RISMedia Partners with Pinnacle Quest Consulting to Manage its Top 5 in Real Estate platform; Appoints Verl Workman as President

Norwalk, Connecticut, April 23, 2012 – John Featherston, CEO and publisher of RISMedia and chairman and co-founder of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network announced today that RISMedia has entered into a strategic alliance with Salt Lake City, Utah-based Pinnacle Quest Consulting to manage the Top 5 in Real Estate Network® division of the company. Pinnacle Quest co-founder, Verl Workman, has been appointed as the new President of Top 5. 

RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network is a membership network of leading real estate professionals providing leading real estate information to consumers. More than just a sales-driven recognition program, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network meets a need that heretofore has never been addressed – helping consumers identify the most professional real estate agents in North America. 

Pinnacle Quest Was Our First Choice 

According to Featherston, RISMedia chose to partner with Pinnacle Quest because of their strong reputation in the real estate industry and long-standing relationship with top brokers and agents all across the country. “I’ve seen firsthand the impact Verl Workman and the rest of the Pinnacle Quest team have had on our industry,” said Featherston. “Their Getting REAL Results in an eCrazy World coaching program has helped literally thousands of men and women to become more professional, competent and successful real estate agents. That is exactly what our goal is with Top 5.” Featherston added, “Top 5 is all about recognizing the best-of the-best and then empowering them with the information services they need to stay on top in today’s Internet-driven society.” 

Workman, who is a well-known real estate speaker and productivity coach agreed. “Top 5 is a game-changer in the real estate industry,” said Workman, “I believe that more and more of the top real estate agents are choosing to leave behind the traditional, outdated strategies that have been employed in the past. Information is power and forward-thinking agents who correctly understand how to use that information, will be the ones who come out on top.” 

Top 5 Coaching Program to be Added 

According to Workman, one key benefit that needs to be added to the current Top 5 program is coaching. “Effective immediately, we will offer group coaching to all new and existing Top 5 members at no additional charge,” said Workman. “Our plans are to bring the best agents together in a community of collaboration, coaching and the sharing of best practices. Pinnacle is honored to be at the center of this interaction.” According to Workman, the new Top 5 coaching program will be specifically geared to assisting Top 5 members in their professional development in areas such as lead generation, client relationship management, social networking, implementation of technology systems, and more. 

About RISMedia

RISMedia is the leader in real estate information systems, providing the industry with news, trends and business development strategies for over 30 years through its flagship publication, Real Estate magazine, its leading website, RISMedia.com, and its renowned networking and educational events. Founded in 1980 by CEO and Publisher John E. Featherston, RISMedia has become the residential real estate industry’s definitive source for news and information for real estate’s most profitable and productive professionals.

About Pinnacle Quest Consulting 

Pinnacle Quest Consulting combines the experience of owners Brent Gray, Stan Schreyer and Verl Workman to assist companies with operations, sales strategy and business growth worldwide. Its primary purpose is to assist individuals and companies in more rapidly and efficiently achieving their core objectives. Along with Verl Workman Seminars, Pinnacle Quest is one of the premier technology speaking and coaching firms in the real estate industry. To learn more or to book Verl to speak at one of your events, please visit www.PinnacleQuestConsulting.com.

For more information on the new Top 5 in Real Estate Network^®, please visit www.Top5inRealEstate.com or contact Scott Schreyer, Top 5 General Manager, Scott@Top5inRealEstate.com, (801) 554-7285. 

RISMedia Contact: 
Maria Patterson
maria@rismedia.com
(203) 855-1234, Ext. 127

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Dave Beson Seminars Announces Alliance with RealOrganized, Inc.

Salt Lake City, Utah (November 1, 2011) – Pinnacle Quest Consulting today announced that it has agreed to an alliance between its Dave Beson Seminars division and Windsor, Colorado-based RealOrganized, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Dave Beson’s complete LetterWriter library will be made available to RealtyJuggler Real Estate Software customers as an integrated letter library option.

