Chris' Blog

Just a short thought of the day to ponder -

When you're inspired, you don't need motivation as much. When you're inspired, your internal "system" is touched to its core and it lasts for at least a year, or often a lifetime. When you're motivated, it's generally temporary, because only your ego or instinct is touched. When you're inspired, you are more yourself. When you are motivated, you become excited about acquiring (greed) or becoming like someone else, such as a public figure or a celebrity. You are cranked up, but your enthusiasm fades when you're out of the motivating environment or relationship. Motivation is an external, temporary high. Inspiration is an internal glow.

Carpe diem,

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I was pursuing one of my personal journals from a few years back this morning, looking for some point of inspiration to share.  As I looked through the pages, I came across Arnold Beckman's Rules for Living that he had hung in his office.  I think they are just as applicable today, and for our business, as they were in his time and industry. 

Arnold Beckman's Rules for Living

1. Have absolute integrity in everything.
2. There is no satisfactory substitute for excellence.
3. Have moderation in everything, including moderation.
4. Hire the best people, and then get out of the way.
5. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, if you are not making mistakes, you are probably not doing very much.
6. Acquire knowledge and always ask "why."
7. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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Networking, when done correctly, is fun and profitable. I know from my experience, as well as from the experience of my colleagues and clients, that networking is a great way to meet new friends and make valuable connections for my business, which often result in new clients. After all, we all know that people do business with people they know, like and trust.

I know this, and as I just mentioned, many of my colleagues and clients know this, but every once in a while, I meet a few people who insist that networking doesn't work for them. After asking just a couple of questions, the reasons why networking doesn't work for them become obvious: They're not following the rules.

Never heard of the networking rules? Here are a few I've picked up in workshops and various reading.  Oh, and a few from that Special-Ed school...you know the one: ‘Hard Knocks"?  So, here you go:

1. Attend meetings or events where your ideal clients gather. This sounds like a no-brainer, but until you're very clear about whom you serve, it will be very tough to meet your clients. Merely attending random events with the intent of converting everyone you meet into clients just doesn't work, so you need to figure out where your clients are gathering, and meet them there.

2 . Attend meetings or events where your colleagues gather. Belonging to a trade or industry association is valuable for the support, community and educational aspects, and the connections you can make there will benefit you as well. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a good network among other REALTORS®!

3. Share a ride but not the whole evening with your friends. I'm all for car-pooling, but you really need to be on your own at meetings when you intend to network. You look more approachable when you're alone, and you have more autonomy as well.

4. Set goals for the event. I never attend a networking meeting without specific goals, and neither should you. My default goal is to introduce myself to at least five people in the room, which is a great goal for almost anyone. If you're feeling self-conscious or shy, look around to see if there are any other people standing alone, and introduce yourself to them. Don't worry about getting trapped in a conversation you can't escape; nobody is looking for a new best friend. As a matter of fact, most of the people are there for the same reasons you are.

5. Wear a nametag on your right shoulder. A nametag identifies you (handy when you're trying to meet people), and putting it on your right shoulder allows right-handed people to see it clearly when you extend your arm for a handshake. If you wear your nametag on your belt, or on a lanyard on your chest, people's eyes may stray to places that aren't appropriate for public inspection, so do yourself (and the people you meet) a favor, and put your nametag in an easy-to-see-and-read spot.

6. Be prepared to introduce yourself well. There are usually two opportunities to introduce yourself at a networking function: As you wander around the room meeting people casually, and again when the group does the round robin of introductions. My apologies if this sounds remedial, but you must be prepared to say your name, your company name or your professional title, and your ‘Sound Bite'. Your ‘Sound Bite' is a seven- to nine-word phrase that distills the essence of your value to a particular market.

Sadly, I've met too many people who can barely spit out their names, let alone their company names or professional titles. If you're not comfortable using your ‘Sound Bite' during casual encounters, here's a tip: Greet the person, say your name, and ask what he or she does. Example (this is best when you can read the person's name off her name tag): "Hi Nancy, I'm Ronnie. What do you do?" The obvious path for this conversation to take is for the other person to tell you what she does, and then ask you what you do.

