Posts Tagged ‘thrive’
How to Surrender to Success
Sunday, August 28th, 2011
Have you ever felt that the more you push forward, the more life and business pushes back? If so, (and most have) then perhaps it’s time to surrender. Now I didn’t say “give up” which is completely different. Here’s why “surrendering” can be your E-ticket to moving forward and achieving what you really want.
If you have enjoyed any measure of success chances are you feel it is due to your grit, drive and determination that got you there, in spite of all set backs. And to a large part that is probably true. Here’s the thing, just because pushing hard worked before, doesn’t mean it’s the appropriate strategy all the time. In fact, there will be times when pushing hard is exactly the wrong thing to do.
Live and business is a lot like surfing. The power of the ocean waves dwarf’s any attempt on our part to control them. Yet if we learn when to take off, how to stand and steer we are in for one hell-of-a thrilling ride. And the best part is, the wave itself does most of the work. Sure, you will fall and occasionally be pummeled, but that’s just part of learning. Surfers don’t master the wave, they master how to ride it’s immense power.
The key here is don’t let your ego trick you into thinking that you can drive forward at any speed any time you want. All this leads to is exhaustion and frustration (and probably a lot of pissed off friends and family).
Life and business is a journey, one where we travel on our own unique path (or wave, if you prefer). Surrender to the subtleties of the one you are on and you will know when to push hard and when to back off. Trust me, you will enjoy it much more and go a lot further using much less energy. For what it’s worth, the ability to “surrender” is the very essence of coachability…
Generate Business NOW —Even As the World Crumbles
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
The news from Wall Street and Main Street (i.e. the housing market) could hardly be less encouraging. And to put a cherry on that sundae, the “experts” are now saying we will likely be entering another recession (like when did we stop having the first one?). This all begs the question: How are you going to generate new business when everything seems to be falling apart?
The first thing to remember is that no matter how bad the economy gets, people will still be buying and selling real estate. I remember being in the business (actively buying investment properties) when interest rates on 30 year loans were around 17% – 18%. The key is to help those who need to sell –right now! This means aggressively courting the FSBO’s and Expireds of the world. The majority of these folks need to sell, no other option available, which means they need YOU.
I made a lot of money during another recession (in the mid 1970′s) specializing in FSBOs. Here are some proven tips to help you turn these market opportunities (FSBO’s and Expired’s) into cash:
- Sell the appointment, not your service - you have to get “belly to belly” with these folks if you want to list their home. Many agents make the mistake of selling their services over the phone. The only thing you want to use the phone for is to get that in-person appointment. So get good, real good at selling the appointment.
- Be their advocate - FSBO’s and Expired’s tend to be stressed out and just a little bit cynical about Realtors. Make it clear that you are there to help them achieve all of their goals, whether or not you get the listing.
- Have an irresistible marketing plan - you better have something that will make them go “Wow!” when it comes to selling their property. Something that most other agents in your area are not likely to offer. For an incredible example of this review the 2/8/11 GUEST EXPERT “How to Win Every Listing and Have Sellers Pay You Upfront!“ Live Group Coaching archive.
There will always be business. And in times like these when it seems everything has been made that much more difficult, you may just be open to doing things that are proven to work, in any market. And that my friend is the gift of troubled times.
How to Pace Yourself For Success
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Does it ever feel like you are going straight up hill with your business with no end in sight? Everyone runs into these kinds of challenges from time to time. The good news is that there is a proven way to conquer them and turn them into your advantage.
This became abundantly clear to me as I recently hiked to the summit of Mt. Shasta (elevation 14,160′) with a group of eight friends. Here’s what I learned from the most difficult hike I’ve ever been on that also applies to business:
- Pace yourself - when the challenge is very difficult (read: steep), you will quickly burn out if you don’t pace yourself. On the seemingly endless 45° slopes of Mt. Shasta we could maintain a pace of 20 steps, rest; 20 steps, rest; and so on. Anything faster and we would actually fall behind and become more exhausted. For maximum advancement, find your pace, then stick with it.
