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Articles from Dirk Zeller | Selfgrowth.com
- Become a Champion Performer - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2009 from Dirk ZellerDo you have the desire to receive recognition from your peers; to be recognized as one of the top Agents in the country? If you do, you need to start by taking dead aim daily. It is the disciplines we do each day that mean the difference between being on top or being part of the crowd. ...
Views: 1025(1 vote) - Seven Secrets of Prospecting - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2009 from Dirk ZellerFor many salespeople, prospecting is the most difficult activity they do. They dread the thought of picking up the phone to make a living. Long-term success in sales is built through solid prospecting. In order to be successful and profitable, sales people need to apply these seven secrets of ...
Views: 2617(1 vote) - CHOOSE YOUR CLIENTS – CHOOSE YOUR BUSINESS - by Submitted on Sep 14, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe path to failure is trying to please everyone you come into contact with. I believe that I was not put on this earth to help everyone buy and sell. I can’t help everyone, and I don’t want to. Too many Agents believe that they are forced to work with anyone who shows up. By excluding ...
Views: 793(2 votes) - DEFINING LEADS - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2009 from Dirk ZellerOne of the major challenges facing a real estate salesperson is managing leads. Selecting the right lead becomes critical to your success. The first key step is defining what a lead is to you. I have found from coaching and training real estate agents worldwide that, for even the best of ...
Views: 921(3 votes) - CREATING REFERRALS - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2010 from Dirk ZellerWe all want an office in which the phone rings continually with offers of referral business. Does having this type of office sound like a dream? It doesn’t need to be such a far-fetched reality, though it requires diligent work with clients. There are a few key steps to creating a great ...
Views: 1108(19 votes) - ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN EXCELLENCE - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2009 from Dirk ZellerA Champion accepts nothing less than excellence. When you look at successful individuals and successful companies, good is not good enough. They are clearly striving for excellence. In Jim Collins’ best selling book, Good to Great, one of his premises is that good is really the enemy of ...
Views: 3256(3 votes) - Better is Better - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe business environment is getting more competitive every day. New companies and new concepts are being born daily. There is always someone trying to do it better and cheaper than what has been done previously. There is more competition in today’s global economy than every before. Do you ...
Views: 1145(1 vote) - CUSTOMER SERVICE DOESN’T EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2009 from Dirk ZellerFor 30 years we have been taught, as REALTORS® we must be there for our clients. I hear it all the time from Agents across North America; “I want to be there for my clients.” What does ‘be there’ mean? Does ‘be there’ mean we are available 24 hours, 7 days a week for our clients? Does it ...
Views: 1327(1 vote) - Focus on Success in Life and Business - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe ability to focus is crucial to achieving success in any endeavor we try. Why do some Agents work 70 hours per week while others can work 40 hours and get the same results? From personal experience, I know I would not have been able to work a four-day workweek without intense focus. How ...
Views: 1251(1 vote) - The Power of Aligning Job Descriptions with Behavioral Style - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2009 from Dirk ZellerWhat if you could predict, in advance, how a person would react to certain job performance tasks? What would the value of that knowledge be worth to you as a Lead Agent? What if you could predict how they will deal with challenges, make connections with others, deal with change, and respond to ...
Views: 1186(1 vote) - WISDOM WITH FINANCES - by Submitted on Oct 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerMost Agents begin their real estate career with the hope of gaining financial independence. They are attracted by the possibility of earning large sums of money. Even when Agents make more than a six-figure income, the vast majority have not dramatically improved their financial balance sheet. ...
Views: 884(9 votes) - DEVELOPING REFERRAL RELATIONSHIPS - by Submitted on Aug 28, 2009 from Dirk ZellerOnce you’ve received a referral, gathered information, and ranked the lead, it’s time to pick up the phone. The following advice and scripts will help you at each step of the lead-conversion process. Making first-time contact The first call is the hardest one. Until you make first contact ...
