Paul's Blog

WWAY News Channel 3 ran a feature yesterday evening on me, Paul Hockaday, on how I am using Active Rain and "100 Days to Change" to market myself, promote my community, create a network and to ultimately create a change in my real estate business.  Here is a link:

http://www.wwaytv3.com/video/real_estate_agent_blogs_increase_presence_web/12

Key Yessaad, Real Estate Web Trainer, has had an enormous impact on my real estate business plan.  Key has been instrumental in "opening my eyes" to the world of marketing on the internet and I thank him for introducing me to Active Rain.

"Blogging regularly about relevant material is one of the best ways to increase your web presence" says Key.

When I met Key some 4 months ago, I realized that he was going to help me in an area that I was very interested in; creating a web presence.  What Key does is that he teaches you to "fish".  And of course, by saying that I mean he actually teaches you how to structure your business so that you are in control.  You do the work and you keep the knowledge you gain.

I started "100 Days to Change" because a few years ago I enrolled in Brian Buffini's "100 Days to Greatness."  I loved Brian's proactive activities and wanted to grow my business based on referrals.  Not just referrals from agent to agent but referrals from your sphere of influence.  That's how you do business.  It takes time to grow your business this way.  Time is a limited resource.  We don't have an unlimited supply.

What I'm trying to do is utilize some of the proactive activities from Brian's program with some of my own which includes blogging on Active Rain.  My 2008 was by no means stellar so what I'm doing is "ramping up" for 2009.  I'm creating a buzz.  Check out my group "100 Days to Change".

Paul

Day 9:  I've been reading Gary Keller's book "Shift" and reached page 75 last night.  If you don't have a clue what Time Blocking is then you need to check this page out.  "Why do I need to do Time Blocking?", you may ask.  Well, here is why.  You MUST generate LEADS. 

If you aren't doing any kind of lead generation then you are in big trouble.  Not generating leads on a day to day basis in a hot market may suffice but will put you out of business in a cold one.  We are in a cold market and you have to "RAMP IT UP" says Gary Keller. 

Here are two excerts from pages 72-73:

"You're going to need a lot of leads and that means you're going to have to do a lot of lead generating.  You must do it everyday.  You must do it several hours everyday.  You must do it every work day for the rest of your career.  You must ramp it up and keep it up.  No negotiations.  Got it?"  -Gary Keller

"To ensure your lead generation is always your number one priority and that it gets done daily, you must acquire the discipline of "time blocking."  Time blocking is setting aside daily blocks of time to execute your most important business priorities."  -Gary Keller

How do I Time Block?

3 Easy Steps

Step 1:  Family, friends, and personal time come first.

Step 2:  Lead generation.

Step 3:  Plan your week.

Here's what you do.  You print out a blank calendar for the month.  Write down all vacations, family events and personal time off that you need as these are the most important.  Then write down for Monday-Friday from 9 am to 12 noon LEAD GENERATION.  And finally, write down PLAN WEEK every Monday from 8-9 am.  When you write your time blocking down make sure you do it in pencil.  In the event that you have to change something, remember this rule; You can not erase without doing a replace.  Another words, if you erase a lead generation time you have to place it somewhere else on the calendar.

I hope this information has been helpful.  Remember to stay positive and keep moving forward.

Paul

www.myNCbroker.com

Day 6:  By now everyone should have an idea of how this program works.  You are held accountable only by yourself.  If you want your 5 Things to Change then you must be driven in your efforts and see that you accomplish them.  The Group is here for support. 

Everyone has different Things They Want to Change.   From here on out we will refer to these Things as Goals.  Are you on the right track to accomplish your Goals?  Have you given yourself a daily schedule by Time Blocking?  Are you doing your Proactive Activities?  Are you posting your daily blogs on how successful you day was?

Everyone should be blogging about their Proactive Activites and how productive they are being.  Remember, there is no place for negativity in this group so be sure to find the positive in everything you say.

If you are floundering then contact me and I will do my best to put you on track.

