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It's been said that salespeople don't plan to fail, they simply fail to plan. How much time do you currently spend preparing for your client appointments? If you're honest with yourself, the answer is probably not enough. In my opinion, the single most common characteristic shared among all successful salespeople is the value they place on pre-appointment preparation, research, and planning. I believe that when W. D. Boyce founded the Boy Scouts of America in 1910 he selected "Be Prepared" as the organization's motto, because he understood that preparation was the key to unlock the door of opportunity.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Ad Tech, the number one event for digital marketing here in New York City. Not only did I have full access to the event, but I was one of the few that got to sit in on the press briefing; 10 companies ...

Facebook has changed our world and it will never be the same. Having watched the movie “The Social Network” in theatres, and numerous times on TV, I am still amazed by the Facebook story. Facebook represents one of the most incredible successes in business history and it has created a ...

Although we’ve been hearing over and over that distressed property sales are a huge part of today’s real estate market, pursuing short sales as a viable business option has been avoided by over 90% of real estate agents. Less than 2% of those who venture into the short sale arena are successful. Yet, over the next five years, it is predicted that 40-60% of all sales will be distressed, i.e., REO/short sales.

Give me a salesperson who's struggling to fill his or her calendar with client appointments, and I'll show you a sales rep without a phone script. Unfortunately, many salespeople labor under the false belief that they're too experienced to use a phone script and as a result, sabotage their phone calling effectiveness and income. A well-designed and properly rehearsed script is a powerful tool for projecting a confident and competent professional image. In addition, a script guarantees that every call is delivered in a consistent and concise manner.

The impact of social media on business continues to rise within the real estate industry. It’s an incredible opportunity to build your brand and, at the same time, generate and close more business. There are tons of social media outlets that can be utilized, but here are four core channels that you can leverage

Editor's Note: Headed to NAR? Darryl Davis will host two sessions, "Make 2012 Your Breakthrough Year," Saturday, November 12 from 9-10:30 a.m. and "Create Standing Room Only Events," on Saturday, November 13 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Check event program for room numbers. Motivational humorist Darryl Davis has been making real estate audiences laugh, think and improve their listing and sales skills for more than a decade. In this exclusive interview with Real Estate magazine, he shares his thoughts on how brokers and agents can minimize stress and take their game to the next level in 2012.

Without good communication, you don’t have a business. Whether you’re staying in touch via telephone, face-to-face, IM, text or email; communication is the interpersonal ‘glue’ that holds everything together, cementing the foundations of your team, and sealing every crack to create a seamless and cohesive unit.

The average home turnover is about 11 years, with a range of six to 16 years, depending upon your state. Building relationships from the beginning with your younger clients is key. These are the clients who could be looking to move again in just a few years and also are surrounded by like-minded friends

This intriguing question will be answered this week by a panel of industry experts at RISMedia’s 16th Annual Power Broker Forum, being held from 2:30-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, during the annual NAR Conference in Room 201A. Speakers for “The One Thing Power Brokers Can’t Live Without,” will include: • John Featherston, President & CEO, RISMedia (moderator) • Ed Krafchow, Chairman of the Board, Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate (moderator) • Margaret Kelly, CEO, RE/MAX, LLC • Sherry Chris, President & CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC

(eM+C)—Google+ is the latest player on the social media scene. With 40 million-plus users, the social media network has carved out a niche for itself. Like they do via Twitter and Facebook, consumers are sharing content, engaging with new contacts and building communities on Google+.

You see them all the time when searching the MLS: listings with no photos, just one exterior shot, or photos that are so poorly taken they’re (almost) comical. In an age where buyers lack the attention span to read text, the pictures are more important than ever. Yet many agents don’t seem to have a handle on taking attractive photos. In today’s real estate marketing environment, the photos of the property are the foundation of all other advertising, including: • The MLS Listing • All the websites that are fed from the MLS listing

Motivational humorist Darryl Davis has been making real estate audiences laugh, think and improve their listing and sales skills for more than a decade. In this exclusive interview with Real Estate magazine, he shares his thoughts on how brokers and agents can minimize stress and take their game to the next level in 2012. Jake Poinier: What is the biggest challenge brokers and agents are facing in today’s market? Darryl Davis: I would say the high level of stress everyone is feeling. And I think a big part of the stress is caused by the steady drumbeat of negative news over the past few years—foreclosures, short sales, the unemployment rate, etc. It’s taken a considerable toll on everyone.

As the housing market and the overall U.S. economy continue to falter, a group of real estate industry executives recently took the time to draft a letter to John Boehner, Speaker of the House; Nancy Pelosi, Office of the Democratic Leader; Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Are you a perfectionist? Do you know someone who is? Have you ever wondered if perfectionism is a help or hindrance on the road to success? In my 15+ years of coaching real estate agents to be at the top of their game, I have seen that perfectionism does more harm than good. In fact there are at least seven ways that perfectionism stops you from success. 1. Perfectionism causes procrastination. Have you ever had a project that you really wanted to get done, but never could quite complete it? If you look carefully at what was going on in your mindset, you probably see that you wanted the project to be completed perfectly.