Posts Tagged ‘Mojo’

Mojo’s new Lead Alert Service helps you avoid getting “turtled!”

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
When potential customers get bombarded with information overload, they will retreat into their shell to block out any additional sources.

When potential customers get bombarded with information overload, they will retreat into their shell to block out any additional sources.

My son, who just started Little League, is still getting used to the idea that baseball is a game of urgency.

It’s vital to sprint to first base before the ball gets there instead of a casual stroll. It’s kinda important to take the ball out of your glove and throw it to the appropriate base without taking the time to admire the cloud formations. Hey, he’s getting the hang of it!

Of course, in the sales world, taking your sweet time to respond to an Internet lead is like hanging a signboard around your neck that reads “PLEASE BRING YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.”

Here’s the reality about consumer behavior and this definitely applies to me when I am looking to connect with a new business for landscaping, plumbing, pest control, mortgages, home renovations, appliance repair and basically anything else I blow my paycheck on…. The first few companies to call me back are the ONLY ones who have a chance at my business. And if the first one to return my call or email gives me a reasonable quote, I’m taking it.

Here’s why. I hate shopping. A lot of guys hate shopping. Sure, I want the best price, but I am not going to spend a week playing phone tag to save 10 bucks. During holiday time at the shopping mall, I’m the guy who just parks far away from the get-go. I hate the idea of circling around a lot for 30 minutes looking for a parking space.

The marketing experts call this phenomenon “turtling.” After getting a few quotes from businesses, the savvy consumer will check out the Website or some references/testimonials and figure out which price is the best bang for the buck. Once the process has begun, and another business calls back a day or two later, it may as well be a bride or groom showing up eight hours late to their own wedding. Sealing the deal with you will be a tough sell after you’ve already “married” or liked the “proposal” from the competition.

Back to the turtle metaphor!  The customer will retreat into his or her shell and block out any additional information once they feel they have enough to choose from. In fact, they will even start to be annoyed when the phone rings from another company if they have already made up their mind.

So you gotta be first to call them back.

Here’s how Mojo can help!

Mojo's Lead Alert Service will contact you at up to three phone numbers (home, work, cell) the moment you get a new Internet lead!

Mojo's Lead Alert Service will contact you at up to three phone numbers (home, work, cell) the moment you get a new Internet lead!

When a potential customer fills out the contact form on your Website or at a referral Website, Mojo’s Lead Alert Service immediately calls you at up to three numbers (work, cell and home). You answer Mojo’s call and press “1″ to be connected to the prospect. Your call and lead’s contact information will also be automatically entered into Mojo’s lead management database.

Should you get an answering machine or if there is no answer, Lead Alert will contact you at preset intervals to still give you a shot at reaching them first. Remember, you can’t run casually to first base — and you can’t get information to a potential client who can’t hear you inside their shell.

Here’s something else that makes life a heckuva lot easier for sales reps.  At the same time you receive a text message notifying you about an Internet lead’s inquiry and their background information, your prospect will receive a text message announcing: “Hi, My name is ________ with So-and-So Company. Thanks for contacting us!  I am your assigned agent for your recent Internet inquiry.  I will be calling you in a few minutes to discuss your inquiry with you.”

Because they are the ones who initiated contact with you, AND you gave them a courtesy heads up that you would be calling, they are going to be far more welcoming when they answer the phone.  Remember, the customer is likely calling three or four or more places cold and we can’t assume they will immediately recognize your name.  This special Lead Alert feature gives you a leg up for being well received by the customer.

Best part of all, our Lead Alert Service will soon be included free with the Mojo Sales Engine!

Don’t let yourself be turtled ever again!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Features, Hot Tips, Insurance Agents, Prospecting Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

Starting FRESH With Mojo

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

So, I’ve gotten settled in my new market, and FINALLY, my Real Estate License has come through. It’s about freakin’ time! Only took two weeks. Well…I log on to my MOJO this morning, and what do I see, but all my Pennsylvania names and numbers all still there. Yes, over 3,000 files clogging up my new Oregon business.

Here is one of the BEST and most DANGEROUS things about the MOJO dialer…it’s called…DATABASE MANAGER. Yes, this is your lifeblood of all your data, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can royally screw you. Say you delete someone out of a call list, or delete an entire list itself…most of the time, it is still in the Database manager. You can find hidden numbers, or numbers you incorrectly dispositioned. It really is a powerful tool.

