Cold Calling Rituals for Commercial Real Estate Brokers

When it comes to getting traction in commercial real estate brokerage, you should make a ritual of cold calling each and every day at the same time. The creation of a habit is important to the process.

You could say that the prospecting and cold calling process is a bit like going to the gym every day. You can’t miss out for one day otherwise you’ll fall back in results and lose traction. If you want to find more clients and listings, you will need to make a ritual of the prospecting process.

It’s a bit like making an appointment with yourself to set aside the time to do the required things every day. You book yourself into your diary to do the hard work and the prospecting effort.

Here is an interesting comment for you.

Show me one agent or broker that is consistently prospecting on a daily basis, and I’ll show you 10 that are not.

It directly follows that only the best in the industry really do get their prospecting efforts under control. Over time that converts to better clients and quality listings.

So how can you make a ritual of this process? Here are some ideas to help:

  1. Determine why some clients and prospects should talk to you when you make the telephone call, or drop into their business. What value do you bring to the market that is so special and unique from a sales, leasing, or property management perspective? The best agents and brokers are not generic, and you should similarly position yourself. Understand the unique value that you do take to the market and the profile of the clients that you serve. Be prepared to talk to the challenges and the situations that every property owner, business proprietor, or client struggles with today. A client or a prospect will listen to you when your conversation is relevant and real to the prevailing market conditions.
  2. It is a fact that you will need to make many calls and speak to many people to get a few meetings. Consistency and regularity will help you convert more meetings over time. Practice will help the professionalism of first contact and meeting conversions.
  3. If you want to make a lot of calls, you will need to do the research beforehand. That research should be done outside of business hours so that you do not slow down the prospecting process. Preparation is the key to momentum. In that way you will talk to far more people during the allotted two or three hours each day.
  4. Capture the issues and the comments of people that you talk to. The easiest way to do that is to use a standard form or booklet as part of the process. At the end of the day you can enter the information into your database for future follow-up.
  5. Learn how to converse over the telephone rather than pitch your services. The conversational process will get you far more meeting opportunities over time. You can practice this activity at your regular sales team meetings each week. Every broker or agent will have experiences and challenges to use as part of a role playing activity.

If you were learning how to play the piano, you would expect that a fair amount of practice would be required. The same principle applies to making cold calls and prospecting. When you practice, you improve, and that’s when you create more meetings. It’s a very rewarding industry for those brokers and agents that can get this process under control.

The Internet Is A Goldmine For Those Who Know How To Start An Internet Business

The internet is the best medium for a new breed of entrepreneurs who want to make a lot of money when they know how to start an Internet business. Starting a business on the Internet is easier than starting a business offline as it is cheaper and needs very little upfront money. Any person with the right type of mindset, motivation and determination can build their own Internet based business and become successful. But you cannot become successful overnight by just knowing how to start an Internet business.

When you want to start your own business as an alternative employment or as an additional means of income, then starting an Internet business is the best possible way. But before starting the process you must be very clear about certain facts and you must have a perfect mindset that is required for starting and running your Internet business. Thousands of people attempt to start their Internet business without proper knowledge of how to start an Internet business and run it successfully to attain their business goals. Due to this, failure on the Internet are growing by millions while a small percentage of the Internet business owners attain enormous success.

Starting a business on the Internet is like opening a business in the real world and you must have a product or a service that you can market and sell on the Internet. But by the nature of the Internet there are enormous opportunities to enter into a niche market of your own and easily establish yourself there. When you do the research to know how to start an Internet business you will understand that the whole process starts with the selection of your niche market. Then you can easily find your target market, and design your products for that target market and think of ways to promote your product or service to those in your target market.

When you want to start a business on the Internet, the process starts with identification of your niche market, and your target market. Then designing and defining the product to satisfy their needs comes next. After this you must know how to reach and market your product or service to those in your target market. For this you must have a Website, and must be able to promote the same so that those who need your products or services are able to find it on the Internet. These are the basic needs when you want to know how to do business on the Internet.

Sound Technology Online – A Higher Education

Schools and colleges are growing and providing a better means for all students to gain an education by offering online programs. Students who are interested in pursuing a career in the exciting field of recording may look to an online sound technology program. With an online education students will train for employment in the entertainment or music industry working with equipment to produce DVD’s, CD’s, and sound for television and more. As a sound technician student you can learn the use of technology and the various types of equipment needed to create recordings. Technicians and other degree holders in this field utilize computer software and other equipment to mix and record music and sound effects. Degrees in sound technology are available at several levels including associates, bachelors, and masters.

