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Author: Mark Johnson

Mark's passion and expertise is enabling real estate broker-owners and team leaders to create the systems, structure, and processes to support their growth. He also enjoys sharing his thoughts on business success on his blog: www.winningtheday.blog

The Compound Effect

Mark Johnson 3 Comments

I need to get __________ fixed in my business?!

Have you ever had a cracked windshield? That small chip or crack in a windshield that, when left unattended, grows into something more noticeable and debilitating under harsh conditions or stress. To delay is to pay!

The last one I ignored ended up costing me $1,000 vs. $100 = a 10X difference.

Well, this time is like that time. It’s what’s happening to some agents, team leaders, office or regional leaders, and owners today. We are in a market that feels like a rough mountain logging road full of potholes, rocks, and other obstacles. And if you’re not diligent and attentive, that little crack spreads.

If you are a company owner, regional leader, manager or team leader – the cracks are things like a disappointment with a new or old policy, an unresolved conflict with brokerage staff, a CRM that’s outdated, a misunderstanding of administrative support, or other things getting under the skin of an agent.

If you are an agent – it’s not knowing where your next new appointment is coming from or not having the systems in place to service, the new business while continuing to generate more.

I’m not sure of your dream, yet I suspect for many of you, it’s more financial freedom through a consistent business, better health, stronger relationships, and more connectedness with your community. Yet let’s face it, so many times when you are about to start something toward those dreams, the onslaught of excuses floods your mind like water gushing out of a broken pipe.

The theme of these excuses always traces back to the same root… “I don’t feel like it.”

How many times have you said, “I don’t feel like it?”  How many times have you listened to that thought, allowing it to alter the course of your actions?

What if you could make a different choice?

Here is what I know the 5 words –  “I don’t feel like it” – is the universal human condition that silently kills dreams more dreams than any other 5 words ever created. Yet you and I don’t have to accept this dream killer. We can all overcome the feeling and move powerfully towards our goals and dreams.

Next time you say to yourself, “I don’t feel like it,” you can say of course I don’t, yet I’m choosing to do it anyway!

Step 1: Accept Your Emotional Level Then Redirect

Whatever you are feeling, give yourself permission to feel that way. Instead of denying the reality of your feelings, acknowledge them.  Consider sitting with them for a moment and then make an active decision to regroup. What’s that famous quote? “You can’t stop the birds from flying around your head, yet you can stop them from making a nest.”

Accept, reflect, then redirect.

Step 2: Take Action Toward Your Intention

Instead of listening to “I don’t feel like it” now you are in a position to take a different action. To overcome your feelings and move towards your dreams.  In business and in life, you state your goals and plot your course for reaching them. However, there will be many days when you don’t feel like doing the work, yet go ahead and do it anyway … “feeling like it” is not a pre-requisite.

I need to get __________ fixed in my business?!

Final thought… who’s in charge, you or your feelings?

The winners are the doers.

Accept, reflect, and redirect.
Accept, reflect, and redirect.

Small Shifts Magnify Outcomes

Mark Johnson 1 Comment

I was recently reflecting on some coaching conversations and thinking about vectors and the “1 in 60 Rule.” Let me explain:

In math and physics, a vector is a quantity having direction as well as magnitude, especially as determining the position of one point in space relative to another.

If a pilot makes the slightest one-degree error in the aircraft’s flight path, after traveling one mile the plane will be off the course by 92 feet. And after going 60 miles, that error adds up to being a mile off the path.

A minor off-course adjustment over time and distance magnifies the error. If a pilot were flying from New York to Los Angeles, a one-degree shift in the flight path over the entire course would put the plane nearly 35 nautical miles to the South in Orange County at SNA, not Los Angeles LAX.

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs, and many times they call with a complete overall idea – overwhelmed and burned out – yet many times it’s just the 1-degree change that compounds over time that is needed.

“The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” 

~ Darren Hardy

Caution: the compound effect – it works both ways – positive or negative. 

What 1% course correction can you make today?

