Random Act of Kindness Changes Life of a Stranger

Something wonderful happened at the Keller Williams Michigan-Northern Ohio Regional ALC Clinic. The group ordered a pizza and gave the delivery driver, Robert Dunn, an unforgettable gift.

With approximately 275 associates in attendance at a hotel conference room in Ann Arbor, Mich., the audience pooled their money together and tipped the delivery driver $2,084. Checking their pockets, handbags and briefcases, they also gave him a $25 Visa gift card, a half-dozen winning lottery tickets and a loaf of homemade friendship bread. But wait! There’s more! Each attendee wrote the delivery driver a positive note of encouragement for all he does every day.  Dunn told ABC’s Good Morning America that he was extremely thankful for what the Keller Williams associate did for him: “Those letters mean the most; they really do. Some of them are bringing me to tears. My favorite one said something along the lines of, ‘We appreciate all the hard work you do, and we know it’s really cold outside and we appreciate you bringing us the food today. Hopefully this money helps with all the bad tips you’ve gotten.’”

The positive notes written by 275 Keller Williams associates.

The idea was inspired by a college professor who did something similar last fall with a room full of students and wanted to make the same points that he did with his class, and touch everyone along the way.  During the lunch break on the second day of the ALC Clinic , they played a clip of the professor’s event. The emcee asked the group what they thought about the video and all the associates agreed they wanted to impact someone similarly. They passed bowls, buckets and hats around the room and ordered one pizza for delivery for 2:20 p.m. You know what happened next!

The generosity of the day didn’t end with the KW Associates. A local Keller Williams vendor,  Americas Preferred Home Warranty, donated $10,000 on behalf of the 27 market centers in the region to KW Cares to support Keller Williams associates and their family members in need. The generosity and compassion displayed by these Keller Williams associates and Americas Preferred Home Warranty exemplify the unique Keller Williams culture.

“People go through the world all the time wondering if anyone notices them,” Keller Williams associate Matt Sutter said. “We notice you and we appreciate you,” he told Dunn as he handed him the gifts and a box of handwritten notes.

Watch the video of the Keller Williams culture in action posted by Keller Williams associate Wendy Patton.

Goal Setting for Financial Success

Big systems, daily practices and rituals are just some of the many tools successful people use to yield big results.

Being purposeful brings results, not luck.

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No matter what tools you use to build your pathway to success, ONE Thing is for sure: you must start with a goal. Everyone needs a goal. Beyond setting that goal, you need to write the goal on a piece of paper and place it somewhere you can see it every day and recite it to yourself.

Every Keller Williams market center offers associates an opportunity to attend a class called Ignite. In Ignite, associates new to the industry or new to Keller Williams learn a variety of success-building strategies, including goal setting. The Ignite course materials encourage students to have a goal, check in on it every day and always work at the right tasks to keep moving toward the goal.

On Day 1 of the Ignite course (called ” Rev-up”), the instructor asks every associate to write down how much money they want to make in the year. Then the instructor tells them to double it. It is at this time where most agents have a concerned look wash over their faces. Their original goal was ambitious, so doubling the figure makes it seem impossible. It is at this moment of doubt when they learn how easy it actually is to achieve the goal.  Using the goal worksheet below, associates calculate how they can reach their goal and the looks of doubt transform into looks of excitement.

Three Steps To Reaching Your Income Goal

Step 1. Figure out how much you want to earn and how many transactions you will need to close to earn that goal.

Step 2: Figure out how many appointments you need to result in the needed transactions.

Step 3: Figure out how many leads you need to generate to set the number of appointments you need to close the number of transactions that will reach your financial goal.

To help associates kick-start achieving their goal, they are asked to make one call in class and ask a friend or family member to give them the name of someone they know who might need help with their real estate needs. “In all the years that I have been teaching this class, without fail, at least one person gets at least one lead right there in class,” exclaimed Julie Nelson, the director of career development at the Austin Southwest market center. It really works if you pick up the phone and lead generate your heart out!

