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    Goal Setting vs. Goal Getting

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    The top 1% are not impressed with goal setting; they are impressed with goal getting. 

    Reaching new goals – being a goal-getter – and moving to a higher level of performance always requires change, and change feels awkward. Yet the top 1% understand that change is situational, yet transition is psychological. All transitions have an ending, a neutral zone, and a new beginning.

    Take comfort in the knowledge that if a transition doesn’t feel uncomfortable, it’s probably not really a transition; it is more like rearranging the same furniture around in the same room. 

    In transition, disorientation is normal before equilibrium comes back.  

    What is standing backstage – and might be uncomfortable yet exponentially powerful – in your business ready to make an entrance? 

    #100DaysOfSuccess

    Growth Does Not Just Happen

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    The knowledge you need to reach your dreams isn’t going to track you down and force itself upon you.

    • Growth does not just happen.
    • The top 1% have become intentional learners.

    There are numerous benefits to becoming an intentional learner: You become more creative, and you develop your own unique perspective and exposure to ideas on how to improve business.

    When the student is ready, the teacher arrives!

     

    Your Goals Must Be Activated!

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Insights from the top 1% …

    “Your goals must engage and activate you!”  

    Having concrete goals increases confidence only if they inspire and stir you to consistent action.  Said another way, the difference is getting clarity on what you really want and why. 

    So what is it you really want? Ask 5 times until you get to the real answer. Hint the first answer – like selling more homes – isn’t the real answer. What’s selling more homes do for you? 

    Over 650 studies show process goals – the daily activities – increase your chance of success. Want a summary copy? [email protected] for a copy.

    #100DaysOfSuccess 

    PS: Looking to increase your real estate team or office recruiting game? Book a demo to find out how we can 5X your ROI.

    The Quantum Leap Strategy

    Mark Johnson 2 Comments

    Consider this:

    • Today’s smartphone have the same computing power as the whole US government in 1983
    • 3D printing is the only technology where a more complex object doesn’t cost more to make
    • The average lifespan of an S&P 500 company has gone from 67 years to 12 years today
    • Autonomous driving cars will prevent 30,000 road deaths in the US alone

    Exponential Growth

    Exponential growth does not just apply to technology, large or small firms. Exponential growth applies to you and me.

    One of the most influential books I’ve read. The book is just 36 pages long yet is packed with practical insight and action-creating motivation. It’s called “You Squared by Price Pritchett,” an instruction manual for taking a quantum leap in your business and life.

    Pritchett states, “we don’t have to be content with incremental, gradual change through applying hard work.  Rather, we are capable of an explosive jump in performance at an accelerated rate, requiring less effort.” How?

    Here is a summary:

    Quit Trying Harder – Trying harder only produces incremental gains.  A quantum shift is an elegant solution requiring less effort.

    Ignore Conventional Approaches – A quantum leap requires an abrupt change in behavior. It requires finesse over effort, simplicity over complexity, a new paradigm, and a fresh perspective.

    Think Beyond What Common Sense Would Allow – Quantum leaps require “uncommon sense.” Rethink your thinking.  Violate the boundaries of the probable.

    Suspend Disbelief – Act as if your success is for certain and proceed boldly.

    Focus On Ends Rather Than Means – Having a clear picture of what you want to accomplish is crucial.  Solutions will appear. Draw the map as you go.

    Rely On Unseen Forces – When you focus on the clear picture of what you want to accomplish and move confidently toward it, unexpected and unknown resources materialize.

    Choose A Different Set Of Rules – You can never avoid risk; you can only choose which risks you will take.  Risk believing in yourself.

    Trust In The Power Of The Pursuit – Dreams begin to crystallize into reality when they are pursued, because the world behaves differently when you go after what you want.

    Seek Failure – Unless you are willing to fail, you will never have the opportunity to test the limits of what you can accomplish.

    Get Uncomfortable – Quantum leaps jerk you out of your comfort zone.  If you aren’t experiencing discomfort, the risk you are taking probably isn’t worthy of you.

    Open Your Gifts – Unused gifts are waiting to play a role in your quantum leap; open them.

    Fall In Love – Create a dramatic dream that goes beyond the ‘reasonable,’ and then allow it to become your “magnificent obsession.”

    Make Your Move Before You Are Ready – You don’t prepare for a quantum leap; you make it… and then fine-tune it as you go.

    Look Inside For The Opportunity – Everything else that’s needed comes from inside you, not from anything outside you.

    If you take the leap, consider what area of your business is holding you back.

