January 2006

Our annual Eagle Awards were presented to the top achievers in each office. They were Kathleen Berube (Rochester), Janie Clemons (Plymouth), Rebecca Meisner (Birmingham) and Michelle Rogowski (West Bloomfield).

The Sherwood Award winners were Stella Bosnyak (Rochester), Jim Buettner (Plymouth), Jeff Egdell (Birmingham) and Greg Morad and Brian Ketelhut (West Bloomfield). The award honors an agent in each office who best exemplifies the attributes of our late chairman, Skip Sherwood: a diligent work ethic, a positive attitude and continual self-improvement, all of which contribute to a year of success that far exceeds his or her previous year.

Kathy Parker (Birmingham) once again sang beautifully for us, this time ably accompanied by Sarah Greko (Receptionist, Birmingham.) Kathy and Sarah were joined by Chris Winans and Jackie Aubuchon (Birmingham) for a parody song with terrific lyrics by Jackie Aubuchon. There was also a chorus line of Christmas trees consisting of Kelly Millard (Information Center, Birmingham), Dave Printz (Birmingham) and Tiana Hood (Birmingham Cole Team).

Jeff Egdell (shown here with wife Nicole and new son Anthony - 4 months old on Christmas
day) was a Sherwood Award recipient.

Better Negotiation Skills Through Better Communication

To negotiate effectively, you must be able to communicate effectively. Many salespeople don't realize the importance solid communication skills add to the negotiation process. As a result, they lose sales or are not as effective as they should be in representing their client's interests.

However, as a salesperson, you are not doomed to the mixed messages and meanings characteristic of poor communication skills. With conscious effort and practice, you can overcome the communication barriers that block understanding in negotiation. With a little extra effort, you can improve the delivery of your message to your counterparts and, by doing so, take control of the negotiations.

Consider the following six rules for effective communication:

Rule 1: Organize Your Thoughts
Always allow yourself time to organize your thoughts to avoid conveying the wrong message or confusing the issues. Before you start the negotiation process, and even after it starts, take notes and plan what you're going to say. Sometimes it helps to bounce your message off someone else who is not involved to make sure that there are not different ways of interpreting your message.

Outline in advance the main points you want to cover. Planning the gist of what you're going to say is the most effective way to avoid sending mixed messages. And remember, no law exists that says every statement must be met with a response within five seconds. Take your time. In fact, silence can be one of your most powerful negotiating tools.

Stop talking whenever you feel like you need to reorganize yourself and before you respond to anything that's said. And make sure everything you say reflects the true meaning of your thoughts.

Rule 2: Don't Think About It; Think Through It
Thinking about something leads to confusion, but thinking through something leads to clarity. The difference between these two processes is a crucial distinction in communication. Many times, people approach negotiations with a mindset of, "Tell it like it is, then let the chips fall where they may." But by processing an idea through to its logical conclusion, you can evaluate the possible responses you may get from the other side.

For example, if you make an offer and say, "This is our bottom line," what kind of response might that produce? The other party may say, "Okay, we'll take it." Or they might say, "No one talks to us that way!" and walk out of the room. Do you want to risk that reaction?

A more productive approach might be to explain that your client is a product of the buyer's market we are experiencing now and he has a number of properties to choose from. The good news is that he has chosen to make an offer on this property. But like most buyers in this market, he will be a tough negotiator. You have just transferred any seller's anger from the buyer to the market.

Rule 3: Recognize that Actions Speak Louder than Words
Experts say that seventy-five percent of communication is nonverbal. This means that the messages negotiators convey have more to do with their demeanor, their actions, and the way they say things, than with the actual words they say.

The best negotiators practice saying and doing things in ways that send precisely the message they want to send. The bottom line is that the better you become at using nonverbal communication and reading the nonverbal messages others send, the more effective you can be as a negotiator.

