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Years ago, one of my coaches gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me.
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And when I say it stuck with me, I mean I still think about it.
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And I still use it with agents I coach today.
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Gosh, as a matter of fact, I use it with myself.
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It was pretty simple.
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Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
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Now I'm sure I'm not the only person who's ever been taught that or some version of that.
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But for whatever reason, that one stuck.
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Because think of your business for a minute.
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There's probably one thing right now you know you should be doing, and you're not doing it.
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Maybe it's making a call, following up again, having a conversation, asking for an appointment, talking to a seller about a price reduction.
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I just had one of those today myself.
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Or maybe it's something that's been sitting on your to-do list so long you've almost stopped seeing it.
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And here's what I've learned.
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Most of the things that actually move our business forward aren't particularly complicated.
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They're just really easy not to do.
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I don't know how to say it any differently.
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So today I want to talk about the one thing you keep avoiding.
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You know, let's just call it that one thing.
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Welcome back to Agent Performance Coaching for Real Estate Agents.
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I'm Ken Gould.
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I'm a working real estate agent.
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Yep, boots on the ground doing the real work of real estate, a real estate performance coach, and even a small business owner.
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And we're three weeks into this now.
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The first week I challenged you with maybe you don't need more leads.
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Last week, that systems outlive motivation.
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And today, those two ideas come together.
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Because you can't have leads, you can have systems, you can have the greatest CRM on earth, you can have scripts, you can have a coach, you can have AI, you can have a beautifully time-blocked calendar, but at some point you still have to do the work.
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And that's the part nobody can do for you.
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So where did this come from?
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Well, like I mentioned at the beginning, this philosophy didn't come from me sitting around trying to come up with a clever quote for a podcast.
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It's something I've picked up through coaching from my coach years ago, and it's stuck.
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There are things coaches have taught me over the years that I may have forgotten.
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There are things I've learned that I've modified.
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There are things that worked at one stage of my career and don't necessarily fit the way I operate today.
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That's part of growing in the business.
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But one stayed with me.
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Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
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Why?
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Because it's applicable to almost everything.
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Real estate, business, coaching, our lives.
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And I found myself repeating it to agents I coach because I think it gets it to the heart of something we don't talk enough about.
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Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different things.
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Let's talk about procrastination.
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Let's be real about procrastination.
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Here's something interesting.
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Most of us don't procrastinate on the easy stuff.
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Nobody says, I've been putting off scrolling Instagram for three weeks, right?
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That doesn't happen.
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We procrastinate on the things that make us uncomfortable.
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Calling somebody who hasn't returned our last three calls.
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Maybe it's calling an expired listing.
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Maybe it's just calling our database when we haven't talked to them in years.
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Following up with somebody who said that they weren't ready.
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Asking someone, are you ready to move forward?
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Maybe it's having a pricing conversation with a seller, calling a client when we have bad news.
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Those things have emotional weight.
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So instead, we find something productive to do.
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And real estate gives us an unlimited supply of productive looking things.
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So this is the one I want you to watch for.
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I call it productive procrastination.
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You don't sit on the couch to do nothing.
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That would be too obvious.
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Instead, you clean up your CRM, you work on your website, you create a social media post, you watch a training video, you reorganize your desk, maybe you research another lead source, you tweak your email signature, and the list goes on and on and on.
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Maybe you even ask Chat GPT to rewrite something 14 different ways.
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And at the end of the day, you think, man, was I busy today?
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You were.
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But here's my question.
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Did you do the thing you knew you needed to do?
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Remember that one thing?
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That's different.
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And sometimes there's something underneath the procrastination that we don't talk enough about.
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Sometimes we're not avoiding something because we're lazy.
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We're avoiding it because there's a possibility of rejection attached to it, right?
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We're gonna get sweaty palms, we're gonna be uncomfortable.
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What if I call and they say no?
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What if the expired seller hangs up on me?
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What if I ask for an appointment and they're not interested?
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What if I call my database after not talking to them for a long time, maybe a few years, and it feels awkward?
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What if I tell my seller the price needs to come down and they get upset with me?
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So we tell ourselves, I'll do it later, and later feels safer.
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That's why I sometimes think procrastination is fear wearing business clothes.
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And if you recognize that you can deal with it differently.
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Instead of saying, I need to become more motivated, maybe the conversation is, okay, what am I actually afraid of here?
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Is it rejection?
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Is it feeling uncomfortable?
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Not knowing exactly what to say?
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Looking foolish?
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Because once you identify that, the thing you're avoiding often gets a lot smaller.
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Let me give you an example of what this can look like.
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I was working with an agent who knew exactly what she needed to do.
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No questions about it.
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We had talked about her lead generation.
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We had talked about follow-up.
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She had people in her database she needed to call.
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She knew it.
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She wasn't sitting there saying, Ken, I don't know what to do.
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She knew.
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But week after week there was always something else.
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She needed to work on something in the CRM.
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She had some marketing she wanted to get finished.
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She needed to get organized.
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She needed to get ready to be ready, right?
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We know that one.
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There were some things around the house she needed to take care of, and listen, all of those things were legitimate.
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That's what makes this so easy to justify.
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So finally during one of our coaching calls, I asked her a pretty simple question.
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What's the one thing you're avoiding?
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And she knew immediately, the calls.
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It wasn't that she didn't know who to call, it wasn't that she didn't have their phone numbers, it wasn't that she didn't know what to say, she just didn't want to make the calls.
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And I think we've all been there.
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So instead of giving her another strategy or another script or another lead generation idea, we made it really simple.
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Make the calls.
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Don't worry about whether somebody answers.
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Don't worry about whether you get an appointment.
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Don't worry about whether you get a listing.