Instead of having to delete list my list, one by one. I simply went into the DB Manager, and clicked search, didn’t fill any criteria in, and bam, all the names and numbers were there. I chose the DELETE SEARCH QUERY option, and just like that…I have started FRESH. As a hint, sometimes it’s good to get a fresh start, and just delete everything and start fresh…especially if you are one of those people that annoyingly keep EVERYTHING YOU EVER COME ACROSS.

Peace…oh, and feel free to reach out with any questions about the MOJO. You can call my Google Voice line at 541-658-0259. I’d be happy to give you a testimonial.

~ Bryan Washington

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Hot Tips, Realtors | No Comments »

Reduce real estate stress with the Mojo-REDX Dream Team!

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
You'll feel like 500 pounds has been taken off your shoulders with the stress-reduction real estate prospecting tools from Mojo and RedX

You'll feel like 500 pounds has been taken off your shoulders with the stress-reduction real estate prospecting tools from Mojo and REDX

OK, so we all agree that there is no magic formula to improve your real estate sales performance.

It’s a simple equation:

MORE LEADS = MORE SALES CALLS = MORE APPOINTMENTS = MORE DEALS

If you’re on this blog, you likely already know how Mojo’s Triple Line Power Dialer makes your sales team three times more productive by ensuring ALL their time is spent chatting on the phone with no time wasted with hang-ups, wrong numbers or answering machines.

BUT let’s go back to the first part of the success equation. There’s no one to talk to if you don’t have the phone numbers in the first place. Where do all those expired listings and For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listings come from anyhow?

For FSBO listings, it requires checking newspaper and on-line real estate ads daily and then manually cross-referencing if it is a duplicate lead from weeks or months before.  For each expired listing harvested from the MLS, agents have to monotonously repeat the following five steps:

1. Cross check against the MLS Actives and Solds to see if it is relisted or sold.

2. Look up homeowner information on tax records.

3. Go to online people search companies and do a search on homeowner’s name, property address, and mailing address. Some searches require fees for each piece of information.

4. Cross reference phone numbers against the National Do Not Call Registry.

5. Check their own note system to see if they previously connected with the homeowner.

Pretty dizzying, huh?

Real estate agents tell us it can take an average of 5 to 15 minutes to research contact information for each expired listing. That’s a lot of time and energy just to verify if the phone number is worth calling, especially since many of those calls may result in a 15 second conversation or hang-up.

When you are playing the numbers game, it makes sense to reduce the aggravation ratio. The less time you spend vetting numbers, the more time you spend talking to actual people. After all, phone numbers don’t make any purchasing decisions.

Real Estate Data X-Change (The REDX) is the largest expired and FSBO listing research company in the United States. We highly recommend REDX to all our real estate clients because quite frankly, REDX supplies the “bullets” for the Mojo “machine gun.”  They mirror our philosophy that sales people need to be spending their time selling, not pressing buttons or clicking the mouse.

Heck, you can’t get carpal tunnel syndrome from talking!

We recently caught up with Renita Dastrup, REDX’s director of business development. In this brief Q & A, she explains why REDX and Mojo are the best combination since peanut butter and chocolate.

Q: Have you gotten any feedback from real estate agents regarding their stress levels?

A: The most common feedback is how we make life so much easier by doing the menial task of look-up so that they can focus on making connections with people.   Many agents say that after spending hours looking for information, they are drained of the energy needed to make the call.  Many agents have a fear of dialing the phone (call reluctance) and having the REDX system allows them to focus on connecting with the homeowner on the other end.

Q: So how does Mojo fit in as a logical extension of REDX?

A: Mojo is a perfect solution when it comes to agents with call reluctance.  It’s amazing how just the simple task of dialing the phone will cause procrastination. It’s like trying to give yourself a shot — it’s so much easier and quicker to give the nurse your arm and brace for the pain, and when it’s all over, it wasn’t that bad!  For the agents that don’t have a problem with making phone calls, they can make so many more calls then if they were to just dial the phone.

Q: Why do you recommend Mojo to your clients versus other competing services?

A: We are already set up to export to Mojo so that makes it easy for the agents, plus Mojo has the ability to recognize when a lead has re-listed and stops the agent from making a call that won’t lead to a listing.

Sometimes we refer to prospecting like panning for gold.  REDX narrows the mountain down to a manageable pile of dirt that has the highest potential for a golden return.  Mojo would be like a sieve that would help you sift through the dirt faster!

Q: How does the bad economy play into the prospecting equation?

