We’ll be back in 2010……..

Due to an illness we had to close our doors for 2008 and most of 2009…..we are gearing up now for our return in January 2010.

Please contact Janice at janice@thelainggroup.ca if there is an immediate need you’d like to discuss.

The Laing Group will be closing their doors indefinitely…

The Laing Group will be closing their doors effective immediately.

We would like to thank all of our valued clients and candidates whom we’ve worked with over the years and to wish everyone continued success in their chosen field.

Sincerely,

Janice Laing
Principal

Attributes of a successful Sales Professional

This was written with the Real Estate professional in mind, but these attributes apply to all sales professionals.

The sales profession is as diverse and individualized as ever; even more so in the real estate field. The only barrier that you will run into is the limitation of your own vision. There’s an old saying: “…if your mind and heart are truly focused in the right direction then your goal need not be just a dream.”

But, having the courage of your convictions may not be enough. It’s one thing to dream big dreams in full color …but your success is entirely predicated on your ability to make the dream come true. In other words, can you do the work? You can learn the process, the necessary skills. But, do you have the temperament to be a salesperson in this professional industry?

Some of the strengths of successful sales people may be assessed as follows:

1. Do you have a high level of personal initiative?

It’s one thing to dream big dreams but do you have the ability to build a working game plan to make those dreams come true? Do you have the strength to stay on the path, rugged as it may be, to success? Can you plan your day and then effectively work your plan? Do you have the belief that you can make it in this business? Do you believe in yourself?

2. Can you endure the rigors of lead generation?

Searching for buyers and sellers is not as easy as it may seem. It takes more than holding an open house or sitting and waiting for the phone to ring in the office to make a sustainable living in the real estate profession. You must go out and find the buyers and sellers who need you and your company’s services. This is your primary task – lead generation. There’s nothing more important than your consistency in this endeavor. Top agents in this profession know the value of relentlessly prospecting for those parties who will become tomorrow’s clients.

3. Can you be your own boss?

It will be up to you to develop your personalized marketing plan and then oversee its implementation. This is not a business where someone stands over you and directs your day-to-day activities. Can you implement a number of different systems to ensure quality customer service for your clients? With proper guidance and training, can you develop these systems? What about a daily work plan? Do you have the discipline to commit to paper the necessary work habits you’ll need for success?

4. Conversely, can you take direction?

Direction will come from many different sources: your manager, a mentor, a coach, your trainer, your client, the customers, your family, and your friends. It seems as if everyone will have something to say, some words of encouragement or device, to you Some of that direction you must pay close attention to… stringently adhering to its direction; some of it you’ll put aside for further reflection; and some of it you will probably discard – and should! However, you must be willing to take direction from those who have a genuine interest in your success and to learn from your mistakes.

5. How do you feel about taking risks?

It’s unnerving – perhaps even scary – to stand on the edge of an opportunity and take that first step into the unknown! Yet, that’s the way it is when coming into this profession. Keep in mind – this is not a job. It’s more like a vocation.

Some people enter this profession and will wait until they have taken every training class possible, learned all the scripts and phrases possible to ensure they will be the most polished and proficient salesperson possible. Others will jump right in under the tutelage of their manager and/or trainer and start things rolling.

These are the rainmakers, those chosen few who know they cannot wait until they possess all the knowledge, facts or sales license and phrases to ensure their eloquence in the sales arena. There are not afraid to step out into the uncertainty of the sales arena. But, they are aware that they are in the arena nonetheless …and they are making money!

Are you comfortable in learning the basics of this industry and taking that knowledge and make it work for you? Are you comfortable in stepping out on the pass, fearless to the mistakes that may be made and humble enough to learn along the road you travel? Or, will you need to secure your Ph.D. in salesmanship first?

6. Are you trustworthy? Can people rely on you?

Are you a team player or do you prefer to work alone? If your manager was to ask your best friend to describe you what with that person say about you? Are you a people person – do you understand the complexities of different personalities, the diversity different cultures and the ability to bring people together and consensus and helping them fulfill their dreams?

7. How do you respond when someone challenges you?

Are you good handling rejection? Can you deflect it like “water off a duck’s back” or do you take things personally? This is one of the greatest challenges a person can face in a sales career. Sales can be emotionally painful, especially when someone turns to another person for help and doesn’t use your services. Losing a client, even in a fair and competitive environment, can be a stinging experience and often chases people out of the business. While the pain of rejection is something that doesn’t leave us too readily, it is often eradicated by the joys of success.

8. Do people say you are creative, filled with ideas – a possibility thinker?

You are often the catalyst of creativity for your client. You will often be the first to see the possibilities within a property and not just the dirt therein. Can you be the visionary for your client? Can you find the dream home that exists solely in the mind of that buyer? Can you create new and different marketing campaigns for your sellers? Remember, it’s not enough to dream your own dreams; you must be able to see their dreams too!

9. How good are your writing and communication skills?

In this profession you must be able to communicate effectively and without ambiguity. Because of the legal nature of our profession you must be able to communicate in clear, simple language. You must be able to convey with clarity the wishes of your client. Your written language skills are as important as your ability to verbally question your client.

