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How to Make Sure You’re Getting Your Commercial Real Estate Prospecting Done

By Jim Gillespie | December 13, 2011

In last week’s article I focused on how much prospecting you need to be getting done on a regular basis. In this article we’re going to focus on how to make sure you’re getting your prospecting done, which is oftentimes the more difficult part of the big equation.

The most important component of getting your prospecting done is really, really, really wanting to get it done. Your underlying desire here is what really drives you towards getting your prospecting done, and your general lack of desire will have you making excuses for why you didn’t get it done.

As a coach, desire is the one ingredient that I can’t manufacture within commercial real estate brokers. That desire must come from within.

Trying to find a broker who enjoys doing prospecting isn’t easy. But if you don’t get your prospecting done, your income will suffer. So your desire to get your prospecting done must outweigh your desire to avoid doing it, and it must outweigh your desire to just make excuses for not getting it done.

The reality here is you’ll get your prospecting done if it’s really, really important to you.

Your desire to get your prospecting done under all circumstances, and your unwillingness to accept making excuses for not getting it done, is the engine that completely drives your success within this arena.

So many problems around increasing one’s production in commercial real estate brokerage, could be resolved by getting more prospecting done.

So once the burning, unyielding desire to get your prospecting done with no excuses is already in place, here are some things you can do to help make sure that you get your prospecting done.

1) Always make sure that you schedule your prospecting time in advance

Many brokers don’t set aside the exact same days and times every single week in their calendar for getting their prospecting done. As a result they often end up doing their prospecting when they feel like they have the time for it. This approach must be reversed, and setting your prospecting times in advance must become your top priority. Once you do this then you schedule your other appointments around these times. When you schedule your prospecting times in advance, for example, on every Monday through Thursday throughout the year from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, you begin realigning your thinking regarding making prospecting your number one priority.

2) Allow nothing to get in the way of getting your prospecting done

Since prospecting is for most brokers their most important tool for generating more new business for themselves, you need to make sure you’re getting it done. More importantly, you need to recognize how important getting your prospecting done is for maximizing your income, and you need to recognize that whenever you’re not getting your prospecting done, this is costing you a lot of money.

When your clients and prospects suggest times for appointments with you that fall within your scheduled prospecting times, respond by saying something similar to, "I have something else scheduled at that time. How about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday instead?"

You need to begin getting into the habit of holding your prospecting time sacred, and allowing nothing whatsoever to interfere with it.

3) Consider making your prospecting calls from outside the office

If you’re concerned about being interrupted during your prospecting time, consider making your prospecting calls on your mobile phone from outside of your office. Choose a place, maybe even one with a view, where you’ll enjoy making your prospecting calls…and begin dialing. Sometimes doing something as simple as this can really help you to get your prospecting done, as compared with constantly being interrupted by the people at your office.

In addition, if you decide to make your prospecting calls from inside of your office, make sure you minimize any distractions. Tell your receptionist to forward all incoming calls for you into your voicemail until the end of your prospecting session. Don’t check your voicemail until your prospecting session has ended, and don’t answer any incoming calls. In addition, consider putting up a sign on the door of your office or on the outside of your cube saying something like, "I’m prospecting until noon today. Do not disturb."

When you’re serious about not being disturbed by the other people in your office, they’ll get it.

The more you prospect the more leads you’re going to uncover for yourself. If you begin increasing the number of your prospecting calls by 50%, you’ll increase your leads by 50%. Similarly, if you double the number of your prospecting calls, you’ll double your number of leads.

Recognize how important every prospecting call is towards you generating the amount of income you want for yourself, let nothing stand in the way of you getting your prospecting done, and get it done with no excuses.  

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If you’re interested in one-on-one coaching to take your commercial real estate brokerage business to the next level, click here to contact me.

"My work with Jim keeps me focused on being productive and doing the activities that will maximize my success."

Terry Adams
TOLD Partners

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