If you want more listings, you have to pick up the phone. Here are three things I focus on every day that keep my pipeline full and my business growing.
If you’re an agent who wants more listings but keeps putting off your prospecting calls, I need you to hear this.
Every single day, I dedicate three hours to business development. That means prospecting calls. I worked for a mentor early in my career, and one of the things he told me has stuck with me ever since: “Justin, if you’re not on the phone, you are not working.” That has always rang true with me, and I’ve built my entire business around it.
Here’s what I see over and over again. The agents who don’t prospect are the ones waiting around, trying to figure it out, buying leads, hoping something comes through. The agents who prospect consistently are typically the top producers because they have discipline and a strategy for bringing in business every single day. You’re either going to spend the time to work for it, or you’re going to spend the money to bring it in. I’d say you should be prospecting-based and marketing-enhanced, not the other way around.
My first year, I closed almost 30 transactions, and that didn’t come from knowing a bunch of people. That came from me prospecting every single day.
So here are three things I want you to think about.
1. Lead with value, not a pitch. When you’re reaching out to people, you cannot sound like a robot reading a script. You need to reach out with intention, and at your core, the question is “how can I help you?” You’re not giving a pitch. You’re adding value. Something like, “Hey, it looks like your property just came off the market. It truly is an amazing home. I’m just curious, are you still considering selling?” That’s a conversation, not a cold call.
Compare that to calling someone and saying, “Your listing expired, lots of days on market, is that even something you want to consider putting back on?” I’ve had calls like that on my own properties, and I can tell you, it doesn’t feel good. Lead with being prepared and practicing your scripts. Ask yourself: who do you need to become to be an amazing person to listen to? That’s what you’re working on every single day.
I just got off a call with a gentleman who told me he needed three things: a plan, options, and to know what to do next. That’s what you’re providing. A perspective. Keep that in mind every time you pick up the phone.
2. Make your scripts your own. If I hand you a script that talks about investors and different things, it’s not going to work for you if it doesn’t sound like you. You need to know what the script says, then make it your own so it comes across naturally. How does that happen? You practice. You communicate with people, you match and mirror their tones, and you educate yourself on how to be a better communicator and how to ask more questions. The more questions you ask, the more you can actually help people because you know more about them.
3. Rejection is part of the growth. I can’t tell you how many people have told me where to go. I can’t tell you how many people said this, that, or the other. What I learned is they just aren’t ready for what you’re ready to give them, and that’s okay. It gives you the opportunity to learn. How could I have changed what I said? Even if they didn’t need what I was offering, how can I use this call as practice?
I used to call people I knew would probably never work with me, and I’d use those calls as practice to see how much I could learn about them. How much do they owe? When would they sell? What’s the opportunity? And you know what happened? Some of those people never sold anything, but they referred people to me because I asked so many questions.
Here’s a number I want you to remember. For every eight calls I made, I knew I would get a lead. So I just had to make a certain number of calls every day. If I didn’t hit my number, I had to pay my assistant money. Build that kind of accountability into your business. Build people around you who are in this mentality, who are top producers, who want to help you grow, and who want to push you.
If you don’t have a broker or a team environment that pushes high productivity, high value, and first-class service while also making sure you work your business every single day, reach out to me. I’m hoping this is the best year ever for you, and if you’re looking to change your business, your income, or the value you’re providing people, I’d love to help. Call or text me at 801-285-0521, email me at Justin@justinudy.com, or visit justinudy.com to learn more. I’m happy to help you out.
