At the end of June Agents notice that a substantial part of the year is passed. Six months, or one half of the year is behind us. That makes some Agents anxious and nervous about how the year will wrap up. Others are excited and eager. The difference is completely based on each Agents feeling about how they are doing. Following are four of the best solutions to being excited and eager about your business instead of anxious and nervous.

1. 1. How you feel about your business is a distraction that is more likely to hurt your business than help it. If you feel bad it may motivate you, more likely it will de-motivate you. And if you feel good it may motivate you or it may make you complacent. I am a HUGE believer that your “attitude dictates your altitude.” However, in terms of your how you are doing in your business it is your measureable results that dictate your success, not your attitude. Focus on measurable results. So…
2. 2. What gets measured gets done. You get what you inspect not what you expect. What measures do you keep track of? What measures are you aware of? Do you have a sales goal for each month? If not, start there and set one now for July, August, and every month to the end of the year. Be sure it is open sales; in other words what you put under contract not what you close, in June etc. You must measure what you have the most control over. In terms of sales volume you have much more control over what you will put under contract each month than what you close that month.

   Do you have a listing goal for each month?  Set those too.

3. 3. Look at your monthly sales volume and listing goals every day. Yes, every day. Of course there are days they won’t change. And of course you will remember what those goals are and how you are doing if you only look at them a few times a week. But you won’t do it unless it is a habit. It will take you… oh, let’s say… thirty seconds, maybe less because you could be looking at a goals sheet on paper or on your computer while you are having breakfast so can do it in N.E.T. (no extra time). When you have those goals set and you look at them every day, it prevents lengthy slumps and it motivates you in the most effective and legitimate way.
4. 4. Choose, right now, what success in your Real Estate career will do for your life that you desire most. What is it? Will it reduce the stress of unpaid bills? Will it buy you another income property, fund college educations, pay for that surgery, allow you to take that trip or take the trip with greater ease and enjoyment. What is it for you? And once you hit on that thing that gets your juices flowing, that thing that creates a sense of excitement in you, when you hit upon that thing; write it down. And each day as you look at your goals connect that desired outcome with those measured results. That $400,000 of sales in June means that I’ll be able to… Make that connection each day. Dwell on it. Yes it may be painful for some who are struggling and exhilarating for those who are already doing well. For both and for all it will ultimately create permanent motivation.

The secret to the success of my coaching Clients are a few simple disciplines. The business is hard. Buyers and Sellers, Lenders and Appraisers, Personal Property and Possession Dates and more, offer continual challenges; awareness of your numbers brings greater ease, sanity and motivation. These four simple solutions will make a huge difference to your success.

Okay… We are at the half way point of the year…..So the question is…What has changed in how you are doing (or not doing) your business to make real money?

We are all prisoners of our habits, and especially after a certain age, it is tough to “change”.  It’s been said, that if we keep on doing what we’ve always done, we’ll keep on getting what we have always gotten….but that is not true anymore!  In today’s competitive marketplace we may not even be able to survive doing the “normal”.  Today’s market requires innovation, creativity, and execution, using new tools, systems, strategies and the biggie: A willingness to CHANGE!

If we don’t change who is going to notice?  From losing that extra five pounds to adding another day of exercise, or making more money…unless you have a plan and a coach to help you stay focused, there are no real outside consequences.

We are in a world that requires dollars for sustenance, survival and comfort, not to mention that money has been the measure of success.  So with that said, there are several experts out there that offer us a new path to create more guaranteed profits at this time next year if we are willing to embrace a few small changes.

Don’t have time??? Not an excuse anymore! With NAR’s FREE Realtor University Webinars, you can learn from top experts anytime, anywhere. All you need is the willingness to learn, a computer and a little willingness to CHANGE!  Here are some great resources:

Follow a Plan – Expert coach, author and speaker Carla Cross offers the best first step, and that is to have an effective business plan.  She did a brilliant job presenting what you need to know in the Realtor University free webinar now available online: http://budurl.com/BizPlan2010withCarla

List for More $$ – More expertise to increase your bottom line with listings comes from super coach, author and speaker, Bernice Ross.  Bernice’s webinar offers solid direction on how to list more properties at higher commissions in 2011 by developing a premium marketing plan and use Web 2.0 strategies to get the listings signed up, priced right and sold!  Her million dollar information is offered FREE. Click here to get one on one direction: http://budurl.com/ListMore4MoreMoney

