Saturday, August 2, 2008

Assembling the $125k Credential Book (followup from 7/12/08)


This is for any newbie who wants to come out punching and immediately establish credibility, reliability and professionalism when meeting sellers and prospects! Yes, in order to make that first $125,000 on paper I've mentioned before! Here goes:

1) Get a business license.
2) Get the tiniest, cheapest PO Box rental you can find.
3) Open a business checking account and order the cheapest checks available NO ponies, sunsets, or logos either.
4) Go to a little league team and donate just enough cash to get them to give you a team photo that you place into your CB ("Credential Book", I'll cover this again later) $100.00?
5) Sign up with the BBB and get a certificate. People think this gives you credibility. (BBB is a scam, but they've been a scam for 50 years...and those who know, know... and those who don't, don't) Buy their approval anyway.
6) Get a cheap one or two page personal website with a domain like http://www.mylastname.com , or if your company name is unique enough try http://www.Ialsobuyhousesat65percentofarv.com (Wtvr!) Put your bio on it, and add all the things I'm going to suggest you include in your CB.
7) Get a Vonage Phone Line with a toll free number attached (This is good for making flat-fee long distance calls, not to mention people can call you free on the toll free line.)
8) Get 1,000 business cards printed without graphics, logos, or fills. Just name of co.; your name; your title, ie: "Acquisition Manager". Don't call yourself the "President" . I've lost count of the number of people who called themselves "President" that I saw drive away in some beater Toyota Camry. And few people come in contact with real "presidents", so unless you're driving a newer 500 series Mercedes, you sound cheesy. Include PO Box, Cell #., Fax #.(??), 800 #, Email, Website, and never a home address. (think "attorney business card")

Next... 1) Go to Office Depot and buy the $40.00 leather, 3-ring, zippered binder with calculator, and pockets for 8.5x11 yellow lined note paper pads. This is your "Credential Book" (CB). (The CB shall be treated with more reverence and care than your family Bible ever will!)

2) Go online and download the following:

a) Little League web page and Photoshop your company name on it somewhere and insert it into your CB across from your team picture (remove from plaque if necessary, or make a copy).
b) BBB web page and Photoshop your company name on it somewhere and insert it into your CB across from your BBB certificate.
c) find and print about 5 separate negative news articles (Yahoo, Fox, Newsmax, etc.) regarding the real estate market and insert it into CB.
d) find and print FSBO website photos of houses for sale in your farm area similar to the ones you want to buy and insert them individually into the CB....and separately print the property details including the address for future reference, but do not insert in CB.

3) Assemble all the contracts you need to open escrow and insert them into the CB.


4) Load 50 business cards into the CB.

5) Download and print maps of where all the child molesters are lurking in your farm.
Map To Child Molesters

6) Reference letters. Get two or three friends (if you have no friends to help you, then reach back into your childhood and bring up the imaginary friends you had) and write glowing reports on your character, integrity, and professional performance, etc. I knew someone that wrote a glowing character reference of himself, and asked a friend to sign it. After all, he told me, who would write about him better than him? Plus the friend was a tad bit completely illiterate, and preferred to write with crayons, used the word "ain't" a lot...and well?

7) Referral letters. Write them yourself describing the situation you helped someone out of, and have the person you helped sign it as if they wrote it themselves. People will always do this, even if what you wrote was a bit "gilding of the lily", as it were. Get them from all the professionals you come across and have good relations/experience with.

8) NOW>>>> Take your credential book to all your appointments.

FAQ’s

a. What are the house pictures for?

You thumb through these pictures and show prospective sellers the kinds of houses you buy (you are not saying you owned these...these are just examples) If the prospect stupidly assumes you own them, then just let them continue in their ignorant bliss) Perception is reality, not reality itself. And we have no business trying to bend their reality to fit our reality, if you get my drift. Later when we have some houses under our belts then we can show them off in another section of our CB called "My Kills!" j/k!

b. What are the Little League photos for?

This says you are stable, local, established, and a family person who loves kids and families...and little league!


c. Why the BBB certificate?


Hopefully its obvious that you are an honest, reliable, and character driven company/individual (apart from BBB's reputation!) Just a note here. You won’t be able to get a BBB certificate until you’ve been in business for 24 months. SO....just Photoshop a page with the BBB logo, your company logo, your picture with a bold statement saying you “support the BBB”. This doesn’t say you’re a member...yet, but you DO support them. The inference of course is that you are a member. Well, since they won’t let you be a member, you’ll let everyone know you “want” to be one. It’s a little sneaky, but unfortunately, there’s a lot of sheople who actually take the BBB seriously, and don’t think it’s a scam. So, capitalize on their ignorance, and don’t fight it!


d. Of course the map to the child molesters should be obvious.

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