My father was a former Marine and I learned as a small child that there is no such thing as an ex- Marine!   He used to wake us up early in the morning by yelling “Reveille” and all seven of us children would march up the stairs to have a family breakfast together.  As a high school history teacher,  Dad was big on education and drove home the importance of being good in school and paying attention.  One year he had a group of students from his AP (advanced placement)  classes compete in a nationwide model United Nations project where the students would deal with world issues.   His class from Skyline High School in Utah won the national award in Washington DC where they competed and received that great honor.  Dad was very proud of his students and their accomplishment.  He talked about that award for years.

I suggested to my dad one time that he was lucky because he had all the smart kids from his AP classes and could pick the smartest students in the school to compete.  He looked me in the eye and raised his left eyebrow and said this “Son, I work with some of the smartest kids, but I choose to work with the kids who have the best attitudes.”   He went on to say that “it doesn’t matter how smart you are if you don’t have a good attitude”.   That conversation made a deep impression on me and has been one of my favorite memories of my father.

In this challenging real estate market many agents find themselves faced with some difficult choices—but the most important choice we can make today is to keep a positive attitude and take action when others are simply whining and looking for excuses for failure.   There are enormous opportunities today in every market.  The business out there may not be your favorite type of business and it may not be the most fun, but if you have the right attitude, you can not only make money, you can thrive today.

Here are a few simple things you can do each day to keep moving in the right direction:

1. GET up
2. Get showered and dress for success
3. Get into a productive work environment
4. Prospect 2-3 hours every day
5. Work your most profitable business (your database)
6. Look for real buyers and generate buyer leads from every source possible (buyers are paychecks)
7. Surround yourself with positive people that are goal focused and happy
8. Hire a coach that can give you direction and guidance and hold you accountable to do the right things in your business

We are blessed to live in this country where we can work for ourselves and enjoy all of the freedoms that make this such a wonderful place to live.  We have our families, health, and skills that allow us to help people and we get paid very well for the service we provide.  And we have technology and resources that allow us to do our jobs better.  It is now up to each one of us to get going, stay positive and keep our attitudes in check.
The first time I visited my Dad’s classroom I saw the sign above his desk that simply said this “Attitude is more important than Aptitude.”  To this day, I believe that simple quote has made a great impact on my life and career.  I love what I do!

When I was a senior in High School, I had the opportunity to see Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins and a few other great motivational speakers. I was so inspired from what I heard that day and knew that I wanted to be a speaker & coach like those amazing people I saw on stage. They shared many great stories that day, but one story stood out in my mind. Even years later, the story Zig Ziglar told has always resonated with me.

Zig tells the story of two guys driving through the south Alabama foothills and they got thirsty. They pulled behind an old farm house and found an old fashioned water pump. One of the men started pumping, but nothing came out. He told his friend to go down to the river to get some water to prime the pump and then the water flowed easily. The principle is that you have to put something in to get something out.

It is such a simple principle, but so many of us never master that concept. We want results without putting much, if anything, at all in. We show up every day and hope for success, but we don’t do the work, or prime the pump, that will soon produce the much needed water.

An example of priming the pump is prospecting. The effort we put into prospecting every day seems like priming a pump without getting any water for a while. But as we stick with it consistently over time the results will flow at a steady rate. What are you doing every day to prime your pump? What are the activities that are producing the reward?

Here are a few things you can do every day to keep the water (money) flowing:

• First decide that you are going to prospect! This non-negotiable decision is critical
• Create a plan. Are you going to work FSBO’s, Expireds, Short Sales, First Time Home Buyers, beef up your web strategy, your Database, or a Geographic Farm? Decide what you are going to do and break it down to daily tasks that put you in front of real buyers and sellers
• Time block! This is critical to your success. You must find 2-3 hours a day that you focus on prospecting– nothing else but prospecting! You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by other clients, email, social media or family. This is sacred time that you have set aside to do one thing, PROSPECT!
• Work your database! Your most profitable business will come from people who you know. Build and work relationships like the golden nuggets that they are. Call three past clients every day and update your client records, connect with friends on Facebook, and comment on their posts and activities.
• Don’t fool yourself into thinking that farming on Facebook is prospecting. Use this time to really work on your business. While social media can be a serious lead generator, it can also be a huge time waster, so be careful and stay focused.
• Track your results each day, and celebrate your victories

Each of these activities are “prime the pump” activities. As you get into the habit of doing this each day, your business will thrive and you will find yourself a lot more productive and profitable.

