CULTURE: What It Is and Why It Matters

Posted on June 16, 2016June 16, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

16 Jun

Evaluating the Health of Your Company

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Whenever we evaluate the relative health of a company, the first element we examine is the company’s culture. Cultural strength may well be the most critical factor in a company’s success.

What is culture? A company’s culture refers to how well the members of an organization agree about the importance of shared values. In simple terms, it’s “the way things are done”. Yet, culture is often overlooked or dismissed as “fluff”. Subsequently, in many companies, culture is derived accidentally, verses by design.

Culture is everything we do, including the way we answer the phone, greet clients, resolve disputes, communicate, dress, and process information. It’s also our performance standards, the appearance of our offices and yard signs, our marketing message, and the perceived image of the agents. Culture should be created by a specific set of core values, and implemented on a daily basis. Do you view the growth of your agents as the pathway to increasing your profit? Ultimately, culture is how well a company collectively “walks the talk”—not simply an eloquent mission statement in the foyer.

Why does culture matter? There is overwhelming evidence that companies that intentionally develop and manage their cultures outperform similar companies that don’t and by a wide margin! Real estate companies with strong cultures attract more clients, have a higher percentage of repeat and referral business, attract and retain the most productive salespeople, and have the most positive environments. You can literally feel it when you walk in the door.

What does a strong culture look like?

An atmosphere of trust, transparency, and fairness permeating the organization.
A prevailing sense that the whole of the company is important to all.
A commitment to continuous improvement.

What is the leader’s role? There is no more important job for leadership than to develop, articulate and model an intentional culture. Ultimately, every culture and sub-culture in any organization is a reflection of its leader. Changing culture is complex. The process can begin by identifying:

3 values that are important to you, the leader
3 values that are important to your team: agents and support staff
3 values that are important to your clients
3 values that are important to the success of your brokerage

Once you have identified the shared core values, you should begin developing a comprehensive plan for implementing those core values in everything you do. Are you recruiting agents who support your values? Do your clients know your core values and how that benefits them? Does every member of your team adhere to those values on a daily basis? It does not happen overnight, but you can start today to build your office of tomorrow.

A great tool to get your message to your potential recruits and your clients is our Profitable Recruiter Motivational messages. We create a motivational message each week for you to send to your agents, your recruits and your agents clients. You can personalize each message with one of your core values. To view each of the tools on our Profitable Recruiter platform, go to www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com.

Having the right systems and strategies in place takes some of the guess-work out of your success. We are happy to be a resource to help you develop a strong, supportive culture in your office, stay top of mind with the recruits you want to hire, and give you the scripts and dialogues you need to close even the savviest of agents to join your team. Want to learn more about how to become a more profitable recruiter? Check out our Membership Benefits and enroll today.

Take advantage of our special offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your business plan, and take 30% off with the promo code 30OFF — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! 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, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today!

How to NOT Have to RESET Your Recruiting Each Season

Posted on May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

26 May

Summer Recruiting Realities for Brokers and Managers

By Real Estate Recruiting Speaker and Coach Judy LaDeur

Summer is a great time of year, right? Time to kick back a little. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Re-charge the batteries. There is one thing that brokers should NOT leave in a holding pattern during the summer months however, and that is the consistent process of staying in touch with their recruiting prospects. Otherwise – you have to hit RESET on your marketing and recruiting efforts each season, losing valuable time and opportunity.

I like to remind recruiters that this time of year it’s crucial to “stay comfortably in touch” with those they want to attract – as well as the agents they already have. It’s an easy time to kick back, ease up on the marketing, and postpone “staying in touch” calls. But the months of June, July and August are two really important times to do the opposite, because, the truth is — the agents are doing the same thing! That means for those who are taking a summer sabbatical – they will be starting all over again come fall. When agents do not stay in touch with their database, their pipeline starts to dry up. Agents should have 10 clients and customers in their pipeline at all times. That means: current listings, buyers who are looking at homes, or listing appointments booked. Agents who maintain a pipeline of at least 10 clients, will start off the fall season on the right track. Use the month of July to spot check your agents’ activity. If they have 10 in the pipeline, great! If it is less than 10, have a one-on-one consultation with them to see what it will take to bring that number to 10.

The same thing happens to brokers. Many brokers let their pipeline dry up in the summer. Who should be in YOUR pipeline? Those you have interviewed, but not yet hired combined with those interviews which are set. Do you have 10 agents in your pipeline? If not, what will it take to build up your pipeline?