“We are thrilled to integrate our proven letters into RealtyJuggler’s robust CRM system,” said Dave Beson. “Helping agents be more productive and more effective as real estate professionals is what it’s all about.”

Four different Beson letter libraries will be made available to RealtyJuggler users at a special discounted price. Once fully integrated into RealtyJuggler, the LetterWriter system can be used for printed, as well as email letters, DRIP sequences and even bulk email and bulk printed letters. RealtyJuggler users will also be able to easily customize and integrate the Beson letters with their own letters or the pre-existing letter library within RealtyJuggler.

According to RealOrganized President & CEO, Scott Schmitz, “The Beson LetterWriter letters have long been considered the gold standard for real estate letters and the addition of these letters to RealtyJuggler is a tremendous benefit to RealtyJuggler members. In today’s market, touching past clients and prospecting new clients is tremendously important. These letters are short, well-written and creative and are ideal for assisting our RealtyJuggler customers to keep in touch with their past clients and prospect new clients with a minimum of effort. Why re-invent the wheel when Dave has already perfected it?”

RealtyJuggler is an online real estate software product for Realtors and other real estate professionals. The software can be used for prospecting, touching past clients, transaction management and much more. RealtyJuggler is sold on a subscription basis for $99 per year.

About Dave Beson

Dave Beson is a popular keynote speaker and author. His speaking has taken him to all 50 states, plus Mexico, Canada, the Virgin Islands, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and across Europe. He has also been a featured speaker at the National Association of Realtors convention for 33 years. He is the author of numerous books, periodicals, and articles for real estate professionals, including the LetterWriter client follow-up system. For more about Dave Beson Seminars please visit www.DaveBeson.com or contact Director of Client Services, Jessica Mulle, at jessica@davebeson.com.

About RealOrganized, Inc.

RealOrganized was founded in 2003 by a former executive from AOL and a top real estate agent, each with over a dozen years experience in their respective fields. The company’s mission is to create organizational software for the real estate industry. Visit http://www.RealtyJuggler.com for more information.

Contact:

Dave Beson Seminars
Brent Gray
(801) 618-3366
brent@pinnaclequest.com

RealOrganized, Inc.
Scott Schmitz
(970) 672-3467
administrator@RealtyJuggler.com

The book is a fable of a young couple who visits the Serengeti of Africa to explore and experience firsthand that beautiful land. More importantly, by observing the behavior and unique skills of several the animals of the Serengeti, they learn more about themselves and how those attributes relate to their own interaction with others. Further, they learn from the animals unique skills and strategies that, when understood, can change their own lives.

The book itself is a fascinating and informative read, but one of the best parts is that once you understand each of the seven animals, you are directed to go to www.WhatAnimalAmI.com where you can take a quick and easy 21-question quiz. After you complete the quiz you will be instantly notified which of the seven animals you most closely resemble, along with a detailed description of the character traits. I did it – and I am a mongoose!

A mongoose, you say? That’s what I said! Who wants to be a mongoose? I wanted to be a lion, the King of the Jungle, or possible the cheetah or even a crocodile. But a mongoose? Clearly the test was mistaken, so I thought I would take it again and get a different result. I really thought through each question, I even changed a few of my answers to not be so extreme, but the result was the same. I am a mongoose.

Now before you dismiss me as a trusted resource or un-friend me from Facebook, let me tell you a little about the mongoose. With Stefan’s permission here are the attributes of the mongoose:

• The ability to overcome the fear associated with the risk by evaluating potential pitfalls.
• Viewing the change that immobilizes others as simply another hurdle to overcome. Risk- takers don’t see how things are, but how they could be. They are willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal.
• A readiness to break free from social and emotional boundaries, opinions, beliefs, and restrictions imposed by business and society. Unaffected by the opinions of others, they freely and openly express their ideas.
• Adeptness at finding ways to hedge against risk to take advantage of the upside of a given situation.
• A readiness to assess whether the reward is worth the cost required to take on the risk. They willingly invest hours of personal time on a project, while recognizing that it won’t necessarily be successful.
• An upbeat attitude that allows for potential losses and the refusal to be overwhelmed by the prospects.
• The courage to step out into uncharted waters to ensure that goals are achieved.
• Everyone has a different comfort level in terms of risk—but no matter how much is involved, a positive attitude is essential for success. If doubts and fears overrule hope and optimism, success is much less likely to occur. Small achievements bolster confidence, which leads to a willingness to take bigger risks and accomplish greater goals.

