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Are You A Step Behind or A Step Ahead?
If you're a REALTOR® who wants to be in business five, ten, or fifteen years from now, the question is how are you creating innovation and excellence in your business? If you need some help, here are some suggestions.
Secure your foundation.
To be in business tomorrow, you must have a strong base upon which to build. Begin this process by examining what you do well that generates the most business. Rather than trying to force yourself to do something you hate, make your strengths your foundation. Without a solid foundation, you will create chaos rather than a strong, sustainable business.
Model Success.
If there is a top notch agent you admire, take him or her to lunch to discover how they became successful. Better yet, shadow them for a day. Observe what they do that you could incorporate into your business to increase your success. Don't stop there, however. You can learn just as much by modeling the habits of people who are successful in other industries. Excellence is all around us. When you observe it, learn from it.
Dump the negativity.
A major roadblock for agents who want to create excellence is other people's negativity. How many times have you heard other agents gripe about the Internet? How often do you hear agents whine because their manager doesn't give them more leads? The environment that surrounds us is like the oxygen we breathe. If it's filled with "fresh air," it supports optimal performance. If it's filled with "dirt," we're gasping to stay alive.
Read, read, read!
And when you're not reading, listen to books on audio tape/CD. While talk radio or our favorite music station can be fun, why not make the time you spend in your car more constructive? For example, listen to books by people who have achieved business success or to authors whose work can help you create a happy, more balanced life.
Constantly search for ways to build excellence through innovation.
To create "excellence" in your business, you must always search for ways to improve what you do and how you do it. This means regularly attending seminars and educational events, especially in the area of technology. It's not enough, however, just to identify the "good ideas." You must take the action steps of implementing them in your business. One great strategy for doing this is to add at least one new script, dialogue, or tool to your business each month. Try out whatever you are adding and if it improves your "excellence," then implement it permanently. If not, experiment with your next new strategy next month.
Learn another language.
In 2010, 65% of our business will be with minorities or immigrants. Depending where you live, Spanish is probably a great first choice. In fact, I worked with a woman several years ago from the Midwest who believed there were no Spanish speaking people in her area. When she checked the census figures, she discovered that 20% of her town's population was Hispanic. If you're not already fluent in another language, now is the time to begin learning. You will be prepared to meet the oncoming demand while other agents struggle for smaller and smaller pieces of the "traditional market."
We attract who we are.
Excellence attracts excellence, chaos attracts chaos. By constantly upgrading how you conduct your business, by having strong ethics, as well as having the ability to say "no" to people who do not reflect the same level of excellence we seek, you will see a tremendous improvement in both the quality and the volume of business you do.
Every day the choices we make determine whether or not we will be in business tomorrow. Building innovation and excellence into your business is an on-going process. If we opt for anything less today, we will reap the consequences tomorrow.
To contact Bernice Ross please email her at bernice@realestatecoach.com
