How to Out-Perform, Out-Edge, and Out-Brand Your Competition

Posted on November 19, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

An Interview with Branding Expert and Keynote Speaker Sima Dahl

By Julie Escobar

Marketing and branding yourself in today’s world is a whole new ball game from what it was even just a few years back. That’s why we’ve invited Sima Dahl, one of the top speakers in the field of social selling, social networking, and personal branding, to be our guest speaker for this month’s webinar as well as our spotlight expert for the week.

Here’s what we learned…

Q: Sima – your systems and strategies take social selling and social networking to insanely powerful new levels – can you share how your approach is so different?

A: For many business owners, consultants and independent agents, there is simply not enough time in the day for all things “social.” That was certainly the case when I started my business nearly eight years ago. With a 20-year track record of success in B2B marketing, I knew that I had to weed through all the hype and drill down to scalable tactics that delivered results.

And what I discovered is that at the business level, social media does not replace effective marketing, nor does it fix an inability to close sales. What it does is amplify what’s working, and that’s powerful. So we start there. Success in any social business endeavor requires laser focus, relevant content, and consistent execution. I advise clients that sell into well-defined target markets to carefully consider just how much “social” is necessary to reach their target market. It’s often less than they think.

But where I pivot from other advisors is that I am a strong proponent of the personal brand as a means to open doors, generate referrals, and attract qualified business. Through intentional networking–both online and off–even the business professionals can achieve heightened visibility and awareness in just 15 minutes a week.

Q: For real estate pros – like most salespeople – success lies in staying top of mind – can you share your top three ideas for helping them do that across their social platforms?

A: In my keynotes and workshops I remind people that social networking is an action verb, so first and foremost, you have to actually log in! Too many people create a profile and think their work is done, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

One you log in, start by updating your status. Status updates will be different depending on what platform you may be on. For example, Facebook updates will be more casual, and LinkedIn more buttoned up. But status updates act as little billboards that remind people who we are and what we do.

Next, use the Thumbs Up liberally. It may sound overly simplistic but when you “like” or comment on someone’s status, your name pops back into his or her brain.

Finally, connect the dots… Just like we do in the offline world, we can leverage social platforms to make introductions, recommendations and referrals. And that is a gift that people don’t soon forget.

Q: Most agents are at a loss in terms of how to optimize their social profiles – any guidance you can give there?

A: My advice is to be as specific as possible. Too often I see business owners and sales professionals throw really wide nets, hoping to catch more fish. But people want to know that you specialize in their needs, and their markets. Really be clear about your expertise and your accomplishments. Choose your keywords and phrases carefully. But put it all out there, this is not the time to play small.

Q: You have such a strong sense of branding – can you share some insights on how to build a successful brand with our readers?

A: People buy from people they know, like, and trust. And they refer them too! Realtors are in the people business, and their personal brand is inextricably woven with their business brand. One might argue that the personal brand boosts the business brand rather than the other way around. With that in mind, I coach anyone in professional services to practice what we marketers call “consistent messaging across touch-points.” Consider your entire footprint – online and off. From your sales collateral and business card to your online profiles and email signature, remind me of who you are, what you do, and what makes you special, and remind me often. And stay on point. Just because you tell me once doesn’t mean I remember. Stay visible, stay focused. Be the Chief Marketing Officer of Brand You. That’s where it all starts.

Q: If our readers want to connect with you – what’s the best way to reach you?

A: I’m happy to connect wherever they find me! To get an invitation to my launch party for my new website, sign up at SimaDahl.com. In the meantime, here’s the best ways to reach me: Email: Hello@SimaDahl.com or Phone: 312-884-1888 LinkedIn.com/in/SimaSays or Facebook.com/IAmSimaSays or Twitter.com/SimaSays

Awesome Sima. Thank you so much for your time and expertise today. We so look forward to your sharing with our members in depth in our hour long power session on Monday, November 23^rd, from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST. You share social insights like no one I’ve ever heard before and your strategies are actually ones that people can wrap their heads around, and more importantly – take action on!

Profitable Recruiter Members, please login to your platform (or check your emails) today to get yourselves and your agents signed up for this powerfully important webinar. Everyone in your organization contributes or detracts from your digital footprint — you’ll want to invite your whole team to listen in and not miss a minute.

