Are you in a rut? Discouraged? Maybe you are new and not sure where to start? One thing you should keep in mind is what you do today will have a direct impact on your business in the next 90 days. That means if you prospect for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, the fruition of your hard work will pay off in the next 90 days. Can you stand to make a few more bucks? Are you up for the challenge? Make the commitment to do the following 5 things and I bet you will see a dramatic change in your business within the next 90 days!
- When I got in this business I wanted freedom, I commit to Century 21 Sundance Realty 35 hours a week, another words I try very hard to work an honest 35 hour work week, however I must admit I most often work more because I feel guilty about the social aspects of the business. The whole point is I am committed to doing an honest 35 hours a week. So be honest about your work week and commit and then do it!
- Floyd Wickman taught me the best way to commit is to prospect until you get an appointment. Whether you are chasing FSBO'S or Expired listings or general prospecting, if Floyd's way is too much try this. If you call on 5 prospects add 5 a day. By doing this alone your business will grow. You will make more contacts, add to your sphere, more appointments and over time.....a booming business! Get the message. Add 5!
- Review your business plan and your goals for 2007. Evaluate the 1st half of the year and make adjustments. How many more listing appointments do I need to reach my goals? How about sales? Evaluate the first half of 2007. Start setting the pace for the rest of the year. The more realistic your goals are the more likely you will reach them. That means if you need to make an adjustment do so.
- Commit to 1 hour a day on Internet Marketing, especially if you are your own webmaster, I have found by making regular adjustments I seem to get better placement and more contacts. Know your target market and get working, believe me it's there for the taking. Bring value and be a great resource! If you don't have a website...blog!
- Work your sphere hard, I live by it, I depend on them. We all can use a little help from our friends. Commit to calling 10 a day, don't have 10 make 10, after you call them, e-mail them, write, visit. Your sphere can make you very successful (if you have one) or break you out of this business (If you don't).
In our society we are taught to strive to be the best. Easier said than done! I say try being better. Every single day! It's much easier to achieve and you will continually improve. You might stay motivated and enjoy what you do. It's all about patience and balance. So today take the challenge and commit to 90 days and then watch your real estate world improve.
It's best expressed in this poem by W.E.B DuBois
Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season.
It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year.
It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow.
Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.
Good lessons for everyone - thanks for the post. Remember that when you put in your time to pay attention to what you are spending the time on. Make it sure that your time is being spent on things that will make you money. It's too easy to get hung up on busy work and at the end of the day have nothing to show for it..
Thanks for this post Midori.
Stop giving away your loans - increase your bottom line without increasing your workload. Ask for information.
I'm in Midori...let's do it!
Our office has been running a couple of marketing campaigns for the past two weeks. The follow up derived from our campaigns coupled with the processing of our current pipeline definitely adds a lot to our plate.
But I agree that the key is to stick to it! It's like excercising right? The tough part is getting started and creating and sticking to a routine. But we're going strong and I'm looking forward to continued positive results.
Midori,
Excellent tips! Very inspiring and motivating, a well deserved feature! Thank you :)
I am so thankful I saw this today. I appreciate your time in writing this so much!
Sincerely, Sandi (floyd smart group grad 2007)
Midori...Good advice! My mentor used to say (regarding sitting in the office), "You don't make your dolloars by parking your quarters here".
Regards...Jay
Midori, you hit it out of the ballpark. It's precisely this type of knowledge and the fact that you are so passionate about it that makes me believe in you the way I do. You're encouraging a lot of people out here. Keep up the great work. And keep writing. I'll keep reading.
Good morning....I wake to a featured! Thank you.....What a nice suprise!
Phillip-I currently work with associates, they are the WOW team, I hold them accountable and they hold themselves accountable. I flat out tell them, do not office dwell, work and work honestly because the only person you are cheating is yourself! That means if you can't be productive in the office go home, if an associate eats up a lot of your time, tell them NO! Thank you for stopping by!
Kate-Good point, that is another thing, evalute everything you are doing in your business. Keep track of what produces business for you! That is extremely important. That means take a look at what you are doing and if you need to make adjustments to tasks that help generate business do so and take away or get rid of systems that does nothing financially for you. Thanks for comment
I have a question regarding your statement, "Commit to calling 10 a day, don't have 10 make 10...". Just how do you make 10 contacts a day? Where do you get these people? I have moved to a new area without ANY contacts, and most of our friends and family live 8 hours away, so??? I've been told (in a previous blog) about handing out business cards, but how do you get someone's phone number or email address in a casual encounter at the grocery store, etc?
Thanks in advance!
Kathy-If you can improve, meaning doing a bit more than what you have been doing you will see the difference. Don't give up, give it your best shot and you will see the rewards! Keep me posted......Thanks for stopping by.
Todd and Danielle-You are so right! That is what I mean about an honest days work, its not the driving time or the social lunch, its the activities that produce income. thank you for your input and for stopping by.
Chris-Yes I need inspiration from time to time too, and yes it's hard on Monday's I still seem to be in weekend mode until about Noon....... thank you for commenting......