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Those are the results, and you don't completely control those.
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The win for the day was, did you make the calls you said that you were going to make?
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And here's the interesting part.
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Once she started doing it, the things she billed up in her head wasn't nearly as bad as she had made it out to be in the first place.
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She had some conversations, some people didn't answer, some were not interested, some were not ready, and she arrived.
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But more importantly, she got moving again.
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And that's the lesson.
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Sometimes we think we need another strategy, another lead source, another system, another training.
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When what we really need is to identify that one thing we're avoiding and take action and simply do it.
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So what's your one thing?
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Now let's make this about you for a minute.
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Because yours may not be prospecting.
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Maybe you've got 200 people sitting in your database you know you haven't stayed in touch with them.
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Maybe there's a seller you've been avoiding because you know you need to have a price conversation.
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Maybe you met someone at an open house three weeks ago who told you they might be selling and you never followed up.
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Ugh, I hate that.
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Maybe you've been saying for six months, I'm gonna start doing open houses.
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Maybe you know you need to ask somebody for the appointment.
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Maybe you've been having conversations with somebody for months but never actually asked.
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Are you ready to move forward?
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Maybe there's a past client you should call.
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Maybe it's an expired listing.
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Maybe it's practicing the script you keep saying you're going to practice.
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Whatever it is, what name just popped into your head?
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Because usually we know we don't need somebody else to tell us.
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And that's probably the thing worth paying attention to.
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The things we avoid often are closest to the money, if that makes any sense.
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Think about the two lists.
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List one, update my website, organize my files, look at market stats, watch another training, work on branding.
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Then there's list two.
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Call 20 people, follow up with five leads, ask for an appointment, call an expired, ask a past client for a referral.
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Have the price reduction conversation.
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Which list creates more discomfort?
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Usually number two.
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Which list is closer to generating revenue?
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Usually it's number two.
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That's not an accident.
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Discomfort often sits between you and the results you want.
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Now, there's another version of this I see all the time, especially with agents who are already doing some business.
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And this one's a little different.
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Because you're not procrastinating, you're not sitting around doing nothing.
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In fact, you're incredibly busy.
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You finally get some business going, you've got buyers, you've got listings, you've got two or three transactions in escrow, and suddenly you're busy doing what?
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Real estate, inspections, appraisals, showings, paperwork, seller updates, buyer calls, transaction issues, problems that need to be solved.
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And because you're busy servicing the business you already have, what's usually the first thing that gets pushed aside?
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Yep, the very activity that got you the business in the first place.
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We stopped prospecting, we stopped calling our database, we stopped holding open houses, we stopped following up.
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Whatever we were doing that created those opportunities, we stopped doing it.
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And we tell ourselves, I'll get back to it when things settle down.
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Well, things eventually settle down, the transaction closes, and suddenly you look around.
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Nothing's in escrow, no appointments scheduled.
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Once again, the pipeline is empty.
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And now what?
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We panic, we start prospecting again, we make the calls, we follow up, we hold the open houses, and that whole vicious cycle starts over again.
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Business starts coming in, then we get busy again, and we stop.
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Welcome to the real estate roller coaster.
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Busy, slow, feast, famine, prospect, stop prospecting, prospect, stop prospecting.
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And here's something important to remember.
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The transactions you're closing today are largely the results of the activities you did 30, 60, and maybe even 90 days ago.
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And the activities you're doing or not doing today are helping determine what your pipeline will look like in 30, 60, or 90 days from now.
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So how do we get off the roller coaster?
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One of the ways I've learned to do it is something I coach agents around.
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It's what I call daily minimum standards.
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Your daily minimum standards are the activities that don't go to zero.
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That's important.
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It's not saying every day has to be perfect lead generation day.
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That's not realistic.
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Some days you're gonna have inspections, closings, listing appointments, buyer emergencies.
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Life happens.
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But even on those days, what's the minimum standard?
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Maybe your normal goal is 50 contacts.
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On a crazy day, you can't do 50, fine, but does 50 become zero?
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That's where the trouble starts.
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Maybe your daily minimum standard is five or ten calls per day.
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Maybe it's five meaningful follow-ups, maybe it's 30 focus minutes of lead gen.
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The exact number isn't the lesson, the standard is.
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You're saying, no matter how busy I get servicing today's business, I'm going to do something today to create tomorrow's business.
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And that's how you start flattening the roller coaster.
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Think of it this way: you need a target and you need a floor.
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Your target is what you're shooting for on a normal day.
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Your floor is your daily minimum standards.
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Those are also referred to as your non-negotiables.
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Let me drive this home.
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I know agents that before they do anything, they go to the gym and they exercise.
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It's the very first thing they do.
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It's their daily minimum standard, it's a non-negotiable.
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If you're a parent, maybe it's getting kids to school.
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That list is real.
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And that's okay.
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It happens even when the day goes sideways.
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And if you're consistently protect that floor, your pipeline doesn't disappear every time you get busy.
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Will your business still have ups and downs?
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Of course it will.
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That's real estate.
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But you're no longer voluntarily shutting off the faucet every time the bucket gets full.
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And that's really what we're doing when we completely stop lead generation because we're busy.
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We turn off the faucet.
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Then 30, 60, or 90 days later, we wonder why the bucket is empty.
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Daily minimum standards or those non-negotiables help keep the faucet running.
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I hope this helps.
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Because the goal isn't simply to get busy, the goal is to stay in business.
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Coaching has taught me this over and over.
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This is the one of the interesting things about being coached and now coaching other people.
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As a coach, I see it immediately.
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An agent tells me, Ken, I don't have time to make my calls this week.
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Okay, let's look at the week.
