Pulse Beat April 2017

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Paramount pulse Beat pulse Beat

Paramount Chamber Hosts

17th Annual Job Fair

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce recently hosted their 17th Annual Job Fair sponsored by AltAir Paramount. The event gave job seekers the opportunity to meet with prospective employers one-on-one, and included workshops conducted by Paramount SASSFA on how to create a winning resume and how to interview and land a job.

For those who didn’t have resumes the City of Paramount and Paramount SASSFA provided resources for building resumes onsite. In addition to creating resumes, professionals from human resources offered resume critiques to help applicants improve their resumes.

The Job Fair was cohosted by the City of Paramount and Paramount SASSFA, and received support from Honorary Co-Chairs Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Senator Ricardo Lara, Assemblyman Anthony Rendon and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Following the event several employers reported they found a number of potential candidates for their job openings.

Job Fair Vendors and Service p roviders:

Ace Clearwater Inc.

AltAir Paramount

Americold Logistics

BlueSea Shipping Line

California Highway Patrol

CalMet Services

City of Paramount

Diamond Mattress

Office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard

Employment Development Department

Encore Wellness LLC

Farmers Insurance

Funeraria Del Angel

Futuro Infantil Hispano

Grupo Deco California

HealthCare Career College

Long Beach Job Corp.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Los Angeles Vet Center

Los Angeles World Airport

Mariscos Mi Lindo Sinaloa

McDonald’s Restaurant

Park Lane Jewelry by Nelly’s Bling Bling

People Ready

Pipe Trades/UA LOCAL 250

PNP Business Services

Primerica

Quality Drivers Solutions

SASSFA America’s Job Center

Select Staffing

Skillset Group

Office of Senator Ricardo Lara

State Farm Insurance

US Army WaveFront Technology, Inc.

Weber Metals Xerveo

Paramount Chamber of Commerce Job Fair sponsored by AltAir Paramount.
Recipient of Senator Ricardo Lara 2015 Excellence in Business Award
Licensed & Bonded Tax Professionals

County Health Fair at Paramount Park

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is gearing up to celebrate National Public Health Week 2017 throughout the week starting April 3. This year, Public Health is hosting free Community Health Fairs at locations around L.A. County, including one at the Paramount Park Community Center on Saturday, April 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Attendees will learn about ways to prevent disease and live longer and healthier lives. There will be free health screenings, information about community resources, and fun family events.

To find out more about the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, please visit www.lapublichealth.org/hea/.

Do You Know a Paramount Resident Serving in the Military?

It’s been almost a year since the City created our “Boulevard of Heroes” honoring the brave men and women of our town who are serving in the military.

In order to qualify as an honoree – and be featured on a streetlight banner along a section of Paramount Blvd. – the individual must be a current member of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Reserve, and National Guard) and a resident of Paramount. Or they must have lived in Paramount prior to joining the military and currently have an immediate family member here in town.

The banners are displayed for one year. Each subsequent year, new and current honorees must re-apply.

Applications for the recognition are accepted year round for military service members that are actively serving. You can get an application at City Hall, the City Yard, and the Sheriff’s Station. There is no fee to apply. You will need proof of Paramount residency and a copy of the service member’s military identification card.

Paramount High Boys Soccer Team Wins Another Championship!

Paramount High School has had a lot of success in many different sporting arenas over the years. Recently, their achievements in boys soccer have been tremendous.

Among other great finishes over the last few years, the team won the CIF Southern California Division I Regional Championship in 2012, being the best team in Southern California.

This year they have done it again, repeating as Southern California Division 1 champs. And they did it in dramatic fashion, beating the team from El Toro that had defeated them in the local CIF playoff.

We honored them at the March 21 City Council meeting, and you can find a photo of this on another page in the newspaper. We’re very proud of these kids and the school’s tradition of victory. Once a Pirate, always a Pirate!

Paramount Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations to Our TAG Art Winners

The Paramount Traditional Artists Guild held its 20th annual contest for Paramount’s kindergarten through high school students this year. The winners were recognized, and received their cash prizes from the Guild, at the City Council meeting on March 21. (Look for a photo elsewhere in this issue.)

There were 1,260 entries from 11 Paramount K-8 schools, four middle schools, Paramount High, Paramount High West Campus, Buena Vista High, the Alternative Education Center, the Community Day School, the Paramount Adult School, and Our Lady of the Rosary. The number of participants keeps growing every year.

