Four Words of Advice for Today’s Recruiters

Posted on August 4, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Awesome Insights from Recruiter Carl Vandergoot

By Julie Escobar

There is so much to be learned from like-minded colleagues in our industry and it’s just incredible when someone is open to sharing their knowledge with others. This week, we caught up with a terrific broker and recruiter Carl Vandergoot who gave us his insights for becoming and staying a profitable recruiter in today’s market.

Here’s an excerpt from our interview:

Q: First, Carl, can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your business?

A: I sold real estate for 29 years the last 7 as Broker Owner of RE/MAX Centre City. I do not sell real estate anymore, just manage and coach our agents. I have sold nearly 1,800 homes in my career, and I use this in our “Coaching with Carl” program, to increase the production of our agents. We are a team of 105 Realtors — of which 99% are full-time agents. We have the highest per person production in our city by 50% over our competition. Our company is agent driven, THEY are our customers. Both our staff and I are totally dedicated to providing as many tools possible for our agents to do business at a high level. We provide the highest level of service to our agents by giving them the freedom to sell and not worry about the details. We have a Virtual Assistant, Pre-Listing Packages and Listing Presentations that we fully customize and prepare for them. We create Client “pop-by” gifts, Just Listed and Just Sold cards and much more.

Q: Wow – that’s awesome! What kind of trends and changes are you feeling in the market as a broker and recruiter?

A: Market changes would be pressure on lower commissions (That’s why we create the programs we do–to fully arm our agents when going on an appointment.) I believe that there are two types of real estate companies emerging…the Full Service Brokerage which is totally focused on the agent and the companies where the primary feature is a low fee. Agents who really want to grow their business are looking for a full service Brokerage to help them do more business. The public is much more educated today and they have tools that never used to be there in the past…primarily the Internet with access to all the data. Agents today need to sell their services and their negotiating skills more than ever before.

Q: What would you say are the top practices you use to recruit (and keep) a solid, cohesive team of agents?

A: Let them know that you care about them and their customers. Be innovative with new ideas and technology, and provide more tools and services to make it easier for them. I have learned that most agents can have a great idea but never implement it…that’s what we do and they love it.

Q: Do you have a favorite “Judy strategy” that’s worked for you in your recruiting efforts?

A: I have many…the best are the “Lumpy Letters”.

Q: If you had to give one great piece of advice to a new or even experienced recruiter and broker –what would it be?

A: That’s easy: PICK UP THE PHONE!

Q: Great advice Carl! If our readers want to connect with you – what is the best place to do that?

A: Sure – you can find me through my site: www.carlvandergoot.com

Thank you so much Carl for sharing your experience and ideas. We appreciate the opportunity to connect industry leaders from all over the globe who are willing to share what it takes to succeed with less stress in our business!

Want to learn more about becoming and STAYING a PROFITABLE broker? Bookmark our blog, and join us to tap into a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to become the turn-to broker in your area for top agents. Learn more…

How to Get Positioned to Win This Fall

Posted on August 1, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Recruiting Season is Almost Here – Are YOU Ready?

Join us for the Top Strategies for Recruiting the Team You Want This Fall with Coach Judy LaDeur. Get all the tips and tools you need to position yourself to be the broker to contact when the market picks up and the fall rush is on. You’ll laugh, learn, and more importantly, come away with a to-do list that will set you up for success!
Here’s what you’ll learn:

What is “recruiting” season? And why you can you hire more agents at this time of the year than other times?
Why does “recruiting season occur” at the end of August?
What can you do to be positioned this year, and every year for recruiting season?
What marketing materials are best leading into recruiting season?
What marketing materials are best when you are in recruiting season?
How can you insure that your agents are not vulnerable to the competition?
Why the profitable recruiter features top agents each quarter and why we have them scheduled to occur at the beginning of EACH recruiting season.

Will you be positioned when the NEXT recruiting season begins? It takes 4-6 months to establish a relationship, so start NOW! Register today to learn how!

Always Hire Better Than Yourself

Posted on July 31, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Unstoppable Team Advice from Top Broker Steve Allcorn

by Julie Escobar

One of the things we’ve found brokers want most is to tap into what their colleagues around the country – and even the worlds – are doing to build their businesses with more productivity, profitability and less stress! A big thank you to those brokers who are willing to share their experiences, and secrets of success. This week, we connected with the unstoppable Steve Allcorn, who was kind enough to inspire us with a view from his point of view!

