Start 2020 Fast
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been doing a lot of company planning. How well are you planning 2020? Listen to this week’s MFTV to hear about the new and exciting events we’re rolling out in 2020 to improve your profitability and production.
Welcome and good morning to Mike Ferry TV. It is the week of November 18th … 6 weeks left in this decade. I hope you’re doing well … hope you’re finishing strong and of course because you’re going to finish strong, you’re going to start 2020 fast.
One of my original mentors, a guy named Michael Vance, who many of you heard me talk about was one of the key people in the Disney operation for many, many years … very close to Walt Disney and that group himself … and Mike Vance told me one time that he heard a great expression. Somebody said to Mike Vance, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” and I said to Michael, “What’d you think of that when he said that?” Because, you know, Mike had been around lecturing and training for a long time and as he matured, like some of us do, he got accused of … “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Mike said he responded with a big smile and said, “You have to understand … we’ve become old dogs because we keep learning new tricks.” Well, I really have to think that probably applies to yours truly, Mike Ferry, a little bit because over the last several months … as we become more aggressive in our training and our coaching with all of you … and as we become hopefully a little better at delivering the messages that we believe you have to learn … I’ve had a lot of interesting things said about me and sent to me. I mean, I’m amazed at some of the things people send me … the thinking it’s okay.
Now remember, of course, that in today’s society, sending an email or a text or a blog and these types of communication tools are many times good and valuable and many times just a coverup for having a conversation or telling people how you think. So, here’s some of the things that have been said about Mike Ferry during the calendar year, 2019, which I’m kind of excited about it.
1) He’s very old-fashioned … which I thought was good.
2) He’s so out of touch with today.
3) He’s the 900-pound gorilla in the back of the room.
Now that one offends me. I don’t weigh 900 pounds.
A dinosaur.
Wow … that’s kind of antiquated. I’ve been called Fred Flintstone, which I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean. Quite often … I’m old … and I wrote down … I’m middle-aged at 74. Most people can’t keep up with me that are 34 … 44 … 54 … and 64.
Outdated … could be … probably am sometimes.
Stuff doesn’t work anymore. Well I have to tell you what’s interesting … as you’re probably aware … and if you’re not, you need to be aware … there’s several major class action lawsuits in play today in Real Estate against Real Estate Agents … against Real Estate companies … against the big franchises … and they’re serious. I mean, these are very serious and people that are not taking them seriously may have some trouble … and because of those lawsuits, some of the stuff that’s really old-fashioned … outdated … is being done again. Things like talking to people and knocking on doors. Interesting, isn’t it? How things change?
I’ve been told what I do simply doesn’t work. I’ve been told that I don’t understand technology and social media. I’ve been told that I run a cult … which is one of my favorites to be told … and it’s interesting because my job is to teach Real Estate Brokers, Managers and Agents how to improve production and to improve profitability.
I’m not a big fan of you going out and making 100 … 300 … 500,000 … and spending 10% more than you earn. I’m not a big fan of you working as hard as you have to work and not having a very fair pretax net profit for yourself and your family or whoever you choose to give it to. So, I started thinking about this old-fashioned gorilla that you folks have got to know and … you know, we have a lot of people that watch Mike Ferry TV every week. In fact, we were the very first ever to produce an online TV program of this type. We’ve been doing it … geez … since 2003 … 2004? A long time.
So, I started making up a little list and I thought … well, if I’m that old-fashioned … I think of myself as an innovator … I think of myself as a thought leader, which is a big expression today. I don’t know what it means … thought leader … but I think of myself as somebody that is constantly thinking about … how do we get better at what we do? How do we become more informed? How do we become more productive? How do we become a little bit more unique in how we approach Buyers and Sellers?
So, I started making a list of some of the things that I created or at least we think that I created in our industry. I wrote down … transaction coordinators … which are a big thing in Real Estate companies today.
The call coordinator … which is also a big thing for companies to use today.
The assistant training was done originally by Mike Ferry.
The very first business planning training and sessions were done through the Mike Ferry Organization.
The original Management Retreats came from Mike Ferry.
The very first Superstar Retreat, which everybody now duplicates my Superstar Retreat … we’ve been doing them since 1985. Some of our great clients weren’t even born in 1985.
