"Over my 15 years in the industry, I've tried many marketing ideas, but nothing has compared to my books. These are awesome."
Not only does Alexis get direct business from her books, but she also gets residual business when her clients pass them on to other people.
"My name is getting out there, and you know what, it beats me knocking door to door, dropping cards. Let the books do the work for you. You won't be sorry."
Listen to her story here, and read her Q&A with our team below! You can find more success stories on our YouTube page!
Smart Agents: How long have you been using the Smart Agent books?
Alexis: I'm going to say it's probably been almost a year. Yeah, I think I ordered them in the summer of last year. I just don't remember when.
Smart Agents: You've been using them since?
Alexis: Yes.
Smart Agents: Which books have been your favorite?
Alexis: Actually, I've got about four or five different titles. Of course, I've got the "How to Navigate the Home Buying Process." I also have "How to Sell Your Home for More Money," "Home Improvements." What else do I have here? Oh, the thin blue one, "For Sell By Owner Guide." I have about six different titles, "Home Secrets," "Home Improvements." Yeah, it depends on who I'm talking to, gets whatever book I think fits them best.
Smart Agents: How many books have you been able to give out so far?
Alexis: I'm going to say quite a number because I don't have very many left. I think I originally ordered 60-something and I've got maybe 15 left. I give them out quite a bit.
Smart Agents: Have you been able to get any listings from the books?
Alexis: Yes. What they ended up doing was actually solidifying the appointment. I had the appointment to come in, and as soon as I showed the book, they were more interested in getting an autographed copy of it and they were busy signing. That worked out well on the one case.
A lot of them I'm giving out to my business partners like my banks and stuff, and they're passing them along with the instruction to keep it going kind of thing. I would say I've gotten at least two or three listings, and the buyers love them. I can't get them to pass the book along. They end up getting stuck where they are.
Smart Agents: They're keeping the books for themselves?
Alexis: Yeah.
Smart Agents: What tactics do you use to hand out the books?
Alexis: Usually, if I meet somebody for the first time, I give them a little gift pack like pens and key chains and all that kind of stuff, and then I just tell them that, once we get going, this book is really important, and what it's about. They go home and they read it.
I always joke and I say there's no test so if you don't get it finished, it's not a big deal, but once you're done with it, pass it along. If you have any questions, let me know. They come back, and it's usually the same thing, they loved the book, got lots of information and then they either tell me they're passing it along or they're keeping it. I'm like, "OK." Yeah, it's just basically more of a tool to show how different I am than everybody else in the city here.
Smart Agents: What has been the biggest impact of the books so far?
Alexis: So far, they can't believe that I actually have a book. They just figure everybody is like Stephen King that writes a book, that it's all the rich and famous and whatever. They're more impressed with the fact that I have a book out there. I'm more impressed that I have a book out there. They seem to really like that. I think it just gives me an extra bit of credibility with people.
Smart Agents: Do the books get you more respect from the clients?
Alexis: I want to say yes. Yes, for sure. I know I'm in a networking group called BNI, and my colleagues in there really think that's a super idea. They love it because they're all professionals. Like the bank, when somebody comes into his office to get a loan, my book is on the desk. They strike up a conversation, and he just says, "Oh, here. Why don't you take it and bring it back next time?" The books never come back, but that's OK. That means there's somebody out there with my stuff. I haven't heard from them yet, but I'm hoping that I do. It's definitely more credibility, I believe.
Smart Agents: Do you have any goals that you've set for your business? For instance, do you have a certain number of listings that you would want to get every single month?
Alexis: Well, right now, our market is horrible, so I'm just going on ... We're turning into a buyer's market. I have listings, but I want to get the buyers. If you have buyers right now, you're gold. You can make money that way. Listings, I'm having some difficulty with my clients who are listed to get them to bring their price down to where we get a little bit more activity on their home.
I always try to have at least four listings going at a time. Right now, I sold one so I only have three left, but as a rule, I usually go by number of deals closed, so I always want to get at least one a month. It's been a tough year, so I'm sitting at two right now, which makes it very painful. Hopefully, it will turn around. I have my fingers crossed.
Smart Agents: Do you feel that the books will help you grow your business in the future?
Alexis: I do. I really do. I think my own mistake in the books that I did was I got too many different titles or too many different books. I think going forward, I'm just going to stick with the sellers, pick one book that I like and the buyers "How to Navigate the Process." I think that's the way that I have to go.
Getting all the books was a great idea, but with my buyers books, I have three, so I've been holding onto them or hoarding them. I don't want to give them away because obviously, I would have none left. It makes it difficult. I bought too many of the For Sale by Owner ones. That was my mistake.
Smart Agents: You've got the different titles, but now you know the two or three that are working best for you, so that's what you plan to get in the future?
Alexis: Yes. That's exactly it, yeah.
Smart Agents: What's some of the feedback that you've received from clients about the books?
Alexis: For the most part, my clients love the way it's written, so whoever writes it, good job. The people that understand that it's ghostwritten, they still think that it's a great idea. It's just a business tool and business people, they understand it. For the average person, they don't care. They just see my picture and my name on the book, and they just find that ... Like I said, it gives me a lot of credibility, which is great for me.
Smart Agents: All right. My last question: Would you recommend the Smart Agent System to another agent?
Alexis: Oh, for sure. Yeah. Well, I would say yes and no. The only reason I wouldn't would be because they would take away my business possibly but yes, because I think it's a smart tool to have in your toolbox. It's something different. There's not a lot of Realtors here in the city. I only know one that has written a book, only one, so the fact that my books are starting to get out there, I believe that people are starting to take notice, and I think that's a good thing. There's lots of business to go around. I would never not tell somebody about it but if a fellow agent asked me, I would say, "Yeah, it's a great idea and it sure beats writing your own book."
Smart Agents: So I’d be right to say that you're going to be ordering more books?
Alexis: Yes, at some point in time, I will.
Smart Agents: All right. Thank you so much, Alexis, for your feedback.
Alexis: You're welcome.
