m on a plane. I sometimes fall asleep listening to them in a hotel room. They stimulate my thinking. They challenge the status quo in my mind. They give me new ideas.

This particular podcast is called Steal the Show by a best-selling author and actor, Michael Port. He was interviewing a theatre teacher, Melissa Friedman, who said this about practice:

Amateurs practice until they get it right. Pros practice until they can’t get it wrong.

How true is that?! I love that quote. And even more true is the fact that by this definition, most of us are amateurs.

All of us can benefit by more practice – not just to get it right, but to make sure we can’t get it wrong.

5 Areas Most of Us Need More Practice

  1. Prospecting calls – I think it is a huge mistake to not practice (role play) prospecting calls with peers and mentors in our office on a weekly basis. We don’t do it because it is uncomfortable. But pros role play and practice until they know exactly what to do regardless of the direction a call takes.
  2. Opening statements – Wether a phone call or a face to face meeting, the opening statement is the most important. It sets the tone for the meeting. It demonstrates confidence or incompetence. And, we know we are going to get to say it. You have to nail it. To do that, you must practice it…until you can’t screw it up.
  3. Voice mails – Any of us who make prospecting calls are going to reach people’s’ voice mail boxes. This is an argument for another post, but you should leave a message. Since you know you are going to be leaving messages, why do you allow yourself to leave a bumbling one. Be confident and compelling. Be efficient. Give a real reason to call you back. Practice it. Nail it!
  4. Closing – You might need to regularly try to close for a meeting. Maybe you need to close a deal. All of us in business are trying to generate business. Yet we don’t practice our closing techniques. Most of us don’t even ask for the business! If you lack a skill like closing, buy a book. Ask to shadow a top producers. And then practice until you can close with confidence every time.
  5. Goal setting – Setting goals is the single most important activity for achieving the success you long for. And most of us do it wrong. Take a course. Read a book. Figure out how the successful in your industry do it. Then do it yourself. Practice.

Now today is an exciting day because my business partner in Massimo University is releasing 7 Days to Your Best CRE Year Yet – a goal setting course from Rod Santomassimo. The third and final video of his free video series on Setting Yourself Up for 2016 goes live today and you can watch it here.

If there is just one thing to help you move from amateur to pro in 2016, nailing your goals and taking action to achieve them is it. This 7 day course will show you exactly what to do.

Watch the video now!

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Why I’ve Joined the Massimo Group

And why you may want to as well

I met Rod Santomassimo in 2007. Sperry Van Ness was recruiting our firm, and Rod was giving my parents and me – along with 10 other prospects – a presentation. I remember thinking, “This guy is tough as nails and knows what he’s talking about.”

massimo-logo

My next interaction with him was at SVN bootcamp. He was playing the role of Mr. Big Ego, and I had to give him a presentation to win his business. Our group won his business. I felt like I impressed him. He probably doesn’t remember that, but I was proud of it.

Then he started the Massimo Group, and I hired him as my coach. For two years, he had a profound impact on my business. We restructured my entire prospecting system (which probably saved the company) and focus. He encouraged me and showed me how to build a presence.

Then he asked me to become a coach for the Massimo Group. I was coming off a really bad year in CRE because I’d started an insurance company that had failed. My attention had been diverted. I hesitated to tell him yes. So I spoke to my mentor who told me to do it. He said that coaching would sharpen my ax. He was right. My brokerage career had its best years while I was coaching.

So for the last 5 years, I’ve been coaching CRE brokers. During that time, I’ve owned and operated a CRE brokerage firm, I’ve been a corporate exec at a national CRE firm, and I’ve been a VP at a food safety technology start-up. The constant during that time has been the Massimo Group.

I love to coach. I love to see my clients grow in their prospecting, presence, fill their pipelines and explode their production. It is some of the most satisfying work I’ve ever done.

And it is so different than training. Trainers show up, brain dump, and then leave you with their well-wishes. Coaching is jumping in a fox hole with your client and ensuring they accomplish their goals. It involves accountability.

So when Rod started talking with me a couple months ago about coming on with the Massimo Group full-time, I was intrigued and excited. And after nailing down some details, I’ve completed my first week as Executive Vice President of the Massimo Group. I’m convinced that we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. Our clients see results. They average 5 times more income than the average CRE broker.

It is a blast being a part of that.

