Have you noticed how much difference action makes? That's a broad statement, I know, so let's narrow it down to some examples we all can relate to.
Our economy is a roller-coaster ride these days, as we all know. The stock market is not the best barometer of how things are going because it is a very narrow part of the overall picture. But at the same time, it's quite visible. Have you noticed that when some specific, positive action occurs, that the stock market acts as if it had a double dose of caffeine? When housing starts are better than expected, the market goes up. Action/outcome.
Bring that back to your neighborhood. There are three houses for sale, and the local newspaper runs an article on how mortgage rates are at an all-time low and house sales are picking up. Those three houses have more showings and one of them sells. Action/outcome.
Narrow it down ever further. You start the week with a plan to make a certain number of prospecting calls, you set an appointment to meet with a mortgage broker you haven't worked with yet, and you schedule two networking events. At the end of the week, you've made the calls, have two listing appointments, and a plan to cooperate with the mortgage broker on a seminar for first time buyers to explain the new tax benefits. You've also had three showings on one of your listings and an open house on another that resulted in two offers. Action/outcome.
Here's an important difference for the entrepreneur-real estate agent to recognize: activity is not the same as action. It is the difference between working IN your business versus ON your business. When you work IN your business you can easily get into shuffling and sorting papers, surfing the Net, replying to each e-mail as it pops up, and reacting to each phone call as it comes in. This is classic non-income generating activity. This is working IN your business.
On the other hand, working ON your business leads to action which leads to results. Put aside a block of time each week to work ON your business by focusing on the vision, where are you in relation to where you need to be, what needs to be done, who is going to do it, what changes are going on in your market, where you need to tweak your plan, etc. Make an investment of time in your action plan; this is working ON your business. I don't have to look any further than my clients to see that this works. The ones who are starting with a positive mind set, and who are taking action, they are the ones who are reaping more sales.
If you are inclined toward non-income producing activities, hire an assistant or outsource those mundane tasks. A professional organizer can organize your files and office; a bookkeeper can handle your receipts, bills, and taxes. A business coach will help you implement efficient systems and processes to streamline your business.
Whatever it takes, and however you do it, get busy working ON your business. Invest in action, and gain more sales.
Patti Kouri, Accelerated Performance Coaching
Helping You Through Self-Made Limitations!
Will you Take My Challenge and increase your income?
Play The Real Estate Game®
Patti - Great words of advice! We all need to establish weekly goals and timeframes.
Invest in your business, now that's a concept. I have doing this for years and it does work.
Patti: Thank you for the great words of encouragement.. We all need to take action and charge forward in our business
Hi Patti -- It is important to constantly stay on task, realizing what is important and what can be farmed out <no pun intended.>
Hmmm...I'm working on this action peice this week...glad you are writing about it too! I set my goals and did great today. Got 2 emails from buyers and a listing appt later this week...thanks to a little action!
Patti - Thank you! While I agree with you completely, it certainly doesn't hurt to be reminded of it. Tomorrow, I am dedicating the morning hours to working ON my business!
As usual, Coach Patti has great ideas to get us off our duffs, and on our way to closings! I am going to keep this in mind this week...
Patti, great thoughts. Plans are just something we could just put on the shelf. Dust them off and take action. Applied knowledge is power. Work ON the business.
An excellent reminder. Yes, it is always necessary/required to work on any business to keep it viable. Current market conditions in many parts of the country should be very fertile ground for a Home Buyers Seminar done along with a qualified and trusted loan officer. For many buyers who are on "the fence" qualified information might help move them off the fence.
Sue of Robin and Sue
Hi Patti,
Great post! We can all use a little motivation to get into action. Plans are great, but they mean nothing if you don't act on them.
-Lisa
Just do what works for you consistently and it will work.
I used to have a Trainer that would say Massive Action Fixes Everything - it's true.
It's easy to get caught up in what you have or want and not the future....planning ahead and setting aside time is paramount to succes.
Who can argue with this post. If you don't like action, you shouldn't be in this business. Thanks for the reminders.
Patti,
Thanks for a call to action! (Those disembodied hands are sort of creepy. LOL)
Mike in Tucson
Patti - Great post! I am surprised to see at my desk - both at home and at work - I have all these scraps of paper with things I need to do....I guess I just learned I'm a list person! But it definitely helps me stay on task to have a list. I feel so happy when I get to cross one off!
Thanks for calling us to action! (and yes, those hands ARE creepy!)
you set an appointment to meet with a mortgage broker you haven't worked with yet,
Wow! Everytime I have suggested this to the Realtors here in the Rain the concensus has been the same:
We don't go out and "find" mortgage brokers. They do not believe in being proactive in getting to know mortgage brokers.
Thanks, coach. I have been trying like crazy to let them know the actual benefit of having mortgage brokers on their team. Plural, because I believe you need more than one.
Busy makes busy! Action makes results! Great reminder post. I needed it, that's for sure!
Action...has a great ring to it aside from being the number one most important word in business.
Wonderful post...you've got to work toward a goal in order to ever achieve it. Do what you do best....you know how they say the best and highest use for real estate - well it also goes for the "best and highest use for the real estate agent"...and outsource the rest!
Since I just wrote a post on how to get inspired, yours just pointed out where to start focusing. Thx!
I agree, I work on my business everyday. If I dont have clients to work with then I work on marketing, advertising, education, etc...
Patty - rock on ! I like to say this is the difference between being PROACTIVE and being REACTIVE. Taking action results in positive outcomes, especially over a lot of action steps as it becomes a numbers game : )
working "ON" my business .. thank you
If you are not working on your business, then you don't have a business, you have a job. :)
Great advice as if you don't plan to succeed, then by default you plan to fail.
Patti - Great words, you know we know this, but thanks for the kick in the butt to remind us to DO it. We are especially guilty of this....but I need to read AR myself to get pearls of wisdom like this!
Have A Super Great Sunday!
Al & Peggy Cunningham
http://www.TheHousePeople.com