By Shirleen Von Hoffmann Real Estate Sales Coach of Home Builders Edge® and Vortex Sales Solutions™ ©2012

Many of the resumes that cross my desk are pieces of paper that list education, experiences, and skills. Many are professional prepared, many are not, I have found, though it may be easier on the eye, how it is prepared doesn’t assure I am hiring a Winner. You get so many, they all start off with so much hope, then comes the interview and all the right answers are given, there is some interview enthusiasm, once on the job… bam, wrong hire!

Here is one of the biggest mysteries of the hiring: How can you attract and identify, Top Producers, in the application and interview process?

Well first of all, being a bit particular about your resume submissions details and asking for proven track record of production will weed out low producers. It will at least reduce the volume somewhat.

So how do you weed out the top producers from the masses? And how can you distinguish them from the rest? Naturally you want an intelligent, energetic employee with enthusiasm and integrity, one whose values are in line with those of your organization. Finding a Top Producing thinker also means looking for a professional resume, with writing that is impressive and to the point with confidence.

The interview is where you can really get a sense of top producer… Here are some things I look for.

• Have them sell you something. Did they ask you a lot of great questions or try to cram the product down your throat.
• A top producer will sell you and you won’t know you have been sold.
• They Listen very well and talk less.
• They have confidence.
• They have an aura about them, where you want to be around them.
• They don’t hesitate when asked a direct question because they know what they’re talking about.
• They are normally polished, self-motivated and self-taught.

Here are a few useful interview questions to ask to identify Top Producers

When a sales quota is a month away, how do you plan to meet it?

A top producer will reply quickly and with confidence something like, “First, I call all my immediate prospects that I expect to buy soon and create urgency of some sort to get them in for a second time. I get my quick closings on a board so I have something to talk about with walk in’s and talk about the same quick closes by making calls to my Realtors. Then I work with my marketing department to come up with ideas for a campaign I can target. I do so many hours of prospecting each day to achieve my goals. This system has worked well for me in the past.

Tell me about your Goals, monetary and otherwise.

Most Top Producers take days, sometimes weeks to lay out their goals for the year. If you have one sitting in front of you, they will not hesitate to pop off not only their goals for work, but home, health, family and other important topics. They like nice things, cars, real estate, you name it, if you have someone who is hungry to achieve their own goals, and you can bet your company goals are going to get met.

How do you handle a problem with a client?

A top producer will usually not only put the fire out but access how they can learn from the problem. What things can they change in their sales routine so that problem doesn’t happen again. Because Top Producers are interested in a streamlined process, they know their sales process and live by it! They work hard for referrals and don’t want any client to be unhappy with their service level.

An applicant’s behaviors are also important to understand, ask yourself…Are they a team player? Will they fit in with my team? Will I work well with this person? Are they talking too much? Because if you can’t get a word in edgewise neither will your client. Because even though someone may be a Top Producer, they can also be full of themselves, which can be a problem with the rest of the team. Keep in mind, sometimes you can take a newbie and with the right hunger, attitude, training and environment shift them into a Top Producer.

In addition, Top Producer job applicants will most likely ask you where you expect your company to be in ten years. They may ask how many products or communities you have introduced, whether or not you have awards for Top Producers and will want to know those thresholds, benefits, compensation and bonuses will probably be on their question list. They also may ask if they can talk to other management and employees about the quality of the company. All of which you should be ready for.

If you want a top producing Sales Force, to surface in your company, it is your job to cultivate an atmosphere in which they are valued and can thrive. Before you hire your perfect candidate, make sure your organization is truly ready to receive them with competitive compensation packages, benefits, systems and an aggressive “Sales Come First” attitude.

By Teke Wiggin AOL Real Estate

As spring buying season approaches, potential first-time homebuyers would be excused for feeling uneasy about jumping into the real estate market. After all, pretty much all housing news since the bubble burst has been, well, bad news.

But this may be the perfect time for prospective buyers to test the waters.

