So, the question is, “Who is Brian Rodgers?”

Well, instead of posting an entire bio here, check it out over at one of my other sites:

Brian Rodgers

The East Tucson AZ Real Estate market has certainly seen better times. Because of the current condition of our economy, there are, of course many homeowners struggling just to stay above water. However, one of my mentors once told me something and it made a lot of sense to me. He said, “In Every Adversity Lies a Seed of Equal or Greater Benefit”. Well, I took that to heart. And what I see in the East Tucson AZ Real Estate market is a huge number of available properties at very discounted prices. Now to me that signals a buying opportunity, especially when I consider the fact that when I compare the prices that these properties are selling for, I have to go back to the early 2000’s.

Also, when you consider current interest rates being at all time lows, you’re probably not going to see another opportunity like this with money being this cheap in quite some time (if you ever do). The new legislation targeted towards first-time home owners is another incentive to motivate potential home buyers to get off the fence. Basically, our government is providing up to an $8000.00 incentive to purchase their American Dream.

Also, according to the National Association of Home Builders, in addition to the tax credit, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has several other provisions that will benefit home buyers and the housing market. The legislation will also:

a) Allow state housing finance agencies to help buyers at closing by advancing the credit as a loan using proceeds from tax-exempt bonds.

b) Will help home buyers in high-cost markets by extending the FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limit of $729,750 through the end of 2009.

So, as I have coined in one of my recent blog posts, in my humble opinion, “we’re in the midst of “The Perfect Storm” for buying East Tucson AZ Real Estate.

For complete information on everything East Tucson AZ Real Estate visit our website at: http://copperroserealty.com.

Funny thing is, I also get asked a lot why I am still involved in selling real estate.

Well, instead of going into a long winded answer, I saw a presentation the other day that answers this question for me personally.

The answer to all of the questions I get like this is summed up in the first minute of this video: Patience and Passion

Check it out, I posted it on one of my blogs and it will be worth your time to check it out, let me know what you think:

http://realestatetoolbox.com

Here is the video: http://screencast.com/t/GRpDQEEWa

It works.

1. Do some BPO’s

2. Buy some of those foreclosures yourself and fix or flip for a profit, or hold onto them and rent them out. The rental market is pretty good in most down markets

3. Find a real estate specific affiliate program you can promote such as BusyAgentPro.com. We have people making thousands of dollars each month just promoting our BAP program and there are other programs out there as well.

4. Learn how to do real estate auctions and help a few FSBO’s auction their home for a fee

5. Call everyone in your database and ask them if they have ever thought about investing in real estate and show them some foreclosures.

6. Last and most important, keep working your marketing program, the market may not be as bad as you really think and in fact usually isn’t:)

The most powerful hypnotic technique of all time is the metaphor.

That right - stories. Story telling, believe it or not, is a science.

The science of psycholinguistics (the science of language) and the science of neuro-linguistics have recently provided new tools in which we can now come into a better understanding of the power of metaphor and how to master the art of using metaphor to persuade.

You see, for years it was always accepted that the gifted salesperson had a natural gift of gab, a natural gift for story telling and, like it or not, you either had the gift or not. If not, well, then you were doomed to mediocrity.

Not so.

Master the metaphor and you’ve mastered the game.

Fact is, the number one common denominator of every true sales champion that I have ever worked with or studied is their extensive use of sales stories, metaphors and analogy.

For one, stories well told tend to hold the attention of people. And stories are inherently enjoyable. Everybody likes a good story. Stories can also contain hidden commands, that is, tonally marked words and phrases that actually instruct the listener to take some type of action.

For instance, if I were to say to your directly: “Stand Up!” You may or may not “stand up” depending on how you interpreted my statement. However, if I were to tonally mark, that is stress the words a bit differently, the words “stand up” in the midst of a story or sentence, the command would bypass your conscious rebellious mind and go directly into your subconscious - absolutely increasing my chances of getting you to comply with my request.

“Really, John, I think we should take a STAND. I mean, it’s UP to us to fight for what’s right.”

Try it on a friend. I think you’ll be somewhat amazed.

