Perhaps you’ve heard Ron wax poetic about the Salmon Falls Resort—how it’s the best place on Earth to go, the best place to catch salmon, the best this, the best that, etc.
It has certainly come up in our conversations with Ron. The stars, moon and planets finally aligned for our trek to “see for ourselves” this paradise on earth.
Our journey to get to Salmon Falls began with an 8-hour plane ride to Seattle, where we boarded the Celebrity Solstice cruise ship. After a day at sea, we arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska. Now you realize, of course, a lot of preparation took place before we headed to the airplane. We lined up our cruise schedule, our airline schedule, our hotel schedule (one night stay in Seattle before boarding the ship) and our transport schedule from the ship to Salmon Falls. We even filled out paperwork ahead of time for our fishing license—warning: there is a question to divulge your weight!
As it turned out, six in our group made the trek out to Salmon Falls for the fishing expedition. Three skiffs were reserved for our use—two people in each boat. Ron set us up for success at the dock: he made sure we knew how to operate our boat as well as how to bait our hook before we left the dock. Having heard Ron say on many occasions that there’s “5 Steps To Success in Any Business,” Jay and I started to parallel the “5 Steps” to fishing to see if it worked in the fishing world:
1. Locate prospects—what kind of fish (sellers) do you want, where are they, how to find them, understanding what motivates them.
Now you can guess at all of these or you can listen to an expert who knows!
– Do you want salmon, halibut, or red cod? A.k.a. Bank Owned, Short Sales or For Sale By Owners
– Are they in front of the resort or are they off Clover Pass Island? A.k.a. Mailing Lists—e.g., Free and Clear, Out of State Owners, Pre-foreclosures
– How do you find them? Hire an experienced fishing guide. A.k.a. Get a mentor!
– What motivates them to bite? A.k.a. Debt, Divorce, Death—all leading to stress relief
2. Prequalify—just like the yellow letter attracts motivated sellers, the herring on the hook attracts the right fish—so be sure to use the right bait. “No changes from what works!” Bait the hook exactly as Ron teaches. “If your herring ain’t twirling, you didn’t follow instructions.”
3. Make offer—as the fish nibble, indicating “Yes, I’m interested,” you hook them. And how do you “hook” the sellers? By following Ron’s scripts!
4. Follow up—once you’ve hooked them, slowly reel them in so they don’t get off the hook—follow up is vitally important! To quote Ron, “The money is in the follow up!” Patience, persistence and consistency win!
5. Close—pull them in the boat as soon as possible. “The older, the colder!” The net used properly “seals the deal” like the seller’s signature on a contract.
Not surprisingly, Ron is right again. He’s probably applied the “5 Steps” to fishing just as we did. Using these simple steps helped us to be successful in our fishing endeavor just as these same simple steps have made us successful in our real estate investing business.
Yes, there are some “tall tales” as expected with most all fishing trips. Just ask any of us who were fishing that day! And, maybe some of the tales bear a slight resemblance to what actually happened—like “The Big One” that got away!
We had such an exhilarating time of R&R out on the water that we are already planning our next trip to Ketchikan! Who knows?! Maybe we’ll even indulge in a pair of Ketchikan Salmon Fishing Boots just like Ron’s!
Great photo, sounds like you had great time.
That’s an incredible analogy!!
That sounds like an incredible experience! That’s the thing about vacations, it’s when you relax that clarity is found. Great story, thanks for sharing.
Give a man a fish, feed him for the day, teach him how to fish & feed him for a lifetime!