by andrew | Sep 17, 2018 | Don't Settle, Goal Setting, Life On The Wire, Mindset For Success, No Regrets, Stress, Success
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get stuck. When you get stuck what do you do? Here’s one idea… to consider:
What will you regret more… doing it or not doing it? Asking yourself this question cuts through the fears, the pros and cons and all that other stuff that clogs the decision-making process. Asking this question can get you out of your head and into your heart, revealing what you truly want. And once you know that, the details sort themselves out. Any testimonials?
Research shows that more people regret things they didn’t do than the things they did, even if things they did turned out badly. After all, with time and effort, you can fix almost any mistake… yet you can’t go back and do the things you dreamed of doing but didn’t. That means you can only think about how today would be different if you had only taken action.
Take a moment and write down that decision you’ve been procrastinating about… the one thing you’ve been thinking about, the one thing you’ve been getting ready to get ready. And ask yourself, “what will I regret more… doing it or not doing it?”
Research shows, we most regret thinking we didn’t reach our full potential. We most regret not becoming the person we feel we could have become…if we only had tried.
I suspect this is the case because it is the one mistake you can never go back and fix.
Yet it is the one mistake we all can stop making today.
Think about this… it’s easy to imagine that superstars in their fields were just born better equipped than the rest of us. When a co-worker loses 20 pounds, or a friend runs a marathon while completing a huge project at work, we assume they have more grit, more willpower, more innate talent, and above all, more motivation to see their goals through.
Yet that’s not actually true. Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden proves “motivation” as we know it is a myth. Motivation isn’t the special sauce that we require at the beginning of any major change. In fact, motivation is a result of the process, not a cause. Understanding this will change the way you approach any obstacle or a big goal.
Read more about it here, The Motivation Myth
What will you regret more… doing it or not doing it?
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Sep 10, 2018 | Appointment Setting, Best Practice, BluePrint Of Success, Priorities and My Time, Productivity
There are 80 working days left in 2018. Depending on how many days you work, how many holidays you celebrate and so on, you have about 80 days to wrap up 2018. 80 days…
How do you want your bank account to look like on January 1st of 2019? Do you want a bigger bank account or a smaller one? I suspect a bigger one… so let’s get to work.
Whatever your goal is, NOW is the time to make that happen. The next 45 to 55 days will be critical for setting yourself up for strong close to 2018 and a fast start to 2019. What you do in the next few days and weeks will determine the size of your bank account on January 1.
Let’s face there are two types of agents today… hobbyists and CEO’s. This blog is not intended for part-time agents or those that work real estate sales as a hobby. For those of you that run your business like a business, those of you that know your daily number and know what it takes to generate one sale… this article is for you.
How many families or investors do you want to serve between now and the end of the year?
How many contacts do you need to make to drive that number? One rule of thumb is 40 to 1.
What systems do you have in place to create the result you desire?
Write down the number of sales you’ve made so far this year.
Write down the source of those sales.
This is your system… a system will produce what a system will produce, nothing less nothing more. If your system is not producing the expected result, it’s time to update your system.
A couple of things to consider
- Decide Now. Decide now how many days you will work, how many days you will be off and how many “flex days” you’ll have between now and the end of the year. Decide if you will create an investor campaign to take advantage of year-end investment buyers. And, decide now how many listings you will earn between now and the end of the year.
- Diversify your lead generation sources. Too many of you rely on ONE maybe TWO lead sources. 4 to 6 sources of business is a minimum standard. Don’t add them all at once, start with one get it working and stable then add another until you reach 4 to 6 sources. In any market, more lead sources will serve you better than fewer lead sources. Relying on 100% of your business with one lead source in a shifting market is a formula for disaster.
- Up your CRM game. At JPAR you have a world class CRM kvCORE as part of our base package. You also have Top Producer and Commissions Inc. at a preferred rate. So, there is no excuse for not having your CRM update date and working for you.
- Delegate. Is it time to find some help? An office or virtual assistant. Your highest and best use is prospecting.; lead generation; going to appointments, and negotiating contracts. Everything else can be delegated. Scared? Get resourceful, many new agents I know are sharing a fractional assistant to split cost yet keep them fully employed.
- Target Market Clarity? Any market rewards the hyperlocal expert. Are you an expert in a community? Are you an expert in a profession like Nurses, FBI agents, CPA’s? It’s probably time to expand your targets and diversify.
- Real Estate Play Book. Complete our JPAR real estate playbook ASAP. It is full of practical ideas you can execute immediately.
