Engage Your Agents With Anniversary Reviews

Subtle skills, big results. Welcome to the Ninja Selling Podcast.

It's your good friend Eric Thompson. Welcome to the Ninja Selling Podcast. I'm here with two very special people. And we're going to be answering the question today. If you're a leader of a company or a team, how do you keep your agents engaged? How do you keep them productive? And also how do you keep them bought in? We're going to learn all about that from our two amazing guests.

I'm going to introduce each guest first joining us today. We're so happy about this. In Incredible Ninja, it's Arwa Armstrong. Arwa, welcome to the podcast. Hey, thanks for having me. Absolutely. It's our pleasure. Uh Arwa, share really fast where you live and also the company that you're with. Well I'm with Heritage First Realty out of Wichita, Kansas.

an incredible ninja company. And we're going to hear one reason why you have such an incredible ninja company. And also with us today is Arwa's Coach. It's Coach Tracy Peterson, me neighbor. Tracy, welcome to the podcast. It's great to have you back. Thank you so much. It's an honor to be on here with both of you. Thank you. Yes, yes. Tracy, tell us for how long you've been working with RWA.

Yes, Arba and I have been working together along with another leader in her company, Sarah Kortner. We've been working together since two thousand twenty four. And how I met them is I met Aura and Sarah when we were on Fort Collins and we were at a Ninja Now class together and we all went out to dinner. And the three of us just totally hit it off. We knew this was gonna be a great combination.

for leadership coaching and I would say also we're really good friends as well, the three of us. So I am so honored that they left me into their lives of their business and their personal lives. I am so incredibly honored. I remember Tracy, you telling me the next day after that dinner, you said, Oh my gosh, I met the greatest people, the nicest people, the most wonderful ninjas. And you told me all about Arwa and the people that she works with.

So Arwa, tell us about the role that you have at your company. Okay, so I am the team leader of Heritage First Realty, but it is in a very non traditional sense. So we don't do any recruiting at Heritage First Realty. We're set up a little bit differently where I conduct all the interviews, I do all the onboarding, I'm also a mentor and I help business plan and strategize with our agents at our brokerage. Okay. Amazing. And d how did that come about?

Well, so when I first joined Heritage First, uh hard to believe it's almost been three years. one of the things was to go to ninja installation. So I went to ninja installation and came back and was very curious at that point and thought, okay, I'm gonna go to leadership. So I went to an installation in August. Then back in December I was in leadership. And I came back and I was on fire. I was like, okay. So I called Bud up and Bud and I talk um here's our broker, broker Bud.

We talk about almost every single day and I called him up and I said, if there's ever a need for a team leader at our brokerage, I would love to be considered. And if you've ever talked to Bud, Bud is not a man of a few words. And so he just said, okay. And he hung up the phone. And I'm like,

Well, that is not the vision of this brokerage for sure. So we're kind of a marriage of a few different things, but there was no team leader, didn't know what that would look like, and so I just let it go and kept doing my thing and A couple weeks later I got a phone call from Bud and he said, Hey, do you remember our conversation? So I'm like, No And it goes about team leader. So it was again untraditional where they had me create what I envisioned a team leader at our brokerage.

look like and I developed the role, I wrote it all out, I presented it and here we are. So here we are today, and you're gonna share just some amazing nuggets with us, some great takeaways. Tracy, d tell us about uh why you wanted Arwa on the podcast and y you strongly encouraged this and for good reason, but tell us about that.

It's very funny'cause Eric, I kept poping you about this. I kept saying we need to have Heritage First Realty on there. We need to have them on there. They're amazing human beings, number one. And number two Arwood does this amazing thing which all leaders should be doing is they have anniversary reviews with each of their agents.

And I know that we talk about that in the Leadership Institute, but there aren't a lot of leaders that are really, really putting that into action. And I really want Arwa to share what she does. How we can learn from this, encourage others to do it, inspire them to do it, and also give them the framework as to even what are the questions that you even ask? What's the success that they have had with it?

And I really felt like we needed to kind of pull the curtain back on this as to what reality of having anniversary reviews with your agents, what that looks and feels like. D yeah, it's really one of the most common questions that we hear from people interested in team coaching, that they're leading a team and they want help. They want to be better at that. The question is how do I get my people engaged?