- It’s better to not look at the whole mountain - for our final assault on the summit, we left at 4:00am using head lamps to see our way up the vast snow field. Seeing only a few feet at a time was a good thing. It would have been too demoralizing to be constantly reminded on how much further we’d have to go with every step.
- You will reach the summit, eventually - there is always a point where you no longer will struggle with the up hill slog. It’s called being at the top, the summit and the view is incredible.
- Once you are at the top you can enjoy the ride back down - there is nothing sweeter than knowing you achieved your hard won goal and can now enjoy the fruits of your efforts. For us it meant having thrills (and some spills) glissading down the mountain (i.e. sliding down our butts in the snow).
- You now have greater confidence - the experience of conquering a difficult challenge gives you the confidence and experience to it again, or even something greater. (BTW, Mt. Kilimanjaro – elev. 19,341′ is on my bucket list)
Human beings were designed to be challenged. It’s the only way we grow, get stronger and get better. So next time you run into a wall with your business, just remember that it’s just a really, really steep hill. And with the right approach you can conquer it and turn it into your advantage.
NOTE: to see some HD videos of our Mt. Shasta adventure taken with my “helmet-cam” just go tohttp://vimeo.com/mrusser/videos/sort:oldest. These include attempts at glissading by me and our team and some breath-taking scenery.
The Tweak That Will Double Your Business
Saturday, July 30th, 2011
Why did one top producing agent suddenly lose four listings in a row when he’s used to about a 98% listing presentation closing rate? He has since fixed this problem, but it’s the same one that most agents have and don’t even know it.
The top producer in question has a nearly unbeatable value proposition for his potential sellers. The reason it stopped working for him is that he “went off script” as he put it. He fell back into the lazy habit of focusing on “features” of what he will do for sellers, rather than the benefits. We witnessed this same proclivity during our recent “Why should I choose you?” listing presentation contest. Nearly every contestant proudly presented the features of what they would do and make them stand out instead of the benefits that would be important to a seller.
The reason it is so easy for salespeople to sell features is that we are so familiar with our services that we “collapse” the benefits with their respective features. In fact, it is hard to imagine why anyone doesn’t immediate “get” the benefits of those wonderful features we so readily and excitedly expound upon. The problem is that most prospects won’t get it, and in fact may feel intimidated by not understanding why those features are supposed to be so valuable.
People buy with their emotions and justify it with their intellect. Benefits are the shortest distance to the heart of the prospect, features are the roadway that support that journey. If benefits are even mentioned in a presentation, they usually follow the feature (the old “features / benefits” selling script). This is ass-backwards. Always, always, always share the benefit first, then justify how it will be delivered via the feature.
High-powered selling is not magic or even hard if you understand and apply basic human behavioral principles. Prospects are only interested in what you can do for them from a benefit perspective. They don’t want to know about the drill, they just want the hole. Learn this well and have the discipline to apply it to every sales situation and watch your closing ratio shoot skyward.
Go Where Eagles Gather
Monday, July 25th, 2011
As I write this I’m in San Diego speaking to the Corcoran Coaching Mastermind and STAR POWER conferences. Both of these event tend to attract the “best of the best”. And as a featured speaker, it gives me a unique opportunity to see the shared qualities that make these folks so successful.
Here’s the short list:
- They think like business people – most of them strive to make their business run successfully without them doing all the work;
- Their hunger for new ideas is insatiable – they are constantly looking for the “edge” in sales, marketing and operations;
- They are wary of “bright shiny objects” – too many of them have already been burned by the “Just buy this and all your problems will be solved!” pitches. They know that building a successful business is marathon, not a quick sprint using some fancy new tool or service;
- They freely share ideas – no small-minded “I’m going to keep this idea to myself.” behavior found in these groups. In fact, they are down right excited to help each other;
- They consistently implement - this group knows that great ideas not put into practice are worthless;
- They are very coachable – they really get that the potential size of their business success is inversely proportional to the size of their ego when it comes to being open to new ways of doing things.
And one more thing. Eagles gather with other eagles on a regular basis just like at these kinds of events. So if you are tired of hanging around the turkeys and want to really soar, start showing up where the eagles hang out and grow a few –eagle feathers that is.