As of December, home prices had plummeted 34 percent since the housing bust, according to the S&P Case-Shiller index. That means you could buy a home, on average, for the same price it would have cost in 2002. Along with retro prices, mortgage interest rates continue to hover around re

keep reading…

By Shirleen von Hoffmann Business Development Coach Home for Builders Edge and Vortex Sales Solutions Copyright 2012

We are seeing more sales happening in our world in California, traffic is up as well.  So it’s starting to wake us up, get us on our feet, out of our winter/recession doldrums.  Finally, yeah!!

That’s the good news, right.  I’ll bet some of you out there forgot how to write a contract and handle traffic control!  So now the fun begins.  Now is the time Sales Pro’s start to shine.  Now is the time to get your Sales Game Up! So let’s keep a few things in mind as we go forward.

Maximize your Time

Make sure you are asking the right questions up front with your buyers to get them to the place where they are going quicker.  With higher traffic, you need to be in more places than one.  So asking the right questions upfront will save you time and energy with each prospect.  With things picking, you really need to start getting organized and think about everything you are doing in your day, in your presentation, with each prospect and buyer to make sure you are maximized!  You don’t want to miss any opportunities to sell!

I have an acronym I like to use with the Agents…ATM=$

I use an acronym so the agents remember it, while in sales mode. Fit these questions in UPFRONT among some rapport building before you head out with the clients.  Save time by getting to know them a bit in the beginning, before they see your product.

A  – Area (What area are you coming from today?)

Is a bit of an ice breaker and tells you a lot about them and where you need to go with them. You may be telling them about your area if they are from out of town or if they are from down the street, it may tell you they are looking at decorating or underwater…it depends!  Most agents like asking this question.

T – Time Frame questions (Tell me when do you plan on making a move?)

You will save time with this question by taking them to a model or standing inventory, depends on when they are moving.  If they are moving in 45 days why take them to a model and show them a bunch of options they can’t have?  Take them to inventory and show them your standing inventory and save time!

M – Model questions (Let’s talk about what you are looking for briefly, Give me an idea of the type of home you are wanting? 1 or 2 Story, Size, Lot, must haves, so I can better direct you?)

Instead of walking three models, you take them to the one that fits their needs.

$ = Money questions  (Tell me about the price you have in mind?

Have you been prequalified with a lender yet?  If so, what was the amount they approved you for? )  Don’t be afraid to get to this question upfront, you can’t spend an hour with someone when you don’t know the answer to this question.

Here is a funny spin on product dumping for all you Vanna White’s out there…

Selling isn’t Telling…

TGIF!!  I hope the sales are as good this week as they were last week.  Sales are up!  We are coming back people!!  Yeah!!  Have a great weekend!!

Create some urgency, spread the word, and Maximize your time with each prospect, cause they are out to buy right now  grab one or two!

Happy Selling!

By Shirleen Von Hoffmann Business Sales Coach for Home Builders Edge and Vortex Sales Solutions ©2012

Recently I was interviewing a Sales Agent for a Builder Client.  The Agent talked the entire interview and barely left air for me to ask questions.  He went on and on about himself.  And while I am sure he may have been nervous, I couldn’t help but think, “If he talks this much to me, how will the customer get a word in edgewise?” I definitely look for good listeners when I hire.

You have heard the old saying,  “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”  And boy is that true with sales.

A Sales Presentation should be called a Sales Attention Session, because  you should be paying attention to what the prospect is talking about, not Presenting.  Many Sales People worry about dumping all the features of their product as soon as possible, almost as if throwing out lots of chum hoping one of the bits will catch a fish.  But you can fish smarter than that in in Sales you must be smarter than that, especially this day in age.  If you are going to worry about anything, worry about the next question you are going to ask to deepen the conversation or acting on buying signals they give you. By the way, you can hear buying signals if you are talking.

Prospects aren’t interested in what you have to sell, they are interested in what they want to buy.  It’s your job to figure out, via questioning, what they want to buy and sell it to them. Through active listening and great questions, you can build rapport quicker and thus get to the “close” quicker.

