As we close the door on the first quarter, we open a new door of endless opportunities: the second quarter of Spring 2009. The definition of productivity is, simply put, doing more in less time. Being productive comes from growing your own inner capacity to be more effective and efficient with your time, to be more energetic, and to navigate your way through and around obstacles. Productivity is a choice.
Growing your inner capacity to produce amazing results isn't always easy. Learning the skills and practicing them is the easy (and yes, sometimes mundane) part. Strengthening who you are at the core, to take action on a daily basis, can be difficult. Lots of us say we embrace change, however actually doing things and reacting to circumstances differently can be down right painful. So what is the secret? How can we facilitate real change from the inside out, to become more successful?
Let's think about a few things first. Do you truly know what your core values are? Have you written them down? Who are the top 5 people you admire most in the world? Living, dead, famous or related to you, it doesn't matter. Who are those 5 people? For each person you think of, write down five qualities about them that you respect and admire the most. I asked this question in my Group Session the other day and some of the names that came up were Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Billy Joel, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama and "my mom." Some of the qualities people admire most about people like this are Drive, Dedication, Focus, Selflessness, Peace, Intelligence, Innovation, Creativity and Responsibility.
The great news is that the qualities you admire most in others, you already possess yourself. I know this because you recognize them in other people. You wouldn't recognize those qualities if they weren't already within you.
Now that you recognize some of your core values, you can begin to draw strength from them. Set big goals. Set big goals that are specific and positive and write them down. I highly recommend setting goals physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Write down in your calendar when you expect to achieve your goals. Work backward, or use a 4-1-1, to list the tasks that you must commit to in order to achieve the results you want. Ask yourself the tough question: What is the price I pay for not taking action toward my goals every single day? What is the reward if you do take action? Write everything down; your ideas, your fears, journal it all. You'll be amazed by what patterns show up and how the road will begin to narrow. Share your intentions with people that will support you and hold you accountable.
You have a choice to make every single day. Will you walk through some fear, process some feelings and do some things differently? If you really want to have success and live the life of your dreams-that you deserve, by the way-you will choose to be Productive.
Dana Whittaker has been licensed as a real estate agent in Las Vegas since 2000 and has been involved with coaching since 2001. She is a Certified Advanced Professional Coach at Keller Williams Las Vegas and is married with a two year old son. For more information visit www.DanaWhittaker.com
I coach each of the real estate agents in my Productivity Program on a case by case basis. There is never just one answer or rule for every single client and issue. As we get busier with clients and opening escrows our time management skills will really be put to the test.
It is not good business practice to give up on prospecting for a day and especially not for a week to take out a client, whether they are from out of town or not. Most of the agents in my program are setting more appointments and opening more escrows. Several of the agents in my program have more deals in escrow than they've ever had in their career. Most agents' natural tendencies are to say yes to every client and babysit each escrow when they begin to get busy. While it is important to do these things, prospecting must not ever be overlooked.
So, with a very full plate, what is the right answer? What do you do? For some of you, it means leaning on your personal real estate team for support if you have one. Can a member of your team ramp up their prospecting time and make some extra calls or sit an extra open house while you are out with clients? Can your administrative assistant ramp up their duties and make some extra follow up calls for you or even run some of your personal errands so you can get some prospecting in?
If you do not have your own team, how do you manage it all? Prospecting-making calls, sitting open houses, and knocking on doors; following up with leads, managing your database, touching everyone 33 times per year, dealing with referrals, meeting clients, showing property, writing offers, negotiating, opening escrow, going to inspections, dealing with appraisals, communicating with lenders and co-op agents, getting deals to close, not to mention training, meetings and classes. Oh yeah, and spend time with family and friends, eat healthy, exercise, get some sleep, work on a hobby, contribute to your community and clean the house. Whew!
So what gives? It is critical that we WRITE down what needs to happen: yearly, monthly, weekly and daily; on a regular basis. The agents in coaching are required to write down their plans, projects, goals and commitments at least weekly. WRITING down what you will do and what you want is a proven tool of success. Almost all of us are doing more with less right now. Writing your lists down, prioritizing and crossing off items will help you manage your TIME and your STRESS immensely. (Stress occurs when we know what the right thing to do is, and we do something else.) When you manage your time with fierce determination you become more dollar productive. Constantly ask yourself, "Am I doing $10/hr work right now or $100/hr work right now?" As independent contractors all we have is our time. Many agents I speak with want to hire an administrative assistant now because each deal involves more work, even though our price points don't justify the expense. I know lots of talented assistants desperate for work. Consider getting together with a few other agents you know and sharing the cost of an assistant, even just part time. Learn to live on less, prospect instead of market and enroll as much help and support as you can.
