realtors

Do you have all your P’s?

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The Eight P’s that lead to success and how they can help you achieve more sales. 

Here they are – proactivity, prospecting, practice, preparation, passion, psychology, professionalism, and persistence.

Without a doubt, you need to be proactive.  You cannot wait for things to happen – you must go out and make them happen.  Get into the office a little earlier, and stay at work a little later.  You have to make the calls, do the emails, write the notes, and become involved in networking, plus all the other things to make the business come in for you.

Prospecting is a necessity.  Without consistent outreach to your sphere of influence and database, business won’t just appear.  You need a plan of action and follow that plan to get leads consistently.  Often times, agents get too involved in their business putting out fires, showing properties, handling settlement issues that they forget to prospect and as a result, their business suffers.  There needs to be a set time to develop new business – everyday – if you want to be a success.

Athletes, actors, speakers, and many other professionals practice.  As an agent, you need to practice your dialogues.  Your dialogues include phone call dialogues, listing presentations, buyer presentations, objection handling, your value proposition, and your affirmation dialogues.  It has been said that practice makes perfect but I believe it was John Wooden who said perfect practice makes perfect.  Either way – get your practice in daily.  Get a voice recorder and practice while driving in your car, or with other agents in your office, or at home with family members.  Just do it!

Preparation is also critical.  The consumer is going to the internet to get their information, they talk with friends, family members, and coworkers to get their intelligence.  As we know, other’s opinions are not always correct.  You need to prepared and have your data ready, your numbers spot on, and your trends documented to make a strong case to get your point across to your clients.  With proper preparation your professionalism will shine through and help you attain more business and more referrals.

You need to have passion for what you do.  If you have passion or if you don’t, it shows.  If you don’t have it, you won’t be as engaged, as convincing, as determined as you should be and people will recognize this in the way you work with them.  If you have the passion – you will have more energy and enthusiasm for getting into the office and helping others.  This behavior is evident and people will be attracted to working with you and refer others to do so as well.

The psychological aspect of sales is just as important as all the other pieces of the puzzle.  You have to be positive and upbeat to start with – everyday.  You have to be able to quickly recognize what type of personality style your clients have as well.  Are they analytical, logical, drivers, ambiables or a combination of a few?  It is imperative to know how to speak with people in their “personality” style language.  The quicker you do this, the more sales you will achieve and as a result, more success you will attain.

Professionalism encompasses so many aspects of how to conduct yourself in sales situations.  Punctuality, dress, language, conversations, listening, knowing your business, and respect are just a few.  Take professionalism seriously and your business will prosper.

Lastly, persistence and determination are critical to success.  Many people get caught up in the latest and greatest sales fad, technology or tool and stray from the tried and true relationship building aspects of sales.  Working by referral, adding new people into your database and providing them more value will put you on the pathway to success.

Embrace the Eight P’s and you will enjoy success in sales for years to come.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

It is that time of the month again…

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Platinum Club!  Here is what we discussed…

· Agents are concerned about appraisals – again.  Recently we had an appraiser come from Annapolis to do an appraisal in Leesburg – over 1.5 hours away – stay tuned about how it will turn out.  In another instance, an appraiser did an appraisal in Centreville who came from Frederick Maryland – at least a 1.25 hour drive away and it came in low to kill the deal.  Agents need to personalize themselves to the appraiser and build rapport with the appraiser as they do with any other client or business situation.  Suggestions were to take off lockbox and meet the appraiser to build the relationship.  Also, by taking off the lockbox you can say that you were inundated with showings and contracts and the sellers wanted it to stop to build excitement about your property.  Also, ask if they need help – don’t tell them what they need to know.

· Banks are doing strategic loan modifications to well qualified borrowers to get their loan mod numbers up to the government so they can foreclose on others…very sneaky!

· Sales continue to be brisk under $350,000 when the houses are priced right and are in top condition…it seems we say this every month!!

· It has been an investors market for several months now and will continue to be so for the next few years going forward because of jobs being created here, the strong rental market, low interest rates, affordable house prices and demand from those who have sold their houses through short sales or foreclosure needing a place to live.

· Fannie foreclosure assignments are rolling in but not many other foreclosures are not being released onto the market…of the Fannie listings, only about 25% are able to be placed on the market due to repairs, evictions or improper foreclosure.  Currently there are only 468 foreclosures on the market in Northern Virginia.  Our total distressed market only makes up 22.5% of our market – it is just over 30% in the rest of the country.

