My sales were down 20% in April for a couple of reasons. I sell to stamp collectors and it’s a cold weather hobby. People are emerging outdoors both for fun and doing yard work. Second, my attention was elsewhere and I didn’t work my plan.
I saw the OP stating that they were working hard… but were you working smart?
Back in the day I was a young realtor. Like eBay, you needed to make your own thunder to be success.
There was an old salesman in my company who had been a realtor for 30 some years. He has made a living there. He was successful because he worked hard. He’d come in every day and make prospecting calls. Very disciplined!
But the calls he made.. “Hello, this is John from Middletown Realty. Do you want to sell your house? No? Thank you! He made that call in his slow droning voice over and over, all day long! Maybe every 100 calls he’d strike gold and get an appointment. But he kept at it! I doubt he changed a word in 30 years!
On the other side, I was a young charismatic guy who developed a good pitch and honed and perfected it every call. I could get an appointment every 10 calls because I worked the call.
Hi, this is Tom from Middletown Realty. I was hoping you could help me with a problem. I have customers hoping to buy in your neighborhood, but there aren’t any suitable homes available. Would you know of anyone thinking of selling?
I’d get all kinds of leads, which I’d follow up on. And people didn’t feel attacked, so they’d volunteer that they indeed were getting ready to sell. Score!
As my boss put it.. both John and I would make a living, only I wouldn’t have to work as hard!
In that same vein, are you working hard approaching eBay the same way you did in 1979? Or are you watching the market, what your competition is doing, and working every angle? Do you have a clear plan? X listings a day.. Sell similar x listings a day or weekend? Hold regular pop up sales? Broadcast your store on social media?
Just some fuel for the fire! It’s a different market and it changes daily!
Sending America's collectibles where they belong, one auction at a time!