When I showed this to my wife her response was simply, “Oh, you are totally a mongoose!” Easy for her to say; she is a Communicating Elephant!

After spending two days at a recent Safari of Self Discovery workshop with Stefan and getting a much clearer understanding of each of the animals and their skills, I discovered that the test was right on, and that I do possess some special skills that have helped me be successful. It also helped me understand why it was so important to understand each of the other seven animals and the attributes they possess, so I could surround myself with people that had different skills than me.

The other animals/skills include:

1. The Strategic Lion (my business partner Stan’s secondary trait)
2. The Enterprising Crocodile (Stan and also my secondary trait)
3. The Enduring Wildebeest (my amazing assistant Miriam)
4. The Risk-taking Mongoose (yours truly)
5. The Communicating Elephant (my dear wife)
6. The Efficient Cheetah (my other business partner Brent)
7. The Graceful Giraffe (Brent’s secondary trait)

Each of these animals have core values, instincts and skills that allow them to survive the most intense challenges experienced by animals anywhere in the world. It’s simply fascinating!

I have taken many different personality tests over the years and know the difference between Type A and Type B or DISC, or Red, Yellow, Blue and White and many others. They all have great value in teaching us how to deal with others and master building relationships. The Serengeti workshop opened my eyes that there are so many other skills than just four and that it makes sense for us to surround ourselves with people who possess skills where we may be weak. Having an Enterprising Crocodile and an Efficient Cheetah as business partners, and an Enduring Wildebeest for an assistant, makes for a very formidable team! And being married to a Communicating Elephant allows me to learn to become a better communicator.

This has been a very interesting journey of self-discovery for me. I encourage each of you to go online and buy the book (http://bit.ly/SerengetiBook) or download the audio version (http://bit.ly/SerengetiAudio) and one way or the other, be sure take the test (www.WhatAnimalAmI.com) and let me know what animal you are.

I look forward to hearing from each of you and sharing more information as new discoveries are made with how to really internalize and maximize this new discovery. Enjoy and have a great week!

Verl “The Mongoose” Workman

Success in real estate is very much like cooking. You start with basic principles that always work (the recipe), add some personality and a variety of new ingredients, add to that your core motivating values and a coach that can help you make necessary adjustments along the way, and you’ll be headed in the right direction.

Success in today’s marketplace is not about rigidly sticking to cut-in-stone processes. It is about understanding your specific market and applying the right systems at the right time to generate the right leads. So, where do you start and how do you become the next award winner/top producer/rock star? Here are five critical ingredients to your recipe for success:

1)      It all begins with a plan, a recipe if you will, that outlines what it is you are going to accomplish this year. Without a plan—and some specific goals—you will end up just making a mess of your kitchen, or rather, your business. Begin with the end in mind.

2)      Build and work your database. The key ingredient here is a real estate-specific database management system. Your system must be able to manage people and properties, apply and create action or activity plans, manage your listings and closings, and do a great job with lead management and follow-up. There are many other things a good CRM can and should do, but without these few key ingredients it’s not worth investing your time or money.

3)      Prospect daily. Sounds simple, but this is rarely mastered. Top performers know that they are in charge of making it rain. If there are no new leads coming in constantly, they know they are losing ground. There are several ways of prospecting and this is where you get to be creative. You get to choose what activities fit your personality, your market and the specific opportunities you identified in your plan. The key here is consistency. You must block time every day for what I call MMAs – Money-Making Activities.

