NORTH CAROLINA 6-15-20

NORTH CAROLINA EDITION

Is Starting a Team the Right Solution for Your Business?

Six Powerful Prospecting Tips

Welcome Home: WORKING WITH RELOCATORS IN TRANSITION

to Build Your Business

COVER STORY

SHANNON PYATT

NORTH CAROLINA EDITION

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SHANNON PYATT

CONTENTS 4) THINKING OF LISTING? NINE WAYS TO GET READY

15) SIX POWERFUL PROSPECTING TIPS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

6) WELCOME HOME: WORKING WITH RELOCATORS IN TRANSITION

20) IS STARTING A TEAM THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 22) HOW TO THROW A CLIENT APPRECIATION EVENT NO ONE WILL FORGET

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Thinking of Listing?

Nine Ways to Get Ready The less time a home spends on the market, the more likely it is to sell at or above list price. That’s why our Top Agents recommend getting a property ready for marketing well before listing. Anyone who is even just starting to think about listing will benefit from some basic upkeep and pre-staging work. Even if you decide now is not the time to list, you’ll enjoy these simple improvements around the home.

With the right local resources, most pre-listing preparations take less than a week and will make the formal staging process simpler for all involved.

Ask Top Agents in your area for referrals of local pros to hire. Once you’ve selected your Top Agent, keep yourself open to his or her opinion on other TLC to help decrease your home’s market time.

1. Inspection: The last thing a seller or buyer wants is a surprise at

inspection. That’s why a complete inspection before listing is so valuable.

Many necessary fixes, such as minor roof or appliance repairs, can be discovered and repaired in less than a week. If inspection uncovers a major issue, any Top Agent will tell you that this knowledge is power; disclosing and expecting to take responsibility will increase buyers’ trust without affecting market time.

2. De-Clutter: Take a little time to pack away surplus furniture items and

extra knick-knacks, papers, books or occasional-use items throughout your house. Remember this may require boxing away video game supplies or packing up comfy throw pillows and blankets. Move these items temporarily into closets, the garage or attic with the assumption of possibly renting a storage unit just before listing.

3. Paint: Whole-house painting is likely not necessary, but consider touching

up baseboard moldings and doorways and open wall spaces in high-use areas 4

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such as bathrooms, the office, family room and indoor recreation spaces.

Also consider a little varnish on the front door or banister.

4. Artwork and Decor: Take a neutral look at your décor. Better yet, ask a

Top Agent to do so. Buyers should be able to picture themselves living in your home. While your Top Agent may not advise you to appear generic, you’ll likely need to thin out any shrine-like displays to family, hobbies or cultural interests.

5. Deep-Clean Housekeeping: After you’ve de-cluttered and touched up

the paint, request a deep cleaning from your housekeeping service and weekly cleanings thereafter. Make sure they pay attention to details like dusting or vacuuming window treatments and lampshades or wiping smudges off door jams and baseboard moldings.

6. Carpets and Rugs: Bring in the pros, but don’t just clean the carpets.

Because the cleaners will be moving furniture anyway, ask them stretch and tighten any buckled areas of carpeting. Doing so now saves the trouble of having to credit your buyer for this following final walk-through. Also consider removing small area rugs to let the beauty of your hardwood floors shine.

7. Look at the Loo: Buyers may not notice a brand-new toilet seat, but they

will turn up their noses at the one with the broken hinges. Freshly replaced toilet seats, faucets or doorknobs in heavily trafficked bathrooms can go a long way in first impressions.

8. “Mow & Blow”: Consider buyers as guests you want to feel welcome

as they ascend the front walk. If you don’t already have one, hire a weekly gardening service to keep up with the mowing, weeding, pruning and basic maintenance outside so you can focus on other things.

9. Staging: Once you’ve selected a staging professional for the finishing

touches, ask them and your Top Agent for final recommendations on day-today upkeep, storage options and what-to-do (or what not to do) while your house is on the market.

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Welcome Home:

Working with Relocators in Transition People stage moves for all sorts of reasons.