You will have to sacrifice some things right now to survive. Only you can make the decision of what you will to let go of. Re-margin your bottom lines, professionally and personally. Trim the fat, and then trim some more. Figure out how you can still do the things that matter to you in other creative ways.
Prospect as much as possible everyday. Prospecting is the #1 most dollar productive activity an agent does. If you do nothing else, do this. Don't forget that being "on purpose" with your SOI counts! And, if you erase, you must replace. This statement is meant to put us in acute awareness when we start being too flexible with our schedules. There are only so many hours per day that we can replace with. What are you committed to? There is a price to pay for everything. What is most important? What is most dollar productive? What will get you a step closer to living the life of your dreams and attaining your Vision today?
Get focused, get committed, write everything down and take action!
Commit to more Coaching and training than ever before too. I want to see you do more than just survive this market. It's possible!
Dana Whittaker Certified Advanced Professional Coach Certified Real Estate Negotiator Broker/Salesperson
Are you facing the "February Blues?" We made it through the holidays and now football season is over. The weather is still cold and Spring is a way off. Most of us have our Business Plans for the year and we're plugging away making calls, sitting open houses and doing the work. We're getting some results, just not as many or as quickly as we want. We're doing everything we can to hold deals together. Many of us are working at least six days per week. We may be feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.
I've seen this before: year after year. It's natural. It's part of the process. It's time to buckle down and get settled in to executing the Business Plans we faithfully created. Many of us are rainmakers. We like talking to people and negotiating. The follow up and the maintenance with its repetition and loose ends can feel mundane. Yet we know it must be done. If we truly want the results we plan to get, we must get through this time.
Mindset is one of the key fundamentals that must be mastered to be a huge success. Having the fierce determination necessary to practice our skills daily, make follow up calls and ask for more business is mandatory. It comes down to purpose and living in vision. Most of us have a Vision Statement or a Big Why. When was the last time we read it or revised it? When seasonality has us down, we must re-commit.
To get myself re-committed, I will often pick up one of the first business books I ever read, and whole-heartedly recommend: The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino. In the story, the "salesman" faces failure, heartbreak, and despair in his business and he becomes successful anyway. He is forceful in his self-talk. He is tough with himself, telling himself he can do it. (This is different than being tough on yourself and buying in to negative self-talk.) Through many lessons the salesman develops the mindset of a lion, of a winner.
The following is a brief summary of the lessons, from the book The Greatest Salesman in the World that we can apply to our real estate practice right now:
•1. Today I begin a new life. I shed my old skin with bruises of failure and wounds of mediocrity. I will form good habits and become their slaves.
•2. I will greet this day with love in my heart.
•3. I will persist until I succeed. I will persist until I succeed. I will persist until I succeed. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist. I will win.
•4. I am nature's greatest miracle. And nature knows not defeat. Eventually, she emerges victorious and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult.
•5. I will live this day as if it is my last.
•6. Today I will be master of my emotions. Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
•7. I will laugh at the world. These words...will carry me through every adversity and maintain my life in balance...This too shall pass. I will be happy. I will be successful.
•8. Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.I will do the work that a failure will not do.
•9. I will act now. I will act now. I will act now.
•10. Only for guidance will I pray...and my prayer will always be answered.
Get re-committed. Get re-focused. Why are you here? What is your goal?
Now get out there and practice and take action! You can do it! You're Great!
I'd love to hear from you and help you get clear on your Big Why and give you some feedback on your current plan. There is no obligation.
Dana Whittaker Certified Advanced Professional Coach Certified Real Estate Negotiator Broker/Salesperson
SATURDAY, 1/24/09: MULTIPLE Bank-Owned OPEN HOUSES
Open from 11am to 4pm, just look for the Keller Williams Las Vegas RED balloons!