Congratulations are due to all of the following:

1St place WinnerS

Kindergarten – Eduardo Lopez (Wirtz)

1st Grade – Omar Real (Tanner)

2nd Grade – Heidi Ibarra (Hollydale)

3rd Grade – Joel Cruz (Hollydale)

4th Grade – Kimberly Fuentes (Roosevelt)

5th Grade – Paris Meza (Jackson)

6th Grade – Kallie Leanos (Jackson)

7th Grade – Emily Izaguirre (Paramount Park)

8th Grade – Sheila Valenzuela (Zamboni)

9th Grade – Angela Manzo (Paramount High West)

10th Grade – Vanessa Campos (Paramount High)

11th Grade – Albert Hernandez (Paramount High)

12th Grade – Nataly Campos (Paramount High)

Special aWard WinnerS:

Best Use of Color – Natalie Del Campo (12th – PHS)

Best Composition – Adrian Ramirez (8th – Zamboni)

Chamber of Commerce Award – Noah Endo (11th – Paramount High)

Superintendent’s Award – Daniela Campos (8th – Alondra)

Chairman’s Award – Stephanie Castaneda (12th – Paramount High)

Commissioner’s Award – Monserrath Cuevas (8th – Zamboni)

Mayor’s Award – Ashley Garcia (8th – Zamboni)

Digital Art Winner – Lesly Rodriguez (9th – Paramount High West)

“Live
Mayor, Daryl Hofmeyer

Talking or Texting on Cell Phones

While Driving – Not Worth It

Get Involved With Neighborhood Watch

There are plenty of facts, figures, and details about distracted driving, but the California Office of Traffic Safety wants you to know the plain and simple ones:

Did you know that areas with active Neighborhood Watch programs generally have less crime than those without them?

• 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.

• Up to 6,000 people nationwide are killed in crashes where driver distractions are involved.

Neighborhood Watch is a partnership in crime prevention. Residents come to know their neighbors, look out for each other’s welfare and property, and report suspicious activities.

• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.

• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph. Most crashes happen with less than three seconds reaction time.

Paramount has many active Neighborhood Watch groups. The meetings are hosted by the City’s Neighborhood Preservation Officer, the neighborhood’s beat deputy from the Sheriff’s Department, and a City Community Service Officer (CSO).

• The act of talking on a cell phone, even hands free, can give you “inattention blindness,” where your brain isn’t seeing what’s right in front of you. You aren’t even aware that you are driving impaired. If you think you can handle both driving and talking on a cell phone or texting, you are kidding yourself and putting us all at risk.

They can be held in small tracts of homes or cover entire multi-block areas. Any number of issues can be raised.

One recent meeting in town, for instance, was attended by 35 residents who expressed concerns about parking, traffic, loud parties, and the condition of a nearby alley. Requests were made for increased Sheriff’s patrols, resident permit parking, and the installation of a crosswalk.

Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road or your hands off the steering wheel – especially texting and cell phone use, whether hands-free or handheld. Who’s doing it? Most of us. It has been estimated that, at any one time, more than 10 percent of drivers are using a mobile device.

A ticket for $159 for texting or talking on a cell phone is a major distraction to your wallet.

What can you do? Most important, obey the law. It’s there for a reason. Also, do your best to eliminate distractions:

The residents were provided with information on placing calls for service to the Sheriff’s Station and how the process works for getting the permit parking. They were also informed that the crosswalk suggestion was already under review.

• Never text and drive.

• Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel.

City and Sheriff’s personnel then planned for a follow-up meeting.

• Don’t text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.

• Make a pact with your family, spouse, and caregivers never to use the phone with kids in the car.

At another Neighborhood Watch gathering for two large apartment complexes, 20 residents attended with the property manager and apartment security staff.

• No eating or drinking while driving.

• Don’t program your GPS, MP3 player, or other devices while driving.

Concerns were expressed regarding burned-out street lights and thefts from vehicles. Requests were made

• Pull over and stop to read maps.

• No grooming.

• No reading.

• No watching videos.

• Try not to get too involved with pas sengers.

• If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it.

Project LEAD Sending Positive Message to Paramount Fifth Graders

for additional street sweeping signs in the neighborhood and red curbs to be painted near driveways leading into the parking lots for better sightlines. There was also interest in learning about the Paramount Works smartphone app that allows individuals to report maintenance and other issues to City staff.

Paramount has its own dedicated District Attorney – Kelly Tatman – who works out of the Sheriff’s Station. Her duties include making sure that criminal investigations and prosecutions in town receive full attention and don’t fall through the cracks at the larger County D.A.’s Office.