7. Have a great answer to the "what do you do?" question. This is the perfect time to haul out your ‘Sound Bite'. When anyone asks me that question, I say, "I help small businesses attract more clients." Talk about impact! That opens up the conversation immediately, and gives anyone who meets me a good idea of what I do.

8. Be prepared with a great follow-up to your ‘Sound Bite'. If you are lucky enough to hear those three little words ("tell me more!") as a response to your ‘Sound Bite', you've got up to 30 seconds to share more information about your work and yourself. Bear in mind that 30 seconds is a long time in boredom years, so be prepared with a succinct, interesting response that invites even more interest. (For some hints about what to say after your ‘Sound Bite', see my web site for the article of the same name.)

9. Take advantage of the visibility opportunities. Many groups offer places to display marketing materials, or even allow members to make short spotlight presentations. Two words of advice: Do it! This visibility will help people get to know you, and possibly remember you when the need for the service you provide arises.

10. Follow up with everyone you meet. Send a personal note telling every person you met that it was nice to meet him or her. If you met anyone really interesting, consider adding that person to your Group 100 list. You'll be remembered, and will be closer to having a real relationship with those people, who may then start referring prospective clients to you.

11. Don't assume that just because one person isn't a potential client for you, that the relationship has no value. The plain truth is that every client you've ever wanted (yes, including heads of state and celebrities) is a mere six people away from you. You won't find your referral partners quickly and easily if you expect to trip over them at a Rotary meeting holding a sign that says, "I know many of your potential clients," though. What you will find at trade and association meetings are people who know other people, who know even more people, who might be great clients for you. But those great clients won't be able to find you if you don't make some connections first.

Like all rules, these can be bent, broken or ignored all together when the time and circumstances are right, but if you're still a rookie Networker, I wouldn't risk it. Just follow these simple rules and you'll find that the time you invest in networking is time well spent.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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If you would like to know a little more about us, feel free to visit our website at www.mastery-coaching.com

"The first step to success is to stop lying to yourself"

I would dare say that the vast majority of people would consider themselves honest, ethical people.  In fact, I was in a room of 500 top producing agents when the speaker asked who in the room felt they had integrity.  98% of the room raised their hands.  When asked to lower their hand if they had ever lied to themselves or made a promise, resolution or goal and not kept it all the hands went down. 

Our quest for success starts within and to truly address the issues that are getting in the way of our achieving our wildest and most audacious dreams we need to have an honest look at ourselves.  Our justification, excuses and reasons are all hindering us.  The first step to our success is to face the truth about our situation. 

I am not talking about condemnation, guilt or shame - none of those have a place in helping us.  But honesty and truth, yes, honesty and truth will allow us to see things for what they are.  Once problems and issues are identified our mind has a way of seeking answers that were previously hidden from us.  I'm not talking in a meta-physical way, but in a very practical way.  Our mind blocks millions of things a day from our 5 senses that it doesn't feel are relevant.  When we face our issues, the possible solutions become relevant and our mind will allow us to see and hear them.

If we want to achieve success, whether it is an increase in income, growth in business or overall life balance, we must first face the truth of where we are and the very real disparity of where we want to go and seek the solutions that will allow us to bridge the gap. 

Remember, The first step to success is to stop lying to yourself.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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Two words: Sticky content.

Sticky content is information (web site content) that makes people stick around and return for more. Examples are how-to articles, tips and tricks, beginner's guides, and any other free information that your clients and prospective clients would find of value.

Keep in mind that the more content you have, the stickier your site is. Sticky is good for at least three reasons: It gives your visitors a reason to come back again and again; it gives your visitors a reason to tell others about your site; and it demonstrates your expertise for people who are interested in your services.

With good content, you will be able to gather leads, acquire names for your mailing list, as well as offer good reasons for your visitors to tell their friends and colleagues about you.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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There have been times when I wanted to tattoo these truths on people's foreheads, but that probably wasn't my best idea ever.

