The Top Pitfalls That Are Holding Agents Back Archives

How Agents Get Back On Track!

Wade Webb on October 4, 2023

Getting knocked down and discouraged is part of the game. It’s impossible to be perfect 100% of the time. The key is knowing how to pick yourself up and get back on the horse, so you can still achieve your goals. That’s why this blog isn’t just about sticking to your commitments but recommitting to them if you ever fall off track. I always ask myself these 3 important questions. What did I learn? What Do I Do Different? What is Next?

How to Get Back on Track, Step 1: Don’t Be too Hard on Yourself.

It’s what I was just talking about but it’s worth putting it as the most important point. Too many people quit after a setback because they’re too discouraged to try again. Here’s the thing… You can only keep succeeding without a failure for too long, and if you do then you’re probably playing it too safe in what you shoot for. Failure is part of living an ambitious, successful life, and I’ve failed more times than you can imagine. The difference is, I always used those failures as an opportunity to learn. You need to accept the slip without letting it harm your self-esteem (this is important for Step 2) and then it’s time to adjust your plan…

How to Get Back on Track, Step 2: Reassess Your Plan.

Let’s say you committed to doing my 5/5/4 Challenge – or if you’ve attended one of my new Roadmap events, the 10/10/8/4 Challenge – where every day you talk to five people from your database, five new people, and following up with four leads you’ve already spoken to. You’ve made this the center of your prospecting strategy for the year and it was going well for the first few weeks until just a few days ago you dropped down to 5/3/2. Then the next day it was 4/2/1. And it kept on like that until now you only make calls if you’re feeling particularly inspired. You could try to pull up your britches and charge back into it… Or you could take a breath and ask what happened to throw you off course. And once you were thrown off, what kept you from correcting course the next day? Sure, sometimes appointments take up your time and life situations happen, but when getting knocked off track one day turns into a new habit, there’s probably a fault in the foundation of the plan. Now’s the time to diagnose the problem and correct it. Maybe it’s just too much for you to maintain with your current schedule. That’s okay. Try cutting it down to 4/4/3 and then move it back up once you gain a little more momentum. But maybe it’s just a motivation and mindset problem… In that case, how’s your diet and exercise schedule? What kind of books are you reading right now? Sometimes fixing one habit comes down to getting another in shape first.

How to Get Back on Track, Step 3: Make a Written Recommitment.

There’s something exceptionally powerful about recommitment, maybe even more powerful than committing for the first time because each time you come back to it, you show just how truly serious you are. This goes for everything that truly matters to you, even if you haven’t slipped up (trust me, I’ve married my wife three times now). Whether you’re coming back to a habit or a goal or you’re just ready to pour extra fire into one you’ve already been working with, you need to get it down on paper. This is a contract from you to yourself, but it’s also more than that. By recommitting on paper, you’re sending a signal to the universe that you really want this. Now, I don’t know where you stand on any of that New Age stuff, but I can tell you that there is an undeniable power in putting your burning desires to paper. It just simply works.

How to Get Back on Track, Step 4: Never Let Yourself Forget Your “Why.”

28,835. Does that look like a big number to you? Depends on what it is, right? What if I told you that the average person lives to be about 79 years old, and that means from birth to death, you only have around 28,835 days to live? Now, is that more or less than you were expecting? If you’re like me, it’s a freakin’ wakeup call every time you hear it. And if you want to get even more intense with this, here’s a link to the Google Death Clock. Go to it, fill out the information, and see how many days you have left, then try to tell me you can wait to get started tomorrow. The point is that there’s no time to waste here. This is your life. And if you’re not doing it for yourself, then who are you doing it for? Do you want to send you kids to college? Which college? How much does it cost? Figure it out and put that number up above your desk. Have a picture of your wife, your kids, your parents next to your phone to remind you why you’re making those calls.

How to Get Back on Track, Step 5: Track and Measure.