From the joyous and pre-planned, to the unfortunate and unexpected, new chapters begin with the help of an agent. When you’re working with buyers from a different region, state, or country, the typical complications of a transaction can be compounded. So, what’s a savvy agent to do?

For starters, envision the big picture. Relocators have extra obstacles between them and 6

their dream home. They don’t necessarily know which neighborhoods are ideal for their lifestyle, what they should budget for utilities, what type of homeowner’s insurance is ideal, or how they can tour, let alone close, on a house from afar. All in all, it’s a tall order, but if you can manage a relocation transaction successfully, you could tap into a sizable pool of clientele. Think of it this way: if you’re the shining star of a relocator’s moving process, their word-of-mouth praise could be

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exponential. Likewise, a winning reputation within that client’s corporate sphere could lead to lucrative, stable referrals and partnerships for years to come. Here are a few key ways to help clients navigate the relocation process with minimal stress and maximum results.

Create a full-scale timeline for you and your client that makes expectations clear.

Moving is already one of life’s biggest stressors, but relocations have a dozen more moving parts that your average deal. Consider creating a master-plan of sorts to help you and your client visualize the steps required to achieve success in the midst of a relocation.

Even from afar, your client will be able to refer to the roadmap you’ve set. Likewise, this makes sure you and your client are on the same page regarding expectations, timelines, and checklists. Assemble an articulated, overarching gameplan also helps demystify the process and lower stress. Instead of clients wondering what’s next, what’s needed, who to call, and when to be ready—handy guidelines of your own devising will be at their fingertips.

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Attune your communication style so that nothing goes overlooked or miscommunicated.

Establish early on how your client prefers to communicate and which methods should be excluded. Also, make sure to outline what timeframes are ideal to communicate in, and how often they expect to hear from you with status updates or follow-ups. Some clients might prefer a more hands-off approach that lets you manage most details behind the scenes with updates only when progress is made. Most clients in the midst of a serious relocation, however, will prefer to be in touch more frequently. Customizing is key. If they prefer text messages and emails over calls, that’s a helpful detail to know from the outset. If they prefer face-to-face video chats or can only speak after business hours—those are also key parameters to work within. The less mystery and hassle, the better.

Be a local resource with vetted recommendations and vendors on-hand.

Relocating homeowners may not know the best neighborhoods and their amenities, or where the best school districts are, which areas are high-traffic, or where their dollar might stretch a little further. Identifying your clients’ goals can help narrow this field, but you’ll also want to be careful not to overwhelm them with information. After all, they’re taking on a huge life transition and making a move as an outsider. You’ll want to serve as a onestop-shop who can remove some steps and stress from their organizational obligations.

Have a contractor who can get a head-start on home projects while clients make the move?

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Excellent. Or, perhaps you can provide an out-of-state agent referral so that clients can sell their existing property in a timeline that works in conjunction with their new purchase. Make yourself a community expert and a connector, and you’ve won a client— and their referrals—for much longer than a single transaction.

Think outside the box when weighing variables.

Relocations aren’t your typical transaction.

You’ll need to do a bit more planning to avoid pitfalls along the way. For instance, have you considered how you’ll tour homes with clients if they live hundreds of miles away?

Are there time zone differences to factor in?

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If clients are relocating from another country, are there any special visa or naturalization considerations? How will their belongings travel? Are there pets to relocate? There are plenty of questions to ask and plan for, but the key is to be communicative and thorough up front. The more information and planning time you have, the smoother the transition will go.

There are certified real estate agent designations you can pursue that set you apart for your experience when it comes to relocations, but in lieu of those—arm yourself with the planning details and methods that will make your client a raving fan. In the process, you’ll up your game, create a happy client, and hopefully field similar business for years to come.

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SHANNON PYATT

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SHANNON PYATT Shannon Pyatt has taken a winding road back home to his blissful home town in the mountains of North Carolina. Decades ago, he was living the cutthroat life of a radio broadcaster, traveling across the country and struggling to make ends meet.

