Why more conversations? Because all the good things we want from being in real estate are the direct result of the conversations we have.

Why more conversations? Because more conversations = more leads and prospects to choose from. Floyd says, “Thinking you have to work with everyone is the #1 mistake new people make.” More leads and prospects to choose from allows you to work  with the people you want to work with, and the prospects who want to work with you.

What can you do to make sure you talk to enough of the right people so that you have choices? Follow these 5 Simple Steps and you will.

STEP 1    SCHEDULE YOUR PROSPECTING TIME

There is no substitute for SMART Week for controlling your time. Block out your calling times in advance to make sure you can fit them in with the rest of your schedule. The Rule of Thumb to remember is that if you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen. Everyone procrastinates and everyone rationalizes. Prospecting is the last thing most of us want to do or feel like doing. Don’t wait until you feel like it. Make it an appointment and show up.

STEP 2    CREATE A LIST OF PEOPLE TO CALL

The quality and quantity of the conversations you have is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of your list. Start with your Book of Business. Then your other mailing lists. For Sale By Owners. Expired listings. Pre-foreclosures. Prospect follow up. Inquiry follow up. Just listed and just sold. Open house promotion and follow up. Death, divorce and transfers. Seniors. Social media connections. Geographic farms. Past appointments that haven’t listed yet. Leads you buy. And so on.

Put your own list together, or pay someone to do it for you. The list is gold.

STEP 3    PREPARE YOUR APPROACH

Your approach will be determined by the category of prospect you are calling, but the track is always the same.

• Identify the person you are calling, using their name if you have it.
• Introduce yourself.
• Ask a real estate question.
• Give them a reason you are asking.
• Ask another real estate question.

STEP 4    PROTECT  YOUR PROSPECTING TIME

Put out the Do Not Disturb sign. Hold all incoming calls. Use a landline if possible and hide your cell phone.  Close the door. Turn off the screens, iTunes, computer or tablet. Clear your desk of everything except phone, list, appointment schedule and dialogue reminders. In other words, eliminate all possible distractions.

STEP 5    DIAL

Consider using an auto-dialer with a pre-recorded voice and/or text message, so that your time is spent having conversations. Numbers have to be dialed to have conversations. Do it yourself, or pay for a machine to do it for you.

And one more note. It pays to keep track of time, #’s dialed, conversations, leads and appointments to establish your ratios. When you know how many numbers you need to dial on average to have one conversation, and how long it takes to dial that many numbers, the more sense your weekly prospecting plan will make to you. And the less likely you will be to procrastinate and rationalize.

Here’s to having more conversations!

The Floyd Wickman Team blog by Mike Pallin