Dec
10
Jim Rohn Dies [A Tribute to the America's Foremost Business Philosopher]
Filed Under Leadership | Leave a Comment
On December 5, 2009, legendary business man and motivational speaker Jim Rohn died of pulmonary fibrosis.
Jim’s life story–his rag to riches success, from grunt to guru–is interesting. You might relate.
What You Should Know about Jim Rohn
He was born in Idaho to a family of farmers and likely to become a farmer. Yet, young Jim wanted more out of life so he went off to college
However, he dropped out to start a family and try his hand as a salaried worker.
He hated every moment of it.
In fact, every day on his 9-to-5 job he became more convinced that he’d never achieve the sort of personal success and wealth he always dreamed about it.
Then he met John Earl Schoaff.
The Man Who Turned Jim Rohn’s Life Around
Schoaff–a successful entrepreneur–impressed young Rohn with his tremendous wealth, charisma and business empire.
Shortly after they met, Rohn joined Shoaff’s direct sales organization. It didn’t take Rohn long to see that if he applied the business truths that Schoaff was sharing with him, he could be a millionaire at a very young age.
Tragically, Schoaff died just a couple of years later. But Rohn spent enough time with Schaoff to have his mentor’s success rub off on him…
Just a year after Schoaff died, Rohn topped the millionaire mark. At the ripe old age of 31.
In the spirit of his mentor, Rohn traveled the world for the next 4o years sharing the secrets behind his success.
And probably one of the greatest legacies Rohn left behind were his quotes–his “Vitamins for the Mind.”
In honor of an extraordinary man, we’d like to share some of the best of these quotes. Twenty-five in all.
And by the way, don’t miss the one about motivating an idiot. It’s classic!
25 Exceptional Quotes by an Extraordinary Man
“Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you.”
“The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.”
“Indecision is the thief of opportunity.”
“Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said.”
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.”
“One customer, well taken care of, could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.”
“Nothing teaches character better than generosity.”
“Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.”
“You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills.”
“To solve any problem, there are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, whom could I ask?”
“Don’t set your goals too low. If you don’t need much, you won’t become much.”
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
“‘No’ puts distance between you and the wrong influence.”
“Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.”
“At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you.”
“Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.”
“Make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you.”
“The Bible gives us a list of human stories on both sides of the ledger. One list of human stories is used as examples – do what these people did. Another list of human stories is used as warnings - don’t do what these people did. So if your story ever gets in one of these books, make sure they use it as an example, not a warning.”
“There is no greater leadership challenge than parenting.”
“Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.”
“Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.”
“How long should you try? Until.”
“Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.”
“Miss a meal if you have to, but don’t miss a book.”
“Be a collector of good ideas, but don’t trust your memory. The best collecting place for all of the ideas and information that comes your way is your journal.”
Want more quotes? Subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine.
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Apr
2
Make Sure You Know the Answer to This Question Before Your Next Presentation
Filed Under Leadership, Persuasion | Leave a Comment
I don’t know about you, but I think this market sucks. I know people who are flailing. I know people are are failing.
You probably know some people, too. Maybe you’re flailing. Or even on the point of bust.
Whatever your situation, good technology and talent can help you endure a tough market. But that alone won’t do it.
You also need a good attitude. No…you need a super attitude. A superstar attitude. Let me show you what I mean.
Superstars don’t think like everyone else.
“The average person has 2,000 to 3,000 thoughts a day,” says Jim Fannin, performance coach for big name ball players like Alex Rodriquez. “And 60 percent of the average person’s thoughts are in chaos.”
How many thoughts do you think the superstar has? The superstar, says Fannin, has 1,100 to 1,300 thoughts a day. How do they do that? They eliminate worry, envy, jealousy, embarrassment and anger.
The superstar thinks a lot less. But holds a thought longer.
Here’s my point: Most of your thoughts don’t matter. Most of your thoughts are of the “Air conditioner just started” and “Breeze is cool this morning” breed.
And because of the randomness of some of your thoughts, you probably don’t focus on any of your thoughts. And that’s a problem. Let me explain.
If you ignored all your thoughts, you could miss out on great ideas when you have them. Like taking that much-needed vacation or placing an ad in that new homes magazine.
Worse, however, is when you focus only on your negative thoughts. This can literally cripple you at the negotiating table, the listing appointment or even at the cocktail bar.
