Monday Morning Wake Up Call!

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Build Your Book of Business You should set aside time each week to input any new contacts into your database.  This is where most agents fall short and they find themselves after months of NOT inputting the information overwhelmed by the task.  What happens then? You guessed it. It doesn’t get done.  When that happens, you lose so many valuable opportunities to connect with those potential buyers and sellers.  Don’t let that happen to you.  Here are some activities to help get you started: Add all new customers to your database as well as the buyers or sellers on the other side of the deal. Visit local businesses (gas stations, dry cleaners, restaurants, doctors, boutiques – the list is endless) and leave a flyer and business card describing the benefits of working with you. Ask them who their best customer is – and let them know that since you are in the people business if you run across someone who would be a good fit as a customer for them, you’re happy to refer – and ask them to do the same. Volunteer to host open houses for other agents for the exposure and the leads. Always wear your name badge and carry your business cards. You never know when a chance meeting at a coffee shop might lead to a real estate question – and a new customer. Work the Expireds in your local market. Work the FSBOs in your local market. Go to the Homeowner’s Association meetings. Network with local business professionals that already have similar databases such as staging experts, landscapers, home repair companies, appliance repair companies, roofers, plumbers, electricians, etc. Build a referral network – and create a list of all these pros with their names, phone numbers and websites as a perfect item of value that you can offer to customers and potential customers.  Call it your Free List of Trusted Resources. Something to Think About Building a book of business is a work in progress.  Your sphere and farm will become the lifeblood of your business if, and only if, you nurture it and the VIPs in it. Your book of business and the relationships with the people in it will not only form the foundation for referrals and transactions throughout your career, but they will be the cornerstone of your ability to sell your business for six figures when you are ready to leave the industry if you’ve cared for it correctly.  Don’t lose that thought.  Learn to time-block right from the start of your career.  Updating your database should be part of your monthly or even weekly routine.  Weekly Challenge What if you just added ONE person per day in the next year to your list?  That’s 365 new contacts with whom you can begin to create the INFLUENCE you need for them to know you, like you, and trust you enough to do business with them.  What if you added TWO? The potential is exponential.  Words of Wisdom Trust is the glue of life. It's an essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Stephen Covey The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection. Robin S. Sharma I believe in businesses where you engage in creative thinking, and where you form some of your deepest relationships. If it isn't about the production of the human spirit, we are in big trouble. Anita Roddick Relationships are the hallmark of the mature person. Brian Tracy

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Tick Tock! It’s Time! Can you believe that it’s almost August? Did you take time for yourself this month? Are you well rested and ready for a great fall market? All predictions point to a continued strong market. Are you ready? Here are some action items you can implement to hit the ground running: Create a detailed marketing campaign for the rest of the year. Don’t forget that your clients should get one marketing piece a month reminding them why you’re the best agent to handle their real estate needs, as well as the needs of their friends and family. Ensure your listing presentation focuses on discovering the seller’s needs, and then address those needs with your services and tools. If you feel like you fall short in this area, it might be time to sharpen those skills. Use social media to stay in touch with clients and maintain a constant presence. Plan a client appreciation party. The end of summer is a great time to throw a party and enjoy face time with those who know and trust you. There are many things you can do to position yourself for success, and NOW is the time to lay the groundwork for the months ahead. It’s not too late to make this the best year of your career! Something to Think About NAR says that 10% of the people in your database will do business with you or refer business to you each year – if you stay in touch and maintain a presence throughout the year. How many people do you have in your database? 300? 400? 10% of 300 is 30 transactions a year from those you know! How do you stay in touch? One mailing a month that touts your service and results; four personal notes per year; two phone calls per year; one or two face-to-face meetings per year; and daily social media postings. Real estate is a contact sport! Weekly Challenge Take a good solid look at your OWN business and marketing plan.  Where are you in terms of your goals?  What needs to be tweaked?  Follow the action steps in this week’s message to ensure you’re ON TRACK for the rest of the year! Words of Wisdom “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” – Vince Lombardi “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” – Napoleon Hill “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure." – Confucius “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Love the Possibilities “It always seems impossible until it's done,” said Nelson Mandela. Last week we talked about getting out of comfort zones. This week, let’s look at limited thinking – or more to the point – unlimited thinking. Unlocking belief systems is a big part of success. Too often I’ll hear an agent say, “Oh that’s never been done.” Or, “I’m new, I’ll never be able to do that.” Have you ever stopped yourself from taking the next step in your business, just because you believed that you weren’t experienced enough, talented enough or had the right skills? I implore you to shift that limited thinking and try anyway. It’s the fastest way to grow. Get advice if needed. Take a class. Get some guidance. But please, keep looking at impossibilities for what they are – opportunities. Our industry and our markets are ever-evolving. It’s up to us to evolve with them. Make today about possibilities. You might just surprise yourself. Something to Think About... What’s your VISION for your goals? One amazing way to unlock limited thinking is to create a vision board, or at least capture a picture that represents your goal and keep it with you. Look at it daily. Put yourself in the picture and let your mind help you discover the many ways you can realize that goal. Weekly Activity  Pop by month, round three! Head out to your geographic farm! Bring some business cards and terrific collateral with you. Have some fun with it! The 20th is National Lollipop Day. Hand out Tootsie Pops as you meet the neighbors and let them know that you are the resource to call if they have real estate questions or needs! Words of Wisdom Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Paulo Coelho Have a vision. It is the ability to see the invisible. If you can see the invisible, you can achieve the impossible. Shiv Khera The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. Arthur C. Clarke What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible. Theodore Roethke

