Mark Johnson - Winning The Day

Critical Thinking, Say What, I’m A Real Estate Salesperson!

03/13/202303/19/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Critical thinking, say what, I’m a real estate salesperson! Well, as the CEO of your real estate practice, I’d suggest critical thinking is the foundation of your current and future success.

Critical thinking will enable you to express your thoughts, ideas, and beliefs more effectively. Better communication helps others understand you better, resulting in less frustration for you and your clients. Critical thinking fosters creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that can be applied to any area of your business.

“The quality of your business largely depends on the quality of your decisions.”

Imagine how much better your real estate business would be if there were a way to make the best possible decisions, day in and day out? There is, and it’s called critical thinking.

Some real estate professionals already have well-developed critical thinking skills, others need some help, and we all can benefit from continuous improvement.

5 Steps To Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

First

Clearly Define Your Question or Problem.

Albert Einstein said it best:

“If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

Second

Gather Information to Help You Weigh the Options.

Consider only the most valuable and reliable information from the most reputable sources. Disregard the rest.

Third

Apply the Information and Ask Critical Questions.

Scrutinize all information with a skeptic’s eye.

Not sure what questions to ask? You can’t go wrong starting with the “5 W’s.”

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

Why?

Then finish by asking, “How?”

Fourth

Consider the Implications.

Look for potential unintended consequences. Do a thought experiment about how your solution could play out in both the short and long run.

Fifth

Explore the Full Spectrum of Viewpoints.

Examine why others are offering differing points of view. This will help you evaluate your viewpoint. You may find critical thinkers who take an opposing view, which can help you find gaps in your logic.

Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process in this TED Talk that may help you with any number of problems in your business.

Every day, a wave of decisions comes before us, and it’s impossible to make a perfect choice every time. Yet there are ways to improve our chances. One particularly effective technique is critical thinking, and that is how can win the day.

Adjusting To Change

03/12/202303/11/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Success often hinges on the ability to quickly adjust to change. Peak performers follow a model:

Being open to change
Reframing difficult situations

Being open to change; when plans or situations change, step back and look at ways to adapt and adjust.

Reframing difficult situations, to see them as opportunities to learn and grow rather than simply as obstacles.

Success often hinges on the ability to quickly adjust to change.

The Ultimate Secret

03/11/202303/12/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Do it until… is the most common denominator for success in anything.

Some of us learn fast, others slowly, and many of us in between. When you are committed to the cause, the effort, and the result, “you do it until ___.”

Fill in the blank; you do it until you gain mastery; you do it until you have confidence; you do it until you are the best!

The common denominator is “I did it until I got it! It doesn’t matter how long it takes.” This is a great growth mindset.

You don’t know how long or short it will take to become an expert, yet if you keep doing what needs to be done – one day at a time – one hour at a time – one minute at a time, one second at a time – eventually all those seconds add up to minutes and minutes add up to hours and so on.

It’s not about how long it takes – if we keep doing what needs to be done – eventually, we get there, and we win.

Do it until ____!

#WinTheDay

Find a way when it appears there is no way

Three Steps To Creating More Certainty In Your Real Estate Practice

03/08/202303/08/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~ Stephen Covey

Have you ever worked backward from Friday? At the end of the week, imagine you are sitting down and looking back…what would make this week great?

We can’t control the market this week, yet we can control the daily activities that lead to our expected outcomes.

I’m sure you would agree – without a doubt – we are in uncertain times. The paradox is this: we need both uncertainty and certainty in our business. Yet, from the conversations I’ve had this week, we have more uncertainty than certainty. How can we create more certainty?

Get Clear On What You Really Want.

Create a picture of what you really want
Envision it.
See how it makes you feel.
Does it move you into action?

You know this is really clear when your purpose resonates and moves you emotionally.

Make It Part Of Everyday!

Create a daily action checklist and follow it
What’s the ONE routine you must do every day to win the day?
- Example: P.E.D.S.
  - Prayer
  - Exercise
  - Diet
  - Sleep
- What are the one or two activities that move the needle?
  - Marketing that creates NEW appointments
  - Building and maintaining relationships
  - Servicing existing clients and prospects
  - Anticipating and solving problems BEFORE they arise
  - Completing that project
  - Closing open loops
- Is it all in your calendar?

Have a strategy for when you feel stuck or lost.

“If I don’t do this, this is what it will cost me,” or
“If I do this, then this is what I can gain.”
“I don’t feel like it” can be turned into “I’ll do it anyway.”

If you show up for the day with no structure in your calendar and decide to do “urgent” tasks like returning calls and texts and checking Facebook, those activities will expand and eat up all the time you hoped to devote to more “important” activities. You will end the day unfulfilled and have more uncertainty. Get clear on what you want, make it part of your everyday routine, and have a plan for when you feel stuck or lost. That is a winning formula.

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.

Has anyone seen a home seller?

03/07/202303/07/2023 Mark Johnson 1 Comment

Has anyone seen a home seller? Home sellers seem to be just about as rare as the Condor (unlike the red-tail hawk on my fence this morning).

Inventory of available homes for sale across the US fell another 2.5% this week, the lowest since 2019. This is the time of year when we traditionally see more homes coming on the market. Yet, according to Altos Research, there is no indication of an inventory surge coming into the market. Say what?

