Coach Patti's Blog

What makes you love what you are doing? Almost nothing will make you be in love with your career, your relationships, a weight loss program, or anything else you are doing than seeing the success of your efforts.

There is nothing like 10 great listings, 10 great sales, or 10 great leads, to overcome just about any setback and cause you to "be in love" or "fall back in love" with your real estate career.

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer said, "There's a place deep within us that wants to feel fulfilled. It wants to know that 'my life has made a difference, that I've left this place, this planet that I've lived on, better than when I arrived. That someone's life has been profoundly touched because of my existence.' We all want that...."

And what better place to make a difference and positively affect other lives than selling real estate? So if you have chosen this wondrous career of selling real estate, let’s get you back in line to feelin' the lovin'…

1. Keep agreements with yourself. We don’t stand up other people – we keep our appointments. So why do we stand ourselves up? When you keep your agreements with yourself, you’ll be more purpose-driven and less emergency-driven. 
2. Leverage your time. You can have it all, you just can’t do it all. Delegate all busyness so you can get out there and create business. Follow a schedule. Plan for off time and then take the day off. Have fun! But set your boundaries and then stick to them so you can get things done without interruptions.
   

3. 

   Detox your sphere. You can’t change people, places, or things, yet you can change yourself. So be the change you want to see. Change your thinking to "I can," "It’s possible," "If it is to be it is up to me." People will either follow you and your new positive attitude or go hang out with someone else.  
4. Zap all the psychic vampires. Get rid of those little petty annoyances to clear your plate and make room for loving what you do.

These four techniques will increase your energy to create success in your business, making you fall back in love with what you do.

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

To make a movie or television show you need a producer, a director, actors, and a script. But put those four elements together and you still have just people and words on a page. Without ACTION, the best script and actors in the business will never make it to the Oscars or Emmys.

It's the same with your business. You've set your goals for next year – an essential first step. You've written out your plan for how you will achieve those goals – that's your roadmap to success. But until you actually DO something, actually put your plan into action, those goals will not be one step closer. 

Time for action. But first…take a moment to review your goals and plan to be sure you're ready for the next step:

• Did you decide what you want, and why? What are your personal and business goals?
• Did you declare what's worthwhile to you? What in your life is important to your health and happiness?
• Are your goals specific, measurable, and time-related? For instance, if you want to increase your business, have you said, "I want to double my listings by July 1, 2010"?
• Have you visualized reaching your goals to use the strength of emotion to reinforce your resolve?
• Are your goals enough of a stretch to cause you to grow without breaking you in half?
• Have you committed to your goals by writing down your plan? Have you told someone else – someone whose opinion you value – about your plan?
• Have you scheduled specific actions that will move you toward your goals? For instance, if your plan includes playing the Real Estate Game, do you know when it starts?
• If some actions can and should be delegated to others, have you arranged for that assistance? (Remember, you don't have to do everything yourself!)

So you're ready. Your goal is clear. Your plan is complete. Now it's time for action. Keep your schedule close at hand and work your plan. Sign up for the next Real Estate Game starting January 11. Schedule a conference call with the virtual assistant you've selected to keep your website updated. Do something every day to move you toward your goals! 

There are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch thing happen, and those that go, "What happened?" Which one do you want to be in 2010?

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

You have a goal…great! But do you know how you'll reach that goal? If you get in your car to drive somewhere that you've never been before, what's the chance you'll get there without a map or directions or a GPS? Or if you go online to buy a pair of running shoes for your sister but you don't know what brand or size she wears, what's the chance that those shoes will have to be returned?

You get the idea – if you don't plan first, you probably will have trouble achieving even the simplest of goals. But when you have the four pieces of goal achievement lined up, you can't miss.

1. Know what you want – identify and visualize your goals.
2. Have a why – internalize the payoff that will come with reaching your goals. When you truly feel that desire, the price to achieve the goal becomes almost effortless.
3. Make your plan – know what actions you need to take on a daily and weekly basis to realize your goals. Without a plan, you can become sidetracked. Get out your calendar and create the structure and control that will make your plan work. “Control is knowing what you are thinking, where you are going and why at any given time.”
   1. Create the blueprint for action
   2. Identify the standards of behavior that you hold yourself to
   3. Establish the boundaries of behavior that you hold others to
4. Take action – put your plan into action to move towards your goals

An essential part of a successful plan is standards, whether you are talking about a building or a real estate business. If you erect a high-rise building, there are building codes and community standards to be met. These are minimums; to stand the test of time, your building must meet the standards and even surpass them.

