Continuous improvement is a critical piece of the puzzle when putting together a successful career.  To be the best in any field, it requires practice, education, training/coaching and participation.  Let’s take a quick look at Tiger Woods.  Without question, he is the best in his field today.  Does he practice golf?  Does he study the golf course he is going to play and visualize each shot on the course?  Does he train and have a coach or multiple coaches? And does he go out and play or just sit back and watch?  I think we all know the answers to the questions.  If you want to be the best, why aren’t you doing what it takes?  Why do you only go half way?  Continuous improvement means you take risks, make mistakes and then learn and grow from those mistakes.

In order to determine where you need to improve, you must first analyze where you are today.  How is your business?  How are your marketing efforts?  What is your ideal client? How is your prospecting?  How is your follow up?  How are your results?  How is your knowledge of our business? How are your systems?  By careful, through thoughtful analysis of these areas, you can determine how, if you pay a little attention to what you can do to improve yourself and your business.

When looking at your business, are you working “on” your business or are you working “in” your business?  Do you study trends?  Meet with other industry experts?  Review and revise your business plan?  Do you educate yourself on what is currently happening in the marketplace?  Are you obtaining designations?  Are you involved in your association and hear different points of view on what is happening in the industry?  Do you have the right team members and are they in the right job to ensure your success?  Take a look and see where you can improve on your business.

Where are your marketing efforts, marketing dollars and time going and are you seeing results?  How do you know if you are getting results?  What tracking systems do you have in place?  Have you researched other advertising venues?  The question is – are you a secret agent?  Make yourself known in the market but do it wisely and inexpensively!

Have you determined who your ideal client is for you and your business?  Are you spending time or better yet, wasting time with people who don’t fit your profile?  If you are – why?  By working with those outside of your parameters can cause frustration, higher stress levels and drain your energy.  If people won’t help themselves, why should you help them?  Take the time to define your ideal client then spend your time finding and helping them.  You will be much happier and have more energy when working with them and your business will prosper.

We just hit on finding your ideal client so let’s review your prospecting strategies.  How are your sphere contacts?  How often are you communicating with them?  How are you communicating with them?  How are you building your database?  How broad is your database?  How are your networking skills?  Are you referring prior to asking to be referred?  Are you getting out in front of clients or are you hiding behind your desk either at home or in the office?

How do you measure results?  Is it number of leads?  Sales?  Hours worked?  Your pay per hour?  Have you analyzed and determined if you are getting the results you desire?

How is your education?  How is your knowledge of the contract?  The listing agreement?  Can you recite each paragraph and reference its number without having to see it?  Do you know what the right advice is to give your clients based upon how the contracts read?  What addendums are you using and are you intimately familiar with what they mean?  Are you obtaining designations in areas of our business that will help your clients buy and sell real estate in areas like distressed properties, green designations or with your Accredited Buyer Representation designation?  Are you attending training?  Seminars?  Are you building your educational base to help your clients?  You’ve got to learn more to earn more!

If you continuously improve in each of these areas – consistently – you will get results and obtain the success in our business you desire.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!