Good Talent, Strong Investments Lead to Profitability

An interview with Joan Docktor, executive vice president of sales, Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors/Trident, and Vicki Kelly, director of special projects,Prudential Fox & Roach, Realtors, Devon, Pennsylvania
An interview with Joan Docktor, executive vice president of sales, Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors/Trident, and Vicki Kelly, director of special projects,Prudential Fox & Roach, Realtors, Devon, Pennsylvania

By John Voket

How do you define a ?profitable broker?? Are there other behaviors a broker must maintain to ensure long-term prosperity?

Profitability is extremely important to any broker. Profitability, however, is a by-product of hiring excellent talent and of prudent investing. For four generations, integrity, trust, performance and service have defined our company?s commitment to provide a service experience to our clients that will delight them throughout every stage of their homeownership. We place our commitment to our client?s interest above all else, and this level of personalized service has continued to ensure profitability and prosperity.

How do changes, flattening, or other shifts in your market dictate changes in the way your company applies the Buffini system to the company?s everyday activities?

A slowing market is a time for every broker to plan their spending carefully to ensure that they are investing all they can in their people. Today, we are actually putting greater financial resources into professional development than ever before. The Buffini 100 Days to Greatness? program helps us by teaching our team members the best ways to guarantee a steady stream of new clients who choose our service. That’s why changes in the market don’t really affect what we do. The Buffini system teaches us to pour our energy and resources into people who have told us they want our services. This is the time for all sales associates to build and qualify their databases so that they can put their resources into those people who have stepped up to say, ?Yes, you are the agent I would use and refer to my friends.

Tell us more about your experience with the 100 Days program.

Every sales manager at Prudential Fox & Roach is a certified Buffini 100 Days to Greatness Mentor, and we offer the 100 Days to Greatness experience to all 3,800 of our sales associates. We have already trained more than 500 agents in the 100 Days system, and more agents are signing up all the time. The phenomenal results we saw from the first group through the program inspired others to follow. Agents have said they were surprised by how excited their past clients were to hear from them. They have received referrals from people who they have known for years, but who just needed to be educated in how we work by referral. They have had an excellent response to the Items of Value, personal notes, calls and Pop-Bys.

How do you approach teaching and supporting your staff using the 100 Days program to maintain competitiveness and increase profitability in your office?

More than 60 managers are currently Certified Mentors. Most have completed one course of 100 Days to Greatness and are beginning their second group in the fall. As new agents join us the 100 Days to Greatness program has become a requirement in many of our offices. Mentor/managers have shared challenges and success with each other just as agents have in the classes. They have supplemented the program with the CDs of some of Brian’s monthly conference calls. Many groups are continuing to meet on a monthly basis after the completion of the first 100 Days. Inspired by the model of Brian and his friend, Joe Niego, many have also chosen a ?Buffini Buddy? for mutual accountability after the first 100 Days. Many agents are also using Brian’s ideas of hosting client parties and client lunches in order to build a sense of community within their database. RE

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