#WinTheDay

1 in 60 Rule
1 in 60 Rule

 

Four Critical Dimensions: Reassurance, Transparency, Simplicity and Speed

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Your prospects and clients prioritize four critical dimensions during their home-buying experience:

  1. Reassurance: Having helpful, knowledgeable, and accessible resources and staff who can confidently guide and support customer decisions. Reassuring they have made the right decision along the way, is a critical skill.
  1. Transparency: Being open and straightforward about policies, pricing, and processes.
  1. Simplicity: Streamlining the home selling or home buying journey to make it straightforward and easier to navigate.
  1. Speed: Efficiently handling the process to minimize delays and waiting times.

 

“There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them.”

~Seth Godin

 

Let’s dig into each of these dimensions a little deeper:

  1. Reassurance:
    • Importance: Reassurance is paramount for customers. They seek confidence in their decisions, especially when making a significant investment like buying a home.
    • Your Role: Sales and support staff must be helpful, knowledgeable, and accessible. They must instill trust by providing accurate information, addressing concerns, and guiding clients through the process.
    • Customer Benefits: Reassured customers are more likely to proceed with the purchase, leading to successful transactions.
  1. Transparency:
    • Importance: Customers value honesty and transparency. They want to understand policies, pricing, and processes without hidden surprises.
    • Clear Communication: Salespeople and support staff should openly discuss all aspects, including costs, fees, and potential challenges. Transparency builds trust and reduces anxiety.
    • Avoid Jargon: Simplify complex terms and ensure clients comprehend every step. Transparent communication fosters positive relationships.
  1. Simplicity:
    • Importance: The home selling and buying process can be overwhelming. Customers appreciate simplicity and ease of navigation.
    • Streamlined Processes: Salespeople and support staff should simplify paperwork, explain steps clearly, and minimize bureaucracy. A straightforward process reduces stress for buyers.
    • User-Friendly Tools: Introduce digital tools that simplify document submission, approvals, and communication. A user-friendly experience enhances satisfaction.
  1. Speed:
    • Importance: Delays frustrate customers. Speedy processes are crucial. Some delays can’t be avoided, and this is when communication, transparency and reassurance merge.
    • Efficient Handling: Salespeople and support staff should expedite paperwork, inspections, and approvals. Timeliness demonstrates professionalism.
    • Manage Expectations: Communicate realistic timelines and proactively address delays. Clients appreciate transparency even when things take longer.

Customers weigh these dimensions almost equally, with a slight edge given to reassurance.

By prioritizing these aspects, real estate sales professionals and their support teams can create a positive and memorable home-buying experience for their clients.

Doing the right thing is always the right thing.
Doing the right thing is always the right thing.

Remember the Alamo!

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The Alamo: A Story of Courage and Sacrifice

As the sun sets in one place, it rises in another. But for the defenders of the Alamo, the sun never rose again. They fought bravely against overwhelming odds, knowing they would not survive. They left behind a legacy of courage and honor that inspires us to this day.

On March 6th, 1836, the 13-day siege and battle of the Alamo came to an end. The Mexican army stormed the fort and killed almost all of the defenders. Among them were famous figures like David Crockett, James Bowie, and William B. Travis, who wrote these immortal words: “I shall never surrender or retreat.” But they were not alone. About 200 other men joined them in the fight, and only 15 lived to tell the tale.

Every year, at dawn on March 6th, a ceremony commemorates the fallen heroes of the Alamo. We remember their names, their faces, and their stories. We honor their sacrifice and their spirit. Remember the Alamo.

How do you handle defeat? My strategy? Accept. Reflect, then redirect!

Accept, reflect, and redirect.
Accept, reflect, and redirect.

Ten Excuses The Top 1% All Made

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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 _____
10. It’s too risky

Bust through too…

 

What if?
What if?

 

What We Can Learn From Bob and Myron

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What are some of the top things my friend Dr. Rob Gilbert learned about sports (and business) psychology?

What did he learn from Bob and Myron?

Myron had all the potential and ability, yet he did not know it or leverage it, which created average results. Then Bob came along… Bob taught Myron a lesson, and that’s when Myron’s breakthrough began.

 

The lesson? 

 

  • Be open to a mentor, coach, or loved one willing to invest in you.
  • Believe in your ability.

If you are not doing as well as you would like – follow Bob’s lesson.

  • Put it in action, NOW.
  • Practice makes progress, not perfection.
  • Believe… focus on the process, and you will get the result.

