KW Young Professionals Division: Realtor Safety Presented by Angela Rose

October 28th, 2014

Watching the webinar from my desk.

Recently, leaders in the KW Young Professionals Division (KWYP) Current Events Committee set a plan in motion to raise awareness and provide safety tips for real estate agents. The first deliverable: a live webinar.

Angela Rose

Yesterday, Angela Rose, the team leader of the Keller Williams Realty market center in Arlington, VA, addressed KWYP members about this hot topic that is also close to Angela’s heart. When Angela was 17 years old, she was kidnapped leaving the shopping mall where she worked in broad daylight. Focused not only on her survival but intent that she would play an integral role in authorities finding her kidnapper, Angela not only survived the kidnapping but has used the experience to help others. Today, Angela is responsible for a nonprofit, Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) whose mission is use education and action to shatter the silence of sexual violence through targeted social, educational, and legislative tactics. She is also the strong, loud, and clear voice of victims in media sources such as HLN and CBS.

Realtor Safety Webinar

Angela started the webinar by reminding young professionals that realtor safety has always been an important topic but is heightened with three recent events of real estate agents being murdered, sexually assaulted, and physically beaten during the past few months. Don’t live in fear but be mindful of keeping our colleagues safe. She challenged all young professionals to be the voice of safety in their market centers.

While sharing her kidnapping story, Angela explained her personal survival tips. It all started with her mindset, the only thing she had control over. She promised herself that if she survived, the kidnapper would go behind bars. She made herself very personal to the kidnapper. She told him a fake name and continued to talk about how her parents would be looking for her. She also explained to always trust your gut instinct, if your internal alarms are blazing, there is a reason.

Angela shared practical realtor safety tips. She is holding a Realtor Safety Stand Down in her community complete with self defense demonstrations and best practices for real estate offices. Keller Williams Realty always emphasizes meeting first time clients at the real estate office. Angela added, ask each new client to complete the prospect ID form offered to NAR members and to get a copy of a driver’s license when meeting clients for the first time.

Each office should have two code words for distress so that a real estate agent can call the office when alone with clients for help. The first word indicates that someone from the office should come to the location to check out the situation, the second word is to immediately call the police. She reminded the young professionals that it is OK to call 911, there are no fines. You would rather create an uncomfortable situation or lose a client than lose your life. Don’t underestimate the power of the buddy system!

Many crimes are committed during open houses increasing the risk of danger. When conducting an open house, make sure to lock all doors except for the front door. Attackers have been known to slip out back or side doors to wait for an open house to conclude. Ask all visitors to sign the registry, this is more about safety for the seller and you than it is about business. Remind the seller to lock away jewelry, valuables, and prescription medications.

Angela mentioned the hot debate of real estate agents carrying pepper spray or another weapon. She personally has carried a miniature pepper spray and spent a considerable amount of time practicing so she would know what to do if in a dangerous situation. She said practice is the key. Don’t let your weapon be used against you!

Angela recommended leveraging technology to stay safe. Her favorite safety apps: Watchoverme, BSafe, ReactMobile, OnWatch.

Angela concluded by thanking these future Keller Williams leaders who have the incredible opportunity of making a difference by setting standards of realtor safety in offices across the nation. She parted with a quote from Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has!”

Keller Williams Presents Run for the Water

October 26th, 2014

Top Left: KW Declares Race Day Victory Top Right: The KWRI Team Working Packet Pick-up Bottom Left: Super Selfie with Gilbert Tuhabonye Bottom Right: Rise and Shine KW

What a morning?!? The alarm clock went off early, too early for a Sunday morning but it was worth it! Keller Williams Realty was the title sponsor for Run for the Water. Hundreds of Keller Williams family members gathered with thousands of Austinites to rally behind the Gazelle Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people in Burundi by providing access to clean water. More than 4,524 participants signed up to run and walk either a 5K or a 10 miler, including children who participated in a 1K – super cute!

Gilbert Tuhabonye

Gilbert Tuhabonye is considered a local celebrity for his leadership in the Austin running world. While now living the American dream with a wife, two kids, a successful running business, Gilbert’s Gazelles, and a large charitable foundation, his run to what he has now was not so picturesque. Gilbert was raised in a small East African village in Burundi. Resources were scarce and villagers had to walk miles for drinking water, which was often dirty and infested with disease. What was more horrific than the scarcity of resources was the war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. In 1993, while Gilbert was in school, Hutu tribesmen, including parents, teachers, and students, brutally beat and burned the Tutsi students and teachers. Gilbert was already an accomplished runner and used his gift of running to save his life. Gilbert recently shared his story at a Keller Williams Realty International staff meeting. There was not a sound in the room as Gilbert described his thoughts as he ran through mountains and plains after being burned and beaten. He knew that if he kept running, he would survive. He did more than survive, Gilbert is thriving!

