The Secret to Adding More Hours to Your Day
Denise Lones
Helping real estate agents build business with branding and coaching. President of The Lones Group
Most people wish they had more time. There are very few successful agents who are able to check everything off their list at the end of the day. In fact, many agents will never reach the level of success they should because they are mired in a never-ending sea of tasks – and they are not focusing on the ones that will help them achieve that next level of success.
I am going to say that again because it is important. Agents who should be more successful aren't because they aren't focusing on the tasks that will help them achieve that next level of success.
Most agents are excellent firefighters. They pull together CMAs on the fly, get flyer boxes stuffed, show buyers homes near and far (and on-demand), sort their receipts, do their filing, buy client gifts, and more – what the transaction dictates is done. But there is very little time (or energy) to focus on tomorrow's business when you are doing all these things to get by.
If this sounds like you, I am about to tell you the three reasons why your business isn't where it should be:
- You are doing things you don't like doing.
- You are doing things you aren't good at doing.
- You are doing things that are not in your best interest to be doing.
Really think about these three statements, but before you do that, I want you to think about this question:
What is the one thing you should be doing in your business?
Assume for a minute you are Cher. I once saw Cher at a show a few years ago in which she did some amazing costume changes and kept the audience rapt for a few hours while she performed. At the end of the show, Cher called her crew out and introduced them. One crew member was in charge of her wigs. Someone else was in charge of her shoes. All of this happened behind the scenes, but Cher was able to focus solely on what she should be doing and that is getting out on stage and performing (since that is what sold tickets). If Cher had to handle her own wigs, costumes, makeup, make sure the music was cued up correctly, coordinate the lighting, and make sure she was hydrated, she would have been a frazzled mess when it came time to perform and she would have not been as compelling of a performer.
So, what is the one thing you should be doing in your business? For some agents, that is showing up live at events, meetings, and in the community. For agents who are more analytical, that might be getting real estate statistics and information out so potential clients call them. For brokerage owners and managers, that might be building relationships with other agents who are potential recruits. If you could strip all the details and to-do lists off of what you are currently doing and focus on what truly brings you business, what would that be?
Do you have your answer? Then let's go back to those three statements I said earlier and let's determine the things you don't like doing, the things you aren't good at doing, and what is not in your best interest to be doing.
What are things you don't like doing?
Do you like to file? Do you like to sort your expenses? Do you like to create house flyers and listing marketing? Do you like to do your own social media posts? Do you like to pull numbers from your MLS? Do you like to deal with your office printer? Everything that you do that you hate will drain your energy – which is needed for other things. Even vacuuming your office! Make a list of those things you don't like doing.
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What are the things you do that you aren't good at doing?
If it takes you four hours to put together a house flyer, that is not the best use of your time. Same thing with creating mailings for a past client or farm campaign – if you are struggling with graphics, content, creating a compelling call-to-action, then let it go!
What are the things that aren't in your best interest to be doing?
If you are on a committee that drains your energy or is full of negativity, then it may not be in your best interest to continue. If you like posting about real estate on your social media page, but find that every time you do, you are spending hours scrolling through your newsfeed, it may not be in your best interest to do that. Remember, for every task you take on, there is an opportunity cost – if those minutes spent are not spent on activities that will bring you the highest return on investment, then you need to rethink how you are spending this as time is a finite asset.
Now that you have your lists, you have your time leverage orders. You need to find alternatives to avoid doing the things you don't like doing, the things you aren't good at doing, and the things that are not in your best interest to continue doing. Does that mean you need to hire an assistant? Maybe. Or if there are just a few things on your list, first see if you have support in your office that you are already paying for. Does that mean you need to hire a housecleaner? Probably! Does this mean you need to find someone else to handle your past client, database, and lead generation campaigns? If you aren't doing them consistently, they take you too much time to put together, and/or they aren't reflective of the professional you are, then absolutely.
Get unstuck and prepare yourself for that next level of success by analyzing how you spend your time. The changes you make and the help that you receive will help catapult you to the next level. That is how you add more hours in your day – by leveraging the time you have and leveraging the help of others.
To schedule an appointment, call us at (360) 527-8904, email?solutions@thelonesgroup.com.
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By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI - The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings nearly three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.