Paul

Day 5:  Today I met an attorney and passed him my card.  I don't think that I've ever met an attorney like him.  He was compassionate and seemed to care.  I look forward to the business that I will receive from him.  I also met a Realtor from Philly.  I gave him my card.  I look forward to any business that he may send me as well.

Talk it up.  No matter what you are doing.  Talk it up.  Get to know people and they will remember you.  Stay positive and up beat.  They will see how great you are.  When you meet people, you have to assess their loyalty.  If you think that they are someone you would like to do business with then ask them, "Who do you use as your Realtor?"  If they don't have anyone then ask them if they would use you.  If they say yes then ask them if it would be okay to stay in touch with them.  Add them to your database as a "C" and reassess their loyalty later.

You need to be qualifying everyone you add to your database as either an "A", "B" or "C". 

An "A" will be your most loyal client that always uses you and tells everyone they know to do business with you.  These clients are your Golden Eggs.  Take special care of them.

"B"s are clients that will do business with you most of the time and may send business your way through their friends maybe.  These clients need a lot of attention but make sure that you are hitting your margins with the returns.

"C"s are new people that you meet that say that they would use you.  Keep in touch with these people and see if they have potential to upgrade to "B"s or "A"s.

I will tell you later how to keep in touch with your database.   For now, keep meeting and greeting, work on your database, blog about your experiences and keep a positive up beat attitude.  Stay focused and read the first page of your journal out loud every day as soon as you roll out of bed.

Paul

Day 4 was a fun day for me.  I decided to work a half day and then spend time with my wife and children at Disney On Ice.  What a great day!  Not only was I able to work with clients in the morning but I got to see those beautiful smiles on my children's faces as Mickey and Minnie Mouse pulled out onto the ice in their little red car.

I'd like to take this time to tell everyone what my 5 Things I Want to Change are:

1.  Improve my financial situation

2.  Spend more time with my family

3.  Grow my real estate business

4.  Become more physically active

5.  Become more active in my community

 I want everyone to know that all though this program is about "100 Days to Change", you don't have to work every single day.  If you would like to do that then more power to you.  I for one find it best to step back every so often and take a look at things.  You have to re-energize.  My trip to see Disney On Ice was one such moment.

While I was at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC I ran into an old friend that works at the arena.  I gave them my business card and told them to remember me when they hear of anyone talking about real estate in the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach area.  Nothing may ever be generated from it but who knows.  Maybe they will overhear one of the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey players talking about buying a second home at the beach.  Maybe they will share my information with them and maybe I'll sell a multimillion dollar home.  You've got to stay positive.  It will come back around.

The key to developing your pipeline is constantly doing your proactive activites.  Keep talking to people, stay positive, have a dynamite personality, pass out those 10 business cards a day, add qualified people to your database, start mailing people in your database, call your database, keep blogging, be active in your community, etc.  Soon the business will come pouring in.

Paul

We are underway.  Day 3 has come and gone.  By now we should all have our journals, have our 5 Things That We Want to Change, have our statements of affirmation, have our message of empowerment/inspiration, have written down that we must keep a Positive Attitude at all times and have written down that we Must Persevere.  All of these items should be written on the first page of your journal.  Every single day, the first thing you do as soon as you role out of the bed is read out loud the first page of your journal.

The pages which follow should contain the titles 99 Days to Change, 98 Days to Change, etc.  On each of these pages you should write down your goals for the day based on the list of Proactive Activities I provided.  I want to pass out 10 business cards today.  I want to meet 5 people today and add them to my data base.  I want to creat 2 business-to-business relationships today.  There's a lot of freedom here so it's up to you to hold yourself accountable.  Carry your journals everywhere you go and if you happen to have an "Ah ha" moment then write it down.