For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter. Take advantage of our special winter offer! From now until January 2nd, make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your 2016 business plan, and take 35% off with the promo code PLAN35 — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 35% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today and write it off as a tax deduction!

Leading a Team and Leveraging Your Strengths

Posted on November 6, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

A Spotlight on Top Agent Nikki James

By Coach Judy LaDeur

Recently we hosted a webinar with our gracious guest and top agent and team leader Nikki James. Her insights and ideas were not only spot on for our industry – they were creative, collaborative, and a big part of why she’s taking her team to the top.

Here are some insights from our interview:

Q: Nikki, you started your real estate career in San Diego as an assistant for a top producing RE/MAX Agent in 2009. Today, you are leading a highly productive team at RE/MAX Gold. That’s quite the transition, congratulations on your success! What was it that first made you think, “Hey, I can do this!”?

A: My husband has been in the Real Estate business for 13 years and he always told me how much I’d love it and how it really suited my personality. I was finishing up my business degree at San Diego State and decided to start studying for my license during my last semester as a “back up plan”. Very soon after graduation, much to my husband’s credit, I realized I did not want to work for anyone else. I decided to start as an assistant so I could ensure some cash flow while I learned the business. Things were a lot different in the market back in 2010 and I was scared! The majority of transactions were distressed sales and/or investors purchasing with all cash. Neither of which I had much experience with. I realized after about a year in that role, that I was now the one putting out fires, talking with and meeting his clients, and handling his day to day business. It gave me the confidence to venture out on my own and not feel inexperienced while consulting clients that were my parent’s age on their real estate decisions! Even before I closed my very first transaction on my own, I had assisted on hundreds of other deals and was able to anticipate any hurdles to come. I’m very grateful I started when I did and learned the business during some tough times because when things started to shift, I did not take those easy transactions for granted.

Q: Today, you have a very successful four-member team, whose production will be about 25 million for 2015. That’s amazing! What does it take to run a team, and more importantly, a successful team?

A: Frankly, it takes money. Like any business, it takes startup capital. We had to work hard to get to a point to be able to invest back in our business. Once we got to that point, we made sure to take baby steps. Adding one team member at a time until we made sure we had enough business to sustain that member. We are about quality, not quantity. I’d rather stay at our size and have everyone double their business next year than add more people and have less time or resources to give to each member. I truly only feel successful when my team members individually feel successful and satisfied in their business. It’s always my number one priority.

Q: Can you tell us about your team and the role each one plays?

A: As we all know, there are many different ways to structure team. I’ve seen many agents in our industry have very specific “roles” such as TC, Buyer’s Agents, Listing Agents, Admins, etc. Our philosophy is a bit different. I give my team members the freedom to have their own identities as independent agents and not be overshadowed by a team leader’s “team name.” I’ve found that most agents get into this business because they are entrepreneurial at heart which means agents want the freedom to brand themselves and not work for “someone else.” We don’t have a team name for that very reason. We work closely with each of our team members to help them brand themselves and create their own identity and book of business. I’m trying to create an environment that lasts, and that my team members don’t feel like they need to have an exit strategy one day. We feel that giving our agents full autonomy and behind the scenes support and additional business, they won’t need to go anywhere!

Q: I understand that you place a lot of focus on lead generation and retention activities. Can you share some of those with us please?

A: Of course. Part of our value proposition is that we invest pretty heavily in marketing that drives a significant amount of business that we distribute to our team. A few of the platforms we advertise on include: Realtor.com, Zillow.com, we have a niche condo website we run here for the Sacramento Region that has been very fruitful called SacramentoCondoMania.com. Because internet leads are different than traditional clients, we focused on initially training each of our team members on how to connect with, qualify and convert these leads to clients pretty effectively. The internet lead is typically in the very beginning stages of their home search and possibly may even be years out from making a move. We cultivate long term relationships with these clients, putting them on a drip system and staying front of mind so that when they are ready to make a move, they will have no doubts on who to call.

Q: You are also doing Detailed tracking of all business for all team members, which demonstrates value. Can you tell us about that please?