Summertime is also a terrific time to sharpen your skills and stock up on summer reading that will help you fuel your team and help with retention. Fall is recruiting season which means, just as you are seeking out and talking to agents in your market, other brokers are going to be talking to YOUR agents, too. Here are a few great book recommendations to consider:

The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon is a great book about passion and positive energy.
The Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton talks about building a referral based business. Brokers should apply the same principles to building a referral based recruiting system.
Billion Dollar Agent by Steve Kantor studies the common traits of agents who have sold a billion dollars in real estate. It has some great insights for brokers on what their agents should do to build their business.

While lots of agents are on “family time mode” this time of year — there are lots of things brokers can be doing to secure their top of mind spot when agents are back in work mode.

Activities brokers can do to position themselves for a strong finish to the year are:

Go back and see who you interviewed, and then put a reminder on their calendar to call them mid-August to get back together.
Go back 7 years and make a list of everyone who left your office. If they are good agents, it’s a great time to call and invite them to come back. Tell them that they are missed.
Set up your marketing (if you haven’t already) to go out via Constant Contact, iContact, or whatever your email platform might be. These systems allow you to allow you to see who is opening your emails and track results.
A very basic thing is to keep all your data in a contact management program. I am still surprised how many brokers do not have their info set up in an organized format. If it’s not set up, use this time to get organized.
Our weekly emails give brokers activities each week for recruiting and retention, so just sending your emails and implementing those ideas each week will keep you positioned.

Mindsets are important too. For a lot of recruiters – forming the right habits, such as time blocking and the ability to pick up the phone without fear are important. What can you be doing right now to fuel your skill sets? Networking with other successful recruiters is a great way to keep the right mind set, and pick up new ideas. Recruiters are a team of ONE in many companies. They are not an agent, and they are not a manager. This makes it tough for recruiters to have someone they can talk to, bounce ideas off, etc. I coach many full time recruiters and they are always saying how great it is to have someone to talk to about their recruiting systems/objections/solutions. As a broker, be aware of their need to connect with other like-minded recruiters. As a recruiter, search out other successful recruiters. They are always participating in our recruiting blitz, and we have one scheduled to start in a few weeks.

Having the right systems and strategies in place year-round takes some of the guess-work out of your success. We are happy to be a resource to help you stay in touch month-after-month, give you the scripts and dialogues you need to close even the savviest of agents to join your team. Want to learn more about how to become a more profitable recruiter? Check out our Membership Benefits and enroll today.

Take advantage of our special offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your 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!

Recruiting Power Tools

Posted on April 22, 2016June 6, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

And Why You Should Keep Them Handy

by Real Estate Recruiting Speaker and Coach Judy LaDeur

When is the right time to be recruiting? All the time. But to do so, you’ve got to have the right tools in place. For most brokers, rather than jumping in and making calls, should spend time getting yourself positioned to recruit the best agents, which is more than just making calls and booking interviews. We spend a lot of time as recruiting coaches to help brokers understand what a “value proposition” is and what it is not! We have determined that 90% of brokers have no idea what their value proposition is – even though it is the most important element in their recruitment arsenal. The value proposition is NOT their tools. However their tools determine the value of their value proposition.

What we are teaching brokers to do is to identify their 12-20 most powerful tools and the results that each tool produces. You would be amazed how many brokers do not have a handle on this information. Knowing the results of the tools you have allows you to share them in a way that educates the agents in your market about the opportunities that you can provide to them as a member of your team. If you’re not sure where to start, poll your agents. Ask them the value of the tools that you provide as an organization. When the agents tell you what your systems mean to their real estate career, that is your value proposition to that agent. It is different for each agent, but these insights can give brokers what they need to figure out a minimum of 12 powerful tools with results that are unique in their market or things that they are doing that others are not doing. It can be a little tedious and it takes a while to complete but it’s well worth it. Next, they need to create visuals for each one as well with the results on them.

For any broker out there who wants to make this the most productive year yet, this is a must-do task, not a should do. Then, sharpen your phone and interview skills so you can hit the ground running.

How to Keep Great Agents from Leaving

Posted on April 6, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

06 Apr

It All Starts With YOU

By Real Estate Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur

The top two reasons people leave their jobs are lack of recognition and poor working environment. It’s that simple.

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.”