You have to market yourself every opportunity you get.  In the grocery store, in line at a restaurant, walking down the street or where ever you may be, Smile.  Exude your Positive glow.  Make people want to talk to you because they want what you have.  Always be positive.  When people ask you about the market say, "It's Unbelievable.  It is a Great time to BUY!".  Now that's a spin.  The news is constantly stating how bad the housing market is and how noone knows when the bottom will appear.  To be positive and say "It's Unbelievable.  It is a Great time to BUY!" will cause who ever you are talking to to step back and open their eyes.  Try it and see what happens.  Then you follow up by telling them about the Tax Credit of $7500 that the government is offering as a stimulant for anyone who purchases a home from now to mid 2009.  You tell them of the interest rates being at some of the best rates in years.  See what happens and then blog about it.

I want everyone to share stories about "100 Days to Change".  When you blog about this program I want you to simply place the title from your journal in the title for your blog.  For example, if you post a blog about an experience that you had on "97 Days to Change" then make that the title of your blog.  It will help us all see the progression of this program.

Stay on top of your Proactive Activities.  They are the generators to all the business you have coming down the pipeline.  Everything else will fall into place.

Keep looking forward and SMILE!

Paul

Today is Day 2 of "100 Days to Change" and we have had some great responses to the task of writing down the 5 Things You Will Change.  We've had some great statements of personal affirmation and empowerment statements.  We know that Positive Attitude is a must as we move forward.  We also know that we MUST Persevere.  It is just the begining of the 100 Days but we know that we will be tested along the way.  We know that at sometime we will feel like not doing the proactive activities and will want to do something else less productive.  That is when the group will play the biggest role.  We must Persevere!

As we are in Day 2, it is time to role out the next key element which will lead us to CHANGE.  I'm talking about Proactive Activities.

What are Proactive Activities?

Let me give you some background about me.  About two years ago, I participated in Brian Buffini's "100 Days to Greatness".  If you are unaware of Brian Buffini or his course "100 Days to Greatness" then you owe it to yourself to Google.  To date, Brian Buffini is the most inspiring individual that I have come across.  Brian Buffini came to America from Ireland with nothing, got into Real Estate and never looked back.  He resides in Carlsbad, CA, or at least I think he still does.  I believe his house burned in one of those bad fires last year.  This man is truly amazing.  His course, "100 Days to Greatness" is a very well structured course loaded with materials, software, coaches, mentors and supportive staff that assist you during your "100 Days to Greatness".  It is a great course and I am very pleased that I took it.

"100 Days to Change" is my attempt to create CHANGE for me as well as anyone else who would like to participate.  I have 3 small children, a stay-at-home wife and am the sole income provider in a declining real estate market and failing economy who many think has already slipped into a depression.  I want CHANGE.  "100 Days to Change" is my attempt to take bits and pieces of all the information and training that I have received over the past 2 years and put them to work for me and the like.  Now, having provided that, here are my Proactive Activities:

Blogging:  Nothing new to the bloggers but absolutely new for the blogging challenged.  Blogging is the best way to network with other professionals across the nation and it is probably the least expensive.  Blogging on a regular basis increases your visibility on the web.  The more reputable blogging you do the more Google will see you as an active member in your community and you will be rewarded by more promonent positioning on result pages when people search your area.  Blog often but about relevant material.

Business Cards:  Again another fairly inexpensive way to market yourself.  You should be passing out at least 10 business cards a day to people that you meet.  The best thing about this is that you are already in their face.  You shake their hand and you smile.  In the world we live today with caller ID and emails, 90% of the battle is over because you've already met face to face.

Prioritize Your Database:  You must keep a database of all your contacts/clients.  Brian Buffini states that you should label each contact with either an A, B, or C.  An A, would be someone that will always do business with you.  B's would be someone who will do business with you often but not always. C's would be someone that might do business with you.  This category is for people that you just meet and you're not sure how loyal they would be to you.  The last category is D.  D stands for delete.  Enough said about that one.

Call Your Database:  In order to keep an effective database, you will need to call everyone periodically throughout the year.  You don't want to be overbearing but you do want to let your database know that you have not forgotten about them.