Keller Williams Realty and Run for the Water

Keller Williams is proud of our eight-year relationship with Run for the Water! Our corporate team and Austin market center associates and leadership look forward to this day each year. Leading up to the race, our family members can be found working packet pick-up and other volunteer duties. This morning, the day of, we are there in full affect. After Gilbert and Keller Williams Realty President Mary Tennant welcomed the crowd, Keller Williams Southwest Market Center Team Leader Melanie Kennemann sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Then we were off! Ninety minutes later, through sweat and smiles, we declared victory for finishing the race (making sure our corporate wellness manager noticed)!

The Real Victory

The race raised approximately $43,000, providing clean water for more than 6,200 Burundians. #BOOM Keller Williams Realty: Locally based, globally minded, and dedicated to improving communities!

Gary Keller on Empire Building: Keep It Simple

October 22nd, 2014

Gary Keller Teaches Empire Building

Last week was my birthday week! What better gift than a free eight-hour empire-building business-coaching seminar presented by Keller Williams Realty International founder Gary Keller!?! A phenomenal class is not unusual at our training center. What was unusual is that this class included more than 100 business owners, not just real estate agents. As I lay the foundation to build my real estate empire, the topics, energy, and words of wisdom were practically yelling at me to #Conquer! (#Conquer is my favorite hashtag.)

The One Thing

Keller shared that success comes when one focuses on one thing at a time. “If you have more than one priority, you missed the definition of the word.” He referenced a concept from his #1 best-selling business book, The ONE Thing, stating that a good business person has their most important tasks lined up like dominoes, with one priority leading to the next priority leading to the next. You knock one priority down, the rest will follow.

“If you have more than one priority, you missed the definition of the word.”

Simplify

I marveled as Keller clearly explained and simplified complex business decisions. “Life is complex, but you need to live in simplicity,” he said. A lot of times, a new business owner might be lost on where to start. Go to the end and work backwards.

If you can’t be #1, #2, or #3 in the business space, redefine your product or service. It does not mean to exit, it means to niche it down until you have found where you can be in the top three positions. Positioning is identifying holes in the marketplace, so position yourself or be positioned. The reality that counts is what is in your consumers’ heads. Take a tip from Warren Buffett: invest in monopolies and toll booths. What is your value proposition? Why would someone want it? Make sure it is quantifiable so that you can measure success.

Keller Williams Realty is known for models and systems. Keller discussed that models and systems not only make tasks easy to replicate but also ensure quality control and standards. He warned that a successful empire builder cannot be a control freak but can provide systems for control.

We all know the feeling of hitting a wall. It is so frustrating! “If you are hitting a ceiling, there is a relationship missing,” Keller said. You can’t make decisions in the bubble in your head, you must seek input and get feedback on your ideas. Keller’s key relationship, a coach. He recommends that all empire builders hire a coach, someone to push you and who has a vested stake in your business. He reminded the group time and again that “No one succeeds alone!” He used countless examples including Nike’s use of athlete endorsements to strengthen their brand. He referenced Just Do It, a book about Phil Knight’s path to build Nike into the empire that it is today by counting on others.

“No one succeeds alone!

At Keller Williams Realty, we each have a simplified business plan laid out to conquer our biggest goal called a 1-3-5. Keller introduced the concept and applied it to empire building. What is the one goal that, if achieved, all other goals of the business automatically will be achieved? Think of the domino effect. What are the three priorities to achieve that goal and what are the five steps to accomplish each priority? This planning tool, when turned on it’s side, can create your organizational chart.

Leadership

The conversation continued to leadership. To attract the right people, you have to tell them where you are going. Create your mission, vision, values, perspective and beliefs (MVVBP). Where are you going? What does it look like? How are we adding value to the world? What rules do we follow? As you seek talent you look for people who buy into your mission. Keller Williams Realty has a strong MVVBP, setting a great example of clearly defining these concepts.