My question for you when approaching any situation is this: where are your thoughts pointing? Are they surplus or scarcity?
Scaricity thoughts look like this:
“I don’t deserve this listing when I’m going up against that agent.”
“I bombed my last presentation. I’ll probably bomb this one.”
“If I don’t get this seller, I’m sure to foreclose on my own house.”
On the other hand, surplus thoughts look like this:
“I deserve this listing.”
“I can’t wait to deliver a killer presentation!”
“I love real estate and the thousands of opportunities to make thousands of dollars!”
As a rule, never believe your negative thinking…especially if it limits what you think is possible.
If you tend to be a scarcity thinker, stop right now and admit that your habit of thinking needs to be changed. You’ll need to do this because just being aware of limiting beliefs and thoughts is a major step in the right direction. And awareness alone can be curative.
Then begin to work on affirmations like the ones above in the surplus category. Also simply doing something different that counters limiting thoughts can work wonders.
For instance, if you typically avoid or neglect selling situations, hunt them down. And throw yourself at them. You’ll be amazed at the level of confidence you gain from simply doing something you’ve always dreaded. Even if your initial results are less than you expected. Practice makes perfect.
Only when we weed the limiting beliefs from our subconciousness is it possible to plant the seeds of new beliefs.
And new beliefs are the pathway to prosperity. Abundance. Surplus.
To help you on your new journey, we recommend you pick up two classics: Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins and Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.
Both can be read in a weekend. And both will have you climbing the walls…hungry to make big money.
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Oct
22
10 Critical Strategies for New Real Estate Agents in Any Market
Filed Under Leadership, Strategy | 2 Comments
The President of the United States gets 100 days to prove himself. You get less. A lot less.
But like the President, what you do in the early days of your new career will largely determine whether you sink or swim.
This is a time of opportunity for you. A chance to start fresh. A new beginning. But it’s also a time of vulnerability. You’re a stranger in a strange land–with just a few dollars in your pocket.
The stakes are obviously high.
Failure in the early days of your career can spell the end of a promising business. So this post is not just about exploiting opportunities and advancing your career. It’s also about preventing failure.
Therefore, your goal should be to arrive at critical mass as rapidly as possible. If you succeed in this, you’ll free up precious time to focus on business development.
Follow these 10 critical strategies and you will inevitably exploit opportunities, prevent failures and advance your career.
1. Promote Yourself
First and foremost, make a clear break with your last job. Quit it if at all possible. Part-timers are crummy real estate agents.
Then, hit the ground running. Announce to everyone you know–including your old boss and co-workers–that you are a real estate agent. What you want is immediate traction. This means reworking your network.
Furthermore, learn everything you can about real estate. And start sharing that information. On a blog. In a newsletter. At networking events.
And most importantly: watch out for people who want to hold you back.
2. Accelerate Your Learning
If you aren’t a reader–become one. Fast. If you aren’t a learner–get over it. You’ll need to become one if you want to succeed in real estate.
Now, if you have trouble learning or find reading boring, do this: view it as an investment. Imagine every hour spent learning is a possible $100 down the road.
Furthermore, to be systematic about learning, you’ll need to define your learning agenda. You’ll need to find the best sources of insight (this could be designations, coaching, conferences or mentors. Or all of them). What’s always helped me when I want to learn something is to adopt a learning plan. This will work for you, too.
3. Match Strategy to Situation
Always diagnose the business situation you are entering before you create a strategy. Is it a hot market or a sluggish market? Urban or rural? What are the challenges and opportunities? Should you play offense or defense? What are the right skills needed to lead?
Also, understand the history, the people and the culture of your market. This can be some of your best clues on how to succeed in your market.
4. Nail Down Early Wins
While there are a lot of ways to build credibility, early wins is certainly one of the best.
What is an early win? Great thing about early wins in real estate is that you get to define them. An early win could be getting a buyer for a piece of property your company’s best salesperson has been having trouble selling. Or it could be as small as meeting key leaders in your city.
Early wins involve rewards not just for your clients or co-workers–but for you, too. But whatever the win, make sure it’s a tangible result. Something you can measure.
5. Negotiate Success
How do you build a productive relationship with the people you work with–whether clients or co-workers? There are several do’s and don’ts.
First, the do’s. Take responsibility for making every relationship work. Clarify expectations ealry and often. Negotiate times for action. Aim for early wins important to your clients and co-workers. Pursue relationships with people your clients and co-workers respect.
