by Rick Davidson | Dec 3, 2018 | Dreams, Goal Setting, Goals for 2019, Habits, New Year, New Year's Resolution, New You
A few weeks from now, you might be asked, “So, how are those New Year’s resolutions working out for you? The dream is that our goals and resolutions lead us to a higher ground, to new horizons. They can give our eyes a focus, our mind an aim, and our strength a purpose. Without the positive pull forward of a goal, we could risk remaining forever stagnant, or even worse sucked into a backward spiral.
So why is it so hard to keep and reach some resolutions, some goals?
We have all felt the excitement that comes with setting a new goal, but then, as time progresses, excitement can morph into anxiety. This is because we are facing the reality that we are so far from our goal and have no framework or strategy of how to get there.
So how do you overcome life’s hurdles and personal mental roadblocks to reach your BIG goals?
Well, first, a blinding flash of the obvious: When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. Motivation is key to achieving goals. Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. If the goal is truly not important to you and you can’t tie it back to why it’s meaningful, your chances of success diminish. Yet wait, there’s more:
The reality is, there’s a SCIENCE to goal setting
In over 650 studies completed with over 50,000 participants, scientists analyzed what worked best when goal setting. Overall, individuals who focused on Process Goals had more success in reaching their goals than those who simply set Performance or Outcome Goals.
So, what is the difference between an outcome goal, a performance goal, and a process goal?
An outcome goal is one that isn’t really under your control. Instead, it’s based on outside circumstances. For example, if your goal is to the #1 selling agent in your market, that’s a goal that’s not only based on your numbers but also the numbers from other agents in your market too.
Performance goals are personal achievement goals. They are the building blocks that help you reach your outcome goal. A good performance goal example is to “beat my personal record of 21 homes sold in a year.
Process goals are completely under your control and are composed of the things you do on a daily basis like habits and routines. Think of these as the small steps you take to get to your performance and outcome goals every single day. An example of a process goal would be to “spend 60 minutes prospecting daily” or “40 minutes of cardio work.”
So, there you have it, the science behind more effective goal setting. Create a goal that is important to you and one you can be reminded frequently as to why you are pursuing it. Then, break those outcome goals down to the daily activities, the daily processes. Now your likelihood of achievement is dramatically improved.
Interested in coaching? See if it’s right for you: www.jparcoaching.com
#WinTheDay
by Rick Davidson | Nov 26, 2018 | Don't Settle, Dreams, Goal Setting, Habits, Holiday, JPAR, Productivity, Real Estate, Thanksgiving, US Holiday
Like many of you, I’m coming off a major Thanksgiving holiday. Full of friends, family and the food coma. A study from 2007 found that eating a meal with a high glycemic index shortened the time it took for people to fall asleep by about 50% when compared to those fed a low glycemic index meal.
But there’s likely more than one reason a Thanksgiving feast can end in sleepiness. A study from 2009 suggests that cross-talk between the gut and the brain after a meal activates the hypothalamus, which indirectly stimulates regions responsible for sleep while simultaneously suppressing regions responsible for wakefulness.
In last week’s blog, I wrote about the Mindset, Attitude, Actions, and Results circle. That’s kind of like the cross talk between your gut and the brain after a big meal, yes!? Here is what we know, the difference between mindset and attitude are clear: mindset is a way of thinking; that in turn drives your attitude which shows up in how you approach things, your language tone and posture. That in turns drives your actions and your behavior which ultimately delivers an outcome or a result.
So, IF your business is in a food coma, or you are being proactive to avoid the holiday business coma, here’s 2 steps to consider.
1. Improve your posture and increase your daily physical activity over the next 4 weeks.
2. Make sure your business plan is relevant and up to date by 12/1. And in that process ensure you:
a. Define YOUR unique value
b. Trouble shoot any issue holding you back
c. Be clear and FOCUS on a clearly defined target market
d. Get in a small group
Move your body MORE
Tony Robbins, consultant and coach to CEO’s and self-help guru believes that what the body does, the mind follows. Wake up your body and your mind is awoken.