Your people are your most powerful weapon. Hire your equal, someone who challenges and push everyone ahead. A good leader seeks replacement talent and does not fear it. The job of the leader is to be looking ahead, laying an additional foundation to provide an opportunity for talent to exceed the next set of goals.

How does one find talent? Seek people you already know or have worked with. A good leader understands behavior and uses behavior assessments to identify talent. Ask enough questions to truly figure out who they are and identify their track record of success. Do a screen, a personality test, a comprehensive life story interview. Check MANY references asking questions to validate your conclusions. Keller Williams Realty uses a recruit-select model that will be taught in an upcoming Career Visioning class taught by another business icon, Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis. Hire someone with something to prove or a fire in their belly.

“I want a quarterback who does an amazing job when no one else is doing their job.”

This summary barely scratches the surface of Keller’s advice and I have a lot of great info to share! Email me at holly.priestner@kw.com and let’s chat further or learn more about similar training opportunities at the1thing.com/events.

Keller Williams Realty International College Associate Program

October 11th, 2014

Top Left: Cindy Castillo upon receiving her official offer
Bottom Left: Summer associates George Thorne and Lauren Prasfika with CEO Mark Willis
Right: Current associate Jeana Thompson with CEO Mark Willis

There was serious energy at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) yesterday as conversations centered around this weekend’s Red River Shoot Out. In Longhorn country, we call this Texas/OU weekend.

“Who is going to the game?” “Where are you staying?” “What are you eating at the Texas State Fair?” And my favorite, “What are you going to wear? It’s supposed to rain!”

When passing through the lobby, I proudly glanced at our two KWRI college associates and it hit me. All three of us are going to the same football game this weekend but will have VERY DIFFERENT experiences. I inquired about their plans and then marveled that these two mature, professional “colleagues” are still college students. Mind-boggling! I would trust either with significant roles in our company.

KWRI College Associates

Last spring, we launched the KWRI college associate program that my friend Danielle and I have the opportunity to oversee. On the outside, this looks like an awesome paid internship program at the corporate headquarters for the largest real estate company in North America. On the inside, it is so much more than that! It is our hope that we are laying the foundation for these students to consider a career at a Keller Williams Realty office or at KWRI!

Like all positions in our company, we use the Recruit-Select process to select only the best. From day one, our college associates receive a well-rounded introduction to corporate life, spending two-week blocks in at least five departments. Through these experiences, in addition to the exposure to core products and services, they are also connecting with multiple company leaders. Each week, Danielle and I meet with the students to assess the week’s work and to provide professional or leadership growth coaching. One week, we might offer support on navigating a tricky work situation. Another week, we might discuss what steps to take when evaluating the path to an advanced degree. We share the reading lists of our executives and discuss the suite of books written by Keller Williams Realty founder Gary Keller.

We encourage our college associates to participate in Keller Williams trainings. This means taking part in classes like Recruit-Select or Franchise Systems Orientation. Our fall college associates attend parts of Mega Camp. The current duo is in for a very special treat on Monday when they attend Empire Building: Building a Business Worth Owning presented by Gary Keller!

I would be remiss if I did not share an especially touching story about our very first college associate, Cindy Castillo. Last spring, we were blessed to have this hard working, soft-spoken, brilliant, and sweet college associate. She juggled school, the internship, a job at Cracker Barrel, as well as a robust social life. A few weeks into her tenure, we had departments fighting over her! Even better, as graduation neared, we had multiple departments wishing to hire her.

A few weeks before Cindy’s graduation from St. Edwards University in May, I had the honor of sitting at the table as Cindy received her offer from MAPS Coaching to permanently join their team. There were tears all the way around, mainly from Cindy. As she sat in shock expressing gratitude, she had no way of comprehending that she earned this position and how grateful we were that she accepted the offer. Her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the Keller Williams culture made her the PERFECT fit for the job, outshining all of the competition.

Cindy’s story has a special element to it. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college. She has worked since she was a young teenager and responsibly budgeted her college expenses to fit within her income from Cracker Barrel. (Did I mention they were asking her to start their management program?)

She didn’t immediately tell her family the news of her offer until she could do so in person, a few weeks later. The following week when Danielle and I took her to a special graduation celebratory lunch, she excitedly shared her family’s reactions and we could feel their pride through her words. The tears flowed for all of us and then again when Cindy was elated over her graduation gift from us, KW red Kendra Scott earrings. (That’s so KWRI!)