Mail Your Database:  You want to "touch" your database at least every month.  Create a flyer or a newsletter and do a mailout.  You have to stay in front of your database.  If you don't someone else will.

Be Active In Your Community:  Get out and into your community and get your hands dirty.  If you are in your community doing a worthy cause, people will recognize that and want to do business with you.

REOs:  Now is the time to sell REOs.  All banks want to clean their books before the end of the year.  Everyday you should be searching REOs to sell.  Don't drag your feet.  Get those offers in.  The really good deals go extremely fast.

Meet And Greet:  Hit the street, meet people and greet people.  Ask them who they know that is doing real estate right now.  Ask them if you could be their Realtor.  Add them to your database.

Time Blocking:  Time Blocking will provide you a skeleton for your activities.  It will provide you a daily time frame in which you schedule your activities.  Try your best to adhere to it, however, if there are too many conflicts or not enough time, make adjustments.  Make it work.

These are Proactive Activities that I would like each of you to implement into your way of doing business.  They shouldn't be really anything new; just fundamentals with a little light on them.  Work on your Time Blocking.  Decide when you will allocate time to each of these Proactive Activities and what days will you do them.  This is about us.  It is about creating CHANGE.

Let's join together and move forward.

Place your blogs in both the Active Rain community and the "100 Days to Change" group.

If anyone is experiencing problems, feel free to contact me.

Today is the first day to "100 Days to Change".  It's kind of like the first day of school.  No one really knows what to expect.  Some people are still trying to find the class and others are in the right room but may not have what they need in their book bag.  If you're just finding your way to the room then come on in and have a seat.  If you found the room but haven't purchased a composition book for your journal then that's okay; pick one up today.  The first homework assignment was for everyone to write down 5 things that they want to change.  Prioritize the list with #1 being the most important.  I want you to post these 5 things as a blog.  We have to work together as a group in order to help each other.

Now that you have the 5 things that you want to change I want you to write them on the first page of your composition book/journal.  These are our changes.

Next, write your own Daily Affirmation.  Here's an example:

I am a professional.

I am working hard to change.

I am an overcomer.

I am going to change.

You can make your Daily Affirmation whatever you would like as long as you begin each sentence with, "I am...".  "I am" statements are the most powerful statements one can make about themselves.

Next, I am going to provide you with your Daily Empowerment.  This is designed to tap a power higher than ourselves.   When we want to change, we have to reach deep inside ourselves.  We also have to connect with our Spirit.  Write it down if you like it or create your own statement if you are so inclined.

Here is my Empowerment that ignites my Spiritial connection:

"Father God, because of your word, I am an overcomer.  I overcome the world, the flesh and the devil by the Blood of the Lamb.  I plead the Blood of Jesus over myself, my family, all I posses and all that I have authority over.  No evil will befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling for you Lord God have given your angels charge over me.  They keep me in all of my ways.  In my pathway is life, healing, health and financial provision.  Father God, I ask you to charge your ministering Spirits to go to the North, South, East and West and bring your financial provision for me and my family."

-I give credit to Mrs. Carolyn Hicks of Wilmington, NC for these words of Empowerment.  Carolyn and her husband, John, are God sends which have provided my family with tremendous opportunity. 

Next, I want you to write, "Attitude". 

This is what will impress the most people.  Everyone you come into contact with will notice your POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  They will even feel it.  It will excite them.  With all the bad news and poor economic hardships dragging everyone down people will see someone with a positive attitude as a beacon of light; someone who knows something that they don't.  You will notice a buzz around you.  People will be drawn to you.

Next, I want you to write, "Mindset".

You must of every minute of every hour of every day have the "Mindset" of CHANGE.  You can not let it slip your mind.  You must constantly think CHANGE.  That is the only way you will CHANGE.  Go ahead and take a dry erase maker and write on your bathroom mirror "CHANGE".

Finally, I want you to write, "Persevere".

No matter what, you must hold steadfast.  Here are some synonyms for "Persevere":  carry on, go on, hang on, keep on, persist, abide, continue, endure, last, maintain, prevail, pursue

If you do as I have stated above, you will be on track to CHANGE.  If you are serious, then you will be all in.  If you are not, then best of luck to you.