Hitting rock bottom and living on the streets, Shannon sought a different direction. After spending some time in the new 10Copyright Top Agent Magazine

construction industry, he realized that he had a passion for helping others and natural instincts for real estate. So he dove in, earned his license and discovered his true calling.

Today, Shannon is the team leader and CEO of the Kingdom Group at eXp Realty, where he has been servicing clients Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Shannon Pyatt is the team leader and CEO of the Kingdom Group at eXp Realty, where he has been servicing clients throughout Western North Carolina for 18 years. throughout Western North Carolina for 18 years. Through his passion, drive and faith in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Shannon has forged an outstanding reputation around the country, having won Top Top Agent Magazine

Agent Magazine’s Broker Of The Year in 2015. On top of that, his 2019 listing presentation was ranked first of over 25,000 fellow agents in eXp Realty. For Shannon, though, success isn’t measured in awards Copyright Top Agent Magazine11

“I love sharing my experience with less experienced agents and teaching them how to become rock stars on their own terms.” or sales volume. “I’ve always wanted to work in the best interest of others,” he says.

“Real estate has blessed me with the platform to do just that.”

team aims to make the property go viral,” Shannon says. “By the time of our first open house, my clients are usually juggling multiple offers.”

When listing a home, Shannon offers clients an outside the box approach. Not only does he provide professional photography and staging, but he also calibrates his digital outreach via acclaimed online campaigns. Through innovative ideas like price guessing raffles and virtual listings, he can ensure that a house will generate plenty of buzz by the time it reaches the market. “My

Throughout the process, Shannon still puts his clients’ interests first. He educates them on the state of the market while inspiring in them the grit and determination to succeed.

Due to this, he can chalk most of his annual volume up to repeat clients or referrals.

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Elsewhere, Shannon has extended these values for education and compassion throughTop Agent Magazine

out his career. When he’s not assisting clients, he can be found coaching upcoming Realtors. “Training is my passion,” he says.

“I love sharing my experience with less experienced agents and teaching them how to become rock stars on their own terms.”

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Beyond giving back to his industry, Shannon also feels a responsibility to his own community. Whule serving on his local Real Estate Board and Chamber of Commerce, he also plays drums in his church as a worship leader and hosts charitable events through Copyright Top Agent Magazine13

his offices at eXp Realty. Last winter, for example, his team staged a toy drive that raised over $2000 for needy families in the area.

Looking ahead to the future, Shannon is most excited about growing his team and sharing his enthusiasm for life and real

estate with the world. But Shannon also looks forward to new opportunities, relationships and mountains to climb. “I’ve seen it first hand,” he says. “When we set our minds to something and trust in the Lord, we can achieve anything. I’ve found that strength, and I know how to pull it out of my clients.”

To learn more about Shannon Pyatt email shannon.pyatt@exprealty.com, visit ShannonPyatt.Me or call (844)777-4EXP www.

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Six Powerful Prospecting Tips to Build Your Business

By John Boe Why is it that some sales reps consistently earn a six-figure annual income while other reps, putting in the same hours, selling the same products, and trained by the same sales manager struggle each month financially to make ends meet? The answer to this question is painfully simple; the six-figure sales reps understand the importance of business development and never forget to ask for referrals.

Top producing sales reps set high standards for themselves and spend the majority of their time either actively prospecting for new business or closing sales. Successful sales reps set productivity goals, establish priorities, and don’t waste their precious time hanging out in the break room or taking twohour lunch breaks.

Top producers don’t need to be reminded to ask for referrals on a daily basis or follow-up on hot leads, because they understand that prospecting for new business is a necessity and not just an activity. The good news is that prospecting for new business, like any other learned skill set, can be trained and developed into a habit.

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Tip One: Don’t Forget to Ask for Referrals.

When it comes to asking for referrals, timing is everything. Research indicates that the most effective time to ask for referrals is right after you’ve made the sale or provided a valuable service for your customer. Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale is a big mistake and may even jeopardize the sale itself. Once the sale has been completed, your customer will be on an “emotional high” and far more receptive to the idea of providing you referrals. When you ask for referrals, your goal is to get as many names written down as you can. Just keep asking... Who else? Once your advocate has given you all of his or her referrals, then go back over the list of names to get details on each prospect.