There are a number of online schools that offer training for associate degree programs. Online instruction in sound technology can provide students with the training and experience they need for a career in engineering technology and audio recording. An accredited associate’s degree program for sound technology usually includes somewhere around 72 semester credit hours that can be completed in one to two years. Coursework for a student pursuing an associate’s degree may include the study of:

  • analog and digital recording devices
  • audio mixing techniques
  • digital recording, audio mastering
  • analog tape recording
  • post-recording engineering

and more. Students can train to become sound engineers, CD mastering engineers, audio recording engineers, or continue their education and receive a bachelor’s degree.

A bachelor’s degree in sound technology usually takes four years for completion and requires students to complete 120 to 130 credit hours. Students can train for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) which is the most desired degree in the field of sound technology. Those looking to earn a bachelors degree in this field should have strong skills and academic records in areas such as math and science. Some online educational programs may require students to study:

  • physics of acoustics
  • audio production methods
  • amplification
  • sound mixing
  • recording technology

and other areas of study. With an accredited degree at this level students can expect to start a career as a sound engineering technician, or pursue a master’s degree.

Students who wish to earn a masters degree in sound technology must hold a bachelors degree in the field in order to be accepted into a program at this level. There are a variety of online schools that offer a Master of Fine Art in sound technology. With online training students will be required to complete around 60 credit hours, which may take six semesters to finish. Study at this level allows students to focus on specific areas of sound technology including creative sound strategies and psychoacoustics. Coursework will also include:

  • Multitrack audio recording
  • advanced sound synthesis
  • digital audio recording technology

and much more. With a masters degree from an online school students can train to become a record company executive, senior sound engineer, or record producer.

Students who choose to obtain an associate’s, bachelors, or master’s degree can earn a desirable income. The United States Department of Labor states that the median annual salary for an audio or sound engineering technician was around $38,110 in the year 2004, and the median annual salary for an audio equipment technician was $32,570. This income level is rising and will continue to rise as the entertainment industry grows.

With an accredited degree from an online school you can train for an exciting new career in the field of sound technology. Full accreditation is provided to various schools and colleges that meet certain criteria. Agencies like the Distance Education and Training Council (http://www.detc.org) are approved to accredit online educational training programs.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Finding the Right College Student Loan

Are you getting ready to go to college? If so, you should be aware of the many different college student loans available today. Paying for school can be tough and sometimes you need that little extra help. With a college student loan you can achieve that goal.

Many people can find themselves still paying off college loans ten years after they graduate. This is sometimes because they didn’t fully know what they were getting into when they applied for a college student loan. A college student loan has to be repaid at some point but you also end up paying the interest.

We all know education is expensive, no matter which route you choose. You might have a scholarship or grant but these alone do not always cover your college costs. This is where you might consider getting a student loan.

A scholarship or grant will pay for your tuition but what about your dorm and books and just living expenses in general? This is where a college student loan can come in handy. It can help you pay your way through college comfortably but not excessively.

There are different types of college student loans you need to be aware of. Federal Student Loans: These are loans that the government funds. These are quite popular among college students and can come with different benefits. You might get a lower interest rate, fees and flexible repayment terms.

There are other loans considered a Federal Student Loan such as: Stafford loans, Perkins loans and Sallie Mae college student loans. Many of these loans give you the option of not repaying your loan until you have completed school.

Private Student Loans: This type of loan is usually based on your credit score. The lenders that offer this type of loan have no federal tie. There are many lenders that offer private student loans such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo. These private college student loans can fill in the space between monies received from federal loans or other financial aid forms.

Bad Credit Student Loans: These help many students that have bad credit afford to go to school. You can apply for a fast student loan, loans that require no credit check or even direct loans. You might choose these options if you are worried your credit is not good enough.

Student Loan Consolidation: This is a way for students to pay their bills and loans off faster. This loan will combine every bill and leave you with one single payment.

You might look into loan forgiveness programs if you have not so perfect credit. These programs will take away all your debt in return for you volunteering in a program and even signing up for the military.

You always want to make your payments on time. Keep your account status in good standing and this will also help improve your credit score and history as well.