Rule 4: Be Concise
Most people tune out a majority of what they hear, so you should always be concise and get right to your point. Say what you mean in as few words as possible, without being blunt. If you drone on, people will stop listening to you. To ensure your message reaches your counterpart, always oversimplify your message, and then elaborate as they ask questions.

Rule 5: Always Translate Your Message into Benefits for the Other Party
People always listen more carefully when they believe some benefit exists in your message for them. In negotiations, focus on that benefit, even when the underlying purpose of the message is in your favor.

Remember, you can't talk about benefits until you have determined the other party's explicit needs. This can only be done by asking open ended questions and then listening.

Rule 6: Listen Carefully to the Other Party
If you want to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, you must make sure your messages are heard and understood. But don't get so caught up in your own message that you don't hear and understand what the other party needs to reach an agreement. Open your mind and be receptive to the other party's message.

Ask questions to which simple "yes" or "no" answers cannot be given. Your power in the negotiations come more from what you learn in the conversation than from what you say.

Communication is the Key to Effective Negotiation
Communication is a two-way street that requires everyone involved to exchange messages. To negotiate more effectively, you must relate to the other party with strong communication skills. It is a skill that must be learned and practiced for the best results!

Kelly Sweeney
President & CEO

This month we're busting the paradigm, "Colonials are preferable to ranches."

That's belied by the millions of families who love one-floor living. Everything close at hand: no steps downstairs to the laundry room, the ability to keep a closer eye on the baby or the teen who's hidden away in her room. No climbing upstairs or down to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Easy for Grandma to navigate. Who says ranches aren't great?

Selling Value - Not Price

Tip of the Month: Be unique!

If there is nothing that differentiates you from your competition, you become common. Webster defines the word common as, "ordinary or not special" and the only way consumers select one common service over another is price.

Take inventory of your skills, experience and knowledge. Are you a specialist in some geographical area or type of property? Are you an expert in IRS Code Section 1031 exchanges or first-time homebuyers?

These and other differentiators can make you unique and valuable to a select group of clients.

WMR Relocation Department Looks Optimistically to 2006

This was an especially busy year for the Weir Manuel Relocation Department. Historically, we have seen more incoming buyer activity than seller moves, but in 2004 we saw that trend begin to reverse itself and, in 2005, 60% of our referrals were on the listing side. The good news is that these listings create more visibility for our company through yard signs, and yard signs generate floor calls!

As we look ahead to 2006 our plan is to build a "Clicks to Close" team of eAgents. As many of you have heard in recent sales meetings, our emerging market "buyer bulge" will be the Generation Xers, who are very internet savvy. During the first quarter of 2006 we will be testing this new program with a small number of eAgents who will commit to a team response time of 15 minutes or less for internet leads.

Another market we will focus on is the aging Senior population. These are more traditional customers but they are often slow to make decisions because many times these decisions involve giving up their independent lifestyle. Ask your customers what plans they have for handling their aging parents' home and take advantage of our "Seniors on the Move" rebate program, when necessary.

The WMR Relocation Department looks forward to continuing to help build our business in 2006.

Drowning in old, unused cell phones? You can put them to good use and feel good doing it. Lee Jaffke, WB Manager, is collecting old cellphones for the Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition, who will receive a monetary donation for each used cell phone from the American Cellular Organization, an organization providing wireless communications to those in need.

If you have a cell phone to donate and you're in the West Bloomfield office, drop it off in the red box at the reception area. If you're are are not in the West Bloomfield office, drop off your phone at Birmingham Marketing - or let Lee Jaffke know you have a phone for him by emailing him at ljaffke@weirmanuel.com and he'll make provisions to collect the phone.

Please get your cell phone(s) to Lee by the end of January - and, don't forget to erase your cell phone address book before you hand in your phone!

Suggestions? here

Print the newsletter Remember to choose the "fit to page or fit to paper" option when you print, so you can see the whole newsletter. Every printer is different, but the idea is to fit the newsletter to an 8-1/2 by 11 or legal sheet.

©Copyright 2006 Weir Manuel Realtors