4)      Stop doing $15 an hour tasks. It is virtually impossible to get to a place where you are making $300.00 an hour if you spend the majority of your time doing administration-level activities. This is one of the hardest things to do, but once you realize that you cap your earning potential by being a control freak, it makes it a lot easier. I have always said: Systems first, assistants second. Set up the right systems and then get great assistants to administer them.

5)      The best of the best all have personal coaches. There is a reason for this. A coach can look at what you are doing and help you make the necessary changes to perfect your recipe to success.

Being a successful real estate agent is not rocket science. Take it from Chef Verl, you just have to have the right recipe or plan – and then you have to execute on it!

By Verl Workman, Pinnacle Quest Consulting © 2011

In my speaking business, I have definitely noticed a difference in how busy I am. I’ve been blessed with a lot of speaking events so far this year, but what I am hearing from the agents out there still concerns me. As I speak to agents I find that while most admit that things are improving, they are still really struggling with what to do to take advantage of the business that is definitely out there.

From time to time I just think we have to ask ourselves the hard question whether what we are currently doing is really working? I know I’ve had to really buckle down with my real estate business and put some new practices – along with several old ones – into place in order to keep my real estate practice successfully growing.

Lately, I’ve been speaking on a new topic that everyone, brokers and agents alike, seem to really enjoy. (When that happens I call it a “Hot Topic!”) Earlier this year I launched my first of several events titled, “Get Your Head In the Cloud and Make it Rain!” It’s definitely been a Hot Topic! It is cutting-edge and I share web sites, free downloads, cool tools and systems that really get your creative juices flowing.

This has been my most popular topic this year and I love delivering it because it is fresh, new, exciting and makes agents really want to be in this business. I can tell from the comments I am getting on my Facebook page that agents love it because it’s helping their businesses grow, and brokers love it because it is helping their agents!

I think it’s a killer seminar, too, and I feel like I am accomplishing my goal to Entertain, Enlighten and most importantly, Empower agents to set themselves apart from their competition and get more business right now.

My other topic that has been a lot of fun and is also getting real results is titled, “How To Become a Freaking Sales Animal.” Some real estate professionals just don’t want to admit that they are SALES PEOPLE! (Heaven forbid!) But those who do, realize that sales is a process and having the right dialog and sales systems can without a doubt create more selling opportunities.

If you have ever attended one of my seminars you may have heard me say that my unfair competitive advantage is that “I’m armed to the teeth with technology” and that “I’m a Freaking Sales Animal!” I’ve still got a lot to learn, too, but I really believe that if more agents had that kind of fire and enthusiasm about what they do, they would definitely be more successful.

I’d love to speak at an event with your company and share either one of these topics. Whether you’re an agent or a broker, I promise you’ll come away with some new ideas to make being in real estate the best profession ever. You can find out more at my web site www.VerlWorkman.com.

If you are still wondering if the New Year will be a good year for you, it might be because you have not taken the time to put a plan in place to succeed.  Success is not accidental or mysterious; it is the result of putting a plan together then executing that plan with perfection.   Here are a few steps that will help you start this year on the right track and will assist you in building your plan (and along with it, a confident, upbeat attitude.)

Step 1  Create your business plan.  Respected author and business consultant Steven Covey states that “Most business failures begin in the first phase of creation, the lack of a business plan or undercapitalization.”

At an early age I learned that if you don’t take time to really think through what it is you are trying to accomplish, you usually end up with less than you expected.  Set aside some time to turn off your cell phone, let your e-mail wait a while, and map out your year.

Step 2  S.W.O.T. One of the most effective ways to start your business plan is to perform a S.W.O.T analysis on your business.  Simply start by dividing a sheet of paper into 4 equal squares and label each square with one letter — S. then W. and so on.

Now begin with the S and identify the things you consider strengths both personally and in your business. The key here is to make sure that your plan focuses on areas you know you excel in.  Strengths could include things like good negotiator, strong work ethic, large database, relationships in REO, have been through a bad market and know what to do etc.