College student loans can be risky if not looked into with great detail. Ask any questions or concerns you might have to your lender, and always be one hundred percent sure you picked the right student loan before signing on any dotted lines. You could end up paying off your college student loan for a good twenty years after you graduate if you aren’t careful.

Top 5 Reasons Home Schooling is Better Than Traditional Education

In just the past decade alone the popularity of home schooling has grown in leaps and bounds and has begun to revolutionize the world of learning and education. As we know, the great importance of a child’s education simply cannot be emphasized enough. But, for many parents, the public school system has not lived up to their expectations leaving them to take matters into their own hands and home school their children.

Here are the five top reasons home schooling is considered by many parents and guardians to be better than traditional education.

5. Home Schooling Offers More Time to Learn

Whether it’s taking attendance, preparing for activities, changing classrooms, passing out supplies, collecting homework, listening to announcements or perhaps the biggest time waster of all, discipline, in a traditional school, the bulk of a child’s day is wasted on things of absolutely no relevance to them. Home schooling, on the other hand, allows for all of the time to be spent on none other than learning.

4. Home Schooling Gives Parents More Control Over Curriculum

In some areas, parents are allowed to create their own curriculum as they see fit while in others a set schedule must be followed. Parents can vary the methods of teaching based on subject, the child’s learning ability, or a combination of both. And, although it is perfectly legal in both the US and the UK, specifications will vary from one state to the next so be sure to learn those before beginning.

3. Home Schooling Creates Time for Bonding

One of the main complaints of parents today is not having enough quality time with their children. With the fast paced lives many of us lead coupled with extracurricular activities and work there’s often little time for parents and kids to actually talk and listen to one another.

Creating a strong bond between parent and child early on lessens the chances of trouble down the road as children are faced with things like peer pressure, changing bodies and hormones, stress at school, and problems with friends, just to name a few.

2. Home Schooling Offers Flexibility

It allows parents to choose the schedules and times for learning, both in terms of hours as well as months. Some parents choose to home school their kids year round while others follow the more traditional schedule of August or September until May or June.

Beyond the aspect of time flexibility, it also allows for adapting the curriculum to each child’s learning style or capabilities. Children are all individuals and should be encouraged to continuing exploring their individuality and uniqueness. One child may learn better through hearing and listening while another might progress better through reading and home schooling allows the parent to tailor the curriculum accordingly to encourage success.

1. Home Schooling Allows for Individualized Attention

Overcrowded classrooms, stressed teachers, and children with discipline problems are all common in schools today. All children can thrive and excel when given individualized attention, something that just isn’t possible in the public school system.

Although home schooling is definitely a personal choice that must be made, the benefits of educating children at home are hard to dispute.

What You Should Expect From A Children’s Disco Entertainer: The Legal Stuff

Public Liability Insurance

Is this necessary? Yes

A brief explanation: Public Liability Insurance or PLI for short is a type of insurance. This protects the entertainer in the event of unexpected injury or damage arising from his performance. Although it is uncommon for a venue to ask for PLI, it does happen from time to time and you should be wary of an entertainer who isn’t prepared to protect himself in this way. In addition, companies who offer PLI often offer equipment cover too, so a lack of PLI could mean that the entertainer doesn’t have insurance for their own equipment either. If their equipment isn’t insured then this should ring alarm bells; if they’re not prepared to look after their own equipment properly, will they take appropriate care with your little ones?

CRB check

Is this necessary? It is desirable but not technically necessary.

Brief explanation: CRB check stands for Criminal Records Bureau check, and many adults who frequently work with children are required to have had one. There are two levels of CRB check; “Standard” or “Enhanced”.

Although some venues ask to see a CRB certificate, it is generally advised that only the person responsible for hiring the entertainer should see the CRB certificate.

Entertainers aren’t strictly required to have a CRB check in the same way as the cast of a theatre show, for example, because they are only responsible for entertaining the children, not actually looking after or supervising them.

However, a lot of entertainers have taken it upon themselves to obtain one simply to add credibility to their show and to give parents the peace of mind that comes with it.

Portable Appliance Testing

Is this necessary? Yes

Brief Explanation: The entertainer should have his equipment Portable Appliance Tested, or PAT for short, every year. This test checks that his or her equipment is electrically safe to use. As church halls, school halls and other party venues can vary in terms of their own electrical safety features, it is important that the entertainer’s equipment is safe to use in all venues, thus eliminating any electrical risk from potentially faulty equipment.

