Page 71 - Trump University Commercial Real Estate 101
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Ho w to Become a Deal Magnet



                   They run the systems, and your job is to monitor and improve the
                   whole thing.
                         I read a great book on systems when I started my real estate busi-
                   ness. It ’ s called the  E - myth Revisited , by Michael Gerber.
                         The book talks about how to create systems so you are constantly
                   working  on  your business instead of  in  your business. When you work
                   on your business, you continually look for improvements. The goal is
                   to make tomorrow work better than today. When you merely work in
                   the business, you ’ re so caught up in the daily grind, you can ’ t step back
                   and make adjustments. Tomorrow will be the same as today, except
                   you ’ ll be one day older.
                         When you make a mistake, create a system so you don ’ t make it
                   again. Determine what you do best and systemize everything else.
                   Sure, you can ’ t do that on Day One, but you should be working toward
                   that goal from Day One.
                         Your marketing systems are a key component. For example, I have
                   a mailing system. I buy lists of property owners to whom I want to
                   send mail at least once per year. I hand that list to a bunch of little old
                   ladies in a local elderly complex in my hometown.
                         I supply my ladies with my marketing letters, envelopes, and other
                   needed materials.
                         I also give them a written explanation of which letter goes to which
                   type of property owner in what month. When letters come back
                   marked as non - deliverable, they take that owner ’ s name off the list.
                         They call when they ’ re running low on supplies and when the letters
                   are ready to be mailed. Yes, they ’ re wonderful little old ladies, but even
                   so, I want to get the letters that are ready for mailing so I can drop them
                   in the mail. Anyone who ’ s been in direct mail for any length of time can
                   tell you horror stories about money spent on mailing campaigns, only to
                   find out that the letters never got mailed and the postage was stolen.

                         The best use of my time is to answer the phone when the seller
                   calls. It ’ s that simple. If I relied on myself to do the letter campaigns, it
                   would just not get done. It ’ s too easy to get busy and forget to get
                   those letters out. Besides if you ’ ve ever stuffed, stamped, and written


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