Or try this one: “Really, you have to give Betty a HAND. She secured TWO listings last week, and as far as anybody KNOWS - she’s on track to do it again this week.”

Chances are, in less than a minute - your friend will rub or scratch or wipe their nose because you gave them a hidden command to do so “hand to nose.”

Okay, back to metaphors. I got off track there for a minute…

Besides their obvious entertainment value, the skillful use of finely constructed stories and metaphors are an extremely effective means of instructing and informing people without having to directly “lecture.” You can help your customer or client to better understand and appreciate a product, service or concept by using a story that somehow relates to the topic at hand.

For instance we want to inform our seller as to the value of preparing their home for sale, that is, we want them to paint, clean the carpets, etc.

One option is we can come right out and tell them they are living in a pig sty and nobody will buy their home at a fair price (which probably wouldn’t go over real well) or we could tell a story:

“John and Mary, let me ask you: Who does the grocery shopping in your household. You, Mary? Great. Now when you go to buy tomatoes, to you just grab the first one on the counter or do you take a good look at all the tomatoes and pick the best one. You pick the best one, right? Buyers do the same exact thing when it comes to shopping for a home. They don’t pick the very first one they come to. No, they take a look at all the homes on the market and then they pick the very best one within their price range. What we need to do then, John and Mary, is to prepare your home to stand out as the very best tomato - make sense?”

One of my all time favorites that I have used for years to overcome a buyer or seller who is procrastinating, straddling the fence and won’t make a decision - telling me “well, I think I really need more time to think about it” or some other classic stall:

“I understand. You see yourself needing more time to think about it, to make a good decision, right.”

“Right.”

“Okay. John, do me a favor. Picture yourself in an airport, looking up at the screen flashing ‘Departures.’ You want to fly to Chicago from

“We’re in the same situation here today, John. If you don’t make a decision - chances are - time will make the decision for you and you will lose the opportunity. There might not be a tomorrow when it comes to this magnificent home. Can’t you make a decision today?”

Of course, this story doesn’t always work, but I dare say that I have solicited many a commitment that I might not have if I hadn’t use this story. It makes sense and people are encouraged to make a decision one way or the other.

Metaphors and stories don’t have to be long in or to be effective.

“When you rent it is like throwing your money to the wind.”

“Would you consider selling a car without touching up the paint, washing and waxing it, vacuuming, and making sure it presentable in order to get top dollar? Then why would you consider selling your home without doing the same things?”

“Buyers are just like kids at Christmas. Their eyes are immediately drawn to the biggest present, the one in the best wrapper. That’s the present that holds their attention. That’s the present they want to open first.”

“Let’s take the bull by the horns and do it, Okay?”

“You’ve been renting for how long now? Two years at $600 a month? That’s over $14,000. Now when you move are you going to ask your landlord for your money back? Of course not. So what you’re telling me is that all you have to show for spending over $14,000 is a Thank you’ and a receipt?”

The Ten Most Power Types of Stories

1. Introductions: Use stories to relate who you are, why you’re there, and how you have helped other people. This story could very easily be told without you even being present if you put together and use a Success Portfolio Your Unique Selling Proposition is also an introductory story in and of itself which you should use every time you introduce yourself to someone new.

2. Overcome Fears: You can use “other people” stories to relate how the fears your customer is feeling now is common to the situation and also relate how they learned there was no reason to worry.

3. Grab Attention: One of the MUSTS of conversational hypnosis’ effectiveness. Use stories that are highly entertaining, stories that place them in the lead role, dramatic stories. Use attention grabbing stories to tell your customer why they should listen to you.

4. Feature-Benefits: Instead of just pointing out various features and benefits, you can embed them in a fascinating story. Instead of simply pointing out the large 8 x 12 foot storage shed, tell a story about some interesting use one of your previous customers came up with - raising pigeons and selling them at a profit or whatever.

5. Money: Everybody wants it and nobody has it. Use stories to show how your clients can actually afford to own the property, how others in the same position as them did such and such and came to such and such a realization. Money is often a “charged” subject - the use of stories to get your message across can greatly defuse the “charge.”

