By Tom Branch, on July 18th, 2010 
I recently wrote a blog titled, Five Types of Salespeople.
Many of the comments talked about the Problem Solver and the Counseler so I promised a follow-up piece with more details on the two. What I found interesting is that in reducing the text for a single blog, the “types” took on different meanings in the shorter context.
Here are the Problem Solver and the Counselor in their original forms.
Problem Solver
These are salespeople who enjoy getting in front of people, ferreting out problems, needs and wants, and discussing workable solutions. They have empathy for the customer, can see the customer’s needs from the customer’s point of view, and enjoy helping the customer solve their problems.
The problem‑solving person is good at establishing rapport with the prospect or customer, identifying what their needs, wants and desires are, developing creative proposals, and making effective presentations.
But when it comes time to ask for the order, or to close the sale, they tense up, lose their confidence, or otherwise fail to close the sale. Their customers or prospects, now having their needs identified and solutions presented, go elsewhere looking for a “better buy.”
This salesperson has done all the work, and an Order Taker for another company gets the sale – and the commission. After the Peddler, this is the next most common type of salesperson.
Counselor
In the business world, it’s not uncommon for companies and corporations to have a staff of lawyers, or “legal counsel,” on retainer to give advice in matters pertaining to the law, taxes, investments, mergers, or other difficult or legal situations.
The Counselor knows that when it comes to important buying decisions, his or her customers – be they companies, corporations, or individuals – should be no different.
To them, buying any type of product or service is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly, and can be an important tool for satisfying a need, solving a problem, or adding to their profits, convenience or lifestyle.
They know that their customers need professional and qualified representation and advice, and the Counselor will do whatever it takes to provide it for them.
Like corporate legal counsel, this salesperson postures him or herself as being “on retainer,” always available to give advice on matters pertaining to the products or services they sell. They make it clear in the customer’s mind that there is absolutely no need for them to go anywhere else for answers to the problems their products or services can solve.
The Counselor knows how to establish rapport, build professional trust and credibility, identify their customer’s current problems, develop effective proposals, offer credible and workable solutions, and make the presentation in such a way that their customers have no question in their minds that they must buy the concepts the Counselor presents, and hence, the product or service.
In addition, they have the ability to point out other potential problems that the customer might encounter, and help them solve those needs as well.
Salespeople who function at this skill level also carefully review the customer’s needs, both stated and unstated, and skillfully set in motion a plan to address those needs either now, or at a later, more convenient date.
Objections rarely come up because the Counselor has taken the time to anticipate what objections may arise, and then build the answers to the potential objections into his or her presentation.
This salesperson will get every drop of business the customer has, not because of price, but because the customer knows the salesperson really cares about them, understands their needs, and is willing to take the time to identify those needs and offer workable and credible solutions.
Epilogue
Are you someone they might classify as a “typical salesperson” – someone who is out to sell them another product or service, or who is interested more in the sale or commission they’ll earn?
Or do your customers and prospects view you more as a counselor – someone they like and can relate to and who is genuinely interested in them, and is making sure they have the right product for their individual and specific needs, at the best possible price? And in the event that what they’ve purchased does not or will not work for them, or if they’re not satisfied for any reason, will you make things right?
By Tom Branch, on July 18th, 2010 
Just as different salespeople have their own different and unique personalities, they also have different skill levels when it comes to selling and servicing their clients.
As we discuss the various types of salespeople and classify them according to their skill level, you will no doubt recognize some of the people you know or have encountered in the past. And as we do, take an honest look at yourself to see where you might fit.
Professional Visitor
This person doesn’t have any problem making appointments. In fact, they thrive on it. They enjoy visiting and talking to people, getting to know them, and may even engage in a casual discussion of their customers’ problems.
Order Taker
These people don’t mind talking to customers, clients or prospects, if they don’t have to initiate the call. They are uncomfortable making appointments, and would rather have the customer or prospect come to them.
Peddler
These are “sales‑oriented” people. They have good product knowledge, but severely lack “people skills.” They operate from a sort of “hit‑and‑run” approach.