The residents were provided with numbers to call for available services and City staff also turned in reports to Southern California Edison for repair of the burned-out lights.

As illustrated by these examples, Neighborhood Watch gives residents an opportunity to discuss whatever might be affecting their quality of life in the City. In addition, they are encouraged to place calls for service to the Sheriff’s Department whenever needed.

Tatman has been visiting a class of 36 students at Jefferson School as part of Project LEAD. The program, which goes into the classroom once a week for 20 weeks during the school year, uses volunteers like Tatman from the D.A.’s Office to teach fifth-graders about the law and help them recognize the social and legal consequences of criminal behavior.

Information is also distributed about the many services and programs available to Paramount residents: GRIP (anti-gang), STAR (after school), PEP (educational help), PAT (Prevent Auto Theft), CERT (emergency training), SASSFA (employment help), CPR/1st Aid, and more. Staff also notifies any City departments or outside entities about the concerns raised at the meetings.

Sadly, too many young people first become acquainted with the justice system as delinquents. Project LEAD is designed to avoid that scenario.

The class from Jefferson recently went on a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance. (They will also go to a local courthouse). In addition, Project LEAD’s curriculum includes speakers connected to the criminal justice system and a mock trial involving either drug selling or gun possession on campus. Students are assigned roles and argue a criminal case to a jury consisting of other students. Teachers and parents attend, too.

At the end of the program, the kids will participate in a graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion from the D.A.’s Office at a meeting of the Paramount Public Safety Commission.

Since neighbors know better than anybody what happens on their street, this is a good way to contribute to local public safety. And any resident who reports criminal activity through Neighborhood Watch or by calling the Sheriff’s Department can remain totally anonymous if they choose.

Summer Vacation Home Checks

Neighborhood Watch groups also help folks prepare for natural disasters.

With summertime approaching, remember that if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time, you can schedule a home check.

To become a part of Paramount’s program, please call the Public Safety Department at (562) 220-2002.

Paramount residents can contact the Sheriff’s Station about having Volunteers on Patrol keep an eye on your home or property

Elected officials, residents, and chamber members join Chipotle Mexican Grill for their grand opening.
Veronica Ledesma representing Assemblyman Anthony Rendon is joined by Paramount Chamber Board Members and staff for her presentation to Chipotle staff during the grand opening.

College Education Linked to Higher Pay, Job Security, and More

Individuals with higher education levels earn more, pay more taxes, and are more likely than others to be employed and have job benefits such as retirement and health insurance. Adults with more education are also more likely to move up the socioeconomic ladder and less likely to rely on public assistance. All this is according to a report from the College Board’s “Trends in Higher Education” series.

The series documents differences in the earnings and employment patterns of U.S. adults with different levels of education. The report also establishes a correlation between education and health outcomes, community involvement, and indicators of the well-being of the next generation.

“Although obtaining a college degree can mean forgone wages during a time when they are also paying tuition, by age 34 the average bachelor’s degree recipient will have recouped those costs,” explains Jennifer Ma, senior policy research scientist at the College Board and a coauthor of the report. “A college education is an investment that pays dividends over the course of a lifetime — even for students who accumulate some debt to obtain a degree.”

earningS and other economic BeneFitS

• In 2015, median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients age 25 and older with no advanced degree working full time were $24,600 (67%) higher than those of high school graduates. Bachelor’s degree recipients paid an estimated $6,900 (91%) more in taxes and took home $17,700 (61%) more in after-tax income than high school graduates.

• In 2015, among adults between the ages of 25 and 64, 68% of high school graduates, 72% of those with some college but no degree, 77% of those with an associate degree, and 83% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher were employed.

• In 2015, when the unemployment rate for 25- to 34-year-olds with at least a bachelor’s degree was 2.6%, 8.1% of high school graduates in this age range were unemployed.

• Among high school sophomores whose parents were in the lowest-income group in 2001, 21% of those who earned at least a bachelor’s degree, 17% of those with an associate degree, and 13% of those with only a high school diploma had reached the highest-income quartile themselves 10 years later.

• In 2015, 4% of bachelor’s degree recipients age 25 and older lived in poverty, compared with 13% of high school graduates.

Variation in earningS

• In 2015, the percentage of full-time year-round workers age 35 to 44 earning $100,000 or more ranged from 2% of those without a high school diploma and 5% of high school graduates to 25% of those whose highest attainment was a bachelor’s degree and 38% of advanced degree holders.