2118 Feather Bush-1066 Otto Ridge Court-5005 Wild Thyme Ave-3832 Pastel Ridge-5865 Obannon Dr-504 Soso-8067 Dark Hollow Pl-6666 Little Owl Place-1621 Shadow Mountain Pl-4459 Wendy Ln-2085 Casa Ladera St-4872 Nara Vista Way #103-8301 Alder Meadows Ave-3226 Birdwatcher Ave, North Las Vegas-9049 Blue Raven Ave-10263 Cantiamo Ct-10469 Concetta Ave-12048 Contorno Vista Ct-4112 Garden Genoa Ave, North Las Vegas-11256 Gibbs Hill Ave-9014 Greek Palace Ave-122 Harbor Coast St-333 Hopedale Ave, North Las Vegas-6484 E Karlsen Ct-10058 Keifer Valley St-532 Landra Ln-2366 Malaga Peak St-8018 Mesquite Ranch St-6047 Mild Wind St-5574 Olympic Spirit Ln-333 Plum Horse Ave, North Las Vegas-3839 Pumpkin Creek St-8768 Redtail Ct-7658 Rising Port Ave-3336 Sonterra Cir-5463 Tender Tulip Ave-5209 Villa Dante Ave-9677 Vista Crest Ave-7609 Zermatt Ave-2837 Holmes-1842 Renada Circle-3728 Blue Dawn Drive-2102 Rustler Ridge-538 Feliz Contado-1519 Pen Hollow-205 Vallejo-4419 Crimson Tide-4917 El Campo Grande
In the Coaching Program we closed $3,193,090 in sales volume in December. Since October, the Agents in my program have closed $5,099,990 in sales volume. Don't tell those agents committed to taking their business to the next level that the market is too soft or that things slowed down because of the Holidays. They just won't hear it.
How are the agents that are thriving in this market doing it? They are asking for the business. It's that simple. We don't survive unless we close deals and we don't close deals unless we first get appointments. Go back and re-read Chapter 5 in Shift, by Gary Keller, Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan. A Lead is NOT a Lead until you have an appointment set. Converting contacts into appointments is the most dollar productive thing you will do in your business. In this market, you must convert quickly-within 24 to 48 hours-or your potential client will get away. Mega KW agent, Brad Corn, says you should then lose sleep at night, because you are feeding those people to the sharks if you let them go to another agent.
Ask the connection questions found in Shift:
1. Who are they?
2. What do they want or need to do?
3. Where do they want or need to do it?
4. Why do they want or need to do it?
5. When do they want or need to do it?
6. How do they plan to do it?
Lay the foundation by investigating. This is our job. We are not in this business to give out free information. This is not about manipulating people. Keep asking questions. "Really, why's that?" Mega KW agent, Nikki Ubaldini, says after everything her clients tell her. Then ask to get together. Not everyone will want to meet you, but you won't know if you don't ask. It is our job to instigate the next natural step, getting face to face, without being attached to the answer.
Flip to page 100 of Shift and practice the 10 Classic Closes. Figure out which one works for you and then use it. "Sounds like we need to get together; would Friday or Saturday work better for you?" Remember to always come from contribution. Our clients need our help, whether they are buying or selling.
What will you do in 2009? What is your number? How many appointments do you need to set each week to get there? Are you following your business plan?
Although there is training in my job, I'm a coach first, not a trainer. Most of you know what you are supposed to be doing. The challenge is in keeping our commitments to ourselves and staying motivated. Coaching has been proven to work. Even a mediocre coach will help you get at least 2-4 more deals each year. Contact me about a customizing a program to make your business plan a reality. YES WE CAN!
Dana Whittaker Productivity Coach Certified Real Estate Negotiator Broker/Salesperson Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas 702.300.7653 Coach@DanaWhittaker.com
I have been to some wonderful training sessions with some of the best speakers, leaders, and business owners in the country this year. Based on that information, here is my TOP 10 for becoming a HUGE Success in 2009.
1. Have a HUGE and AUDACIOUS Goal for the Year.
2. WRITE it down! Harvard studies prove this helps you attain your goals.
3. Know WHY you want to be successful. Have passion, be totally committed to it. Live with a Mission and a Vision. Be on Purpose.
4. WRITE it down. Write down your Mission and Vision statements and HANG them up where you will be reminded of them regularly.