When setting goals, remove your  limiting beliefs. Set what you want and work hard to make it happen. If you struggle staying on task and need help along the way, consider hiring a coach. Coaching is proven to help associates at all production levels realize their full potential and be accountable so they stay on track to reach their goals.

As Gary Keller and Jay Papasan write in their bestselling book The ONE Thing, “‘One step at a time’ may be trite, but it’s still true. No matter the objective, no matter the destination, the journey to anything you want always starts with a single step. That step is called The ONE Thing.”

Are you ready to reach your goal? Here are 3 steps to get you started.

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If you are interested in taking the Ignite course to get you “revved-up” and making money, visit your market center for a copy of the schedule of classes. KW associates can also learn more in myKW.

You're Invited! 2015 Awards Gala

The 7 Steps to Launching a Wellness Challenge

Do your New Year’s resolutions include improving your health and wellness in 2015? Associates at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) set a wellness goal last year and worked as a team to achieve it together. The results were amazing. We want to share with you what we learned and give you the tools to help you and your colleagues achieve your goals in 2015.

Form a Team and Work Together. In 2014, associates at KWRI launched a 66-day step challenge to walk 10,000 steps each day. Participants were evaluated before, during and after the challenge. Numerous participants reflected that working as a team toward a common goal helped them achieve more than if they had attempted it on their own. Why? Working in a group makes you accountable to your peers and keeps you encouraged to stay on path. Not only did 61% of KWRI associates finish the challenge, 79% are still living it by being more active than they were before the challenge.

Download Your 66-day Challenge Guide and Tracker. In their bestselling book The ONE Thing, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan explained that it takes 66 days on average to build a new habit. Based on these findings, the writers created the 66-Day Challenge to give readers the tools they need to form positive habits in their lives. You can download a free tracker here. Additionally, a step-by-step guide for actually launching a 66-day wellness challenge is now available. This free guide details the 7 steps you need to take to run your own 66-day challenge. KWRI had so much fun last year that we are having another 66-day challenge beginning January 1. What are you waiting for? Find a group of people with the same goal and start a 66-day challenge to start the New Year!

To make your 2015 resolutions stick, find people with a common goal and launch a #66daychallenge 

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Surefire Ways to Make Direct Mail Spark

It is a common scenario. You selected the artwork, wrote creative copy and handpicked your ideal target market. Thousands of direct mail pieces were printed and mailed around your market center. You were certain this would generate leads and help increase your market share. You waited patiently, but the phone never rang. Rather than calling and following-up with your prospects, you assumed the poor performance was evidence that direct mail is an outdated marketing method. You vowed never to spend another dime on a direct mail again. Why does this happen?

“[Agents] are not targeted enough with direct mail and try to put too many messages in a piece. It diminishes the effectiveness.” says Lisa Becker, a Keller Williams associate and MAPS coach in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar (Calif.) market center. Poor messaging, low quality and inconsistency are common mistakes agents make with their direct mail campaigns. And the result is reduced effectiveness and wasted money. Fortunately, there is a proven solution. “You only get 3 seconds to get their attention with that piece of mail. It can’t be real wordy,” says Jeff Harmes, a Keller Williams associate in the Denver – North Jeffco (Colo.) market center. Here is how you can stand out.

Direct mail pieces that resonate with your audience, have to be purposeful, timely and consistent.

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Because consumers are flooded with emails on a day-to-day basis, agents who take the time to craft a simple or unique direct mail piece have a chance to stand out from the crowd. Your direct mail piece should include a simple, memorable message that sparks curiosity among homeowners in your target area. Do not try to cram every bit of information on one piece. Keep your message brief and your contact information clearly visible. Put the basics on the direct mail piece, hold your most important information close to your vest and encourage homeowners to contact you for additional information.

Here are some suggested message ideas already created for you in eEdge. In eEdge, select the marketing tab and begin personalizing and creating tested direct mail campaigns today.

  

The information in this article is from the 3L Blueprints: Leads, Listings, Leverage eBook. Download your FREE copy from KellerINK today.