Real estate professionals also need high standards, and not only for professional and legal reasons. On a personal level, low standards lead to stress, more work, less income, and an unhappy situation all around. But that same real estate agent who has – and commits to – high standards, finds that work is easier, more fun, less work, pays better, and life is happier and healthier in every way.

Are you experiencing the outcomes you want? If not, maybe you need to raise your own standards and expect more of others as well as yourself. Everything in life has cause and effect. When you focus your energy on the things that will lead to major improvements in your business and life, then you'll see the power of planning and action. The higher your desire and the more the commitment, the more you BELIEVE you can, the quicker the results you want will happen.

Today would be a good day to start working on your plan, wouldn't it? One of the best ways to get on your success path is by playing The Real Estate Game^®. It's time to start living the life of your dreams!

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

Have you ever started a day thinking, "I have plenty of time today! I could catch up on my reading, or I could write a couple of blog articles, or I could call some of my previous clients, or I could…." Then the phone rings, you check email, and before you know it the day is gone. How many of those "coulds" did you actually accomplish? If you're like most people, that lack of structure – that lack of specific goals – led to very little accomplishment. Keep that up for a month or a year, and what will you have?

Now that we're into December, it's goal setting and business planning time. Do you know where you're going? The new year stretches out ahead with plenty of open days. This is your chance to make sure you do have a year of success in 2010.

I think one of the best definitions of "success" is by Earl Nightingale: "Success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal." There's that word again – "Goal."

Your goals need to be something worthwhile enough to keep your head in the game and allow you to jump over all the natural life/business hurdles that you'll face. These goals also need to be in alignment with your values, those things you are naturally drawn to – not the "shoulds" – and those things that resonate for you.

But any goal is just a wish without a plan. Deciding where you are going and planning how you can get there are key to building the strong foundation in your business that will in turn support you to reach those goals. Just like building a skyscraper, you don’t simply start piling steel and bricks together at street level.

First, you plan – you decide what you want, you create charts or drawings that will get you to your goal, and you figure out what steps to take along the way. Then, you build a deep foundation to support your building; the higher the building, the deeper and stronger the foundation. In business, too, building that strong foundation is essential because it allows you then to fully use your skills, talents, and resources. 

How do you create a strong foundation for your real estate business? 

1. Align your goals with your values.
2. Create plans of action where you implement raised standards and extend boundaries.
3. Create reserves of money, opportunity, time, energy by knowing and tracking numbers.
4. Eliminate psychic vampires (energy drainers, unresolved problems)

When you build that strong foundation, you will have more time, money, balance, and satisfaction. Then once you have the foundation, you can revisit your plan and make sure it still works. Remember, your plan is a living thing. If something you thought would work is not working, you'll need to re-strategize. You'll have that freedom to change direction because of your good foundation.

Remember what Earl Nightingale said about "…the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal." This means that a goal is something you work continuously toward until you accomplish it. You don't build a skyscraper or a successful business in a day. But you can do it in a year – this coming year - if you have specific goals and a plan to reach them.

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

I just love this idea.  What a great proposal Richard Weisser has come up with to save the real estate market.  Tell me what you think.  Coach Patti

www.coachpatti.com 

www.TheRealEstateGame.com

I've received a lot of great feedback from some really frustrated Realtors who want a way out of this mess. Seems the message in my newest report really opened some eyes.

After reading "7 Deadly Mistakes Stopping You From Getting What You Want From The Real Estate Business"... a lot of people got the picture and instantly knew they had to do something to fix their real estate careers. But for some, knowing what to do and "doing it" consistently and effectively is another story.

That's why I used the "proven real estate success formula" I developed from years of experience (and good advice from others) to create "The Real Estate Game."

People needed a vehicle to help them apply these "enhancements" on a daily basis. And practicing good habits OFTEN is the only way to break-free from a career of spinning your wheels, and start living a life of prosperity.

And YOU could be one of three deserving Realtors to win a Free Pass to "The Real Estate Game."

The winner will attend morning teleconference sessions as a player of "The Game" to get grounded for their day. Just 30 minutes at the beginning of your day... can get you focused on what you have to do... so you can hit the ground running!

Sessions of "The Game" are strictly limited to just 20 players. These players are all accountable to each other for an entire 30 days. This fact is responsible for the dozens and dozens of success stories I've received from Realtors who are loving life after playing "The Game."