Happy agents are productive agents. When agents feel good about their company, and their life is in balance, they produce more – and they are less likely to be recruited away.

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.

Graham’s study determined the top motivating techniques were:

The manager / owner personally congratulates those who do a good job.
The manager / owner writes personal notes about good performances.
The organization used performance as the basis for promotion.
The manager / owner holds morale-building meetings to celebrate successes.

When employees at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, hit their goals, they ring a large brass bell. I know of several real estate companies who put a bell in the office and let the agents ring the bell when they get a listing or sale. It motivates the whole team to want to ring the bell – and it brings them together to support each other’s successes.

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.

People today are looking for much more than a paycheck. They want to be treated like human beings. That may sound obvious, but a lot of companies 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.

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.

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 congrats note on the agent’s phone when they get a new listing.
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. Stuart Thomas, a great Broker in California, does this on a regular basis, and his agents love it!
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. You can announce over the office intercom; I’m buying lunch today. Who wants to join me?

In the book, The Leadership Pill, Blanchard and Muchnick explain profit this way: “Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your people and creating a motivating environment for people.”

As a broker and manager, your top priorities are recruiting and ensuring that your team of agents have not only what they need to succeed, but that feeling that they are where they belong in terms of their business “home”. A lot of that comes down to those little things that you can do as a business leader to make people feel appreciated, cared for, and valued. We’d love to hear what YOU do to help agents feel special in YOUR office!

Want to learn more about hiring the best agents for your team, and keeping your team happy and productive? Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 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 25% off with the promo code 25OFF any pro membership.

Scripts and Strategies Webinar On Demand

Posted on January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About The Profitable Recruiter But Were Afraid to Ask

We had a great turnout for our monthly Profitable Recruiter Members’ webinar. This month we did something a little different. Normally our monthly webinars include a guest speaker from the industry, but we had so many brokers who really are eager to hit the ground running and make this their best recruiting year ever and wanted to learn more about how to use their platform more effectively. So that’s what we covered. The A-Z of how to use The Profitable Recruiter Membership platform to recruit the agents you want and need this year. At the end of the session Coach Judy LaDeur also shared great scripts and strategies for handling some of the biggest recruiting objections that our listeners were facing. So don’t miss out on those!

Thanks to all of our members who shared their questions, and of course to Judy for always delivering great content and answers!

If you’re ready to recruit your dream team and have YOUR best year ever as well – become a member today. Why? Because creating is hard. Knowing what to send and say to recruit the experienced and new agents you’re looking for to continuously grow your powerful team of agents isn’t easy when you’re going it alone.

Using the tools that others have built for you that will position you for the success and growth that you want for your business is simple and affordable! If you are a Profitable Recruiter Member – make sure you are taking full advantage of your membership platform by actively using everything in your platform.

If you are NOT a member of The Profitable Recruiter but would like to start using these powerful done-for-you content training and tools, then register here and you too can use the promo code 25OFF to save 25% on any pro membership. Don’t forget — you can add up to TEN (10) managers or administrators to your account. That way everyone on your management team is on the same page and working together to grow your company. Not a big organization? That’s all right too! We can add your admin assistant and help you have as much recruiting power as possible. To access the Audio downloads, register for either the 6- month or annual memberships. Got questions? Email us! We’d love to help! Make it a great year!

Twelve Ways to Use Done for You Tools to Recruit & Retain

Posted on January 20, 2016January 28, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

As a Profitable Recruiter

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Creating is hard right? But crafting a marketing plan from already done for you tools is not only easy, it’s smart marketing – and savvy time management. This week, let’s look at twelve powerful ways you can use your Profitable Recruiter Membership tools to recruit the agents you want, brand your company in your marketplace as the one to work for – and do business with, and lighten your daily to do list!