I love being a Dad, and with six children I guess I better! As a familny we often take trips with all the children that require long drives in the car. As we travel we play mind games, sing travel songs, and even watch movies in the Suburban. On a recent trip one of my younger kids loudly asked midway into the trip if we were having fun yet. I thought we were having a great time, but it must not have been clear to everyone else in the car.

I believe we should love what we are doing, not just some of the time, but all of the time. Our non- verbal communication speaks so much louder than our verbal communication. What I mean by this is can people tell that you really love what you’re doing by watching you and interacting with you? Our love of life, family and even our job can be communicated by the way we interact with people, the smile on our face, the pleasant greetings, and the skip in our step. When interacting with your clients, do they know you are enjoying the process of helping them? Can they feel your enthusiasm? Or will they be wondering if “we are having fun yet”?

Sometimes the realities of life cause us to lose focus on what is really important. I believe in the quote from an ancient prophet that states “Men (and women) are that they might have joy”. Finding the joy in our lives and focusing on the things that make us happy is one of the most important things we can do to live life at the highest level. Those people who find joy in the small things will communicate that to everyone around them. Have you ever noticed someone who has that special glow? They project happiness and joy and their countenance lets everyone know that they are having fun now.

Just a couple of things we can do to make sure people know we are having fun now:

• When people ask how you are doing, answer with an enthusiastic “GREAT!”, or “AWESOME!” or “Unbelievable!”
• Put on your game face. We all have problems and issues, but when we interact with others, especially clients, we need to be able to put on our game face and project how we feel about helping them at the moment. I sometimes have to think about what really makes me happy, like my family, or boating, or maybe a recent vacation before meeting with clients
• Find that place where you were really having a great time and focus on that before your next interaction with a client
• Listen to motivational or inspirations CD’s or talks on your iPod or MP3 player. If positive messages go in, then you will project a positive message to those you interact with
• Read books that inspire you to do and be better
• Exercise daily. This is not easy, but exercise makes you feel better about yourself, and when you feel good about yourself others will feel better about you as well.
• And last –Have FUN now!

Love what you do! If you truly love what you do, you can deal with any problem that is thrown your way. Love the challenges that arise in your life and business, enjoy overcoming them and conquering the tough ones, celebrate your victories and dwell on the positives in your life.

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

Follow Verl on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/VerlWorkman

Connect with Verl on Facebook  www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

The number one most important technology that every real estate sales person needs is a client relationship manager! This is not news to anyone, but very few agents master their database. I want to tell you that is a HUGE mistake! When you take a minute to really think through the value of a client, it is easy to understand why this is so important. Let’s say that you meet someone and sell them a home, and then you are honest and ethical, and you keep in touch with that client for the rest of your career in real estate. With a few calculations, you are able to establish the value of your clients. A simple estimate might look something like this:

• First transaction $3,000
• Sale of first home $3,000
• Purchase of 2^nd home $3,000
• Sale of 2^nd home       $3,000
• Purchase of 3^rd home $3,000

o Sub Total $15,000

Now, let’s talk about referrals. The average person knows at least 200 people well. This number is based on how many people you invite to your family weddings and show up at your funeral. I won’t say that you will or even should get 200 referrals from everyone, but , it’s a safe bet that if you manage your clients well, and stay at the front of their minds, you can easily get two referrals from everyone you do business with. With each client being worth $15,000 X 3 the value of your client is now $45,000.00!

If a client is really worth $45,000 or more, then doesn’t it make sense that you have a way to make sure you stay in touch and really manage that relationship? I say it not only makes sense, it is the most important thing we do with technology. It should be a non negotiable activity.

So what are the key ingredients that belong in your CRM? What one should you use? These questions are asked time and time again and there is not a single answer. So let me try and help you determine what to look for.

I strongly suggest that your CRM does the following at the minimum. This is not in any order of importance as all of these things are equally important.