Here’s what we learned…

Q: Thanks so much Steve for sharing with us. First, can you tell our readers a little about yourself to start?

A: Sure. I started in the real estate business in 1989 and have always been with RE/MAX. I Purchased a RE/MAX Franchise in 1992, and opened a RE/MAX office in Flower Mound. I built that office to 40 agents, then sold to Mark Wolfe in 2000, and stayed on as an agent. In 2005, I moved into management, and became company’s General Manager. At that time we had 5 offices, and 250 agents. By 2008, we grew to 300 agents and 6 offices. The market crashed and we dropped back to 250 agents before hitting bottom, and starting to rebound. Currently we have 7 offices, and 310 agents.

Q: Wow! That’s powerful. What does it take to manage a group of recruiters and brokers?

A: Always hire better than yourself. I motivate my team, and make them accountable, but give them plenty of leeway to do what they each do best. Each of my managers has a different style. Collectively, we have an unstoppable team. Once an agent has joined, we rarely lose them.

Q: How do you measure a SUCCESSFUL year?

A: When most of the agents that have joined came from our agents referring them.

Q: What are the biggest challenges with regard to recruiting, and how are you addressing those challenges?

A: Staying on point. Doing the power hour consistently, day in, and day out is grueling, but necessary. We have found that doing a 1-2 month hard hitting recruiting effort/campaign, followed by a month off, keeps us from getting burned out. Don’t get me wrong, we are still recruiting during the month off, but the 2 months on is much more aggressive. We create goals, share them with each other in a group setting, discuss how realistic our goals are, and how we are going to accomplish them. We report the outcome daily or weekly to the group. When you have to be accountable for your actions to your peers, you tend to perform at a higher level.

Q: Awesome strategy. Steve, what is your one or two best tips for today’s recruiters?

A: Research and learn as much about your recruit as you can before you contact them. Realtors like to talk about themselves, so when you know more about their business than they do, it blows them away. Also, help them recognize the things they don’t have or don’t like in their current situation. Never directly slam. The pain has to be discovered by them, not pointed out by you. I do this by sharing things we provide for our agents, that so happens to be things that they don’t have provided to them by their current broker.

Q: What is your top priority?

A: Honesty, consistency, and integrity. We have an outstanding reputation in our area, and have to maintain that, at all costs. If we do it right, the money will take care of itself.

Q: If readers want to connect with you – what’s the best site to do that?

A: Sure! Readers can find me online at www.facebook.com/rmdfw, or www.facebook.com/steveallcornrealestate.

Thank you so much Steve for all your wise words. It’s a constantly changing market out there, and always terrific to learn from our industry’s leaders what they are doing to stay relevant, ready, and positioned to WIN in their markets.

Want to learn more about becoming and STAYING a PROFITABLE broker? Bookmark our blog here, and join us to tap into a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to become the turn-to broker in your area for top agents. Learn more…

Are You Following Up With Your Recruits?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Summer Recruiting Strategies

by Real Estate Recruiting Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur

One of the easiest ways to recruit more agents each year is to follow up with those who say “no” initially. The decision to change offices is a tough one. Sometimes, due to fear of the unknown, the agent will stay put. Have you ever heard that people will stay with something they know, even if it is not good, rather than make a change? The logic is that at least they know what they have. Change requires that they venture into the unknown. However, Brokers who consistently follow up with agents after the interview, say that up to 50% of their hires each year were a results of follow up.

What about the agents who don’t want to get together right now? It’s all about timing, so if it is not the right time for them to get together, your job as the broker is to maintain a non-threatening passive series of contacts until they are ready. When something happens in their life or their office, they will be ready to meet. BUT they will only meet when you have stayed in touch.

When we train recruiters, we always recommend that they go out and interview with the competition before they start their job. It’s a great way to see what others have to offer, and a great way to check out their competition. Recruiters say that it is rare that ANY broker follows up with a note or card! I find that amazing. As a recruiter, I always followed up until I hired them or they went somewhere else. And if they went somewhere else, I still followed up because they might not be happy with the other company.

Register for The Profitable Recruiter today to stay in touch with those agents that you want. The best ones take longer, but they are worth it!

