Larry Kendall is one of the founding partners of The Group, Inc., which has been one of the leading real estate companies in Northern Colorado for over 30 years. In addition to growing such a successful business during his 33-year tenure in the real estate industry, Kendall is also the pioneer of “Ninja Selling”- the type of selling that increases your income per hour so you can have a life. In the most recent Secrets of Top Selling Agents Webinar, “Your Success Formula for 2015, Simple Activities—Big Results!,” Kendall explains the underlying principles of Ninja Selling and how you can use them to significantly improve the sales of your own real estate business.
So what is Ninja Selling? According to Kendall, the main principle behind Ninja Selling is building a relationship business. While there are numerous ways to generate new leads, the real core of your business should be the people who already know you. The problem is that you are likely not the only real estate agent they know. The challenge, then, is to ensure that when the people you know are ready to make a real estate transaction, you are the agent they use.
Here are three key steps from the Ninja Selling system that Kendall says will help you capture those business opportunities in your own backyard.
1. Prioritize Your “Hot List”
A “Hot List” consists of:
- People who want to buy/sell
- They know they want to buy/sell
- They want to buy/sell with you
- They want to buy/sell soon (within the next 90 days)
Ask yourself, “Who can I write a contract with this week?” Highlighting buyers and sellers that are ready to complete a transaction will allow you to focus on relationships with the greatest potential to generate income now. Prioritize the needs of these clients at the beginning of your day, before you get caught up in emails and other distractions. Kendall recommends, “If you don’t currently have a ‘hot list,’ then you need to start one. You’ll see a dramatic increase in your income and it wouldn’t be surprising to double your income.”
2. Keep an eye on your “warm list”
A “Warm List,” also, would consist of:
- People who want to buy and sell
- They don’t know that they want to buy or sell
- But you know they want to buy or sell
- They want buy/sell soon
These clients will not be ready to make a move immediately, but have the intentions to buy or sell relatively soon. Look for life-changing events that will affect their living situation, like becoming an empty nester, having a child or receiving a long awaited promotion. Kendall says that about 20 percent of your relationships will end up on your warm list, and that you should keep these people in mind throughout the upcoming year.
3. Schedule Live Interviews
Start setting up 50 live interviews per week. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to sit down for a formal interview. Instead, it can be as simple as calling a client to ask them how things are going. A good way to approach these interviews is by using the F.O.R.D. principle, which stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation and Dreams.
Kendall states that these are people’s four core values and, if there are any changes in these areas, it could likely affect their living situation. He recommends creating a flow system that will help you keep track of whom you’ve talked to, when you talked to them and what you discussed. This will help you identify any changes in their core values, so you can be ready when they need your real estate expertise.
Learn even more ways to increase your income so you can live your life by viewing Kendall’s full webinar. For more free real estate education and best practices, visit Secrets of Top Selling Agents, and be sure to check out the upcoming webinar “3 Critical Sales Cycles You MUST Know for 2015” with Michael Maher on January 21st at 1p.m. Eastern.