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Because sometimes I don't have time actually means I chose other things.
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And that's different.
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Now, sometimes you legitimately had a crazy week, and I understand that those will happen.
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That's exactly why we just talked about daily minimum standards.
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The question isn't whether every day was perfect, the question is did the important activity go all the way to zero?
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And I've had coaches ask me those same kinds of questions.
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That's one reason I continue to believe in coaching.
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A good coach doesn't just give you ideas.
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Sometimes they hold up a mirror.
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Not to beat you up, not to make you feel guilty, but to say, you told me this was important, your actions are telling me something different.
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And that's accountability.
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And sometimes that's exactly what we need.
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And by the way, I do this too.
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I also don't want this to sound like I'm sitting here telling you I've somehow mastered all of this.
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Because I haven't.
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I still catch myself doing it too.
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There are things in my own business I don't particularly want to do, and suddenly something else looks really important, right?
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We've talked about that.
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I can find plenty of legitimate things to occupy my time.
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I've got real estate, I've got coaching, I'm involved in another business, I've got marketing, I've got technology, I've got AI.
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I can make myself very busy.
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And sometimes I have to stop and ask myself the same question I'm asking you.
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Ken, what's the thing you're actually avoiding here?
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That's one of the benefits of having been coached for years.
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You start hearing the coach's questions in your own head.
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And sometimes that's enough to get yourself moving again.
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And I'm not trying to eliminate those moments, I'm trying to recognize them faster.
00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:40.879
Because the quicker I recognize what I'm doing, the quicker I can correct it.
00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.000
Now, don't confuse results with activity.
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:50.080
Here's another thing coaching has reinforced for me that I think every agent needs to understand.
00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:51.840
You control the activity.
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:58.399
You don't always control the immediate result, you can make the call, you can't make somebody answer.
00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.399
You can follow up, you can't make somebody ready to sell today.
00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:06.799
You can hold the open house, you can't force 30 people through the front door.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.279
You can prepare for the listing appointment, you can't force the seller to hire you.
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:16.319
So if your definition of a successful day is, did I get the listing today?
00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.640
You're gonna have a lot of disappointing days.
00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.720
But try a different measurement.
00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:24.640
Did I do today what I said I was going to do?
00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.799
That's something you can control.
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:32.640
And if you consistently control the activity, the results have an opportunity to follow.
00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:34.640
The wins do matter.
00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.240
That's also why I think we need to recognize wins differently.
00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.319
A win isn't always a closing.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:44.720
A win can be I made the calls even though I didn't want to.
00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.200
I finally followed up with that person.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:48.880
I asked for the appointment.
00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.720
I had a price conversation.
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:52.319
I held the open house.
00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:53.839
I practiced the script.
00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:59.119
I hit my daily minimum standards, even though the day went completely sideways.
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:00.960
Why does that matter?
00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:07.359
Because we're building a behavior, and behavior repeated consistently becomes part of how you operate.
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.119
You can't control whether today's call becomes today's listings.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.000
You can control whether today's call gets made.
00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:15.440
That's a win.
00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.440
So don't lower the standard because you don't feel like it.
00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:24.000
Now let's talk about the last part of that philosophy, because it's not just.
00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.160
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it.
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.079
There's another piece.
00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:31.599
At the highest level.
00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:33.039
That's really important.
00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:38.000
Because sometimes we technically do the thing, but we do it halfway.
00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:39.759
Some might say half-assed, right?
00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.359
We've all heard that terminology.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.000
We make five calls while answering emails.
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.799
We hold an open house, but don't invite the neighbors.
00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.319
We follow up with a text message because we're afraid to actually call.
00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.039
We go into a listing appointment, I'm prepared.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.319
We check the box.
00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.200
Done.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.599
That's not what I'm talking about.
00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.319
If you're gonna do it, do it well.
00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:10.319
Be present, prepare, practice, follow the process, give it your best, even when you don't feel like doing it in the first place.
00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.960
Let's talk about script practice.
00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.400
A perfect example.
00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:15.759
Scripts.
00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.359
Agents love scripts, right?
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:20.240
Until you tell them to practice them, right?
00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:23.920
Everybody wants to know what's the perfect thing to say.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.279
Okay, let's say I give you the perfect script.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.519
But if the first time you say those words out loud is when you're sitting across from a cellar, good luck.
00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.680
And then agents will tell me, but Ken, I don't want to sound scripted.
00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.960
Neither do I.
00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.279
That's exactly why you practice it.
00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:45.440
The purpose of practicing a script isn't to make it sound like a script.
00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.079
It's so the words come out comfortably that eventually they sound like you.
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:52.880
Think about the first time you say something.
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:54.480
You're thinking about every word.
00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:55.599
Where do I pause?
00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.640
What's next?
00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.000
How am I saying this?
00:19:58.160 --> 00:19:59.359
Am I saying this right?
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:01.119
Now say it 20 times.
00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:02.319
Role play it.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.160
Have somebody push back.
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:06.160
Get the objection wrong.
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:07.279
Try again.
00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.079
Eventually you're not thinking about the words anymore.
00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:11.519
You're having a conversation.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:13.279
The words aren't the magic.
00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:18.960
The repetition is, because repetition builds competence, and competence builds confidence.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.079
Maybe this will help.
00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:32.480
I learned early on, just from a psychology standpoint, when we get hung up on the word script, think of them as nothing more than a conversation outline.
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:37.119
That might help transition you into a different framework.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:40.319
Now, confidence often comes after action.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.400
This is another mistake I see.
00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:44.960
We think once I feel more confident, I'll start.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.599
Basically, you know, getting ready to get ready.