And how do I keep them eng engaged? Because I know the more engaged they are, the more productive they're gonna be. They're gonna stay around. They're gonna help me attract other great people to the team. Uh Arwa, you you figured it out that you have a system. So d tell us about these uh annual reviews, how they go, the intent. Please share. Okay, so we have anniversary reviews and they fall shortly after their year anniversary with the brokerage.

And then every year after that. And so I call and schedule it. It's a face to face meeting where we get together. I have a little packet for'em that has ninja. If they've gone to ninja installation, then we're gonna be talking about a lot of ninja things and so we have references and things they can take home with them in there, but

Scheduled, I have a sheet that has questions that we go through. It actually originated from Larry Kendall's business planning session that we learned about in leadership, kind of took that. use that for a year and then have elaborated and adapted it. So if I just get a short answer, I've got questions in there where we can dig a little bit deeper for some more in depth answers and planning and strategizing together.

Got it. So you do it around their anniversary date of joining the company. I think that's so smart as a way to celebrate that, acknowledge that. Also, they get a lot of attention generally speaking around business planning season at the end of the year. So this is a way to have another really valuable touch point.

Outside of just business planning, uh you mentioned the sheet. It's a seven page document with some terrific questions. But give us an idea of some of the things that you learn in these sit downs, in these sessions. Okay. We always start out with Ford. That's how the very beginning of it comes. We meet together. Bud and Sarah, they're owners of the brokerage. They try to stop by as many of them as they can.

at least for a little bit if they have to go. But we start with Ford, we talk about their life. We ask how are things going personally, professionally right now? And let them answer that and depending upon the response, go that direction with them and One of my favorites is what kind of support help you perform at your best? So that way we know what that agent's looking for. And so all the anniversary reviews, even though I have these questions, they're more or less

an outline of where that journey might go and what I might ask in it. So don't get overwhelmed by the seven pages or if you have blanks on there or If the conversation just takes you a direction that you don't get through at all, because the whole intention is for that person and to help that person. And so also give us an idea of the logistics, like how long are the meetings and w where do you have them? Those kind of Well,

Um if it's just me initially, it'll probably be. I have them block, I send out an invite, and I block about an hour and a Generally, with the type of conversation we're having, and as meaningful and as in-depth as it is, it does take us about an hour and a half. different teams I'll schedule together. Now we have some big teams where that's just not feasible and so I'll meet with the team leader and then the individual agents on their team separately.

and do that that way. But then if it's just a partnership type of team, two people, then I'll give them the option, do they want to come in and meet together or do they want to meet separate? Because we are going to go over some personal questions. And I let that be their choice. And so if I have two people coming in, I might schedule two hours and we'll see how long that takes us.

And tell us about the work that's happening ahead of time to prepare, the work that you're doing and also things that you might be asking your agents to work on ahead of time. For so my least absolute least favorite part of These anniversary reviews are making the packets.

But I get'em I'm not I like the people part, not this paperwork part. But anyhow, so th I have packets already prepared for the individuals coming in and I have a packet if they've gone to Ninja. Most are agents, eighty Eighty something agents of ours have gone to Ninja, so I have those packets set aside if they're a ninja agent.

But we also offer this to everyone and encourage everyone to do an anniversary review. So I have packets if they haven't min to Ninja. And then I've got team packets as well. And then I ask'em when I schedule it for them to bring their production, what was their production for their last year with the brokerage?

Now, Arwe, we mentioned about that document of the questions, and I'm wondering if you would be game for sharing your most favorite questions from this document. What are like your favorite questions on there or some examples of some questions? So some of my favorite questions is really how we start it right out the gate. How are things going personally and professionally right now? It really gives you a good pulse. We've gone down some journeys with agents where we start there and

They've been very vulnerable and shared their story. And it really lets you get great insight into your agents. So for example, maybe they're not returning your phone calls. Maybe they're hard to get a hold of and they've come today and you find out something that's going on with them personally that you didn't even know.

it gives you a lot more ability to have grace for that person and know that coming to that meeting there today was probably one of the hardest things they had to do and show up that day. And so just that light, especially in leadership. or if there's conversation being had, you just have more of an understanding of what's going on with your people.