Summary

In the case of a PAT, CRB check or PLI, the entertainer will be able to provide you with a certificate of proof. Some venues require some or all of this information, so you should be wary of any entertainer who is unable to provide these if given a reasonable timescale to do so.

Thanks for reading!

Choosing a Builder to Build Your Home

As many of you know that are reading this article, I am an advocate of Building Your Own Home but there are many of you out there that cannot “build your own home” due to time constraints, physical challenges, or other circumstances.

With this in mind, I would like to list a few do’s and don’ts when choosing a Home Builder.

Does

Find at least three builders that build homes in your area and look at the homes they build. Builders come in many varieties from small custom builders to those that build in large master planned subdivisions.

Go to the houses they are presently building and look at the quality and materials they are using. If they are using cheap fixtures, skimpy insulation, poor quality building materials, pass and move on to the next candidate. And pay attention while you are there. The sub-contractors will tell you if the builder is paying his bills or not. Guess what: if the subs are unhappy with the builder, then you will have delays in getting your house built because they don’t work for free.

Check the Builder out with the BBB, Chamber of Commerce and your local City and State Governments to make sure they are in good standing. Make sure if they have any complaints that they have resolved them successfully. Check with the local builder’s association. There is usually a record when the public complains about a builder.

Ask for a client list of previous and current people they are building houses for. Get a list of current clients and call them up and ask them what their experience is/was like. Also call the current clients that they are building for now. Don’t be shy…these people will tell you the truth and you need to listen to their praises or horror stories. You know the house you want…. and there are a lot of builders out there to choose from.

Meet with the Builder or their representative and get a hard bid for what the house you want will cost. At first glance this may seem like a no brainier but let’s dig a little deeper.

Unless you have your own plans and the builder will be building the house exactly to the specification on those plans getting an exact bid is going to be difficult. Why? Because every builder has different plans and different pricing for options.

A good way to overcome this issue is to decide what you want up front and stick with it. This is oh so important..because the builders make a ton of money on add-ons (change orders) later on in the building process. For you to compare up front and get the best deal you need to decide what you want and stick to it. This is where planning is top priority.

Let me give you a short list of ideas:

  • How many bedrooms do you want
  • How many square feet of living area
  • How big is the Garage going to be
  • 2 story or 1
  • Wood flooring, tile, carpet etc…what grade and where
  • Do you want an alarm system? What kind of system?
  • Do you want a central vacuum?
  • Etc…..

This list should spark some ideas for you to make a list of what YOU want. Don’t show up for a meeting with the builder with no idea what you want. He or She will be happy to fill in the blanks for you. Don’t blame them for making money in their business. They are not working for free either! If you add stuff later YOU WILL PAY THRU THE NOSE!

Do your very best to compare apples to apples. Go to each builder with the same list of wants. If you add something check out pricing with each builder before you sign anything. Make your self a detailed list…. item-by-item….

Don’ts

Go driving around and choose the first beautiful home you see. Take your time and research the builder and the houses they build. Don’t let wants get ahead of your needs…

Take out a construction loan to build your house unless the builder has a contract with you for a specified finishing date that you can move into the house. Many people sign a contract with a builder and provide the construction financing without the builder having a completion date for the home. They are very happy if you pay for the interest on a construction loan so that they can take their time and build other houses at the same time they are building yours. It’s your dime and your line of credit that’s being used…not theirs. That’s a real plus for a builder who is usually stretched to the max financially. Get a specific completion date in writing with a stiff financial penalty if they go over that date. This is the only way that you should agree to bank rolling the builder….

If the builder does not finish the house on time and you are providing the construction financing guess who has to pay the interest and penalties while they finish? YOU! If you provide the financing make sure you have penalties in place that will keep the builder on track. Money is the only thing that talks!

For more information about Building Your Own Home visit http://www.build-yourown-home.com/

Internet Marketing For Virtual Assistants – Online Business Managers

In learning the strategies of Internet marketing not only could you increase your fees and demand, but actually change the way you do business as a virtual assistant. A step up from being an assistant to a client to being a manager is a mindset. An online business manager can bring real value to a business. They have a more proactive business structure that just an assistant and create wealth building ideas for their clients.

