Team Talk with Raejean (RJ) Myers

Tools to lead your team to success & tips for extreme accountability.

~Everything I Learned at Coaching Skills Camp~

Tools to lead your team to success and tips for extreme accountability!

 Please join me from 10:30am to 12:00pm on Wednesday, November 18th.  I'd love to share with you some of the incredible tools I learned at the MAPS Coaching Skills Camp last month.  It was an extremely powerful class.  As a matter of fact, I believe it was the BEST Keller Williams workshop/seminar I have ever attended!  More than that, it ranked right up with with any of the Star Power University courses I've attended or any other class for that matter! (Yeah, seriously, THAT good!)

 Please feel free to invite any other Rainmaker (Team Manager) you'd like.  My goal is to talk in depth about your team's success and the personal growth of your team members.      

 If you have any questions about the class, please don't hesitate to contact me.  And please - forward this email to any other Rainmaker you'd like!  

 

Date: Wed., November 18th

Time: 10:30-12:00

Location: Keller Williams Legacy One

3910 S. Alma School Rd., Ste. 1

Chandler,  AZ  85248

RSVP:  rj.myers@cox.net or 480-444-7217

 

4th Quarter, Here We Come!

Wow, this year is flying by.  I don't know about you and your team, but I have so much to plan and accomplish by the end of the year so that 2010 is even better than 2009!  As the Team Leader for Keller Williams Legacy One Realty, my job is a lot like any Rainmaker on a Team.  I just have a larger team - but all of the same fundamentals apply! 

Here's my To-Do List for today... see if any of these items need to be on yours:

1.  Prepare to teach my "team" how to use Contact Types in their database (I'm teaching this class on Friday)  Rainmakers have to do this every time they hire a new team member and then spot check to be sure its being done consistently - If you don't know about contact types, please come to my class on Friday - or email me and I'll send you my power point.

2.  Start to plan my ALC Retreat for October - this is like your Team Advance.  If you don't know what a team advance is, please look for an earlier blog that I posted.  This is a critical event! 

3.  Plan for our Goal Planning Clinic in November.  We're bringing in an instructor from Texas.  I have found that when you're doing a team advance or any type of goal planning clinic, it's best to have a 3rd party facilitate. 

4.  Start to plan to implement the BOLD Program for our agents to ramp up so that productivity is high going into 2010.   This is going to be FABULOUS!  Here's what our agents will learn:

• Overcome your limiting beliefs
• Set BOLD goals
• Learn how to deliver powerful scripts that naturally influence people to work with you
• Build an abundance of leads into your business
• Incorporate time-saving strategies and techniques that will take your business to the highest levels
• Discover the benefits of a life by design!

And BOLD gets results. The 18 agents participating in the pilot program made 295 appointments, got 128 listings and closed 93 deals during the seven-week program. 

5.  Build a course to teach Rainmakers how to hold a Team Advance so that they can either do it themselves, or at least be highly prepared when they hire someone else to do it for them. 

And then I have some other items to plan for team building and morale, such as:  dinner for the my group of agents who won the Survivor Challenge (lead generation game we played), our self-defense class on Saturday because September is REALTOR safety month, signing birthday and anniversary cards, and planing a special event for my board of directors (my Agent Leadership Council). 

I'd love to know what you have going on through the end of the year! 

All the best!

Finding Time to Blog

So, like you, sometimes I have a hard time finding the time to sit down and write.  A friend of mine chided me today (thanks, Jon).  :-)  It got me thinking... what's the best way to handle this? 

Like Gary Keller says in the SHIFT book, make your message match the market.  AKA:  talk about what's current.  It's not that difficult to get ideas.  Just hop on over to Activerain.com to see what everyone is talking about and commenting on.   Although, I will tell you that one of my agents who has only posted her third blog said that it made the first page of google (searching "Arizona Public Reports").  Check it out at http://newhomessection.com/arizona-real-estate/blog/.    She said she chose the topic of public reports because no one else was talking about it!  Interesting idea!  Bravo Kevin and Teresa Dempsey!

Time blocking is always the key.  If it's part of your weekly calendar, you'll blog.  If it's no where on your plan for that week, you probably won't.  That reminds me of a favorite quote:  The secret to your future is hidden in your daily routine (author unknown). 

I coach with agents each week.  We talk about what they accomplished the previous week, what didn't get done, and what they would like to be accountable for completing by the next week.  I'm not threatening to hit them over the head - its just verbalizing their intention and talking about what's going to have the biggest impact on their business. 

How holds you accountable?  How do you hold your team accountable?  More on that later...

Four Truths for Team Leaders:

Whether you're a team leader for a market center like me, or you're a mega agent leading your own real estate team, these are great points!  Basically, it boils down to cutting your expenses, creating the right mind set & accepting the market we're in, focus on prospecting, and knowing your USP or Unique Selling Proposition (why people should do business with you)!   I thought I would share: 

FOUR TRUTHS FOR TEAM LEADERS:

1.  The Keller Williams model was built as a direct result of the recession in the late 1980's.  Don't forget that.  If you've violated our model in some way, you may have to get back to it quickly.  Watch your budget.  Get with your ALC and cut it to the bone, right now.  Lead by example. 

