Blockages to Success

‘Lee, I struggle with implementation’ is one of the most common complaints I hear.?It’s probably the number one blockage to success.?The harsh reality is that successful people get things done. They are good at implementation.

You can have all the motivation in the world?and?genuinely want to do well; you can?be pumped, committed and energised, with the right intentions; you can attend courses and seminars, get coaching, read books, watch videos, listen to podcasts?and participate in webinars. But all of that is pointless unless you activate the knowledge and skills you acquire.

You can have all the motivation in the world and genuinely want to do well... But all of that is pointless unless you activate the knowledge and skills you acquire.        

To activate any newly acquired content, you?have to?be prepared to put in the time and effort required to do so. Start by working out how?the newly acquired content?relates?to you and the world in which you operate. The next step is to take the time to deeply learn the content, work out how it connects to the current way you do things and decide how you are going to hold yourself accountable?for implementation. Next, you?have to?validate what’s working and what’s not?as you implement your new knowledge and skills, tweak your process and try again.

Their inaction is their blockage to success. Eventually, most give up and continue as they have always done and then wonder why their results aren’t improving or worse, going backwards.        

As you can see, there are so many layers involved in transforming information into action that many become overwhelmed leading them to find excuses and tell themselves they will get to it later. Their inaction is their blockage to success. Eventually, most give up and continue as they have always done and then wonder why their results aren’t improving?or worse, going backwards.

Changing any existing habit and creating a new one is difficult. It takes consistent practice and effort. Let’s say one of your goals is to get into the habit of making 10 phone calls before 10?am two morning a week. The first step to create this new habit is to consider what you currently do on those mornings. What time do you get to work? What do you habitually do first, second, third, fourth etc.? Once you have clarity on your existing habits, you can work whether they are serving you or could be done later in the day. Then, it’s simply a matter of scheduling in your new habit?and sticking to it.?Achieving some initial small wins will fuel your desire to continue. Consistency and time are key to creating a new habit and reaping the rewards from it. Inspirational?author and speaker Simon Sinek use the analogy of cleaning your teeth.?What does brushing your teeth every day for two minutes do in that moment? Nothing. It’s only beneficial if you do it?every day. It’s no different with any habit.?That’s why I am so focused on repeatable performances.

Achieving some initial small wins will fuel your desire to continue. Consistency and time are key to creating a new habit and reaping the rewards from it.        

The ideal?week?versus working in rhythm

The notion of an ideal week typically works?for?those with?an?executive assistant?who can?manage their schedule?for them.?Ultimately, we operate in?a service-based industry?where buyers?and sellers?can call any time?with a query that needs your immediate attention. It’s far more effective to work in rhythm?than try and stick to an ideal week.?For example, if you plan to answer emails every afternoon?from three till four,?give yourself a 15-minute?window so you?can?attend to?unanticipated issues, like?enquiries or?buyersneeding?information?or vendors ringing you?with a question.?Then, return to your emails.?

It’s far more effective to work in rhythm than try and stick to an ideal week.”        

Working in rhythm also means doing things that align with your natural energy. For example, if?you need time in the mornings to warm up before hitting the phones, don’t schedule prospecting first thing in the morning. You might be better off scheduling in some admin time at nine and calls later morning or early afternoon.

An example of working in rhythm is to focus on campaign work?Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays?to get your buyers locked and loaded and get your vendors price adjusted and educated. Then, come?Wednesday, Thursday?and?Friday?you’re?in lead generation?mode.

So,?try and split your week up into two halves:?in the office in the morning, out doing appointments?in theafternoon.?Just?don’t be too rigid. Ensure you give yourself permission and sufficient flexibility to stray off schedule when the unexpected arises. Keep?it simple?and you will find it easier to?stick to?your?rhythm. That way,?you're always in growth mode.?Additionally, avoid comparing yourself to others. Context matters. If you’re going home to a wife and four kids,?how you manage your time and energy will differ significantly from someone who goes home alone and has the time to be on the Internet for hours each night.

The five buckets

Recently, I interviewed Daniel Spencer , a leading Australian sales trainer and business growth coach,?and he shared his?‘five buckets’?technique for those new to real estate sales. He says the?first bucket?you?have to?fill is?your database. And to do so, you?must?be?really good?at convincing people to want to receive your market report.?These are the people who?end up?following?you as a real estate agent.