Why Your “Winning Formula” is Holding You Back…
Saturday, July 9th, 2011
What would happen if you gave yourself permission to behave differently? Your friends and associates would almost certainly start wondering “What happened?” and you would probably feel very much out of your comfort zone. So why would you ever consider such a thing? Well, it may be the path to truly setting you free.
If you have enjoyed any level of success in your business (and life for that matter) chances are you are behaving in a way that has worked for you since childhood. This is sometimes referred to as one’s “winning formula”. Adrenaline-driven energy, adroit social skills, seduction etc. are just a few examples (out of potentially hundreds) of behaviors people use to succeed.
The problem with winning formulas however is that they will, in some way, hold you back from your true potential as a human being and business person. That’s because we become comfortable with wearing that “suit” since it has worked and protected us in the past. After a while though, that suit becomes your straight jacket, severely constraining the real you from showing itself.
We are so much more than our behavior, than our actions and reactions. Yet to explore beyond these old familiar ways can be scary. Feelings of disorientation and thoughts of “If I’m not __________ then who am I?” will pop up for sure (fill in the blank as you see fit). And you might even have to deal with the childhood fears that brought on the development of your particular winning formula in the first place.
Unfortunately, most people will not risk this level of freedom until they have grown very weary of their winning behavior (assuming they are even conscious of it in the first place). It usually starts with a nagging feeling that there is something far greater that is possible for you. And, you may have reached the limits of what your “winning formula” can do. If you feel this way you are on the precipice of transformation —a sudden, rapid shift to another larger possibility and experience of the world. I don’t know about you, but standing on the precipice of anything scares the crap out of me.
Now here is where the magic happens. Unlike animals who react by instinct and would back away from anything that scary, we have a choice. We can choose to stay within the comfortable “known” and limit ourselves, or move through our fear of letting go and risk learning to fly as we were all meant to.
As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do.
~ Zachary Scott
Freedom to Succeed
Monday, July 4th, 2011
Happy 4th of July! As a kid, this was my all time favorite holiday with its requisite BBQ’s, ball games and fireworks (not necessarily in that order). As an adult it’s still my favorite, more so now because of what it represents, individual freedom —something far too many of us take for granted.
Very real blood, sweat and tears were shed in untold quantities for us to enjoy freedoms that those in many other countries can only dream about. Yet slowly, insidiously we are letting our freedoms be exchanged for “security”.
Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.
~ Benjamin Franklin
One doesn’t have to look to hard to see signs of this in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. The mere fact that our esteemed lawmakers seem fit to pass thousands of new laws each year under the guise of “protecting” us, the citizens is evidence enough. And I see so many in our industry that willingly give up their freedom to innovate and stand out in exchange for the comfort and protection of group, company or franchise with whom they have chosen to align.
In the end it really boils down to just one simple thing: individual responsibility. Unfortunately far too many people are will to exchange their freedoms (of any kind) in exchange for relinquishing their responsibility. Power hungry political leaders understand this as do organizations…
Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Freedom is the most precious thing we have and it requires personal responsibility to sustain its life and vibrance. It also means not blaming others or situations for our lack of achieving the results we hoped for. Each and every one of us has the freedom to attempt success and risk failure —as long as we take responsibility for our own actions.
A truly free man or women much prefers to try and fail repeatedly, than to not really try at all because they have given up their responsibility (i.e. ability-to-respond) to someone or something else. We are hard-wired for freedom and to accept anything less will only result in frustration and misery.
Don’t Let Your “I’m Excited!” Turn Into “I’m Miserable!” Failure
Saturday, June 25th, 2011
You know how excited you get when you go to an awesome conference and come back with tons of ideas? You’re pumped, the charismatic speaker has you seeing dollar signs everywhere and you can’t wait to get started. Sound familiar? It happens everyday in this business. Yet for most, this burning desire turns into dismal failure in short order. Here’s why and what you can do about it.
It’s easy to get excited about new possibilities because as human beings we conveniently don’t think about all the blood, sweat and tears that must go into realizing them. We focus on the payoff without giving much consideration to what has to be paid to receive it. It is this cognitive quirkiness that makes us extremely vulnerable to all the “quick” schemes pitched to us daily whether it be to get rich quick, get thin quick or get smart quick, etc.