2.  Watch out for the "I'll wait til things return to normal syndrome."  A lot of people will try to follow this.  Those people usually end up having to get out of the business.  The facts are that things never turn back to the way they were.  They go through cycles.  Each cycle is a little different and each cycle takes time.  There are no quick fixes or easy answers.  

3.  Prospecting and basic prospecting training are now the keys.    They will help you maintain and grow your market center.  Also, moving your people quickly (and, quick is like NOW) to the market segments that have sales is the other big key.  You must look for them, know them and see them coming.  You cannot waste time getting your people to where the action is.  Getting there first is a massive competitive advantage. 

4.  Recruit harder than ever.  Don't forget new agents and small companies.  The recruiting issues you may encounter (the cost of being at their current office, our better economic deal, being in control of your own business, training, and consulting) will be in big demand.  Teaching them how to deal with the down-shift will be something they cannot get where they are.  Show your vision, strength and commitment to the industry - and, it's agents.  Talk market shift and strategies daily.  Explain our premise and our economics. 

Now, more than ever, the Keller Williams models and strategies make sense.  Tell everyone to remember this: 

"If you are an opportunist...this is one of the real opportunities of your career."

Holding a Team Advance to Maximize 2009

It's not too late to hold a Team Advance - no matter what size your team is.  Next week, I'm facilitating one for a team of two!   Last week it was a team of 12. 

An annual Team Advance (TA) is so helpful in getting everyone on the same page as well as establishing your annual goals and the strategies you'll use to achieve them.   It is an investment in time and money for the Rainmaker, but I've never seen a better tool to build team cohesiveness and buy-in!

You'll need a full day, some food, and a couple of team building exercises to keep it fun and the blood flowing.   A third part to facilitate is very helpful as well

Typical agenda items includes: 

• The Leader casts the wision for the Team - where they're going, why, and who's going along.

• How will the Team work and play together in the coming year?

• Where did the business come from last year?

What tracking tools were used and were they effective?

Where did the biggest percentage of the business come from?

Review of the marketing plan for the past year - what will be done differently? 

A SWOT analysis of the coming year (S=strengths W=weakness O=opportunities T=Threats).

Where will the business come from next year (broken down by sellers, buyers, referrals).

What new strategies need to be in place to hit those goals?

Determine the individual goals of all sales people and any referrals from admin to determine the total sales unit goal of the Team

The Team write outs their group USP (unique selling proposition).

and of course, a recap of the major action items, who will spear head them, and the deadlines for completion. 

Those are just some of the items that may be covered in a Team Advance.  If you'd like more information, don't hesitate to contact me!

Here's to a prosperous 2009!

Cheers,

Rj

Leaders - Your Team is a Reflection of YOU! Do you like what you see?

THE LEADER SETS THE TONE

1. Leave a 3 to 4 minute voice mail for the team every morning before everyone gets to work. Choose an affirmation and set the tone for the day.

2. Always do the right thing no matter what it costs. Your business values and your personal values must be the same.

3. If you start to have a bad day, so will everyone else. You must control your emotions regardless of the circumstances.

4. Make specific acknowledgments to team members as you see things that go right throughout the day. You can pay people to perform, but you can't pay them to excel.

5. 95% of all problems are the results of poor systems, inadequate systems, or lack of systems. When something goes wrong, question the systems first and he person last.

6 Ways to Lead through Listening

Rainmakers - Managers - Leaders...  This is a great article to read!  There's a vast difference between a high-functioning team, a team, and a group.  Which do you have?  If you don't have a high-functioning team, how will you get there?  You're only as good as your weakest link.  Do you have the right people on the bus, and are they in the right seats?  Do you even know your people?  Take a look at this article. 

 

6 Ways to Lead through Listening
http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-09-11/6-ways-to-lead-through-listening/

Beginning with a "Baby" Real Estate Team

I was just approached to start work with a brand new, "baby" team.  Meaning - a successful agent has had his wife join him and they need to leverage themselves with higher-level systems.  What also generally happens is that they eventually add assistants and build a mega team.  How exciting!!  I love this.  Call me a nerd, but I love systems and organizational models.  This will be the third team that I hope to help build from scratch.   As a consultant with McLean International, I have worked with lots of other teams across the country, but its starting from the ground up that's really exciting. 

One of the first things to do is analyze what's going on.  Where are they, how effective are they now, where do they want to go, and what do they need to get there?  Some simple questions will get the answers to those questions.  Information on personality styles, professional strengths and weaknesses, and information on last year's production stats are very important. 

Next, I'll need to look at their systems and technology currently in use.  I am asked all the time "RJ, is it time for me to hire an assistant?"  I always say "that depends".  Hiring an assistant is a huge responsibility.  Sure, the pay off is there.... I learned from Star Power that real estate agents with assistants earn five times as much money as those agents without assistants, but if you make a bad hire, the cost is unbelievably high!   

Here's the real deal.... first, make sure you are completely leveraged with technology.  That means, are you using a real estate specific software program like AgentOffice or Top Producer?  Secondly, how are your current systems.  Are you working smart or are you working hard?  Have you out-sourced wherever you can?  Have you taken advantage of your office transaction coordinator?    Those are just a few of the questions to answer before hiring an assistant. 

As far as my brand-new baby team - all systems are "go" and I look forward to the ride.  I'll keep you posted as we go, and I'll share information about systems and people leverage as we go along. 

What are your thoughts?  What's worked for you?  What was your biggest mistake?

Rj