RANT Part III: The Answer Isn't More Wor...

So you probably know that working really hard, without focusing on working in a smart way, is actually counter-productive…

It can often lead to burn-out, a bad attitude and – worst of all – fewer results to show for all your efforts.

Hey Moguls, Steven Howell here, continuing to chat about working smarter, not harder. In my mini-series, I’m covering 5 tips that I think are essential for creating a strong foundation for your investing business. And they will ultimately help you score the most property deals.

The basis for every good business is a positive attitude – you can’t get anywhere without that. Of course, having a strong list of highly motivated sellers doesn’t hurt either. And – to bring in those motivated seller leads – you’ll use that positive attitude and invest a lot of time (and sometimes money) in effective marketing methods. This most definitely includes following up. Those are the tips I covered in Part I and Part II of my series.

Before we dive into tip 3 – making more offers – I want to touch on a couple more positivity and marketing points that are crucial to getting you on the path to a successful business…

Be memorable … and do the right thing

Remember, you want to get your message in front of sellers – they may not be ready at that moment – but soon enough they will be ready and thanks to your positive attitude and professionalism, they will remember you since you’ll be top of mind.

Our job is to make that us!

Marketing = connecting with people and getting your message (your solution to their pain point) in front of their eyeballs. They need to know you exist. And then you simply stay top of mind in a cool way.

Marketing is the lifeblood of your business and is going to be your #1 income-producing activity.

Stop studying and start marketing. You will learn as you go. We all did.

open Another thing I should mention: You want to look at each lead like a real person - because they are. And we are here to help make win-win-win solutions for them.

You will be paid in direct proportion to the VALUE you bring to the marketplace. You are going to become a person of immense value. <--- Start believing this now.

If you’re wondering how all the big wholesalers are making money... it's because we do lots of marketing!

I spend 1 hour per week sending out letters, 1 hour sending out emails and the rest of the time making offers, checking in on old offers and following up!

You can block off a couple hours of time, 2-3x a week to call your motivated sellers.

Don't overcomplicate things!

Remember, keep that positive mindset and don't let your mind stop you by thinking things like:

I don't know what to say to the seller.
I am too old, young, white, black, green or orange.
I have a bad accent, people won't like me.
I don't know about repairs - I'm not a repairman.
No one will value my opinion.
What if I upset someone?
I've tried this before and it didn't work.
I'm not good at selling or negotiating.
What if I try and fail?
What if the contract trips me up?
What if I can't find a buyer?

I hear these excuses all the time and I've even made some (most) of them myself when I first got started.

The key to getting good at marketing and making it profitable is to practice! Do it daily.

You will get better as you go.

magic Most people are not willing to step out of their comfort zone and into the land of the unknown, therefore, they remain stuck for months and years.

I remember when I used to "get ready" to get ready. I would almost invent things to do to avoid the important.

I would do anything but what I really needed to do that would produce the results.

I would go in circles... when a straight line would suffice.

All I really needed to do was send the letter, make the call, send an email, put out a sign, hand out a business card, make the offer, post the ad, record the video or write the ad.

Okay, as promised, on to tip 3.

Make more offers!

Volume is key. You want to be making a lot of verbal ballpark offers, then going to see only the hottest leads and making final written offers on those. This way you are most efficient with your time.

One of the biggest things I see is people wanting to create a successful real estate business, but
they don't want to actually make offers on houses.

It feels icky, scammy or unethical.

But in order to make money, you have to make a lot of offers on actual houses.

It's only unethical and evil if the person doing the selling is unethical and doing things that don't create win-win solutions for everyone involved. Which is not cool. You always want to make sure that what we are offering is a win for the seller, a win for the end investor, and a win for you.

Start making more offers each week and presenting people with solutions that will help them solve their problems, get a result faster or even make their life easier.

When you are marketing to the right sellers, remember that their house is a burden on their back. They want it gone. It represents stress and a major pain point in their life.

They are human - they have their own worries, their own job, kids, life stress – now they may have this house that is run down and they don't know what to do with it.

offer Yes they could sell it on the open market, but they will have to pay Realtor fees, do dozens of showings, wait on buyers to get financing, possibly be asked to do some renovations... and many times when the houses are in rough shape they can sit on the market for months if not years.

So keep those factors in mind. You have a benefit to the sellers. They may not know it, but they need you!

Not all – but some of them will. Our job is to locate those "some" who do need our services. To recognize their motivation, pain points and offer them the solution of buying their house!

Another thing is...

You definitely want to believe wholeheartedly in what you are doing.

Just remember that when you wholesale a house, you are helping a very motivated seller. You are serving up a great deal for the end buyer (likely a rehabber), who’s able to pay their crew and contractors. Families are getting fed.

When the house gets rehabbed it increases the value of the surrounding houses and neighborhood...

Then the family who purchases the house in the very end has a newly renovated amazing home.

And to top it off you get paid Big BUCKS for being a dealmaker.

So recognize that you have a TON of value to bring to the table.

When you see this process from start to finish you really start to believe in what you are doing, and that motivates you to take action. You are doing your own part to help revitalize your local community.

Plus it's a ton of fun :)

Okay, friend, let’s pause here. In my next and final lesson in this series, we’re covering my last tips: becoming proficient in one type of lead source and discovering other ways you can work smarter, not harder. See you then.

Get Going

What are your tips for working smarter not harder and making offers? Let me know in the comments section below.

Always plan your deals as a win-win-win for everyone involved.

Change your mindset – don’t think of making offers as a “scummy” thing to do; consider yourself a problem-solver who helps eliminate stress for sellers.

Take action and take charge of your professional future.

Never stop marketing.