Gaithersburg, Maryland agent Andy Kraus already had a great grasp of the power of the Internet and the skills to put it to work for him. When he enrolled in my coaching program, he found new ideas and unexpected resources to quickly position his business for a new level of success. Here’s what happened.

Hi Michael,

From the first time I heard you speak last summer at a local seminar, I found a real resonance with what I thought I needed to be doing. And, in a move that is unusual for me, I signed up that day for your Total Solution™ Telecoaching program. And I haven’t looked back!

My sphere of influence is a bit outside the norm, given my background as a classically trained pianist, and my extensive work in the computer industry. In fact that sphere is not generating enough business for me, and I recognize that my website and the Internet are key to reaching my business goals. The success I’ve had so far with Internet based solutions has made me a believer.

I’m not totally new to the concept of outsourcing. A couple of years ago I hired a friend’s high-school-age son to help implement my ideas as I put together my first real estate website, www.andykraus.com. So I’ve seen the benefits of leveraging my own time for things that only I can do. About 50% of my business comes from my website, although this didn’t happen immediately. I implemented some pay-per-click strategies and ways to make my site more “sticky” and have had good results. One payoff is that the quality of leads is superior to those I receive from other sources. I’m in the process now of building a new website with many goals developed from the telecoaching materials including some very specific marketing targeting.

Prior to your course, even though I’d been in the computer business, I’d never heard about Elance.com or Guru.com. I knew there were a lot of independent contractors out there, but I didn’t know how to find or use them. After the eProductivity course session on out sourcing, I realized I had the perfect “prototype” project to try out these services.

Local real estate regulations require agents to provide buyers and sellers with estimated expense sheets. The process of filling these out comes after I’ve spent hours with clients going through contracts and setting up the listing. It can be a painful process while we’re all exhausted, to sit and complete these estimate forms while I do the calculations manually. I had an idea for a way to do this in an Excel form that would make the process quick and easy – but I hadn’t wanted to take the time to do this myself. So I signed up on both eLance and Guru, and got a quick response of nearly 20 bids. The bottom line is that I found a great guy in Utah to do the development for me. I picked him for several reasons – he was within the US, his price was not the cheapest but was in the bottom quartile, and he sent me a sample which showed he had the right experience. I am, quite frankly, thrilled not to be spending my time programming when I can get the work done for $25/hr or less.

The forms are now ready to go, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to use them with clients. With my laptop and portable printer, I can fill out the forms quickly, print on the spot and obtain signatures. Instead of being caught up in complicated calculations while the client waits, I can focus on building the relationship as we watch the information unfold together.

Michael – not to get too "highfalutin," but…you are my idea of the alchemist, magically transforming things from one state to another. You have transformed the business of real estate through the use of technology and things that have become enabled through technology. With these methods, there is a lot I can do today as a small business person that previously only big business could do, because the cost has dropped due to technological innovations. I no longer need to have employees, which is very significant for someone like me who is growing a business. The things I’ve learned from you do have a cost associated with them, so right now I’m in what I like to think of as a period of small business strategic investment. There’s some cost and time involved in building my infrastructure, but I know the payoff can be huge.

The process isn’t over yet, but I’m totally delighted with it! Even though I could do some of these things myself, it’s given me back several days to do other things related to growing my business or just putting my feet up, and having a life. Thanks, Michael.

Andy

Andy Kraus
ERA PRO Realty
444 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
andyk@andykraus.com
301-460-3822

EDITOR'S NOTE: Even though Andy was well steeped in use of technology and the Internet when he enrolled in my Total Solution™ 10-Week Telecoaching Program, he found great value in it. In this program where a great group of agents receive live coaching from me on how to immediately implement a breakthrough approach to business without having to do the work themselves, Andy found a wealth of new information on how to take new resources and innovations and apply these to his business. You too can learn how you can focus only on what you love to do, make a great living doing it and have all the free time you want to enjoy your success. CLICK HERE to learn more about the most advanced training in the industry on Internet Marketing and using Virtual Assistants.

Because Andy is our success story of the month, he will receive his choice of the three valuable tools below: (he selected an extension of his Imprev membership and will now have continued access to dynamic marketing tools to promote his business).
 

Remember, even if your story isn't chosen you still win because you get to see how other top performers do it. Besides, you can always try again!