So starting there, it gives you that pace and that tone of kind of where things are gonna go and where you really want to focus on and where you might be able to help pour in or sometimes just be a sounding board to listen to what's going on in their life. I love for me the kind of support that helps you perform at your best. because then I'm able to give them tools and resources within the brokerage or outside of the brokerage based off of what their response is.

So I'm able to take that. Those are kind of the first couple of questions we go through and it kinda directs the whole rest of our meeting of what we're going to cover and what I want to emphasize in. And then we go through a lot of the other things that you might see, like how many transactions. What your income you want to be, those type of things that are traditionally into business planning, but without knowing those beginning questions, it's

That might not be their focus right now. Their focus might be something completely different. And this is made for that individual. So do you get hung up if you can't get through all the questions? Tell me a little bit about that. So I hover in the very far corner of peace and perfection. And initially I I gotta tell ya, initially it was hard because you do have this document and you're looking at it.

But then you realize I recently had one where we went through that first question and she just felt so comfortable and open and just shared what was going on in her life right now and that's what mattered the most to her. At this point we can meet up later when she's in a different space or capacity to go over some of the other questions.

But really just being able to be a real person, have that conversation, let her know that we're first here for her as a person, and then we're here for her for business. Yeah. Great. Okay, seeing that you and I are perfectionist peace people, and I know there's a lot of us out there in the world here, so tell me nuts and bolts a little bit, Arwa, because I know you have a great system.

How do you trap the information that you receive and following up on it and things like that for Ford Conversations, Business Goals? Help me out a little bit with that or help our audience out a little bit with that when they're like, I'm gonna get all this great information. Now what do I do and how do

I manage it. Okay, so this forum is kind of like a huge Ford and record. I am handwriting and recording, or you could use the digital notebook or however you want to, but I record whatever we discuss. throughout the meeting and I've since learned to give myself grace if there are blanks. Sometimes I'll for the perfectionist side even put a note like why we didn't answer that one, just so I know.

But other than that, I use those and then I'll scan them in and later I'll go back and if they've shared with me the best support is checking in or accountability. I'm gonna go through and I'm gonna see What did we talk about? And then put check ins on my calendar for that person. Somebody else might have a different kind of support, but I really take the information I gained

I save it all and then I tailor how I'm going to use that information based off of the responses that the person gave me. But your calendar is everything. You put it in there and it reminds you. I also do a handwritten note. to each person that came to the meeting to our anniversary review. So I'll put a touch point on whatever it might be, a highlight. Oh, that's another one of my favorite questions is what was a highlight this last year?

So we talk about their highlights. I love that question because it can be business, it can be personal, it's whatever is important to them. So you really get to hone in on that life list and be able to get to know your people and what matters to them. To R you you do something um called care calls. Which I think is really great. Can you tell us about those?

So it's similar to your client care calls, very ninja, but it's for our agents because in my role they are my client essentially. And so when we have our anniversary review, those are kind of back to where I said a big Ford and record form. That lets me know I'm gonna call this agent and we're gonna touch base on whatever it may be. If it was something fun like a trip, if it was something that they decided to share with me, check in and see how are you doing, how's that going?

If it was I wanna be in the real producer's magazine and I need to hit this many numbers. When they do that spotlight, let's celebrate it. So I get to be with them in their journey if it's a hurdle or if it's a big celebration and they're every step of the way.

So you know we say ninja work. Uh with clients, with agents, your own agents recruiting, all that all that changes is the audience. And you're just being a ninja with your people. And I I think it's great. I'm guessing it creates this incredible engagement and it shows up in the results that you're getting too. People may be wondering, is your company like a traditional Brick and mortar brokerage or uh tell us about that.

So we're kind of like a virtual company. We do have an office. I office out of it. Our productivity coach. We have conference rooms that agents we have an open like a drop in zone. Agents can come here. work, use a copy or printer, mailboxes. It's relatively small, but we do once a month we have our team meeting and that is in person. And so we get about sixty something agents.

that attend the in-person meeting on a regular basis. Sometimes that can fluctuate a little bit depending upon the seasonality and life. And so we do that at a local title company. Let's just use a space there and provide lunch for our agents. So we do keep the culture even though we're

in a sense virtual. We keep that culture because we do a lot of trainings that are in person. We do a lot of socializing. This morning I had what I call coffee and cards where agents can come, do handwritten notes. Heritage First Pays the postage. And I bake something every time. So today it was quiche. I pick up coffee. We all have coffee or breakfast and do handwritten notes together.

