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.
• Installment No. 7 - He's learning me all his experience - Learning Sales Skills.  This installment focused on the various stages of learning and the importance of mentoring for developing sales skills.
• Installment No. 8 - If you don't have a bullpen, you got nothing - The Importance of Role Players.  This installment focused on the need to build a team that includes role players as well as bench players who can perform multiple roles.
• Installment No. 9 - If people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's going to stop them - Gimmicks Don't Work.  This installment commented on the use of gimmicks as a substitute for natural talent and building sales skills through training.
• Installment No. 10 - You can't win all the time.  There are guys out there who are better than you - Healthy Competition is a Good Thing.  This installment discussed the importance of healthy competition in real estate sales and the dangers of unhealthy competition that lead to uncivil behavior and a lack of professionalism.
• Installment No. 11 - Don't get me right.  I'm just asking - Communication is the Key.  This installment discussed communication as the core skill for real estate professionals from building rapport to closing deals to customer service to managing teams.

The twelfth installment of the Yogi Berra Real Estate Sales Training Series starts with the quotation "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there."  Yogi Berra  had a simple goal.  He wanted to be a baseball player.  So, from the age of 14, he set out to satisfy the goal.  He knew he needed to play hard and improve his skills.  

Real Estate Sales Training

So, how does this Yogi Berra quotation relate to real estate sales training?  Well, Yogi Berra understood that life was unpredictable.  He described it as a road that twists and turns and has hidden exits.  However, Yogi Berra  knew that you could arrive at your destination by setting goals, by having the appropriate desire, and confidence in your own abilities, and by having a plan.

Here are some thoughts on how these concepts relate to real estate sales:

• Create a List of Daily Affirmations.  Everyone needs some inspiration. By simply creating a list of daily affirmations, you have reminders that change is possible.  Here are some daily affirmations: I can and will take control my daily life; I can and will effectuate change in my daily life; I acknowledge that there are things in my daily life that I will not be able to control or change; I will strive for progress, not perfection, in reaching my goals; I understand that it is insane to continue with the same activities and expect different results.  These affirmations are simple reminders that no plan is perfect.  In real life, our goals and plans to reach them must be fluid and must change with our personal circumstances.  We cannot and won't be able to change everything.  The affirmations can be used to refocus one's thoughts.  Instead of thinking in absolute terms such "I will always..." or "I will never...", resolutions and personal goals must be approached with the simple recognition that we are simply looking for progress towards our goals.  Whether it is a weight loss goal or a sales goal, it is gradual and steady progress or change, not immediate perfection, that we should seek..

• Take Personal Inventory of Core Values.  After writing down daily affirmations, it is important to take a personal inventory of one's core values.  By the term "core values", I mean those unifying principles and beliefs that guide one's conduct and bring one personal satisfaction.  By reducing one's core values to writing, the list serves as a reminder of what is and isn't important to us.  When you take the time to think through your fundamental values, and then commit yourself to living your life consistent with them, you feel a surge of mental strength and well-being. You feel stronger and more capable. You feel more centered in the universe and more competent of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.

• Create Visionary Statements with Long-Term Goals:   Woody Allen once was asked "How can you make God laugh?"  He responded "Tell God your future plans."  Although I don't remember the context in which the line was uttered, I do remember what it meant to me.  To me, it is important to set visionary goals.  These visionary statements are lofty goals.  When they are first made, they can and should appear to be impractical, unrealistic or even impossible to attain. 

• Break Visionary Statements into a Series of Milestone Goals:  After re-reading one's affirmations, it is important that permanent changes or the achievement of the goals in one's visionary statements doesn't usually occur overnight or even in a matter of weeks.  When one looks at the goals, they can seem overwhelming.  However, for each long-term goal in each visionary statement, one should set a series of milestone goals with one new goal to be met each month.  By breaking one's visionary statements into milestone goals, we set realistic targets, see progress and build confidence.

• Announce Your Milestone Goals to Your Partner:  It is difficult to make life-altering changes unless you have the support and encouragement of colleagues, friends and family.  For Yogi Berra, he had his brothers who supported his dream to play professional baseball.  For each goal, one should select a partner or colleague to act as one's mentor, coach and/or sounding board for change.  Too often, we don't share our goals.  Instead, we attempt to pursue our goals in isolation.  When we commit to a goal, write the goal down, and announce the goal to others, it strengthens our commitment to reach the goal.  With the support and encouragement of others, we are more likely to accept short term set backs in pursuit of our long-term goals.

• Track Your Success:  It is much easier to achieve a goal when you have a sense of personal satisfaction.  When you pursue a goal, develop a plan and monitor progress toward achieving the goal, you generate a feeling of success within yourself when each small step in the plan is accomplished.  You tend to feel more in control and more motivated to proceed with the next step to reach the lofty goal.  When you track your progress and generate the feeling of success, it becomes easy to do the "hard" or "necessary" things.  When you clear the first few hurdles, you then develop a psychological momentum that enables you to address and handle adversity that would otherwise be setbacks to achieving your goal. 

• Take Action:  After you have set your goals, take action.  Each day review your milestone goals and your long-term goal and take some small step to reach the goal today.

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.