We did the very first Buyer training. We did a lot of Buyer training and we still have a lot of Buyer training available.
We did the very first Management Recruiting Systems, which are very important because recruiting for a Real Estate company is what this business is so much all about.
Prospecting Clinics … we started those probably 20 years ago … and more and more companies … whether it be a Broker, which I really support doing it … or a competition … are trying to match our Prospecting Clinics.
The original Action Workshop, which is a scripts, dialogues and training program, which now is referred to as the BOLD training in something like KW.
The very first Agent Script Training … I wrote tons of scripts that we have trained agents on for our Productivity Schools and all of our training.
The very first Think Big training … we have several Think Big groups we’ve been working with for about 10 years.
The first 100+ Retreats, which we’ve done and we’re going to reignite those this year throughout 2020.
We created the Numbers Analyzer … everybody says they did. We had the first one because we had the first coaching program.
The first EMG program, which a lot of the Brokers have been involved with over the years.
The first 24-hour mobile app. Now everybody says, “Mike Ferry’s out of touch … he doesn’t understand.” We created the mobile app … the first one that was used in Real Estate. The first sales tracking app for the public to use that are not customers of ours.
Profitability Workshop … interesting … that was a big one for a long time.
The original Sales Team Training … and for those people in Coldwell Banker and what used to be Prudential … we were the ones that created for Coldwell Banker and Prudential the Elite Retreat and their Summit Conference, which we did for many, many years.
The first Management Academy … we put that together.
The first what we’ve called SLS … Structured Learning Programs … which everybody seems to want to copy today.
Interesting … we coach in 15 languages. Not bad for an out-of-date company, is it?
We send over 45,000 business reports monthly to Brokers and Managers on how to improve productivity.
Gosh … interesting … we’re the first company to actually establish a full-blown company that operates in Europe and in Russia … and we’re being invited to go to the far east … we’re invited to go to Australia … South America … I’m just running out of time for doing what I do.
So, I guess … when you take a look at what we do … we’ve done a lot and we’re not stopping. I am soon to be 75 and people say to me, “When are you going to stop?” And of course, a lot of people are very curious as to when I’m going to stop … and I’m going to stop when I’m finished. Or I’m going to stop when you start doing what I say … which we still have some work to do.
So, over the last couple weeks we’ve been doing a lot of company planning … business planning for you today is what you need to be involved in as you exercise the right to figure out how to improve the quality of your business and your profitability and production for 2020.
A couple years ago we really started getting heavily involved in updating the events we do. We were the first company to start doing multiple types of events all over North America all the time and almost everybody has tried to copy it … and they can’t copy it. Do you want to know why? They don’t have enough material to teach and it’s very expensive to put on these events and you need to have a very active sales force to make it work and most companies are 0 for 3 … meaning our competitors.
So, to keep your interest at the highest level … we’re doing a lot of things in 2020 which I think will be important to you. Now, you can say to yourself, “Well I don’t like Mike Ferry.” Well, who cares? I mean really … who cares? It’s not whether you like me or dislike me … or, “I like Tom Ferry better.” I do too. Tom Ferry is terrific. “I like Matt Ferry much better than I like Mike Ferry.” Great … I love Matt and Tom to death, but that’s not the issue. The issue is … what I’m doing … does it work … and help you become productive? And the answer is quite honestly … very much so … and yes.
So, we’re creating some new events. First of all, we’re going to create a program for 2020 … it’s already done … 3 days called List2Last. The title itself tells you what we’re going to be talking about. The second new program we’re putting together for 2020 … Scripts4Superstars … 3 days. The third program 3-day event we’re putting together … M3 Strategies … Mike’s Multimillionaire Strategies … very important.
In January each year … something we’ve done for 25 years … we do our annual Production Retreat in San Diego … 3 days with yours truly.
In April we’re doing a program in Toronto … it’s called Optimizing Momentum with Mike Ferry … 3 days in April in Canada.
October … we do Washington DC and the program is now going to be titled … because we’re creating this whole pot for you … How to Finish Strong … 3 days with Mike Ferry.