Be the First Agent they call – Did you know that an NAR survey shows that 60-80% of consumers work with the first agent who responds to them?  If you are not up to speed on the latest applications that the top agents are using to out respond and out communicate their competitors, you need to get with it!  Expert and social media instructor Amy Chorew offers an information-packed power hour on the PDA applications top salespeople all over the world are using to respond, engage and connect with hot prospects. Get the scoop by clicking on: http://budurl.com/AmysKillerAps4U

There is a WEALTH of information available to agents that are sick and tired of not making the money they want.  The choice is yours to take advantage of these valuable online webinars that are guaranteed to take your profits from dull to dynamic! WARNING: It does require CHANGE on your part!

Are you ready???  Then check out these and others at: http://budurl.com/FreeNARWebinars4U

Do it! And we’ll see you in the winner’s circle…same time next year!

Are you a ‘don’t have time to plan’ broker? Having been a manager and regional manager for two decades (yes, I really am getting that old….), I know how difficult it is to sit down and slog through writing a business plan. So, I’ve been working hard for you to make it fast easy—but accurate as a blueprint for 2011.

The ‘Spring Ahead’ Approach to Get it Done

For my business planning webinar for NAR’s Learning Library (you can look at it at the Library, where it will be archived), I created four steps to think through a business plan. What’s great about analyzing with these four steps is that you are making immediate decisions for your action plan for 2010. So, as you draw conclusions from your analysis, use a template to get those action plan ideas in place. You’re virtually done, then, with your plan.

Four Steps: Two Down, Two to Go

You “got cracking” on those first two steps to business planning that I gave you in my earlier blog. Now, let’s tackle the last two steps. Admittedly, you won’t have an in-depth plan with these steps, but, you will have thought through the most important aspects for you to get ready to tackle.

Step three: Evaluating YOU. Rate yourself in the various management areas: recruiting, selection, coaching, training, retention, staff management, etc.

What have you mastered? What do you want to improve? This becomes your personal/professional training/coaching program for next year.

Step Four: What if: Complete this sentence: ”If I did these three things next year, I would increase my productivity and profitability”:

Now, you have your ‘big rocks’ for your business plan for next year done.

Business plans: Active and Breathing, or Stuck on a Shelf?

You’re not making a business plan as a financial plan to get money from a bank. You’re not creating this wonderful, mushy visionary plan. You’re thinking about your specific situation, and then creating an action plan. You will actually put these actions into your monthly and weekly schedule, and act on them! This is the plan you will revisit at least monthly, to measure your actions and results against what you planned.

Make it an action plan and you will get into action.

P. S. Use this same approach with your agents. Provide them a format and template to analyze their last year’s business. That gives them the answers to the next year’s action plan (that spring ahead approach I mentioned).

Every year we enjoy watching the Tour de France, especially when fellow Austinite, Lance Armstrong, is racing.  The Tour de France is a grueling race that lasts for days.  The racers travel around the French countryside, climbing two mountain ranges.  While the goal may be to win the “yellow jersey,” on any given day there are a multitude of steps that the riders must take just to stay in the race.  The lesson here is that success doesn’t depend upon the ultimate goal — it is contingent on a multitude of actions the riders take each day.  While winning is the goal, in order to win, the riders must stay focused on the steps within the process.

The same is true for your real estate business.  When you focus on the process, rather than on the outcome, you greatly increase your likelihood of success.  Your success or failure in the long term will result from the actions that you take today.

If you want to make your goals a sweet reality, the following five steps can help you do so.

1. Clean out your goal list completely.  If you have had the same goal for more than one year and have not reached it, declare it complete no matter how much or how little you actually accomplished.  To do this, write each goal on an individual slip of paper.  Next, “clean the slate” by burning the slips of paper in the fireplace, burying them in the backyard, or ripping them up and throwing them in the trash.  Be creative — cleaning out your list of goals opens the door for new things to come into your life.

2. Write down five activities that supported you in feeling great about yourself during the last six months.  What really worked for you?  Be specific.  Keep these activities alive during the coming year, because they work.

3. Eliminate at least one activity that doesn’t make you feel great.  We all engage in behaviors that help us cope in the short-term, but have detrimental effects in the long term.  An example of this may be eating a chocolate bar when we’re depressed.  Unfortunately, this behavior often results in guilt.  Many people use guilt as a strategy to change behavior — “I know I shouldn’t eat this chocolate bar.”  A better approach is to be honest with yourself and take responsibility for your choice — “I am choosing to eat this chocolate bar.”  Notice there is no guilt or explanation.  It’s simply an acknowledgement of the choice.  When you say that you are choosing this behavior, surprisingly, it becomes easier not to choose it.