Each college associate leaves a great legacy behind. Cindy works beside us each day. This summer, George from the University of North Carolina left us one of my new favorite books, Things a Little Bird Told Me. And Lauren from Auburn University introduced us to one of our current college associates from The University of Texas, Jeana. We realize that each one is not going to return to a full-time Keller Williams Realty position but we are confident in the lasting bonds built and that we will always be part of their professional journey.

Learn more about the KWRI college associate program or recommend a candidate by emailing me at holly.priestner@kw.com. Or, tweet me @hollypriestner.

Keller Williams Realty: The Company that Keeps Giving

October 9th, 2014

Keller Williams Realty International’s CANville Structure: the Austin City Limits Festival iconic logo made out of 2,789 cans measuring more than 14 feet tall and 8 feet

The number one reason I joined the team at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) is the focus on giving and sharing. The entire company — from the corporate headquarters to every franchise office — voluntarily shuts down for RED Day, our international day of service. At KWRI, departments are encouraged to spend working hours volunteering at local nonprofits as team-building exercises. And most important, we take care of each other through KW Cares and the HEART Fund. Giving is at the heart of all that we do!

Austin City Limits Festival Logo CANstruction

This week is the week in between the two Austin City Limits Festival weekends. Last weekend, as 80,000+ people packed the festival each day of the three-day event, I was reminded of a recent community-giving project led by our IT team, CANville. We built the iconic “ACL Music Fest” guitar sign out of 2,789 cans. The structure measured more than 14 feet tall and 8 feet wide. Why did we do this? CANville!

CANville

CANville is an ingenious way that BuildASign.com has engaged other Austin corporations in a fundraising and can drive competition to benefit and raise awareness for the Capital Area Food Bank. Companies “pay to play” and commit a food drive. At KWRI, we take competition seriously and IT set goals surpassing the program’s minimum, challenging us to bring more than 2,000 cans and raise $3,000.

The journey began! The annual IT auction took place, generating funds for the initiative. A fundraising website was built and checks and cash started to roll in. To select our CANstruction landmark, IT provided numerous options and we voted with dollars, the landmark receiving the most money won — the ACL Music Fest icon. Can drive donation boxes popped up around the office and individuals began competing against each other to bring the most cans. Our company CFO won bragging rights for bringing the most cans. We engaged our children and our friends at Svantes Stuffed Burgers in the fundraising efforts. The CANstruction began at my “realtor home,” the Keller Williams Austin Southwest Market Center, (we needed a place with a HUGE lobby!) and in just a couple of days, we had our canned version of ACL Music Fest.

The Golden Can Trophy

The big day arrived, the moment of truth, the CANville Reveal party at Alamo Drafthouse. We anxiously waited to learn if we would win the Golden Can trophy. We killed it! Our canned food drive brought more than 3,700 cans and our fundraising goal was shattered with more than $6,000 donated by KWRI to the Capital Area Food Bank! We bought home the Golden Can trophy but, more important, we made an impact on the Capital Area Food Bank, Central Texas’ largest hunger-relieve charity.

Watch the video of our CANville story!

Do You Want to be a Keller Williams Super Star?

October 7th, 2014

Keller Williams Realty — A training company disguised as a real estate company. A company COMMITTED to training leaders. This year, Training Magazine ranked Keller Williams the #2 training organization across all industries in the world. That’s right, the world, we know what we are doing!

Be a Keller Williams Super Star

Last month, Keller Williams launched the KW Young Professionals Division (#KWYP). The purpose is to train young associates to become phenomenal leaders. Why would we go outside of the company to identify our future CEO when we can “grow” one from within? We are cultivating leaders who are dedicated to our unique culture and to empowering and motivating others to achieve extraordinary success.

The executive star power involved in supporting this initiative is unprecedented. They all want to play! Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis has forgotten his true age and continues to pop in for special events. (If you find a way for us to break the news that he is no longer in his 30’s, let me know!) He starred in the first members-only live webinar and immediately committed to participate in more. President Mary Tennant and KW MAPS Coaching CEO Dianna Kokoszka continue to identify powerful resources that ensure membership provides great value!

Why Join?

What better way to build value for members than to ask young professionals what they want? That is exactly what we did! After talking to young professionals from across the globe, we found that they want to access to executives; to learn from other young professionals who are succeeding at a high level; they want to teach, share, and build an international network for business development and referrals; and they want to have a life worth living while building a business worth owning. To break it down, they want KWYP to provide opportunities to increase leverage, leadership, and money.