What we need from you…

The Massimo Group needs more coaches. We have approximately 15 coaches now, and we are at capacity. New clients have to wait sometimes 6 weeks before we can place them with a coach. This is a great problem to have, but one we have to solve.

If you:

  • have strong transactional history and experience,
  • can be coached and can follow a system,
  • don’t struggle with technology
  • want to sharpen your ax as you positively impact others,
  • value making a difference more than financial gain (the financial gain isn’t bad at all),

then I want to talk to you. Shoot me an email at bo @ massimo-group.com and let me know you are interested.

Tomorrow, I’ve got another announcement I’m excited to share with you so be sure to check back.

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A Social Media Plan for Commercial Pros

RealtorMag.realtor.com
November 2015

I had a great time speaking to the Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast at the NAR Conference & Expo. The RealtorMag did a great job capturing the essence of my presentation. You can check it out at this link.

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Free Training: Choosing the Right CRM for Your Business

How Ease of Use is the Most Important Factor

Have you ever had the nagging feeling that you are stuck? Have you plateaued? Have you ever wondered why others seem to be blowing by you?

I’ve been there. For whatever reason, my mind is formatted to think in processes. In other words, I believe there is a way to create a process, or a system, to maximize the efficiency of just about any task. So I’m always looking for better processes to simplify and maximize efficiency.

Free Training-

In my early CRE days, my CRM was a legal pad. That was what my dad did at the time. But I knew there had to be a better way. So I tried using Outlook – because that is what my dad had moved to. Then I tried Goldmine – then ACT!. Then I tried RealHound – and others. Each time I switched, I gained more efficiency. I was becoming more productive.

Then I switched to the cloud, and everything changed.

In tomorrow’s webinar, I’m going to bring on the ClientLook guys so they can demonstrate what a simple and powerful CRM system can do…and how that can lead to more business for you.

This past weekend, I got to spend some time with Michael Griffin and John Dawson in San Diego at the NAR Convention and Expo. What they have coming is so exciting. I am pumped to share it with you.

You will learn:

  • Why simplicity is the most important factor in adoption of a technology
  • Why a cloud-based CRM is so necessary in today’s mobile world
  • How ClientLook can save you from data entry
  • And so much more…

In addition, I’ve worked out a special deal for my readers you can’t get anywhere else.

So if you are frustrated with your current CRM solution – if you long for more power and more simplicity, this webinar is for you. Seats are limited (one of these days I need to increase my GoToWebinar account), so be sure to sign up now.

And I’ll see you tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov 18, at 1:00pm Eastern) on the webinar.

Claim Your Seat!

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My friend Michael Bull (@CRE_Show and @BullRealtyinterviews me after my keynote at the NAR Convention Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast. It was a great event, and I was honored to be the speaker.

Thank you to Jean Maday (@sweetjean) for putting the event together and inviting me to speak. You put together a fantastic couple of days!

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How to Simplify and Grow Your Business with the Right CRM – ClientLook

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Date: November 18, 2015
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Central
Event: ClientLook Webinar Nov 2015
Topic: How to Simplify and Grow Your Business with the Right CRM - ClientLook
Venue: GotoWebinar
Public: Public
Registration: Click here to register.
More Info: Click here for more information.

How to Prospect by Phone With Confidence – Day 11 of 30 D2aBB

Why the Opening Statement is Most Important...

At the Massimo Group, and personally, no topic gets more questions than that of prospecting.

I’ve heard stories about how animals can smell fear. I think prospects can too. The truth is, there is only one thing you are almost guaranteed to be able to say on a prospecting call – the opening statement.

Prospecting by Phone

I know there are people out there that like to work of scripts – where they decided beforehand everything they are going to say. I’ve read books about prospecting and different ways to do it. Most I would not recommend. The best prospectors are those that get into a call asking questions and guide the conversation based on what they are learning.

Conceivably, no two prospecting calls should sound the same…save for the opening statement. This is your opening line. This you should script. This you should practice…and then practice some more.

This benefit statement should communicate who you are, who you work with, and why you are calling. It should share with them the benefit that lies in their future should they give you more time.

The entire purpose of this benefit statement is to earn the right for more time – that’s it.

Here is the template of my opening statement:

Hello Mr. [Prospect]. My name is [Your Name] with [Your Company]. The purpose of my call is to share with you [benefit you are offering to entice them to agree to meet with you].

The benefit you are offering them needs to be compelling. Maybe it is a market report (boring). Maybe it is a recent deal you did that is a comp for their property (exciting). Maybe it is some juicy market info that will affect the value of their property. Regardless, it needs to be enticing.