Judy LaDeur
President of Judy LaDeur International
www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com

And Then Some…

Posted on June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Insights from One of the Top RE/MAX Real Estate Brokers — Stuart Thomas

By Julie Escobar and The Profitable Recruiter Team

It’s a great day when you can learn from a world-class nice guy and power broker in our business. I had a chance to do just that with an interview with the incredible Stuart Thomas! Here’s what he shared:

Q: Stuart, thank you so much for interviewing with us! We so appreciate it! First can you tell us a little about you and your business?

A: Sure! Here are the highlights: I’m a Stanford Graduate. We earned Office of Year RE/MAX CA-HI 2007. Broker Owner of the Year RE/MAX CA-HI 2008. RE/MAX Catalyst Broker 2011-2014. Chairman of the RE/MAX Advisory Committee to CHOC Children’s Hospital, 2011, 2012, 2013. Lifetime Achievement Award from CHOC. We have 5 offices and 75 associates. I’ve owned RE/MAX Select One since its inception in 2003. And we’ve been a Miracle office for CMN since 2009.

Q: Wow – that’s an impressive roster! Stuart, our market has certainly seen it’s fair share of changes in recent years. What do you think is one of the best secrets to longevity and weathering tough markets?

A: The first way to weather a tough market is to surround yourself with outstanding agents. Many offices hire anyone and in a hot market, they sell homes. When the market turns, the associates leave the business and the broker has a model that does not work. By hiring full time professionals who have a farm, we can weather the storm and these associates get more education such as CDPE and SRF to adapt to the market. While many companies went under or suffered – we grew during the past 6 years. I believe that careers are made in a down market.

Q: Certainly as a broker/owner, you wear a LOT of hats! What’s your number one priority when it comes to building your business – and your bottom line?

A: Hire the right people. My philosophy is, if I have to manage you, I should not have hired you — but I am always here to support you.

Once you have hired them, work based on “And Then Some.” Give everyone what they require And Then Some. By hiring full time professionals, I am free to recruit, retain and be available for the team when they need me. My bottom line does not fluctuate based on the changes in the market. These associates sell what the market tells them to sell. REO’s, Short Sales, or Equity Sellers.

Q: In terms of recruiting — what’s your best advice to other brokers and managers for growing (and keeping) a solid team?

A: Lister’s Last. Look for great listing agents. No matter if it’s a seller’s market or a buyer’s market, listing agents control at least half the transaction. The RE/MAX model rewards listing agents so take advantage of it. We don’t have an Up Desk because we want the listing agents to get the buyer calls. That is different from the traditional offices who want the higher split from new agents. That’s good for the broker, but bad for the listing agent. My advice? Stick to your core beliefs and the model that RE/MAX has been using for 41 years. It works.

Fantastic information! Thanks so much Stuart for your time and insights! If you want to connect with Stuart – find him here on his company Facebook page! If you would like to learn more about adding some “And Then Some” magic to your organization, subscribe today to a theprofitablerecruiter.com membership! Affordable, easy-to-implement real estate recruiting and retention solutions and strategies, all in one place, delivered up to you monthly. Learn more today!

Get Everyone Rowing in the Same Direction

Posted on May 30, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Insights from One of RE/MAX’s Top Brokers Jaci Coan

By Julie Escobar and The Profitable Recruiter Team

Don’t you love when you find brokers and owners of dynamite organizations who are willing to share their experiences? We do too! That’s why we reached out to some of the best professionals in the business to learn what they are doing RIGHT in their markets – and in our industry! We’re so pleased that seasoned veteran and amazing broker Jaci Coan stepped up share some of her story with us!

Here is an excerpt from our interview:

Q: First Jaci, thank you so much for participating! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your company?

A: Thanks Julie. First, I am married to David Coan. We have six grown children, and two wonderful grandkids. I have had my Real Estate license for 35 years. After years of owning a small independent office, David and I opened RE/MAX Trinity in June of 2007. The company has grown from 6 agents to over 85, and 3 offices.

I have been honored with the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtor “Spirit Award”, and currently serve as the 2014 Secretary-Treasurer for my association.

We were honored as the 2007 RE/MAX of Texas “Rookie of the Year”, the 2009 RE/MAX of Texas “Broker/Owner of the Year”, and the 2010 RE/MAX International Broker/Owner of the Year. We have been awarded the Tarrant Council “Miracle Office” award the past 3 of 4 years. I was the 2010 recipient of the RE/MAX of Texas “John Lozenski Award”, which is awarded for humor, spirit and dedication to excellence, congeniality and commitment to the associates and growth of RE/MAX.