5. CREATE a detailed business plan of everything YOU MUST and WILL DO to achieve your goals and be in alignment with your Vision and Mission. And, WRITE it down! Don't put it in a drawer, carry it with you all the time.
6. TIME BLOCK your Perfect Week. WRITE down when you'll Lead Generate everyday, when you'll Practice-Practice-Practice your Scripts, and when you'll take appointments. BOOK your play time and days off Now.
7. STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE and DON'T CHEAT. You do DESERVE your Goals, you are WORTHY of Success. GET EXCITED AND SHOW UP READY TO PLAY!!
8. DO whatever it takes to maintain a HIGH level of ENERGY! Exercise, eat right and get some sleep.
9. TELL yourself you are a HUGE Success, Worthy of the BEST life has to offer--even if you don't believe it at first--EVERYDAY! There is Plenty of Business out there. YOU are doing what it takes to get in front of it.
10. HIRE a coach that will hold you ACCOUNTABLE to everything that you say you want. Human beings will usually do more for someone else than they will for themselves. Having an Accountability Buddy is nice, however, you WILL hold yourself to a higher standard when you have personally made a substantial Investment in your future.
Make it a great year. What can I do to support you?
"Mindset" is the very first chapter in Shift, the latest "unfair advantage" given to us by Gary Keller, for very good reason. Without the proper mindset we are doomed to a life of complacency, mediocrity and ordinariness. I find myself gravitating toward having the mentality of a Warrior lately. Is it the "war zone" of a market we're practicing in? The tough economy we are navigating through? I'm certain it is. So what do we do? What would a Warrior do?
A Warrior would accept and embrace the war zone and get to work completing their mission. I think that the military metaphors are highly appropriate for the fight many of us real estate agents are facing right now. The Samurai lived by a code, Bushido, of frugality, loyalty, mastery and honor. Our modern day warriors, the Navy SEALS, also live by a code. Things like Mastery and Honor carry significant meaning to them, and I think adopting these philosophies could benefit agents wanting to take their business to the next level as quickly as possible.
In my last Group Coaching Session, two former Navy SEALS came to tell us some of their secrets: how they made it through training and how they completed their missions. Their techniques are relevant to our real estate practice because they are the fundamentals to building a successful business.
I was surprised to hear that there was no training on mindset or how to actually focus your mind in SEAL team training. You either have it or you don't, or you develop it very quickly. The strategies they use, what the SEALs say are the two most important aspects of succeeding are Mindset and Mastery. If you have those, you can get through anything.
Mindset is having a positive mental attitude. Your Why has to be more important than your excuses. When the s--- is hitting the fan, you have to know that quitting is not an option. What I learned from the SEALs is that how long the job takes is irrelevant. You do whatever it takes to get the job done. Show up as a team player and be committed to excellence, no matter what.
Mastery is having a standard operating procedure for everything and knowing it inside and out. The SEALs don't focus on the outcome, as conditions are constantly changing, they focus on doing all the aspects of their job or mission perfectly. Mastering their skills in this way reduces their risk of failure and of casualties. They log a multitude of hours practicing each discipline.
The SEALs also revere their Teams. There is no room for ego on a team. In real estate, being a team player is caring about everyone else's performance in the office because it reflects on you. Our office is farther ahead than most because we utilize a very successful mentoring program. Our culture is exceptional in the way we care for each other.
Where a lot of real estate agents drop the ball is in Mastering their craft. Script practice isn't time blocked into our day. Script practice has to be a top priority, along with three hours every day of lead generation. Do you know the right questions to ask? Do you know what to say? People are out there making deals. The question is, will they use you, or someone else that has mastered their scripts?
We will make it through this market. We have to be tough from the inside out. Make sure your team knows what you need. Ask your team what they need. Time block your week and don't cheat. Honor your commitments. The SEALs say, "The only easy day was yesterday!" and they get totally excited to go out and conquer. Embrace what is going on around you and make the choice to take advantage of all the opportunities out there. How can I support you?
I attended the Shift Tour at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas, Nevada last night, promoting Gary Keller's latest book on surviving this market.
Mr. Keller shoots right from the hip and drives home the message to Get Real and Get Right right away. He didn't pull any punches when he said, if Lead Generating and Lead Converting aren't your top priorities when you are time-blocking your calendar each day, you're an idiot. Not doing these things is a dumb idea.