6. The Ego Stroke: People love to be loved and recognized. Use these types of stories to show how owning the home will increase their prestige, their stature in the face of their friends and family. How listing their home first will set the trend in their neighborhood - how they will be perceived as leaders and visionaries.

7. Improvement Realizations: Stories that show how buying or selling or using any particular tool like a staging video will improve their current situation.

8. Stories addressing Security: Peace of mind, emotional and financial security, and issues concerning safety. These are highly charged emotional issues that you should use at every opportunity.

9. Family: Home is where the heart is type stories. A man, his castle and his family. What more is there? You a number of stories that relate to bringing families closer together. The fireplace is romantic; the backyard barbecues.

10. Closing Stories: It all comes together here. Use various closing stories to summarize all the benefits of taking action NOW.

Metaphors can also be used to talk about the competition without having to resource to “sliming” them. For instance let’s say that a customer has just related to you that the competition had “slimed” you and your company. Our natural response would be to “slime” right back, but there’s a better way:

“You’re kidding! They said that about us? Well, I guess everyone wants to challenge the champion. Everyone wants to challenge the top dog, even if they’re only a little puppy, right?”

Perhaps you are working for a small, independent broker and have to compete against the big boys, the “nationally” recognized firms:

“Are we comparing apples with apples or apples with oranges? Is it really fair to compare us to them? Let me ask you: How do you like doing business with a voice mail box? If you go with that big company, in a lot of cases that is who you will be doing business with - a voice mail box - because they are too big to provide constant, personalized service. If you’d like a real live human being available to immediately answer your questions and service your property, then we are the company for you.”

Or perhaps you are in just the opposite position:

“John and Mary, I appreciate the fact that you are considering XYZ. Having a variety of options is always better than having just one. But it’s like you’re taking your family on a cross continental trip. Now you can either fly first class in a 747 jet airliner which is us, or you can take a four seater, twin engine Cessna, which is them. Which would you feel safest on? Who do you really want to trust the marketing of your home to?”

Design a number of stories and metaphors to use throughout your presentations. Effective use of the metaphor will bring you in more money than the piper has pickles.

Master the art of conversational hypnosis and you’ll make a fortune!

We have studied four types of suggestions. Now let’s consider a type of trance state known as ideosensory trance.

People interpret the events in their world a bit differently than everyone else interprets the events in their own world.. Still, even though everyone is unique in their interpretations, three primary modes of interpretation are consistently used - visual, audible and kinesthetic.

Sales superstars are masters at instilling ideosensory trance states within their customers. This means bringing their prospects to the point of experiencing other worlds of sights, sounds, feelings, smells and tastes.

For example, you got tied up at the office and are heading home an hour and a half later than you had promised your spouse. You didn’t call. And as you head homeward in your car, you imagine the scene as you enter your home and face your spouse. There’s angry - you can see it on their face. You can hear the edge in their voice and you can feel the tension in the air.

And it’s all in your mind. You were in an ideosensory trance.

Master salespersons create ideosensory trance in their clients. They use multi-sensory words to describe the features and benefits of their product or service in order to get the client highly, emotionally involved.

“This house is you, Steve. I mean, imagine pulling up in the driveway and seeing Mary and the kids waving from the porch. You tell yourself you’re glad to be home and you run and give everyone a hug. It feels good to be home. And as you step in the door, you know your home. You smell the coffee and the aroma of dinner. Life is great.”

Negative ideosensory is also a very powerful persuasion tool. The premise is people will do more to avoid pain than they will to gain pleasure. People usually join health spas - not because they want to look good - but rather so they won’t look bad.

People will often submit an offer NOW, today, not so much because they are convinced that this is the home for them, but rather because this home might not be available tomorrow because of the demand. Their actions, then, were caused by a need to avoid a potential loss.

Amnesia

Amnesia is a pretty common hypnotic phenomenon and easy to produce in your customers. The best use would be to trigger this “forgetfulness” in relation to the presentation or advertising of the competition.

For example, let’s say that you are the third agents in line to make a listing presentation. The sellers haven’t decided they even want to list, they are simply gathering information - they are getting a little bit from everyone so they can decide whether or not to even use realty service.