Suzanne-Thanks for stopping by, it was a nice suprise to wake up to a featured. I guess maybe I should post when I can't sleep. Happy to hear it inspires....That is always my goal.
Sandi-Go for it, business is there for the taking. I say we have to be strong and overcome all of the negativity we see in real estate today. Is that a Floyd Wickman training I saw there. Impressive! He works you hard and you reap the benefits. Thank you for you kind words.....it is really appreciated.
Lisa-Yes we are responsible for our own successes and failures. Go for it and I know you will reap what you sow. Thanks for the comments.
Neal-Everyone knows real estate and any other sales gig is a numbers game. Of course, knowledge is power but it's a numbers game. See that is why you always have listings and you always have sales. You go boy!
Margaret-Hope it helps and thanks for stopping by.
Todd-Thank you.....Try it you will like it!
Jay-Your mentor is right, I call it office dwelling. You have to be in front of the public someway, whether by phone or e-mail or visit! thank you for commenting and stopping by.
Maggie-I take that as a huge compliment coming from you! This works, I am working with 5 associates now in coaching and these are the type of tasks they do. All of them have increased their businesses. I am so excited I am starting another group, it really does my heart good to see people be successful. Thanks for the words of encouragement I can always count on you for that.
Michelle-thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Allison-Yes it is a little scary and very stressful for agents but I think we need to focus on the tasks rather than all of the problems of a transaction. In any market we will have problems. It's the tasks that need to be done we need to focus on. thank you for stopping by and I really appreciate the feedback.
Dianne-This post is for everyone. I have top dogs in my WOW program and they are doing excellent. You go girl and get the business that you so deserve!
Paul-Bingo, we are independent contractors we have choices in how much or how little we work. I agree, associates need to look at themselves as business owners. I always have and still do! Thank you for commenting.
Ruth-Thank you for the kind words and comments. I really love this business and I always have. It requires a lot of committment and hard work. I am really committed....thank you for stopping by.
Eric-Maybe you need to take a little break and re-evaluate. Every year, I plan alone, yes I stay in a hotel for 2 days and really focus on my goals in all areas of my life. I don't come home until my planning is done. In between I do take a rest here and there and I think it is vital. I re-evalute, the most discouraging thing a person can do is set their goals too high. Some great ways to get your motivation back is to take some training. I don't know about you but I love to hear about other's success and how they achieved it. Sometimes we have to go outside our little safe worlds to make changes. As my dad would say, focus on the end result.
Linda-Yes, we have to stay focused and keep our eye on the prize. I say master being better. If you can do that you will see more activity in your real estate world. Thank you for stopping by.
Tom-I agree never stop prospecting. Prospecting is the lifeblood of your business. If you just added 5 people per day your sphere will grow 25 per week. Imagine how quickly you could grow. Thank you for commenting.
Lashon-I am known as everyone's head cheerleader. It's not that I don't live in reality I know it can be done. I actively sold in the 90's, buyer's market, higher rates, I also experienced the seller's market, so I know it can be done....we just have to commit to do it! Keep your head high and go for it................In 90 days it will be better days ahead. Thank you for stopping by. If you get real down call me and I will sing to you! heheheh you may not want me to do that. Feel free to contact me......
James-I could not agree with you more. It's just hard getting started, I know it can be done, I know what it takes and I am sooooooo committed. Committment is the key. Being honest with yourself is important. Also be a doer and not a talker and your business will grow. Thank you for your input. Floyd is my hero!
Patty-Honestly I was in the same boat as you and it's not easy. You have to commit and really get yourself out there. I have several posts that may help you. Here are a few tips. Get involved in your community, let people know what you do, don't be obnoxious but be proud you make people's dreams come true. I can't stress this enough wear a nametag, you don't want to be a secret agent. That name tag will strike up conversations that you may never have the courage to have. Hand your business cards out, do not keep them, place them in businesses. I can go on and on. Please Read my other posts and if it does not help call me anytime.
Keith-Thank you for reading and for stopping by.
Jennifer-That is awesome, I bet if you worked your sphere just a little harder you will see more business in the next 90 days. Thanks for commenting and stopping by.
Midori,
<> You are the second person in as many days to mention the 90-day goal setting, so I am giving it a shot.
I was listening to a sales CD over the weekend that talked about setting a goal for where you want to be 90 days from now and work towards it. I already have daily actions that I am somewhat good about accomplishing, but putting them in ninety-day buckets really helps me focus.
Thanks for the post!
Jackie, Mortgage Virtual Assistant
Patricia-Love it make the calls. Everyone can benefit and they will all they have to do is just do it! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Gary-Yes thinking ahead. I say be ready for when the market turns in the mean time do tasks that will keep you in the business while we are waiting. You are right, there is no down time. We just have to keep plugging away.
Doug-We can't get discouraged, we have to stay focused and keep our eye on the prize! Yes this business is a roller coaster ride but no one ever said it would be easy. Those who started in the active market I feel are the ones who are having a hard time adjusting. Thanks for your comments
Michael-Don't change your business just enhance it with new things. Weed out what does not work and implement knew tasks that will generate money. Keep going my friend....you will reap the rewards at the end. Thank you for commenting.