• Between 2013 and 2014, median earnings for early career bachelor’s degree recipients ranged from $30,000 a year for early childhood education and psychology majors to $54,000 for computer science majors, a $24,000 range. By mid-career, the range in median earnings grew to $46,000 a year.

health, VolunteeriSm, and ciVic engagement

• In 2014, smoking rates were 8% and 26% for four-year college graduates and high school graduates, respectively.

• In 2014, 69% of 25- to 34-year-olds with at least a bachelor’s degree and 45% of high school graduates reported exercising vigorously at least once a week.

• In 2015, 39% of adult bachelor’s degree recipients and 16% of high school graduates volunteered.

• Across every age group, adults with higher levels of education are more likely to vote than those with lower levels of education.

For more information about the College Board, please visit collegeboard.org.

Thank You, Gus!

Gus’s Deli, located at 8320 Alondra Blvd. and a long-time fixture and purveyor of good food in Paramount, held its second fundraiser for the Paramount Education Partnership’s Scholarship Fund on March 14. From 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., 40% of all bills from diners who mentioned PEP went to the fund.

The amount donated turned out to be a whopping $800! We thank Gus for his generous support of education in Paramount.

Paramount Bops to the Sounds of the ’50s

As part of the festivities celebrating its 60th anniversary, the City held a Community Sock Hop at the Paramount Park Gym on Saturday, March 11. About 300 residents – many in 1950s attire – danced to the vintage sounds of Lil’ Mo and the Dynaflos and enjoyed an afternoon of frivolity invoking the bygone era. The next event for the 60th anniversary will be the Heritage Festival at Paramount Park on Saturday, June 10 from 4:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Speaker Rendon Honors City’s Anniversary

Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon, who is a Paramount resident, attended the City’s Community Sock Hop on March 11 to present the Paramount City Council with a special resolution from the State Assembly marking the City’s 60th anniversary. From left, Vice Mayor Peggy Lemons, Councilmember Diane J. Martinez, Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer, Speaker Rendon, and Councilmember Tom Hansen.

Tepic Sister Cities Club Attends USA/ Mexico Sister Cities Association 54th National Conference

Members of the Paramount Tepic Sister Cities club recently attended the United States/Mexico Sister Cities Association 54th National Conference. The purpose of the Conference is to strengthen diplomatic relations between cities in the U.S. and Mexico. The Paramount-Tepic Sister Cities organization received the Award of Excellence for being a “model of success” for other sister cities. Club members and Paramount High School students, Angel Macias and Ayline Alcaraz, spoke at the event, they highlighted Paramount-Tepic successes including “Dia de los Muertos”, “Dia del Niño”, and the youth committee. Sergio David Cazares, Fred Becerra Jr., and Rebecca Ramirez-Ortiz also attended.

Paramount Chamber Golf Classic

Sponsored by

A pril 10, 2017

From left: Ayline Alcaraz, US/Mexico Sister Cities Association President Jeff Failing, Angel Macias, and Sergio David Cazares.

Grocery Outlet Brings Quality, Low-Priced Goods to Paramount

There’s a new supermarket in Paramount that has a unique take on the grocery shopping experience.

“It’s amazing what we do,” said Ravi Sharma who, along with wife Asheeka Singh, is owner and operator of Grocery Outlet. “Our model is to provide the customer with 40-70% off compared to other traditional stores. Every time we scan an item at checkout it shows our price and the competitor’s price. I love to see the look on a customer’s face when they bring a full shopping cart up and it’s only $40-$50.”

How does Grocery Outlet offer name brands at such colossal savings? “Our buyers go all over the world to find fantastic deals,” Ravi said. “Manufacturers sometimes make excessive amounts of a product or clone a brand with different packaging. They put it out and it’s a dud. They have to get rid of it but the content is still the same. We buy it.”

This might mean the shelves are not stocked with half a dozen different brands of the same item. “If we can’t find a product to sell at our price, we won’t carry it.”

Customers have been fascinated with this new model, Ravi noted, and have been very welcoming. “As they get used to our prices, they’ll also

build their shopping patterns to come here first to find the things we’re offering.”

The store carries groceries, fresh produce, general merchandise, and more, and has a NOSH section – natural organic specialty healthy. “We carry similar natural foods to Sprouts and Whole Foods, but their prices are twice as much as ours, if not more.”

There is also beer, wine, spirits. “Our wine section is a killer,” Ravi said. “I use an app called Vino; you take a picture of a bottle and it gives you prices and reviews, and lots of the people on there make comments saying, ‘Go to Grocery Outlet and get it much cheaper!’”