Stay positioned the RIGHT way. The number one thing you can do to recruit your dream team and retain the great agents you have is to stay in front of them at least monthly, if not weekly, with valuable information, inspiration, and a reminder that you are there when they need you. Our most successful members log into their platform just before the first of every month (or have their admin do this for them) and click on Weekly eNewsletters. They then copy and paste these weekly eNewsletters into their own email platform (we recommend a platform that allows you to track opens, click through rates, etc.) and then schedule them to go out every Monday morning before 7:00 am. Not only will you get tons of positive feedback, this week alone, we had several brokers tell us that agents are asking if they can add OTHER agent friends to the weekly campaigns. You’ll be staying top-of-mind, growing your hit list, and put yourself in the position of being the number one broker to call when those agents are ready to make a move.
Work the challenges. Each week, we share a challenge and action step that you, the broker and recruiter, can take to further your recruiting goals and grow a stronger business. The brokers that do, are full speed ahead and on track to surpass their goals.
Pro Members Use Lumpy Letters. Each month you’ll get these new attention grabbing letters which are meant for the top 10-20% of your recruiting prospect list. Sent monthly, they not only put you front and center on the radar of those top agents, they will help make you the talk of the real estate town with chatter about how creative you are, how you went the extra step, and how they can’t wait to see what you’ll send next. They make follow up fun and easy – and they’ll make picking up the phone because the agents are CALLING YOU with a thank you, a welcome relief from cold calls! Top brokers simply copy these (or have their admin copy), order the ‘lumpy’ part of the mail (we offer links so you can find these items easily), and have their admin assistants put them in bubble mailers and send out the first week of every month.
Pro Members Use Seasonal Recruiting Letters. Each month we add 2-3 seasonal and timely recruiting letters that you can copy and paste onto your letterhead, hand sign, and send to the top 100 prospects on your recruiting list. We also offer retention letters that you can use to do the same and send or hand deliver to your current agents to make sure they feel special. There is power in receiving something in the mail in today’s electronic world. Use it to your advantage. The first or second week of every month simply copy, print, sign, and send. (Three of those activities you can even delegate – how cool is that?)
Social Media Tips. Every month we deliver enough content and ideas to keep you visible (without stressing you out or taking up too much time) as well as strategies to brand you and build a strong, positive online presence. It’s an easy, breezy way of kicking up your social media without having to reinvent any wheels. You can even use great tools like SproutSocial.com to copy and paste some of these into a platform and schedule your posts.
Webinar Invites. Every month we host TWO webinars. One for brokers in which we spotlight top recruiters and coaches with timely topics and strategies on what works – and even what doesn’t (common pitfalls) to keep you on track for your recruiting goals. Secondly, we host an agent webinar with top agents and coaches who deliver powerful strategies to help your agents (and prospects) rise to the top of their field and stay there. Our top brokers open the invite tab at the first of the month, register for their own webinar, then copy and paste the agent registration link into one email that goes out to all of their existing agents, and a second email inviting all their prospective recruits (use a platform, bcc options, or email individually for confidentiality) to attend.
Blog. Bookmark the blog for powerful interviews, scripts, dialogues, broker spotlights, etc.
Learn at your own pace. Click on the Webinars on Demand tab in your platform to watch a wide spectrum of past webinars at your own pace. There are agent and broker webinars here so you can use some as training opportunities for your sales team. Preview a topic, pick one each month and invite your agents in to watch on demand and workshop what they’ve learned. This is a GREAT tool if you have an in house trainer. (Ask us about how to give them access of their own to this popular section of the membership platform.)
Archives. We archive several months of tools at a time so you can peruse other lumpy letters, eNewsletters and tools if you want to switch things up a little!
Recruiting Scripts for our Pro Members. We add new scripts and dialogues for even the toughest recruiting and prospecting calls and interviews here each month. Top members print these out and practice, drill, and rehearse so that they are ready for ANYTHING an agent might through their way!
6 Month and Annual Members access over SEVEN HOURS of audio training for recruiters. These audio files run the gamut of what brokers face each day and teach you how to master your trade as a broker, recruiter, and business professional.
Help your agents do the same. Through April 15th, brokers can register for The Profitable Sales Agent for 25% off the membership fee and share THAT content with their agents so they have the vital tools THEY need to stay top of mind, build a strong referral base and sphere and capture the respect, trust, and BUSINESS of the consumers in your community. In this platform they will get:

Weekly eNewsletters designed to be sent to home buyers and sellers complete with DIY home tips, real estate tips, a motivational message, and calls to action
Free collateral material and fair trade items such as staging tips, listing tips and more
Access to their OWN webinar training spotlighting top agents and coaches each month
Agent challenges and weekly action items to keep them motivated and on track
Webinars on Demand so they can learn at their own pace
Archived tools so they can peruse past success strategies
Social Media Tips and Strategies so they can build a strong online presence themselves and connect with their sphere

Creating is hard. Using the tools that others have built for you that will position you for the success and growth that you want for your business? Is simple and affordable! If you are a Profitable Recruiter Member – make sure you are taking full advantage of your membership platform by following the twelve tips above. If you want to register YOUR Company for The Profitable Sales Agent and deliver the tools above to them – click here and use Promo Code 25OFF to save 25% on your membership through April 15^th.