A: Yes, we use a lead tracking system that allows us to account for every single lead and client we work with, where it is in the buying cycle and track where it came from. The system is advanced enough to alert each agent on when to follow up with the lead, based on the amount of contacts it’s received. Once the lead moves through the system and ultimately closes on a home with our agent, the system is able to calculate conversion ratios as well. It’s a very helpful, organized tool and database to make sure no one falls through the crack and you know exactly how well you are doing at the end of the year.

Q: How important is value proposition as a team leader, and what do you do to instill that value to you team on a regular basis?

A: It’s everything! If there is no value added, you won’t keep team members very long! I am in contact with every one of my team members almost every day, if not every other day, for various reasons. If I don’t hear from a member for a few days, I make it a point to reach out via text or phone call to simply connect and ask if I can assist them in any way. I help a lot with the transaction coordination of our team’s files, so I am constantly behind the scenes assisting my agents. In addition, we try and have quarterly one-on-ones to keep an open line of communication and are always looking for ways to improve their experience on our team.

Q: If you had to describe your leadership style in a few words, what would it be?

A: Because we don’t have admins, TCs, or assistants at this time, I would say I’m more of a resource and support type of leader to my team.

Q: Do you use social media in your business, and if so, how?

A: Yes. I use it as an extension of my database, not to directly advertise on. I use it as a tool to engage my sphere, my colleagues, my past clients, to stay relevant in the industry news, and to share cute pics of my baby. I’ve learned from client feedback that they love seeing some of my personal life and frankly, most people these days are burnt out on constant ads/business posts on the social media arena. We are more relationship centered and make sure all our followers know what we do and how to reach out if they’d like our help.

Q: You also have a strong referral-based business, which requires pop-by’s, calls, letters, etc. What have you found works best with regard to receiving referrals and leads from friends, family and past clients?

A: It seems to be all in the details! As soon as I close on a home, I fill my calender up with reminder’s to follow up on their month anniversary, 6 months, 1 year and every year afterwards. This follow up just says, “How are you loving your home, neighborhood? Need anything from us? I’m here for you, YOUR REALTOR”. Believe it or not, many of my young clients that I help purchase a home don’t know that I actually list homes as well. I make it a point to let them know when/if they ever decide to sell, I would love to represent them again.

Q: If one of our readers is thinking of building a team, what advice would you give them?

A: Most importantly, make sure you are hiring the right people. You want to make sure their work ethic, communication style, personalities mesh well with yours or that you have a full understanding of how to connect with them BEFORE you make the investment in adding them to your team. Secondly, I would say make sure you have enough business to share with them! You can have all the awesome people in the world on your team but if you aren’t adding value or adding fuel to their business, they will likely start to look elsewhere.

Q: Are there any activities that you have found that work well to “jump start” a real Estate career for any new agents who are listening. Something that would give them quick results?

A: Write a letter and make phone calls to your entire sphere of influence, family, extended family, church family, letting them know you are in the business and would love to help them achieve their real estate goals! Talk to everyone you come into contact with about the industry. I can’t tell you how many business cars I’ve handed out in the line at the grocery store. If people don’t know you need and want their business, they’ll assume you don’t!

Q: Nikki, is there anything that you would like to add before we end and let everyone know where they can find you when they have referrals in the Sacramento area?

A: I’d just like to say thank you so much for having me and thank you to my amazing team for partnering with me. We always love referrals! My website is Sachomemarket.com email is nikkijames@remax.net.

Thank you so much Nikki – you’re an incredible asset to our industry and we so appreciate your willingness to share. We invite all our readers to reach out to you and your team with their referrals – and we’re excited to watch your team continue to succeed! To listen to Nikki’s entire interview log in to your Profitable Recruiter platform today and check it out in our webinars on demand!

For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter. Take advantage of our special offer of 30% off with the promo code 30OFF any pro membership. That’s 30% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

Is It Time to Start Building Your Team?

Posted on October 22, 2015January 6, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

Where to Start and Why

By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

You may be at a crossroad in your real estate career and not even realize it. Many agents struggle with the lack organization or working too many hours a day before they cave in. Some agents burn out and leave the business, while others take it to the next level. Where are you?

