7 steps to success…starting today
By Rhonda Duffy
TOP 5 POWER REPORT, December 2008-Being the top real estate agent is easy if you have a plan. The plan is not elaborate or some special secret, or even something that you have to have 10 years of schooling for. It is really simple-be consistent.
Many people have a different definition of consistency if you ask them. Often times you will find people have a very convenient definition that adheres to their respective guidelines, which are sometimes are self-sabotaging. So, I thought I would look up the official Webster’s dictionary definition of consistency. It is “constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc.”
That all sounds good, but without a map on how to become consistent, it sounds hopeless. So, here are thoughts about how I have become the top agent in my area and have maintained that ranking for the last four years.
7 Steps to Becoming Consistent with Yourself and Your Clients
1. Define on paper what real estate means to you. You can start this process by asking yourself the question, “What is important to me about real estate?” With every answer, follow up with “What else?” This will open your mind to new ideas or reasons that you can explore further. By following up with these, you can truly define those passionate parts of real estate that fuel your drive to be consistent. Once discovered and tapped into, you will ultimately be able to make a great living at something you understand and enjoy.
2. Make a list of things that you don’t like in real estate. Things that you are committed to changing. This will lead you to the spirit of your work, there again giving you some real tools to work with passionately.
3. Now, keeping in mind step 1 and 2, set your boundaries. This is a quick 5-minute process wherein you describe what you are going to do for your clients and what you will not accept from clients. Make two columns on your next page. Work from your heart and soul, not your mind in this exercise. On the column where you are setting the boundaries of what you will not accept from clients, make sure you are really willing to tell clients that they have crossed a boundary and that their behavior is unacceptable.
4. Understand and commit to being referable. There are a few elements necessary to creating referrals and the powerful environment from which they come. It starts with your mindset. You must be on time, do what you say you are going to do, have a game plan at all times on what the next steps of any process are, enforce your boundaries and, finally and most importantly, ask for referred business.
5. Get a gameplan for all parts of the transaction. Take the time to think about what you will do if certain things happen or particular conditions exist. Visualize yourself solving the problem. This can be done in the car, in the shower and any other time that you are alone. Visualizing problems before they exist is the most powerful way to solve the problem with the least amount of frustration when it occurs. Think about stories that you have heard from others and play out the story as the main character with a good ending in mind. When problem solving, projection is reality.
6. Once you have determined what you stand for, your boundaries are set, and you know that your goal is to be referable, your marketing plan will unfold easily. You will know what to do with your business, when you ask your heart instead of your head. However, you must work the same process everyday without fail. Being inconsistent will set up a legacy of poor referrals, people expecting things outside your core boundaries. Keep your boundaries strict while always remembering what you stand for in real estate. Govern by your beliefs and let those beliefs be known verbally and in writing.
7. Avoid taking shortcuts with things that you don’t like to do. Instead hire people to do these things for you. Delegating is the key to your success because it allows you to thrive by doing things that you appreciate and have a passion to do.
Rhonda Duffy is with Duffy Realty of Atlanta. Please e-mail therealestatepowerhouse@gmail.com for more information.
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