Problem Solver
These are salespeople who enjoy getting in front of people, ferreting out problems, needs and wants, and discussing workable solutions. They have empathy for the customer, can see the customer’s needs from the customer’s point of view, and enjoy helping the customer solve their problems.
Counselor
In the business world, it’s not uncommon for companies and corporations to have a staff of lawyers, or “legal counsel,” on retainer to give advice in matters pertaining to the law, taxes, investments, mergers, or other difficult or legal situations. The Counselor knows that when it comes to important buying decisions, his or her customers – be they companies, corporations, or individuals – should be no different.
To them, buying any type of product or service is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly, and can be an important tool for satisfying a need, solving a problem, or adding to their profits, convenience or lifestyle. They know that their customers need professional and qualified representation and advice, and the Counselor will do whatever it takes to provide it for them.
How do your clients see you?
By Tom Branch, on June 21st, 2010 According to Wikipedia, “In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight.”
Those of you who follow my blog know I’ve wanted to try High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography for some time.
The opportunity presented itself today when I was photographing a new listing. The home sits on a wooded creek lot and the views from the windows of the master bedroom are a great selling point.
This photo is properly composed to capture the interior of the bedroom. Note how the windows are blown out with the bright light coming into the room.
I then shot a series of photographs of the same room varying the aperture. Here are those photos:
I then used Photomatix to create the HDR photograph and did the tone mapping. The HDR photo was then dropped into Photoshop for final adjustments.
While I’m not 100 percent satisfied with the result, It is a move in the right direction.
By Tom Branch, on June 17th, 2010 
This is Part Four of a series covering the Eight Personal Qualities for Success.
In Part Three I covered, Self Responsibility and Be Committed. In Part Four, I’ll discuss, The Extra Mile, Control Your Time, and Persistence and Determination
The Extra Mile
The sixth personal quality necessary to achieve outstanding success in business is that you must be willing to go the extra mile. It’s the “Under Promise, Over Deliver” concept, and can be summed up in the following statement:
“If you are always willing to do more than what you get paid for, the day will come when you will be paid for more than what you actually do.”
Robert Cialdini, in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, discusses what he calls the Law of Reciprocity. Basically it says that when you do something for someone else, there’s an unstated obligation for them to want to do something for you in return.
So when you go the extra mile for your customers or clients, you’ve just set the stage for that law to take effect. But it’s only on that “extra mile” that it works. When you give what might be considered “normal” service, or “adequate” service or even “good” service, you haven’t earned the right to expect that law to work for you.
In fact, even performing “knock-out” service often isn’t enough to gain you an advantage. We’ve all come to expect that from any number of businesses.
You’ve really got to do something special in order to gain an advantage in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Then, and only then, can you expect to create that nearly compelling desire in your customer to want to reciprocate. This simple truth says it all:
“There’s no traffic jam on the extra mile.”
Control Your Time
The seventh quality is that you must master and take control of your time. Time is an expendable commodity. Each one of us has the same 24 hours in each day. When those hours are gone, they cannot be replaced. They are gone forever, never to be recaptured.
You must treat your time as precious, and guard it wisely and selfishly. Don’t let anyone disrupt you or take you away from the focus you have on your goals.
People who don’t have goals are used by people who do. If you let others draw you away from your goals, you are simply saying that their goals are more important than your own.
If you are serious about business success – really serious, then this is one of the most important and critical areas to defend.
Persistence and Determination
Number eight, is to develop persistence and determination. From time to time you will encounter set backs or reach plateaus where it seems like nothing is going right.
Your competitors lower their prices, run massive ad campaigns and unheard of promotions, and the next thing you know your customers and clients begin doing business with them.
Business is walking out the back door faster than it’s coming in the front door. Your volume is beginning to drop, and you become concerned. You seem to be spending more time in a defensive posture than you do in servicing your existing customers, and you’re losing. Now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to dig in and begin to play offensively.
Now is the time to be determined not to lose your good customers – the ones you worked so hard to get. Your strategy should be to keep in touch with them and continue providing exceptional service.
Nearly every business is cyclical. Eventually things will change. While you can’t be competitive on price all the time, you can be competitive on the service you give, and the empathy you have for your customers and their problems.
