A Killer Prospecting Model for Commercial Real Estate Brokers

Do you want more commissions and listings? You simply have to be great at prospecting and cold calling. The rest of your business will follow.

Guess what? Most real estate agents and brokers are not sufficiently disciplined to do the right levels of prospecting on a daily basis. That is the most significant opportunity that exists in the property industry; you just have to be better than the rest at prospecting. Sure listing, negotiating, and closing are other important skills, but they will come as a natural by-product of prospecting.

Focus on cold calling and prospecting. So how do you do this? You set some prospecting rules and you start practice. The words ‘rules’ and ‘practice’ are another couple of problem words for many in the industry. Many struggle with doing both.

So let’s get away from the negative and presume you have the determination, the focus, and the drive to prospect for new business on a daily basis. Here is a ‘killer prospecting model’ that really works. The rest will be up to you. This model takes 3 hours a day, 5 days per week.

  1. There are no gaps and Saturdays and Sundays are the only days off in the prospecting process. That is the first rule; probably the most important.
  2. The second rule in the process is that you must prospect on the telephone in the morning because after that you will be distracted by other things and not stick to it. Without going deeply into it, there are established facts of personal performance in business that show the morning is the right time to do prospecting.
  3. Get away from setting any meetings in the morning. Tell the boss that you prospect at that time and that you would prefer to set meetings with him and anyone else in the afternoons. Even meetings with clients and prospects should not occur in the morning unless it is an absolute necessity. The only reason to break the rule is if the meeting is for an active deal that is closing.
  4. The 3 hours of prospecting each day in the office is done from the telephone. In commercial real estate you are predominantly dealing with business people and they generally will take your call if commercial real estate is an issue for them. If it is not an issue then you simply move on. Do not set up a meeting with someone who has no interest; remember that your time is precious.
  5. Drop the cold calling scripts and use your own words; that will be the way you will feel comfortable with the process. Use trigger words to flow the discussion, but do not use scripts as the listener will sense the processes and turn off.
  6. Know that it takes you about 20 minutes of cold calling every day to get the process into momentum. Once you are through the 20 minutes you must keep going and not stop for 2.5 hours. In that way you will make progress.
  7. Find a quiet place to make your calls so that you can focus without distraction. Your success in tele-prospecting depends on it.
  8. Research your call list the night before so you do not waste critical call time in research. This is critical to the call process.
  9. Create a series of simple forms to use in the call process so that you can capture the results later in the database. You must not stop the call momentum.
  10. Try to contact 10 new people on the telephone each day. If they are not in the office when you call then simply make a note to call back. You should be able to make 50 calls in 3 hours.
  11. Your only reason for calling prospects is to see if they have a need or an interest in commercial property. When you really understand that yourself, then the calls will be easier and the quality of the discussion will be higher.
  12. Have a great database to record everything. Use something that you are comfortable with. At the basic end of the database alternatives you can use Microsoft Outlook, or Access. Both are useful, low cost and user friendly. When you want to move to something more relevant to the property industry you can spend many hundreds dollars; personally I believe you can do very well with the basics providing you know how to use a computer well (in that you have no choice).

These are the rules that you need to set in your cold call prospecting. After you set the rules, you start the practice and you will need to do that for a couple of weeks until things are moving well. To your success in commercial real estate prospecting!

The Benefits and Applications of Instructional Technology

The recent advances in technology made possible by the internet have resulted in a rapidly changing world. In order to keep up with such advances, the presence of technology in the classroom has become of increasing importance.

Integrating Technology into Teaching is a great way for an educator to enhance the effectiveness of their lessons and connect with their students. After all, the current young generation has been immersed in technology like never before, and using instructional technology is a way to accommodate their educational needs in a way that is familiar and fitting for them.

So what are some of the meaningful ways to include technology in the classroom?

To begin, instructional technology can be a great way for an educator to have their students conduct research. One way an educator could do this would be requiring students to conduct internet research for a project.

In order to supervise and direct the effectiveness of this lesson, teachers could supervise computer lab time to make sure students are making correct use of their time.

They could also assign requirements for references and citations in order to teach children best practices for internet research. Selecting a particular website for research on a particular unit or topic could be an effective way to provide students with further direction.

Integrating technology into teaching can also be done by using computer software with the internet. Instructional technology can provide information and insight in creative formats, and software programs can provide lesson plans in a very effective manner.