The second bucket to fill is your appraisal bucket.?As you?start generating appraisals, your actions?lead to the third bucket, which is your listings.?While you’re learning to master the skill of listing, you’ll go through the highs and lows. Daniel says, ‘You’ve?got to go through that scar tissue to then know how to fill your fourth bucket, which is learning how to list and sell the right way. If it's an auction,?that means?getting the reserve?price?right prior to the auction and making sure that vendors and buyers are locked and loaded.’

The?fifth?and final?bucket is the hardest one?of all?to fill. That’s your ability to?list and sell real estate with raving fans. That?bucket?can take 10 to 15 years of consistent hard work to fill. It’s when you get to the point where both buyers and sellers are telling others about how great you were to work with, which leads them to seek?out your help with the sale of their property?when the time comes.?

Daniel says?the problem is most?agents are in a hurry to get to bucket number five and don’t take the time to fill the first one before moving on. He says, ‘They try and skip to?the appraisals and listings buckets because they’re in a hurry. Without a decent database, you’ve got no solid foundation.’

Professional trust is one of the keys to removing the blockages to success standing in your way.        

McGrath Director?and listing?and selling principal?Mat?Steinwede?is a great example of someone who took the time to fill the first bucket and keeps on filling it and allowing any overflow to trickle?into the subsequent buckets. He’s been prospecting and building his database for more than twenty years. Consequently, he’s claimed more doors than most.?After maintaining those connection for so long, he has earned the right to represent them and be referred to others. It's like ringing a builder who?has?built for you three?times.?You don't really need him to quote, just get it done and give me a guide.?He has earned?that professional trust.?And professional trust is one of the keys to removing the blockages to success standing in your way.

Implementation

Everyone has their own way of getting things done. Some write a to-do list in a paper-based diary, others create a voice note, which is what I do, or manage their tasks and commitments digitally. No way is right or wrong,?as long as?it works for you. The key is to make an agreement with yourself to get something done and stick to it. If you keep your agreements with yourself, you will find that the world will keep its agreement with you.?The buyer?who?says they'll register to bid,?will show up as promised. The seller?who?says they'll sell through,?won't let you down.?The reason people break agreements with you is because you break agreements with yourself.?Daniel says, ‘If you want something done, book?it?in.?Until you put prospecting in as an appointment in your diary, I don't believe it's that important in your mind, hence you're going to let it slide.’

How do you relate to time?

Every single one of us has the same number of hours in a day. It’s one of the few things we all have in common. So why are some people more effective?at navigating?their time than others??

The truth is, you don’t have busy days, just busy moments in the day. It comes down to how you relate to time        

Daniel says if you’re sending?a?message to the universe that you’ve got no time because you’re too busy, people will leave you alone and you’re not going to attract new vendors into your life. It will be a blockage to success. ‘When people say to me, "Oh, you've got no time," my response?is always, "I?can always do more.?I’m?just grateful for the opportunity in front of?me. Do you know anyone?"?The truth is, you don’t have busy days, just busy moments in the day.?It comes down to how you relate to time.’

Breaking down or ‘chunking’ your time is beneficial. Where I might have?three items?in my diary?made up of two hours for this, one hour for that and three hours for something else, others fill each day in their diary with so many short to-do actions that it’s hard to imagine how they?actually get?anything done. It’s critical to protect time for actioning. At a time when?costs are increasing and profits are diminishing, we can no longer rely on delegating everything.?Getting hands-on and being your own mechanic, has become more important than ever before.

In terms of using your time effectively, consider emails as an example. Daniel says, ‘Unless you have an intent to respond,?you're wasting 200 hours a year reading emails.’ There are so many ways to find more time through efficiencies.?For instance, if I have a business receipt, I will take a photo of it while travelling in a taxi between appointments and upload it straight to Xero rather than collecting them and giving them to my accounts person and making it a time-consuming task for her, time that could be spent doing more dollar-productive work. It’s about addressing something in the moment. In your world, it could be calling your trusted mortgage broker when a potential buyer?reveals they haven’t yet had their finance approved. Or calling your painter when?an owner tells you they don’t have time to repaint themselves. It’s your capacity to action something in the moment so it’s not hanging over your shoulders later.

Daniel says,?‘The best time managers will never leave a listing presentation, a phone call with a buyer?orprospect until they've agreed on when they're going to?speak or meet next,?and locked in the appointment,ideally by calendar invite,?to?keep that person in market momentum. Otherwise, it's too hard to get people back on the hook.’

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