Next, W.  In this section, identify your weaknesses.  This is not designed as an opportunity to beat yourself up, but instead to help you become aware of areas where you are not strong and need to improve (or outsource.)  Weaknesses could include: call reluctance, no capital, lack of a plan, knowledge of the market, don’t know how to or like to prospect, no Internet strategy etc.

O is for opportunities.  In this section, list all of the opportunities you can identify in your current market.  I love this because there is always opportunity out there for those who want to go after it and work.  Opportunities could include: Expired Listings, FSBO’s, REO or bank owned properties, pre-foreclosures, builders with excess inventory, underserved markets such as minorities and immigration or the global relocation of the baby boomers.  Each of the opportunities that you identify should be real and related to your personal market.

Last but not least is the T.  T is for threats. List all of the things that you cannot control that could have an effect on your business.  These items will not require any action items on your part but will help you plan for success in spite of them.  Threats could include: The subprime mortgage situation, the war in Iraq, rising interest rates, discount agents and brokerages, and online predators.

Now that you have finished your S.W.O.T. analysis of your business it is easy to go the next step.

Step 3. Create a plan that capitalizes on your strengths and goes after opportunities in your market, and simultaneously works on developing your weaknesses into strengths.  Break each of these items down into daily bite size tasks.  Then begin checking the action items off one at a time.

You will find that this simple exercise is the basis for an excellent business plan that will allow you to achieve any goals you put your mind to.

I believe that you accomplish great things in your life and in your business if you have the right attitude and a real plan.  So go for it.  Don’t let the naysayers get you down and don’t become one of the water-cooler analysts that constantly complain about how bad things are.  If this is your chosen career then eliminate all of your excuses for failure and get to work!

Remember when it comes to your plan these 3 easy steps just work.   #1 Write it down, #2  Break it to daily bite size activities then #3 simply DO IT!

Some of the biggest challenges we face today is the complicated nature of every transaction, with appraisals, lender restrictions, buyers that can’t decide and are waiting for further drops in prices, and the sheer amount of paperwork that is required to manage a deal.  It seems we need more help to do fewer transactions than ever before.   So what do we do?

Here are a few ideas that can make your world seem like you have some level of control:

First, block time every day to work on your business.  This sounds simple, but you must take time to focus on the things that will allow you to grow your business and earn additional profitability, for example:

• Work on your contact management program and really master the tools to create efficiency in your processes.
• Develop action plans for every activity that you do 3 or more times in your business. For example:  listing plans, closing plans, client follow up plans, open house follow up plans, etc.
• Create systems and dialog for how you want your team members to communicate with clients, build scripts for prospecting, buyers interaction, sign call in’s, internet leads, etc.
• Work on your business plan and update goals for the year, then create action items and work those items in this blocked time until you are moving in the right direction again.

The key to time blocking is to do it at the same time everyday, and make it a non negotiable activity.  What I mean by that is you schedule your time as if it is a listing appointment on a million dollar home.  If something else comes up, you simply say “I have an appointment between 8 and 9, can we meet after that?”  Your priorities have to matter to you and this time will be the most valuable thing you can do today in your business.  It will allow you to focus and put into perspective all of the activities for the day and you will feel a lot more productive and your business will grow.

Secondly, spend time every day prospecting.  If you are struggling to make enough money to pay your bills, then you must not have that much business.  This is a tough thing to admit to yourself, but if you are honest with yourself, then you will realize that the reason you don’t have enough business is because you don’t spend the majority of your day looking for new leads.  What would happen if you spent three hours a day prospecting? Would your business increase?  Most likely it will—dramatically.  Call expired listings, FSBO’s , work your relationships, knock doors in troubled areas, work with pre foreclosures, volunteer for floor time, work other agents open houses in active priced listings– there are so many ways to find business if you are willing to work.  There is business happening and you can find it.  Your goal should really be to find where the transactions are occurring in your area, and then put yourself in the middle of them.