I'll talk to all of you that are in, in a few.

Today is the first day to "100 Days to Change".  It's kind of like the first day of school.  No one really knows what to expect.  Some people are still trying to find the class and others are in the right room but may not have what they need in their book bag.  If you're just finding your way to the room then come on in and have a seat.  If you found the room but haven't purchased a composition book for your journal then that's okay; pick one up today.  The first homework assignment was for everyone to write down 5 things that they want to change.  Prioritize the list with #1 being the most important.  I want you to post these 5 things as a blog.  We have to work together as a group in order to help each other.

Now that you have the 5 things that you want to change I want you to write them on the first page of your composition book/journal.  These are our changes.

Next, write your own Daily Affirmation.  Here's an example:

I am a professional.

I am working hard to change.

I am an overcomer.

I am going to change.

You can make your Daily Affirmation whatever you would like as long as you begin each sentence with, "I am...".  "I am" statements are the most powerful statements one can make about themselves.

Next, I am going to provide you with your Daily Empowerment.  This is designed to tap a power higher than ourselves.   When we want to change, we have to reach deep inside ourselves.  We also have to connect with our Spirit.  Write it down if you like it or create your own statement if you are so inclined.

Here is my Empowerment that ignites my Spiritial connection:

"Father God, because of your word, I am an overcomer.  I overcome the world, the flesh and the devil by the Blood of the Lamb.  I plead the Blood of Jesus over myself, my family, all I posses and all that I have authority over.  No evil will befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling for you Lord God have given your angels charge over me.  They keep me in all of my ways.  In my pathway is life, healing, health and financial provision.  Father God, I ask you to charge your ministering Spirits to go to the North, South, East and West and bring your financial provision for me and my family."

-I give credit to Mrs. Carolyn Hicks of Wilmington, NC for these words of Empowerment.  Carolyn and her husband, John, are God sends which have provided my family with tremendous opportunity. 

Next, I want you to write, "Attitude". 

This is what will impress the most people.  Everyone you come into contact with will notice your POSITIVE ATTITUDE.  They will even feel it.  It will excite them.  With all the bad news and poor economic hardships dragging everyone down people will see someone with a positive attitude as a beacon of light; someone who knows something that they don't.  You will notice a buzz around you.  People will be drawn to you.

Next, I want you to write, "Mindset".

You must of every minute of every hour of every day have the "Mindset" of CHANGE.  You can not let it slip your mind.  You must constantly think CHANGE.  That is the only way you will CHANGE.  Go ahead and take a dry erase maker and write on your bathroom mirror "CHANGE".

Finally, I want you to write, "Persevere".

No matter what, you must hold steadfast.  Here are some synonyms for "Persevere":  carry on, go on, hang on, keep on, persist, abide, continue, endure, last, maintain, prevail, pursue

If you do as I have stated above, you will be on track to CHANGE.  If you are serious, then you will be all in.  If you are not, then best of luck to you.

I'll talk to all of you that are in, in a few.

We have arrived.  It is finally the last day before we start our "100 Days to Change".  If you haven't already picked up your generic composition book, the kind you find in any drug store or Walmart, then do so.  It's the black and white patterned one with the solid black binder.  If you are unclear then just get some sort of notebook that will serve as your journal.  I asked other group members to write down the Top 5 Things that they want to Change.  The response was great!  If you haven't already then do so and prioritize your list with the most important in first position.  Work your way down.  Don't rack your brain.  If you are having trouble then you are trying too hard.  Your list does not have to directly pertain to real estate.  If you have personal Changes that you would like to make that's okay to.  Just write them down.  I have to go decorate for Christmas right now with the family and participate in a Christmas Parade in Downtown Wilmington, NC this evening.  The most important thing is your 5 Things You Want To Change List and your composition/journal.  These are what you need to have before we begin "100 Days to Change".