by markjohnson | Oct 20, 2019 | JPAR, Newsletter, Perseverance, Process Goals, Real Estate, Results, Success, Sucess Goals, Tips, Weekly Newsletter, Work
Behind every success story is a back story. Perseverance.
Thomas Edison – his teachers, said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs. He made 1,000 attempts before inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I did not fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was invented with 1,000 steps!”
Henry Ford went broke five times before he succeeded.
Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4, did not read until he was 7. One of his teachers said he was slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.
Coaches Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, and Jimmy Johnson accounted for 11 of 19 Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1993. They also share the worst record of first season coaches in NFL history. Their collective record as first-year coaches is one win and 45 losses.
Speaking of football – remember Vince Lombardi? An expert at the time said, “He possesses minimal knowledge and lacks motivation.” Lombardi would later write, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.”
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, yet he made 714 home runs. He said, “every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
Michael Jordan was “cut” from his high school basketball team.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong was cut from his high school football and swim teams. He turned to cycling and finished last in his first race as a professional.
Van Gogh – sold only one painting during his life to his sisters’ friend for $50.00.
Abraham Lincoln went to war as a Captain and returned as a Private. He failed at business. As a lawyer, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. In politics, he was defeated in running for congress, in his application to be commissioner of the general land office, for the senate on two occasions and, for the Vice Presidency. He wrote a letter to a friend, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth.” Two years later, he was elected as President of the United States, where he successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union, ending slavery, and rededicating the nation to nationalism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy.
by markjohnson | Oct 5, 2019 | Action, Appointment Setting, Consistency, CRM, Goal Setting, Goals, Goals for 2019, JPAR, outcome, Outcome Goals, Real Estate, Results, Tips
There are 84 days left in 2019 and 60 productive working days, depending on how many days you work, how many holidays you celebrate, and so on. Regardless you have about 84 days to wrap up 2019. 84 days!
What will your bank account look like on January 1 of 2020? Is it your desire to have a more significant bank account or a smaller one? Whatever your goal is, NOW is the time to make that happen.
The next 60 days will be critical for setting yourself up for strong close to 2019 and a fast start to 2020. What you do in the next few days and weeks will determine the size of your bank account on January 1 and your momentum for the first quarter of 2020.
CHALLENGE 1: What would happen to your business if, for the next 20 working days, you made one new appointment each day?
Let’s face there are two types of agents today: hobbyists and CEO’s. This article is not for hobbyists, those part-time agents who dabble. For those of you that run your business like a business, those of you that know your daily number and know what it takes to generate one sale, then this article is for you.
CHALLENGE 2: Get clear about the next 84 days:
- Write down the number of sales you’ve made so far this year.
- Write down the source of those sales.
- How many listings will you earn between now and the end of the year?
- How many additional families or investors do you want to serve between now and the end of the year?
- How many contacts do you need to make to drive that number
- One rule of thumb is 40 contacts to 1 sale.
- Who are they, and how will you go about connecting with them?
- What systems do you have in place to create the result you desire?
After completing the quick exercise above, here are 5 actions you can take so you’re not broke on January 1:
- Decide Now. Decide now how many days you will work, how many days you will be off, and how many “flex days” you’ll have between now and the end of the year. Decide what direct response marketing campaigns you will run. For example, if you will create an investor campaign to take advantage of year-end investment buyers.
- Up your CRM game. There is no excuse for not having your CRM updated and working for you. It takes discipline; yet once you realize your CRM is the engine that drives your train, that task becomes less negotiable.
- Delegate. Is it time to find some help? An office or virtual assistant. Your highest and best use is prospecting.; lead generation; going on appointments and negotiating contracts. Everything else delegate. Scared? Get resourceful, many new agents I know are sharing a fractional assistant to split cost yet keep them fully employed.
- Diversify your lead generation sources. Too many struggling agents rely on ONE, maybe TWO lead sources. FOUR sources of business – split between influence strategies and control strategies – provides diversity and stability to your real estate practice. Note, don’t add four sources all at once. Start with one new source, get it working and stable then add another until you reach four sources.
- Target Market Clarity? Any market rewards the hyperlocal expert. Are you an expert in a community? Are you an expert in a profession like Nurses, FBI agents, CPA’s? It’s probably time to get hyperlocal and specialize.
So, I’ll leave you today with three final things to consider:
- Knowing what you know now, what immediate adjustments do you need to make?
- Cash is king. Are you building your cash reserves? Are you reducing bad debt? Investing in marketing? (Hint: You can do all 3.)