Second, the don’ts. Never trash the past. Don’t avoid communicating with your clients or co-workers. Never surprise them. Never approach them with problems only. Never run down a checklist. Never try to change the people you work with.
6. Get Alignment from Key People
Think of yourself as an architect for your business. You’re the one who’s responsible for making sure your business is productive, effective and efficient. And that the important people in your business–the one’s who are going to help you succeed–are behind your strategy.
This includes all the obvious people: your boss, partner, manager and co-workers. But believe it or not, this also includes your spouse. He or she needs to be on board with you are doing. Otherwise, expect grief.
7. Build Your Team
I can honestly say that the number one way to grow a business is to build a team. In other words, delegate work. Rock star agents probably not so much, but other successful agents move rapidly to add people to their team because they realize they can accomplish more when they have a group of people working as one on a compelling vision.
8. Create Coalitions
Sooner or later, you will need the support of peers–whether you like them or not. That’s why it’s so important to identify supporters and opponents, and then figure out how you can influence them.
This might mean you’ll have to humble yourself and act kindly toward someone you can’t stand. If that makes you want to hurl, think about this: one act of kindness now could lead to a strategic advantage in the future. One act of defiance now could lead to a stonewall–and a critical failure.
9. Keep Your Balance
This is the real estate killer–unending work. Seven day work weeks. Midnight closing times. Going into the office on holidays. Allow this to happen and you will burnout, or worse, lose your family.
Take stock, set limits on your business and be disciplined. For example, you could have a goal for a four-day work week. Or a four hour work week. Whatever your plan, stick to it.
10. Develop Everyone
If you follow the previous strategies you should be well on your way to reaping a rewarding real estate career. However, you’re not done.
Don’t forget about the people around you. Make it a plan to develop every member on your team into a leader. Help those in your peer or mastermind group to grow. Help client’s achieve success outside of buying or selling a home. Ask yourself: whose life can I accelerate?
If you want more help on making that transition between jobs, read Michael Watkins The First 90 Days.
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Feb
1
Wendy Kopp’s Elegant Idea to Growing Your Business
Filed Under Leadership, Real Estate Sales Tips | 6 Comments
Last Monday I asked the question: “Why would anyone in there right mind work with fewer people?”
If you still think it’s either impossible or a bad idea to limit who you work with, read this following story. It should convince you of the power of selectivity. [via]
The idea: convince Harvard graduates to teach in America’s roughest public schools
In th spring of 1988, Wendy Kopp graduated from Princeton with an idea: why not convince graduates from leading universities to spend the first two years of their careers teaching low income kids in the public education system?
She had no money, no office, no infrastructure, no name, no credibility, no furniture, not even a bed or a dresser in which to store her clothes. Leaving Princeton, Kopp moved into a small room in New York City and approached the Mobil Corporation.
Once Mobil agreed to grant $26,000 of seed capital to fund her idea, Teach for America, Kopp spent the next 365 days in a juggling act–convincing top-flight people to join her bus with the promise that she would convince donors to fund the bus… while at the same time convincing donors that she would convince top-flight people to join her bus….
One year later, Kopp stood in front of 500 recent graduates from colleges like Yale, Harvard and Michigan. These graduates assembled for training and deployment into America’s under served classrooms.
And how did she convince these graduates to work for low pay in tough classrooms?
First, by tapping their idealistic passions. Second by the making the process selective.
She basically said to all these overachieving college students: “If you’re really good, you might be able to join our cause. But first you have to submit to a rigorous screening and evaluation process. You should prepare yourself for rejection, because it takes special capability to succeed in these classrooms.”
Selectivity led to credibility with donors, which increased funding, which made it possible to attract and select even more people into the programs.
As of 2005, more than 97,000 individuals applied to be part of Teach for America and only 14,100 made the cut, while revenues grew to nearly $40 million in annual support.
Wendy Kopp understood three fundamental points.
First, the more selective the process, the more attractive a position becomes–even if volunteer or low pay. The same is true if people are paying you.
Second, the social sectors have one compelling advantage: desperate craving for meaning in our lives.
Purity of mission–be it about educating people, connecting people to God, making our cities safe, touching the soul with great art, feeding the hungry, serving the poor, or protecting our freedom–has the power to ignite passsion and commitment.