Now here’s the thing. It’s not how excited you are in the beginning that determines your success. It’s how you keep moving forward even when you are bored out of your skull with the “shiny new idea”, exhausted from working it, and totally frustrated with the seeming lack of progress…
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
~ Dale Carnegie
True and lasting success is almost always a long-distance marathon. Endurance, not speed is the factor that determines the magnitude of your success. At times it will feel like you are just going through the motions without an ounce of enthusiasm. Fine, at least you are still moving forward —unlike those unfortunate souls who gave up because they no longer feel the “buzz”.
History is replete with examples of people who felt like quitting but didn’t, only to realize incredible accomplishment. If you were to ask how they were feeling just before their breakthrough, chances are you would get an earful of “I hate this!, This sucks!, When will things ever turn around?!…”. Be clear about your objective and the path you’ve chosen to achieve it. Then never, ever give up.
Turn your frustration into a game where the more daunted you feel, the more determined you are to take the next step. Take this approach to your business and life and guess where you will inevitably end up.
How to Avoid Being BOPPED By Your Competition
Sunday, June 19th, 2011
The media recently highlighted the fact that IBM just celebrated its 100th anniversary of being in business. So what does this have to do with you and your career? Well, actually quite a bit.
The latest issue of the Economist magazine did the best job of analyzing why IBM lasted so long in such a tumultuous and ever-changing field of technology. The writer addressed the very core of what makes this company great and why it is likely to be around for another 100 years. This “core” is known as a Basic Operating Principle (BOP), which for IBM is: “We invent and use technology to help businesses become more productive.”
A powerfully effective BOP is simple, well defined and so fundamental that it will work no matter how much things change. It is the “True North” of highly effective businesses.
We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
If you look closely at other great companies, their BOP will shine through. For example, Apple’s is: “We create insanely cool personal technology and sell it for insanely high profits.” All of this of course begs the question as to what your BOP is, and is it powerful and fundamental enough to last through all the market changes going on today and in the foreseeable future.
Those that specialize in a particular niche already know their BOP. However, that’s less than 2% of the real estate sales population. Most of the others likely use: “I try to get business any way I can.” as their BOP. Needless to say, some BOPs are more effective than others. Yet here’s the thing; if you are not clear about what your Basic Operating Principle is, you will likely be BOPPED by those that are.
Why Many Realtors Fear Standing Out
Saturday, June 11th, 2011
Striving to stand out from your competitors can be a scary thing. It means that you have chosen to “break from the pack”. At the very least it can feel like you may be shunned, or, perhaps even have a target painted on your back as they go gunning for you. Here’s why giving in to those fears can cost you plenty and hold you back from your full potential.
During a meeting the other day, a group of agents were asked what they thought of a particularly new and rather unique presentation that was designed to help each of them stand out head and shoulders above their competition. I was completely blown away when one of them said they felt it was berating other Realtors (which it wasn’t). There is a huge difference between pointing out one’s own unique capabilities and putting down the competition, a distinction this sales pro seemed to have missed by a mile. While still trying to shake off my bout of incredulity, a flash of insight occurred that made it clear what the real problem was.
Sales associates are very social animals and most feel uncomfortable standing out from others in the industry. This is a phenomenon I’ve witnessed time and time again as a coach and trainer. It’s like their emotional right brain is saying: “It’s not nice to try to dominate the market by being different or unique because others are not going to like you.” Meanwhile their logical left brain is screaming: “You better stand out from the crowd or you’re going to starve and die!!” Imagine how effective you would be with those two conversations going on in your head.
Be different, stand out, and work your butt off.
~ Reba McIntire
Marketing 101 says you need to differentiate your services so that a) you are seen, and b) you are chosen. Striving to dominate a particular niche or stand out from your competitors does not make you a bad person. It makes you someone who gives the consumer an easy choice to make as to who they are going to use for their real estate needs. You can still stand out and be a great person. Giving in to the need to “fit in” and not rock the boat may make you feel more comfortable, until you realize that it will also make you poorer.
