Words and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

Over the next month, I will be taking a brief look at the words and philosophy of Yogi Berra as it relates to real estate sales training.  Prior installments of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series included:

• Installment No. 1 - When you come to a fork in the road, take it - The Art of Making a Decision.  This installment focused on the need for decisive action and the need for making informed decisions.
• Installment No. 2 - It's never happened in world series history, and it hasn't happened since - The Art of Learning from One's Mistakes.  This installment focused on constructive criticism and the need to learn from our mistakes.
• Installment No. 3 - Nobody did nothin to nobody - The Importance of Teamwork.  This installment focused on the need to make a personal commitment to your brokerage and the attributes of being a team player.
• Installment No. 4 - Slump?  I ain't in no slump... I just ain't hitting - Dealing with Sales Slumps.  This installment focused on how to handle sales slumps by focusing on the fundamentals of sales, by adopting the right mindset, and by refusing to blame the market for sales slumps.
• Installment No. 5 - I don't know, I'm not in shape yet - The Importance of Physical and Mental Conditioning in Real Estate Sales.  This installment focused on the need for a positive attitude in real estate sales and how physical and mental conditioning is important to maintain a positive attitude.
• Installment No. 6 - Public speaking is one of the best things I hate - The Art of Public Speaking.  This installment focused on tips for improving the effectiveness of one's public speeches and presentations by focusing on simple tips to captivate and inspire your target audience.

The seventh installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series will start with the now famous quotation "He's learning me all his experience."  In Spring, 1949, Yogi Berra uttered this line while describing his mentoring and training under Bill Dickey.  Under Bill Dickey's tutelage, Yogi Berrawas transformed from a rookie with raw talent to a polished veteran with a 19 year career in major leagues.  Although it was artfully stated, Yogi Berra believed strongly in the use of mentors and attributed his success in the major leagues to the skills taught by Bill Dickey and others in the early years of his professional baseball career.

As it often true with Yogi-isms, it is less about the words of Yogi Berra and more about his philosophy that matters in this installment.  Although great athletes have natural ability, Yogi Berraunderstood that mentoring was essential to maximize one's potential.  Throughout his career, Yogi Berra sought out advice and assistance and viewed learning as a lifelong occurrence and not an isolated event.

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training?  Well, Yogi Berraunderstood that learning from mentors was important to build confidence, to establish pride in one's work, and to improve the skills necessary for a successful career. 

Here are some of his insights:

• Learning Methods.  Yogi Berra understood that simply being a "student of the game" wasn't enough.  He believed that everyone - whether a professional baseball player, father or electrician - has to learn what to do.  However, Yogi Berra believed that there were different methods to learning including learning using one's own instincts, learning through training, learning through mentoring and learning through doing.  Although he recognized that there were different learning methods, he believed that learning through mentoring and learning through doing were the two most important ways to learn one's trade.  In real estate sales, an agent has to learn by doing and learn by mentoring.  Too often, agents suffer a paralysis when called upon to do something new for the first time.  Sometimes you simply have to grab the bat and take a swing knowing that you will have both strikeouts and home runs in a very long career.

Cycles of Learning.  Yogi Berra understood that there were four basic cycles to professional development:

• Cycle 1 - The Instincts Phase.  You start the learning process by just playing.  You use your instincts and rely on your natural ability.  You make up for errors with youthful enthusiasm and pure energy or hustle.  For Yogi Berra, this phase was marked by his play on the sandlot baseball field on the Hill.
• Cycle 2 - The Rookie Phase.  To become a true professional, you start the rookie phase which is focused on training and preparation.  However, the gradually shifts from preparation and training to skills development.  For Yogi Berra, this phase was marked by mentoring and training under Bill Dickey.  He understood that training and preparation was just one aspect of the learning process.  To truly learn one's trade, one had to keep go beyond training and preparation and improve one's skills.  Daily, Yogi Berra practiced his skills from chasing pop flies to the mechanics of throwing out runners attempting to steal.  It was based on practice and repetition to build his confidence.  For real estate agents, the rookie phase is where after you have completed your coursework and are now licensed, but before you have developed your practical skills.  Now, you have to develop your sales, marketing, and other practical skills to become a true professional
• Cycle 3 - The Big Leagues Phase.  The big league phase focuses on improving one's skills by playing and learning from mistakes.  It is learning based on doing or, more accurately learning from one's mistake. 
• Cycle 4 - The Manager Phase.  Yogi Berra was not only a player, but was also an effective and successful coach and manager.  In this phase, Yogi Berrasought input from his coaches, but understood that the managerial decisions were his alone to make.  In his book, he described the phenomenon of managers who wouldn't listen to their coaches commenting that "what's the use of having coaches if you can't use their opinions"  He eschewed the "know-it-all" approach.  In one line, he stated "I know some managers who barely talk to their coaches."  Sound familiar?  There are brokers who don't talk to their agents and there are agents that don't listen to their brokers.

Platooning.  Yogi Berra played under Casey Stengel who he described as a great teacher and instinctive manager.  However, he opined that Casey Stengel's real genius was recognizing that everyone (including the bench and bullpen) had a role on the team and their role was as important as the starting lineup.  In real estate, knowing how to platoon is essential.  It is knowing when to seek assistance and to find a more experienced agent to cooperate with on a listing or specific issue.  In baseball speak, it is like bringing in the closer to get the final out.  It is about brokers pairing their inexperienced agents with experienced agents and getting them into the game.  In baseball speak, it is like a manager making sure that his rookies get some "live" playing time to build his or her confidence.  It is about recognizing that even sales superstars need a good team from lenders to building inspectors to virtual assistance.  In baseball speak, it is recognizing the importance of one's bench players and bullpen and effectively use them to handle specific situations like a pitch hitter or pitch runner.  In the end, it isn't about individual statistics.  It is about the box score and moving runners from first to third to home. 

Mentoring.  Yogi Berra strongly recommended that every young person have a mentor.  He recognized that "rookies" could benefit from the wisdom and experience of older players.  However, he knew that mentoring was more than training.  It was about sharing one's experience, providing encouragement, and instilling self-confidence.  When you see a rookie struggle, mentoring plays an important role because "rookie struggles" are common and young players need to know that everyone else when through similar struggles and survived.  it is equally true for real estate sales.  The issues faced by new agents are likely to have been faced at one time or another by more experienced agents.  It is one thing to hear an instructor describe a concept; it is another thing to have an experienced agent explain the concept by applying it to real life situations and experiences.

For the unfiltered words and philosophy of Yogi Berra, take a look at When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! : Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes by Yogi Berra and Dave Kaplan.  It is quick read and mixes baseball, business and Yogi-isms in a great little package. 

Interested in real estate sales training? Or, better yet, purchasing a home in Yogi Berra's childhood neighborhood known as The Hill?  Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381.