Third, the number one resource for a great organization is having enough of the right people willing to commit themselves to mission.
In real estate, this translates to creating momentum–a flywheel–that will eventually turn by itself.
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Jan
18
5 Essential Strategies to Become a Real Estate Leader without Doing Anything Shady
Filed Under Leadership, Real Estate Sales Tips | Leave a Comment
Machiavelli. Hobbes. Nietzsche.
These classical thinkers and their power philosophies may guide the behavior of the world’s dictators…but they are grossly inconsistent with true ethical leadership in real estate sales.
Case in point: If we judge according to a high standard of leadership, Hitler, Idi Amin, and Jim Jones were never leaders despite enormous but temporary power and materialistic success. [Neither were these naughty agents ever leaders.]
Louis B. Lundborg states this truth:
“A leader is one whom others will follow willingly and voluntarily. That rules out tyrants, bullies, autocrats and all other who use coercive power to impose their will on others.”
Or as Kenneth O. Gangel correctly observes:
“Leadership is not political powerplay. Leadership is not authoritarian attitude. Leadership is not cultic control.”
Yet we must never think that a leader is powerless…
The World’s Idea of Power Is False
Indeed, to suggest that a leader is without authority is to pose the anomaly of a leader with no followers. In fact, leadership is a special kind of authority: legitimized power–the power of ethical, inspiring influence and enablement.
This kind of authority can be awesome in its effect upon individuals and families and colleagues. It is the kind of power an excellent teacher or guide brings to bear upon the people he or she serves.
Legitimized power avoids manipulative tactics to enhance the leaders status or to accomplish the leader’s agenda. The real ultimate test of genuine leadership is the realization of enduring change that meets people’s most basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
There is the almost irresistible tendency to judge leadership by production statistics and materialist standards and to grant esteem and promotion to such successful people.
But if actual needs in the lives of people are not met…no meaningful leadership has taken place despite whatever production numbers were exceeded or income achieved.
Leadership Versus Management
We should distinguish between leadership and management, although sometimes the differences are pushed too far and become contrived. Of course, there is overlap, and the differences are not always crystal clear.
As is obvious, a good leader must have good management skills, and good managers usually have leadership qualities. It is difficult to imagine a good manager who is not also a good leader and vice versa.
- Vision: A leader has greater vision than a manager. Leaders go beyond the day to day and see the whole relationship in the scope of a lifetime. Leaders envision objectives never dreamed of. And they inspire others to share those dreams.
- Renewal: Leaders want change. They want revision of process and structure, with an eye toward changing outmoded methods, defining new goals, tapping new resources, motivating or enlisting personnel and invigorating the family, the company and it’s individuals. Managers give directions and evaluate performance. Leaders stimulate achievement and energize everyone. Leaders are more creative, innovative and transforming.
- Orientation: Leaders are people-oriented. They think in terms of people and their needs. Managers think about getting things done. Managers tend to be more task- and program- and profit-oriented. Leaders think about doing right things to help people maximize their potentials. Managers supervise people, but leaders energize people.
5 Essential Leadership Strategies
Real leaders must be distinguished from mere power wielders. Real estate leaders never use people to accomplish their own agendas, but inspire others to achieve their own goals. The test of genuine leadership is change that meets family and personal needs and enables people to feel fulfilled after the transaction is done.
The primary task of good leaders in influencing people are:
- Leaders listen. Their decisions and actions are based on real understanding of their clients needs.
- Leaders build cooperation. They never set out to use people to accomplish their goals and purposes. They disavow personal partisanship in favor of developing a spirit of cooperation and loyalty.
- Leaders inspire. And then get out of the way. Good leaders infuse others with an animating, quickening and exalting spirit of enthusiasm for the task of buying and selling a home. They do this primarily through their personal optimism, authenticity, enthusiasm and example.
- Leaders emphasize values. They focus on the fundamentals of value systems, reasons, philosophies, intrinsic truths, structures, objectives, designs, moods, emotions and environment.
- Leaders balance priorities. There is always awareness of the person, the family and the job to be done. No one of these is sacrificed for the benefit of the other.
In fulfilling these primary tasks of leadership, the real estate agent may do a variety of other things, yet all is done under the spirit of personal value, cooperation and service.
Now it’s your turn: tell me about leaders in your life who have had a profound impact on you? Did they use any of these strategies? If not, what made them leaders in your eyes? What strategies am I missing?