Let’s prompt them to “forget” the competition. It’s really easy. You want to use words like “forget”, “impossible to remember”, “not important,” “too boring to be of consequence,” and “hard to keep track of.”

“Other agents in this business try to overload you with so many details about their companies like how big they are and how good they are and it is impossible to remember much of anything about their service. However, it will be easy for you to remember exactly what we will do together to market your home.”

In most cases, that is all it takes. Especially if you are working with a customer that is not detail oriented.

Hypernesia

The opposite of amnesia is hypernesia - referring to the enhancement of memory and recall.

Hypernesia is extremely useful when you want a specific issue or event to “come back to mind” later. In fact, you have probably used a form of hypernesia on yourself from time to time in an effort to remember something. Harry Lorriane of The Memory Book fame extolled the virtues of using association techniques, that is, linked a sound or an image to another for purposes of inducing hypernesia or increased memory recall.

The first rule to induce this technique is to tell your clients or customers that they will, indeed, remember whatever it is that you want them to remember.

You left a showing and are heading back into the office with your buyers. It was a good house, within their price range, and they seemed to like it. You want to increase this sense of “liking” - you can accomplish it through producing hypernesia -

“John and Mary, you won’t be able to forget that marble entrance way. You may be driving home tonight from the office and out of the blue - you see the admiring looks of your friends as you greet them at the door. And, as you lie awake in bed tonight, right before you drift off to sleep - you will imagine the sound of your footsteps against the marble and feel the warmth and security of it all. Yeah, you won’t be able to forget that marble. It was too nice. Umm, hmmm.”

Now, I realize you might be thinking that this wouldn’t be a natural thing to say. My question is this: Why not?

If I perceived John and Mary were really impressed with that entrance way, I would have acknowledged it then and know I am simply acknowledging it again. You could almost appear to be talking to yourself and still pull this off.

Another really powerful application of hypernesia is to use it to sell against your competition. For instance, you have given your opinion (based on a TMA/CMA, of course) as to price. The sellers have a fit and indicate that John Doe agent quoted them $8,000 more than you did. It’s obvious to you that John Doe was attempting to “buy” the listing.

Anyway, after you fully explain the realities of the market and all that you can simply state…

“Now I don’t think you will ever be able to forget that you were quoted over $8,000 above what the market would bear. That’s a lot of money and would have completely priced you out of the market. Absolutely unfair and unrealistic. You will always be grateful for taking a second look at this.”

Without directly addressing the competition, you can always get the same effect by telling a third person story that has the same “content” without ever naming a competitor - simply stating that such and such took place and this person “will remember that nightmare forever. His home stood on the market for 5 months and nobody, nobody, ever placed an offer on it. $8,000 was just too much for the market to bear. It even scared agents away.”

Revivication

Have you ever noticed the change of state people go into when they enter an elevator? How about when they hear their favorite sound or begin to relate a story they are particularly passionate about?

This process or state is called revivication. It is the process of reliving some earlier experienced moment in time.

The reason revivication is so powerful is it can be used by the professional communicator to take another person back into virtually any emotional state or emotion that they have ever experienced.

Then, you can use that same state or emotion to further your cause, that is, if you can elicit an emotional state of extreme joy and pleasure - your prospect will carry those same emotions of joy and pleasure with them into the home or conversation or wherever.

The “instant replay” technique uses a process of revivication.

Example:

“Mary, let me ask you: Do you remember what it was like when you got your very first apartment?”

“Sure do. I was really exciting, you know, being out on my own and stuff. And it was really great not having to answer to anyone.”

“Do you remember anything else about it? What it felt like?”

“It was almost incredible. I could hardly sleep it was so exciting. Oh sure, it was a little scary, you know, but it was great. It really was.”

“Great!. That was a really exciting time. And I’m sure you are going to have that same feeling of incredible excitement when you make an offer for this new home. The is better than your first apartment!”

Now think about it.

