How Effective Are You?

As a business owner, have you implemented a system to monitor your effectiveness?  Do you know if your customer service is effective? How about yourself as a manager? Is your website attracting clients?

The above questions play a key role in the outcome of your business.  Don’t wait until your business goes under before you say “I should have…or…I could have.”

I encourage you to set a date aside that will be dedicated strictly to a professional evaluation.  Look at your business as a whole and from an objective stand point.  Gather statistics (#’ers don’t lie) about every aspect of your business.  Maintain your research on a weekly or monthly basis and review this information.  Is there something you could be doing better? Perhaps you need to implement a marketing campaign? How much time do you spend on SEO?

A great way to find out if your effective with your clients is to ask for a testimonial.  GET FEEDBACK! Some clients won’t willingly provide a testimonial on their own accord.  You need to ASK!  Review the testimonials and listen to what your clients have to say.  Ask for their permission to post their testimonial on your website.  This will also help build your reputation and show prospective clients that you can be trusted.  While your at it, ask them for a referral.  Each client you have knows hundreds of people and they know people etc…

There will be nothing worse than your ultimate failure as a business owner because you didn’t take the time to gather information and make changes as necessary.  Re-visit your business plan, are you meeting your goals? If yes, make new ones!  Always give yourself something to work towards.

Here is a little homework assignment:

Complete the following questionnaire BEFORE you do your research.  Upon completion of your research answer the questions again for a comparison.  It is very important that you answer the questionnaire the first time around as honestly as possible.  Then when you answer the questionnaire the second time, fill in the answers according to your research.

Effectiveness Questionnaire

1. Is you customer service effective?     YES     NO     UNSURE

2. Are you an effective Manager/Business Owner?     YES     NO      UNSURE

3. Is your website attracting customers?     YES     NO     UNSURE

4. Is your website useful to your clients?     YES     NO     UNSURE

5. Do you have an effective procedure in place?     YES     NO     UNSURE

6. Do you have a marketing compaign?     YES     NO     UNSURE

7. Is your marketing campaign effective?     YES     NO     UNSURE

8. Are you working to your full potential?     YES     NO     UNSURE

9. Do you optimize your website regularly?     YES     NO     UNSURE

10. Are your clients satisfied with your work?     YES     NO     UNSURE

11. Do you receive referrals from clients?     YES     NO     UNSURE

12. Are you making goals regularly?      YES     NO     UNSURE

13. Are you attaining the goals you set?    YES     NO      UNSURE

15. Are you maintaining your promise to clients? (i.e. turn around time)     YES     NO     UNSURE

Happy Self Reflecting!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

 

 

 

 

Client Quarterly Incentive

Yet another great way to keep in contact with your clients is to host a quarterly contest. You can either run the contest in your monthly newsletter, or write a personal note to clients detailing your offer.

Posting the contest in your newsletter is a great way to discover if your clients are actually reading it every month. The prize for the contest should be desirable for your clients.  Don’t be afraid to spend a little money in order to catch the attention of your readers.  At the same time, don’t make the contest too difficult and discourage them from taking part.

You could ask for a referral and for every referral submitted; your client will receive one ballot for each referral given. Don’t set a limit on the number of ballots allowed.  Your client will then have a chance to receive a $200.00 gift card to Home Depot or Rona.

Be sure to set clear rules for the contest, and a dead line for submission.  Draw a ballot on the specified date, and be sure to thank all participants and announce the winner in the following month’s newsletter. Hand write a thank you card to the winner and include their prize. Feel free to ask clients what type of prizes they would like to see offered for future challenges.

Remember, you might spend $200.00 on a quarterly prize, but, a warm referral from a satisfied client is priceless!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REPA)

Http://www.NessLindsay.com

 

 

Your Mental Health

Do you find yourself thinking about the negative aspects in your life? Do you tend to focus on what you don’t want in life, rather than, on what you do want?  Do you realize by focusing on your negative aspects and dwelling upon your stressors, you are affecting your mental health and productivity?

It’s true! As long as we continue to be worry warts, we hinder ourselves from reaching our full potential!  Your mental health should always be in the forefront of your mind.  If you’ve never given it much consideration, you should start now! Since May is the National Mental Health Month, I can’t think of a better time to start reflecting and making changes!

Here are some steps to review and begin increasing your mental health:

1. Eat and Sleep right.  Just like your car needs gas to operate, you body needs food and rest for you to reach your full potential.

2. Build your self acceptance, self esteem and confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself how do you expect others to?

3. Learn to manage your stressand everyday stressors.

4. Seek advice and network with others. You will realize that a problem you’re facing isn’t as bad as it seems.

5. Find constructive ways to express your emotions. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you and prohibit you from successfully sharing how you are feeling.

6. Be happy and content with yourself.

7. Engage in fun and stress free activities. Make time to have fun, life isn’t just about working and making money.

8. Create a balance in your life.

9. Accept and ask for help from others. I realize some of us can be controlling.  We want to do everything and see each project through to completion.  But lets face it…we are not superman or wonder woman, it is OK to ask for help!

10. Make time for yourself! Do something that you enjoy, carefree and exciting.

 

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

 

 

What Makes a Website Successful?

I recently took part in a webinar with one of my clients.  The webinar discussed many aspects of a successful website for REALTORS.

Below is an overview of the 5 Essential Steps to having a successful website in the real estate industry.

1. Branding your identity.

2. Ensuring your website appeals to your target market.

3. Getting found on search engines. (completing Search Engine Optimization)

4. Formulating great content

5. Having a site that is useful and user friendly.

Creating a website that encompasses these essential steps will certainly give you that leverage you need against competitors.