    Maybe it’s hiring an assistant, outsourcing that new digital ad campaign you desire but don’t have the skills or time to pursue, or delegating your files to a transaction coordinator? Whatever it is, one or more of the principles Pritchett presents, I suspect, resonates with you, so…  just do it!

    Take the leap… and see you and your business take a quantum leap.

    #WinTheDay

     

    Taking Action

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Take action!

    We can’t do everything today, but we can do one thing, even a tiny thing. 

    The winners are the daily doers. 

    Research: Those who do not feel they are taking steps toward their goals are 5 times more likely to give up. Elliott ‘99. 

    #100DaysOfSuccess 

    PS: Looking to increase your real estate team or office recruiting game? Book a demo to find out how we can 5X your ROI.

    Taking Action
    Taking Action

    Only You Can Say If This Is A World You Can Succeed In 

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Only you can say if this is a world you can succeed in. 

    “Whether You Think You Can Or Think You Can’t, You’re Right.” ~Henry Ford

    Research – Franklin & Mizell – showed the more optimistic people viewed their surroundings, the greater they were satisfied with their jobs and their outlook for future success. 

    #100DaysOfSuccess 

    PS: Looking to increase your real estate team or office recruiting game? Book a demo to find out how we can 5X your ROI.

    What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Have you ever thought that the person you have the most conversations with is YOU? And if that is the case for you and me, then the next natural question is, “what story are you telling yourself?” 

    Various studies suggest we have anywhere from 6,200 up to 60,000 thoughts a day! Not sure who counted them all, but that is a lot of conversations going on in our heads. 

    From this, we can conclude that one of the tendencies of the mind is to focus on the negative and ‘play the same songs’ repeatedly. One study suggested that 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of them were the same repetitive thoughts as the day before. So why is this, and what can we do about it? 

     

    Why is it easier to think negatively?

     

    The fact is negative events have a more significant impact on our brains than positive ones. Psychologists refer to this as the negative bias or also called the negativity bias.  Combine this with what psychologists call a confirmation bias, and you have a one-two punch. 

    Confirmation bias is the tendency to listen more often to information that conforms with our pre-existing beliefs. Through this bias, people tend to favor information that reinforces the things they already believe. These biases combined have a powerful effect on our behavior, our decisions, and even our relationships.

    In the Leahy Study, 2005, from Cornell University, scientists found that 85% of what we worry about never happens, and 15% of the worries did happen. 79% of the subjects discovered that either they could handle the difficulty better than expected or that the problem taught them a lesson worth learning. So, the conclusion? 

     

    97% of our worries are baseless and result from an unfounded pessimistic perception.

     

    Some ideas to redirect negative thoughts: 

    1. Start with a mindset of “No Judgments.” 
    2. Reframe the story. 
    3. Reframe your expectations.  
    4. Find a healthy distraction. 
    5. Commit to keeping optimistic company. 
    6. Question and rotate the media you choose to consume. 
    7. Start a beginning of the day and end of day gratitude journal 
    8. Connect with a mentor, coach, or trusted advisor 

    If we took the time to document all the thoughts that pass through our minds, we could write a book every day.  Yet would that book be one that anyone else wants to read? Create a better story, wrote a better book. The question is: 

     

    Who’s in charge you or your thoughts?

    #WinTheDay

     

    Technology vs. Relationships

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Technology vs. Relationships.
    The top 1% approach it differently.

    Peter Sheehan, a leading expert on generational change and business performance, wrote about how peak performers use technology yet stay in touch with genuine relationships.

    There are over twenty different ways to affirm others, but you can reduce them to just two verbs:

    Notice and Verbalize.

    What would happen if today:

    • At family gatherings, invite everyone to mention something they admire about another family member.
    • Look for someone making do in disappointing circumstances and affirm their perseverance.
    • When someone helps you change your mind about an issue, affirm their persuasiveness and communication skills.

    Success can take many forms, like affirming others through noticing and verbalizing.

    #WinTheDay

    PS: Looking to increase your real estate team or office recruiting game? Book a demo to find out how we can 5X your ROI.

    Why Do Most Efforts To Change Fail?

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Well, that is a bummer of a headline! Read on.

    “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

    ~ Leo Tolstoy

    According to Harvard professor Dr. John Paul Kotter – and confirmed by my coaching experience – efforts to change fail due to a lack of a STRONG sense of URGENCY. In his book, “A Sense Of Urgency,” Kotter states:

    Change efforts most often fail when those desiring to change do not create a high enough sense of urgency to make a challenging leap in a new direction. Urgency and urgency is key. Urgency is the state of mind that creates IMMEDIATE action in your new direction.

