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Perfection is not Power

By
Education & Training with The Lones Group, Inc.

The Lones Group, Inc.

Perfection is Not Power

Hi everyone, and welcome to this week's Zebra Report. Today I am here with one of my favorite things in the world, an incredibly special gift that I received from a very special person. This gorgeous piece of hand-crafted zebra art was given to me by a client of mine, Brian Rosso.  His brother created it for me with some of his friends.

Brian's brother spent his precious time and talent making this and I cannot even begin to express how much it means to me. It was created by a group of individuals that are special needs. This picture, this painting, this little work of art, this creation is like gold to me. If my house caught on fire, it's coming with me. I love it.

What is so interesting and so special to me is that it is not perfect. It has a flaw here and there and even though not every color has been perfectly kept inside the lines it is the imperfections that bring such meaning and beauty to it.

The one thing I hear from agents a lot is that they feel they need to do everything perfectly.  They often do not send out a mailer or complete some marketing piece because they just cannot seem to make it perfect.  Perfection is overrated!   It is often the things in life that aren't so perfect that make us smile, bring us joy and make us feel special. People do not care if everything you do is perfect but they do care if you don't connect with them or remember them because you weren't able to achieve perfection.

There is so much meaning behind this picture. It is the MOST special piece of art in my home. I have a lot of other art that people might think is more beautiful or more valuable, but this piece of art has my heart.  It was made for me by someone so special and given to me by a treasured client.

The one thing I want you to be thinking about in your own business is to Stop trying to be so perfect, because it's probably keeping you from getting things done. I have agents tell me “Oh, I'm worried about my mailer. It wasn't quite perfect enough, so I didn't send it out.”  This desire for perfection is causing you to over think and to HALT when trying to act.  This  level of perfectionism is taking away the power in your business.

Perfectionism is not powerful. It holds you back from taking risks and doing critical things you need to be doing. Whether it's getting a mailer out or making that phone call maybe you're not “perfectly” ready for. Maybe your mailer isn't “perfect.” Maybe you're going over and over the content because it's not perfect.

What your clients appreciate most is hearing from you and feeling like they matter to you. Your clients want to hear from you about real estate. They want to know what is happening in their local market. If you want to remain top-of-mind, you cannot be a perfectionist when it comes to your contact.

Your contact must be consistent, but it does not need to be perfect. In my career as a real estate professional there were many times that I hesitated to send something out because I was worried it was not good enough.  Thankfully I had a rule when creating mailers and that rule allowed me to spend one day perfecting the mailer, one day procrastinating about sending it out, and the next day it was the day it got mailed out regardless of how perfect it was or wasn't.

Real estate agents ask me what is more powerful: taking action or having things perfect?” I would bet on action over perfection any day!

Remember my Zebra art - this gorgeous, incredible work of art - is not technically perfect. But it is perfect for me. I love it. I appreciate it. I adore it. And it is all because of the meaning behind it.

Thank you for joining this week'nns zebra report and I look forward to talking to you next week. Don't forget, niche markets are how a lot of agents get rich.

 

By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI - The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings nearly three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

The Lones Group, Inc.

Comments(3)

Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Denise- I read a quote that reminds me of your post. Often people are so invested in making sure that everything is perfect they throw "good" out the door. Or, they take no action at all. 

May 22, 2020 07:11 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Anything worth doing is worth doing badly - (a bit of an overstatement - but for most things what matters is getting it done.)

May 23, 2020 04:43 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I get it, Denise... I have suffered from perfectionitis most of my life. I always remind myself that excellence should be the goal and not perfection... 

May 23, 2020 06:09 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Many years/decades ago someone told me there is no such thing as perfect; only excellent. So we strive for excellence. Excellent post! :-)

Jun 06, 2020 04:56 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Perfection is an exercise in futility in any application.  I like Kat Palmiotti 's response. True. 

Jun 06, 2020 06:53 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Good morning Denise Lones - nice video.  I can say that people who want it perfect tend to never get it done.

Jun 06, 2020 07:10 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good evening Denise Lones ,

You are so right Perfection is not Power. I'm so glad that Carol Williams featured your post in her Second Chance Saturday Series..excellent!

Jun 06, 2020 04:50 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Denise:

This was a good read. Perfectionism can really get you in trouble if that is what you are always striving for.  I remember a quote I heard at a CRS meeting some years ago that has always stuck with me...Done is better than Perfect.

Jeff

Jun 06, 2020 08:00 PM