“How noble and good everyone could be if at the end of the day they were to review their own behavior and weigh up the rights and wrongs. They would automatically try to do better at the start of each new day, and after a while, would certainly accomplish a great deal.” That’s a quote from The Diary of Anne Frank, which if you haven’t read is full of powerful wisdom. Anne Frank was only 13 when she wrote that, but it’s clear that by keeping a diary, she was able to clarify and refine her thoughts into not just wisdom but also profound discipline. The point is you should be keeping a journal. But beyond that, you should also be treating yourself like your own most important employee. Be sure to track everything in some sort of “up and visual” scoreboard that reminds you what you’re working toward and hammers home the reality of where you stand currently.

How to Get Back on Track, Step 6: Get Some Accountability.

The most proven effective way of getting back and staying on track is to do it together with someone. Can you think of an organization that deals with overcoming powerful negative habits and preaches the message that it’s only possible when done in a group? Get an accountability partner, form a Mastermind group, or, if you’re ready for it, maybe it’s time to sign up for coaching. Our coaching program gives you not only a professional coach to help guide you on the right path but also access to the world’s biggest and most trusted community of top performing real estate agents who are holding each other accountable to their own success every single day. Quitter’s Day can come at any day when life throws you a punch in the face. The real question is, are you just going to take it or are you going to get back up and punch back? If you ever find that you’re falling short of the mark, follow these steps and I believe you’ll find yourself back in a better place than where you started from. Let me know in the comments which step is most useful to keep you on track. Thanks for reading!

Strength and courage,
Wade

Realtors© How To Stop That Stinkin’ Thinkin’ In 2023.

Wade Webb on September 13, 2023

“We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.”

To an extent, we were all just going to do what we’re all going to do, and isn’t that such an enormous relief? After all, most of the time, we work with what we have to work with, we gravitate towards the things that make us happy, we source ideas and inspiration that are wholly unique and individual to us, and most of those processes are not even necessarily conscious, let alone active. People emerge from the womb a blank slate and fill the space with the things they’re naturally interested in. However, to be successful with what you want takes something behind active measures: you have to know yourself, make a practice out of your dreams, angle yourself towards the “You” who has always dwelled in your mind, and work hard at being Your Best Self. But the rest? Just keep dreaming. Earl Nightingale (1921-1989) | American author & radio personality

Top 10 Thoughts To Eliminate As a REALTOR and in Your Personal Life.

1. Defeatist – a person who is accepting, expecting, or being resigned to defeat. Often linked to pessimism in psychology. How many of us have thought about defeat before we have even begun?

2. Cynical – a person who believes people are motivated by self-interest. They are distrustful of human nature and motives. How many of us question others sincerity and integrity.

3. Vindictive – a person who has or shows a strong and unreasoning desire for revenge. Have you ever met someone that is always out to get back at someone else?

4. Blame/Fault – a person who assigns responsibility to someone or something else. How many of us are the “who cares?” “what are we going to do now?” type of people.

5. Wishful – a person who expresses the desire or hope of something to happen even though it is not happening. They do what they can to influence the project, situation, deal and just keep moving.

6. Self-pity – an excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over your own troubles. Have you met someone that needs to get over themselves … stop making excuses … no more drama or complaints?

7. Worrisome – a person who is full of anxiety and concern. Worrying won’t help, costs you time, and can drag you and others down.

8. Jealous – a person feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages. If you want that achievement, then earn it!

9. Pre-argumentative – a person who builds their own imaginary argument and prepares themselves for the argument that may never happen. Imagine the energy and time we waste doing this?

10. Procrastinate – a person who always delays or postpones action and puts off doing something. If you’re going to procrastinate, it makes sense to do something fun instead of thinking about how bad it is you’re procrastinating.

Eliminating these thoughts might be impossible but minimizing them (and their impact) is completely doable. Here is the approach to eliminating these wasteful thoughts…

• Recognize them when they come up.

• Remind yourself they’re a costly distraction.

• Redirect your thinking (and/or doing) to something positive.