Although it may be tough to hear and difficult to swallow, he's right. He's been in the real estate business since 1979 and he's seen many markets cycle up and down. The current real estate market is a cycle. The scary thing about a cycle is that we know it's coming, we just don't know when. So what's the solution? HINT: read the book, then call me.
The problem with most of us agents is that we do what we want most of the time. If we only do what we want, we'll rarely get what we really want. Mr. Keller did grant us the disclaimer that he wasn't really talking to us like this, he was talking to himself, and we just happened to be listening.
First things, first: Lead Generate every day. It is the name of the game and it has to be done. I recommend 15 hours per week to get serious results. Remember, that includes a bit of prep in the beginning and follow up time on the back end. The best lead generating is what ever is going to get you face to face with someone, or at least voice to voice. Mr. Keller reminded us that lead generating isn't hard, it's just not that fun. And, the better we get, the more fun it will become as we get the results we want.
Second: Work on your skills. Practice your scripts. We pay a lot of money to go see actors say their scripts in movies and never think it's weird. It's not weird, practice until you own the language. We have to be strong and educate the public better than the media.
Third: Have a really great reason (Vision Statement) to be doing what you're doing. What you are passionate about will pull you out of the tough times, and you're talent will keep you moving forward.
Time block your calendar and don't make exceptions. Don't book other appointments during lead time and don't answer other calls, send emails or texts. Finishing just one "quick" email could throw you off for the whole day.
The goal is to set at least one bonafide real estate appointment each day you work. That's what I challenge my agents to do. And it's what I do to keep building my program. Get out there! Have fun! You're clients are lucky to have you!
Some of us get really bogged down when the news is nasty. We get lost in the messages we are bombarded with on TV and radio. Getting caught up in it is the last thing we need to do. It's ok to be informed, and, do your best not to let it get you down. If you look at all the headlines, they read, "Recession,", "Depression," "Market Collapse," and of course, "Crisis."
My husband told me that John F. Kennedy used to talk about the word "Crisis" back in the '60's. When written in Chinese, the word "Crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
Where is there opportunity in your business? Who can you reach out to right now? Don't wait, ask for business or a lead. Make things happen, shake some hands, pass out cards, do whatever it takes to get the momentum going again. Don't let CNBC determine your fate. Now more than ever is the time to GO FOR WHAT YOU WANT!
Congratulations for making it this far in the Real Estate business. If you're still here and playing to win I think you of you as a warrior, a Navy SEAL, or an Olympic Athlete.
Need some help or support? Do you want more, better, or different results than you have right now?
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, states that for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.
As real estate professionals we hear this rule and how it applies in business in many different ways all the time: 80% of our business comes from 20% of our activities. 80% of the real estate transactions being done in any given community come from 20% of the agents doing business. 80% of the world's wealth is held by 20% of the population.
Having just completed my first triathlon, The Las Vegas Triathlon held September 28, 2008 at Lake Mead in Nevada, the 80:20 Rule showed itself to me again that I felt also applied to my real estate practice. Finishing the Triathlon was 80% mental, 20% physical. I trained for about 5 hours per week for about 3 months.
What I noticed during the race was that I actually had a huge smile on my face, even though physically it was grueling. I noticed the affirmations in my head coming to me as I was cycling over the hills, "You can do it! You're a winner! You're a great athlete! You're going to finish in great time!" And, although I didn't win, I did finish in 2hrs: 7minutes: 6 seconds. Am I the least bit dissapointed? Not at all!
I don't have an athletic background. Deciding to voluntarliy run this race was way out of the box for me. What I know for sure is that my results would have been very different had I not been practicing saying positve affirmations to myself for the last several years.
Staying in an optimistic mind-set does not come naturally to me. My written affirmations are posted to the back of my medicine cabinet where I look at and read them when I brush my teeth each day. I say, "I'm a successful professional. I'm a great Mom. I'm a motivating leader. I am a wealthy, deserving woman. I am living my dream life every day!"
I coach agents to write and say their personal affirmations each morning for 3 minutes to get focused and motivated to start their day. We need all the positivity we can get in this market.
It's 80% mental and 20% physical. You know enough. Pick up the phone or knock on the door. What would your business look like if you trained like an athlete and you lead generated for 1-2 hours each day?
It's a great time to jump in to this market! You're great!
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