Views: 1287(8 votes) - BUILDING CREDIBILITY AND TRUST - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2009 from Dirk ZellerSelling and sales techniques go through evolution and sometimes revolution. Evolution is when we evolve and change slowly over an extended period of time. We experience revolution when our customers demand a change in approach quickly to be better served. Whether building trust is a new key ...
Views: 1847(3 votes) - Bullet-Proof Listing Presentations - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThere is an old adage that we make three listing appointments for every one we actually go on. We make a presentation on the way to the appointment as we run through it in our car. We make the actual presentation live – in front of the seller. And we usually make the final one on the way home ...
Views: 1376(3 votes) - COMPETING WITH OTHER AGENTS - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2010 from Dirk ZellerAll agents are at different stages of their career and different levels of production. Each has their own philosophy for running their business and different levels of staffing for accomplishing it. I get asked constantly, “How do I compete with agents that have more listings, staff and ...
Views: 1290(6 votes) - COUNSELING CLIENTS ON HOME IMPROVEMENTS - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2010 from Dirk ZellerBefore you start to counsel owners about home improvements, remember these two rules: * First and foremost, never counsel before you are hired. Counseling happens after a client-relationship is established. Attorneys don’t offer legal advice before their services have been officially ...
Views: 1164(2 votes) - Hiring – New or Experienced Buyer’s Agent - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe hiring of Buyer’s Agents has perplexed Lead Agents for years. I will admit that much of what I write about this subject comes from many mistakes in personally hiring and firing Buyer’s Agents. Some of the principles, skills, techniques, and evaluations have come from the frustration of the ...
Views: 3014(2 votes) - Hiring – New or Experienced Buyer’s Agent - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe hiring of Buyer’s Agents has perplexed Lead Agents for years. I will admit that much of what I write about this subject comes from many mistakes in personally hiring and firing Buyer’s Agents. Some of the principles, skills, techniques, and evaluations have come from the frustration of the ...
Views: 3014(2 votes) - NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2009 from Dirk ZellerWe are embarking on a new year. The slate is clean for the first time in over a year. What a great opportunity lies before us right now. My question for you is: what are you aiming for? All great performers in life have a specific aim or objective. The archer is shooting for the bull’s ...
Views: 887(4 votes) - DEMONSTRATING YOUR PROFESSIONAL VALUE - by Submitted on May 28, 2010 from Dirk ZellerA Champion Agent can convey the six key rules that equate to professional value to any prospect or client. They are able to drive home the key points to raise their value to the prospect. 1. We don’t sell properties We are salespeople, but we are really selling something other than a ...
Views: 2157(3 votes) - DO YOU DO WHAT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD? - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2010 from Dirk ZellerMost Agents know deep down inside that they need to do a better job of prospecting in order to increase business. They know that true long-term sales success is built through the work of looking for new business, but they do not do the work. Unlike those Agents, if you want to succeed, you ...
Views: 1247(3 votes) - Go The Distance - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2010 from Dirk ZellerHow do you know when a prospect or client is going to waste your time or go the distance? That is something new Agents and some experienced Agents struggle with regularly. Having a step-by-step pre-qualifying process helps dramatically. It will help you evaluate each person the same. When ...
Views: 1767(7 votes) - CHECKING YOUR PROSPECT’S “DNA” - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Dirk ZellerBased on your qualifying efforts, determine the likelihood that your prospect will convert into a good client for your business by conducting a DNA analysis. This involves measuring the prospect’s level of desire, need to take action, and ability and authority to make a purchase or selling ...
Views: 1668(1 vote) - CREATING SALES AND SALES VOLUME COMPARISONS - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2009 from Dirk ZellerEvaluating your performance against the statistics of other agents or companies in your market segment is a great starting point, but it is rarely enough to uncover your unique edge or point of difference. When you compare your numbers to MLS stats for the number of units sold, number of ...
Views: 1383(1 vote) - Making Your Presentation Useful and Interesting - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerMost Agent presentations put sellers to sleep, mainly because most presentations lack interest, usefulness, and structure. To increase the interest in your presentation, follow this advice: • Share market knowledge. Become a student of the local marketplace and share meaningful ...