· Speaking of distressed properties, sellers are getting HAFA notices after short sales are in process and are requesting to switch to the program.  They are doing this because of the moving assistance credit of $3,000.  Many are doing this even after getting approval for the short sale and then they are getting foreclosure notices and completely screwing up the sales in the process.  People’s greed will never cease to amaze us!!

· It appears to be somewhat of a quirky market in a lot of cases…houses that are gorgeous  and priced right that the agents thought would sell quickly are sitting on the market and those they thought would never sell because of price, condition, location, etc are flying off the shelves – you never know what’s gonna happen.

· Quick pieces of advice – market to your sphere, talk to your sphere, stop by and see your sphere, and additionally, grow your sphere.  Network with others, know your numbers, know the trends, be a provider of valuable information and be a great communicator.

The networking with these other top notch professionals is an opportunity that should never be missed when invited to attend.  The jokes, camaraderie and discussions make you feel great and truly pump you up on the business.  Plus it is an opportunity to convey to clients what other top producing agents are saying about the market in an invitation only – exclusive environment.  Don’t miss it again.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

What makes a TRUE leader?

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It is one of the most debated questions amongst business owners, community groups, and associations.  There is no exact answer, but there are a lot of opinions and there are a lot of questions surrounding this topic. 

Are leaders made or born?  Is there a “ladder” one must climb to reach the top and if so, does each rung need to be touched?  Are there those who just show up, participate in activities and deserve to be the leader because of tenure or can one be recognized for achievement, ability and knowhow and be placed into a leadership role ahead of others who have “played” the game?

One of the best characteristics of a leader is charisma.  Are people attracted to and want to learn from an individual because of how they carry themselves?  When they enter a room do they command respect and recognition from others?  Do people seek them out and ask their opinion both privately and publicly?  Are they confident and approach others easily and vice versa?  Are they warm and welcoming?  Do they smile easily and genuinely?  Do they express empathy and convey understanding?  Do they dress and play the part of a leader?  If so, this person is on their way to leadership.

Do they have a rolodex of other leaders?  Do they know the owners of other companies that are not only local but national in scope?  Do they have the ear of these professionals because of the respect they earned on the streets?  Are they actively involved in their business as an owner who has been through tough times and pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and in turn inspired others to do the same or did they just go through the motions and accept what others told them to do?  If so, this person is on the way to leadership.

Do they accept and embrace change and look for another way of approaching how things are done?  Do they do the same thing others have done because that’s the way it has always been done and always should be done or do they break the mold?  Are they satisfied with the status quo or are they looking for ways to build a better mouse trap or continuously improve upon systems and processes?  Are they able to analyze situations to know when to say when and forge a new path or direction and have others follow them in the new direction?  Are they quick to adapt to different situations calmly yet quickly?  If so, they are on their way to leadership.

Are they able to communicate well with others across multiple platforms as well as across generations?  Do they know how to “speak” with people on their level and motivate them to accomplish more than they would have had they not met this person?  Is their communication concise, responsive and consistent? Are they comfortable speaking one on one as well as in front of groups publicly?  Are they often asked to participate in events, conferences or outings because of their ability to communicate with others and how they are perceived?  If so, they are on their way to leadership.

Do they accept accountability and encourage others to be held accountable?  Do they expect the best from themselves and motivate others to expect the best from themselves?  Do they praise publicly, early and often?  Do they correct others privately and help set a corrective course of action for improvement in performance?  If so, this person is on their way to leadership.

Are their time management skills in place?  Do they have the ability to juggle many balls while accomplishing them all well?  Can they delegate well to others and get the most out of them so that the job is done properly, every time?  Do they allocate the appropriate amount of time for others and empower them do the same?  If so, they are on their way to leadership.

Are they actively involved in all aspects of their business?  Do they attend conferences, seminars and trainings both locally and nationally?  Are they often asked to be a speaker at these events?  Are they involved in their association and have they been involved with it on multiple levels?  Do they have several revenue streams within their business which gives them a broader perspective on the business or is their approach to the business more narrowly focused?  Are they considered to be great networkers?  If these qualities are possessed by someone, they are on the path to leadership.