This technique could be used for any subject, such as math, science, social studies, and English. Examples of this could include students viewing a series of videos online to learn about the cultures of another country, or online educational presentations that can help them learn about geometric shapes.

One of the great potentials of such examples of instructional technology and the internet is the fact that they can be interactive and hands-on activities for students. These online tools usually provide a small test at the end of the viewing material or throughout the presentation to involve the student directly in the process.

Another effective method of utilizing instructional technology could be assigning students to create presentations using software. The effectiveness of this could be further enhanced by requiring students to post several links to websites, or embedding videos in the presentation. This will help students in their presentation skills, research skills and technology comprehension skills.

Another wondrous benefit for educators to consider about integrating technology into teaching is the fact that using instructional technology is a way for teachers to diversify their teaching lessons with a different kind of approach.

Providing more instructional variety aside from the usual lecture format can be a way to keep students engaged and interested in learning new material. It can also provide a breath of fresh air to certain lesson plans.

As the world changes, education plans must change as well to keep up and prepare students for the future. Integrating technology into teaching is a necessary ingredient to preparing students sufficiently so that they are successful in their lives once they pursue their careers.

Federal Student Loan

When you are headed to college you have a lot of decisions to make. You will need to figure out which school you want, apply for as many scholarships as you can, and of course find alternative college funding just in case the scholarships don’t pan out. When you are looking for student loans you will need to make certain you are getting the best deal out there. The federal student loan or Stafford loan is a government loan. This type of loan has the lowest interest rates and the best repayment options. You see most loans will wait for the repayment until after you have graduated college. Generally with a federal student loan you will wait at least two to six months before the loan enters repayment after graduation. You will also have the option of consolidating all of your federal student loans into one payment with a fixed interest rate.

Most college loans are going to have a high interest rate around 8 to 10%, with the federal student loan you are looking at 2 to 4% maybe 5% as the market changes a little. It will depend on what the banks are doing at the moment and where they need to recoup money. However the federal student loan wants the up coming students that are college age to go on to higher education. That is one of the most important items in congress today- how to make higher education more available. So the federal student loans will always keep the interest rate lower than other college loans.

You also have the option with a federal student loan of obtaining a parent loan or PLUS loan. This loan is called the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students. It will also have the lower interest rates and it will be taken out in the parents name rather than the student. With federal student loans the student usually takes out the loan with their parents’ as cosigners. The Plus loan is different both in the way it is obtained and the repayment status. The Plus loan is usually given out in two parts according to the college semesters. The tuition is paid first before the student will see any of the loans. Then the student can obtain what is leftover to help pay for books. With a plus loan the student never gets more money than the tuition and cost of books. After 60 days the parents will then have to start repaying the loan. So in most cases the federal student loan is more helpful to the students in interest rates and repayment only. The federal student loan will not be a very large amount. Again it will be for books and tuition, possibly housing as well.

To obtain a federal student loan the parents and student must fill out the FAFSA paperwork each year. This paperwork tells the government how much income the family has and how much they can put towards schooling. It will also tell them the school the person will be attending so they may look at the tuition costs for a fair amount of money to give to the college student.

Home School Tips Part V – How to Transition to Mainstream Schooling

Perhaps your child’s intellect has outstripped your curriculum. Perhaps you have changed jobs or have taken on new responsibilities. Perhaps, you are simply ready for the next stage in your child’s education. Whatever the reason for choosing to enter mainstream schooling, the transition can be harrowing.

This article is packed with suggestions for transitioning from home school to mainstream schooling. Following the tips in this article will make your child’s entry into a new school smooth and stress-free.

GET CLASSY. Get a list of classes needed to enter mainstream schooling. Also, find out how you need to document that your home school curriculum meets these requirements. There may be placement tests, for which your student can prepare, that will help the school assign your child to the proper classes.

SNEAK A PEAK. Visit several schools with your student. Get permission from area schools to have your child sit in on classes. Consider enrolling your student in a summer course. Gaining familiarity in these ways will make her shift smoother.

LEARN. You and your child will have to learn the etiquette of mainstream schools. To do this, consult calendars and manuals. Note questions (for example, What is “Green Week;” or Who decides which absences are excused?). Seek answers to questions at parent events, student conferences, and school orientations. This will make you and your child feel more prepared and informed.