    Once you have determined your desire, take action. Any action. A small step, a medium step, or a massive step. Taking action and taking more action is the ONE THING we must all learn to cultivate to achieve higher levels of success.

    If you believe what you have in mind will make a difference, I just have two questions.

    • What are you waiting for?
    • What’s holding you back?

    Whatever it is, push through it today and TAKE ACTION.

    Share with someone right now the action step you are committed to taking… and ask them to help hold you accountable.

    #WinTheDay

    PS: Looking to increase your real estate team or office recruiting game? Book a demo to find out how we can 5X your ROI.

     

    Top Gun – What The 1% Do Consistently

    Mark Johnson Leave a comment

    Think about it. In sports –  and all other endeavors – the game is won in the days, weeks, and even months leading up to the actual game, event, or project. The game is won in preparation. Watching films of previous games, memorizing plays, hitting the gym, eating correctly, and even getting enough sleep.

    Professional real estate sales are no different.

    I spend a lot of time with the top 1% of producers, helping them grow, solving business challenges, and documenting what they do. Curious?

    Here are the top six things our top 1% do consistently:

    • They do their research.
    • They’re genuinely interested in and understand others’ personality styles.
    • They’re prepared for anything, especially the objections and most frequently asked questions.
    • They leave their ego in the car.
    • They are a master of managing expectations.
    • They debrief and learn from every situation.

    Research

    We know from the National Association of REALTORS® that 63% of consumers find real estate professionals through a referral from a friend or a past business relationship. And 68% of consumers choose a real estate professional based on their perceived trustworthiness, experience, and reputation.

    Top producers know these numbers and invest their time, energy, and effort into where the business will most likely be generated.

    Genuine Interest

    What I have observed from top producers to those struggling is glaring. Top producers genuinely care about the relationship, while those struggling care about making a buck.

    I’ve used a unique system called B.A.N.K. to pinpoint anyone’s personality in nanoseconds. It’s fun, engaging and helps create rapport.

    This high emotional intelligence approach leverages the best assessment tools, high-energy training, and cutting-edge technology to maximize results.

    Leave Nothing To Chance

    Top performers rehearse or role-play frequently; many do this every day! Here are some tips I picked up:

    • Make a list of every question, concern, or objection your prospect might bring up.
    • Create a list of everything that could go wrong.
    • Develop a transparent, logical, authentic, and persuasive response to every possible question, concern, and objection.
    • Think of how you can get ahead of these circumstances by using stories and anecdotes, case studies and testimonials, statistics and facts.
    • Have your information, ideas, and documentation well organized so you can reference the appropriate notes and materials at any time.

    Ego

    Gary Vaynerchuk put it well: “When you care more about the other person than you care about hitting your quota – when you make that shift – you go into the Jedi-ness of becoming a great salesperson.”

    A professional real estate salesperson with a massive ego can easily mistake refusal for rejection. When you make this mistake, it’s all too easy to take it personally. The truth? Far more people will say no than say yes.

    So, how do you deal with this?

    The top 1% have learned not to internalize rejection. Top performers exert power over their emotions and know this is a critical skill to master.

    Managing Expectations

    As a former Chief Executive of a large organization and co-founder of a going concern, I get the problems that others have not solved. And literally, I’ve been tracking these, and guess what – they all have a common root:

    Unmatched expectations!

    Many things have to happen, often in a specific sequence, before a transaction closes. Do you know what these things are? Do you know where you’re at in the process with each client, prospect, and partner?

    1. Seek to understand what has come before each step
    2. Don’t assume everyone knows what will happen next
    3. Anticipate needs before others
    4. Communicate constantly and clearly
    5. Under-promise and over-deliver

    Debrief

    Debriefing is a structured learning process designed to evolve plans while they’re being executed continuously. It originated in the military to learn quickly in rapidly changing situations and address mistakes or changes in the field. In fact, I shared this document with my team – glad to be here – after seeing the Blue Angels do a flyover.

    In business, debriefing has been widely documented as critical to accelerating projects, innovating novel approaches, and hitting challenging objectives. It also brings a team together, strengthens relationships, and fosters team learning.

    Top producers have mastered this concept and execute this discipline more often than others. As such, these high-performing teams are more tight-knit than those who don’t.

    The game is won or lost before stepping on the playing field. So, before you play in sales again, do your research, be genuinely interested in others, be prepared for anything, leave your ego in the car and become a master of managing expectations. Finally – just like the Blue Angels – debrief and learn from every situation.

    #WinTheDay