Example: what is your posture at this moment? When was the last time you went on brisk walk? How do you carry yourself? How do you dress yourself? How does your face look at this exact moment? Change your physical state: Take a daily walk, sit up straighter, put a smile on your face, dress the part for your industry and see if that doesn’t have an immediate effect on your mindset.
If you’re interested, look into the book “Presence” where author Amy Cuddy explains the science behind all of this and even shows you a couple of power poses. Here is a link to her amazing Ted Talk.
Is Your Business Plan Relevant?
Define your value and remember it’s NOT all about you! Be TOTALLY clear about how choosing you as a real estate agent benefits your prospect. When someone asks you what you do, it can be tempting to list your awards and accomplishments. Try to be mindful about naming specific ways your services benefit sellers, buyers or investors. Benefit-focused value statements resonate with prospects in a meaningful way. For example:
I specialize in helping empty nesters find the luxury downtown condo that’s just right for them.
I am a ninja negotiator with a track record of selling homes at an average of 2 percent over list.
Want to sell fast? Then I’m your real estate agent, as my listings sell in 26 days on average, 13 days faster than the norm.
Troubleshoot any issue holding you back. Unless you are a hobbyist in real estate, you’ll need systems for:
Consistent quality – for you, your clients and your partners.
Simplifying your workload – like a checklist for a pilot before takeoff
Saving time – less time wondering what to do next and more time doing it
Highlighting and eliminating inefficiencies
Growing your business – serve more people, make more money
Do you have a clear TARGET?
When we see agents and teams struggling, too often their target market is just not specific enough. Many agents and teams may have several different types of target markets. Yet, for the purposes of marketing your business, you want to start with a laser focus on sellers and buyers. Your target market profile should be specific enough to answer basic questions like:
Where can you find sufficient numbers of them in groups?
What media do they consume? (How to reach them)
What blog sites, websites, forums do they frequent?
How engaged are they on social media and which platform?
What associations do they belong to?
The power of a small group. If your business is struggling – or you want to avoid the holiday coma – as the business owner, it can be tough to see the forest between the trees. It’s easy to get in overdrive mode putting in more hours working in the business with little or no time left to work on the business. This is where it would be wise to seek expert from like-minded individuals, a business coach or BOTH.
What action will you take to get out of OR avoid a business holiday coma?
by Rick Davidson | Nov 5, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Coaching, Don't Settle, Dreams, Goal Setting, Habits, JPAR, Master Mind Group, Mindset For Success, Real Estate, Success
Last week we conducted an amazing business plan session via zoom, and well… we forgot to record it! Human error. Well, our error is your benefit because here is a cliff note version of that session.
Nationally about 3% of agents create 20 or more transactions a year, yet at JPAR nearly, 8% of our agents create 20 or more transactions. Why is that?
Better planning that leads to better execution.
So, what are the secrets of those highly productive agents?
- They don’t wait. They start business planning in October. Face it, residential real estate typically runs in 90-day cycles. If you wait until December to look at your 2019 business plan, the first quarter of 2019 will already be set, done and all but over.
- They are very CLEAR on their WHY, their VISION, and their unique selling proposition… the one thing that differentiates them from all others.
- They rely on more than one source of leads. With a mindset of “always be testing” they have tried and failed, yet over time have created at least 4 different sources of leads.
- They understand the source and cost of all leads… which ones convert, and which ones don’t.
- They understand that trying harder simply doesn’t work. So, they don’t expect to do the same thing and get a different result. You might want to read YOU SQUARED by Dallas based business coach Price Pritchett.
- They break everything down to the simplest terms. A daily number and a daily activity.
Bonus secret? Those highly productive agents that are crushing their goals have surrounded themselves with a mastermind group that meets consistently to discuss the business plan, execution, challenge assumptions and holds each other accountable.
So, there you have it, 6 steps to a better business plan and one killer bonus secret. What will you do to up your business planning game this week?