Both of these ideas require discipline on your part and time blocking.   Both will produce great results when done consistently over time.  Give me 30 days of these two items as non negotiable activities, and you will blown away at what is happening in your life and your business.

Zig tells the story of two guys driving through the south Alabama foothills and they got thirsty. They pulled behind an old farm house and found an old fashioned water pump. One of the men started pumping, but nothing came out. He told his friend to go down to the river to get some water to prime the pump and then the water flowed easily. The principle is that you have to put something in to get something out.

It is such a simple principle, but so many of us never master that concept. We want results without putting much, if anything, at all in. We show up every day and hope for success, but we don’t do the work, or prime the pump, that will soon produce the much needed water.

An example of priming the pump is prospecting. The effort we put into prospecting every day seems like priming a pump without getting any water for a while. But as we stick with it consistently over time the results will flow at a steady rate. What are you doing every day to prime your pump? What are the activities that are producing the reward?

Here are a few things you can do every day to keep the water (money) flowing:

• First decide that you are going to prospect! This non-negotiable decision is critical
• Create a plan. Are you going to work FSBO’s, Expireds, Short Sales, First Time Home Buyers, beef up your web strategy, your Database, or a Geographic Farm? Decide what you are going to do and break it down to daily tasks that put you in front of real buyers and sellers
• Time block! This is critical to your success. You must find 2-3 hours a day that you focus on prospecting– nothing else but prospecting! You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by other clients, email, social media or family. This is sacred time that you have set aside to do one thing, PROSPECT!
• Work your database! Your most profitable business will come from people who you know. Build and work relationships like the golden nuggets that they are. Call three past clients every day and update your client records, connect with friends on Facebook, and comment on their posts and activities.
• Don’t fool yourself into thinking that farming on Facebook is prospecting. Use this time to really work on your business. While social media can be a serious lead generator, it can also be a huge time waster, so be careful and stay focused.
• Track your results each day, and celebrate your victories

Each of these activities are “prime the pump” activities. As you get into the habit of doing this each day, your business will thrive and you will find yourself a lot more productive and profitable.

I believe we should love what we are doing, not just some of the time, but all of the time. Our non- verbal communication speaks so much louder than our verbal communication. What I mean by this is can people tell that you really love what you’re doing by watching you and interacting with you? Our love of life, family and even our job can be communicated by the way we interact with people, the smile on our face, the pleasant greetings, and the skip in our step. When interacting with your clients, do they know you are enjoying the process of helping them? Can they feel your enthusiasm? Or will they be wondering if “we are having fun yet”?

Sometimes the realities of life cause us to lose focus on what is really important. I believe in the quote from an ancient prophet that states “Men (and women) are that they might have joy”. Finding the joy in our lives and focusing on the things that make us happy is one of the most important things we can do to live life at the highest level. Those people who find joy in the small things will communicate that to everyone around them. Have you ever noticed someone who has that special glow? They project happiness and joy and their countenance lets everyone know that they are having fun now.

Just a couple of things we can do to make sure people know we are having fun now:

• When people ask how you are doing, answer with an enthusiastic “GREAT!”, or “AWESOME!” or “Unbelievable!”
• Put on your game face. We all have problems and issues, but when we interact with others, especially clients, we need to be able to put on our game face and project how we feel about helping them at the moment. I sometimes have to think about what really makes me happy, like my family, or boating, or maybe a recent vacation before meeting with clients
• Find that place where you were really having a great time and focus on that before your next interaction with a client
• Listen to motivational or inspirations CD’s or talks on your iPod or MP3 player. If positive messages go in, then you will project a positive message to those you interact with
• Read books that inspire you to do and be better
• Exercise daily. This is not easy, but exercise makes you feel better about yourself, and when you feel good about yourself others will feel better about you as well.
• And last –Have FUN now!

Love what you do! If you truly love what you do, you can deal with any problem that is thrown your way. Love the challenges that arise in your life and business, enjoy overcoming them and conquering the tough ones, celebrate your victories and dwell on the positives in your life.

___________________________________________________________________________

Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

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