Are they able to clearly state their vision?  Is their vision clear and concise?  Is it one that inspires others to follow and want to be a part of as well?  Is part of their vision and mission to refer easily and be open to receiving referrals as well?  Do they share their knowledge, skills and abilities with others freely and openly?  If so, leadership is in this person’s future.

Obviously, it is difficult to find someone who possesses all of these qualities and this person should be embraced and accepted into leadership without reservation.  In addition, others may possess some or many of these characteristics but not all and should be given consideration for lesser leadership roles until they develop the qualities necessary for leadership positions.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go lead someone!

What’s going on in our crazy market?

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What a great event – the broker owner conference in Denver – turned out to be for all of those who attended.  The networking was excellent as always but it was the content of all of the sessions that had the most impact on us.  Michael Abrashoff delivered the key note address on leading your company.  Many of us are coming out of the survival mode and into the “new normal” economy so his message on leadership was very timely.  Each of the breakout sessions covered aspects that are relative to our industry today.  Topics included:  how to take advantage of the market we are experiencing, how to increase your exposure on the internet as well as marketing ideas to help you generate more business.

It is important to attend events such as these to get an understanding of what other agents and brokers are experiencing today, to hear what industry experts are forecasting for our market going forward and to get tips on making you a better agent to become a more professional business person.

Here are a few ideas that were discussed:

· Banks have only released 30% of their inventory up to this point

· Short sales on average are sold at 15% discount – foreclosures are sold at a 35% discount so banks are going to adapt and begin to accept more short sales and are even considering principal reductions on loans of 10% because they will save money in the end

· Interest rates are going remain at this level for several more months

· The job market is stabilizing

· The US Dollar is stabilizing

· The bulk of the Stimulus money is being released in 2010-2011

· There should be 5.5 million home sales in 2010 – 5.2 to 5.3 million in 2011

· 14.75 million houses are underwater – 9.1 million have negative equity of 20% and 4.1 million are have negative equity of 50%

· Foreclosures will continue through 2012 and will begin to slow in 2013

· 70% of all loans are being handled by 4 banks

· 1.7 million GSE loans are 60+ days past due

· Government agencies hold almost half of all REO inventory

· Strategic defaults may have peaked

· Chase is no longer doing short sales so be sure to let your clients know!

· Foreclosures accounted for 31% of Q1 sales – distressed properties accounted for over 50% of all sales

· Investors make up 20% of the market today and will represent 50% over the next 3 years, so it’s time to get educated on working with them to capture this piece of our market

So what do you think the moral of the convention was for most of us?  Get busy understanding distressed properties, how to handle short sales, and the options sellers have going forward.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Great information was shared last night at the Real Estate Information Exchange!

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Real Estate Information Exchange news you can use!

 

· Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac have been ordered to delist from the NYSE because they have been trading below $1 for more than 30 days. The delisting will be effective July 8th .

o   They can still post filings w/ the SEC

o   Investors will be able to buy & trade on the over-the-counter bulletin board (I attached a definition)

o   Trading on the over-the-counter bulletin board will cause the trading volume will drop, prices will deteriorate further, price volatility will increase it will become more difficult to trade a large number of stocks

 

·     Housing starts fall

o   Housing starts in May fell 10% from April (but up 7.8% from this time last year)

o   Building permits are down 5.9% from April (but up 4.4% from this time last year)

o   Builder confidence is dropping due to problems with obtaining financing, faulty appraisals, competition from short sales & foreclosures

 

·      Senate approves extension of Tax Credit Closing Deadline because of backlog of closings due to close by June 30th…homebuyers and lenders now have until September 30th to close on their properties!

 

· Bank of America has converted an additional 16,000 homeowners from trial to permanent loan mods this past month….bringing its total to 70,000!

o   HAMP is B of A’s biggest effort and have completed 71k non-HAMP mods so far this year

o   Total delinquency rate (according to Moody’s) among 2005-2008 subprime loans peaked at 54.4% in Jan. 2010 and since then the rate has began to decline and as of April is 51.5%

o   24% of delinquent borrowers in Feb were current in March

o   Expect that 50-70% of permanent mods will eventually default…wow! Because negative equity is such a significant driver of default (the level will depend heavily on the successful implementation of principal forgiveness)

 

· VA Dept of Health recommends denying 2 applications for a Haymarket Hospital – just so you know what is happening in our area…

 

· RIS Social Media conference…lots of good information, you have to leverage social media in your business… it’s the future. If you would like to learn a few tips, set up a time to meet with me!