So, I’ll leave you today with three more things:
1. Cash… cash is king. Are you building your cash reserves? Reducing bad debt? Investing in marketing? (Hint: You can do all 3.)
2. Knowing what you know now, what immediate adjustments do you need to make?
3. Have you started a small weekly accountability group with like-minded, goal-oriented CEO’s like yourself? If not, what are you waiting for?
#WinTheDay
by andrew | Apr 23, 2018 | Goal Setting, Mindset For Success, Success
Welcome to real estate sales! The hardest and most challenging roller coaster ride of your life. Yet this profession can also be so very, very rewarding.
When I came out of corporate America and started my real estate career, I did not have an extensive network because I worked 80 hours a week. I wasn’t as connected to the community as others. I was starting a business from scratch and I knew excuses would not create income. So, I took what I knew from engineering – system, structure, and process – and applied that to my business.
I knew if I created and followed a formula, success would flow. And it did! Following my “7 S” formula I became the rookie of the year, #1 producer in my office and 3 years later the #1 agent in my market. Later in my career, I had the skills, desire and drive to create my own real estate brokerage: JP & Associates REALTORS®. And I’m proud to write that in the last 6 years – following the “7 S” formula DAILY- we’ve come from being a dream to being named the 88th largest firm in America!
So, what’s the formula? It’s the 7 S’s:
“You are capable of success, you just need to take the first step”
SUIT UP
Every day I suit up – I suit up mentally and physically. Unless you live in Malibu where you can get by at times with shorts and flip-flops, suit up and look like a successful, professional. Everyday dress for success for the norms in your area. That included my car… now at first, I could not afford a fancy car, yet I invested in a 4-door car that was always clean and ready to go.
Suiting up for me also meant my daily mental routine. My friend and COO Mark Johnson at JPAR, recently wrote: “the mind is its own place. Inside it, you can make a perfect place miserable and a miserable place nearly perfect.” That’s so true. Each day I focused on the positive things I could create in my business and for my life. You see I knew, what I focused on expands and I chose to focus on being mentally tough and taking inspired action daily.
What I learned I had to BE the agent that people wanted to work with and refer friends to. You can do the same. Suit up every day mentally and physically! EVERYDAY. This is where agents begin to fumble and falling off the wagon so very early in the steps.
SHOW UP
In my business, I showed up! I showed up to as many local and regional real estate events and community events as possible. Became involved in all my kid’s activities and filled my calendar with appointments! Appointments I learned was my “money ball” the equivalent of getting on base. The more I got on base the more signed contracts I created. I made appointments with everyone who could help me: with title companies, lenders, friends, clients, other top producers. While others would not begin arriving in the office until 11 every day, I got to the office EARLY. I made it a point to never eat lunch alone. Coffee anyone?
What I learned after suiting up was to SHOW UP and show up everywhere! Show up until you don’t need a business card to introduce yourself in your market.
SPECIALIZE
Generalist struggle and specialist thrive. When I ask an agent their specialty and they answer, “I’ll go anywhere,” typically, that answer is a signal for help! I’ve observed that agents who go anywhere struggle more than agents who specialize. Yes, most of us live in or near a large market, yet a niche specialty market is a secret to stretching your dollars and maximizing your exposure. Niche markets are all around us… consider what industry you come from like Nursing, teaching, law enforcement? You can specialize in those markets. What about specializing in investment properties for high wealth individuals? Of course, there is always the local neighborhood. You can make a great living by becoming the hyperlocal expert in a 300-home area by becoming the “hub” for all things real estate and home ownership related. You’ll provide a great service to your “farm” and love your business.
I learned this early in my career. Your marketing dollar cannot cover an entire wide area. Your audience needs to be narrow and they need to hear or see your message daily.
SOLICIT
It seems in today’s world the word “solicit” or “sales” is almost a dirty word. Yet consider this… nothing in this world happens until someone buys or sells something. And those who do so in an eloquent and professional way can be well rewarded. Fact is, real estate sales in many ways is a commodity like milk, juice, and airlines. Yet you can differentiate yourself in service, follow up, expertise and always delivering on your promises.
So, don’t be a secret agent. You’ve got to get out there and engage with the people you know and the people you don’t know. Build and maintain relationships. Wear a name tag; slap a magnetic business card on the side of your car; hand out business cards; conduct open houses and invite ALL the nosy neighbors. Spark discussions about real estate with everyone you meet. And then be prepared with your U.S.P. Your unique selling proposition… (google it!). Finally, develop your network of professional relationships who you can cross-refer business.