What is a good strategy is to share these with you now, and beg you to learn them, not because I made them up (because I didn't), but because they are true and you need to know them to succeed in business.

1. People do business with people they know, like and trust. It is not hard to develop a relationship with your prospects, but it is essential. The good news is that you can do it passively, and the bad news is that so can your competitors.

2. People buy solutions or experiences not features. This means that people buy what they want, not particularly what they need. For example, we all need to eat, and most of us need more fiber and greens in our diets, but still the majority of us choose burgers or pizza for lunch rather than steamed broccoli and a side salad.

3. People want specialists to handle their problems because they feel more confident that someone with experience and specific expertise will understand their situations more completely, and will handle it better than a generalist. Who do you want handling your brain surgery: Your general MD or a neurosurgeon?

4. Your real estate service is not the right solution for everyone, but that is no reflection on its (or your) value. You may not know all the reasons people choose not to buy from you, but you should know all the reasons they do buy so that you can find more of those people.

5. When you invite a prospect to work with you, you're not begging for money, you are offering a valuable solution to a problem. But if all you care about is the sale, then you are a beggar.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." - Thomas Jefferson
  

Your feelings are not your friend.  They will get you in trouble more times than not. 

I'm not saying not to have them, just keep them in perspective.  If you get mad and rip into someone because you are angry or frustrated, you may feel like you won the battle, but you will have lost the war.  Don't feel like prospecting?  Is it really better to go with that feeling, if you do where does it lead?  Most of us live on an emotional roller coaster, with our life, business and the service we offer our clients.  We do so at our own peril. 

Your feelings give color to your life, and they can be glorious and exciting.  They just shouldn't dictate your actions.  As you paint the portrait of your life, your commitment and actions should provide the black and white outline of how you live while the color adds the vibrancy.  Reverse it and your life will look like a kindergartner's version of the Michelangelo masterpiece your life was destined to be...

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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If you would like to know a little more about us, feel free to visit our website at www.mastery-coaching.com

Do you struggle with names?  This has personally plagued me for years and is a constant struggle in a people business where we meet new potential clients on a daily basis.  However, I also know that there is no quicker way to impress someone than to remember their name, especially after a long time has gone by.

Here's a tip from a memory master (and yes, I paid dearly for a seminar that I am boiling down to a 30 second email because I am all about, say it with me, helping you make more money, make it faster, and with less cost).  Here you go with the tip -

Use the SAVE method:

S - Say name 3 times when first talking to them

A - Ask a question about the name

V - Visualize a memory hook.  If their name is Lake, visualize them swimming in a lake

E - End the conversation with their name

You won't believe how well this little tip works when we put it into play. 

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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If you would like to know a little more about us, feel free to visit our website at www.mastery-coaching.com

When I see a high performance agent or team hit the skids or slide sideways in business, it is almost always a problem on the personal level.  One of the reoccurring issues is a tap root of bitterness that is held.  In order to break free and get back on track we need to pause the business coaching and start working through the issue. 

One of the fundamental truths we start with is to come to see how staying unresolved with someone or something in your past hurts you far more than it hurts anyone else.  My grandfather, an old preacher, used to have a saying that he would use from time to time in his sermons - "Bitterness is a poison that destroys the vessel in which it's stored far more effectively than on the person on which it is intended to be poured."

When we can see that it is hurting us far more than the other person it enables us to face the very real benefit of forgiveness and letting it go.  Those unresolved issues are an anchor that chains us to our past hurts, disappointments and wounds.  While the anchor holds, we have no hope of sailing on to our dreams.  The former always restricts the latter. 

When we are held up and haunted by the hurts of the past, learn to see them as the cancer they are and learn to forgive and let go. 

It's in your benefit to do so.

Carpe diem,

You can also click on one of the following links to have my daily blog with helpful life and business tidbits geared to real estate's elite delivered to your computer,

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If you would like to know a little more about us, feel free to visit our website at www.mastery-coaching.com

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