00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:49.599
I think we've got that backwards.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.319
Sometimes confidence comes because you started.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.599
You make the first call.
00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:54.799
Yeah, it's awkward.
00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.400
You make the second, it's a little better, probably still awkward.
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:01.039
By number 10, you're having conversations.
00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.039
You do the first open house.
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.720
Maybe it isn't fantastic.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:07.599
Do another one and another, and you get better.
00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.279
Action creates confidence.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:11.440
Competence creates confidence.
00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.559
Don't wait around for confidence to show up first.
00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.319
Because if you do, you may be waiting a very long time.
00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:21.359
Let me give you a little bit of tough love.
00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:26.640
So here's the coaching conversation I'd have with you if you were sitting across from me right now.
00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:29.440
You probably already know something you're avoiding.
00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.480
I don't have to tell you what it is, you're thinking about it.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:44.480
There's probably a name attached to it: a phone call, a conversation, a task, a decision, something you've moved from yesterday to today and probably to tomorrow.
00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:48.720
Or maybe you're listening to this thinking, Ken, I'm not avoiding anything.
00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:50.400
I'm just really busy.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.839
Okay, then let me ask you a different question.
00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:59.039
Have you stopped doing the thing that created the business you're busy servicing?
00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:01.920
Because that's your one thing to do.
00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:05.039
Maybe your one thing isn't a difficult phone call.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:10.880
Maybe it's protecting your daily minimum standards when everything else is screaming for your attention.
00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:13.839
Either way, stop negotiating with it.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.039
Just do it.
00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:19.680
And don't just get over it, do it at the highest level.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:21.920
So, this week's challenge.
00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.680
This week, I'm not going to give you a list, I'm going to give you one thing.
00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:33.519
Ask yourself, what is the one thing I'm avoiding or allowing to go to zero that I know helps move my business forward?
00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.880
Write it down.
00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:38.000
Then decide exactly what you're going to do about it.
00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:40.160
Not sometime this week.
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:41.839
That's not a schedule.
00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:45.279
Tuesday at 9 o'clock, Wednesday at 2.
00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.319
Whatever it is, put it on your calendar.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.920
And if the issue is the real estate roller coaster, set your daily minimum standards.
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:55.119
What's your target?
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:56.720
What's your floor?
00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.559
What's the activity that doesn't go to zero no matter what?
00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.079
No matter how busy you are.
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:04.240
Remember, a non-negotiable?
00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:08.880
Then when it comes time, don't ask yourself whether you feel like doing it.
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.319
Remember what one of my coaches taught me years ago.
00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:16.960
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:23.359
Over these first three weeks, we've talked about opportunities, systems, execution, and now consistency.
00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:31.680
Next week I want to start putting those pieces together because there's another problem I see with agents, and I've certainly been guilty of this myself.
00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:34.880
We overcomplicate the hell out of this business.
00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:46.400
Too many lead sources, too many tools, too many ideas, too many things we're supposedly going to do, and eventually we're going to do a little bit of everything and not enough of anything.
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:50.079
So next Wednesday, we're gonna simplify it.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:52.240
I want to leave you with this.
00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.759
Success doesn't always require doing something new.
00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:03.119
Sometimes it requires finally doing the thing you've known you should be doing all along, and doing it consistently.
00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:08.160
And sometimes it means continuing to do the things even after it starts working.
00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:09.359
That's a big one.
00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:13.599
Don't stop doing what created the business just because business showed up.
00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:16.799
Don't turn off the faucet because the bucket's full.
00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.680
Protect your daily minimum standards.
00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.240
Keep creating tomorrow's business while you're taking care of today's.
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:37.440
And when that moment comes this week, and it will, when you know what you should be doing, but you really don't feel like doing it, remember, do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:41.359
Then ask yourself, what's the one thing I keep avoiding?
00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:43.680
You probably already know the answer.
00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:44.720
Go do it.
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:50.000
And before you go, here's our question What are you going to do differently this week?
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.839
I'll see you next Wednesday.
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:52.799
Bye now.
00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:05.120
Years ago, one of my coaches gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me.
00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:08.640
And when I say it stuck with me, I mean I still think about it.
00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.439
And I still use it with agents I coach today.
00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.800
Gosh, as a matter of fact, I use it with myself.
00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:16.879
It was pretty simple.
00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:22.480
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:28.000
Now I'm sure I'm not the only person who's ever been taught that or some version of that.
00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.879
But for whatever reason, that one stuck.
00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:34.320
Because think of your business for a minute.
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:39.679
There's probably one thing right now you know you should be doing, and you're not doing it.
00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:50.000
Maybe it's making a call, following up again, having a conversation, asking for an appointment, talking to a seller about a price reduction.
00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:52.159
I just had one of those today myself.
00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:59.280
Or maybe it's something that's been sitting on your to-do list so long you've almost stopped seeing it.
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.280
And here's what I've learned.
00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:06.879
Most of the things that actually move our business forward aren't particularly complicated.
00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.359
They're just really easy not to do.
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:11.439
I don't know how to say it any differently.
00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.840
So today I want to talk about the one thing you keep avoiding.
00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.200
You know, let's just call it that one thing.
00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.519
Welcome back to Agent Performance Coaching for Real Estate Agents.
00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:24.640
I'm Ken Gould.
00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:26.480
I'm a working real estate agent.
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:33.599
Yep, boots on the ground doing the real work of real estate, a real estate performance coach, and even a small business owner.
00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.760
And we're three weeks into this now.
00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:39.760
The first week I challenged you with maybe you don't need more leads.
00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.519
Last week, that systems outlive motivation.
00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:46.959
And today, those two ideas come together.
00:01:47.280 --> 00:02:04.000
Because you can't have leads, you can have systems, you can have the greatest CRM on earth, you can have scripts, you can have a coach, you can have AI, you can have a beautifully time-blocked calendar, but at some point you still have to do the work.
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:06.959
And that's the part nobody can do for you.
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:08.800
So where did this come from?
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:17.199
Well, like I mentioned at the beginning, this philosophy didn't come from me sitting around trying to come up with a clever quote for a podcast.
00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:23.199
It's something I've picked up through coaching from my coach years ago, and it's stuck.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.599
There are things coaches have taught me over the years that I may have forgotten.
00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.560
There are things I've learned that I've modified.
00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:36.879
There are things that worked at one stage of my career and don't necessarily fit the way I operate today.
00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:39.199
That's part of growing in the business.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.039
But one stayed with me.
00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:45.919
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:46.960
Why?
00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:49.759
Because it's applicable to almost everything.
00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.960
Real estate, business, coaching, our lives.
00:02:53.199 --> 00:03:01.039
And I found myself repeating it to agents I coach because I think it gets it to the heart of something we don't talk enough about.
00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:06.800
Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different things.
00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:09.599
Let's talk about procrastination.
00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:11.840
Let's be real about procrastination.
00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:13.759
Here's something interesting.
00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:16.879
Most of us don't procrastinate on the easy stuff.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:21.439
Nobody says, I've been putting off scrolling Instagram for three weeks, right?
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:22.560
That doesn't happen.
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:26.000
We procrastinate on the things that make us uncomfortable.
00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:29.680
Calling somebody who hasn't returned our last three calls.
00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:32.319
Maybe it's calling an expired listing.
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:36.319
Maybe it's just calling our database when we haven't talked to them in years.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.680
Following up with somebody who said that they weren't ready.
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:43.039
Asking someone, are you ready to move forward?
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:49.039
Maybe it's having a pricing conversation with a seller, calling a client when we have bad news.
00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.360
Those things have emotional weight.
00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.319
So instead, we find something productive to do.
00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:59.520
And real estate gives us an unlimited supply of productive looking things.
00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:02.240
So this is the one I want you to watch for.
00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.800
I call it productive procrastination.
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.039
You don't sit on the couch to do nothing.
00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:08.479
That would be too obvious.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:23.680
Instead, you clean up your CRM, you work on your website, you create a social media post, you watch a training video, you reorganize your desk, maybe you research another lead source, you tweak your email signature, and the list goes on and on and on.
00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:28.240
Maybe you even ask Chat GPT to rewrite something 14 different ways.
00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:32.160
And at the end of the day, you think, man, was I busy today?
00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:33.040
You were.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:34.800
But here's my question.
00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.759
Did you do the thing you knew you needed to do?
00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:39.839
Remember that one thing?
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.279
That's different.
00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:46.720
And sometimes there's something underneath the procrastination that we don't talk enough about.
00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:51.120
Sometimes we're not avoiding something because we're lazy.
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.680
We're avoiding it because there's a possibility of rejection attached to it, right?
00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.879
We're gonna get sweaty palms, we're gonna be uncomfortable.
00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.120
What if I call and they say no?
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.240
What if the expired seller hangs up on me?
00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.759
What if I ask for an appointment and they're not interested?
00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:14.000
What if I call my database after not talking to them for a long time, maybe a few years, and it feels awkward?
00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:19.040
What if I tell my seller the price needs to come down and they get upset with me?
00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.680
So we tell ourselves, I'll do it later, and later feels safer.
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:29.680
That's why I sometimes think procrastination is fear wearing business clothes.
00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:32.959
And if you recognize that you can deal with it differently.
00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:40.879
Instead of saying, I need to become more motivated, maybe the conversation is, okay, what am I actually afraid of here?
00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.439
Is it rejection?
00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.439
Is it feeling uncomfortable?
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:47.920
Not knowing exactly what to say?
00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:49.600
Looking foolish?
00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:55.759
Because once you identify that, the thing you're avoiding often gets a lot smaller.
00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.680
Let me give you an example of what this can look like.
00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:03.199
I was working with an agent who knew exactly what she needed to do.
00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:04.800
No questions about it.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:07.040
We had talked about her lead generation.
00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:08.560
We had talked about follow-up.
00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.360
She had people in her database she needed to call.
00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:12.319
She knew it.
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.600
She wasn't sitting there saying, Ken, I don't know what to do.
00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:16.800
She knew.
00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.600
But week after week there was always something else.
00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:22.240
She needed to work on something in the CRM.
00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:25.120
She had some marketing she wanted to get finished.
00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:26.639
She needed to get organized.
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:28.720
She needed to get ready to be ready, right?
00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:30.000
We know that one.
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:36.000
There were some things around the house she needed to take care of, and listen, all of those things were legitimate.
00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.279
That's what makes this so easy to justify.
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:44.000
So finally during one of our coaching calls, I asked her a pretty simple question.
00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.480
What's the one thing you're avoiding?
00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.519
And she knew immediately, the calls.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:07:01.839
It wasn't that she didn't know who to call, it wasn't that she didn't have their phone numbers, it wasn't that she didn't know what to say, she just didn't want to make the calls.
00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:04.240
And I think we've all been there.
00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:12.240
So instead of giving her another strategy or another script or another lead generation idea, we made it really simple.
00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:13.759
Make the calls.
00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.399
Don't worry about whether somebody answers.
00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.959
Don't worry about whether you get an appointment.
00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:21.439
Don't worry about whether you get a listing.
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.519
Those are the results, and you don't completely control those.
00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:31.360
The win for the day was, did you make the calls you said that you were going to make?
00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:33.839
And here's the interesting part.