 

· Josh Burruss of Potomac Mortgage Group briefed us on what’s happening in the mortgage side of things.  New Disclosures! Undisclosed Debt Disclosures and New Debt Acknowledgement at Closing form.  Credit will be pulled for FHA borrowers 3 days prior to closing and these forms have to be signed confirming that no new debt has been incurred during the time period while we wait for closing.  This can hurt a lot of buyers whose credit scores are one or two points away from being in the poorer credit zones. Stay tuned as things seem to change daily.

Why salespeople are successful!

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I recently wrote an article about why agents fail and thought I should counter that article and mention why salespeople are successful.  Here are a few tips to help you know why agents are successful:

· They are continuously prospecting.  When at their kids games, or at the grocery store and any place in between, they are adding people to their database to increase their chances of receiving a referral.

· They can communicate their value proposition to those they meet.  They know why they are in the business and how to let people know, in an informative way of why they should buy or sell and use them as their agent.

· They know the market, stats, and trends and can repeat them quickly and easily.  People love to speak about real estate and if you can be the information provider, you will become a trusted advisor to them and receive more leads.

· They know why today is a good time to buy or sell and can state 3 examples of why this is the case.  People need to know the “real” reasons why now is a good time to buy or sell a house that is factually based and personal to their situation.

· They further their education above and beyond the minimum standards of continuing education.  Agents who earn designations and can communicate why the designation is important to the client earn more money than agents who do not earn a designation. 

· They are continuously networking with business people, previous clients and other industry professionals.  They join BNI, chambers, or start networking groups of their own to increase their databases and get more opportunities for referrals.

· They have a plan and work their plan.  If you don’t have a business plan, develop one today!  Your business plan will give you the direction you need to be successful and give you a daily plan of action to accomplish your goals.

· They utilize social media as a tool to market themselves and their listings and services.  It is a fact – social media is here to stay.  It is time to embrace this phenomenon and get online.  Blog, get on Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo and reach out to your database to let them know you are in the business and you are successful in it.

· They communicate the value of working with a Realtor and subscribe to the code of ethics.  They are professional and show it through their actions and interactions with others.

· They are results and solution oriented and don’t dwell on the negative situations they encounter.  They look for the educational value or learning experience in each opportunity they face.  Failure is approached as learning experience not a negative one.

· And lastly, they have positive attitudes and attack each day with enthusiasm.  Be an example to others in how you approach situations with optimism and passion and results will follow as they do with other successful people.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Be prepared for what might happen…

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We all know that there was a push to get houses under contract by April 30th and settled by June 30th so guess what could happen?  Settlements may get delayed as stress has been put on the system to get these transactions closing on time.  Is your lender on top of your buyer’s loan application?  Have your purchaser’s submitted all of their paperwork to the lender?  Is your appraisal completed?  Has the appraisal been underwritten?  Have you received your commitment yet?  Today is the time to push everyone in the process to move forward and get your sale ready for closing early – be the squeaky wheel. 

Why do you ask are you urged to take action today?  Well, if your settlement is delayed, your buyer may not receive their tax credit they are entitled to receive.  If the settlement gets delayed, who is responsible for making up the difference?  If you are proactive, on top of your transactions and put pressure on the lender to perform…it won’t be you!  If you wait until the last minute to check on your loan and where your loan is in process…the buyers may look at you for a contribution to their lost opportunity.  Begin to have questions today to discuss the potential of the loan not closing and what your lender is going to do to make it right if it doesn’t happen as scheduled.  If you lay it on the line early, you will get the results your clients are looking to receive – an on time settlement!

Potential solutions could be reducing your buyer’s principal amount.  Buying down the interest rate is another possibility.  Paying closing costs for the buyer is another possibility.  When the responsibility is put on the lender early to perform or pay – they will perform more often than not. 

On the flip side of the transaction – a buyer may decide not to close if they don’t receive the credit and potentially walk away from the transaction.  As a listing agent, track your closings closely – you don’t want to get caught off guard!

Be the professional, be on top of the process and avoid problems that may arise and you will be the trusted advisor that gets referrals for taking care of your client.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

How do you approach failure?