This division provides training from the best of the BEST on how to leverage assets, especially when it comes to building, managing, and motivating a team. Through resources provided by executives and KW MAPS Coaching, members will focus on leadership skills and the mindset necessary to be successful leaders. And of course, we’ll concentrate on increasing productivity from marketing tips to savvy business practices that will put #KWYP members at the top of the closed transactions and gross commission income lists.

The networking opportunities are endless! In early 2015, a members-only online community will connect members from around the world, providing a platform for referrals. During Family Reunion, an all-day event will provide #KWYP members-only programming and networking. At Mega Camp, the division will host a networking event.

As I mentioned, Mark Willis starred in the first live webinar on October 1. He dazzled #KWYP by sharing his personal stories of his early career and drilled down into recruit-select skills and why it is especially applicable to this audience. Dianna Kokoszka will delve into the mindset of a super leader during the next live webinar on November 3.

These examples are just scratching the surface. From monthly video clips of young professionals super stars like Lisa Archer and Tim Heyl to wellness resources to involvement on committees, the division will add value to any young professional’s journey.

What makes #KWYP the best Keller Williams product EVER? When we called other major real estate brokerages to benchmark how they cultivate their future leaders, we learned that most are relying on the National Association of REALTORS (NAR)or local groups. Not Keller Williams! We are the first company to provide a program of this kind, solidifying our commitment to putting agents first by identifying even more ways to enhance their lives and careers.

Launch your leadership path today by joining #KWYP. Visit kwyp.org to read specific information about membership benefits or to join and access the members-only section of the website that includes Mark Willis’ webinar archive now.

Let’s take a line from Power Ups with one of my mentors Dianna Kokoszka:

Do you want to be a Keller Williams Super Star? I do, do you?

Keller Williams Realty: Real Estate 101

October 4th, 2014

Just a few tools Keller Williams provides that ignite new agent success!

Let’s be real, I am the luckiest girl to be a real estate agent who happens to work at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI), the corporate headquarters for the real estate company of choice. My real estate business is new, having earned my license just this summer. While I already had 100% confidence that Keller Williams provides the BEST training, models, and technology for any agent, it has been fun to assess the tools as a new and eager agent excited to build my personal business.

This is MY top ten list of why Keller Williams Realty is the real estate company of choice for new agents starting from scratch:

#1 Millionaire Real Estate Agent: Often referred to as the “red book” or MREA for short, this book details systems and models that lead to tremendous success. Seriously, if you follow the steps in the book, your business will #BOOM! It’s proven time and again by our company’s top agents. Most of the Keller Williams trainings are based off of the concepts in this book.

#2 Ignite!: Ignite does exactly what it says, ignites your real estate career to immediate productivity! This 18-module course is taught in two to three hour blocks each month at market centers (franchise offices) to literally teach new agents how to do business.

#3 Productivity Coach: It’s amazing! There is a designated person at my market center to help agents be productive. No one has EVER worried about me being productive until now. Once a month, I sit down with the productivity coach. We set goals for the month. I ask her questions about processes. She offers tips on how to leverage Keller Williams tools to their maximum capacity. The productivity coach is one of the strongest examples of Keller Williams’ commitment to their agents’ success!

#4 Earn more than 100%: Agents can earn more than 100% commission! How?!? We all know that Gary Keller is a genius to start the largest real estate company in North America, soon to be the world. The coolest thing about Gary is his philosophy of putting agents first. The Keller Williams economic model puts agents first. While there is a company split for part of the year, after a certain dollar amount, agents keep 100% of their commission. The company also allows agents to build a down line. Let me explain. As an agent, I recruit my friend Elizabeth to join Keller Williams. Elizabeth quickly ignites into productivity and her market center is profitable. I receive a piece of her productivity. Elizabeth soon recruits her friend Lauren which means Elizabeth gets a piece of Lauren’s productivity. Soon, you are earning more profit share than you pay for your annual cap = more than 100%!

#5 KW Connect: While there are countless local trainings worldwide at market centers and at KWRI, KW Connect is an online platform just for Keller Williams agents that hosts videos on every topic and class available—free for our agents!