Tip Two: Train and Reward Your Advocates.

An advocate is a person who’s willing to go out of his or her way to recommend you to a friend or associate. Most customers are initially reluctant to provide referrals without some basic training and motivation.

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Once you’re given a prospect, Asking for it’s a good idea to take the time to role-play with your advocate referrals prior to to demonstrate how to approach and talk to their referral. A brief closing the sale is a role-playing exercise will build your advocate’s confidence and big mistake and keep them from over-educating may even jeopardize their referrals. During your roleplay session, be sure to prepare the sale itself. your advocate to expect some initial resistance. This training will pay big dividends by making your advocate more effective and less likely to become discouraged when faced with rejection. Always take the time to thank your advocates and give them feedback on the status of their referrals. I recommend that you call them and then follow up by sending a thank you card and or gift.

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Tip Three: Strike While the Iron is HOT. Prospects, like food in your refrigerator, are perishable and therefore need to be contacted quickly. Each day you let slip by without making initial contact with your referral dramatically reduces the probability of you making the sale. Develop the habit of contacting your referrals within two-business days or sooner. Have a system to keep track of your referrals so they don’t end up falling through the cracks. It’s critical to have a computerized client contact management system to record your remarks and track future contacts and appointments. Relying on your memory alone is a very poor business decision that will cost you dearly.

Tip Four: Schedule a Minimum of Two-Hours a Day for Phone Calling.

Make your phone calls in the morning while you and your referrals are both fresh and alert. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect you would give to any other important appointment. This Treat your prospecting is not the time to check your e-mails, play solitaire on the time with the same computer, make personal phone calls or chat with your respect you would give associates.

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to any other important appointment.

Avoid the temptation to try and sell your product or service over the phone. Your objective for every phone call is to create interest, gather information and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response.

Don’t shoot from the hip use a script. It’s important to use a phone script when you contact your prospect so you don’t leave out any key information.

It’s a good idea to role-play your script over the phone with your sales manager until he or she feels you sound confident and professional.

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Tip Five: Qualify Your Prospect at Maximum Range.

Unfortunately, not every prospect will be interested or qualified financially to purchase your products or services. Successful sales reps don’t waste time chasing after low-probability prospects and know when it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

Tip Six: Don’t Take Rejection Personally.

Selling, like baseball, is a numbers game pure and simple. Rejection is to be anticipated as a natural aspect of the qualification process, so don’t take it personally. Learn from rejection by using it as a valuable feedback mechanism. Salespeople who take rejection personally lack perseverance Salespeople and seldom make the sale.

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who take rejection personally lack perseverance and seldom make the sale.

For the majority of salespeople, prospecting for new business is without a doubt the most challenging and stressful aspect of the selling process.

Selling is a contact sport and daily prospecting for new business is the key to every salesperson’s long-term financial success. By integrating these six powerful prospecting tips into your daily business routine, you’ll be able to keep your appointment calendar packed with qualified prospects!

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.”

– W. Clement Stone Copyright ©, John Boe. All rights reserved.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 937-299-9001. Free Newsletter available on website.

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Is Starting a Team the Right Solution for your Business?

You’ve started your own real estate business and after a slow start, you’ve found your footing and business has really taken off. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Until maybe you’re getting more business than you can handle. After all, you don’t want to sacrifice service for more listings. The top-notch level of service you offer is probably what created your boom in 20

business in the first place, so you don’t want to compromise that. But, at the same down, you don’t want to turn down business either. It’s at this point, a lot of Realtors® consider starting a team. But, how do you know if that’s the right call for you? Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself to help make your decision.

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The top-notch level of service you offer is probably what created your boom in business in the first place, so you don’t want to compromise that.