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Out of the "Zone." I love this Brian Tracy quote, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”  We live in a world where we can learn 24/7 if we want to. Unfortunately, a lot of people stay neatly in the lane of their comfort level their entire lives. The result is that they don't really live the life of their dreams. Without stretching their goals, without trying out new skills and mindsets, it's easy to get stuck in a status quo that's not really meeting your potential. To get what you've always wanted? Means we have to do things we've never done. Will you always get it right? Of course not. Here's the thing to remember: There is never really a fail if you're learning.  "FAIL" re-framed means "first attempt in learning." The competition is constantly reinventing themselves because they want that higher level of success. That feeling of creating a more balanced life. The world keeps changing and to get where you want to go—be willing to step out of your "zone." Something to Think About We're in the middle of an extraordinary summer. It's hard to think about taking time out to try new things on for size when we're balancing family and personal time at such a high level. There are little ways to make adjustments though. Sign up for an Audible account and listen to one or two new books each month. They are perfect learning tools for busy agents on the go. Sign up for training sessions that will cap our summer and kick off the fall market as well. Watch for details.   Weekly Activity  Pop by month, round two! Choose five valued clients and stop in to say thank you for their business. The 12th is National Pecan Pie day if you'd like to bring clients a tasty treat! A beautiful bouquet of summer daisies would be another fun idea. No time for a visit? Drop a card in the mail with a gift certificate to the local ice cream or frozen yogurt shop and thank them for being "cool customers." Words of Wisdom Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Neale Donald Walsch A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown. Denis Waitley The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears. Dan Stevens If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness. Les Brown

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Monday Morning Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Celebrate Your Independence! It’s a good time to be a real estate professional. Markets are rocking, homes are selling, and competition is fierce. That’s a good thing. It keeps us on our toes, keeps us growing as people and as business professionals, and forces us to get outside of old mindsets and comfort zones. When you stop to think about the millions of people in this world who feel they are NOT in control of their day – or their destiny, because they work in a job or business that doesn't allow for independence, you realize you're fortunate. Who determines how much you will make? How far will you go? How will you schedule your time?  YOU do. Those are not luxuries most people have. It takes courage to be a sales agent. You have to be willing to risk the “paycheck” for the promise of something more.  You have to be willing to put in the work, the training, and the time to become your personal best. They are dividends that will pay you back though, and they are worth it. I’m so proud of our team here for their courage and independence. We’re thrilled to provide the resources they need to succeed at extraordinary levels. To every team member – thank you for all you do and all you are. If you're not yet part of our team, and if you've ever thought about making a move, I hope you'll consider us first! Something to Think About It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and struggle, especially when you are a busy agent. When you are feeling overwhelmed this month, think of the saying, “Your energy flows where your attention goes,” and focus on the positives. The reasons you got started. Your “whys” for working as hard as you do. It’s a great way to reset and stay on track.  Weekly Activity  Make this the month for pop-bys! This week, choose five top clients who have sent referrals your way and either stop by with a summer-fun gift such as a bottle of wine, key lime pie or fun drink koozies – here’s a link to some fun patterned ones or customize some to deliver later in the month here. No time for a visit? Drop a card in the mail with a Starbucks or movie gift card. Words of Wisdom What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes. Marcus Tullius Cicero It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one's dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W. Somerset Maugham Over time, we amass limiting beliefs about how life supposedly is - beliefs that are not valid. Then we allow these limiting beliefs to stop us from fully living our happiest lives. Karen Salmansohn ​ There is no such thing as being too independent. Victoria Billings