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Failure and how you approach it can lead to more failure or tremendous success.  Are you afraid of failure and as such, rarely risk attempting anything new?  Are you a remedial failure – you fail a few times before you learn something from your experience?  Are you a habitual failure that fails every time you attempt to do something new?  Or do you embrace failure and look for the learning experience each time you do not succeed?

Analyze the last time you failed.  How did it make you feel?  Did you feel upset and distraught?  Did the experience leave you feeling puzzled and curious?  Did the experience make you analyze why you failed and how you could have improved to prevent the same result again? Or did you have an ah ha moment resulting in you knowing exactly what happened and why?  It is critically important to know what happened that lead to your failure and why.  If you tweaked your presentation, asked more questions, spoke with the decision maker, or reworked your numbers would you have won?  Ask for feedback from the client, your peers or mentors to determine how you could improve to gain more achievement.

People who have experienced tremendous failures understand and recognize the importance of what happened so they can grow from the experience and build toward success.  Keep an open mind when you fail – be optimistic that you will find a better way to accomplish your task – learn from you mistake and move on to finding an alternative solution.  Also, build upon the experience of other successful people to learn how they adapted to failure:

Henry Ford Failure Quote:

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."

~ Henry Ford

 

Thomas Alva Edison Failure Quotation:

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

~ Thomas Alva Edison

 

Benjamin Disraeli Failure/Success Quote:

"All my successes have been built on my failures."

~ Benjamin Disraeli

 

Sir Winston Churchill Quote on Failures:

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

~ Sir Winston Churchill

 

Thomas H. Palmer Quote on Failure:

"IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN. Don't give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end.”      ~Thomas H. Palmer

In addition to this, you must try.  Don’t sit back and wait for something to happen.  Take action, massive action towards your goals and then remember it is imperative that you keep positive, be persistent, move on and concentrate on your next task and don’t lose your enthusiasm to get the results you are looking for out of your efforts.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Now, go sell something!

Slow & steady we move along…

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The real estate market is moving steadily along today but with reservation.  As corporations continue to move into our area and the state attracts businesses all over the Commonwealth, we were ranked #7 in the most transient states in the country – pretty impressive for those of us selling houses!  In order to be successful, you have to find the buyers and sellers so get out there and get busy looking – they won’t come to you, you have to go to them!

In addition to this, existing home sales increased 7.6% in April.  This was expected as the home buyer tax credit was set to expire but let’s keep a close eye on this in the coming months and see if the sales momentum continues.  We should be in good shape and should continue to outpace the rest of the country as we continue to create jobs, have affordable housing prices, and interest rates remain low.

Not only did existing home sales increase but so did new home sales!  New home sales rose 14.8% in April – the highest performance in two years!  Be wary however as the pace of new home permits dropped 10.7% in April as well.  We can expect this number to drop next month as a result of fewer permits being issued couple with low builder inventory.

Mortgage interest rates also continue to be a driving force in continued sales.  This week it was reported interest rates are at their lowest level since December as the instability in financial markets overseas have lowered borrowing costs.  If rates continue to stay low, buyers will understand the fundamentals for ownership are strong and will continue buy homes.

Another key to the market continuing to blossom this spring is consumer confidence.  As the economy continues to improve and we ease out of the recession, consumers believe their personal situation is improving and as a result, they are spending again.  As we know, consumers drive the recovery in their “perception” of their situation and not necessarily, reality.

Now, let’s talk about the reservation part of the blog.  Although refinance applications remain strong – they have increased 3 consecutive weeks – purchase applications have continued to decrease and have done so four consecutive weeks.  As a result, purchase applications have dropped to their lowest levels since 1997.  Keep a close eye on this number as it indicates future settlements on home purchases.

Next, is the double dip in home prices that Dave Stevens mentioned at our year end meeting in December.  Two price indices – the dreaded S&P Case-Shiller and the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported housing price decreases in the first quarter.  As we have mentioned, the under $400,000 market and the $800,000 – $1,000,000 market continue to be strong but the inventory priced between $400,000 – $800,000 are still trying to find the bottom and that is where a majority of our houses are priced today.  Couple this with the fact that mortgage delinquency rates have hit 10% – a record.  If these homes go into foreclosure and don’t end up as a HAP sale or a short sale, prices could continue to slide.