Sessions of "The Real Estate Game" take place Monday through Friday in the morning. And these sessions go on for 4 weeks. During this time, the players "game" is really played AFTER the morning phone session. All day long, on weekends too.

Points are awarded for doing specific revenue-generating activities. So throughout your day, you can be racking up points for doing the "right things", and enjoying the benefits of more SELLABLE listings, more pending transactions, and MORE closed deals...

The winner of each 30-Day session of "The Real Estate Game" wins a Free Pass to attend the next session. And you could be a winner this Sunday, and grab 1 of 3 Free Passes going out to our Blog Comment Contest winners.

Here's how to enter:

1) Leave a comment to this blog post below, answering this question... "How do you think winning a Free Pass to The Real Estate Game will help your career and improve your life?"

2) Leave your name and email address (won't be viewable in public) so we can contact you if you win.

Our "Win A Free Pass To The Real Estate Game" Blog Comment Contest has already started, and runs until Sunday August 30th at 12:01am Eastern time.

Look for an email from me later on Sunday where I'll announce the 3 winners. This choice will largely be based on the improvements they want to make to the way they do business... How they think their lives will improve by getting on the right track and being held accountable to their peers.

When I announce our winners, you'll get more details about "The Real Estate Game."... why it has the power to transform your career... and when we will be opening for enrollments to a limited amount of real estate agents and brokers who want more.

Talk to you soon.

Patti

New Free Special Report For Real Estate Agents
and Brokers Who Want MORE...

From: Patti Kouri

So many real estate agents and brokers who I run into ask me the same questions. And have the same frustrated and puzzled look on their faces.

"Is everyone having the same problems I'm having in this bad real estate market?"

"Are earnings down for all realtors?"

"Is this ever going to get better?"

Well, let me assure you things will indeed get better. But not for everyone.

We may never see those "effortless" sales in such great numbers again, like you did in the early and mid 2000s. That means the real estate professionals who make an effort to get better at what they do... and eliminate their career-crippling bad habits... will be the individuals who will enjoy things getting MUCH better.

And those who choose to practice real estate like they've been doing it for the last 5...10... or even 20 years? They'll have a real tough time of it. So much so, that many will end up leaving the business all together.

That's really a shame. Especially since it doesn't have to be like that for them. And it doesn't have to be like that for you, either.

Which is why I'm releasing my new free Special Report to enable realtors who are struggling in this economy (or who just want more than they're getting now) to get their heads on straight...and WIN in this challenging real estate economy...

"7 Deadly Mistakes Stopping You From Getting What You Want From The Real Estate Business"

If you're not content with letting this economy kick you in the butt, and you're not alright with having to leave the business and get a "real job", you've GOT to download your Free copy now: 

www.TheRealEstateGame.com/Report

Success in real estate? It all comes down to taking a good look at how you operate now, and the situation you find yourself in. Are you happy with your real estate career? Are you happy with the income you're making right now? Are you enjoying every day, whether you're working or playing?

Then it's about applying some simple shifts in thinking... so you head down the right "path to success"... and stay there!

Get your copy of "7 Deadly Mistakes Stopping You From Getting What You Want From The Real Estate Business" today, and make time to read it right away. (It's pretty short, and won't take much of your time at all.)

See, the faster you make these discoveries that could change the course of your career and your income, the faster you can start experiencing the results.

And when you do, I want to hear about it! Let me know about the "ah-ha" moments you had when reading the "7 Deadly Mistakes..." report. How do you think these strategies are going to affect your day-to-day activities? And your income?

Leave your comments in the "Comments" area below this blog post. I will be by to see what you have to say.

Once you request your copy of my special report, you'll be hearing about a "private" video presentation that goes even deeper into what you'll uncover in the report. This Free "private video" will only be available to my "7 Deadly Mistakes..." report readers. So...

Get Your Copy Here:
www.TheRealEstateGame.com/Report

Talk to you soon.

Patti Kouri

Is there anyone out there who likes to fail? I'm guessing there isn't, and yet some of the most successful people learn to fail their way to the top.

Think back to when you learned to ride a bicycle. With training wheels, it was easy and a good introduction, but you yearned to ride free. Then the training wheels came off…and things became more difficult! You were scared, but excited. You struggled to stay upright and endured the inevitable falls, bumps and bruises, and scrapes. You kept going. You looked forward to the time when you would succeed, when you would at last ride free on your own. So you kept at it and eventually mastered it. Once you were confident that you wouldn't fall, you started to add your own flair with one-handed and even no-handed riding. Wow, that felt powerful!