4. List your goals for 2011, and then eliminate 50-75 percent of them.  If you find yourself resisting this strategy, look carefully at your past to determine how many goals you actually set and then what percentage you actually achieved.  Setting too many goals can reduce your overall success, since your energy is scattered in too many directions.  In contrast, when you keep your energy focused on achieving two or three core goals, success occurs more easily.  Once you reach or discard your current goals, add new ones.

5. Make small changes over time.  Achieving goals is easier when you work with small steps over time.  Instead of setting a goal to save $10,000, it’s usually easier to take a series of small steps.  For example, “I’ll use coupons at the grocery store since it can save me up to $20.00 per week and I will put those savings in my bank account.”  It is easier to take action when working with small changes than when working with big changes.  By reducing the number of goals you have and by making small changes over time, your likelihood of experiencing success increases dramatically.

Finally, celebrate your victories each day, no matter how small.  This helps you to stay on track for the bigger goals you set.  As Lao Tzu once said, “A journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step.”

Imagine learning to drive in a car with no speedometer.  You could drive and do pretty well, but you would have a handicap compared to other drivers.  You would have to judge your speed based on the speed of the others around you, and if you were on the road alone, you would always be worried and stressed about your speed.  That’s how most agents “drive” their businesses, because they have no “speedometer” to know how they are doing.

Now, imagine learning to wake up each day with no sense of purpose.  The first e-mail you read or the first conversation you have determines what you will focus on and how you will feel for the day.  It may not take an e-mail or conversation; just your first thoughts of the day to determine the quality of the day.

That is how many agents live each day.  They have the knowledge and skills to have a very good business.  It is not real estate knowledge, skills, or tools that are missing. In addition to knowledge and skills it takes a “speedometer,” and an accurate one.  In a real estate agent’s business, that means a method to know their “speed,” in other words whether they are winning or losing.  Like a car’s speedometer, the agent’s “speedometer” has to be in real time so the agent knows their speed each day, with confidence.  Most agents don’t have that method.

It also takes knowledge of how to create and control your attitude.  Notice that I did not say that it takes a good attitude.  That would be naïve.  Of course it takes a good attitude.  The challenge is learning how to create and control that attitude so that you are able to generate it at will.  And, I am not talking about repeating an affirmation that has little real impact on you.  I am talking about shifting your mindset and your emotions at a level that motivates you deeply.  And, knowing you can create that, at will.

Why do Agents fail soooo often?  Because they are always working on just one of these three aspects of their business; the three are: knowing your accurate numbers, controlling your attitude, and your skill set.  Agents learn the skill sets and spend little or no time on knowing their numbers or learning to control their attitude.  Unfortunately, this means that many of those that produce good sales numbers are not stable, confident, or comfortable with their business.

Build your business on a foundation of all three of these aspects and you will succeed more quickly, with greater control and satisfaction.  For more information on how we coach and teach agents to do this, go to www.BestCoachingOnEarth.com and join our Daily Coaching Program.

I have some bad news for you, and, I know, nobody likes bad news.

We all handle the bad things in our lives differently, don’t we?  Some of us tackle the hard stuff head-on, dealing with it right away and then moving on.  The rest of us are just flat out avoiders.  We try to justify our avoidance by telling ourselves we “don’t have time” to deal with that right now, or we “just can’t handle one more thing.”  Those excuses are simply a form of avoidance, straight up.

So, if you’re an avoider, keep reading this.  Don’t let yourself avoid any longer!  Even though you’ve encountered the seemingly bad news that you are an avoider, I am also about to share some great news and useful solutions with you.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned that almost 100% of the time, it’s best to just deal with the hard stuff right away, take care of it somehow and then move on as much as you possibly can.  (And I’ve avoided with the best of them!)

The bottom line is this, it’s how we choose to deal with the hard stuff in our lives that determines our success, or lack thereof.

And, yes, it is a choice that we all have.  I’m sure you can think of sad, negative, or hard things you’ve been faced in your life, and that moment of choice that you faced.  I sure can.

