CR Magazine - Summer 2017

Managing Broker
Motivate Your
Agents with
the Perfect
Sales Meeting
he oce meeting. hats the first word that comes to mind
essential ducational readed ll of the above Oce meetings
are indeed an essential element of our industry, and when done
well, are quite educational for brokers. Executing them, however,
can be a dreaded activity for the Managing Broker.
Many Managing Brokers agree that they struggle with meeting
attendance and/or disengaged attendees. They struggle to come
up with relatable meeting content as well as finding new and
ecient was of ensuring that brokers are aware of the meetings in
the first place. f this resonates with ou it ma be time to formulate
an entirely new meeting strategy.
Let’s focus on three critical components that, once mastered,
will relieve meeting trepidation for good: content, consistency
and communication.
Content
The meeting’s topic and content matter. Meetings should be well
planned, timely and overall positive in nature. If the vibe of the
meeting is awkward or uncertain, your attendance and participation
are sure to falter. Meetings should always remain upbeat and positive.
They should take place in an open and honest environment, where
ideas and best practices ow naturall and are shared and discussed
amongst everyone in attendance. Collaboration is key: it naturally
brings questions and concerns to the surface that would make great
content for follow up discussions or even future meetings.
Another important step when determining meeting content is to
evaluate the needs of your brokers. Knowledge gaps exist across
the board, but vary based on agent demographics, such as tenure,
transaction type, experience with technology, etc. This practice will
help identify topics to target and ensure that your meetings will add
value to the brokers’ business. Here are some additional tips to help
identify solid content:
1. Ask the brokers directly to provide suggestions.
2. Stay connected to the associations. They help the managing
broker stay current on industry events and will likely provide
additional topics for team meetings. Follow them on social
media in order to get information quickly and easily.
3. Network with other Managing Brokers and share ideas —
there’s no need to reinvent the wheel!
Consistency
eekl meetings are highl recommended. Oce meetings
offer an ecellent opportunit for our brokers to come in to the
oce engage with their peers and activel work on real estate
transactions. Brokers are constantly being pulled in several
directions and need to adhere to the changing schedules of clients,
other brokers, appraisers, etc. There are many reasons to host
regular meetings, but perhaps the most critical is this: it creates a
consistent schedule in an inconsistent industry.
he goal is for brokers to prioritie their attendance at oce
meetings, so focus on hosting them on the same day, at the same
time, consistently. This allows brokers to book appointments
around the meeting schedule, without ever wondering whether
a meeting will take place. Managing Brokers can begin by
determining the frequency of meetings that will work best for their
particular oce. egardless of whether meetings are held weekl
monthly or quarterly, there are a few things to consider when
scheduling for consistency:
1. Know what day your market hosts broker opens, as well as
any other competing obligations, and avoid scheduling
during that time.
16 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine