How is 2023 Going for You, Real Estate Friends?
As featured in RealtorMag YPN Lounge.  |
| Are you experiencing the infamous highs and lows of what I call the "sales rollercoaster"? |
If you’re reading this and your answer is, “ummm… not quite” or if you’re feeling like you could already use a re-do, it might be time for a little self-coaching.
Honest reflection is a great way to assess where you’re at, where you want to be in business and how to get there. It gives you some accountability and it provides a roadmap so you can see exactly what’s been happening and where you need to improve. It also shows you where you’re killing it already!
Why Now: “But I’m Not into Making New Year’s Resolutions”
I get it — some of you may not give a flying fig about setting new year’s resolutions. That is not what this has to be.
Sidebar: although I must say there is a collective momentum in the air this time of year that is unmatched and may inspire those of us that thrive off group accountability. I’m looking at you “Stable Mable”, which is what I call those that have the DISC predominant personality of Steady. (Do you know how to “Profit with Your Personality”? If not, check out this podcast for a quick rundown: https://www.realtrends.com/articles/dr-lee-davenport-on-prospecting-by-personality/)
Instead, our tax season (and if you are into getting recognition through top producer awards, those), follow the calendar year. Thus, there is nothing like the start of the year to really assess how your previous year ended.
Typically, when we start business planning for a new year in October, November, or December, there are often deals still pending so we make projections based on those final deals. January is a great time to recalibrate with actual numbers — see what’s what, what needs to stay the same and what needs to change.
But is January the only time? I would not be an international coach if I said it is. For my clients, we recalibrate at least monthly (some desire weekly accountability) especially based on the market shifts over the last three years (but really since “The Great Recession” began back in 2008). I have found that if we have a habit (James Clear called them “atomic habits”) of aligning our business goals with our actual activities and results at least monthly, it is easier to stay off what I call the “sales rollercoaster” — you know that horrible business ride that has the high of deals then the low of hearing crickets (some call this “feast or famine”.)
Personal Accountability: Questions to Coach Yourself
- What lead generation activities and other business practices worked best for you in 2022 that will still be relevant with the changing market? How can you continue those activities and perhaps make even more time for them?
- In what ways did your unique personality serve you well in 2022? How can you do more of that going forward?
- What became more important to you and what become less important in 2022?
- What did you start and finish in 2022? What motivated you to accomplish this? **This uncovers motivation that you may need to leverage in 2023.
- What did you start and not finish in 2022? Does this need to be eliminated for 2023 or restarted with additional tools and/or support (e.g. a new CRM, hire/fire team members, (re)start coaching, etc.)?
- Which boundaries felt difficult to maintain in 2022?
- What is the biggest business lesson you learned in 2022? How can you apply this lesson to 2023?
- What word or phrase is going to guide your intentions in the new year?
What to Do Once You’ve Answered These Questions
Now, take those answers and either add them to your monthly (weekly or daily) calendar alerts (the pings and dings of my iPhone keep me on track) or write them on a visible calendar to help you keep these at the center of your daily business activities.
In other words, please review these answers often in order to focus your thinking. That way you are taking agency of your calendar instead of letting apathy, client crisis, the (necessary) day-to-day minutiae of sales and marketing, or anything else hijack your strategy to get and stay off the sales rollercoaster.
Sound off - I would love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram and YouTube. Or, get your "training on" with these on-demand classes. Here's to your success! #LearnWithDrLee