PREPARE. Even after you have filled out the many forms, there are bound to be other loose ends to tie up. To prepare for your child’s transition to a mainstream school, call the school and get a list of the documents needed. Make a copy of all documents and bring these copies–along with identification–to orientation.

VOLUNTEER. As you look over the school calendar, note events for which you are able to assist. Participating in school events will allow you to get a feel for the school.

ASK. How rigorous are the classes? Which teachers would best suit your child’s learning style? Seek answers from other families, especially those who have gone through the same transition. Aim for a mix of new and tenured families. Seeking testimonials will give you and your child a fuller perspective.

Transferring from home school to a mainstream school can be both exhilarating and harrowing. If you follow the steps listed above, then you and your child will feel more oriented and less stressed on the first day of school.

How to Become a Professional Home Builder – Part I

Over the years I’ve had many of our builder students ask pertinent questions such as what size home do I build; what do I put in it; where do I build it? Looking back it’s easy for me to make these decisions now, but when I first started building in 1975 these were trial and error situations. And my hindsight is crystal clear. It’s very easy for me to look back and see things I wished I had known when I first started building. That’s what you’re going to learn in this article.

You’ll learn the pros and cons of being a speculative or spec builder (as opposed to a contract builder.) If you’re not familiar with those terms, a spec builder is one who will select a site, choose a design, build a home and then sell it to a client. A contract builder is a builder that you hire to build a home for you. By the way, spec building is how I suggest you begin rather than building a home for somebody else. I’ll explain why later.

I’ll begin by showing you how to be one of the best spec builders in your area, even if you’ve never before built a home. I’ll expand this information by discussing points that are unique to spec building. Next I’ll discuss points that are unique to contract building, and points that pertain to both spec and contract building.

A Word Of Caution

I want to stress that when starting your construction business, you must separate your business from your personal life. In the early 70′s I was in real estate commercial sales. I barely survived a major recession. Almost everything I owned was in my name and most of it was repossessed. Had I known then what I know now, I’d have retained that large home, that Mercedes and that airplane.

In the construction industry there are many things that can happen to you, some of which you have absolutely no control over. According to the 2008 Annual Report by the National Center for State Courts, in 2007 Americans filed over 90 million lawsuits, more than a third of which were civil cases. This does not include the volumes of legal disputes that were settled before a lawsuit was ever filed. Based on the sheer number of legal disputes that arise, in and out of court, one could say that most Americans run the risk of being involved in a legal dispute at some point in their lives – for many people, more than once. This is especially true for those who work in professions with high lawsuit vulnerability such as doctors, dentists and, yes, especially builders! You should invest in hiring professionals to help you protect your assets. It’s easier than you may realize. This is one time you can’t procrastinate. I can tell you some great horror stories but I don’t want to scare you this early in the game. Anyway, don’t live in fear of what might happen. You only lose if you don’t play.

I. Speculative Building

A. How To Be One Of The Best Spec Builders In Your Area

Before you buy a lot, before you buy any house plans, the first thing I want you to do is put together your success team. I call this the Henry Ford philosophy. If you read about Henry Ford, you’d learn that some people considered him to be illiterate. He once sued a Chicago newspaper that wrote an article claiming he was illiterate. In the lawsuit, Henry Ford emphasized that he didn’t need to know everything about everything because he hired experts to assist him in all that he wanted to do. This left his mind free and clear to do all the things that he really knew how to do. Well, I’ve learned from that philosophy myself over the years. I realize there is not enough time in this life to do everything. I now hire experts to assist me in my decision-making, and it has been a positive factor in my success building homes.

Your success team should include the following:

1. Real Estate Agent

2. Landscape Architect

3. Artist/Architect

4. Kitchen/Bath Designer

5. Interior Designer

6. Lighting Designer

I’ll discuss each of these team members in detail as we go through the course. Don’t be concerned. When you start out, you don’t need the best. These team members are more affordable than you could possibly imagine.

B. Obtaining Your First Loan

Let me tell you a story. And the further you get away from this story, the harder it’s going to be to borrow money to get started.

Let’s assume that you’re gainfully employed. If you’re not employed, but instead are self-employed, then you have to have a high credit score or produce tax returns for the past three years to qualify for the loan. If you currently rent a home or apartment and you want to build a home for yourself, you’re a prime candidate to borrow money to build a home – for yourself. So, you get the money. You build a home. You put it on the market during construction. You sell it. You go to the bank. You borrow money under the same premise. You get the money. You build a home. Put it up for sale. Sell it. Do it over and over again and pretty soon you walk into the bank and the banker looks at you and says, gosh, you should become a home builder. And you are.