Building a team takes time. It is essential that you take your time in hiring the right people. There is an old adage that goes, Slow to Hire, Fast to Fire. In my experience, truer words were never spoken. I have learned the hard way that it is best to fire an unproductive team member fast.

First, profile the position so you know what type of person you need to fill it. Potential hires should ALWAYS take a DISC Profile or a similar personality profile. Overlay the new hire prospect profile with the job profile to determine the likelihood of success. A common mistake within the industry is that we hire the first warm body that comes along or we hire a family member to fill in the gap. It is delaying the inevitable and will only frustrate you as you try to build your business.

Team building should ALWAYS start with the team’s infrastructure. You need to determine how many hours you are spending on administrative duties. If it’s more than two hours a day, you need help immediately. It is not unusual to think that hiring and training will take too much of our precious time. But keep in mind that if you don’t have an assistant, then you are the assistant. First, create the full job description. Think about tasks that drag you down, identify them by listing what tasks take away precious time from your money producing activities. Write down the personal attributes that would best suit this position. Design a job description around these needs. This will streamline your interviewing process.

For every one hour of training you provide to someone, you will save ten hours in completing those same tasks. When considering the support you need, determine if you need a licensed or unlicensed assistant. Building a strong staff foundation is critical to the success of expanding your business or improving your quality of life. Working smarter always allows greater opportunities. Maintaining a strong database will also help lead to your greater success. There are many good options out there.

Are you letting inquiries and potential buyers slip through the cracks? This is another common indicator that you need to grow a team. AFTER hiring support staff, the next step would be to hire a buyers’ agent to handle your overflow. This will provide a greater return on your marketing investment and allow you more flexibility to manage your business. Once you’ve done this, you have the freedom to manage your business.

Avoid common mistakes by first gaining a bit of knowledge about team building and team management. Hiring, firing, compensation options, team structure, job duties, referral business, goals, planning, accountability, and team marketing strategies are just a few of the areas that need to be addressed before building a team.

COACHING TIP OF THE WEEK

MANAGE YOUR MESSAGE

One of the most effective ways to manage your time and your day is to change your voice mail message every day and let people know your schedule. While we tend to let our phones run our lives, an hour or two out of the loop won’t ever really kill a deal.

Your message can be something like this: “Hello and thanks for calling. This is Judy LaDeur with XYZ Realty and today is October 22^nd. I am out of the office on appointments all day, but feel free to leave a message here in my voicemail. I will return calls at 11:30 this morning and again at 4:00 this afternoon.

No matter who is calling, they know exactly what the deal is and what to expect. There is nothing worse though, than forgetting to update the message daily!

For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter. And if you HAVEN’T put systems in place to ALWAYS have the tools you need to grow your team with less headaches and more results – consider joining The Profitable Recruiter today. From now until February 5th make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your 2016 business plan, and take 25% off with the promo code 25OFF— PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 35% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – AND includes the SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today and hit the ground running for next year!

The True Value of Agent-to-Agent Referrals

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

An Interview with Top Agent Keith Grogan

By Julie Escobar

Networking in our business is a powerful thing – not only to continuously grow as a professional, but for the ability to connect with some very cool people. I was fortunate in the last week to touch base with one of my favorite agents to follow online Keith Grogan. He recently shared some valuable tips for agents about the real importance of nurturing those valuable agent-to-agent referral relationships – and how many agents fall short. It was timely and on-point, and he was gracious enough to sit down for an interview to share his experience. Here’s an excerpt from our interview:

Q: First of all Keith – thanks so much for taking your time to share with our readers! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

A: I spent twenty-four years in sales management with consumer product companies, managing both regional and national sales forces with a constant focus on team building. When I grew weary of spending all of my time on the road, I sought a second career, one that would require little or no airplane travel. After serious consideration, I found that real estate would provide the most opportunity and I loved the concept of being in control of my income knowing that the harder that I worked, the more that I would make. What a great concept! Sixteen years ago, I partnered with one of Atlanta’s premier agents, Marsha Sell, who is now in her 43rd year of selling Atlanta real estate. We have a team that support our efforts and we cover Atlanta and the northern suburbs.

Q: Your recent online advice to agents on why it’s SO important to build a strong referral network was on point — and so timely. Can you share your thoughts on that with us?