So although we are remote, there's a lot of opportunity to be with our agents and to have that community, which is very important. Yeah, absolutely. And how long have you been doing these annual reviews? Well, since I became team leader. I've been team leader a little over two years now. I became team leader a little over half a year after the brokerage started. So I'm just now hitting some people two years. in for anniversary reviews and then some people on their single anniversary review.

So, Arbite, you know the sixty-four million dollar question that all the leaders are wondering. How has it gone with getting your agents to commit to these one-on-one meetings? Because there's gonna be a mindset of They're not gonna wanna meet. They're not gonna wanna meet. And I really want you to be to tell us your journey and you were so honest and so uh you know, w transparent. Uh how is it going? Oh

Okay, so well the first year nobody really knew what a anniversary review is. I think sometimes when they think I'm going to sit down with leadership, I don't know how great the is this a good thing or not. I mean full transparency there. Especially'cause Bud and Sarah owners try to drop in. I'm there in the anniversary review. And so the first year, even though I would tell them we're just looking at your last year, what your goals are.

how you felt about it, what your plans are for this next year, and then what we as a brokerage can do to help you get there. And try to be encouraging. I think there was always still a little bit of like a leery like, what am I doing? A and some people unfortunately maybe didn't quite get it and wouldn't be as excited about accepting an invitation like that. But then being a year where now they know what it is and agents have talked and there's experiences.

It is something I hardly have any trouble scheduling anyone at all because they know this is an hour and a half dedicated to them and how to help them with their business. We brainstorm they'll share different ideas or different strategies and I help them come up with plans to put that in action. So I think it's been very well received now that they actually know what it is.

All right, tell us about some of the bigger aha's that that you've had. A bigger aha. Well a recent one, so we're doing a Ford and Record a contest at the brokerage and I've been sharing with the agents the reason we have focused on Ford and Record is because Ford and Record is one of your Main items. If you do Ford and record, you are able to do almost all your Ninja 9. You know who to write notes to, you know who to schedule reviews to. So then the Ford and record is so huge.

and all of that. And so your business uptick from just doing the Ford and record is significant. So we have a huge emphasis on that in our brokerage right now. And there was an agent that came in and I was talking with them. And that was a piece that was missing. And when we stop and we explain it and even share with them our own story, sometimes you might hear Ford and record and

Have it in your head, well I'm not scheduling an anniversary review or a meeting, so what do I put down? And simplifying it as much as I went to the gym, I talked to these ladies at the gym every morning, we're building this relationship, so the next time I see them, literally my action item was, What's the girl at the gym's name? Well now I know it's Lizzie. So okay, so I know Lizzie.

So when you simplify it and you share them, it's nothing more than getting to know people better. And I tell'em, Did you learn something new? If you learn something new, you had to forge conversation. And so then this gentleman actually started, all they gotta do is fill out the Ford and record and send me the pictures. And I announced first and second place winner at team meeting. I don't share the numbers. They know that, but anybody can participate.

And after our anniversary review, he buckled down and did it and he won first place, got a hundred dollar Visa gift card. I mean something simple as that as a contest, but then you think if now that he's doing that and got that momentum and that rhythm and saw, Okay, this is not as hard as I thought it would be. Now his notes just came easier, his coffees, his lunches, everything comes around that list and you've already got it done if you're doing it

All the ninjas listening, they know TSW and they know it stands for the system works. You founded this a system that works with having these annual reviews with your agents. Tell us related to TSW, tell us the results that you're seeing. Tell us about some of the results that you're realizing in the company. So it's all about the people and it's all about the relationships and for our brokerage we've only had a few agents who it wasn't a great fit at our brokerage.