Ravi and Asheeka relocated from Northern California, where Grocery Outlet is based. “I’ve been with the company for 12 years, managed stores for six, and am now the independent operator here.”

The chain arrives with

a reputation of giving back and contributing to the community. The local store has been open a month and already donated to the Paramount Education Partnership and Emmanuel Reformed Church. “We have a motto: Touching lives for the better. Most of the people applying to work here, for instance, were passing by the store and saw our signs. My wife and I decided to hire only people from Paramount, and we have 23 employees right now. The bond is really good among our staff, we have a good vibe in the store.

“It’s great having the goal of growing a business in a community,” Ravi added. “The Paramount community has had its arms wide open, has made us feel very welcome. We’re glad to be here.”

Grocery Outlet, at 15719 Downey Ave., at the corner of Downey and Alondra, is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Grocery Outlet owners Ravi Sharma and his wife Asheeka Singh are joined by elected officials and invited guests for their ribbon cutting.
From left; Ravi Sharma (owner), Peggy Lemons (Vice Mayor/ Executive Director), and Asheeka Singh (owner).
From left; Asheeka Singh (owner), Ravi Sharma (owner), and Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer.
From left; Genesis Coronado (office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard), Asheeka Singh (owner), and Ravi Sharma (owner).
From left; Brenda Olmos (Paramount Chamber Vice President), Asheeka Singh (owner), and Ravi Sharma (owner).
Grocery Outlet owners Asheeka Singh and Ravi Sharma present a check for $1,000 to the Emmanuel Reformed Church food bank.

Coming To Cerritos College Theatre

The musical revue It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues tells the history and evolution of the Blues music, how it began from African beats and rhythms and what is now known as “traditionals.” Without the blues, there would be no modern Country & Western, Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll, Hip Hop or Rap. The musical features some of the most famous and celebrated songs in the history of the blues movement.

Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 29, at 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 4, at 8 p.m.

Friday, May 5, at 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 6, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m.

Burnight Center Theatre Cerritos College 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA 90650

Pre-sale: $18 general

$15 senior (60+) (w/id)

$14 child (5-12)

*no children under five permitted

At Door: $20 general

$18 senior (60+) (w/id)

$15 child (5-12)

*no children under five permitted

Tickets may be purchased online (credit card only) at www.cerritos.edu/theatre or at the box office one hour prior to each performance.

Campus map: www.cerritos.edu/guide or www.cerritos.edu/google-map

For more information: Call (562) 467-5058 or visit www.cerritos.edu/theatre.

Ten Steps to Sales Success

Successful sales people are often described as having been born that way. However, this is not necessarily true. The ability to charm does not guarantee a successful sales career. In fact, many charismatic individuals have failed to produce favorable results when placed in a sales position.

In lean start-ups, the founding entrepreneurs often function as the company’s salesperson. This can be challenging for those who are uncomfortable in a selling environment. Rest assured -- it does not need to be so

daunting. Success in sales is no different than any pursuit. There is a systematic method that can be followed to achieve the desired outcome. Those activities once defined, can be monitored, measured and improved upon to increase performance.

Sales processes can be broken into three components: lead generation, lead management and prospect conversion. The following is a series of questions concerning each of the three processes. Review the questions and customize a list to your organization. Ask each person involved in the selling process to submit their answers. Then have a team-building meeting where tribal knowledge can be shared, to the benefit of all involved. The more consistent and streamlined the sales process—the greater potential for overall company success.

lead generation:

1. How are you generating leads?

2. Where are you getting customers?

3. What percentage of leads convert to prospects?

4. Are you asking for referrals?

Lead generation is the first step and a crucial aspect of the process. The ability to convert prospects to customers is based on the quality of the lead. Lead generation can take on many forms: cold calls, referrals, mailings, online forms and tradeshows. As a company, you have to determine your best source of quality leads.

If you already have customers, trace the sales pathway backwards to determine how they first learned about your company. Many times, the most useful information can be gained by analyzing historical data. I had thought my clients were obtained through networking events. Upon further examination I learned that the majority of my clients came from my speaking engagements. I then focused my sales efforts towards obtaining speaking engagements rather than attending networking functions.

One of my clients insisted that the majority of their customers originated from tradeshows. They would spend thousands

of dollars traveling throughout the country. When I audited the sales pathway I learned that the majority of their customers came from a local networking group. In response, the company discontinued the investment in tradeshows and spent more time attending local events. The customer acquisition cost decreased significantly with the savings going directly to the bottom line.