But now you are an adult, a businessperson. Do you approach the development of new skills with the same eagerness? Do you jump at the chance to move forward applying new skills with excitement? Do you have the will to perform unsuccessfully until you master the challenge? Do you jump at the chance to try something new or to prove yourself in the face of unforeseen obstacles? If you are like most people, the answer is probably "No."

So what’s has changed since your bike learning days? For one thing, I’ll bet that you’ve become a lot more concerned about other people’s opinions. You probably often hesitate because of the possibility people will criticize and ridicule. Sure, it can be uncomfortable to try something new, perhaps even scary, but if you take your eye off the goal and instead focus your attention on how others may be viewing you, you are doing yourself a gigantic disservice.

If you are not getting the results you want or have been discouraged by failure, ask yourself these questions:

Do I have an unrealistic timetable?

Maybe you expect to skip steps and succeed on a grand scale immediately. Success is usually achieved by climbing one-step at a time. So, be patient with yourself and resist the temptation to compare your progress with that of others.

Am I truly committed?

Do you have a burning desire to achieve your goal? It’s essential that you be willing to do whatever it takes (within legal and ethical bounds, of course) and that you banish any thought of giving up before you accomplish

Do I have too many discouraging influences?

Unsuccessful results can be frustrating. That’s why we need to surround ourselves with people who support and believe in us. 

Am I preparing to succeed?

Success in any endeavor requires thorough preparation. Are you taking steps to learn everything you can about accomplishing your goal? This means reading books, taking courses, networking with highly successful people in your field. It means finding a mentor or a coach to work with you. Successful people are always sharpening their skills.

Am I truly willing to fail?

Face it: you will fail. You will encounter defeat before you succeed. Look failure squarely in the face and see it as a natural part of the success process. Do not take it personally. It is not about you as a person being bad or good. Welcome failure as an unavoidable yet vital component in the quest to achieve your goals.

Failure is not final; quitting is. But continued attempts, with commitment and diligence, can lead to success.

No, you won't close every sale, and you won’t make money on every investment. Life is a series of wins and losses, even for the most successful. If you make it your business to learn from every defeat and stay focused on the goal, failure will eventually lead you to success. 

Get out there and fail!

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

Last time I talked about setting goals and seeing it through to reaching those goals. In theory, that all sounds good. But even with goals and good intentions, people don't always reach the goals that they really want. If you look behind the typical excuses – "I ran out of time." "I had a family emergency." "Things are tougher today than they used to be." – you may find that it's one issue that is really holding them back: Fear.

Fear can be a very powerful motivator if your life or the life of someone you care about is in danger. We've all heard about the mother who managed to lift a car off her trapped child. Fortunately, those kind of extreme situations rarely happen. But that doesn't mean that fear leaves us alone.

Quite the contrary. If we let it, fear will run our lives and keep us from getting what we want in life. In reality, the only thing that prevents us from succeeding is…ourselves! We are excellent at procrastinating, not asking for what we want or need or even knowing precisely what it is we want or need. We then find excuses for not creating the behavior, taking the appropriate actions, and taking the steps necessary to learn and move forward.

We're certainly not alone. Fear is something everyone has to deal with. The trick is knowing this and recognizing the common fears so that we can deal with them. Here are six common fears – how many of these affect you?

FEAR OF FAILURE. One of the main reasons people procrastinate is their fear of failure. They would rather do nothing than risk looking bad, making a mistake, or not completing what they start. Perfectionists are especially susceptible to this one.

FEAR OF SUCCESS. This fear is a little more subtle. We all want success, but to many people success means more stress, pressure, work, and responsibility. If that's your image of success, then it's no wonder you manage to not achieve it. To get past this, you need to be able to revise your image of success so it starts to look more like ongoing fulfillment, pleasure, and satisfaction.

FEAR OF REJECTION. For many people, this is the number one fear in their life. Most people with this fear don't have an inner experience of "being" or "OK-ness." They don't understand that it's not the rejection that matters; it is the understanding that there will always be differences and preferences in life between people and ideas. What does matter is how we learn from, deal with, and respond to the rejection in a healthy, positive manner.