00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:41.680
Once she started doing it, the things she billed up in her head wasn't nearly as bad as she had made it out to be in the first place.
00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:49.759
She had some conversations, some people didn't answer, some were not interested, some were not ready, and she arrived.
00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:54.240
But more importantly, she got moving again.
00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:55.680
And that's the lesson.
00:07:55.920 --> 00:08:01.279
Sometimes we think we need another strategy, another lead source, another system, another training.
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:10.160
When what we really need is to identify that one thing we're avoiding and take action and simply do it.
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:11.920
So what's your one thing?
00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:14.240
Now let's make this about you for a minute.
00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.199
Because yours may not be prospecting.
00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:22.560
Maybe you've got 200 people sitting in your database you know you haven't stayed in touch with them.
00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:27.439
Maybe there's a seller you've been avoiding because you know you need to have a price conversation.
00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:35.200
Maybe you met someone at an open house three weeks ago who told you they might be selling and you never followed up.
00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:37.200
Ugh, I hate that.
00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:41.600
Maybe you've been saying for six months, I'm gonna start doing open houses.
00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:45.279
Maybe you know you need to ask somebody for the appointment.
00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:50.000
Maybe you've been having conversations with somebody for months but never actually asked.
00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.000
Are you ready to move forward?
00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.279
Maybe there's a past client you should call.
00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.039
Maybe it's an expired listing.
00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:00.960
Maybe it's practicing the script you keep saying you're going to practice.
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:05.120
Whatever it is, what name just popped into your head?
00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.600
Because usually we know we don't need somebody else to tell us.
00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.960
And that's probably the thing worth paying attention to.
00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:20.559
The things we avoid often are closest to the money, if that makes any sense.
00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:22.080
Think about the two lists.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:30.559
List one, update my website, organize my files, look at market stats, watch another training, work on branding.
00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:32.000
Then there's list two.
00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:41.759
Call 20 people, follow up with five leads, ask for an appointment, call an expired, ask a past client for a referral.
00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:44.559
Have the price reduction conversation.
00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:47.279
Which list creates more discomfort?
00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:48.879
Usually number two.
00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.000
Which list is closer to generating revenue?
00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:54.399
Usually it's number two.
00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:56.080
That's not an accident.
00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.399
Discomfort often sits between you and the results you want.
00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:08.080
Now, there's another version of this I see all the time, especially with agents who are already doing some business.
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.000
And this one's a little different.
00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.679
Because you're not procrastinating, you're not sitting around doing nothing.
00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.240
In fact, you're incredibly busy.
00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:24.559
You finally get some business going, you've got buyers, you've got listings, you've got two or three transactions in escrow, and suddenly you're busy doing what?
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:37.279
Real estate, inspections, appraisals, showings, paperwork, seller updates, buyer calls, transaction issues, problems that need to be solved.
00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:44.159
And because you're busy servicing the business you already have, what's usually the first thing that gets pushed aside?
00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:48.720
Yep, the very activity that got you the business in the first place.
00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:55.919
We stopped prospecting, we stopped calling our database, we stopped holding open houses, we stopped following up.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.240
Whatever we were doing that created those opportunities, we stopped doing it.
00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:04.159
And we tell ourselves, I'll get back to it when things settle down.
00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:10.559
Well, things eventually settle down, the transaction closes, and suddenly you look around.
00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:14.000
Nothing's in escrow, no appointments scheduled.
00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.559
Once again, the pipeline is empty.
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:17.600
And now what?
00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:26.240
We panic, we start prospecting again, we make the calls, we follow up, we hold the open houses, and that whole vicious cycle starts over again.
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:30.720
Business starts coming in, then we get busy again, and we stop.
00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:33.759
Welcome to the real estate roller coaster.
00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:40.879
Busy, slow, feast, famine, prospect, stop prospecting, prospect, stop prospecting.
00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.360
And here's something important to remember.
00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:51.440
The transactions you're closing today are largely the results of the activities you did 30, 60, and maybe even 90 days ago.
00:11:51.679 --> 00:12:01.120
And the activities you're doing or not doing today are helping determine what your pipeline will look like in 30, 60, or 90 days from now.
00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:03.519
So how do we get off the roller coaster?
00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:08.320
One of the ways I've learned to do it is something I coach agents around.
00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.559
It's what I call daily minimum standards.
00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.440
Your daily minimum standards are the activities that don't go to zero.
00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:18.480
That's important.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:22.320
It's not saying every day has to be perfect lead generation day.
00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:23.600
That's not realistic.
00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:29.840
Some days you're gonna have inspections, closings, listing appointments, buyer emergencies.
00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:31.200
Life happens.
00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.200
But even on those days, what's the minimum standard?
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:38.240
Maybe your normal goal is 50 contacts.
00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:44.159
On a crazy day, you can't do 50, fine, but does 50 become zero?
00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:46.000
That's where the trouble starts.
00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:50.240
Maybe your daily minimum standard is five or ten calls per day.
00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:55.279
Maybe it's five meaningful follow-ups, maybe it's 30 focus minutes of lead gen.
00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:59.279
The exact number isn't the lesson, the standard is.
00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:07.679
You're saying, no matter how busy I get servicing today's business, I'm going to do something today to create tomorrow's business.
00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:11.440
And that's how you start flattening the roller coaster.
00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:15.600
Think of it this way: you need a target and you need a floor.
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.559
Your target is what you're shooting for on a normal day.
00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.440
Your floor is your daily minimum standards.
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:24.720
Those are also referred to as your non-negotiables.
00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.159
Let me drive this home.
00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:30.960
I know agents that before they do anything, they go to the gym and they exercise.
00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.799
It's the very first thing they do.