#6 Google Apps for Business: Keeping to Keller’ Williams’ philosophy of putting agents first, the company recently adopted Google Apps for Business. To quote Cary Sylvester, vice president of technology, innovation and communication, “Using Google’s familiar, intuitive tools will simplify day-to-day work so associates can focus on the dollar-producing activities that lead to big results.” There you have it! In addition to the simplicity, our agents have access to large amounts of cloud storage and online communications tools.

#7 eEdge: This lead-to-close content management system allows agents to track their clients through the never ending client lifecycle. More important, it provides a marketing platform to ensure that agents have a professional look by providing website and slick marketing campaign templates.

#8 KW Mobile App: Keller Williams has the coolest mobile app. Even before I joined the company, any time I was a passenger in a car, I would have the app open, looking at nearby homes for sale. The app allows consumers to search nearby homes and rentals, locate open houses, conduct an advance search on personal preferences, and contact an agent. As an agent, you can personalize the app to remind your clients that your searches are tied to them and to generate leads when home seekers show interest in your listings.

#9 Health Benefits Platform: Keller Williams was the first major brokerage to offer a health benefits platform for our real estate associates. Shop health, life, vision, and dental insurance as well as other special benefits such as Teladoc and Legal Shield.

#10 Culture: Nothing beats the Keller Williams culture! At Keller Williams, you are family and we take care of our family from helping a new agent learn the industry to our foundation KW Cares that helps those who experience unexpected hardship. Most recently, we created a foundation for our kids, KW Kids Care. This new nonprofit is to provide the children in the Keller Williams family the opportunity to achieve their dreams while learning the importance of giving back to others.

This is just MY top ten list. I imagine that every one of my colleagues has a different yet just as robust list. We want to know your needs and will identify how Keller Williams Realty can make your business dreams come true. After all, we are the real estate company of choice and want to provide you with a career worth having, business worth owning, and life worth living!

Ask me about Keller Williams Realty by emailing me at holly.priestner@kw.com.

#KWYP Mark Willis Part II

October 3rd, 2014

Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis dazzling #KWYP on his webinar, then pauses for a #CEOSuperSelfie!

Yesterday, I shared the personal stories Keller Williams Realty CEO Mark Willis told the KW Young Professionals Division on their first live webinar. As we think about Mark’s advice, it is so important to remember that Mark has spent a lot of time on self mastering, especially as a leader. He is a fast-paced “doer.” He truly understands the work it takes and the rewards that come from succeeding through others. Most important, he grasps the importance of succeeding through the RIGHT others, the reason why he is so passionate about the Recruit-Select process.

The goal was to cover why it is important to use the Recruit-Select process when hiring a team. Many of Keller Williams’ young professionals are building their empires and the first step is to get into business with the right talent. No company takes recruiting talent more seriously than Keller Williams through the Recruit-Select process.

Mark reiterated that no one succeeds alone. He referenced John Maxwell’s Law of Significance, emphasizing the importance of having a team. He recommended a reality check, understanding that it is so easy to be a “doer” because someone else won’t do it exactly the way that you do it. He emphasized that as a leader it is important to slow down and to teach others if you expect to succeed through them. They don’t have to do it naturally, you can teach them. Have a clear vision of your business and make it simple. If you select the right talent, they can do it. Keller Williams Realty sets a clear and simple vision: to be the real estate company of choice. I think all 107,000+ associates understand and want this!

At Keller Williams, we talk about mastering what we call the Six Perspectives. Mark drilled down to what it means to master these important concepts.

#1 Commit to Self Mastery: Mastering who we are as leaders — where we are and where we want to be — is key. Mark used a great analogy. In karate, a white belt wants to be a black belt. The white belt knows what the black belt does, and must master or fine tune the skills in order to become the black belt. Think, “I am going to nail this!”
#2 Commit to the 80/20 Principle: According to Pareto’s Principle, 20 percent of your time produces 80 percent of your results. Make that 20 percent count!
#3 Move from Entrepreneurial to Purposeful (E to P): In the beginning of a new initiative or business, there is a lot of energy, a lot of entrepreneurial spirit. At some point, you hit a ceiling and you have to refocus that energy to learn new skills, models, and tools. Become purposeful about the paths to break through the ceiling of achievement.
#4 Make Being “Learning Based” the Foundation of Your Action Plan: Make learning at the base of all that you do so that when you take action, it is in the most effective way possible.
#5 Remove Limiting Beliefs: This is my favorite! “The way we fire is the way we wire.” Your recurring thoughts become hard-wired in your head. Start unwiring thoughts that hold you back from envisioning and achieving your goals. (This is a good time to take BOLD.)
#6 Be Accountable: Avoid being a victim.We don’t have time for victims! Be accountable and take ownership of your business and team.

