MAKE-IT OR BREAK-IT TIME...THE SIX TO NINE MONTH MARK IN YOUR BUSINESS
As a real estate trainer and marketing expert, one of the toughest frustrations I have is the sad reality that many new agents will not be around after nine months.
We've all been told that the first six months are the "testing ground" for your capability as a real estate agent. But, in my experience, I have discovered that an even more critical time is the six to nine month period.
The reason for this is very simple: You mentally prepared yourself for the first six months. You KNEW you weren't going to be making tons of sales until you really got "into" your business.
But by the time 6-9 months roll around, you're beginning to feel a little frustrated. You've been at it for a while now, and you still haven't seen the fruits of your labor. Not only are you starting to run out of financial resources FAST, you're running out of personal confidence EVEN FASTER. You may start losing sleep. You may start to bite your nails, break out into sweats, and get snappy with people.
These are all warning signs. You are entering the Danger Zone.
Who WOULDN'T think they weren't cut out to be a real estate agent if NOBODY in a six month period bought or sold a house through them? This is perfectly normal. You're at a crossroads where your skill level is just about to blossom but you don't have the results in your bank account yet.
So what do you do? STOP for a second. Leave your nails alone. Take a deep breath. I want to take you on a quick trip back to your childhood to the first time you heard the story of The Tortoise and The Hare.
You remember, don't you? The fast Hare cannot believe that the slow Tortoise thinks he can beat him in a race. But we all know what happens: The Hare takes a nap, sleeps too long, and the Tortoise lumbers past him to win the race. The Tortoise never wavered, his focus clear and his pace steady.
True, we all know the lesson we learned as kids from this story. Slow and steady wins the race. But do we apply this lesson as adults? As real estate agents? Certainly not as often as we should.
Most agents, especially in the first six months of being in business, try to be the Hare. They spend their time scampering for every QUICK answer to being successful in real estate. They jump and hop around chasing down every lead they can find-especially useless ones.
Smart agents strive to be the Tortoise. The Tortoise knows that a good database takes time to build. (Remember how I am always saying that in real estate sales "It's not Location Location Location...it's Database Database Database!" You'll hear it again and again.) Smart agents take a longer view and focus on bringing qualified prospects into their database...knowing that this is a long process that requires CONSISTENCY and DEDICATION.
If you're at that critical six to nine month period and your blood pressure is going through the roof, I want you to...STOP!
STOP doing everything you're doing right now. STOP trying to master the CMA. STOP going out to preview properties. STOP visiting other people's Open Houses on the weekend to try to get confidence to do your own. STOP sitting at your computer trying to perfect the graphic design on a house flyer you may never be able to list if you don't have clients..
START doing anything that has to do with REAL PEOPLE...your clients and prospects. Don't have a database? Don't have a client? Get out there with people!
How do you do this? I don't care if you go out and play golf five days a week to meet people. Fine! Show up ALONE, find three players who could use a fourth, play eighteen holes. Then, exchange business cards. Boom! You're done. New prospects found and qualified.
True, these three people probably won't buy a house from you THIS WEEK. But, remember, you're the Tortoise. Tomorrow, you're going to make friends with three new people at the hairdresser...and the next day three new people ...and so on. Before you know it, one of these people will need to sell their home and find a new one.
(And always remember...you're not selling anything at this stage...you're just making friends. This is important to repeat.)
This is how you should be spending your time as a new agent instead of all the endless planning. Your prospects and clients are the most important thing-they are going to be paying your bills for years to come. So get out there and find them!
I guarantee you...I promise you...I encourage you...I beg with you...I plead with you...when you start building a database SLOWLY like this, it will pay off in the long run. It may take longer than six months. It may take longer than nine months. But one day it will be as if the heavens open up and rain money on you as a reward for your long slow lumbering CONSISTENCY and EFFORT.
The Tortoise ALWAYS wins.
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