Part of that is for our interview process. It's also very ninja style for the interview process. But then although we're a larger brokerage, we have around 130 agents here. We're also we feel like a small brokerage and Tracy has gotten to meet our brokerage. Everybody knows each other. I can walk into any room at any given time. I know every single one of our agents and not just at a surface level. So there's that relationship there. So yes, while

like anything, we have not always been the fit for everybody. We've only lost a few for that. Otherwise it's been either they go into our referral program because they went down a different journey in life. Or maybe they've moved out of state. So we really think as far as retention goes and as far as the culture and the atmosphere, it's amazing. Incredible. And are there are there any other numbers that

Well, we were pretty excited. First quarter we were number three in MLS for volume. So for being a newer brokerage, we're gonna celebrate our third birthday at the end of May. So for being a new brokerage, no recruiting. We had one agent with us that all the ninja people will like. They were asked, they don't recruit, so what is it? And she goes, They attract. So I was like, okay.

And we've got so many amazing agents that their talk about the brokerage and people want to know more. And that's really What it's all been about is like people, attracting like people and we come in and we meet'em and we see if we think we're a great fit and then we really pour into our Asians and try to get to know'em and support'em the best way we can. Absolutely. It's amazing.

Now one I want to jump back to the anniversary reviews because I think this is so cool. What do you give everybody at their anniversary reviews? Oh, they all get a nothing bunk cake. So we celebrate and they get cake for their anniversary and it's fabulous. A lot of fun traditions. Totally. Delicious. I have had it. It is delicious. Yeah, a a plug for nothing but cakes. They are delicious. Absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah. Amazing. Uh Arawa, anything else that you would want to share about these anniversary reviews? I would say don't get overwhelmed. If you get through some of it, great. If you don't get through some of it, it's okay. It's just there as a tool to help you have those conversations. Because when I would get one word or short answers, I didn't want it to stop there.

One of the questions at the very end is we break out the magic wand and if you could wave a magic wand, what would your perfect brokerage look like? It gives them now the opportunity to share with us. what they want. And a lot of times we've been kind of spoiled that they're like, oh well, we already think it's there, but we know there's more to that. And I think they're a little caught off guard.

by that question'cause they weren't expecting to come in and evaluate us and see what does the perfect brokerage look like. So then I've got some prompting in there. Well, w at your perfect brokerage, what would the culture feel like day to day? Or how would agents collaborate and support each other? And depending upon where that goes, I might mine in a little bit more of those questions or get a lot of answers.

But a lot of it is just prompts for me to know how to have those more in depth conversations. after doing it for the first year and knowing I didn't want just one word answers and although it's flattering if you think it's great or perfect here, I know there's a way we can improve. And so by putting those prompting questions there and there, it helps us.

Okay, so Tracy, how about you to wrap up, just from the coach's perspective, you're working with ARWA to help refine this process, make it even better. You're hearing about the results. Give us your perspective on this process that they've come up with. I think the process is amazing, but here's the thing that I think is even better about it, is that Heritage versus Realty is all in on

They're in for the long game, right? So the first year it was a little bit tough to get agents to to m make that commitment to come in and talk. Well now the word's out on the street. that it's really not scary and it's great and it helps them to get to their goals and they ask what we want from the brokerage, right? And so You have to be in it for the long game. And that's what I think is so amazing as to what you all are doing. You're so committed to it.

that you're like, this is year two, it's going even better. So like this process is getting better and more refined over and over. And we've got the right recipe. We're just tweaking it just a little bit to make it even better and more spot on.

Yeah, Tracy, I'm with you. You are clearly all in for your agents at your company. Y you personally are all in for your people. It's just really impressive. You are ninjaing your people and they are seeing the results from it. That's incredible. So My gosh, I want to thank you both so much for joining the podcast. Thank you so much for having me. It's so surreal. I listen to the podcast all the time and it always refuels my tank and pumps me up. When Tracy reached out and like

Huh. Well so I just I can't thank you guys enough and I hope that this tool in this session helps brokerages and helps you get to know your people better. It's one of my most favorite things I do with our agents. So hopefully you guys will find it useful as well. We will for sure. So thank you both again and thank you everyone for listening. As always, we look forward to seeing you on the next podcast. Take care. If you enjoyed this episode, visit us at the Ninja Selling Project.

To learn more about ninja selling classes, To get you started or further your journey on the Ninja Path. for joining us. Now go have an incredible day.