If you are NOT a member of The Profitable Recruiter but would like to start using these powerful done-for-you content training and tools, then register here and you too can use the promo code 25OFF to save 25% on any pro membership. To access the Audio downloads, register for either the 6 month or annual memberships. Got questions? Email us! We’d love to help! Make it a great year!

When Agents Won’t Return Your Calls

Posted on January 11, 2016January 12, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

What YOU May Be Doing Wrong

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

“What am I doing WRONG?” If you could only imagine how many times I’ve heard THAT question. Most brokers and recruiters immediately think the worse if their prospective recruits are not returning their calls, emails or texts. It’s not always bad news, but it can be. One way to help decipher that is by determining their behavior patterns.

Let’s say you met with an agent and it went well but you did not get the commitment. You follow up a week later, but still — you are not getting a response.

The right side, the expressive or driver, knows what you want and they are not shy. When those on the right are not responding to your calls, it’s not always a bad sign. Since they know what you want, if the answer is no, they will easily reply with something to the effect of “I will call you when I am ready,” or “It’s not the right time,” or “I have decided to stay put for now”.

They move at a fast pace and return calls on a priority basis. They are not worried about telling you that they are not ready to move yet, but at the same time, when they don’t call you or return your email, text, etc. it sometimes means that since they know what you want, it does not make sense to call you until they can give you a definitive answer. Maybe they are finishing up some closings, getting a listing sold or even getting some personal stuff in order. For the best agents, the timing has to make sense. When they do respond, that answer is more likely to be a yes, so stay comfortably in touch with various methods of communication and don’t worry too much.

When those on the left are not responding to your calls, it’s not as good. They also know what you want, but they are shy. If they are amiable, they also have a desire to please. Both the left side personalities, Amiable and Analytical, like to avoid conflict or confrontation. Think about it. If their answer is no, they know that you will try to change their mind, apply pressure, etc. –meaning they will naturally avoid contact if the answer is not what you want to hear. They are the ones that hide.

But sometimes the highly emotional ones will also avoid conflict, especially if they are going to feel bad telling you. Maybe they indicated they would join, really like you, but for whatever reason, the answer is going to be “no”, they might also avoid calling you back. If the answer is yes, their desire to please and the fact that they are great at follow up, means that they will return your message in a timelier manner.

Drivers also prefer texting, so it’s always the best way to get a fast response. If they aren’t ready to make a move, the goal is to stay comfortably in touch until they are ready and the best tool to do that is The Profitable Recruiter Motivational enewsletters.

Need to know more about defining the personality types of your recruiting prospects so that you can best match your recruiting strategies? Profitable Recruiter Members, click on the Audio Downloads link in your member platform and look to the Audio 3 Section of your 7+ hours of audio recruiting training for ELEVEN segments that deal with this specific need!

Not a member? Join today and you too can have access to all of our recruiting tools, eNewsletters, monthly webinars – and the 7+ hours of audio training, including the eleven segments on agent personality types. Start your New Year off with what many brokers are saying is the best tool they have when it comes to recruiting, a membership to The Profitable Recruiter! Use 25OFF to get 25% off any PRO membership.

One Powerful Script to Inject Some Energy into Your Recruiting

Posted on January 5, 2016January 7, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

And Get Your Team Involved

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

I’m often asked about my ‘favorite’ scripts for recruiters. Which ones to use when. How can I get better (or less afraid) at making recruiting calls? How do I know which agents in the market place would be a GREAT fit for our office?

Have I got a quick script for you that engages your current team in a positive way, and gets them to help line up new recruiting prospects FOR YOU, also in a powerfully positive way! I call it my “One Desk Left” script. Here’s how it goes:

First, task your agents to give you a business card and write the name of the agent they would like to see you hire if there was only one desk left in the office. Have them write the name on the back of their card. Then use this dialog to follow up with agents:

Only One Desk Left Dialog

Hello (their name), this is (your name and company name). Did I get you at a good time?