How do you know when you have found talent? Here’s something that really resonated with me: The RIGHT people will be accountable not because they are obedient, but because they want the same things that you do. Talent challenges you, knows what they want and is actively going for it, raises the bar, and wants to be associated with other talent.

As a leader, it is so important to earn the respect, loyalty, and hearts and minds of your team. It takes time and you must invest that time! Help others discover their own mission, values, and beliefs. Mark defines leadership as teaching people how to think, allowing them to come to their own actions. He recommends holding them accountable for the results. What a simple yet powerful concept? Look at the action, assess the results, coach them and encourage them to go for even bigger results.

Important Takeaways:
1) Get into MAPS Coaching — immediately!
2) Your first hire should be an assistant. Your assistant is your “empire protector.”
3) Clearly define your organizational chart and job descriptions. (He even provided job descriptions for the positions in a mega agent team.)
4) When considering talent, look for those who have skills you cannot teach: motivation, integrity, how they treat others. Technical skills can be taught.
5) Look for the empire builders, those who want what you want, those who will build your empire!
6) Follow the Recruit-Select model.

We all know that Recruit-Select does not stop with the hire – there is training, leadership, and motivation. A good manager creates a roadmap to success for each hire – that’s the Keller Williams expectation! Master this magic by signing up for Keller Williams Recruit-Select-Train-Lead-Motivate (RSTLM) by accessing the course schedule on Keller Williams University.

For all my friends in businesses outside the real estate industry, make plans to attend a seminar Mark Willis is teaching called Career Visioning: Hiring the Right Talent to Build Your Empire on November 4-5 in Austin. Email me at holly.priestner@kw.com for FREE access to this $1,500 seminar. It is for sure a #KWBooYAH!

#KWYP Mark Willis Part I

October 2nd, 2014

Mark sharing his new favorite word, petulant.

Keller Williams Realty CEO Mark Willis sharing his new favorite word, petulant.

#BOOM! That’s the best way to describe today’s first KW Young Professionals Division members-only webinar starring Keller Williams Realty CEO Mark Willis. First of all, Mark can literally say the word, “BOOM,” and anyone will engage and listen because he is THAT GOOD. Add a valuable message coupled with all-too-human personal stories and the result is a #KWBooYAH. (Mark’s favorite hashtag)

I made the distinct yet hilarious mistake of telling my boss’ boss’ boss that he was “petulant” immediately before showtime. So, our KW Young Professionals started their webinar with Mark outing my indiscretion and adding a vocabulary lesson. (At least I used a silver dollar word.) That’s so @lifeatkwri!

pet·u·lant
ˈpeCHələnt
adjective
(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
“he was moody and petulant”
synonyms: peevish, bad-tempered, querulous, pettish, fretful, cross, irritable, sulky, snappish, crotchety, touchy, tetchy, testy, fractious, grumpy, disgruntled, crabby; informal grouchy, cranky

The goal of today’s webinar was to share why it is important to use the Recruit-Select process when building a real estate team. Mark is the ultimate giver. The biggest gift he gave today was sharing his personal story with our young professionals, stories I found quite endearing. And because of this, for the sake of quick and easy blog reads, I am breaking this post into two days. Today is the inspiration of Mark’s early years, tomorrow is the practical advice that is key to building a rock star team.

Mark is a brilliant leader with a dynamic mind. He thinks BIG. Mark knew at age 11 he wanted to be in real estate. That’s great! He had a vision. What’s shocking is how big he was thinking at age 11 when he told his parents he would be bigger than the biggest agent in his hometown of Houston. DONE! I think becoming CEO of Keller Williams Realty and leading it to become the largest real estate company in North America, soon to be the world, conquers that! #KWBooYAH

When Mark ventured into real estate right out of college in Austin in the early 1980s (age spoiler alert), he had the ambition and discipline to knock it out of the park. He also had the right partner, his wife, Cindy, who would use her summer breaks from teaching to knock on doors and help lead generate. Talk about a couple laying the foundation for an empire together! He quickly formed his own company for the most amusing reason ever, he wanted “President” on his business card. He playfully laughed that at that time feeling important was important to him. A voracious reader with an ambitious reading list, he recommended numerous books, including Your Infinite Power to Be Rich as a major motivational tool.