Now, that’s the easiest way to get started. Most every builder I know got started in the industry this way. This method will also provide you with the least risk. Why? Because if you don’t sell the home you’ll simply move into it. In turn, this will make it easier for you to sell because a home that is furnished will normally sell faster than an unfurnished home. You’ll eventually sell it and can start the process again. The bad news is that you may be moving a lot. I remember one couple that wanted to own a home free and clear. They used this method on five homes, plowing their profit back into each home. Their sixth home was constructed completely from cash. They owned it free and clear and got out of the construction business. They simply wanted to do what it took to own their home free and clear.

The further you get away from the above scenario, the harder it is to get the initial loan when you’re just getting started.

For example, let’s say that you currently own a home and you want to borrow money to build another home for yourself. A banker will generally be negative. They tend to look at the downside and might comment something like this. “That sounds real good but you currently own a home. What are you going to do with your current home?” Your response is, “I’ll put it up for sale during the construction of this new home and then I’ll sell it.” The banker comments, “That sounds pretty good, but what if you don’t sell your current home?” The banker generally looks at the downside – that is you’re going to be stuck with two house payments. If you’re able to show you can afford two house payments, you may very well get the money.

You always have to have a successful conclusion to your story you tell the banker. Never look at the banker and say, “Well gosh; I’m only borrowing 70% of the appraised value. If the bank had to repossess the home the bank would have a bargain. The bank could sell the home, and make a good return on its investment.” Never use this kind of logic on a banker. Bankers don’t want to be in the homeowner business. Never imply or even think in your mind this will happen.

If you’re not gainfully employed or you have a problem with your credit or you have no cash, your next best method is to find an investor that will joint venture a project with you. I’ve done this on many large projects when I didn’t have the finances to afford it myself. What I normally did was to structure the investment so that the joint venture partner would put up very little or no money. Investors really like that! What I needed was their strong financial statement. Understand, there are many investors, such as medical doctors, who have tremendous financial statements but they have very little cash. So if you can structure the investment so that it requires very little or no cash, it becomes a relatively easy investment to sell. When I’ve worked with a joint venture partner, after selling the investment, the investor would be repaid any cash he had invested, plus a fair interest rate that was agreed upon up front. All remaining profits would be split 50% to me and 50% to the investor. Normally in a situation like this, the investor would let me deduct any out-of-pocket expenses but, understandably, they would not let me take any salary.

You would not believe some of the wild, crazy, ridiculous investments requiring large amounts of cash I’ve seen these people put money into. Many of them have the same luck in the stock market that I have. These people should feel blessed that you came into their lives with a viable real estate investment. I’ve found these people by talking to friends, going to investment seminars and running ads in the paper.

How Business Management Skills Will Impact A Company’s Success

The objective of any owner of a company or business is to plan for future success. The future is what keeps the business going. Without customers, there would be no purpose, and without purpose, there can be no success. In order to achieve long-term goals, proper business management skills must be developed. This crucial aspect of the business as a whole will greatly impact the future of the company in a major way.

Technical skills are an important part of business management. No matter what type of business you run, there is bound to be at least one computer somewhere onsite. If you are like most companies, you probably have many computers along with various other pieces of technology that are used every day. You may even utilize specialized software and hardware to perform specific business transactions all of which come down to one main factor, the satisfaction of your customers. Without the proper skills, your employees would not be able to operate the technical equipment used, and the daily operations would not run as smoothly as necessary or sometimes, not even run at all.

The main aspect of providing your employees with proper software and hardware training is learning what needs should be addressed and what resources are necessary to purchase the technology they require. The ability to distinguish between an honest need and a convenience is also an important skill to develop.

Another important aspect of developing business management skills is knowing how to recognize and follow the available technology that could make the completion of various business transactions easier and more efficient. Technology is always changing, but this doesn’t mean it is always necessary for a company to continuously invest in it unless it will improve overall operations. Knowing how to wisely make these decisions is an important business management skill that will serve the company well into the future.

Latest Fashion News & Ideas: Old Fashion Is Bold

Many fashion trends are coming back from the old days to hit us this year in the most amazing ways. One of the most daring trends is the 90s trend. They are back today and with a small twist! Here are the latest fashion news & ideas for today.