- Have you started a small weekly accountability group with like-minded, goal-oriented CEO’s like yourself? If not, what’s holding you back?
by markjohnson | Sep 9, 2019 | Advice, JPAR, Real Estate, Tips
From John Maxwell. Use the “Inspiration Equation” to connect. This equation has three elements:
1. What People Need to Know.
Show others that you are on their side and care about them, that they matter to you, and that you expect significant things from them.
2. What People Need to See.
Demonstrate your conviction, character, and credibility concerning your area of expertise.
3. What People Need to Feel.
Be confident and passionate about your subject matter. Demonstrate your gratitude for allowing those around you to share in your passion.
When you first meet someone, how you communicate makes all the difference. Once someone knows you, credibility will become the most vital factor in maintaining your bonds with them.
by markjohnson | Mar 29, 2019 | Best Practice, Tips, Urgency, Urgent
If you are like me, as a top performing real estate professional, you are wondering how to get more important things done in less time. Here are some tips from Brian Tracy’s bestselling book, “Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.”
Start your day by tackling the biggest, hardest and most important task of the day. In short: Do the worst first and resist the temptation to start with the easier tasks. This is the central message of Brian Tracy’s bestselling book, “Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.”
Separate the big and important tasks from low-priority tasks, by creating imaginary deadlines. Work through your day as if you’ve just received an emergency message and been informed you must leave town tomorrow. Then ask yourself: What are my priorities? Write them down and grade them, with “A” being items of greatest importance.
Examine ways you can save, schedule and consolidate large chunks of time for the most important tasks. Work in blocks of time. Make work appointments with yourself then discipline yourself to keep those appointments. If you have tasks you can schedule, then set aside preplanned time slots where you focus only on one task at a time.
The word No, is one of the most powerful tools for time management. Learn to say no politely but clearly. Intentionally avoid working on low-value tasks, activities or responsibilities that you can abandon with no real loss. Keep in mind that to do something new you must stop or complete doing something old.
Develop a sense of urgency to everything you do. Impose deadlines for every task. There is never enough time to get everything done. But you are free to choose what you do next. And your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Consistency… show me one thing in your business that is working when your inconsistent? Check this out for more insight in being consistent.
#WinTheDay
by markjohnson | Feb 6, 2019 | Best Practice, JPAR, Real Estate, Success, Success From Scratch, Sucess Goals, Tips, Top Producer
Jennifer Tharp, a JP & Associates REALTOR® and Mentor from the Dallas, Fort Worth market is my special guest on episode #46 of Success From Scratch.
A hyperlocal expert, Jennifer specializes in the area where she lives and works. Prior to real estate, Jennifer spent 15 years in high-level positions in auto and retail operations and sales. Finding a better work-life balance was a key motivator for Jennifer pursuing her real estate career.
Developing a high EQ, developing high ambition, learning to be process oriented along with self-discipline and excellent conflict management are all the skills that Jennifer deems critical to her success. Jennifer has created a broad diversity of lead generation sources – at least 5 – and states that, this is a pillar of her success regardless of market conditions.
In this episode, Jennifer shares a quick and easy way to stay in communication and know exactly where she stands on her goals at any time.
“In your real estate practice, you have to stay focused & committed… always asking, what do I want to accomplish and how do I want to do it?” ~ Jennifer Tharp, JP & Associates REALTOR® and Mentor
by markjohnson | Feb 3, 2019 | Advice, Best Practice, Michael Hyatt, Tips, What to do
Because of work pressure and the need to produce results, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That feeling can easily produce uncertainty. You become afraid to act and instead, it’s easy to worry and spend an inordinate amount of time thinking through worst-case scenarios—something I am pretty good at.
If you are in a situation where you feel overwhelmed and don’t know what course to take, “just do the next right thing.”
Michael Hyatt, shares three steps to consider in just doing the “next right thing.”
1. Forget about the ultimate outcome. The truth is you have less control over the outcome than you think. You can undoubtedly influence it, but you can’t control it. Besides, before you ever get to the final destination, many of the variables will change. Projects and deals have a way of unfolding over time. There will be problems—and resources—you can’t see now.
2. Instead, focus on the next right action. Since worrying about the outcome is unproductive, try to think about the next actions that will move you forward. This is far more accessible than something in the distant future. For example, as a writer, I can worry about whether or not my book will become a bestseller or I can make sure that I am fully prepped for the interview I have scheduled today.
3. And do something now! This is key. Something is better than nothing. Too often, we think that we have to have clarity about how it will all turn out. In my experience, I rarely have this. But, as I move toward the destination, making course corrections as necessary, I experience clarity. Therefore, it is important to get off the sidelines and into the game.
From Michael Hyatt’s blog. His advice is typically concise and concrete. I don’t know about you, but I tend to become paralyzed in these situations. But, not anymore…
