I, like you, am really into immediate gratification. I like to see a payoff for my efforts, like, five minutes from now, or else I get discouraged and don't wanna play anymore. Faxes are too slow. The microwave takes too long. I want it NOW (whatever "it" is that I want... right now).

When it comes to wanting cash... as in, a paycheck, I'm definitely into "sooner rather than later." While I'm aware that I'll have bills to pay in January, February and March, I'm not nearly as concerned about them as I am about the ones due in September, October and November. And, frankly, there are just so many hours in the day, so it's only logical that I should focus on activities that pay off sooner, rather than later, right?

Sure, there's some logic to that and it's how most of us run our businesses, throughout our entire careers. We have a cycle we repeat over and over... prospect hard, then deal with the business our prospecting brings in, then notice our pipeline's about empty, panic, then prospect hard again. And the cycle repeats. Some agents, in trying to break this cycle, implement sophisticated systems that are designed to generate a steady stream of leads that they can tap into when they see a break in their business looming. I've never had much luck with such systems - they just don't fit into my business model, so I can't speak to whether or not they do what they promise to do. Somehow I doubt it. And besides, they cost a lot of money!

But if you've ever experienced the euphoria of having a relatively consistent pipeline, I'll bet you'll agree that it's worth the effort you have to put into it upfront. As in, today. And tomorrow. And next week. For business that may not come to fruition until six months from now or longer. But here's the cool thing. Once your longer-term efforts start paying off, two things will have happened. One - you'll be in the habit of doing these things to the point where they'll seem like a natural part of your day and two - you'll have generated the momentum within your business to keep that ball rolling.

And you know what else? Most of the things you can do today to ensure business in six months don't cost you a thing. They'll just take a little of your time, your creativity and your commitment to showing up every day.

Stay tuned for more thoughts on what you can be doing TODAY to make you feel awfully smart six months from now!

Pipeline 2010: Blogging Today for Business Tomorrow
Pipeline 2010: Attracting Business by Mastering Your Market

PIPELINE 2010! RAH RAH RAH!