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. We humans like to feel that we know our environment and what to expect from it. We can deal with almost any danger if we know about it. What we can't handle is the unknown. In fact, when faced with an unknown, we can imagine all sorts of horrible possibilities. In this situation, we are prone to staying with what we know – even if it is intolerable – rather than stepping off into the unknown. Why? Because most people would rather live with, and deal with, what they have and know now, then to take a risk with the unknown, believing that it could be worse!  

FEAR OF CHANGE. This fear is the "sister" of the fear of the unknown. Most people talk about changing but few actually do change. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, very few people like to acknowledge that something is wrong or not working in their lives. Second, they don't like the feelings associated with the awkwardness or embarrassment of doing something new or different for the first time. They lack the patience and persistence necessary to endure and internalize the changes necessary to grow.

FEAR OF TAKING RISKS. This fear keeps too many of America's workforce in the same place, even though they wake up every morning hating their jobs, their workplaces, their bosses, their careers or professions. Their work environment may be negative and debilitating. Yet these people will not take a chance on themselves for fear of being judged a failure!

Someone recently asked me what I attribute people's success to. I answered in two words: "Learned experiences." Then they asked how does one get learned experiences? Again I said two words: "Make mistakes." When they asked how does one do this? I said just two words: "Take risks!"

Fear is something we live with every day. But HOW we live with it, and how we manage fear, determines how happy and fulfilled our lives will be.

Is fear getting in the way of your happier life?

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®

"If you have a goal in life that takes a lot of energy, that requires a lot of work, that incurs a great deal of interest and that is a challenge to you, you will always look forward to waking up to see what the new day brings." - Susan Polis Schultz

Not long ago I checked off one of my lifetime goals – to see a Space Shuttle launch. I'd dreamed about it for a long time. It took a lot of scrambling and rearranging of my schedule and my husband's for us to be able to make the trip for California to Florida. The launch was scrubbed…and then delayed again…and again! We rescheduled some more, grabbed the last two seats on a flight, and got there to see an extraordinary event from a front row seat.

What I couldn't understand was how some people who had the same chance we did, and who could have been there for the launch, bailed out after one or two scrubs. After all it took to get there, I wasn't about to give up without reaching that goal. Why did they?

I don't have an answer for those folks, but I do know that one answer might be that they didn't really have a goal. They sort of wanted to see the launch, and would have liked to if it worked out, but it wasn't a goal that they had set and worked toward with resolve.

What's the difference? Wanting something is just wishful thinking. Making it a goal gives you a roadmap to reaching it, and a way to measure how you're doing in your quest. Setting a goal gives you direction and an action plan. 

Here is a six step process you can use today to produce greater results through goal-directed action:

1. Step one - Define the problem you want to solve. You can't reach a goal if you don't know what it is!
2. Step two - Make the goal large enough so that it is challenging without being impossible to attain. Effective goal targets fall between a stretch and a pipe dream.
3. Step three - Develop a goal that is measurable, has a time frame for completion, and then write it down. For example, "I will develop and implement five new systems that will increase my net margins by 2% by November 1^st, 2009."
4. Step four - Ask and answer these fundamental questions:
   1. Why this goal?
   2. Why now?
   3. What is the cost if the goal is not met? What are the consequences to my business if I do not reach the goal? 
   4. What is the value if the goal is accomplished?
   5. What resources do I need to reach this goal? Think in terms of both time and dollar costs.
   6. After examining the potential benefits and costs, are you still committed to move forward with the goal? This is the time to reflect and be certain the cost involved in achieving the goal is worth the result. If so, move forward. If not, work on something else.
5. Step five - Define an action step and take it immediately. The action can be small but it will help move your goal from paper to action.
6. Step six - Create a measuring tool that contains the elements of constant review and resetting action steps based on actual progress. Be rigorous and tell yourself the truth about how you are advancing.

There's an old saying: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you're standing still." Goals keep you moving in the right direction – the direction you've chosen, the one that is right for you and your business.

Mine got me to the Space Shuttle launch. Where will your goals take you?

Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations! 

Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income? Here's what one student said:

"In 2006 I left REMAX and went to Prudential in West Chester OH. I was in a slump and Bob Daniel handed me $100 and told me to sign up for some Real Estate Game that Patti Kouri was conducting. It was the best money spent.  Last year (2008) I did 100 transactions. It all began with you, Ms. Patti. My thanks." - Pamela Bensen

Play The Real Estate Game®