Embrace the simplicity by staying inspired and remember these are not our own thoughts, we just have friends with these kinds of wasteful thoughts 😉

Strength and courage,
Wade

The Top Pitfalls That Are Holding Agents Back

Wade Webb on March 20, 2019

You’re an entrepreneur… a creator… a business owner. Which has a huge upside. It can be so incredibly rewarding. But also throws challenges your way… Pitfalls you must avoid. In starting my own real estate business, real estate brokerage, real estate coaching company and working with so many other different companies throughout my life, I’ve identified the biggest challenges you need to overcome as a business owner. I’m sharing them with you today with the aim of preparing you for what to expect instead of being blindsided when you confront these challenges. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Top Pitfalls Holding Real Estate Agents Back

Belief – If there’s a fraction of doubt in your mind that your business is going to be successful, you’re already in trouble. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be practical. But before starting a business, you need 100% belief it’s going to work. Without that critical element, your doubt will lead to paralysis, and paralysis leads to inaction. Eliminate any doubts you have before taking the next step toward building your business.

Getting the Right People on Board and in Alignment – When hiring, you basically have two options… You can go out and recruit people you don’t know and convince them to join your team. Or you can team up with people you know and trust and slot them strategically into various roles. I’m a big believer when starting a business, working with people you trust and who are in alignment with your vision is absolutely crucial. If those people need training to master their roles, get it for them. Get them the exposure they need and give them that opportunity. But you gotta trust ‘em and make sure they’re in complete alignment with your vision.

Get Your Story Straight – If you’re opening a business, you need to know specific, measurable answers to these questions:

What do we do?
How are we different?
Who are we for?
Who are we not for?
What unique benefits do we provide?

Until those five questions have well-thought out answers, you’re not ready to start a business. Get your story straight and know how to communicate it clearly.

Capital to Grow – Without sufficient cash to grow your business you’re vulnerable to being taken out by a competitor. Here’s the thing: Cash is cheap. Selling stock is expensive in the long run. My advice is to pursue a business loan or home equity line of credit… And maintain complete ownership of your business.

A Scalable Sales Process – Without growth, business isn’t fun. That’s why you need to be constantly thinking about how to attract more customers. Your whole business is about solving problems for other people. How you communicate is what leads to growth. This idea of how to attract more customers needs to be at the forefront of your thinking. You need to schedule time to work on answering this question. Make it a priority and build it into your schedule. This certainly requires more work on your end, but if you fail to devote time specifically to growth initiatives, your business will quickly stop growing and start feeling like a grind.

Understand the Time Commitment Required – Starting a business means you have a new priority… When starting out, it’s likely going to require five years of working six to seven days a week to make it work. Not only do you have to work IN the business doing the work, but you have to work ON the business after hours. This is all a major commitment! Which means… …You need to be ready for it. …AND others in your life need to be ready for it, on the same page and fully supportive. Proceeding without this step is putting your most meaningful relationships in danger. Don’t do that! Have the conversations necessary to make it crystal clear most of your time (and attention) will be devoted to the business.

Discipline – In theory, owning a business is so fun and freeing! You’re in charge, you get to do what you want, blah blah blah… The reality is a much different picture. All those “napkin plans” you drew up don’t cut it in the real world. You need an actual plan. With lots of specific details! And then you need one more thing: The discipline to actually follow it. Those who have the discipline to continually execute their plans are those who will succeed. Those who lack discipline will get stuck, get distracted, get off course… and will fail.

Make Decisions Based on Data – Don’t let intuition and emotion guide your decision-making process. Instead, ask this question over and over and over: “What do the numbers show us?” Success in business is all about making quantitative decisions rather than qualitative decisions. Rely on your business intelligence, not your emotions.

Create a Culture of Testing – I want you to imagine yourself three years down the road of your start-up. Things have gone well, but a shift is taking place in the marketplace. A disruption. Will you dig in your heels and hold your course? Or will you accept these signals, adapting and evolving with the market? I hope you chose the latter. Those stuck to the former won’t last long in today’s ever-evolving world. Which also speaks to the importance of testing. I encourage you to create a culture of testing in your business and let the results guide your future actions. Create A/B tests for as much of your business as possible: Your marketing, servicing, past client follow-up… Whatever you can test, do it! The more you examine – and re-examine – what’s working and what’s not, the more potential for growth and prosperity you have.

Take the time to study this list and really understand where you and your business and life are being impacted by these common pitfalls. I challenge you to take action and take this content and make 2019 your best year ever!

Strength and courage,
Wade