Your CRM should:

• Manage people and properties (detailed property information that can be cross referenced and searched)
• Manage the transactions, both listings and closings with actions plans, or listing plans that can be assigned to you or your assistant or transaction coordinator
• Sync with your PDA or phone. It is crazy to keep duel databases. We need to be able use our phone for contacts and be able to see notes and check status updates on clients from our phones (sync with Outlook is a big plus)
• Launch follow plans that include to do’s, emails, calls, and letters or post cards. These follow up plans need to be automated and simple to launch
• Lead management. This is huge because so few agents and teams manage their leads and they lose a lot of potential clients. If you are a team, then you must be able to assign leads to agents and track their follow up and interaction
• Must be real estate specific. Programs like Outlook and Act, (unless they have a real estate module will not do the tasks and manage your business effectively)
• Must be easy to use and have good (make that great!) support videos and training.
• You must become a power user! This is not optional if you want to take your business to the next level

This may seem over simplified, but the reality is that most CRM programs do a lot more than this, and the ones that don’t do at least this much should be avoided. It’s time to realize how much money is being left on the table each year and put a stop to it.

Get your real estate specific CRM today and start managing your relationships so you can realize their true value!

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

Follow Verl on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/VerlWorkman

Connect with Verl on Facebook  www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

I could end this article right now without even writing it –if you understand what these two words mean, confidence and enthusiasm, you have 90 % of what it takes to be successful!

In speaking with agents who lack one or both of these attributes or personality traits, I find that they look for reasons outside of themselves to place blame on their lack of business or production. In their minds, the reason they aren’t having the success they feel they deserve is because the economy is bad, or their broker isn’t giving them enough support, or their website isn’t generating enough leads…the list of excuses goes on and on. However, none of that is actually true! Those are just excuses to mask what the real issue is. At the heart of this issue is these agents are lacking confidence and enthusiasm.

Confidence comes from knowing that you are the best person for the job, and that you will do everything you can to take care of your clients. Confidence comes from training and experience and from having success. Confidence is very different than being conceited or cocky. Confidence is an air or aura that you give off that lets people know you know your business and you care about them. Think about successful people you know.  Think about how they make you feel when you’re with them. This is the quality you want to emulate!

Confidence is not placed on a business card, or posted on your web site. Confidence comes in body language, and dialog that lets people know they can trust you to do the right thing for them 100% of the time. I love confident people! They never slam their competition, they never compromise values for money, and they deliver results for their clients. They have integrity.

When you lose your confidence you need to get it back, because if you are not confident in yourself, others will not be confident in you. How do you get your confidence back? Here are some ways to gain your confidence:

1. Positive self talk. Start telling yourself how great you are & have positive conversations with yourself everyday.

2. Ask clients why they have used you in the past and what they like about you. These testimonials are so valuable in feeling better about yourself.

3. Celebrate you victories. When you have a win, make a big deal about it with your spouse or children. Celebrations help you build confidence.

The bottom line is you must feel good about yourself to properly serve others.

Next you need enthusiasm! This is one of my favorite words. The level of enthusiasm (or passion) that you live your life with is contagious. People are drawn to you if you are passionate about who you are and what you do. Whatever you do each day, do it with enthusiasm and you will enjoy the process. Prospect with enthusiasm, show homes with enthusiasm, negotiate contracts with enthusiasm, solve problems with enthusiasm. It will not take long before you start seeing the results that come from living your life at this higher level. “I love what I do! I love being alive! I love helping others” are all self talk one liners that will help you live with enthusiasm and confidence.

It may be hard for some people to believe that being confident and enthusiastic can really make a difference in their over-all success levels. But it truly does. I encourage you to practice these simple principles in your life and business and get ready to attract people who cherish those characteristics. And then watch what happens…success will follow!

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com

www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com

You know the drill. You open your email and find your inbox your jammed-to-the-gills with forwarded jokes and funny cartoons. Or maybe it’s an email saying that Microsoft and AOL are tracking how often you send emails and you’ll be paid for each email you send—and there is a credible source listed in the signature line of someone who has personally received $10,000 for participating. Hey, who doesn’t want instant wealth? Of course you’re going to send this email to everyone you know—not only will you get rich, but all your friends will too, right?

OK, you probably know what to do with those (delete them, please!), but what about emails with a call to action? What if it is a desperate plea from a mother whose daughter is missing and wants everyone to forward the email to all their contacts in the hope that someone has seen her? You know the kind I am talking about. As Realtors, we are action-oriented people who are compassionate and helpful by nature—so of course, you’ll be happy to forward that email to all 500 people in your contact list, right?

