Please, I beg of you, stop reading this column now and go to your Google calendar and set up a reminder in the fall of 2014 to search for BWC 2015 so you can experience the very best little real estate conference in North America! Do it now! It’s okay, I’ll wait.
The Banff Western Connection 2013 is behind us, wrapping up on the last weekend in January with a thrilling appearance by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Michaële Jean, former Governor General of Canada. For an hour, delegates hung on every word of her story, from the terrors of Haiti under Papa Doc Duvalier to Montreal as a refugee to Rideau Hall. And later that evening, joining us for dinner, eating among us, gracious, as awestruck curious citizens approached her table.
I think the 2013 edition of the BWC was the best ever in the 20-year history of this conference. It welcomed back presenters from the first conference including David Chilton, aka The Wealthy Barber, and first-time delegates Neil Woodrow and Ingrid Pfeiffer, who had the opportunity to catch the well-matured sales skills of Floyd Wickman contrasted with the streaming video experience of the Rockstar Homes Team from Regina.
Some highlights from hypnotist Dr. Mike Mandel:
“Remain calm” is better than “Don’t panic!”
“What do you want?” is a better question than “What’s wrong?”
“How can I get smarter?” rather than “Why am I so stupid?”
Check Dr. Mike on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_fxezrhy7k
From “That Interview Guy”, Michael Krisa, I learned getting clients to “know, like and then trust” you is timeless as he led a powerhouse panel of “new age” Realtors through a discussion of the relevance of video. Google Michael Krisa, Kelley Skar and Brin Werrett for proof.
From Jack Bensimon I learned ads that make consumers smile or show you caring for others are the most effective, that men are attracted to images of attractive women. Oddly, women are not, preferring instead ads featuring family values, nature or pets. Go figure!
Phil Soper, president of Royal LePage, told us what we should always have known but rarely acknowledge – that prices will not rise until wages allow them to and that referral and word of mouth are still the leading means of choosing a Realtor.
I learned that whether you are Dominico Sicliano from the 1970s or the newest recruit in 2013, you have to get “face to face, belly to belly, voice to voice” with people.
The trainer message is the same. “Set a goal, make a commitment, do the basics.” Academy Award-winning movie star or Realtor, the routine is the same “Practice, drill, rehearse.” You don’t get paid for the minute or two in front of the audience, you get paid for the hours, days and months of preparation.
From another old timer – Richard Flint – constantly ask yourself, “What value do you bring to the equation?” People don’t buy products, they buy value. People forget people who bring no value to their life.” And, “Selling is a process, guiding is the skill.”
From the very thrifty (by his own admission) David Chilton, whose session included his latest book The Wealthy Barber Returns for the first 400 through the doors, “The four most expensive letters in the English alphabet – HD-TV. And the four most expensive words in housing renovation, ‘While we’re at it…’” In a candid aside during his very funny presentation, David advised that 50 Shades of Grey had now passed his book on the best seller list. To regain the lead, he is titling his next book, The Horny Barber.
From the brain guy, Dr. John Medina, we learned you cannot multi-task. The men in the audience heaved a huge sigh of relief. He advised us of the benefits of a 26-minute nap, scheduled 12 hours past the mid-point of your previous night’s sleep. We did the math and one-third of the audience nodded off. Such naps improve brain power by 36 per cent – but you have to be prone.
Did I mention the author of The Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha? He spoke of the three “S’s” of an awesome workplace and urged us to find a way daily to enjoy more of the awesome things in the limited time we have left. Because you’ll never be as young as you are today.
Final word to Dr. John Medina. Omega 3 daily increases brain power. I started the moment I got back. I am so much smarter than a week ago.
Honest.
Contact Marty Douglas by email at [email protected]. Follow or connect with Marty on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. He is a managing broker for Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty in Comox and Courtenay, B.C. He is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Insurance Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C., the B.C. Real Estate Association and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board.