A: Many coaches and trainers are saying that in this economy back to basics is essential, and prospecting is the number one activity an agent can do to get business.  REDX and Mojo both are productive tools that help get the agent out there in front of prospective clients and use their time wisely.

(To learn more on how Mojo can dramatically improve your real estate prospecting in this tough economy, click here.)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Hot Tips, Prospecting 101, Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | No Comments »

Bringing Mojo to San Jose

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Every day I share with people what Mojo can do for them and ultimately, their business goals.  Altogether it’s not too difficult a job, relying on rudimentary sales principles: identifying needs, offering solutions and if the two jive, we walk away with a great business relationship.
On February 7, I had the opportunity to travel to the West Coast for the first time so I could share the Mojo experience in-person.  I took a plane ride from Manchester, NH to Chicago, IL and then I was off to San Jose, CA to Tom Ferry’s Business by Design 3-day event. Face-to-face, to the thousands passing by our booth, I had the responsibility of conveying  a software-based triple-line power dialing and lead management program capable of emailing, dropping prerecorded messages on answering machines, and CID substitution.
Regardless of how daunting of a task that sounds, I don’t think it could have turned out better.  With the help of everyone at the event, from those on Tom’s team to the staff at the San Jose Convention Center, the experience was certainly one worth writing home to Mom about.

On Facebook.
One fact I learned from Tom Ferry: the fastest growing demographic of Facebook users are women over 55.  Now it makes sense to me why my mom, sister, aunts, and their friends are all getting down on FB like they are.  Their lives are hectic so time is of value.  Social networking appeals to the busy lifestyle; texting ”hi” is easier than taking five minutes out of your day to try to catch a person by phone.  Our lives today require not just instant communications, but convenient and reliable ones.  That’s why Facebook and Twitter are becoming staples of our daily lives. That’s also why Mojo is becoming the experience thousands of people are counting on every day make their day-to-day operations more reliable and convenient.
While I’m not a real estate professional, I took away an enormous amount of insight in just the few moments I was able to catch what Tom had to share.  Not only was he able to keep my ear to the ground in regards to what’s going on in social media, I also gained knowledge from web design and internet practices to how choosing your interactions with those around you helps better enable you to become the master of the market you’re in, not a victim of it.
The highlight of the trip was meeting people who already had their Mojo.  Michaelangelo Guevara was attending the Business by Design event and I had set up a Mojo account with him a week or two prior to the San Jose event. He let me know that within the first two days of using Mojo, he landed a listing appointment for a house valued at $2.2 million.  The look of excitement was clear on his face; he knew what having his Mojo was all about.  His experience made me think, though, if that was the 79th call in a list and he became too frustrated with hand-dialing by call 78 of that day, would he still have had the same look on his face?
Michaelangelo is like most professionals out there - looking for solutions that will stand up in today’s business world and keep them on track to where they want to be in a year, as well as a decade, from now.  So many of the people at Tom Ferry’s Business by Design mega-event were looking for the same solutions.

They all walked away with that, and a little Mojo.

~ Josh

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Realtors, Uncategorized | No Comments »

What I learned at Inman Connect 2010- NYC

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

What I learned at the Inman Connect conference

There is a BUZZ in real estate right now. Everyone I was lucky enough to meet was very optimistic about 2010 and their creative marketing juices were flowing! The exhibitor hall was filled with companies displaying the ‘next best thing’ in real estate marketing and work flow. I was quite impressed with the technology that is available right now for agents to market themselves, their websites and their properties.

Next to our booth was United Lane which easily had one of the most exciting booths at the conference. They sell software that allows agents to show off their properties floor plans in 3D and customize the home to the customers wants/needs. Nothing like painting a picture to help the sales process along! If you’re an agent, you really should check them out.

The conference had all kinds of great speakers and workshops. I was fortunate enough to sit in one workshop for us exhibitors by Greg Robertson, Co-Founder of W&R Studios. He outlined how to sell new, innovative products in to the Real Estate industry and I was pleasantly surprised to find out we are doing 75% of what we do right.

I also sat in on the “Duet” between Tom Ferry and Rob Hahn which addressed the up and downside to social marketing…Loved the title of the event, Social Media or Social Snake Oil. They presented their cases and debated the pros and cons of social marketing.  I loved it when Tom started it out by stating he had research his opponent’s blog to get more info for the Duet!  I left thinking that social media can be a very good passive marketing tool. Oh yeah…and both Tom and Rob are absolutely fantastic to watch! For more on Tom Ferry please visit www.yourcoach.com and take time to visit Rob Hahn’s blog at www.notorious-rob.com .