» More: Are you Talking or Listening?

by Shirleen Von Hoffmann President and Sales Coach of Home Builders Edge and Vortex Sales Solutions  Copyright 2008©

“Without a sense of urgency, desire loses it’s value.”  Jim Rohn

The single biggest obstacle you will encounter in a tough market is “fence sitters”.  These are people sitting on the side lines waiting for the best market to get the best deal.  It can be a real foe for the Salesperson who has never been through a tough market and not learned skills to push these buyers off the fence.

We are going to go over two steps to moving fence sitters, creating Value and creating Urgency.  In this article we are going to cover Creating Urgency.

When trying to move fence sitters always remember people want what others have and what they can’t have.  Fear of loss and anticipation of gain, thus the reason to create urgency.

We have to create urgency in a non urgent market because without it, there’s no movement. In other words, prospects have to believe that their needs and wants are going to be met and that there’s some compelling reason to do it now. » More: Creating Urgency

When I hear some of the sales tactics used in old school thinking I laugh to myself wondering why don’t people get that sales is all about relationships not about manipulation.  It’s so easy when you think of you and how you like to be treated when you are out purchasing something you really want.

What kind of Sales Person are you attracted to?

I will bet money it’s not the kind that gets in your face, blasting you with questions about the buy…you know those car sales types that you want to run away from.

No, a nice, friendly, easy approach, gently building a relationship, by asking what’s important to me and filling it in with some rapport building is what I prefer.  I also like someone who knows their stuff and can HELP ME get what I want, in the quickest manner.  I look for professionals who know their stuff in every aspect of my life, because I don’t have time to waste with people who don’t.

I have a financial planner.  The reason I like him is because we have a great relationship first.  He puts me first and calls me to let me know things I don’t know about. He calls me when I don’t ask him to call me.  I feel confident in his ability and knowledge, he is smart as he can be.  I don’t have the time or knowledge to know what he knows about the market so I have him in my corner taking care of my retirement money.  I know he is great at what he does, he constantly builds value by being interested in me and my needs, my statement proves he does a good job, so we have a trusted relationship that I don’t question, for life.

I have a vet who I feel the same about…

I have a banker who I feel the same about…

A hairdresser I feel the same about…

A dentist I feel the same about, the list goes on.

Here is the definition of relationships…re·la·tion·ship

Be an emotional connection for your clients.  Be the first person they think of when they think of real estate.  Be that trusted Advisor that they go to and the sale will be yours everytime! Not only will the sales be yours this time but you will have a client for life, if you nurture the the relationship over time.

Happy Sales

It has been a great week at IBS- the International Builder Show in Orlando.  With expected attendance at 50,000 people, it was sure good to see everyone walking the floors and attending the seminars.  And guess what, you really do see Builders and Sales People from all over the world.

The Sales Seminars were abundant and GREAT, performed by top notch sales pros from across the nation.  You could find the latest tech tools, sales skills, marketing tools, website tips, blogging tips, Ipad tricks, you name it, Sales Central had a session on it.  It’s all about making you better at what you do!

I had a great seminar with Mike Lyon and Scott Stroud on Maximizing the traffic you do have…and the room was filled to the rafters and we gave Builders and Sales Pros 100 new things to think about!

There was no negativity, no doom and gloom, in fact bad markets weren’t even mentioned.  There was definitely hope in the air, plenty of great speakers, vendors and great parties at night! The Sales Rally had plenty of new talent including real producers as well as inspirational speakers.

So if the aura at IBS 2012 is a sign of good times ahead, I say, ” Bring it on, we are ready for the next step!”

Having a great time seeing friends and attending the 2012 IBS in Orlando. If you are here I hope you sat in my session this morning with Mike Lyon and Scott Stroud.

We had a great session on maximizing your traffic, which was filled to the brim and standing room only. Unfortunately, the talk was so good, we ran out of time, but had a great time in any case…

Wish you all were here for the great sales stuff!