For example, when I was 15, and was still classified as “functionally illiterate” with over 12 different learning “disabilities,” I could have chosen to give up right then and there.  And, I was close to giving up.  But, thanks to hard work, and some key people that were placed in my life, I chose to learn how to read.  It wasn’t easy, but I chose to keep going.  I chose to figure out how to take that bad, hard stuff and make it work for me.  I chose to find a solution.  And, because of that choice, I eventually graduated from college, at the top of my class, with a degree in Economics.

Now, what does all of this have to do with YOU?  A lot!

Now, it’s time for the bad news I mentioned earlier.  Take a look at The Harris Interactive Poll results below from a study conducted in August, 2009.

Just so we’re all on the same page, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, “prestige” is defined as:

1.  The level of respect at which one is regarded by others; standing.

2.  A person’s high standing among others; honor or esteem.

3.  Widely recognized prominence, distinction, or importance.

It doesn’t look good for those of us who work in real estate, does it?  We’re at the bottom of the prestige and respect list.  This is not the best news, at all.

At this moment, we’re all faced with a choice.

Rather than avoiding this fact or trying to hide it (or hide from it),

let’s use it to our advantage.

But how?  It’s simple, just like we talked about earlier, tackle it head-on, right now!

Follow these steps (I’m serious here, I’m challenging you to choose to do this!):

1. Copy this chart into the beginning of your listing presentation or make a copy to give to the buyers you meet with.  You can get a copy of the chart and accompanying article here:  http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=685.
2. In your listing or buyer presentation script, you need to enter the conversation your prospects are having in their heads, and tackle the fear, doubt, or insecurity they are feeling at that moment.
3. Say something to the effect of, “You probably weren’t looking forward to our meeting today, and I can understand why.  I know that real estate agents, in general, are not trusted, respected, or held in high esteem – just like the results of this study show.  And, there are some bad agents out there, for sure; however, as we get to know each other, you will learn that I don’t fit that preconceived idea people have about agents.

I wouldn’t just be your real estate agent.  I am your advocate, your guide, your master negotiator, and your reference tool for all parts of this process.  I CAN be trusted and I WILL work hard to earn your respect.

I treat my clients like they are my closest friends or family members – giving them my best and most responsive service – always.”

Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “I can’t put that in my presentation!  That’s too risky.  Why would I show them the negative results of that study?”

Because, no one else will.

And, as the wise Earl Nightingale so aptly stated, “If you want to be successful, find out what everybody else is doing and do the opposite.”

Do you think anyone else has this in their presentation?  It’s not likely.  All you have to do is choose.

Choose to harness your inner football player … and tackle it!

Choose to make this unfortunate study work for you.

Choose this solution and use it!

Choose to “do the opposite” and experience your most successful, fulfilling year yet!

K.I.S.S., or keep it simple, stupid; or, the more polite version, keep it simple, salesperson. Or even, keep it short and simple. This has been used as an instruction to teach salespeople to avoid unnecessary complexity with prospects.

The simpler the salesperson can make the decision for the prospect, the more likely they are to take action. It makes complete sense, violating this principle is the reason most agent business planning does not stick.

Here’s a radical thought, any business plan that can’t be created in less than an hour is unlikely to be implemented. Take one hour to complete a plan for 2011 as if that is all the time you have; as if that is the plan that has to guide you for the entire year. And, it has to be completed in one hour.  Whether you complete your plan in that hour or not, that sharp focus motivates you to create a better plan because of its simplicity. Keep It Simple and Succeed!

Do you know the best motivators for YOU?  Even though the market has improved in many areas, real estate professionals are still very challenged in getting their businesses back on track.  Or, if you’re new to the business, you’re probably experiencing some negative vibes from many of the seasoned agents in your office.  How are you going to motivate yourself to get into the swing of the market, and to meet your goals?

We’re Not Motivated by What We Think We Were

In his new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink lays out a persuasive case, backed by extensive scientific studies about why the traditional “carrot and stick” motivational methods just don’t work for us today.  This is especially true with real estate professionals.  Why?  Because, we work for ourselves.  We have to be self-starters, initiators, and tenacious in our pursuit of our goals.  That means that in order to be successful we have to be motivated something other than promises of material things.

Why Money Doesn’t Work as a Motivator

First, as Pink points out in his book, money and/or material things are good short-term motivators.  (Read Herzberg’s studies on short and long-term motivation.)  In fact, just take a look at the number of real estate agents who are motivated to visit an open house when there’s food!  But, as Herzberg and others have pointed out, money is a lousy long-term motivator.  You may be aware of this if you’ve ever tried motivating your kids with money — or other treats (the carrot and stick).