A: My business partner began building her network throughout the country years ago when most agents were only looking for ways to gain more exposure for their listings. Our referral base has enabled us to avoid the peaks and valleys that many agents experience because we have a good flow of referrals coming in throughout the year.

I see many, many agents who are so focused on the short term and get so wrapped up in each transaction and making sure that they get paid that they simply never consider the referral potential nor are they adept at knowing how and when to ask for referrals.

Q: Too often agents are unresponsive, or unreliable when it comes to managing referrals and leads that come their way — can you share how you feel they are missing a big component of their business by doing this?

A: Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to place more outgoing referrals than in any year in the past ten years and I have been absolutely shocked at how difficult it is to place most of these referrals. In a huge percentage of the cases, it was nearly impossible to even reach the agent. More shocking to me was that, once I did reach the agents, most of them sounded as if they weren’t too sure that they wanted to take a referral at the time. I guess that they just had all the business that they wanted!

Of the referrals that were placed last year, I only received updates throughout the process from two or three agents. If you are trusting a client, a friend, or a family member with an agent in another area, you would think that just common courtesy would dictate that they would at least update the referring agent on date of contact, date of first meeting, time frame for purchase/listing, progress reports, purchase notification, and confirmation of closing. To me, that seems very basic but, sadly, that is not being done.

When I find an agent who is enthusiastic about a referral and who communicates effectively, I look for opportunities to give more referrals to that agent.

Q: You have a LOT of social media fans for your terrific sense of humor and terrific posts. You shared with me why you made the shift to humor – can you share that with the readers?

A: I had volumes of inspirational and motivational quotes and cartoons that I accumulated and used often during my years in sales management. In my early days on social media, I posted only inspirational, motivational, and informational posts. When the market changed a few years ago, I realized that most of my Realtor friends throughout the country were trying to stay afloat in uncharted waters and nobody was having much fun. I decided to shift the focus of my posts and, since that time, my goal is to bring a smile to at least one Realtor’s face every day.

Q: I’d say you succeed in that goal every day Keith! Now, if you had to give your best piece of advice to a new or experienced agent in today’s market – what would it be?

A: Build your database, maintain your database, and work your database. The longer that you are in this business, the more of your business will come from your database. When you work your database and communicate properly with your database and sphere of influence, you can reach a point where you find that you are getting more clients, more listings, and making more money and you will find that you are working less to secure new business.

Q: How can readers connect with you?

A: Keith Grogan, The Sell Team, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage,

www.facebook.com/KeithGrogan.TheSellTeam, www.twitter.com/SELLTEAM, www.sellteam.com.

Awesome stuff Keith – thank you so much for your insights and ideas. You are a terrific example of professionalism and high standards in our business – and one heck of a funny guy to follow! If you haven’t connected yet with Keith, follow his Facebook page today. He’s always on point! While you’re at it, be sure to connect with us there as well!

Being a PROFITABLE SALES AGENT means doing things sometimes in unexpected ways. It means staying in touch. It means developing those powerful relationships with other agents that will earn you a great reputation – and bottom line referrals. Want to learn more about being a strong agent? Stay tuned right here and become a Profitable Agent Member Today! Join in the month of February and take 50% off your membership with the coupon code 50OFF!

How to Retain Your Best Agents

Posted on October 5, 0201October 5, 2017 by The Profitable Recruiter

05 Oct

And Attract New Ones

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

The top two reasons people leave their jobs is NOT money. In fact, the two reasons people cite the most are lack of recognition and poor working environment. Is it time to do a “checkup” of how your company fares?

Negative agents can scare off every customer they speak with for good, which means that how your agents feel about the company has a direct impact on your profitability.

65% of Americans received no recognition in the workplace last year.
9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they’re around positive people.

There is a great quote in the book: Open Your Big, Bold, Beautiful Mouth by Alphonso Belin and A.J. Polizzi. “The highest achievable level of service comes from the heart, so the company that reached its people’s hearts will provide the very best service. “

The Keys to Retaining Your Best People

Having a good time is the best motivator there is. When people feel good about a company, they produce more.

