Of course FSBO's & Expireds are a great source of high impact business....go for it. You. May not have past clients yet but you do have a S.O.I. So call them every quarter and mail to them monthly if you can.

Who cares if they make you gag? Who says my scripts don't come from my mouth? My scipts earn me $1,200-$1500/ hour while prospecting last time I checked. I guess that makes you gag also?

What have you contributed to this thread Einstein?

Man, this market is compeditive for listings. I have been tracking the leads I have lost to other agents so far in 2010 and currently the total is 22. Imagine if I could somehow have listed 1/2 of them! I'd be up by an additional $100k for the year! The potential is exciting yet frustrating at the same time.

My postcard mailout for the begining of March yeilded me 8 callbacks. Can't truthfully attribute much direct business yet from my postcard campaign.
I found a great website for those interested..."POSTCARD SMART". Lots of studies and articles on the concept.

Lucky, do you ask the leads why they chose another agent?

Maybe, with their feedback, you can figure out how to be more competitive.

Good question RAH. Yes, I have asked at times. There is no one or two single reasons. This year I actually am tracking them for the first time by printing the lead sheed and the listing sheet. I have brainstormed with my coach, my broker, and other agents. In summary, it is just massive competition in a good market. Sellers know there home will sell for a great price regardless who they list with. Most rescent one ( which was sold by a good agent in my office so I know the inside scoop) they listed with a friend, a really young guy who just got his liscence, from outside our marketplace. having the biggest board in the world is both a blessing and a curse for agents in a hot market. Blessing because agents from all over will bring buyers, curse because agents from all over just barely in the business come in and steal the listings at any commission and the house sells regarless of the experience or th price. Seems to be cooling a bit now. N08....my market has 30 new listings daily and only 5 selling. It may balance out soon and the part time agents will go back to their full time jobs hopefully.

SELF-CONFESSION TIME! I AM OFF MY SCHEDUELE! Man I hate this feeling. Feels like I am accomplishing NOTHING! In reality I am accomplishing nothing. Just maintaining previous production. I find if I do not have a weekly and monthly goal and focus on them then I am simply coasting.

BACK TO GOALSETTING!!!!!!!!!! Going the reset activity/production goals for the remaining of the month of March.

First quarter is almost gone. Let's do some damage Second Quarter!

Maintaining is not the same thing as accomplishing nothing. Maintaining is an accomplishment in its own right.

The answer to this is that you don't really offer something different from other agents. Or, you are not effectively communicating what that difference is. If your program is truly unique and truly compelling, and you communicate it well, your conversion rate should be very high.

Perhaps you are concentrating too hard on the numbers game of lead conversion, rather than the quality and uniqueness of your service. Or perhaps your service is not unique at all, in which case you need to examine how to improve it.

Lucky, I really like your mindset. That is what I am striving for. I am working on my mindset so I could always push forward, and not settle for maintaining. I know if I become comfortable with my results I will not strive for more.

Keep it up...Its inspiring.

I understand your point Perky. However, in a world which is forever changing and most are striving to move forward and do more...staying at the status quo/maintaining is actually falling behind. The way I see it there is not such thing as staying the same. Could be this is a by-product of life in the big city.

When I started the thread I stated I wanted to grow my business by 20 odd deals by implementing a few new aspects to my systems. First quarter is gone and I so far I don't see this happening.

This is why I feel maintaining is actually nothing...for me of course.

Off topic a bit... but some of my thoughts on alternatives to cold-calling will be in April's REALTOR Magazine... http://www.realtor.org/rmosales_and_marketing/articles/2010/1004_selling_donotcalllist

Lucky, I appreciate your posts. It has encouraged me to start prospecting again.

I know your results are not where you want them to be. However, you are definitely building momentum. You are very disciplined and you'll reach those goals.

If anyone has recommendations for scrubbed DNC lists in the U.S. (or firms that sell them) please post info or PM me. Thanks so much.

I've always wondered... when you cold call someone, say your opening script, and they simply hang up on you without saying anything... does that count as a contact?