Views: 1051(2 votes) - BUSINESS PLAN - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe business plan is a foreign tool to most REALTORS®. After studying, observing, interviewing, and coaching hundreds of Agents, I have concluded that very few have taken the time to create a quality business plan. Fewer still review their business plan on a regular basis. The few who have ...
Views: 966(1 vote) - ABE LINCOLN'S AXE - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2008 from Dirk ZellerHow much time do you spend improving your skills daily or even weekly? The skills of selling real estate include our listing presentation, follow-up systems, prospecting, negotiating, and qualifying, to name a few. It’s your mind, what you say, how you say it. How much time do we ...
Views: 1076 - ACCOMPLISH TEAM TRAINING THROUGH MONKEY SEE . . . MONKEY DO - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2008 from Dirk ZellerMost of the learning we do in life is from observed behavior. This observed behavior happens in all environments from work to home. A few months ago, my wife, Joan, came to me because of observed behavior that Wesley, my five-year-old son, picked up. Joan was driving home from errands with ...
Views: 1019 - ACHIEVING RELATIONSHIP EXCELLENCE - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2008 from Dirk ZellerAs a real estate Agent, your success depends on the quality and durability of the relationships you build with your clients, and the one and only way to build solid, enduring relationships is to deliver excellent, unrivaled service. To be an outstanding Agent you need to lavish your clients with ...
Views: 814 - Acquiring Knowledge About Your Marketplace - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2008 from Dirk ZellerThink of your marketplace as your playing field, not unlike an athlete views a football field, basketball court, or hockey rink. The better you know every inch of that playing field, the more you can exploit it to your advantage. Before I became a REALTOR®, in my early twenties, I was a ...
Views: 651 - Act On Your Thoughts Now! - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2008 from Dirk ZellerBeing successful seems to be everyone’s desire. We all want to achieve what our definition of success is in life. Have you ever wondered why successful people are successful; why they seem to go from one successful situation to another, from one victory in life to another? There is one thing ...
Views: 731 - Actions Or Attitudes - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2008 from Dirk ZellerThe two A’s of success are Actions and Attitudes. You have to have both to achieve sustainable success in life. Having one without the other will only allow you to achieve a mild level of success. Having both will enable you to accomplish anything! If you have the right attitude in sales but ...
Views: 731 - Advancing Or Accepting A Buyer's Low Offer - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2008 from Dirk ZellerWhen representing sellers, I always requested that offers be faxed rather than the buyers agent personally presenting the offer to my clients. I was one of the first agents in the country to take this approach nearly 15 years ago. Today it is commonplace. It allows the agent and the sellers ...
Views: 872 - Adversity - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2008 from Dirk ZellerIn order for us to win in life, we must push through the adversity we face. Without facing it, we are poorly prepared for winning. The truth is most of us don’t welcome adversity like a long-lost friend. We don’t embrace with passion the pain and setbacks that occur. Alfred Russell Wallace ...
Views: 1339 - Advising Different Kinds Of Sellers For Showings - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2008 from Dirk ZellerAll home sellers come with their own personalities and personal quirks, but when it comes to preparing a home for presentation you’ll find that nearly all sellers fit into one of five categories. As you begin to counsel clients regarding changes and repairs they must consider, it won’t take long ...
Views: 1044 - Applying the Pareto Principle: The 80:20 Rule - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2009 from Dirk ZellerIn the late 1800s, an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto observed that, in Italy, a small group of people held nearly all the power, influence, and money, which they used to create a significant advantage over the rest of the population. He theorized that, in most countries, about 80% of ...
Views: 2311 - Approach Your Referral Sources - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2009 from Dirk ZellerMarketing for referrals with mailers, calendars, recipe cards, and other outreach and appreciation efforts is nowhere near as effective as prospecting for referrals by making personal calls and requests. The hard truth is that most consumers stand a far better chance of finding a poor agent ...