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REVA)

Http://www.NessLindsay.com

What Motivates YOU?

I remember many years ago, I was searching for my first apartment. I wanted something special that I could call my own.  While I was out apartment searching, I was shown this one particular apartment that although I didn’t rent, it has stayed with me.

At the time, I thought the person who had lived there was extremely weird.  On almost every surface in the apartment, there was a stickly note with a comment written on it. For example; On the mirror in the bathroom the note said “You’re beautiful!”, on one kitchen cupboard, the note read “You deserve it!”.  There must have been at least 100 yellow sticky notes all over the place!

At the time, I suppose I was too young to grasp the significance of these messages for the person who lived there.  Since then, this apartment and the notes have always stayed with me and I have begun my own “note” system to help me stay focused and motivated in my Virtual Assistant business.

I have created a goal chart that I have placed on my desk to help me stay focused and achieve my goals. I am constantly viewing the chart and making changes or most importantly, checking my goals off as I achieve them! I also have a card from my mother that I have taped to my wall near my desk that reads the following:

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also DREAM not only plan, but also BELIEVE!”

Creating a personal motivation system can help you achieve your goals and dreams! What is your motivational system?

 

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

 

 

 

Supply Your Clients with Feedback!

Did an agent recently show one of your homes and you didn’t have time to ask for feedback? If you can relate, you definitely need to contact Ness Lindsay today!

During the first week or two, it is important to gather as much feedback from prospective buyers as possible. Tallying this information and relaying it to your home seller will help determine what people like and dislike about the home.  Utilizing this important information will determine if changes need to be made and if the price of the home is accurate.

Don’t let another day pass by without providing this essential service to your home sellers!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REPA)

Http://www.NessLindsay.com

 

 

 

 

Irresistible Seller Menus

Gaining sellers in a competitive market can prove to be quite difficult especially, if your market materials are to par.

In addition to compelling marketing materials, sellers would be tempted to indulge in your services if you were to offer an attractive commission plan to them. 

You may currently be losing business to other REALTORS ® who are offering a lower commission rate. Use a seller menu and present clients with the choice of services they want for their home at a commission acceptable to them.

Here is an example:

 

Menu Choice	Commission Rate	Client Receives
Client Care Choice 1	5 %	For sale sign, listing on home boards.
Client Care Choice 2	5.5 %	Home boards, for sale sign, newspaper ad and personal website.
Client Care Choice 3	6 %	Home board, feature sheets, for sale sign, talking sign/rider, newspaper ad, powercards, and all other advertising avenues.

 

Creating a menu shows prospective clients that you’re not just in real estate for the money but making sure your seller’s needs are met. Implementing this marketing tool will give you that competitive edge to help you stand out in your local market.

Do You Have a Presence on the Web?

In 2006, a study was conducted of 1272 French Canadians and their internet habits.  The study found that 80% of users prefer Google as their search engine.  87% of people interviewed said they use the internet everyday.  This number is pretty significant and further explains the importance of not only having a website, but one that can be found by prospective buyers!

Interestingly enough, in 2007, the National Association of REALTORS ® released a survey that revealed 73% of prospective buyers that saw a home on the internet drove by/viewed the home of interest.  57% of people, who viewed a home on-line, completed a walk through of the home.

It goes without saying being in the real estate industry, it is imperative to have a solid business foundation in all areas.  43% of buyers who found an agent were referred to by a friend, while 11% used an agent they worked with previously and 8% found an agent via the internet.

Having a top-notch website also means beating your competition for search results and showing up consistently on the first page for your targeted keywords.  15% of the French Canadian users interviewed don’t bother looking at the second page of search results.  40% of the people, who do look at the second page, don’t bother looking any further.  Statistics show the top 3 results on a page get 60% of all traffic.  Therefore, being on the second page of a search result basically means your business is non-existent!

With today’s technology, the importance of having a presence in your local community as well as on the internet is so vital. Especially when 89% of agents have a website!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

What’s Your Management Style?

As a small business owner, you took a leap of faith and started your own business.  Congrats!  You also probably put a lot of blood shed and tears into your business to get you where you are today. Again, Congrats!

Let me ask you this: Do you know what your management style is? Do you know if you are or will be an effective manager? If you haven’t thought of this already…YIKES! You probably should!

Check out these Top 10 Management Pitfalls:

1. Putting Policies ahead of people.

2. Lack of Communication.

3. Failing to hear what your employees have to say.

4. Not acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers.

5. The glass is always half empty. (Focusing on the negative)

6. Not accepting responsibility.

7. Showing Favouritism

8. “Just do it” – failure to explain what needs to be done.

9. Too much technology. (Don’t hide behind technology and lose your people skills)

10. Never change. (Not being open to change)

To read more about these top ten pitfalls, please visit http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/3997-1.html

To test your own Management style and discover where you can make adjustments, visit the links below. Remember it is better to be pro-active and learn now!

What’s your Leadership Style?: http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,98557,00.html

Think You’re an Effective Manager?

http://www.cornerstones.net/quiz1.htm

Management Style Attitude Test:

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/3997-1.html

Almost Year End – Time for Reflection

Here are five questions to consider: If you are willing it would be great if you could share the last question with my readers J

1. What is your favourite thing about being in business?

2. If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?

3. What is something you’d like to have for your business?

4. Where do you see your business in five years?

5. If you could share a lesson with a new business owner, what would it be?

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com