00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.639
It's their daily minimum standard, it's a non-negotiable.
00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:39.679
If you're a parent, maybe it's getting kids to school.
00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:41.440
That list is real.
00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:43.039
And that's okay.
00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:47.200
It happens even when the day goes sideways.
00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:53.200
And if you're consistently protect that floor, your pipeline doesn't disappear every time you get busy.
00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.440
Will your business still have ups and downs?
00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.639
Of course it will.
00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:58.159
That's real estate.
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:04.720
But you're no longer voluntarily shutting off the faucet every time the bucket gets full.
00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:09.440
And that's really what we're doing when we completely stop lead generation because we're busy.
00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:11.120
We turn off the faucet.
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:16.080
Then 30, 60, or 90 days later, we wonder why the bucket is empty.
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:21.600
Daily minimum standards or those non-negotiables help keep the faucet running.
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:22.879
I hope this helps.
00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:27.759
Because the goal isn't simply to get busy, the goal is to stay in business.
00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.240
Coaching has taught me this over and over.
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:37.679
This is the one of the interesting things about being coached and now coaching other people.
00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.399
As a coach, I see it immediately.
00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:44.799
An agent tells me, Ken, I don't have time to make my calls this week.
00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.200
Okay, let's look at the week.
00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:52.799
Because sometimes I don't have time actually means I chose other things.
00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:54.080
And that's different.
00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.360
Now, sometimes you legitimately had a crazy week, and I understand that those will happen.
00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:03.279
That's exactly why we just talked about daily minimum standards.
00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:11.440
The question isn't whether every day was perfect, the question is did the important activity go all the way to zero?
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.679
And I've had coaches ask me those same kinds of questions.
00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:19.120
That's one reason I continue to believe in coaching.
00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:22.159
A good coach doesn't just give you ideas.
00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:24.559
Sometimes they hold up a mirror.
00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:33.440
Not to beat you up, not to make you feel guilty, but to say, you told me this was important, your actions are telling me something different.
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.120
And that's accountability.
00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:38.080
And sometimes that's exactly what we need.
00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:41.360
And by the way, I do this too.
00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:46.639
I also don't want this to sound like I'm sitting here telling you I've somehow mastered all of this.
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:47.919
Because I haven't.
00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.320
I still catch myself doing it too.
00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:57.759
There are things in my own business I don't particularly want to do, and suddenly something else looks really important, right?
00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:59.200
We've talked about that.
00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.960
I can find plenty of legitimate things to occupy my time.
00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:10.639
I've got real estate, I've got coaching, I'm involved in another business, I've got marketing, I've got technology, I've got AI.
00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:13.120
I can make myself very busy.
00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:17.840
And sometimes I have to stop and ask myself the same question I'm asking you.
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:21.759
Ken, what's the thing you're actually avoiding here?
00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:25.200
That's one of the benefits of having been coached for years.
00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.399
You start hearing the coach's questions in your own head.
00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:31.679
And sometimes that's enough to get yourself moving again.
00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:36.559
And I'm not trying to eliminate those moments, I'm trying to recognize them faster.
00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:40.879
Because the quicker I recognize what I'm doing, the quicker I can correct it.
00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.000
Now, don't confuse results with activity.
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:50.080
Here's another thing coaching has reinforced for me that I think every agent needs to understand.
00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:51.840
You control the activity.
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:58.399
You don't always control the immediate result, you can make the call, you can't make somebody answer.
00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.399
You can follow up, you can't make somebody ready to sell today.
00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:06.799
You can hold the open house, you can't force 30 people through the front door.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.279
You can prepare for the listing appointment, you can't force the seller to hire you.
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:16.319
So if your definition of a successful day is, did I get the listing today?
00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.640
You're gonna have a lot of disappointing days.
00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.720
But try a different measurement.
00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:24.640
Did I do today what I said I was going to do?
00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.799
That's something you can control.
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:32.640
And if you consistently control the activity, the results have an opportunity to follow.
00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:34.640
The wins do matter.
00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.240
That's also why I think we need to recognize wins differently.
00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.319
A win isn't always a closing.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:44.720
A win can be I made the calls even though I didn't want to.
00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.200
I finally followed up with that person.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:48.880
I asked for the appointment.
00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.720
I had a price conversation.
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:52.319
I held the open house.
00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:53.839
I practiced the script.
00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:59.119
I hit my daily minimum standards, even though the day went completely sideways.
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:00.960
Why does that matter?
00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:07.359
Because we're building a behavior, and behavior repeated consistently becomes part of how you operate.
00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.119
You can't control whether today's call becomes today's listings.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.000
You can control whether today's call gets made.
00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:15.440
That's a win.
00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.440
So don't lower the standard because you don't feel like it.
00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:24.000
Now let's talk about the last part of that philosophy, because it's not just.
00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:28.160
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it.
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.079
There's another piece.
00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:31.599
At the highest level.
00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:33.039
That's really important.
00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:38.000
Because sometimes we technically do the thing, but we do it halfway.
00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:39.759
Some might say half-assed, right?
00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.359
We've all heard that terminology.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.000
We make five calls while answering emails.
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.799
We hold an open house, but don't invite the neighbors.
00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.319
We follow up with a text message because we're afraid to actually call.
00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.039
We go into a listing appointment, I'm prepared.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.319
We check the box.
00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.200
Done.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.599
That's not what I'm talking about.
00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.319
If you're gonna do it, do it well.
00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:10.319
Be present, prepare, practice, follow the process, give it your best, even when you don't feel like doing it in the first place.
00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.960
Let's talk about script practice.
00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:14.400
A perfect example.
00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:15.759
Scripts.
00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.359
Agents love scripts, right?