Our company is well known in our community for being progressive. We are located in a historic building in our most popular urban area, and have a relatively young group of agents, with the average agent age being 43. We are highly active in our community, and work together for Children’s Miracle Network, having three large events for them each year. I think our agents are proud to be associated with us!

Q: Wow! That’s a lot to be proud of! Recruiting and retention go hand in hand — as a broker, what is your key for finding balance between the two?

A: I have a full time recruiter whose only focus is recruiting. This allows me time to teach and mentor my agents, focusing my energy on retention.

Q: It’s a competitive market out there, what do you find works best for you in regards to attracting the RIGHT agent for your team?

A: First is selling the power of the RE/MAX Brand! Additionally, we promote the value of the services our office provides to the agents, allowing them to focus on growing their businesses, and our ability to help them reach their personal goals.

Q: We’ve seen a lot of changes in the last few years – what are some of your tips for surviving change?

A: Keeping operating costs to a minimum without sacrificing services that we provide to our agents. During the downturn in the economy we focused our efforts on agent training and productivity, minimizing our loss of agents.

Q: What is your best advice for other brokers and recruiters eager to be successful and grow a great company?

A: Assemble the RIGHT staff, pay them well and treat them well. You can’t be afraid to invest money to assemble the best team. We take two staff retreats annually (just overnight) to take time away from the office to re-center ourselves. One vision and one mission, with everyone rowing in the same direction. We try, as a staff, to always be forward thinking, and we are never complacent! You can’t skimp on the best locations, building finish out, and technology. We are continually looking for ways to improve our game, and therefore improve the experience provided to our customers…the agents.

Q: Thanks so much Jaci for your insights! We’d love to send readers back to your site or social media profile to connect with you if you’d like! Just let me know where to send them! You are wonderful for helping. Thanks again!

A: Our website is www.remax-trinity.com, and we have a Facebook page for RE/MAX Trinity, as well as they can friend me on Facebook.

If you would like to learn more about getting all of YOUR team rowing in the same direction, subscribe today to theprofitablerecruiter.com membership! Affordable, easy-to-implement real estate recruiting and retention solutions and strategies, all in one place, delivered up to you monthly. Learn more today!

It All Comes Down to Focus!

Posted on May 14, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Insights From Seasoned Broker Mark Strosnider

By The Profitable Recruiter Team

Hearing first hand from what OTHER brokers are doing to grow their business, market share, and team of trusted agents is exactly the kind of thing most brokers and recruiters want more of. That’s why we are serving it up interview style with some of the best brokers in the business. This time, we connected with seasoned broker Mark Strosnider – here’s what he had to share with ‘the class’

Q: Thanks Mark for taking some time with us to share your experience! Can you first tell us a little about you and your business?

A: I started in real estate in 1993, and got in to Management and Recruiting in 2006. I started working with my partners at RE/MAX Town Center in 2011 when a second location was being opened. We have grown by a little over 100 agents since October of 2011

Q: That’s awesome! Brokers today have a hefty to-do list – what is your top priority in terms of dedicated time when growing your business?

A: My focus is pretty simple. GROWTH. I work to grow the company size by recruiting and working with the agents on their business models to help them grow their businesses. Having great partners allows me to stay focused on what I do best

Q: Mark, you know Judy is a huge fan of putting systems in place to build and keep momentum. What systems do you put in place to make sure that you are recruiting at the level you need to build the business you want?

A: We maintain written goals with daily, weekly and monthly proactive activities to reach those goals. We share calendars and divide responsibilities so each of us can remain focused on reaching the goals. We time-block and prioritize our activities and meet consistently to review our strategies and measure our results

Q: Sounds like a solid plan! What’s your best tip or piece of advice for new recruiters?

A: Stay focused on relationships, pursue high quality people and be proactive. Don’t wait for it to just happen.

Q: Any favorite strategies you’ve learned from Judy that have really made an impact?

A: Judy really makes it clear and helps get your mind set and expectations in order. Thinking about a recruit as a buyer and not as a listing helped me stay focused on the proper interview process.

Agents move based on pain and rationalize their decision based on opportunity. Be open to opportunity. Recruiting takes patience and when an experienced agent takes the time to sit down with you, you need to be prepared that making a move today is an option for them. Don’t be too patient!