Keep in mind, I learned early on that “what you say matters.” I can’t emphasize enough the importance of role-playing and practicing. Agents who rehearse the buyer presentation, rehearse their listing presentation and rehearse the most common objections simply outperform those agents who don’t. It’s just that simple: practice with someone in the office NOT on your potential customer.
SPEND
I’d rather say “invest” but it doesn’t start with an S! You have to spend, to invest money to make money. And every spend should have a direct ROI (return on investment) back to you. Be smart, be strategic but have a budget each month that is invested in tried and true lead generation and set aside a budget to always be testing something new and innovative.
Limited money? Check equity or sweat equity… it’s your choice, just be resourceful in how you spend your time, talent and treasure. For example, in some cases, you can door drop and save money on direct mail. Whatever you do, however, you choose to do it remember the purpose of all real estate marketing is to get an appointment. Get the appointment is your money ball!
Most agents don’t even have a budget. Create one now, and work toward increasing the spend monthly, not reducing it. The more you spend toward lead gen, marketing the more appointments you can create.
A scared money will never make you real money. Look at where top producers spend their money in lead gen and outspend them over time to take their place. Simple enough.
SET GOALS
Life rewards the specific and punishes the vague. You tell me, which agent is going to make more money this year:
Agent 1: “how much money would you like to make this year?”
As much a possible!
Agent 2: “how much money would you like to make this year?”
I’m going to serve 50 families this year to either buy, sell or invest in real estate. By talking with 10 people a day (4 I know; 4 I don’t know, and 2 from previous lead follow-ups) I’ll make 4 appointments a week and sign 1 new contract each week.
Which agent of these agents is going to win at the end of the year?
You are a business owner now and business owners don’t wing it. Set big goals that motivate you to take big actions.
EVERY. SINGLE.DAY. You should have a checklist of things you want to accomplish towards the master goal. Don’t quit the day until you have those things done.
As an engineer, I was given a Franklin Covey planner. I had one of those in my days selling real estate and to this day I carry a notebook. I want to check things off my list daily. It’s fulfilling. It’s personally rewarding.
SERVICE
You can specialize, solicit, spend all day long, but in the end, the willingness to help people and be active in your community carries more weight than gold in our business. Get involved in your church, your community events. Volunteer in your kid’s groups and local organizations like the Junior League, or Women Leagues, or Rotary club. It will take some time to get business from those circles, but if you have a genuine approach and take time business will come.
Zig said it best. You can have everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want.
Make it happen each day, use the 7 S formula and success will flow. If you didn’t catch my previous post on the 7 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me, then check it out.
by andrew | Apr 3, 2018 | Goal Setting, Productivity
The first quarter of 2018 year is gone. Can you believe it? Where did the time go?
Are you ahead, behind or on track with your personal & business goals? In any case, I’d encourage you to “declare it perfect and move forward powerfully.” Make the necessary adjustments, and keep moving forward.
“It’s not where you start but where you finish that counts”
The story of Bennett Moehring.
Bennet hadn’t even turned 21 yet when he suffered one of the most crushing disappointments of his life, live in front of nearly 70,000 people in “swirling snow,” he missed a game-winning field goal in the Army-Navy game allowing Army to win 14-13.
After the failed 48-yard kick, his teammates helped him off the field, and he wept in the locker room. But then he started drawing upon what he’d learned from the leadership course he was taking and from talks about character he’d heard from Navy coaches. He decided to face reporters, take responsibility, and talk about how lucky he felt to play football. “I’ll use this as motivation,” Moehring decided. “I’ll get better. It’s the only option.”
Then a surprising thing happened. Moehring started getting words of encouragement from everywhere offering him praise and support via social media, email, and texts. All of this backup, as well as soul-searching on his own part, eventually helped Moehring cut himself some slack on not making what was likely a near-impossible kick in the first place. He realized that his missed field goan turned out to be more of a blessing than a burden. “If I made the kick, the glory would’ve faded,” he said. “But with this, I can be an example of good sportsmanship, and that’s lasting.”
Bennett Moehring “declared it perfect” and so can you.
Next Monday as a firm – our support teams – will learn from the past 3 months: we will celebrate success and also make whatever adjustment and changes are needed to not only catch up with goals but also to move ahead.
This is just the first quarter of 2018. We all have plenty of time to reach our 2018 goals… as long as we are all willing to execute the daily activities, track the results, make the changes to our behaviors and engage an accountability partner.
Are you interested or committed? 75% of the year remains, let’s go!