So, what do you do? Do you…

1)    Promptly forward the email as requested to everyone you know?
2)     Hit delete (while secretly wondering if you’ve done the right thing)?
3)     Do some research on the validity of the email before forwarding it on?

The correct answer is 3 (sometimes 2, but hardly ever 1!) Spam emails are everywhere and one way to control their wildfire-like spread is to check the accuracy of the tale of woe being circulated. In fact, as a trusted professional with other legitimate messages to send, it’s critical. And, thanks to a couple of scam-busting websites it is even easier than you may think!

The above examples are just a couple of the emails we have all received at one time or another. They are “Urban Legends” with no basis in the truth. Emails of this nature have been circulating on the Internet for years (poor little Ashley is probably a little old lady by now –and was never missing in the first place!) There are many variations of these emails, and many, many more Urban Legends floating out there in cyber space.

Some examples of current Urban Legends are about politics and the slant of the media, a new state of the art prison facility in Illinois (it’s actually in Austria), the pitfalls of calling the 809 area code, cell phone numbers to be given to telemarketers, how #77 on your cell phone will connect you to the highway patrol, big oil scams, drilling in the arctic wilderness, and many more. You’ve probably seen each and every one of these emails multiple times this year alone—and maybe you continue to forward the ones you feel strongly about.

So, what’s the solution?

The first thing to ask yourself is whether they are fear-based, creates urgency or just sounds too fantastic to be true. If so, the email is probably not true and possibly a scam. The smartest thing to do, before clicking “forward” on every email, is go to my favorite scam busting website at www.snopes.com and type in the subject line of the email or the main content (such as Ashley Flores, missing girl) and in a blink of an eye, you’ll be able to confirm whether it is “True” or “False.” Obviously, if it’s false—hit delete and forget it. As a courtesy to whomever sent it to you—you might want to mention that you verified it on Snopes and it is false so they don’t continue to forward it. And just because you get an email that says “Verified on Snopes.com to be true!” doesn’t mean you should believe it–we receive many emails with that header–and all of them that we’ve checked have been false.

With email becoming one of the most prominent forms of communication we all suffer from email overload. Do yourself a favor (and all your contacts, too) and either: 1) delete all forwarded emails (seriously, are the jokes so funny that you need to spend two hours a day reading all of them?) or 2) verify the authenticity of emails that have a “call to action” by checking out www.snopes.com. You (and your contact list) will be glad you did!

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant.  Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results.  He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations.  To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or  www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.
Follow Verl on Twitter: http://twitter.com/verlworkman
http://www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

It’s easy to focus all of our energies (and money!) on having great technologies and tools to keep our business cranking—but sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most. Here are six simple suggestions to build trust with your clients and make all your “touches” warm and memorable:

• Smile and look people in the eye. It’s amazing how making eye contact with a smile establishes a rapport with people. And if you’re on a phone call—smile while you’re talking—believe it or not, a smile is very evident on the other end of the line!
• Have a firm handshake. People form opinions on all sorts of things—and a firm handshake exudes confidence!
• Listen more than you talk.You have two ears and one mouth—and it’s a simple analogy—listen twice as much as you talk! Your prospects and clients want to talk about THEIR needs and THEIR concerns—your job is to ask questions and listen to the answers—and then offer a solution.
• Act with integrity. If you tell a client you will have the information to them by tomorrow—then do it! While most people understand if you sometimes can’t deliver when you say you will—make a point of always exceeding expectations. Living up to your word builds more trust than almost anything else you can do. And if for some reason you just can’t come through on what you originally promised, let your client know that right away. That simple act alone is an indicator of integrity.
• Use people’s names. It’s been said that everyone’s favorite word is their own name. But be careful—make sure you find out if people prefer to be called by their first name, or if they prefer you use their title and last name. Nothing is more offensive than someone being too familiar with you when you prefer a more formal form of address—and for heaven’s sake, don’t call someone “dear” or “honey” unless you are married to them! Once you have put your prospect at ease, chances are they will gladly let you know that you can call them John, instead of Mr. Smith.
• Be thankful. Tell people how much you appreciate them. Thank them for their time. Be appreciative. Gratitude is contagious…so spread it around!