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:20.240
Until you tell them to practice them, right?
00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:23.920
Everybody wants to know what's the perfect thing to say.
00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.279
Okay, let's say I give you the perfect script.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.519
But if the first time you say those words out loud is when you're sitting across from a cellar, good luck.
00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.680
And then agents will tell me, but Ken, I don't want to sound scripted.
00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.960
Neither do I.
00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.279
That's exactly why you practice it.
00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:45.440
The purpose of practicing a script isn't to make it sound like a script.
00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.079
It's so the words come out comfortably that eventually they sound like you.
00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:52.880
Think about the first time you say something.
00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:54.480
You're thinking about every word.
00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:55.599
Where do I pause?
00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.640
What's next?
00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.000
How am I saying this?
00:19:58.160 --> 00:19:59.359
Am I saying this right?
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:01.119
Now say it 20 times.
00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:02.319
Role play it.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.160
Have somebody push back.
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:06.160
Get the objection wrong.
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:07.279
Try again.
00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.079
Eventually you're not thinking about the words anymore.
00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:11.519
You're having a conversation.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:13.279
The words aren't the magic.
00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:18.960
The repetition is, because repetition builds competence, and competence builds confidence.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.079
Maybe this will help.
00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:32.480
I learned early on, just from a psychology standpoint, when we get hung up on the word script, think of them as nothing more than a conversation outline.
00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:37.119
That might help transition you into a different framework.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:40.319
Now, confidence often comes after action.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.400
This is another mistake I see.
00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:44.960
We think once I feel more confident, I'll start.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.599
Basically, you know, getting ready to get ready.
00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:49.599
I think we've got that backwards.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.319
Sometimes confidence comes because you started.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.599
You make the first call.
00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:54.799
Yeah, it's awkward.
00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.400
You make the second, it's a little better, probably still awkward.
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:01.039
By number 10, you're having conversations.
00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.039
You do the first open house.
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.720
Maybe it isn't fantastic.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:07.599
Do another one and another, and you get better.
00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.279
Action creates confidence.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:11.440
Competence creates confidence.
00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.559
Don't wait around for confidence to show up first.
00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.319
Because if you do, you may be waiting a very long time.
00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:21.359
Let me give you a little bit of tough love.
00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:26.640
So here's the coaching conversation I'd have with you if you were sitting across from me right now.
00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:29.440
You probably already know something you're avoiding.
00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.480
I don't have to tell you what it is, you're thinking about it.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:44.480
There's probably a name attached to it: a phone call, a conversation, a task, a decision, something you've moved from yesterday to today and probably to tomorrow.
00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:48.720
Or maybe you're listening to this thinking, Ken, I'm not avoiding anything.
00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:50.400
I'm just really busy.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.839
Okay, then let me ask you a different question.
00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:59.039
Have you stopped doing the thing that created the business you're busy servicing?
00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:01.920
Because that's your one thing to do.
00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:05.039
Maybe your one thing isn't a difficult phone call.
00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:10.880
Maybe it's protecting your daily minimum standards when everything else is screaming for your attention.
00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:13.839
Either way, stop negotiating with it.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.039
Just do it.
00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:19.680
And don't just get over it, do it at the highest level.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:21.920
So, this week's challenge.
00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.680
This week, I'm not going to give you a list, I'm going to give you one thing.
00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:33.519
Ask yourself, what is the one thing I'm avoiding or allowing to go to zero that I know helps move my business forward?
00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.880
Write it down.
00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:38.000
Then decide exactly what you're going to do about it.
00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:40.160
Not sometime this week.
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:41.839
That's not a schedule.
00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:45.279
Tuesday at 9 o'clock, Wednesday at 2.
00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.319
Whatever it is, put it on your calendar.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.920
And if the issue is the real estate roller coaster, set your daily minimum standards.
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:55.119
What's your target?
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:56.720
What's your floor?
00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.559
What's the activity that doesn't go to zero no matter what?
00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.079
No matter how busy you are.
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:04.240
Remember, a non-negotiable?
00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:08.880
Then when it comes time, don't ask yourself whether you feel like doing it.
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.319
Remember what one of my coaches taught me years ago.
00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:16.960
Do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:23.359
Over these first three weeks, we've talked about opportunities, systems, execution, and now consistency.
00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:31.680
Next week I want to start putting those pieces together because there's another problem I see with agents, and I've certainly been guilty of this myself.
00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:34.880
We overcomplicate the hell out of this business.
00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:46.400
Too many lead sources, too many tools, too many ideas, too many things we're supposedly going to do, and eventually we're going to do a little bit of everything and not enough of anything.
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:50.079
So next Wednesday, we're gonna simplify it.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:52.240
I want to leave you with this.
00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.759
Success doesn't always require doing something new.
00:23:55.920 --> 00:24:03.119
Sometimes it requires finally doing the thing you've known you should be doing all along, and doing it consistently.
00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:08.160
And sometimes it means continuing to do the things even after it starts working.
00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:09.359
That's a big one.
00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:13.599
Don't stop doing what created the business just because business showed up.
00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:16.799
Don't turn off the faucet because the bucket's full.
00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.680
Protect your daily minimum standards.
00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.240
Keep creating tomorrow's business while you're taking care of today's.
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:37.440
And when that moment comes this week, and it will, when you know what you should be doing, but you really don't feel like doing it, remember, do what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it at the highest level.
00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:41.359
Then ask yourself, what's the one thing I keep avoiding?
00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:43.680
You probably already know the answer.
00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:44.720
Go do it.
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:50.000
And before you go, here's our question What are you going to do differently this week?
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.839
I'll see you next Wednesday.
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:52.799
Bye now.