He shared tales of ups and downs and his early experience with other companies, highlighting a mentor along the way. A webinar participant asked, “How do you ask someone to be a mentor?”

“You don’t ask someone to be your mentor,” Mark said. “You just behave like the person is your mentor. He discussed his strategy of identifying who he wanted to be and what he wanted in life . He just behaved like it existed, a brilliant strategy. He said, “Be! Do! Have!” which immediately received an outpouring of comments from webinar participants and the Twittersphere.

Mark made a very important point: When one door closes, another door opens. Mark shared professional ups and downs. He was candid and honest. He left production to lead and then went back into production. He entered a business relationship that didn’t work. When it was time to go, he knew it was time to go. Yet that door closing led to Gary Keller opening the next door. There is no doubt that Mark was destined for something HUGE, but what a twist of fate for such a big door to open!?!

I would like to say the rest is history, but it’s only the beginning. Tomorrow’s post will share how Mark and thousands of Keller Williams Realty’s most successful agents have continued to grow this real estate empire with like-minded professionals who put God and family before business, making Keller Williams the real estate company of choice. #KWBooYAH

Keller Williams Realty: Recruit Select

September 25th, 2014

They traveled near, they traveled far — goofing off with my KW family members in RS class.

Hiring the right person for a position on your team is THE. WORST. JOB. EVER! One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was rushing to hire, simply wanting someone in the role, not ensuring that the candidate was a star. How much time did I waste cleaning up that absolute disaster?

Keller Williams Realty has this AMAZING hiring process called Recruit Select (RS). As a corporate recruiter, I engage in pieces of this process each and every day. Recently, I took a class taught by Keller Williams CEO Mark Willis, the expert on RS. More than two hundred Keller Williams associates from around the world attended this class and I quickly realized that this is another example of how Keller Williams’ models and systems are as valuable as my MBA education. (I apologize to my father who paid for my education and was my first blog subscriber.)

Here’s a quick glance at this magical process that contributes to Keller Williams’ tremendous success in hiring like-minded individuals who are perfectly suited for their positions.

Step 1: The Phone Screen
Such a simple step, just a casual conversation with the candidate. Curious about what nuggets of information to capture during the phone screen? I love the example of the WEIGH acronym: Work Education Interests Goals Habits.

Step 2: DISC
Many companies use a DISC assessment to identify communication and behavioral preferences. What does DISC stand for?
D: Dominance I: Influence S: Steadiness C: Compliance
Candidates take a computer-generated assessment and then meet with a hiring manager to discuss the results. After showing a candidate what the assessment identifies as their dominant behaviors, an easy conversation starts by asking the candidate to share professional examples validating why or why not the assessment is accurate. Through this, you learn more about their leadership, professionalism, and communications style.

Step 3: AVA
I LOVE the AVA, Activity Vector Analysis. This is only for Keller Williams and I am fascinated by the accuracy and depth of the assessment. The AVA is also a computer-generated test. The consultants review the assessment and the results show expected behaviors, leadership style, how one gains commitment, ideal working environments, weaknesses, and coaching tips. The conversation to validate the AVA can last a few hours. By the end of the AVA validation, the candidate and manager know each other well.

Step 4: Comprehensive Interview or Life Story
But wait, there is more! The comprehensive or life story interview is an in-depth conversation about the highs and lows in ones life. A certain level of trust develops during this process. It further validates the previous behavioral assessments and hopefully shows a track record of success. After the life story, the candidate and the hiring manager should be quite comfortable with one another and have a strong rapport.

Step 5: References
We like references at Keller Williams! We ask for quite a few: people you have worked with, people in the same industry, and personal. Each time we talk to a reference, we ask for that person to refer us to another reference. The goal is to go “three deep.” I must say, there is some friendly competition and the record, that I am aware of, is seven deep! That’s a lot of friends of a friend of a friend!

Step 6: Commitment Interview: Setting Mutual Expectations
By this point, you have the perfect candidate. Defining mutual expectations is important before entering into business with someone. Keller Williams provides the tools to do this professionally and with heart.

The process works. Don’t learn the hard way, commit the time to hire the right candidate. Shoot for the stars, don’t settle. Hear it from the best by watching Mark Willis describe the Recruit Select process to Inman News.