In a recent study of more than 1,500 employees in scores of work settings by Dr. Gerald H. Graham, professor of management at Wichita State University, the most powerful motivator was personalized, instant recognition from their managers. “Managers have found,” Graham adds, “that simply asking for employee involvement is motivational in itself.”

Graham’s study determined the top motivating techniques:

1. The manager/ owner personally congratulates those who do a good job.

2. The manager/owner writes personal notes about good performances.

3. The organization used performance as the basis for promotion.

4. The manager /owner holds morale-building meetings to celebrate successes.

Here a few great ideas from other industry leaders and some things you could try in your organization as well:

When employees at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, hit their goals, they ring a large brass bell. Why not put a bell in the office and let the agents ring it when they get a listing or sale?

The Pinellas County, FL public school administrative offices have designated a small area where employees can drop off clothing for dry cleaning in the morning. A local dry cleaner picks it up and returns it by the end of the workday. Many real estate offices offer this service to their agents as well. It does not cost you anything but offers a great service to busy agents.

Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics said, “Every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ If you can do that, you’ll be a success not only in business but in life as well.” She was known for the way she made people feel. Did you know that when she was talking to people, she kept eye contact with them the entire time, even though people around her were always trying to get her attention? Give your undivided attention to your agents when you are speaking to one another. No distractions, no excuses. It’s not only a great way to make them feel important enough to pay attention – it’s a great example to set as a standard for communication.

People today are looking for much more than a pay-check. They want to be treated like human beings. That may sound obvious, but a lot of employers still don’t get it. During the busiest times of the year, executives at the Cigna Group, personally push coffee carts around the office, serving drinks and refreshments to their frontline partners. As they serve, the executives coach and encourage their colleagues as well as hear about real consumer issues from those who know customer concerns the best. Maybe make this a practice once a month in your office, or host a round-table breakfast just to catch up?

Herb Kelleher, CEO and co-founder of Southwest Airlines, has discovered that by becoming personally involved in the workplace, and in the jobs that his employees do, he can unleash a tremendous amount of energy among his workers. For example, Kelleher often helps flight attendants serve beverages to customers when he flies on his airline. Ask around your office, speak to every one of your agents. A simple, “Is there anything I can help you with today?” can mean a lot.

At Hewitt Associates, new employees are made to feel special. “I joined the firm about six months ago as a writer/consultant in New Jersey,” said a new-hire “I was surprised at the level of detail that had gone into the preparation for my arrival. One of the more experienced writers left a welcome note on my desk, along with a “survival kit” (including a candy bar) …and everybody came by my office to personally welcome me to the team. For the first two weeks or so, every day somebody made a point to stop by and ask me to lunch.” What Type of reception do your new agents get when they join?

Some great “non-cash” ways to show you care

Call an agent into your office just to thank him or her; don’t discuss any other issue.
Post a thank-you note on the agent’s phone.
Volunteer to do an agent’s least desirable work task for a day.
Have the President of the company or the regional manager call an agent to thank him or her for a job well done.
Have someone wash the agents’ cars in the parking lot during lunch.
Carry a supply of your cards with you and as you ‘catch people doing something right,’ immediately write ‘thanks,’ ‘good job,’ ‘keep it up’ and what they specifically did in two to three words. Put the person’s name on the card and sign it.
Have lunch or coffee with a group of agents that you don’t normally see.

In the book, The Leadership Pill, Blanchard and Muchnick explain profit this way:

“Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for people.” Remember this, that your agents ARE your customers. Going the extra mile to make them feel appreciated and respected will not only ensure that they remain loyal to your organization long term, but your culture for caring will resonate with other like-minded agents throughout your market, making it easier for you to recruit top producers who might not be getting the recognition they need elsewhere.

COACHING TIP OF THE WEEK: Put at least ONE of these strategies in place

There are lots of ideas here. Take some time this week to determine which one or more of these ideas would work for your family of agents. Then don’t delay! Put them in place for the next three months and see what takes off. If you’ve got a management team in place, make this topic a priority and have everyone come up with additional ways you can make your agents feel appreciated, then make them a daily, weekly, or monthly practice.

For more great ideas on retaining your best agents and recruiting new ones, Join The Profitable Recruiter. Take advantage of our special offer of 35% off with the promo code PLAN35 any pro membership. That’s 35% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.