CAN YOU AFFORD IT? First things first, are you really making enough money to warrant hiring help? One of the key things to think about is your ability to generate leads. Are you so busy with your existing contracts, that you have no spare time to generate more business? Then, it might be time to consider your options. Figure out the time you’ll be afforded to generate more business, how many more transactions that will lead

to, and then see if that pays for the assistant’s wages. That should help you easily see if it’s worth the investment. If it’s on the border, you may still want to go for it if you have a lot of confidence in the market and your ability to bring in business. If you’re not quite there yet though, it might be a good idea to look into a virtual assistant until your business is ready to expand.

ARE YOU READY TO BE A TEAM LEADER? Or in other words, how comfortable are you delegating tasks and responsibilities? For some agents, they need to be actively involved in every step of the process. Being a team leader is not only about being able to delegate, it’s about mentoring and guiding your team as well. Not only do you have to help them serve the team

better, you need to look at yourself honestly too, constantly evaluating what you can do better. It’s also your job to set up systems and operations, that are constantly refined with the feedback of your team members. Clear and constant communication is key with your clients as well as your team.

CAN YOU FIND PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR VISION? Of course, the above two points are moot, if you’re unable to find people that you trust and that share your business’ philosophy. Having a supportive and professional team culture is instrumental in a team’s success. These are people you will be working with closely for long hours so you not only need to trust in their expertise and professionalism, you want to find people with a positive attitude. You will all be relying on each other to create seamless transTop Agent Magazine

actions in sometimes stressful circumstances.

Having the right team spirit, so to speak, is what will help your business and team grow.

The ultimate goal of a team is to have thriving careers for everyone on board.

So, if you want to see your business grow maybe a team is right for you. It may even give you a little free time for a personal life. We can all dream, can’t we?

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How to Throw a Client Appreciation Event No One Will Forget Clients are the foundation of any flourishing enterprise, and this is particularly true in real estate—an industry where relationships are central. Demonstrating your gratitude to former and current clientele is a winning way to cultivate your network, while upping your potential referrals and creating face-to-face time with the individuals that make your business tick. Keep in mind a few of the tips below as you stage a client event that will positively impact your brand, while conveying your appreciation to those who have driven your business all year.

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Supersize Your Guest List Inviting former clients to your client appreciation bash is only the first step in crafting your guest list. To really expand your sphere of influence, invite neighbors, local business owners and staff, old friends, family, associates, fellow alumni from your alma mater, and the like. Think of your client appreciation event as a celebration of business bringing people together. Expand your guest list and you’ll create a coveted, in-person opportunity to forge relationships and broaden your reach.

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An appreciation event may be geared toward your clients, but if done correctly it can also provide a fun-filled venue for your employees to enjoy a morale boost.

Consider A Sponsor Client appreciation events shouldn’t skimp on the details, but you don’t want to break the bank, either. To defray the cost of a client appreciation event, consider enlisting local businesses as co-sponsors. Not only does this approach ease the price tag of throwing a party, but it also creates an easy partnership between you and other entrepreneurs—widening your database and making for a memorable and generous event.

ship, or the Super Bowl is coming up quick, tailoring client appreciation events to already-established happenings can create an organic tie-in and boost your attendance numbers in the process. Throw a gingerbread house decorating party during the holiday season, or throw a barbeque during the Fourth of July. Capitalizing on a naturally occurring theme creates the opportunity for comradery between you and your guests.

Apply A Personal Touch

Don’t Forget To Reward Your Employees An appreciation event may be geared toward your clients, but if done correctly it can also provide a fun-filled venue for your employees to enjoy a morale boost, as well.

By encouraging your employees to cut loose at this celebratory event—instead of having them run interference all night—your team will feel appreciated and validated, too.

Theme Your Event Whether the area’s high school sports team has made it to the state championTop Agent Magazine

Invitations may seem like a small detail, but they shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Consider handwriting some of your invitations for the clients you remember well, or for business associates who you regularly partner with. Personalizing invitations to key players is the surest way to a confirmed RSVP. Cultivating your network of professional connections is an essential part of driving business, and client appreciation events not only create memories between you and your clientele, but also inspire your to step back, reflect, and give thanks to those who keep your business booming.

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