Final thoughts…

We had a great time, met tons of wonderful people and learned a lot about the industry that has helped shape our company in to what it is today. Prospecting by phone is still the single most effective form of marketing today. Fast results, real time ROI and one-on-one relationship building makes prospecting expired listings, FSBO leads and just listed/just sold a must do in 2010! Visit our site today to see just how we can make a dramatic impact on your business www.mojosells.com.

- David

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | 2 Comments »

The Mojo Sales Engine Thrives in Tough Real Estate Markets

Friday, November 6th, 2009
Tucson realtor Curt Stinson credits Mojo auto dialer and lead management software for QUADRUPLING his business

Tucson Realtor Curt Stinson credits Mojo lead management software for QUADRUPLING his business contacts

Take a look at the gorgeous landscape above. It’s Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona.

But there’s also something intensely ugly going on in Tucson. Property values have recently plummeted by 45 percent, making the area one of the worst hit cities in America alongside Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Despite it all, real estate broker Curt Stinson, a 15-year industry veteran, is smoking with leads from cold calls. For the past four months, he’s operated a call center with five telemarketers using the Mojo auto dialer and Mojo lead management tracking program, which automatically qualifies prospects after a phone call and moves the data to the next stage of the deal flow.

“As more and more agents drop out of the business, we’re picking up their customers,” says Curt. “And all my business is coming from prospecting. I don’t pursue bank referrals because those will eventually dry up when the market comes back.”

Curt’s call team dials more than 2,000 numbers a night and goes with this basic script: “We recently just sold a home in your area and we’re checking if you might be interested in selling your home.”

“It’s amazing how many people say yes,” he notes. “It’s hard for me to follow up on all the leads I generate and that’s a great problem to have.”

The Tucson broker credits Mojo’s Triple Line Power Dialer, which minimizes downtime by never stopping its dialing and only giving you live calls, for boosting his results from generating 8-9 contacts per hour to 30-40 contacts per hour.

Real estate is a pure numbers game. Making more contacts = more appointments = more listings = more sales.

“Over the past year, our overall business has increased by 20 percent and a good portion of it is because of Mojo,” says Curt. “Next year should be even better!”

He adds that he is looking forward to exploring Mojo’s Live Lead Feed, our system of automatically tracking Internet leads without having to manually enter data, when he ramps up his Website side of the business.

For now, though Curt is too busy handling the business generated by phone and offers this advice for any industry peers considering adopting Mojo: “Be prepared for a huge boost and be prepared to follow-up!”

Perhaps Curt’s Mojo experience can be duplicated in your market. Find out more about how our lead management auto dialer software can dramatically impact YOUR real estate business!

(If coincidentally you happen to be hunkering for a piece of Southern Arizona real estate, you can contact Curt at www.homesbycurt.com)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | 6 Comments »

Real Estate- As the year winds down by Bryan Washington

Monday, October 26th, 2009

4th Quarter is upon is in Real Estate, which means one of two things for real estate agents.  You either work your hardest this time, to get inventory built up for next year, and generate a few sales in between…or…you take off from Halloween to Martin Luther King Day.   Unfortunately, I made the mistake of the latter last year, by not working harder than ever, and my production this year has suffered because of it.

Well, this year, I refuse to let that happen.  Now is the time to contact every For Sale By Owner, Expired Listing, and Past Client/Center of Influence in your marketplace.  Mojo has made that easier, at least for me.  One of the things that I’ve done is import my entire Database into the dialing system.  So…rather than leaving 200+ people messages, I can record one message and leave several at a time if no one answers.

Set your clients up on an action plan, and schedule SEVERAL calls throughout the year ahead of time.  Touch base with them every quarter.  If you’re using the MoJo system to its full potential, you can add notes about previous conversations, to get the rapport generating part of the call out of the way, and get back to business!

Oh…and be sure always include that call to action when you’re speaking with them, ask for the business, keep track of the notes in the dialer, and work hard every day!

-Bryan Washingtonbryansphoto

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | No Comments »

Phone Sales Tips #1

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

A career in sales is challenging and takes a lot of determination, especially if all of your sales are made over the phone. Below are some tips to follow to ensure your sales presence is effective and strong:

  • Take advantage of CRM technology

All sales representatives should utilize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology to stay organized. It will allow you to keep notes on your prospects so you can continue building rapport as your leads flow through the sales pipeline. Schedule tasks for call backs and e-mails so you can keep on top of your prospects, as well as follow up with customers and reassure them they made the right choice.