Mary’s face is glowing as she relives her memories of her first apartment. She is literally beaming with excitement. She is literally reliving and re-experiencing all of the same emotions that she experienced that day. Now, subtly, we relate TODAY with those experiences and emotions making it very, very hard if not impossible to be critical or in any way negative about the situation.

Powerful, powerful stuff.

I used to call revivication the yo-yo technique because you would dip into a previous experience and jump back into today’s presentation. Back into the past, forward to the present. Back into the past, forward into the present.

Pretty soon, almost without fail, the customer would be “stuck” in the remembered state and the sale is shortly forthcoming.

Negative revivication is just what the name implies - it is recalling a sense or emotion that they used to have but which is lacking today but which they would really like to get back.

Negative revivication could be used to eliminate procrastination if you could somehow get your client to relive a past loss suffered due to procrastinating in the past and bring that sense of loss into the present in order to motivate the person to action now versus accepting the possibility of experiencing those negative emotions again.

Four steps to mastering conversational hypnosis

1. Get and maintain the customer’s attention - Clinical hypnotists use swinging watches and crystals and twirling discs. These are the instruments of their trade, the device they use to hold their patient’s focus and attention. In the sales arena, we would be considered very, very weird if we asked our clients to “stare deeply into my eyes” or “following the watch with your eyes as it swings back and forth, back and forth.” To gain attention - use events, emotions, words, mannerisms and beliefs.
2. Pace - Present ideas that are absolutely, 100% impossible for the client to disagree with.
3. Increase the desire to respond and take action - I like to call this stoking the fire. We elicit a need or a problem then we do whatever is necessary to increase the sense of urgency to eliminate this problem. See, we’ve added fuel to the fire of their discomfort. We’ve stoked the fire.
4. Guide your client into taking action.

If you formulate all of your presentations these steps in mind, be it a letter, an ad or your actual face-to-face conversations - you will find yourself hearing more and more “yeses” to your suggested actions.

Right now, let’s look at pacing a bit more closely.

Pacing for Profits

Pacing is mirroring. That’s it. So, you already know this stuff. The only thing I want to say in addition to what you already know is that pacing (or mirroring) is the most effective way of getting two or more people in harmony with one another. Harmony = rapport.

One of the easiest verbal methods to pace is to simply begin all of your conversations with some undeniably truthful statements that you can see within your immediate surroundings. For instance: “Mary, I noticed you have a “for

“I noticed you were looking out the window as we pulled up on this sunny afternoon.”

If you notice a client glancing at his watch: “I see that you are pressed for time.”

Use undeniably truthful statements which pace belief and reality. This gets the prospects into a very agreeable and relaxed state of mind.

Another truism you might want to remember is: The more people agree, the more likely the will continue to agree. Pacing begins this “agreement” mode. You can strengthen it by using a series of “yes set” questions. Tom Hopkins used this approached.

You remember Tom Hopkins, don’t you?

He was a very popular speaker and trainer for a number of years, wasn’t he?

And wouldn’t you agree that using “yes set” questions is relatively easy?

Pepper your presentations with a number of “Yes sets” and you will see a dramatic improvement in your results.

Repetition of words is another subtly powerful hypnotic technique. Repetition serves to focus, focus, focus one’s attention on whatever is being communicated.

“Your taxes are going up and up and up, year after year after year, and as long as your renting you are throwing good money right down the drain. Right down the drain. What you need is a counter-strategy. What you need is to own your own home.”

“This how has an incredible, incredible, incredible view. And the price below, way below market. It is an incredible, incredible deal.”

Use words that end in -ly - Obviously, sincerely, certainly, apparently, and clearly.

These are called vague ambiguities meaning they don’t have any reference points. With a reference, the client must “fill in” the blanks with their detail. Use of these words are great in conjunction with revivication techniques.

You can elicit a strong emotion and then indicate “that it is obviously clear how closely this house matches their needs. Clearly the landscaping is exactly what they were looking for.”

Use words that end in -er - Comparative words like closer, bigger, better, cheaper, cleaner, greater, fancier, and lighter are hypnotic words.

Happy Selling!

Brandon Patrick

Dean of Students

Real Estate Toolbox University