Views: 994 - Attitude and Expectations - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThere are two key words that lead to success in life. These words control the successful outcome of your business, marriage, and many other areas of life. Although you may have incredible talent and skill in life, you will fail if you do not master these two words – and vice versa. Even if ...
Views: 1443 - Avoiding Closing Derailment - by Submitted on May 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerLike a train, a transaction can get derailed at any point on the track. A closing can be hit by a clouded title, a home not appraising for value, a rapid change in interest rates, an undisclosed credit or income issue, or one of countless other unanticipated issues. Choke points cause delays ...
Views: 1087 - Avoiding CMA Mistakes - by Submitted on May 20, 2009 from Dirk ZellerAgents make three major mistakes in the CMA preparation process: They work to establish a high sales price, they include too many comparable homes in their comparison, and they overemphasize the price per square foot. Here’s how to avoid the traps: • Overpricing. If you approach a CMA with ...
Views: 1413 - Barrier of Entry - by Submitted on May 27, 2009 from Dirk ZellerSelling in the new millennium has moved away from transactional based selling to relational based, or values based, selling. For many years, real estate Agents could focus on “doing the deal” – get the consumers into the home and the loan, and move on. Consumers are looking for more than the ...
Views: 979 - Be Effective in Sales By Understanding People - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2009 from Dirk ZellerTo be an effective salesperson, you have to understand people. You have to understand that people buy and sell for a set of reasons. They also make decisions on whom they do that with based on their reasons, not ours. Being able to read people and ask the right questions is essential to ...
Views: 1540 - BECOME THE EXPERT - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2009 from Dirk ZellerDo you have the skills that will make you massively successful? Are you making the most of them? The people who are compensated the best in life are highly skilled and highly specialized. They perform few functions, but the ones they do are performed exceedingly well, and they are paid ...
Views: 881 - BEHIND THE SCENES OF SUCCESS - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2009 from Dirk ZellerMost Agents hold top-producing Agents in the highest regard. A top-producing Agent is given a status that is almost God-like. Since I was put on a pedestal for many years during my sales career, let me give you an undeniable truth. Each and every one of us has a top-producing Agent inside of ...
Views: 935 - Benefits of Coaching - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Dirk ZellerCoaching for peak performers has been around for years. The most successful athletes, for many decades, have been coached to win the big event. Tiger Woods would not be the golfer he is today without his golf coaches. Michael Jordan, John Elway, and Michael Johnson have all had coaches. ...
Views: 951 - Building a Referral-Based Clientele - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2009 from Dirk ZellerSalespeople love referrals. They’re the sincerest form of compliment and a remarkably cost-effective route to new business. The idea of attracting referrals is so popular that sales trainers who bill themselves as referral gurus make fortunes promoting magical systems that supposedly deliver ...
Views: 1605 - Building Your Champion Team - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2009 from Dirk ZellerI have shared with you my long version of what a Champion Team is. The truth is it matters very little what my definition is. The true question is what is your definition of a Champion Team? To be successful in life, we all have to affix the target. In order to hit our objectives, goals, and ...
Views: 1362 - Burn Bright or Burn Out - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2009 from Dirk ZellerAre you burning bright or heading for burnout? Many people are heading fast toward burnout or just recovering from burnout. Burnout is a real happening for many REALTORS®. Daily we get calls from Agents who are struggling with this dilemma. Burnout occurs when reality and our expectations ...
Views: 1094 - Business Clarity - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2009 from Dirk ZellerOne of the most difficult tasks in life is defining your purpose. The pay off of clarity of purpose is enormous. In working with some of the top Agents across North America, I have found that clarity is a big concern. There is a direct correlation between clarity of purpose and success. The ...
Views: 1023 - CHALLENGES FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2009 from Dirk ZellerThe most significant challenge for sales professionals is their time control. How a sales professional uses their time determines income. The sales professionals in the top 10% of their industry control, use, and invest their time more wisely and effectively than the lower performing sales ...
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