Make the Commitment to Prospecting by Overcoming Reluctance and Interruptions
Whether you are a brand-new agent or a veteran agent with decades of experience, the most important activity for real estate success remains the same: prospecting.
For many agents, however, the demands and distractions of daily business—and life in general—often interfere with prospecting for new business. These must be overcome. It is imperative for the success of you and team members that you focus on prospecting on a consistent, dedicated and effective basis.
Regardless of the specific prospecting that you do—calls to sphere, online leads, FSBOs and Expireds, or anything else—here are three fundamental keys to your prospecting efforts that will drive increased results:
1. Overcome Reluctance
Prepare yourself mentally so that, when making prospecting calls, you bring a positive attitude and avoid stalling. There are countless reasons that agents use when talking themselves out of calling someone: “They aren’t looking to sell now;” “It’s probably not a good time;” “Tomorrow would be better;” or simply, “I’m nervous.” It’s ok to have those thoughts. Most other agents have them too, but successful agents make the calls anyway, and there are two amazing reasons why. First, that feeling goes away eventually—the more you call, the better and more comfortable you will become. Second, you will find people that you can help, and that is both good for them and good for your business!
2. Prevent Interruptions
External factors can also derail prospecting efforts. Emails or social media, incoming phone calls, and distractions by people or activities happening around you are all examples. There are ways to guard against this, however, starting with your environment. Put yourself somewhere that will minimize distractions. Next—and probably most important—is something that is up to you: self-discipline. Whether you are prospecting for 30 minutes or for four hours, commit to ignoring social media and emails unless they are directly related to the calls you are making. Almost everything else can wait, so don’t let yourself be interrupted during the most important part of your business
3. Block Time
Whether you reserve the same times each week for prospecting or schedule varying times depending on other factors, commit to a certain number of hours each day or week and block those off on your calendar. Then, each week, review your efforts to make sure that nothing stopped your “money hours.” You must remember that you will always be juggling multiple priorities in a successful real estate business. A client may want to talk about a home inspection, or you may have paperwork needed to update a current listing. Do not let anything other than a true crisis—for example, an immediate health issue or a fire—intrude on the time that you set aside in your schedule for prospecting. This time must come first!
Look at it this way: If you had an absolutely immovable appointment with a doctor, a family obligation or a matter of faith, would you cancel it over a home inspection? No, you wouldn’t, and you should not let that or anything else stop your commitment to daily prospecting either.
The success of your real estate business depends on consistently winning new clients. Prospecting is your No. 1 priority, and you can use the keys above to prospect without fear, without interruptions and as part of a dedicated schedule. Doing so will keep you on the path to increased listings, increased sales and continuous growth in real estate sales, so incorporate them into your business immediately!
For a FREE copy of Johnson’s worksheet “Objections and Interruptions to Time Blocking” to evaluate and maximize your own time blocking efforts, click here.
Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. She is also an RISMedia 2020 Real Estate Newsmaker as an industry Influencer. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.