These simple actions don’t cost you any money, but making a decision to become more compassionate, caring and honest in your daily interactions with clients will reap huge dividends – and you just may see that even in a down market, you can be more successful than ever! Sometimes it’s the simplest of actions, like a smile and friendly conversation that will grow your business the most.

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

Follow Verl on Twitter: http://twitter.com/verlworkman

http://www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

Whew! As the convention seasons ends, I look back at all the inspiration, motivation and training that has been delivered to so many agents from so many companies this year. The good news is that thousands of agents and brokers have invested in themselves and their companies by attending these events.

Attending a convention or seminar is an important first step in having a banner year. But, now comes the hard part — putting into action what you learned. I begin many of my seminars by asking “What is the value of increased knowledge if your actions and behaviors are not altered as a result of that knowledge?”

What I am really asking is what are you going to do now? What are you going to do with the new insights, ideas and technologies you learned about? I just returned home from Austin, Texas where I was both a motivator and was lucky enough to be motivated. As I empty my “trick or treat” bag full of disposable flashlights, calculators from mortgage companies, and pens, it is easy to forget the real value of the conference and events I participated in. Do you feel the same way? You attended, heard a lot of cool things, got a bag full of goodies…and now you’re home trying to sort through it all—and many times getting distracted by non-essential things. Now is the time to stop being distracted by things that don’t move us closer to our goals. Take a minute and look back at your notes and decide today that you are going to do something different, something new!

Is it to build a business plan for 2010? Start a social media strategy? Start prospecting or hire a new assistant? Whatever inspired you at the last conference, training class or webinar, I challenge you to take action and do it! Block 30 minutes out of your day and dedicate that time to work on your new goal.

If you will do this, I promise you will feel more productive, happy and a lot more successful, and most of all you will understand the real value of knowledge applied.

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

Follow Verl on Twitter: http://twitter.com/verlworkman

http://www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

I have really enjoyed watching the Olympics and seeing the determination and drive that so many of these great athletes demonstrate from around the world. To see the best athletes in the world competing against each other is an inspiring experience.

Just like in the Olympics, selling homes is about strength, determination, preparation, perseverance and being the best of the best. Being in real estate today requires us, as agents and brokers, to win the price war and the beauty contest both online and off!

I’ve watched companies come and go and most don’t begin to understand what buyers really want in their search for finding homes online. I am blown away by the poor visual experience agents and brokers provide the buyer on homes they so desperately need to sell. So many real estate brokers and brands leave it up to the agents to decide how to demonstrate their listings on the web. The problem is, in this difficult market, more and more agents are moving away from professional photography and high quality virtual tours to cheap, do-it-yourself tools with poor, less than complimentary photos of homes. The agent then brands their poor visual content with the high quality brand of their company and sends the message “that our company does not really understand what you, the buyers, really want.”

Buyers today want high quality photos of everything in and around the home, they want both still pictures and moving panoramas, and they want the option to see everything about the home even if it is a short sale or REO property – especially those. Instead, agents and brokers seem to be cutting their budgets in the wrong places. If they really want to sell their listings, they need to give the buyers the best experience, the Olympic experience.

My nomination for the best company to help us accomplish our Gold medal run is Obeo (www.obeo.com). They provide the highest quality experience for buyers and sellers, and add elements that are so advanced no other competitor can come close to them!

Imagine a buyer looking at a home online and having the ability to emotionally move in by moving their furniture in and around, changing the color of the kitchen cabinets, changing the floors from carpet to hardwood and even redecorating the living room by changing the color of the paint on the walls. This is a gold medal performance that should be done on every listing – not just on your high end, beautiful homes—but on ANY listing that you want to sell!

Real results, that’s how I differentiate between a good company and a REAL competitor. One of my coaching clients in Dallas sent an email recently stating that many of her sellers are coming to her because she markets properties using Obeo. Her closings for one month were over 2 million dollars and she attributes much of that to the way she markets her properties with Obeo.

There are a lot of good companies out there with cool web 2.0 experiences. However, I have not heard the extreme positive feedback from actual buyers and sellers, or seen the real results for agents like I have from Obeo.

So, if there were a competition of best online sales tools, Obeo wins the Gold!