Fantastic advice Mark – thank you so much for sharing! If you’d like to connect with Mark, find him here on Facebook! If you would like to learn more about creating that winning focus for your organization, subscribe today to a theprofitablerecruiter.com membership! Affordable, easy-to-implement real estate recruiting and retention solutions and strategies, all in one place, delivered up to you monthly. Learn more today!

The Power of an Accountability Partner

Posted on December 18, 0201December 18, 2019 by The Profitable Recruiter

18 Dec

A Common Denominator for Staying ON-TRACK

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Here’s a big question for you: Who is holding you accountable to your recruiting program? Do you have a coach, a support person within your organization or someone in your real estate network that you are answering to in terms of staying on track? As I look at many of the most successful recruiters and brokers around the world, the one thing that many of them have in common is “someone who holds them accountable.”

Top agents, top athletes and top brokers will all tell you the value of having that outside person or industry expert hold you accountable weekly. Coaches hold us accountable to do what it is that we already know we should do, but don’t. We are all guilty of putting off those tasks which are not quite as much fun. A coach is the person who will keep asking you, week after week, “Did you get (task) completed yet?” They nudge us in the direction that we have said that we want to go. They listen, and give feedback, then remind you of the goal. Coaching is not designed to be training. Training teaches you what to do. Coaching gives you the support needed to stay on track and get it done. Accountability is not a bad thing, but it can certainly cause you to feel the pressure as that accountability call approaches. Most brokers say that it is the most important piece of their success. Without it, it’s easy to come up with a bunch of creative reasons of why you didn’t get make the calls. Didn’t set the appointments. Didn’t create the new hit list. Didn’t do whatever you SAID you were going to do for the week.

Your coach or accountability partner is someone who you respect the opinion of, who you know will tell you truth when you’re on or off track. They are the person you can turn to who can review both successes and failures of each of your interviews. Coaches, especially, can provide you with various ways to overcome objections and stalls. Knowing someone is going to hold you accountable for what you said you are going to do, is a powerful motivator. If what you want is to lead in your market, build the best possible team, and keep the great agents that you already have and you are serious about growing your company then I challenge you to do three things starting sooner rather than later.

Commit to training. To learning the skills you need to be at the top of your game. To investing the time, money and effort into learning the objection handling tools, the dialogues, scripts, interview and phone skills, and mindset to push past any fear or limitations you might currently feel to truly finish this year strong and set yourself up for an incredible new year.
Commit to consistency. That one and done marketing approach never works. You would say the same to your agents when they try it, so why would you attempt a shotgun approach to your recruiting? Consistent, effective, powerful messaging and marketing every month is the key to building those relationships that will lead agents to your door. If you’re not reaching out to your hit lists week after week with topical, timely content that doesn’t push but does present you as a trusted leader and resource you’re leaving opportunities to recruit and money on the table.
Commit to an accountability partner. Whether you are ready to hire a coach or know of an industry professional that you can partner with to keep each other on track, don’t head into the new year without putting this vital business component in place. It’s a game-changer.

Fair warning, it’s not comfortable to be accountable for your actions if you’re not willing to commit. It’s not comfortable to have to say to a coach or partner, “I didn’t do what I said I was going to do.” It’s not supposed to be. Here’s the flip side of that coin – when you DO what you commit to doing, boy does that feel great. You can’t WAIT for that call. And once the habit takes hold and you are walking the walk not just talking the talk each month not only will you appreciate those calls that keep you on track, but your office will be thriving and you’ll be sharing this strategy with your agents. Pretty soon you’ll have integrity partnerships all over your organization! And when THAT happens – your business and theirs will grow exponentially. Everyone wins. What are you waiting for? Start today!

If you’re not sure how to be consistent and what messages and marketing you should be using to connect with your current agents and your prospects each month, then take a good long look at The Profitable Recruiter. It has been a differentiator for brokers. Why? Because it’s done for them, takes the guess work out of recruiting and they can put their marketing on auto-pilot and focus on follow up. Systems are powerful because they keep us from getting in our own way!

