Is your business on death’s doorstep?
Does it need a resuscitation?
Is it trending in the wrong direction?
When you’re struggling with any of these symptoms, focusing on appointment setting is always a great cure. I’ve got four steps to help you get out of the rut, set more appointments and absolutely crush the remainder of 2018.
Start by downloading our “Dialogues for Breakthrough Conversations” real estate script book, included in our free List & Win bundle.
First things first: Defining “appointment”
Before we get to the four steps, let’s discuss what qualifies as an appointment.
For the purposes of this exercise, here’s my definition:
An appointment is a meeting with someone that you like who can have a positive impact on your business.
That could mean…
- An influential friend
- Having coffee with a past client
- Your loan officer
- Your insurance broker
- A listing opportunity
- A buyer lead
- A showing appointment
If you’re struggling, it’s important to remember that even a lousy appointment is better than sitting in your office.
Step 1: Set a 30-day goal
Create a 30-day appointment setting challenge for yourself by establishing a goal for how many appointments you can book within the next 30 days.
Follow these guidelines when coming up with your goal number:
It needs to be specific and outside your typical comfort zone. But it also needs to be realistic and attainable. Find that balance and push yourself to do something great. Example: “My goal is to set 32 appointments in the next 30 days.”
Step 2: Block out appointment setting time
Access your calendar and schedule yourself for 10 two-hour blocks each week – ideally 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Now you’ve reserved 20 hours a week toward making your calls and booking appointments. But here’s the catch: You only have to do five of those 10 sessions. I recommend this approach because invariably, things will come up and you’ll end up skipping a session. This strategy ensures those “back-up” appointment-setting sessions are already scheduled.
Implement this strategy, and never again will you utter the phrase, “I just didn’t have time to make my calls.”
Watch more related to best practices & time management from Tom Ferry:
Step 3: Put some skin in the game
Setting a goal and committing yourself to it is a great first step. But to ramp up the intensity, nothing works quite like creating a competition.
The prize itself isn’t what matters.
What’s important is getting your competitive juices flowing and feeling that inner drive that pushes you to demonstrate your superiority… the thrill of victory!
You can compete with a colleague, your office mates, your mastermind group – or even with yourself by creating a reward for achieving your goal and a painful penalty for missing it.
Step 4: Focus on what you want
During your 30-day appointment setting challenge, rid yourself of the distractions and narrow your focus on the one thing you want – appointments!
What that means is…
- You need to avoid the office drama that you sometimes find yourself swept up in.
- You need to forget about your perfectionist tendencies and make your calls regardless of whether or not your desk and your office are perfectly organized.
- You can’t let yourself be content just because you conducted conversations or generated lots of leads without taking that next step.
In short, ALL your focus needs to be on booking the appointments, following up, and then going on appointments.
Remind yourself, “I’m a lean, mean, appointment-setting machine.” If you feel your confidence wavering, remember that you have a lot to offer and there are people out there who need your guidance. The first step toward helping people achieve their goals and live the life they desire is to meet with them to determine their objectives. Ask yourself, “Who can I bring value to today by scheduling an appointment?”
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