What part of this lesson you can execute this week? 

Need some ideas?  Let’s have a conversation.

The great Billy Graham said it best:

 

“Decisions are made whether we make them or not. Time decides if you will not. To delay is to eventually make the right decision even harder.”

 

⁠Knowledge – action = zero 

Knowledge + action = winning 

 

What's Possible?
What’s Possible?

The Power Of Words (and Thoughts)

Mark Johnson 1 Comment

Your actions matter the most, yet we all know your words and thoughts matter too. The power of our words and thoughts has been proven and felt over time. Although many people say that pictures are worth more, we shouldn’t forget that the words and thoughts that come into our minds or out of our mouths carry a lot of weight.

The smallest, most insignificant words and thoughts can cause great joy or pain.

Some of the most powerful – 7, 6, and 5-word sentences –  of all time:

7 words: 

“Because of this, something good will happen.”

Repeat those words after each of the facts below:

Over 44 years, this individual overcame adversity, pain, and loss.

  • His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
  • His mother died.
  • Failed in business.
  • Ran for state legislature – lost.
  • Lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
  • Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business, and by the end of the year, he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
  • Ran for state legislature again – won.
  • Was engaged to be married, his sweetheart died, and his heart was broken.
  • Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
  • Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
  • Sought to become elector – defeated.
  • Ran for Congress – lost.
  • Ran for Congress again – this time, he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
  • Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
  • Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
  • Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
  • Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination – got less than 100 votes.
  • Ran for U.S. Senate again – again, he lost.
  • Elected President of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln didn’t quit.

6 Words That Can Change Your Business

“You cannot change yourself by yourself.”

Need to stop drinking? AA

Want to get fit? A NASM personal trainer

A big test you are struggling with? A tutor

Fear of _____? A counselor

Business Development? A productivity coach

Willpower is not as strong as discipline, and discipline requires accountability. Who’s helping you with the accountability of your ambition, dreams, goals, and desires?

5 Words That Kill More Dreams Than Any Other

I don’t feel like it!

 How many times have you said, “I don’t feel like it?”  How many times have you listened to that thought, allowing it to alter the course of your actions?

What if you could make a different choice?

 “I don’t feel like it” can be turned into “I’ll do it anyway.”

Note to self: “Feeling like it is not a pre-requisite.”

Who’s in charge, you or your feelings? Here are a few ways to become an ANTeater  – an automatic negative thought eater!

What You Say Matters
What You Say Matters

January Will Not TEXT You Back: Time To Move On.  

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January will not TEXT you back… time to move on.

I was just reading a research study indicating that 95% of workers want to or plan to seek a new job in 2024! For real estate brokers, this is a two-edged sword… in one way, it opens up opportunities for recruiting and talent attraction. In another way, it’s a watch out for our own staff and agents.

My good friend and colleague Steve Murray from REALTrends did a study in the last downturn – 2008 to 2012 – and found 15 companies that grew substantially during that downturn. He found ONE common trend. It was:

“They got closer to their people. No matter how close or connected they thought they were, they were intentional about getting even closer. More connected. More relevant.”

  • Retention: how can you get closer to your organization?
  • Talent Attraction: what events or activities can you do to get closer to your own organization and invite others to experience your culture?
  • Recruiting: who do you (or your team) need to get closer with to see what’s possible?

One way is our TCF+ methodology:

  • # of Weekly Intentional Touches:
  • # of Weekly Conversations:
  • # of Weekly F2F Appointments Scheduled:
  • # of Weekly Database Additions:
  • # of Weekly Referrals you earned from your Agents and Outside Influencers:
  • # of Weekly DRIS (Data, Recognition, Insight, and Stories) follow-ups you sent:

What is measured improves.

For those in the program, I’d love to hear your success stories and your numbers for the week.

For those not in the program, let’s chat about what’s possible.

For all of us, 2024 is the year to Build Back Stronger. January will not TEXT you back…

What's Possible?
What’s Possible?

Win The Day

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Two points of view:

  • By the mile, it’s a pile; by the yard, it’s hard; by the inch, it’s a cinch!
  • By the kilometer, it’s a pile; by the meter, it’s hard; by the centimeter, it’s a cinch!

Either way, you get the point.

 

Control the Controllable
Control the Controllable