Therese- Thank you for stopping by, hope you are doing well. Yes I think this should be bookmarked and attempt to follow the best you can. Remember be better than what you are and try to do that every day.
Jackie-most of my posts will assist in the mortgage business as well. I did mortgage for a while and many of the real estate principals apply to mortgages. Go for it....would love to hear how you do! Thank you for stopping by.
Excellent post with a solid game plan. Our team affectionately calls it "90 Days of Pain." It's definitely a challenge to consistently meet daily goals along the way, but for those who are persistent, the rewards at the end of the 90 days are amazing, and they find that it really wasn't so painful after all.
Joan-We should do everything we can to work this in our daily routine. We always need more contacts, we can never have too many customers. I think that is where we make the mistake we get too busy to do the tasks required to keep us up and running down the road. You are so right about systems and plans, it's important to utilize them to the fullest....they keep us productive and on track. Thanks Joan for your comment I really appreciate it!
John-I can tell you that I coach 5 associates, they are the "special forces" of Century 21 Sundance Realty, my WOW team, they will tell you they truly believe this and their production shows. Although they hate all the assignments I give them, I started it as a 3 month program for them to decide it's for the entire year! Keep an eye out for Volusia County Localism Posts and Pictures coming in the next 2 weeks, we meet monthly and I know they wait til the last minute. This is part of their monthly assignments. I can't wait to see this unfold. Thanks for commenting.....
Lisa and Robert- So nice to see you here! Thank you for stopping by and commenting....Hope it helps.
Great marketing plan. I talked to an attorney friend one day about billing. Since then I have tried to "work my hours." I find if I "bill" in 15 minutes segments - prospecting, client service, marketing, etc - I am getting more done with a lot less time.
I like your reminder to put an hour a day on your Internet Marketing.
Midori, GREAT post. I'm right there with you. It's all about improvement, not perfection. My baseball coach used to tell me to just work on improving 1%. He hammered into my head that if a .150 hitter improved just 1% a day for 6 months, he'd be a .330 hitter, but it's impossible for any hitter to go from .150 to .330 in a short amount of time.
I think the thing that so many agents miss in this business is consistency. Whatever you're going to do, DO IT EVERY DAY! Don't give up, just keep doing it. Results don't happen overnight, but if you stick with what you're doing, your results ill improve each week, month, year.
Thanks for sharing!
Midori- Thank you for a wonderful post. I have come to realize that I need to be more deligent in my prospecting. Just reading your post gave me the motivation to continue.
Midori! I wonder how many people of the 73 posts actually did change their prospecting for the week! I loved what you wrote, and still yet, after the whole busy week, did not do it once! It would be fun to have a "follow up" competetion even, to see who is REALLY committed to making a change. In FLOYD we were on our honor, and you really only get out of it what you honestly put into it, but I would be up for a challenge to REALLY PUT MY TIME INTO IT. I have 3 closings early next week and could easily pass on prospecting new, but the 3 closings are from the work I did in FLOYD. Now there's no accountablity, and it's not that I'm not workng...it's just I am again avoiding that which I don't like to do. NAMELY, prospecting!
Thanks and let me know what you think.
Pamela-As Nike put's it, Just do it! The beautiful part is you can, just a little change can make you a lot better. Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to comment.
Sandi-thank you for the comment and Congrats on your accomplishments. I hate hearing agents say there is no business out there. We just need to be creative and just do it! Yes I am considering creating a group for a 90 day program that can change their lives. I have two WOW groups, I call them the special forces of Century 21 Sundance Realty, my first WOW group is kicking it and making $$$$$$$$. The second group is new and are pumped. I think it would be so much fun for me to see more success floating around. You keep plugging away and do what Floyd says....you personally know the benefits. You reap what you sow. I need to get through June, its been a very hectic month for me. I will be touch with you.
Midori, great wake up call! thank you for reminding us that We control What happens to us!
Janie
Great Post, Midori- I will print out this, very helpful. I find myself getting caught up in the details of closings etc.. adding way too much drama to the process. Your thoughts and ideas will help me get more focused on what I do today will realized 90 days from now.
Thank you!
Janie-Go for it....you are right we can decide how much we work and how much money we make....I love this business.
Lori-Yes I used to go through this myself, having one productive month, the next month nothing new but focusing on what I already have to get it closed. This has helped me in everything in life just do a little of what you have not been doing and it will get easier, you will most likely stick with it and you will bear fruit within 90 days.
It really is simple when you break it down to the basics. It is also easy to forget the prospecting when you are busy but that is actually when you need to remember it the most. If you stop prospecting when you are busy you will have ebbs and flows in your activity. The reason you are busy is because of prospecting you did 30-90 days ago. If you stop now when things slow down, and they will, you will have to go do it again and wait 30-60 days to feel the effects.
I almost wrote a long drawn out reason why your blog meant so much to me today. But I won't do that but I will say Thanks I Needed That !
Bravo Midori!
I have learned (the hard way) that everything you have said is right on. Thanks for a great post.
Thanks Midori,
I will try the Five things. I am trying to find the thing that will work for me
Mark