Looking for business planning templates? Reach out to us via www.exceedingexpectations.info
Coaching? Take us up on a free coaching consult to see if coaching is right for you: www.jparcoaching.com
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Oct 15, 2018 | Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Coaching, Don't Settle, Dreams, Goal Setting, JPAR, Priorities and My Time, Real Estate, Sucess Goals
We are on a mission… a mission to create the most productive brokerage network in the world. That requires transformation… I was thinking, wouldn’t it be cool if it was as easy as the type of transformation Clark Kent goes through when he becomes Superman, or when Diana became Wonder Woman?
Here’s what I know, to achieve all of our dreams some type of transformation is required. And unless you are blessed with superpowers, transformations don’t happen in isolation. If you’re stuck, get in a small group. If you’re on track get in a small group. If you’re crushing it I suspect you’re already in a small group. None of us will transform without the power of being in a like-minded mastermind group where you can share, discuss, challenge and get some accountability.
Consider starting or joining a group this week. Don’t know what to discuss? Consider these possible themes:
Possible Topics:
6 guidelines for business transformation. 1. Let the consumer drive your direction; 2. Decide what type of transformation you need; 3. How to involve your team, vendors and support network; 4. How to say NO to the comfort zone; 5. Being open, listen to others and be prepared to change as conditions dictate and 6. Best practices to never stop… never stop with a continuous improvement mindset (make it better, make it better, always make it better).
Possible Topic:
The JPAR quarterly review or business planning templates and how you plan to close the year strong, fully prepared for 2019.
Possible Topic About Marketing:
As you think about closing the year strong and starting the year fast I’d ask you to consider content-based marketing.
Content-based marketing is about marketing your real estate services based on the consumers intent to engage.
Marketing to the consumer’s intent is expected to produce a better ROI over more traditional methods, mostly due to specific targeting and higher quality responses.
One idea you could execute would be white papers that you hire out Fiverr or write yourself along with an associated “push and target” distribution campaign to drive leads. Examples:
4 reasons to sell and buy in Flower Mound
6 ways to increase the value of your home in Frisco
7 things I bet your real estate agent never taught you about Austin real estate market
Many social media companies allow you to target a likely seller or buyer by way of geographic area (ex. 10 mile radius from a property), age (ex. 35-50), income (ex. at least $50,000 and less than $80,000), and even credit score (cool, right?). And others like SmartZip offer predictive intent based tools for the modern real estate agent.
So there you have it – at least 3 major topics to get started on in your small group. When will you begin?
by andrew | Oct 8, 2018 | Best Practice, Coaching, Dreams, Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, No Regrets, Real Estate, Sucess Goals
Every picture tells a story, and that’s true of today’s blog post photo. Take a look… that image just may have hit home for you as it did for me.
I have few regrets… yet recently I happened to be in a business meeting where we moved the chess prices around the board yet did not address the true underlying issue. Instead, I chose the path of least resistance… the path of comfort instead of the harder truth. Conflict was avoided yet so was the real growth opportunity. Can you relate to a similar situation in your business or life?
While comforting lies can be, well, comforting, they won’t help us get through a challenging situation in a way that serves our mutual best interests. Comforting lies won’t help you grow. So, if your desire is to be the best version of you, switch the line you’re in. Move from the easy line of comfort to the more challenging line. The unpleasant truth will equip you with the feedback to make the best next step. The next best course of action given your circumstances, desires, and dreams.
As a mentor, coach and consultant here’s what I know: “a coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.” Let’s be that person this week for all the people we influence.
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Sep 26, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, Don't Settle, Dreams, Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, Real Estate, Service, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Top Agent, Top Producer
Jason Todd, says helping veterans is one of the most rewarding parts of his real estate practice. He started his real estate practice after 15 years in retail management where he was working 80 hours weeks – including weekends and holidays. Today he has a great work, life balance and runs a successful team that is exceeding expectations on a daily basis.
Watch today’s episode to learn more about Todd’s fundamentals of success.
“Everybody needs to have a reason ‘Why’ they do it.”
– Jason Todd, JP and Associates REALTORS®