In May, for your Broker/Manager … 2-day Management Retreat in Huntington Beach with Mike Ferry.
July … Superstar Retreat … which a lot of you have attended. It is the most attended independent program ever done in Real Estate long-term. Our 45th anniversary of our Company is coming up in July. You may want to attend … it’s going to be a lot of fun … very different.
So, we’ve been doing this series of events and we’ll continue. We’re going to do 16 of those events in the U.S. and Canada in 2020. Check our website … get online to figure out which ones makes sense and get involved.
We also started 20-some years ago what we’ve called Prospecting Clinics … and of course in the 1st quarter of this year we’re going to also do some of these Prospecting Clinics in Salt Lake City, Utah, where we have an office. We’re hoping to have … by the end of the 2nd quarter … our office running on the East Coast … some place between Atlanta and Miami on the far East Coast for Prospecting Clinics. We’re going to do … this year … 30 of our Prospecting Clinics here in Las Vegas … 2-day events.
Now, here’s the fun part … at the request of our clients … we’ve had this request for several years … as old-fashioned as I am … I try to keep up with your requests. We’re asking people … or people are asking us all the time … How do we get a little bit smaller in terms of the size of your events? “Mike, your events are big.” You know … our Production Retreat draws 2,500 … that’s the maximum the room holds. Our Superstar Retreats have had up to 5,000 attendees … they generally run about 4,200 – 4,300. Now what people want is more time in a small class.
My grandchildren … I have 9 great grandchildren … not great grandchildren … great … grandchildren … and they all go to private schools … and the classes are tiny … and the education is great … and we’ve watched that, Sabrina and I, that the education of a child when they’re in a class of 10 to 12 to 15 … accelerates the learning. So, we’ve established this year … tested and proven that it works … what we’ve called the MFO Academy’s. The Academy’s are programs that we’re doing here in our office in Las Vegas.
Now, right off the bat … somebody’s going to say, “I would never travel to Las Vegas for a couple days.” Okay … then go to one of our events that we do throughout the country. But, for those that want a little more intense training, our Academy’s will have between 30 and 60 to 65 people max … in a closed in little classroom … and we serve lunch each day to our Academy attendees … and it’s a closed-in environment where there’s a lot of interaction. We just did a 2-day Management Academy and we had about 35 Brokers there and they walked away saying, “Wow. Look at the interaction we were involved in.” That’s what we do in our Management Academy’s … our Sales Academy’s … and that’s what we do in the Academy’s … which makes them work so well for you.
So, we’re going to do three 2-day Prospecting Academy’s in 2020.
We’re going to do three 2-day Listing Presentation Academy’s … and what you’re doing there is you’re actually going to be working together in small groups on the perfection of your Listing Presentation.
We’re going to do three 2-day Handling Objection Academy’s. That’s 9 very important Academy’s for learning how to sell.
We’re going to do two 1-day Team Building Academy’s with yours truly, Mike Ferry.
We’re going to do two 1-day Advanced Team Building Academy’s with Mike Ferry … and two 2-day Management Academy’s with Mike Ferry.
We’re going to do 15 Academy’s … 30+ Prospecting Clinics … 16 multi-day events … we’re going to do 61 events in 2020. That’s our plan. Now, let me ask you a question. How well are you planning 2020? Because next week on MFTV, I’m going to take you right through how to set up your business plan … how to get it prepared … how to make it work in your favor … how to put together that plan … and we can put the whole plan together in less than three pages. Not complicated … it’s not going to drive you crazy … it’s something that you can carry in your pocket, in your purse, in your wallet, on your briefcase, on your desk … and most importantly … execute on it.
We’re executing on our plan at the highest level possible because this old-fashioned 800-pound gorilla … this old dinosaur named Fred Flintstone Ferry … who is too old to teach people how to sell … is still one of the most active people in this industry and helping people like you sell Real Estate.
Look forward to having you at an event … look forward to helping you next week write your business plan. Be prepared for next week. Thanks for today.
Mike Ferry is the global leader in real estate coaching and training. Watch Mike each week as he discusses a variety of topics to help real estate agents and brokers. Grow your real estate business by improving your mindset, developing your skills and creating a plan of action to increase your production!
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