I know, you’re thinking, “If I just had more money, I would be fine.”  So, let me ask you, what are you willing to do to get that money?  Generate leads more regularly?  Make more sales calls?  We all know that lead generating is the answer to that money problem.  Yet, the vast majority of agents avoid lead generating as if it gave us some chronic disease!  So, money is just not an effective long-term motivator.

The Best, Deepest, Strongest Motivators We Can Use to Motivate Ourselves

Pink shows, via extensive studies, that there are three driving motivators that we should put to work today to fire ourselves up, keep those fires lit, and achieve what we want to achieve. They are:

• Autonomy
• Mastery
• Purpose

Questions to Ask Yourself to Fire Yourself Up

About Your Autonomy

Are you in charge of your own business, or are you waiting for someone else to tell you what to do?

Do you expect your manager to make you go to work, or are you self-directed and self-starting?

Are you disciplined in your business, so you can enjoy that autonomy?

Seth Godin, author of Tribes, says about autonomy: “The art of the art {of autonomy} is picking your limits.  That’s the autonomy I must cherish.  The freedom to pick my boundaries.”

About Your Mastery

Are you working just to get by, or are you consistently working to get better?  What do you want to excel at?  How does that translate into your business?

About Your Purpose

What excites you so much that you can’t sleep at night?

Is there a way to translate that to your real estate business?

“The desire to do something because you find it deeply satisfying and personally challenging inspires the highest levels of creativity, whether it’s in the arts, the sciences, or in business,” says Teresa Amabile, Professor at Harvard University.

What motivates you?  Do you know?  How do you know?  What if you’re motivating yourself in the wrong way?  (Many managers unknowingly de-motivate with their strategies!)

We want to invite you to attend an incredible real estate training opportunity on Jan. 27, 2011, which will help you speak better in public to attract bigger business.

Peter Mosca ­ president and founder of BAK Communications Inc. ­ is a public speaking professional and coach who has helped train hundreds of REALTOR® leaders each year get over their fears and delivering powerful messages to their distinct audiences.

Now it’s your turn!

This in-depth course will cover:

• Implementing the seven C¹s of successful communications
• Getting your ideas recognized, accepted and implemented
• Preparing, organizing and delivering your messages
• Overcoming your fear of public speaking
• Becoming a more engaging and persuasive spokesperson

Buyers and investors are drawn to outspoken real estate professionals. Those who can master online tutorials ­ or even infomercials ­ typically have to beat back the hoard of buyers knocking down their doors.

During the online training presentation, Peter will help you master your own communication skills, taking into consideration your level of comfort, as well as professional goals, which will in turn influence the rate at which your career grows.

To attend “How to Speak with Relevance to your Audience” on Jan. 27, 2011, at 4 p.m. ET click on “Register Today” below. Seats are limited! So take advantage of this special offer now before we open it to agents everywhere!

REGISTER TODAY!

A coaching client, a real estate agent, recently asked this question.  It is a common problem, and here is the solution.

The Question
I think I am missing the boat on some clients because I forget about them.  I lost contact with them and it is costing me thousands of dollars, maybe tens of thousands of dollars, every year.  I really need to improve my average in this category.  I need something to keep them in front of me.  I need some sort of physical chart to keep them in my mind.  I can probably make my own if I knew of three or four columns to use.  How should I keep track of these clients?

The Solution
I teach my clients to use their CRM (Contact Relationship Management) software to keep track of these clients.  This doesn’t work for some, in which case we pursue whatever system will work for them.  People are different from each other and need different solutions.  A good one is the whiteboard.  The board itself it is quite easy to put together; let’s go over how to do it.

Five columns
The five columns you should put on your whiteboard are:

1. Urgency, label this column with A or B, so you are aware of the urgency level at all times.  A, of course, is urgent while B is not. This will also prompt you to work on converting the B buyers to A’s.
2. The name of the buyer
3. The buyer’s price range
4. Location the buyer is interested in
5. Comments, anything specific they are looking for in a property
6. Optional information, such as phone numbers (before PDA’s agents would put contact information on their buyer whiteboard.  Now, the number may not be necessary, because you have it on your phone).

When you, your assistant, or anyone on your team hears about a new listing or you are pursuing a new listing, you can glance at the board.  Sell more, act more quickly for your buyers, and stop losing the leads that you already know are causing you to lose money.