It is a supply-constrained market. Consumers are price sensitive to interest rates – now near 7% – and it seems sellers sitting on 3% mortgages are not motivated to trade up or out.

The result? 20% fewer homes in the pending process compared to a year ago. Only about 31% of sellers are needing to reduce their initial list price. The median price of new listings is up, yet not near the pace of increases we saw just a year ago. Rents appear to be stabilizing and slowing at the median level of $2,200 per month.

Check out the charts on this link – you can type in your local zip code.

If you are looking for an agent to explain local real estate trends – I know a few all over the US, shoot me a DM or text.

Source: Altos Research US for the week ending 3-5-2023.

Ten Excuses

03/06/202303/06/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Ten excuses the top 1% all made, yet figured out a way to bust through:

1. I don’t have time

2. I don’t have the money

3. I will try it next year

4. I don’t have enough data

5. I am too tired, skeptical, or biased

6. No one ever did it before

7. It’s too much work

8. I could fail

9. I will wait until I retire

10. It’s too risky

You can bust through too. One of my associates told me all of these “excuses” are rooted in some sort of fear, so really the top 1% are masters of fear.

The Power of Persistence in Real Estate: It’s Not Pressure, It’s Value!

03/05/202312/27/2024 Mark Johnson 5 Comments

You cannot give someone something that you don’t already possess. As real estate professionals, we want others to believe in us, our ideas, and our services. But how strongly do we believe in ourselves?

True confidence is demonstrated by our willingness to persist, even in the face of resistance. It’s not always easy, but it’s always possible. Influential real estate coaches and even the Bible emphasize the importance of persistence.

The key is understanding the difference between persistence and pressure. Sales pressure is repeating the same message regardless of the other person’s concerns. Real estate sales persistence, on the other hand, is about empathy, adjusting your approach, refining your message, and adding more value. It’s about demonstrating that you are the best person to serve their needs.

Persistence: A Universal Principle

Persistence isn’t situational; it applies to everyone, all the time. Are you simply finding deals, or are you actively forging them? Many opportunities lie in creating interest, engagement, desire, and urgency.

Persistence communicates several crucial messages:

Genuine Care: You believe people are better off working with you. You’re changing lives.
Confidence: You believe in your abilities. Your actions, words, and questions make the difference.
Understanding and Targeted Solutions: You understand their situation and offer specific solutions. Certainty is more influential than enthusiasm.
Multiple Reasons to Move Forward: You offer value beyond simply listing or showing a property. You provide unique insights that are compelling to each client.

6 Habits of Highly Persistent People (Condensed):

Celebrate their work.
Are driven by a purpose.
Expect and prepare for resistance.
Don’t take resistance personally.
Use resistance to gain insights and add value.

Why Persistence Matters (Key Points):

No Substitute: Persistence is essential. You either commit to figuring it out, or you don’t.
Don’t Give Up Too Soon: Just because someone doesn’t agree immediately doesn’t mean the opportunity is lost.
Consider the Cost of Inaction: What do you cost others by not following through?
Addressing Common Objections:
- Different Communication Styles: Sometimes people need to hear the message differently, appealing to different emotional motives (Profit, FOMO, Comfort, Avoiding Pain, Love, Prestige).
- Need for More Reasons: Sometimes people need more value stacked onto the offer.
- Lack of Understanding How to Proceed: Sometimes people need guidance through the process.
- Need for Time: Sometimes people simply need more time to process the information.

My Conclusion:

Persistence, unlike pressure, always makes sense. It demonstrates your confidence and commitment. By empathizing, adjusting, and adding value, you can turn resistance into opportunity. And that is how you win the day.

Somethings Are Just Hard

03/03/202303/03/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Near-death by a car accident, boot camp, Kilimanjaro Summit day, Hellmecula, Snowmageddon, Spartan Beast, crazy markets, and so much more.

Some things are just hard, and you want to quit.

I’ve made it through some tough situations with this one strategy: looking only a few steps, tasks or minutes ahead.

“Doing the next right thing.”

At certain times tunnel vision is a good thing.

Consider this – the next time getting through a challenge that seems like it might be too much for you. Lower your gaze to whatever the next minute, step, or task is right in front of you. Then take it.

There are times when big-picture thinking is needed. Yet the moments when you doubt you have the strength or the desire to put one foot in front of the other isn’t among them.

Do the next right thing.

Less Is More!

03/02/202303/06/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Focused Time. The top 1% know that less is more! Say what?

Who would you imagine to be more productive—someone who works 55 hours a week or someone who works 70?

If you guessed the latter, you’d be incorrect. Research done by Stanford showed that productivity diminishes after 40 hours and falls off a cliff after 55 hours. In essence, less is more.

Resource? Life on The Wire by Todd Duncan – in his book Todd challenges the status quo in search of a better, smarter way to work and live.

#100DaysOfSuccess

Ignorance Causes Misery

03/01/202302/25/2023 Mark Johnson Leave a comment

Ignorance: willful, circumstantial or accidental?

It cripples our society in destructive ways: racism is rooted in ignorance, bigotry is rooted in ignorance, sexism is rooted in ignorance, tolerating violence is rooted in ignorance, oppressing the poor is rooted in ignorance.

Ignorance causes misery.

Transformation requires suspending our ego along with an open heart and mind. I’m at war, I’d like us all to be at war against ignorance.

Author: Mark Johnson