The reason for my call is to pay you a compliment. (Let them respond.) This week I walked around and asked each of my agents this question: If we only had one desk open and we could only hire one agent, who would you most like to see sitting in that desk? I am sitting here holding (number) cards with your name on the back! I was impressed, especially with the number of agents here in our marketplace. When my agents feel that way about an agent, I make it a goal to call and not only pass on the information, but to also see if we can get together. I would like to know more about how you do your business but would also like the opportunity to tell you more about the way we do business here at (Company Name).

If they say No:

I understand, and I respect that you are happy at your present company, but sometimes things change. I have always found that it is nice to at least know that the competition has to offer if that day ever comes.

Let me ask you this: If you were to make a move today, what would you be looking for in another company?

What training is most important to agents in today’s market?

If I could help you increase your business by $ __ per year, would it be worth an hour of your time to see how?

Great, I have time available today or we could meet first thing tomorrow. Which time would be best?

Taking the fear and frustration out of recruiting calls starts with preparation. With setting the stage consistently in your market place so that when you do have the opportunity to speak with the agents you most want on your team, they (a) know who you are, (b) know what makes your organization unique, and (c) are comfortable talking to you because you’ve made them a priority to connect with again and again. That’s one of the reasons The Profitable Recruiter system works so well. It gives you a low-key way to stay positioned with agents that would be good team members for your company. Oh- and there’s a bonus to this approach as well! RETENTION. Your current agents will appreciate that you involve them, want to know their opinion, and are eager to choose new team members who THEY would work well with. (How’s that for a win-win-win!?)

Scripts, and practice also remove fear and increase your confidence to go after even the highest producers, because you have a track to run on once you pick up that phone. This month we’ve made it even easier to find the recruiting scripts in our platform by putting them as downloadable pdf’s in a navigation tab all their own! Once you’ve logged into your membership site, simply click on the tab that says recruiting scripts. Choose the ones that work best for you – print them and keep them in front of you when you’re on the phone. Many of our members even make several copies for their phone sessions, so they can add the recruiting prospect’s name to the top, and keep notes on their conversation. They can then transfer those notes into their CRM or database, or even go ‘old school’ and put them in a ‘follow up’ binder.

Do you want to hire more agents in 2016? Learning to handle whatever objection comes your way with ease are both important parts of the puzzle! Not only will you learn many of these vital tools in the 7+ hours of audio training that you get as part of your Profitable Recruiter Pro membership – you have the advantage of learning on demand – individually or as a leadership team.

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 25% 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!

3 Top Tips to Fire Up Your 2016 Recruiting

Posted on December 27, 2015December 28, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

New Year for a Great New Attitude!

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Recruiting remains the #1 challenge for most brokers and managers. Recently, a broker walked up to me and said “It’s just too much! If I get the letters out, I don’t have time for the calls. When I do make the calls, I forget to follow the 5-step process, because I just want them to come in for an interview. When I do get an interview, instead of following the 7-step process, I fall back into my old habits of sell… sell… sell!! It just seems impossible to remember everything!” Sound familiar? I assured the broker that he was not alone. Sometimes it is easier to start out slow, and just do two or three things, but do them well. Here are a few tips that you can follow, as well, which should make it easier to get the agents you want.

#1- The entire interview process needs to stay focused on what they need and what is best for them, not you. A very common phrase that many of the brokers in our coaching program hear is, “You were the only broker who took the time to ask questions about what I needed, and what was important to me. That’s why I choose your firm.” Sound too easy? It’s true! When they come into your office, tell them that your goal is to find out what is important to them, and to determine what their needs are so that you can help them make the best decision for their career. Then spend 20-30 minutes just asking questions in a very reflective way, and think carefully about what they are saying, and what they are looking for. Think of it as solving a problem. Pretend that they are a friend who has come to you for advice, and your goal is to help them make the right decision. If you focus on them, you will be less inclined to try to sell them. You will be amazed at how easy it is to hear what they need, or want. After you have asked your questions, and assessed their situation, you should then present only those systems that address their needs, and solve their issues. After presenting the “right systems”, watch their body language, and ask yourself, “Are they sold?” If so, very calmly, and very confidently, smile, sit back in your seat, and say “When you came in today, I said that my goal was to help you make the best decision for your real estate career. Based on everything that we have discussed here, it seems as though you’re right. You’ve gone as far as you can with your current company, so let’s take you to the next level in your career. We have a transition packet designed to make your move as smooth as possible.” At that point, you should begin reviewing compensation as well as those details that are necessary to make the move. After you have presented the necessary details, smile and say, “I’d love to have you join our team!”