10. Are you comfortably high-tech?

We live in a technological society. Most buyers have already begun the search for their new homes on the Internet. Savvy agents are marketing through their own personalized web sites. How comfortable are you with the technology of today? Do you own your own computer, printer, and cell phone? How proficient are you in operating that equipment? The real estate industry has numerous computer programs that you will use in working with clients. Are you at ease learning new technologies?

Candidate Video Introductions

Sales Personalities and How to Manage Them by Dave Kurlan

Sales Personalities and How to Manage Them
by Dave Kurlan

Pete the Perfectionist
Nick the Know it All
Orson the Over Achiever
Lois the Loyalist
Content Carl
Need for Approval Alice
Unstable Ursula
Mike the Maverick
Miserable Marvin
Insecure Irene

PETE THE PERFECTIONIST – Pete won’t begin anything until he is sure he can do it perfectly. Symptoms are procrastination, failure to implement your suggestions and ferocious rewriting of his notes (because the first set wasn’t perfect). Your job, should you decide to accept it, is to provide Pete with permission to fail. Assign a goal that you both know he can achieve. Tell him to get some “no’s” and it’s not only OK to bring back some “no’s” but you would prefer it to a “think it over” or a “maybe”.

NICK THE KNOW IT ALL – Nick is easy to spot because he drives you nuts. He knows everything, as evidenced by his willingness to say, “I know!” You can’t tell him anything new and he will always defend the way in which he has always done things. His lack of flexibility and resistance to change is his downfall. Your job, and in this case, it’s too much fun to call it a job, is to challenge or dare Nick. Tell him what needs to be accomplished, but tell him you don’t think he can do it. Tell him you’ll have to get someone else to do it. Enough said.

ORSON THE OVER ACHIEVER – Orson is always busy, always striving to break the record, out-earn his latest paycheck, set the new company record for most miles driven in one day, etc. While you may have the urge to take some of the burden off Orson’s shoulders, he actually functions best when over burdened so leave him completely alone. He doesn’t need to be managed with a heavy hand. Just tell him what you expect and he’ll get it done. It never occurred to him that he could find a way not to do it!

LOIS THE LOYALIST – Lois is like a puppy dog, always following you around, sucking up to you, learning from you and even idolizing you. In fact, she’d love to have your job if it meant you would be getting a better one! The only thing you have to do with Lois is tell her what to say, who to say it to, when to say it, what will happen then and what to do after that. Make sure she has it down exactly and then have all the confidence in the world that your own personal groupie will get the job done exactly as you would have done yourself.

CONTENT CARL – Carl has sales know how but isn’t using it as aggressively as he once did. His sales are probably flat and his calls for new business are dropping every year. He has a good existing customer base and services it well but you still want him to be more than a $100,000+ service man. Have a very serious, extremely strong meeting with Carl, in which you tell him how terribly unhappy you are with his performance. Tell him exactly what you expect from him, by when, and what will happen if he doesn’t perform.

NEED FOR APPROVAL ALICE – More than anything, Alice needs for you to like her. Her need for approval will cost you both a fortune in lost business in the field but you can play her like a fiddle in the office. Just tell her you are losing respect for her. Tell her she isn’t measuring up to the others in the office. Tell her that she is disappointing you. She’ll do whatever it takes to get back in your good graces.

UNSTABLE URSULA – Ursula needs to get her head on straight, might come from a dysfunctional family and is used to being yelled at. In fact, it’s the only thing to which she seems to respond. Ask her nicely to do something and she blows it off. Lose your cool with her and it’s done in a New York minute.

MIKE THE MAVERICK – Mike plays by his own rules, is difficult to manage, won’t take direction and drives you nuts. The only reason he still works for you is that he outperforms everyone else on the sales force including you! Managing Mike is easy. Tell him you respect his need for independence and his desire to do it his way. Tell him to stay away from the office as much as he likes, avoiding sales meetings and keeping away from the other salespeople. You’ll continue to let him write his own rules as long as he continues to out-produce everyone else. If his production ever drops below a certain level, then he will have to follow the same rules as everyone else.

MISERABLE MARVIN – Marvin complains a lot. He has more excuses than hooky playing high school renegades. His performance is always below acceptable levels and despite that, everyone thinks he has potential – except that he’s never approached it. Marvin is the easiest of the bunch. Create an exit plan that fires him for non-performance and a lousy attitude.

INSECURE IRENE – Irene only needs her daily dose of confidence medicine from you and that’s enough to keep her going until tomorrow, sometimes the day after. She’s always making a big deal of the calls she’s going on in order to get your attention so that you can give her the boost of confidence she so desperately craves. So first thing every morning, give it to her.

Read more from Dave Kurlan at http://www.omghub.com/

Happy New Year 2009!

Five top IT spending priorities for hard times

1. Storage: Disks and management software

2. Business intelligence: Niche analytics

3. Virtualization: Optimizing resources

4. Security: Data and end points

5. Cloud computing: Business solutions

See full article here