With your membership you get powerful, content-rich weekly emails to send to your agents and prospects. It’s the perfect way to stay positioned and top of mind as the broker who cares and is committed to helping them create better lives and careers. You also get seasonal letters and “lumpy letters” each month which are perfect for sending to your top-tier recruiting prospects. They get opened, get agent attention, and create quite the buzz in your market as agents tell their colleagues, “Did you see what I got from (your name)?” You also get social media tips each month and weekly broker recruiting and retention plans. The icing on the cake is our training – each month we feature a top broker or industry expert from around the world to discuss what they are doing that is making an impact and allowing them to build their best team. We also host an agent webinar that features a top agent – you should invite every member of your team to attend as well as your prospective agents. And lastly, you’ll get seven hours of audio training that cover everything from scripting and dialogues to objection handling and interview skills.

All of that for just $197 per month. In fact, register today and take 50% off your order with promo code 50OFF any 6-month or annual plan. AND as a special bonus offer, RENEW OR JOIN BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, and you’ll automatically get three months of The Profitable Sales Agent weekly newsletters (January-March) to share with your agents at NO COST. These weekly newsletters are consumer friendly so they are the perfect way for your agents to stay top of mind with their sphere.

Our members are recruiting both new and experienced agents as well as entire teams using this system. If you recruiting just ONE, you’d more than pay for the entire system for years! Give it try. Got questions? Give us a call at 813-957-2989.

Happy holidays!

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.

5 Questions to Ask Every Recruiting Prospect NOW

Posted on June 2, 0201June 2, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

02 Jun

Getting Positioned for Success

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Brokers and recruiters all across America are saying the same thing. “What’s up with the recruiting market this year? I am doing everything I have always done, but nothing seems to be working!” I have been talking to a lot of brokers who remember those days well. Ten years ago, when the market was really hot, brokers had the same frustrations. The best agents did not move until after the spring market. Of course, then they went on vacation, and spend some of their hard earned money. Those days have returned. The good news is the real market is back. What that means for brokers is that once again, they need to spend the summer getting positioned for the agent movement that will occur in August and September. There are lots of ways to stay positioned, but as we mentioned in last week’s article, it should be passive. Agents don’t want to feel the pressure right now. Since we know what their next eight weeks looks like, let’s give them what they want. A little time to relax, recoup and regenerate for the full court press in the fall.

I have been talking to many of the recruiters that I coach, and they are all saying the same thing. The agents are willing to get together but most want to wait until August. So let’s start booking interviews for August! Don’t get me wrong. I think that you always have to ask the agents if they are willing to come in for an interview, but if you can not get the interview, use these questions at the end of he call to book your August interviews.

“Stats show that this was the best spring market in 10 years, would you agree with that statement?”
“It also shows that most agents were completely focused on their business and making money, and in fact, many were worried that the market might slow down again. For that reason, most agents were not going to do anything to break their momentum, which includes making a move to a new company. Would you agree with that?”
“Those same agents are planning to take time to relax recoup and regenerate in July before getting back to work for a strong fall market this year. Are you planning to take some time off? What are your plans?”
“In years past, when the spring market was really strong, the best agents chose August as their time to look at their options and consider a move. It’s the perfect time to make a move, based on lower inventory. Would you be willing to look at your options in August before the market picks back up? “
“Great! Let’s set a time now and put it on the calendar. What day in the week is the best time for you to meet? Do you prefer morning or afternoons? Great! I look forward to getting together then. I will send you some info over the course of the summer, just to stay in touch. No pressure. We have a Motivational email that we send to our agents each week. It’s a great way to start off every week. Do you mind if I send you a motivational message each Monday morning? Perfect.”

Once again, always ask them to get together now. Many will. But for those that won’t, let’s start building that pipeline full of prospects for August.

The Profitable Recruiter Marketing Platform has a lot of great ideas to gently stay in touch. If you are a member, check out all the new tools on your Members Only Tools and Marketing materials section. Of course, one of the best tools to stay positioned, is The Profitable Recruiter ENewsletter Campaign. It’s a fun marketing piece for the summer. Check it out at www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com.

Summer is also the time for retention. Your agents might be looking at their options as well. Over the next eight weeks I will send you ideas and suggestions to retain the ones that you have, while getting positioned for the ones that you want.

If you’re ready to dial up your recruiting, and position yourself to attract the agents you want sooner rather than later, join top brokers from around the nation who are members of www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com. You’ll get all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. Fine tuning your skills this summer? All pro members get access to over SEVEN hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best.

Join today and take advantage of our special summer 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!