So I want you to script your opening statement. Practice it until it is as natural to say as it is to breath. When you get to that point, you can begin your calls with confidence – and not timidity and fear – knowing you are going to nail the one thing you know you will get to say.

After that – it’s up to you!

Question: How do you start a prospecting call? I’d love to see many of us share what we do and how it works. Let’s make the comment section a repository of the wisdom and experience that makes up the readers of this blog! You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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I’m excited to keynote the Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast for the NAR Realtors Conference & Expo.

Join me and 200 of your favorite CRE professionals in San Diego on the morning of Nov. 14. Tickets are $50.

Topic:  Double Your Impact by Creating Dominating Digital Presence

We all want to have a greater impact – for our clients, our business, our family, and our lives. One way to drive greater impact is to become more known. One of the quickest ways to grow your presence is by digital means.

Creating dominating digital presence allows you to attract your perfect prospects – and repel those you don’t want to work with. It allows you to demonstrate your expertise without tooting your own horn.
It also allows you to educate your future clients raising the chances that they will think of you when they are ready.

Attendees will learn a framework of action steps for the next 90 days to create this kind of presence and double the impact on their business.

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Date: November 14, 2015
Time: 7:30 - 8:45 a.m.
Event: NAR Realtors Conference & Expo - Commercial Caffeinated Networking Breakfast
Topic: Double Your Impact by Creating Dominating Digital Presence
Sponsor: National Association of REALTORS
Venue: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina Hotel, Marina Ballroom E
Location: San Diego, CA
Public: Private
Registration: Click here to register.

Free Training Today: Stunning Marketing in a Fraction of the Time

October Buildout Webinar

I have a coaching client I was talking to earlier today. We calculated his hourly worth and it was well over $500/hr. When he is operating in his gifts he kills it.

He still does his own packages and proposals. Ugh.

I asked another client of mine who does his proposals and marketing. He has administrative help which I was glad to hear. But it takes him 2 weeks to get it back. That is brutal slow.

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If you can relate to either of these two – either having to do it yourself, or having to wait so long – then today’s Buildout webinar is for you.

Reserve Your Seat Now!

Kris Krisco and I are going to share with you (and actually show you) how stunning marketing at the speed of light is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Bonus: I’ve negotiated a special deal for my readers that you can’t get anywhere else but the webinar. If you have ever wanted to peak behind the curtain and see the magic, then this is for you.

Register for the webinar!

And in case you haven’t heard…my two favorite apps – Buildout and ClientLook – now integrate. I’m doing a happy dance!

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A World-Class Prospecting Letter – Day 10 of 30 D2aBB

Put your system on auto-pilot and improve your ratios

I’ve written a couple of posts on how to write a world-class prospecting system. You can find them below:

Day 10 of 30 D2aBB

What I want to do in today’s post is share with you how to systematize it. It makes all the difference.

In fact, sales professionals should systematize for maximum efficiency with these 4 tips.

4 Tips to Systematize the Use of a Great Prospecting Letter

  1. Write one letter to many prospects – The purpose of the letter is to warm up the call. Therefore, you don’t want to spend a bunch of time you should use calling writing letters. You need a letter you can use over and over again. In reality, you probably will have a couple of different letters that work for different geographies or submarkets.
  2. Customize the first paragraph – A best practice here is to write the first paragraph in a way that can be customized. Use the address – sometimes that is all you need. Then write the rest of the letter that can stay the same for the rest or your prospective buildings/prospects in that market.
  3. Delegate as much as possible – We used to send 30 letters a week on average. My assistant printed the letters, hand addressed the envelopes, sent them, logged that they were sent and to whom in ClientLook, and then created a follow-up task for me to call them the following week. All I did was write the original letter and physically sign the letters she printed. The entire system was almost entirely executed without my involvement. After we set it up, I spent zero mental energy on it.
  4. Decide how many each week (it shouldn’t be the same) – A key part of the letter is to inform the reader you will be calling. Because of that, you never want to send more letters than you can call the following week. So keep an eye on your capacity. Do you have a particularly full week coming up? Going on vacation? Adjust accordingly.

If you would like a copy of a letter I used years ago with great results, just click the button below. Keep in mind that this letter is very simple. But simple works and can be very effective. In fact, I was taught the original version of this letter from a friend and colleague.

Download My Prospecting Letter

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