Six More Silent Killers of Sales Success... 

By Julie Escobar

It's that time of year again, when the Halloween spirit comes creeping in and my inspiration chimes a darker than normal toll.  In part one of this series, we explored six of the traits and choices that stop sales success cold.  Twelve months later, there is certainly no shortage of sinister changes and challenges still spooking sales professionals and cutting short their careers.    

Fear not, my friends.  Career death is not a certain fate.  Beware these six silent killers to ward off the tricks and temptations that have cut others to the quick:

1.  Poisoning your plan:  You've probably heard it before, "Begin with the end in mind."  So many of us get caught up in the day to day business of putting out fires, chasing new business and filling out forms that we fail to stick to a plan or worse, never have a plan to begin with.  Business planning can be tedious, overwhelming and for some, down right boring.  It is, however, a necessary evil, so don't wait for January 1^st to roll around to get started.  In the fourth quarter of the year, what you do now truly does set the stage for the year to come.  Check out companies like www.createaplan.com or www.isucceed.com or even a nod to my ex, at www.edescobar.com for strong, viable, effective real estate business planning.  You have everything to gain and nothing to lose - so stop poisoning and start planning! 

2.  Sickly skill building:  There was a time in our industry where business was so good that many agents found themselves in slacker mode when it comes to building the necessary skills for career longevity.  We live in the perfect world for personal and professional growth.  The internet allows us to learn 24/7, with a wide spectrum of talented coaches, leaders, speakers and trainers to share skill building around the clock.  What skills are a MUST HAVE in today's market? 

• Price Negotiation
• Prospecting
• Relationship Building
• Technology tools
• Social Media Networking
• Niche Marketing
• Objection Handling
• Creative Thinking
• Optimism

Now you may think the last two don't belong there - but I can assure you that in this market, or any market, the ability to think quickly on your feet, find creative solutions to uncommon problems and find the optimism and self-motivation you need to continue to grow and build your business are definitely skills worth fine-tuning! 

3.  Negating niche marketing:  While it's a great theory that we should be able to be all things to all people, it's a practice and a goal that could, well, kill your ability to create any traction, not to mention the burn-out you'll inevitably feel.  Finding your niche is not only a good business practice, it's just good common sense.  Effectively building a niche that resonates with you allows you to build momentum faster, spend less, and have a lot more fun along they way.  Pick your passion.  Who do YOU want to work with?  Teachers, first time home buyers, doctors, lawyers, military personnel, chefs, business owners, horse ranchers, dog lovers, boaters, golfers, Harley riders, skiers - the list is endless.  You are only limited by your imagination.  Pick one, and call me.  We'll work out a marketing strategy to fit your new niche!

4.  Trapped in the over-promising, under-delivering cyclone:  This is a big one.  Ever know an agent who lets their mouth over-ride their ability to deliver?   Unfortunately, there may be one or two out there like that.  Ours is a society of pay-for-performance, high-expectation, low-tolerance for anything less than what's expected consumers.  I'm reminded of a statement Floyd Wickman often makes, "Always do what you say you're going to do.  You don't have to do more, but NEVER do less."  If you can't do something in a specific time frame, say so.  Your honesty will take you much further than the lack of credibility you'll earn by not keeping true to your word. 

5.  Caught in social media web:  I'll be one of the first people to say it's time to stop thinking social media is a passing fad and prompt you to dive in to the huge online knowledge base that can teach you how to tweet, find friends and get linked!  Social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIN are incredible tools to help you build that niche, expand your sphere and bring the world a little closer to you every day.  You can touch many people at once; share your perspectives and network far faster and easier than we ever dreamed possible.  I will caution you though - do not get too caught up in the web.  I can't tell you the countless sales professionals I've met who never learned to put boundaries on their time and social networking, like anything, can be a time stealer if you're not using it properly.  There is still no substitute for real, live, face-to-face or at least phone-to-phone contact with your clients and genuine prospecting time blocks.  So if you're spending all your time tweeting about the weather or playing Mafia Wars and Farmville (you know who you are) - then start today to block out your power hour of prospecting, reaching out to your customer base and leave the playtime for your personal time. 

6.  Drowning in negativity:  Our world is full of challenges, without question and it's easy to find ourselves sometimes over our heads and feel like we're drowning in the negative pull that can permeate an office or even a society.  Grab yourself a life-preserver in the form of a coach or a mentor.  They have the ability to help you focus on what's possible, forge ahead towards your goals and seek out the opportunities where you once saw obstacles.  Turn again to the World Wide Web or buy a ticket for the next empowerment workshop in your area.  Listen to the wise words of Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Les Brown or pick your favorite motivational speaker.  Re-read Think and Grow Rich, or The Greatest Salesman in the World and start and finish your day with powerful affirmations that will frame your life and your career with those messages that can fuel your spirit and ignite your imagination.  When it comes right down to it...anything really is possible.

Well, my friends, I hope you've found more treats than tricks in today's article!  If there's anything that I can ever do for you to help keep any of the career-killing monsters at bay, give me a call or shoot me an email!  Now, pass me the M&Ms and let's get back to work! 

Click Here to Read Death of a Real Estate Career - Part I Now! 

To download a FREE copy of our time-tested system for staying in touch with the VIPs in your customer base, visit www.prospectsplus.com, and click on BusinessBASE^TM in the Resource section. While you're there, be sure to check out our many webinars-on-demand for insightful tools and techniques for building your business in any market.  Need me?  Call 1.866.405-3641 or email julie.escobar@prospectsplus.com!