The training is the catalyst for turning an assistant into a manager. Being efficient in up-to-date marketing techniques will help you identify the new cutting-edge technologies that will help build your client’s business grow into the future. They need a manager that can do the research necessary to take part in the new Internet marketing game. What’s the next big thing they need to be a part of? An online business manager knows what that is and how to implement that for their client.

Next, a manager has to progress from the “assisting” mindset to one of leadership. An assistant does the tasks that is asked of her, a manager helps in running the client’s business. The manager mindset graduates from taking an interest in the client to an interest in the business as a whole. When a goes from following to a leadership role, the value to the client increases. They put out the fires the client’s business faces daily and goes from a maintenance role to one of growth. Become the leader your client needs.

Is the New Fashion Trend Right for Your Business?

Is your style the right one for you or are you trying to copy the magazine or a celebrity? A lot of women today have this dilemma because we live in a world where fashion style dictates who you are in the society. The world is changing so fast and the fashion trends are also adjusting every now and then. With a variety of fashionable items to choose from, creating your own personal style is not an easy task to do. You also need to take into consideration the kind of personality you want your viewers to convey about your fashion statement. Dressing your own style of fashion is not only to blend in the crowd but also to express more of yourself and be confident of your personality. Your own personal fashion style is your own personal brand of your own interests, aspirations, desires and lifestyle.

The following are some tips to consider when creating your own fashion statement:

  • Before trying something, try to scrutinize various fashion trends from different sources like magazines, television, advertising materials and the internet. You must know how to gather data to be able to investigate what you really want in your fashion style. You need to know how these trends are being collected so that you will have a better idea about the basics of fashion. From these concepts, you can mix and match and can create a clearer picture of your personal style.
  • Do not try to copy fashion statements of celebrities or friends because their own trend may not be the perfect style for you. Only buy items that best represent you as a person. Focus more on the clothing you wear and feel good about being yourself.
  • Venture on different styles. You can try different dresses and experiment on your own closet. Walking in front of a mirror or taking a picture of yourself can help you. By doing this, you will know what are the styles you want to keep or change. You need to remember that loving the items you wear boosts your self esteem.
  • There are several accessories you need to consider. Try to find the perfect accessory that will complement your outfit. Don’t go for accessory items just because they are a popular trend in your society. You need to realize that accessories are also important in creating your own personal brand.
  • The right hairstyle and make up is also a must in making your own style. Try to consider the shape of your face in selecting the perfect hairstyle. Be conscious about the right blend of make up for the right occasion.

Organizing your fashion statement involves risk. Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Inspire yourself with personalities you admire in the fashion world. Through this, you will be able to discover the true and unique person that’s within you.

To attract more clients through style and skyrocket your income, download Biba’s free eBook “Top 10 Must-Haves For Successful Business Style” at http://YourBusinessInStyle.com

Business Management Internships – Combining Knowledge and Education for Success

Colleges and universities tell you there is nothing more valuable than education. “Knowledge is power,” they all repeat over and over. However, employers often say that experience is the key to being hired. Combining the two can be a powerful way to leverage your application for employment to gain attention over the thousands of others that pass through the human resources department of your desired workplace. Finding an entry level position with a company that has room for growth is one option to gain experience. Another is to look for companies that offer business management internships.

For the education portion there are a few options. One is to go the traditional route of university or college degree program. Another is to take a specialized business management training course leading to a certification credential. Pairing business management internships or entry level positions with educational experiences is an extremely effective preparation for a career. The obvious benefit to an entry level job in a company is a salary. However, an internship is better in some ways, as well. For instance, people who hire and work with interns know they are there not only to fill a position but also to learn. They are, therefore more likely to be helpful and give advice.

University or college degree programs are very thorough, but studies have shown that employers and alumni say that only twenty percent of these university or college degree programs are made up of the important business leadership skills. The other eighty percent is theory and extraneous information not completely necessary for success. While university programs can take years to complete and cost thousands of dollars, business management training courses can be completed in six to twelve months and can cost under a thousand dollars. With an online format, they are highly flexible and very compatible with business management internships and entry level jobs.

Experienced, successful business leaders lead some of these courses. Great trainers have experience in multiple areas and international business. The curriculum should be heavily focused on material that is practically applicable, even beneficial when taken concurrently with business management internships or entry level jobs. The best programs result in a business management specialist certification. This credential can be added to resumes and business cards. Some even provide alumni resources after completion of the course. With this specialized training and experience approach, applicants can make their files stand out among the others wanting the job opening.