The chokers is one of the most amazing 90s fashion style, and they are back and they are looking amazing! You can adopt any type of choker you want, whether a plain piece of ribbon, or a tattoo like choker, with all the black details. And for the edgy style lovers, you can pick a rock studded choker. Plaids have never been more in than they are now! It’s over every piece of clothing for women and men. This fashion trend is somewhat universal as anyone who adopts it falls in love with it! The spice girls sandals, the jelly sandals and the high platforms are back and not only for kids! Try this bold style with your daily look and let it add some peps to your fashion style. It’s been here for a while, and this trend is never enough. Ripped Jeans are here to stay and to take us with their rips to the nostalgic era of the 90s. Adopt scrunchies in your hairstyle, as they will add volume in the Tina Turner technique. Ditch the ordinary bags and choose backpacks to fit your style and silhouette. Be stylish in Overalls, as there’s no denying that they are the hottest trend of the 90s fashion style. Fall in love with the Birkenstocks all over again since this trend is back.

You can also adopt the Gingham fashion. Seeing Gingham immediately means 90s. You can adopt it in an edgy style add some leather accessories and a cute leather jacket. Or you can have that all cute style, mix this print with some floral ones. You can also style it with denim, if you choose gingham top, style it with cute jeans, and could be boyfriend cut with a somewhat loose shirt and some converse. Choose gingham shorts and style them with a simple top that can get your styled and ready. Adopt a gingham top as a cardigan and keep it open while styling it with any look you want. Keep things formal in gingham and style them with some smart cut pants, maybe cropped ones, a blazer and a pair of high heeled shoes. Pick the big gingham prints; opt for big squares as they will give you a more fun look. Try them in pants. These pants are very fun and can easily give you a chilled and relaxed look.

Rock the 90s fashion in this new era.

Health and Fitness Tips for Weight Loss

Obesity is a problem in our society and nearly everyone could stand to lose a few pounds, but all of the gimmicky and trick diets in the world, all of the fat-burning super fruit coming out of the Amazon rain forests and all of the fat-blocking pills being hawked on internet sites can’t silence one indisputable fact.

The healthy and effective way to lose weight is the same one that doctors have been recommending for years. There are no short cuts and any weight you take off using these instant methods will come right back if you don’t change your eating and fitness standards. Losing 20 pounds is a great goal, but celebrating that loss by returning to self-destructive eating and fitness habits is pointless.

Losing weight is not easy, but it is possible. It takes dedication and a real desire to actually lose weight. If you have those, follow these tips to lose weight without harming your health:

· Chose how much weight you want to lose. Setting realistic goals for your weight loss is important. Tracking these goals is essential for teaching your body the self-discipline it needs to continue with your diet and fitness regimen.

· Eat your breakfast. Eating a meal in the morning will kick-start your metabolism for the remainder of the day. Having a cup of coffee may make you feel satisfied, but your body is still in a slowdown mode and your metabolism is still sluggish. You have to give your body some fuel to ‘prime the pump.’

· Eat small meals through the day. Instead of overeating at a few meals, try eating smaller portions over longer periods of time. 5 to 6 meals per day, with a reduced intake is much healthier than 2 or 3 large ones.

· Limit the carbs. Limiting the amount of carbohydrates you eat will help you lose weight. Not just breads and pastries, cut down on pastas, sodas and rice can help you shed pounds.

· Although not all fats are bad, many aren’t good. Omega-3 fats are good for you and easily available in different cooking oils and cold water fish. Replacing or supplementing your normal fats with these will help you lose weight and improve your health.

· Drink water, lots of it. Although water doesn’t have anything in it to help you lose weight, drinking plenty of it will help your body flush out toxins, hydrate your cells and promote your health.

· Exercise every day. Find an exercise you like and stick with it. Even walking or climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator will help you burn calories and keep your body healthy. For more pronounced weight loss, you will need to find a more strenuous workout routine.

· Patience is a virtue. Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight and you have to get your body accustomed to the changes in diet and exercise before it will start changing. If you stick with your diet and fitness regimen, you will see changes.

Losing weight is important to retaining your health and fitness, but it should be treated with the respect your body deserves. Forcing your body, through pills or dubious diets, to lose pounds while losing essential nutrients is not healthy and can potentially damage your body. Following a simple diet and exercise regimen will take the weight off but you have to be patient. You can’t realistically expect to lose all of your excess pounds overnight.