Referrals are one of the company’s greatest assets. Does your company have a process in place to ask for referrals? You may be missing out on additional sales opportunities by not asking customers and partners for a referral.

Measuring the percentage of leads that convert to prospects is as important as measuring the amount of prospects that become customers. This early stage measurement examines the effectiveness of your lead generation process. Starting with a qualified lead provides a better chance for conversion.

Lead Management:

5. What is your process for organizing leads?

6. How fast are you following up on leads?

7. How do you manage the follow-up process?

Independent of the method you use to generate leads, you must have a detailed plan for follow up. Studies have shown that companies take an average 48 hours to respond to an Internet generated lead. Smaller companies do not have the luxury of a dedicated sales force and owners can easily get distracted by daily emergencies.

Anything can be achieved if an intelligent plan is in place. Try to set aside a specific time each day/week for lead followup. Prospects will be more patient if they receive some type of response. At the least, have a computer-generated message stating an expected response time.

lead conversion:

8. What criteria do you use to qualify prospects?

9. At what point in the sales cycle do you determine if the prospect is qualified?

10. What percentage of qualified prospects convert to clients? Wasting time on a prospect with no intention of purchasing is a missed opportunity for the one that does. Knowing when to cut ties and move on is a learned sales skill. Those that succeed have an internal gauge that says, it’s time to move on.

Many years ago, I coined the following sentence as a conversion guideline, “Now or in the immediate future, the prospect must be able and willing to purchase your product/ service at the price point you are selling”.

Are you properly investing your time with qualified prospects? What specific buying criteria must exist for a prospect to convert to a customer? It is advantageous to write down the top five. Are they able to afford your product? Are they willing to purchase now? This list can be viewed repeatedly when going through the prospecting process.

By calculating your conversion rate from prospect to customer, you have a method to audit your processes. Peter Drucker once famously said, “If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” This same principle for management can be applied to your sales strategy.

If you adopt the methodology that selling is a companywide responsibility you will have a selling machine that will constantly be producing new customers. This does not happen mysteriously; it happens as the result of planning and implementing processes. Invest some time developing a sales strategy, it will be time well spent.

Paramount Chamber Job Fair

Sponsored by: altair Paramount

Ask The Expert

The Differences between Commercial & Residential Agents

With the number of residences in the market along with rapid price increases, many of us have had dealings with a residential real estate agent, either for personal housing needs or for residential investment purposes. However, it is quite different with commercial real estate agents as most people have not had any dealings with one. Owning and operating a business, purchasing commercial real estate on your own behalf or operating a commercial real estate firm are the three most common ways individuals will be exposed to dealing with a commercial real estate agent. Below I will go into some of the differences and similarities that distinguish being a residential or commercial real estate agent.

Licensing. The only requirement to be able to lawfully practice for either commercial or residential real estate in California is to have a valid California Bureau of Real Estate Salesperson License. The only requirement for a salesperson to lawfully conduct real estate transactions is to have your Salesperson License placed with a valid California Broker. What I am trying to present to you is that there is no special license to conduct commercial transactions over residential. One would just need a desire to understand the differences in their current marketplace.

Realtors, Brokers & Agents. In many instances, these titles can and are used interchangeably but they are dif-

ferent in their own capacity. Usually people conducting commercial transactions are referred to as “brokers” while people who are working in the residential field are referred to as “Realtors.” As a general rule, everyone working on real estate transactions are agents. Agents have all passed the California Bureau of Real Estate exam, however, in order to legally conduct business in California, agents are required to operate under a “broker.” Brokers have passed a more extensive BRE exam over the agent exam. Brokers can either have agents working under them or not. A Realtor is a broker or agent that is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Disclosure Differences. Commercial transactions require less disclosures than do residential transactions, much less in fact. I am told that the level of sophistication for commercial buyers and tenants is expected to be higher as they are business minded individuals and this is the reason for the lower requirement of property disclosures for commercial transactions.

Market specialization. Commercial real estate professionals usually are specialized in property type; Industrial, office, retail, investment properties, multi family or land. More in depth specialization in many cases is with representation. Many brokers represent either a lessee or a landlord. Sometimes both. Realtors usually sell houses and can often represent buyers and/or sellers. Residential specialization is usually neighborhood specific.

The following businesses renewed their membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce last month, they are celebrating another year as members. Chamber and Business Resource Center services are made possible by their support.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s.
BlueSea Shipping Line.
Pipe Trades/UA Local 250.

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