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant. Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results. He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations. To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

Follow Verl on Twitter: http://twitter.com/verlworkman
http://www.facebook.com/VerlWorkman

As a culture, we are busy. We have technologies that allow us to stay connected to our business even when we are supposed to be taking a vacation. We multi-task, and as a result of our increased efficiencies, we are busier than ever and have trouble finding time to “fit it all in.” One of the biggest barriers to finding enough time to fit in the most important things in life are those people and things that steal away what precious time you have available. In order to be productive we must eliminate those time wasters and focus on things that help us move closer to our goals. I call this process “Taming the Time Thieves”.

If you follow the following five suggestions, you will find you have more control over your day—and you will get more accomplished!

1.    The chatting syndrome. Conversations (“chit-chatting”) with co-workers, friends, family and neighbors can happen anytime, anywhere, in person, by phone or even via the Internet. These chats can be worthwhile—sharing ideas, catching up on old times, talking about fun things you each have in common—but the reality is that frequently these chats do nothing but steal huge chunks of time from your day. Keeping in touch with friends and family is, of course, a good thing, but yapping endlessly about not-so-important things is a real time thief, especially if it saps your time for either necessary or more desirable pursuits. Give yourself reasonable limits as to the amount of time you will spend chatting. If you are stuck with a rambler, politely say, “I’ve got to go”…and do it.

2.    The E-mail Black Hole. If every time you open your e-mail it is cluttered with many Fwd: blah, blah, blah e-mail messages or other junk mail and you hate working your way through them, get off the forwarding lists! Many times it is people who have less time available than you (or who don’t know how to handle their time) who will forward virtually every e-mail they get to a long list of “e-mail buddies”—and one way to control this is to either set up a non-business email account to receive those emails at (johndoe@yahoo.com)—or ask to be removed from those mailing lists all together.  Seriously, are those jokes SO funny that you have to read every one of them? Also, never get trapped “surfing” the Internet. That can suck a couple of hours out of your day in a hurry!  It’s ok and important to answer your business email quickly, but save the others for evenings or weekends when you can deal with the other personal things in your life.

3.    Clients from Hades. Sorry, but this is real and every agent knows what I am talking about. Sure, we love our clients, but you and I both know that some clients can suck every waking moment out of you. You have to know who’s the boss. You are! (I know, sometimes it feels like every new client is the boss!) Your buyer’s agents have experienced the dread of showing a dozen homes to “Lookie Lou” only to discover they couldn’t make a buying decision if their life depended on it. Your accountant, doctor, dentist or insurance agent  are not available every waking moment of every day, why should you be?  Pre-qualify each buyer and make sure you have a buyer’s agreement.  This first step will let them know you are serious about your business.  Then set their expectations as to how you will work with them up front and what you expect from them as you show homes.

4.    Dumpers. Ever heard these words? “You handle it.” It may be a spouse, a relative, a co-worker, or a child, but YOU become the dumping ground. When you hear “I don’t want to do/don’t know how to do it,” and the “dumper” is fully capable, you need to take control. Unless you bounce back those things that truly can be handled by others, the dumping will continue (or worse, if there is no objection from you, intensify). They are not going to stop if you don’t protest! Speaking of which, it might be time for you to hire a good assistant to take over some of your more menial tasks.

5.    Technology. Technology is a double-edged sword. There is no doubt that you need it—as a Realtor it can do more to free up time in your day than just about anything else—but you have to have a strategy for learning it and using it. That’s one of the reasons why I emphasize learning one new thing each day with your technology, then shut off your computer and go to work.  Technology is not supposed to be all-consuming; it’s just one of the many priorities that needs to be fitted into your day.

By eliminating your time thieves and time wasters you will find more time every day to focus on the more important things in your life, like family, friends, faith, fitness, and of course your finances.

© Verl Workman, Pinnacle Quest Consulting 2010

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Verl Workman is a leading national speaker, coach and consultant.  Despite his busy speaking schedule, and role as co-founder of Pinnacle Quest Consulting Group, he still sells real estate so that he can test and stay abreast of the latest tools and techniques that maximize results.  He uses that knowledge to assist individuals and companies in building effective business strategies, implementing powerful technology solutions, and establishing strategic competitive advantages through coaching, seminars and private consultations.  To contact Verl visit www.verlworkman.com or  www.PQPipeline.com or email him at AskVerl@verlworkman.com.

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