Lastly, another monkey wrench that could be thrown into the equation that could affect getting home loans is if Fannie Mae implements the right to pull credit up until the day of closing.  It can have a significant impact on a purchaser’s ability to close on their loan if their credit score goes down by just one point.  As we know, it is monkey see monkey do in the lending arena so others may implement this same strategy to limit the number of defaults in the future.  Stay tuned for further details.

So, what do you do?  Work!  As previously mentioned – people are buying and selling houses here in Northern Virginia – get out there and network.  Create urgency – rates won’t stay this low forever, prices will increase and if you can afford the home today, buy it.  Be a professional Realtor and set yourself apart from others in the industry and you will survive in any market.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Why do sales people fail?

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Why do sales people fail, survive or thrive is a question I hear more often in the one-on-ones conducted with sales people in our office lately.  In real estate there are several factors that make up the answer.  The top producers in the business take each one of these tips to heart and work them to the best of their ability day in and day out consistently which helps them attain high levels of productivity and success.  Let’s review what is important to take you to the next level and what you need to avoid to become a sales failure:

Ø  The number one issue is lead generation.  They don’t do enough prospecting, networking or whatever it takes to get in front of people looking to buy or sell your product.  Without someone to sell to, there will be no income generated.  All of the knowledge in the world is useless if you have no one to communicate it to.  Get busy getting clients. 

Ø  Next is they can’t communicate their value proposition clearly enough to their client or potential clients.  Develop an elevator speech to build your value proposition around to becoming a success.

Ø  Also, they don’t know the inventory or preview homes which prevent them from keeping their finger on the pulse of the market and being able to communicate with someone a good deal when asked.

Ø  Additionally, they don’t have systems in place for success.  It is critical to have systems for prospecting, following up, following through, handling internet leads, or getting a sale to settlement.  If systems are in place, they are antiquated.  Get busy streamlining your systems to make yourself more efficient.

Ø  They don’t seek out coaching or accountability.  It is so important to ask for guidance, help, and direction so you can grow you business.  Taking counsel from your self can only get you so far.  You need to have someone with experience to bounce ideas off, help hold you accountable and give you advice to get you to the next level.

Ø  Salespeople who fail don’t further their education.  They don’t complete their continuing education, attend trainings or seminars, or obtain designations which are an integral part of success.  On the job training will only get you so far in this business.  Remember, when you stop learning you stop earning.

Ø  Because of the aforementioned items, they have difficulty understanding market trends.  Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market and why is so important.  They don’t know their own numbers, their company’s numbers, numbers relating to the marketplace, their competition’s numbers, etc. so it makes it difficult to give the right advice when buying or selling a home.

Ø  They fail to have proper database management.  Who is good, who needs to be deleted and most importantly, who to add to their sphere is paramount to success.

Ø  The communication level and message sent to their clients, sphere, and other agents will help ensure success.  How frequently, what is communicated, and when is it communicated sets top producing agents apart from the rest of the crowd.

Ø  Practice, practice, practice.  Either they don’t have or don’t rehearse scripts.  Get a partner and rehearse over coming common objections, listing presentations, buyer presentations, etc.  Video these meetings and critique your performance.  If you haven’t done homework how will you graduate to the next level?

Ø  They don’t have a business plan.  If you don’t have a plan, how will you know what your priorities are for your day?  How will you know what you want to accomplish?  The importance of a business plan cannot be overlooked and must be taken from your head and put on paper.

Ø  The right attitude is so important and top producers have the proper attitude.  Have a can do, positive attitude each and every day.  We all have set backs in life but it is how you approach and respond to these situations that set you apart from others in the field. 

Ø  Salespeople who fail lack taking responsibility for themselves and their actions.  It is the market, interest rates and loan programs, their clients just don’t get it, the weather, or so many more.  Take responsibility for your lack of productivity by implementing the right strategies previously mentioned in this blog.

Ø  They don’t manage their time well.  They put out fires consistently, don’t prioritize their activities and the day passes them by too often.  You must work each day to be intentional in your efforts.  Use your time wisely.  Block out time to get your most important things done without interruption.  Everyone has the same amount of time every day, it is how you use it that separates the good from the great.

You can see why it is easy to fail, there are so many areas of relevance and importance.  They are all intertwined and relate to each other on many levels.  If you take the time to analyze what you are doing in each area and improve daily in them, you will take your career to new heights.  Challenge yourself to improve and the results will follow.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!