  • Develop rapport quickly

You only have a few seconds to build rapport with a prospect on your initial call. It is critical you have a bright and cheerful personality during the initial contact as you are at a disadvantage in not being able to convey body language during your conversation. Use your personality to your advantage during your calls and try not to come across as being too salesy or scripted.

  • Schedule calls a week in advance

Plan your calls ahead and maximize your time, as it is extremely valuable. If you schedule your follow ups a week out, you will never run out of calls to make. Rank them by priority based on the nature of the call and call on them accordingly.

  • Recognize the importance of your clients time

Every time you call a prospect, you are interrupting their day so make sure they know you are aware of that. Ask if it is a good time to talk for a few minutes and let them know you will not take much of their time. If they say it is not a good time to talk, ask when would be a good time and schedule the call. More importantly, call them back at that time!

  • Be consistent in follow up

Follow up, follow up, follow up! It is a crucial part of the sales process, as it shows your prospects you in it for the long run. If you tell someone you are going to call at a certain time, follow through with it or you will begin to lose credibility with them. Once you lose credibility, you will not be able to regain it, especially on the phone.

Sales representatives must take advantage of the technology available to them in today’s marketplace. Your competitors are conducting business in the 21st century and you should too if you want to stay on top of the game. Use software to organize the data you have on prospects and provide reminders of tasks you have to complete. The rest of it is up to you, you are in charge of your own success!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Insurance Agents, Prospecting Tips and Tricks, Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | No Comments »

First ‘HELLO’ Technology

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

‘First hello’ is a term used to describe the predictive dialing feature in which a dialing system connects the prospect to the caller as fast as possible so the caller hears the first ‘Hello’ of the answered call.

‘First hello’ technology depends upon two main factors: the predictive dialer’s detection capabilities and the Telco pathway from the dialer to both the prospect and the caller. The second factor is crucial as the speed and reliability of the Telco pathways can significantly impact ‘first hello’ capabilities. The first pathway is from the prospect to the dialer. When the prospect answers, the Telco must pass the detection signals or voice immediately to the dialer. For some VoIP-based Telco services, this signal does not work with dialers or the voice is delayed while being relayed to the dialer, causing delays in the detection. The second pathway, from the dialer to the caller, is equally important. When the dialer detects an answer, the prospect’s voice is bridged to the caller. If the caller does not have a dedicated pathway back to them, the connection can be delayed. In order to maximize the effectiveness of ‘first hello’ technology, it is critical that both pathways are available for the dialers use.

With Mojo, ‘first hello’ technology is hosted on a dedicated copper line pathway. This provides superior call detection, which results in the caller successfully hearing the first ‘Hello’ when the prospect answers their phone, unlike VoIP-based dialing systems.

‘First hello’ technology creates an improved calling environment for both the caller and prospect. Companies can immediately see a positive impact on conversion rates using ‘first hello’. Callers also benefit since they experience less phone calls of a hostile nature, eliminating call anxiety.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Power Dialer Technology | No Comments »

Finding Your ‘Mojo’

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

We all know that prospecting doesn’t rate too high on the ‘fun’ list. It probably rates in the ballpark of public speaking or getting poked in the face with a sharp stick. Sometimes, it feels more like a chore than a positive action for your business. You need to approach prospecting with MOJO. MOJO means getting in your groove, getting into a flow where you are alert, enthusiastic, and on top of your game. Nothing is worse than calling 20 numbers in a row and getting an answering machine or no answer for every single one. It puts a damper on your MOJO. When this happens, it zaps the energy right out of you. Calling number after number and not getting results changes your attitude rather quickly. Now, what if there was a way to turn the tables on prospecting and make it fun again? I am not joking about putting fun and prospecting in the same sentence. It can happen. MOJO gives you that edge. It cuts through all of your junk dialing and gets to the ‘good stuff’. When you are dialing 3 lines at the same time, you are tripling your speed and contacting three times the live leads. It is like hiring three telemarketers and having them transfer all the good calls to you. And, in these hard economic times, we know that hiring three people to do your calling is just not viable. For a fraction of the cost, you can have MOJO fill that position in your company. MOJO is a power dialer, not to be confused with a predictive dialer. With MOJO, you will not drop calls like you would with a predictive dialer. Save money, stay on your game, and triple your production. When you’ve got MOJO, sales happen.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Insurance Agents, Prospecting 101, Prospecting Tips and Tricks, Realtor Prospecting, Realtors | No Comments »