#2- Adopt a New Attitude while you are conducting the interview. Instead of trying to talk them into joining your firm, maintain a different posture. Pretend that you have a full office of very productive agents, and the only way you can hire this agent, is if you let one of your existing agents go. This new attitude will help you be thoughtful and reflective, and they will not feel the pressure that so many recruits say they feel in the interview process.

#3- When you hear stalls and objections, don’t panic, and don’t try to talk them into joining. Just keep asking questions. Two year olds are great closers. Why? They just keep asking questions, until they hear the answer they want. Here are some great responses to the objections you hear at the end of the interview. “Why?” “Why not?” “Why do you feel that way?” “What makes you say that?” “Why would that keep you from making a move today?”“Really? Hum.” “How would you propose that we solve that problem?” Here’s a sample of how it works. If you ask them to join, and they say they can’t do it today, just smile and say, “Why Not?” You’ll be amazed at how often they say, “I don’t know.” You would respond with “I don’t know either, so let’s do it!” You have to keep smiling, and keep it fun. If they say they can’t move because they are good friends with the broker, you might say, “Really? Hum…” Then smile and make them justify that statement before going further. After that you might ask, “If someone approached your broker and offered to buy their firm for a lot of money, would they consult you prior to making their decision about selling their company?” You’ll have to practice it a few times to get into the habit of asking verses selling, but you should see great results.

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 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 – 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!

10 EASY Things You Can Do to Hire 10+ Agents in 2016

Posted on December 23, 2015December 23, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

Hit the Ground Running With These Strategies

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Do you need 10+ great agents in 2016? What would that do to your bottom line?

We are coaching brokers and recruiters who easily hire 10+ agents every year!

Here are the top 10 things you can do to hire 10 great agents.

Talk to FIVE agents every day about a career with your company. It does not have to be on the phone. If you talk to them in person, that counts!
Book at least one interview per week. 4 interviews each month should result in at least 1 hire per month.
If they don’t join, stay in touch with passive marketing and casual phone calls every 5-8 weeks. This will build your pipeline of prospects for 2015. One of the best tools to stay in touch is The Profitable Recruiter emails. Agents love the weekly motivational messages. Your messages ensure that they think of you every week until they are ready to join. To sign up for The Profitable Recruiter click here.
Keep at least 10 agents in your pipeline at all times. Those are agents who you have interviewed or those you have an interview scheduled. If it’s always 10, you will hire at least 10 agents each year.
Network with your agents for referrals daily. Those we coach say that 50%-80% of their recruits are a result of the referrals from their agents. Ask for referrals, or watch who the agents are co-oping with and follow up with phone calls.
Follow up with the agents that you interview, but do not hire. Our research shows that those who follow our system hire about 50% of the agents that they interview that day, or within 60 days of the initial interview. 15% will choose another firm right away and 35% of the agents will decide to move sometime in the next 12 months. Follow up is essential for long term success. Follow up includes motivational emails, notes, calls, and invitations to special or social events, or providing information to help them in their business.
Do whatever is the highest and best use of your time and delegate everything else. Your job is to recruit agents. Spend your time of the phone with an agent, in an interview with an agent or networking for referrals. Delegate the administrative part of the job such as marketing and mailings.
Launch an effective marketing campaign: What is an effective marketing campaign? One that works! Your marketing pieces should create curiosity and desire to know more about your company and the opportunities that you have for them. Your marketing should also educate them about the results that others have had when they joined your firm and what’s in it for them to check you out. It is not just about sending them a letter or postcard but about sending them the right one! The right marketing pieces make it easier to get an interview with the agents that you want.
How much do you know about your competition? Do you know how you compare to the other companies in your area? When you know that you are the best office in your market, you will always be more passionate in your presentation.
Great recruiters never get discouraged when the competition offers “great deals” to get an agent. The best brokers and recruiters know that when you can show more value you will always hire more agents. The key to showing value is to show the agents the opportunities that they can have with your firm that they don’t have now. Each opportunity is worth thousands of dollars.

Do you want to hire more agents in 2016? Mastering the development of relationships with prospective agents and learning to handle whatever objection comes your way with ease are both important parts of the puzzle! Not only will you learn many of these vital tools in the 7+ hours of audio training that you get as part of your Profitable Recruiter Pro membership – you have the advantage of learning on demand – individually or as a leadership team.

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 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 – 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!