We’ll talk more about how to do that in a later blog, but for now, just resolve in advance that no matter what, you’ll never give up.
By Tom Branch, on June 11th, 2010
This is Part Three of a series covering the Eight Personal Qualities for Success.
In Part Two I covered, The Ability to Focus and Determining the Price You’ll Pay. In Part Three, I’ll discuss Self Responsibility and Be Committed.
Self Responsibility
You are totally responsible for the success of your business and your life. There are no excuses. There may be set backs or economic downturns, or problems that affect your business.
Your suppliers or vendors may discontinue making or providing your favorite products or services, change the way they do business with you, or even merge with another company.
Economies change, corporate policies change, and prospects don’t buy from you, and the weather is too hot or too cold.
While those things definitely have an impact on you, the way you do business and the sales you make, it is important to realize that those things are beyond your control, and it’s up to you, and you alone, to accept responsibility for the success of your business.
No matter how bad you might have it, no matter what difficulties or challenges you might encounter, let me assure you that there are many people who have had difficulties and challenges far greater than any you are ever likely to encounter, and somehow, they manage to pull through. And you can do the same.
Here’s a little credo that can help you. It contains just 10, two-letter words:
“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
That simple one line sentence says it all. It places the responsibility exactly where it should be… directly on your shoulders.
Be Committed
Make a total commitment to your success. Once you have made the decision to be in business, be in that business. Jump in with both feet. Don’t let anything hold you back. Even more than getting into the business, see that the business gets into you.
Make a commitment that you are going to succeed, no matter what.
Don’t try to work two different jobs or projects at one time. You can’t do either of them justice, and you’ll likely end up frustrated and broke, and never know whether or not you could have been successful.
In Part Four of the series, I’ll cover The Extra Mile, Control Your Time, and Persistence and Determination.
By Tom Branch, on May 29th, 2010 
I’ve received a number of emails asking about my real estate photography. I’ll start by stating that I am a fair photographer. Most of what I’ve learned over the past few years is the result of spending time with and learning from professional photographers and graphic artists. Many thanks go to Glenn Johnson for his personal guidance and mentoring.
Let’s start with my equipment. My primary camera body is a Nikon D40. This is an entry-level Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) body. It works fine but if I had it to do again, I would purchase a Nikon D80. The primary difference for me is that the D80 will do auto-bracketing for HDR. With the D40, you have to do it manually.
The lens is the most important piece in my opinion. The D40 kit comes with a Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm zoom. The 18mm setting will produce acceptable photographs. My personal choice is the Sigma 10-20mm Super Wide Angle Zoom. The 10mm setting produces great interior photos.
Next you need lighting. The on-board flash is useless for any serious work in my opinion. You need a high-power flash unit. My primary flash is a Nikon SB-600. It has enough power to fill most rooms without any additional strobes or lighting. I do own a lighting set with 2 lights and umbrellas but it is not used often.
When using the wide angle lens you will need a diffuser for the flash. I use a $20 STO-FEN diffuser. It works like a charm spreading out the light and preventing hot-spots.
Post-shoot processing is done in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Professional. In my opinion, Photoshop sets the standard. It’s expensive at over $800, but it is simply the best.
The photo below was a new construction townhouse we listed. The construction crew dropped a Port-A-Potty in front of the house about 30 minutes before I got there. I simply took the shot and removed the “potty” later. This is not a quick task so try to get the best possible shots while you’re on-site. I often take over 100 shots on each listing. I’d rather not have to go back out later. Note I’ve provided both raw and post-processing images.
Since I don’t shoot HDR, I try to shoot on overcast days, just before sunrise, or just after sunset. This allows me to avoid harsh shadows outside and blown-out windows inside. The problem with that is the skies are not blue. Not a problem. I have several stock sky shots that I simply drop into the photo.
Want to capture a tall ceiling? Lay on the floor with the camera at floor-level. Tip the camera up to capture the ceiling. The wide angle will produce a trapezoid effect that will have to be corrected in post-shoot processing. The shot below was done with this technique.
I’ve invested about $2000 in equipment and about $825 in software. Each listing takes about 2 hours on-site and another hour or so in post-shoot processing. Personally, I enjoy photographing my listings but it’s not for everyone.
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