I am an avid advocate for emulating successful companies and salespeople. My thought: ‘Why try to reinvent the wheel when someone else has already built the car?’
As the world SLOWLY begins to open back up, are you going to go back to the “same old, same old” you were doing before all this happened?
After selling our successful travel agency, I took some time off so I could re-imagine myself and what to do next. Little did I know at the time, how similar the circumstances were to what we are facing in our industry today. Looking back, I was fortunate to have that opportunity.
One thing I have come to realize over the years is that, even in the worst of times and with the right skill sets, making money can be relatively easy. The prospecting and selling skills I learned in college selling door-to-door and in travel were easily transferable to other businesses.
After researching different industries, I chose real estate, specifically new home sales, because of three similarities to the travel business.
- We do not own the product.
- We are paid on commission.
- The commission is not considered earned until the home sale closes or travel commences.
In fact, many who pursue travel sales as a sidehustle are products of the real estate business. I studied the top performers to emulate what they did to reach the top.
Here are three things you can learn from the country’s most successful independent real estate agents.
- “You” are the brand – They own the relationship with the prospect and must have a singular focus, to sell real estate… period. Everything else is ancillary. Google “top real estate agents” and look at how they present themselves. Everything is focused on generating prospects.
- Their brokers are partners in their success – The role of Keller-Williams, Remax, and Sotheby’s is to support the agent’s sale strategy by providing access to marketing services, networking, and admin support. As their business grows, it is not unusual for top agents to switch brokers multiple times as their business needs change. Think of your host, or consortia, as the broker. Always ensure they are serving your needs. If not, find one that will.
- Always, Always, Always, and Always be prospecting – Without prospects, you have no sales; and without sales, there is no business.
Good real estate agents know that no one owes them anything. Those who have found success sought it out and got their hands dirty in the process. Now is the perfect time to reimagine your business, get down in the dirt, and cultivate the seeds that will lead to success.
Dan Chappelle is the leading authority on sales performance in the travel and tourism industry. His best-selling book “Get Your S.H.I.P. Together – The Wealthy Travel Agent Guide to Sales” is available on Amazon and Audible. To learn more about his High-Performance Sales System and onsite training programs. visit www.WealthyTravelAgent.com.
© 2020 Dan Chappelle / CCI, Inc.
