Bullseye!

I’ve known about dartboards since I was a child. I’ve tossed a dart or two in my lifetime, so when people would talk about hitting the bullseye, I knew what they meant. I’ve even applauded people for doing just that.

While I was out showing houses recently, however, I got educated a bit more. That focus on the bullseye that is highlighted so much is a tad off the mark. Wait, what? Turns out, if you’re knowledgeable about the sport, it’s not the bullseye that you aim for but the spot above it. Move your gaze above the center of the board, past the first ring that touches the bullseye, up past the first triangle to that circle and take a look. A board that has been used, and played by those in the know, has holes in that small rectangle.

Why? If you hit the bullseye, you get 50 points. If you hit the tiny circle around the bullseye, you get 25 points. Hit the triangles outside that inner sanctum, and you get the point value of the wedge as noted on the perimeter. But if you hit in the next thin circle, you get triple the value of the wedge. Hit the slice of the dartboard that’s marked as “20” in that circle and you’ve scored 60 points.

Would 50 points be good? Yes. Would it give you a sense of accomplishment? Absolutely. Would 60 points be better? If it was a competition, yes.

It reminded me of how we view our accomplishments in the field of real estate. Where do we set our sights? Do we have goals? I certainly wouldn’t pick up a dart and just toss it anywhere. I’d aim at the board, adjust my throw in an attempt to hit a particular part of the board. Do I have to throw like everyone else? No, but if I want to succeed, it might be worth watching someone who knows the game and does it well.

Set your goals for real estate. Decide how many times you have to throw before you hit the mark. Know your profession. Learn about all the aspects that impact what you do. Reread the forms. Learn about issues in your community. Take a professional whose performance you admire out for coffee and ask questions. Record yourself when you make a phone call and critique yourself afterward, or have a trusted professional critique you. If you’re a new Realtor®, ask to tag along at an Open House or a listing presentation or when writing an offer. Get a mentor. Take Continuing Ed classes for the knowledge, not just for the credits.

I heard an instructor in a CE class recently saying that there was no need to ever pay for any advertising. He was right; he had no need for it. There are so many companies that want us to spend our money with them to advertise our properties and to generate business, and each of them touts themselves as being the BEST solution to our success. It’s easy to get dragged into their truths and not your own. But even that instructor’s  truth isn’t truth for everyone else. He had his sights set, his goals in place.  Your goals might be different. How do you figure out what’s best for you to allow you to achieve? Ask questions of people in the business who are hitting the target where you want to hit it. I never would have known the truth of the dartboard had I not been out with a client who plays, and she plays well!

A bullseye might not be the highest point value on the board, but it’s great and it's ON the board. And the only way to hit the board at all is to aim. Take aim but make sure it’s aimed at YOUR success. Here’s to your next Bullseye… and beyond!