Now that the New Year is upon us, it is good to evaluate how this year went. Did you achieve your goals? Were you satisfied with your business results? If not, do not get discouraged. 2012 can be the year you want it to be.
Many negative influences can trap us into thinking that there is not much we can do to ‘turn things around’ or improve them. We might be thinking if only we can ‘hang on’ until this or that happens; when the market turns around, when spring gets here, when the new advertising hits… when, when, when.
Here is a belief many allow themselves to have. Since this year was not what they wanted, they believe they must double or triple the efforts, budgets, energies in order to be successful next year.
This is SIMPLY NOT TRUE!
What it DOES require are small changes.
We’ve heard the 2 degrees concept and similar analogies. If an airplane needs to be going 200 mph to take off, what’s the difference between going down the runway at 198 mph and 2 more mph? Water at 210 degrees is just a nice cup of tea. Two more degrees and you power a nation.
I often use this baseball analogy. What is the difference between a marginal player, hanging on for a handful of years, making $500,000 per year and a sure-fire hall of famer, making literally 20 times that amount?
It is not tripling the others hit totals. It’s not being twice as good. It’s not even being 25% better. It boils down to this, once out of every 10 at bats, the hall of famer’s bat adjusts slightly to strike the ball 2 degrees lower. Instead of being dribbled to the shortstop, it lines right past him. Instead of flying out to the wall, it soars over the wall and becomes someone’s souvenir.
Every other at-bat, every single other one, they both do the exact thing. It is just that one time, they make a very tiny adjustment and they are superstars! One out of ten times they succeed, when the others failed.
The application is simple. Improve just 10% in a couple key areas over last year. What are those areas? The three or four things that, if they were done a little better, a little more often, a little more consistently would improve your business. Things such as meeting with more potential clients. Did you ‘try’ to visit an office of a client once a month last year, sometimes letting things get in the way? Did it end up being once a quarter instead? This year – get there! Maybe the 10% is not how much, but where, your advertising dollars are spent. Evaluate and adjust it. Not many Realtors love sitting at open-houses on Sundays. But how often did you do it last year? Instead of once a year or four times, buy out a couple more weekends. Go from two times to three, or from 10 times to 11. How much time did you spend ‘sharpening your pencil’ by taking classes that involve your industry? Take an additional class or two. Read a couple more business books.
Everyone’s specific industry, position, goals and methods, will affect the exact details of implementing your plan. This is not meant to outline detailed plans for every particular person. You are the one that will need to evaluate your activities. Isolate a few key steps. Identify the basic actions that the top achievers in your industry consistently excel at and target those areas. Of course, asking for an outsider’s point of view can be helpful. Sit down with a colleague or a manager. Take a top producer to lunch. Ask them sincerely what might be an area where a 10% change on your part will make a difference. Either way, you take the action.
Before the New Year starts, actively and honestly find areas where that small change will make the difference. Don’t exhaust yourself with major overhauls. Enjoy the challenge, process and thrill of making slight adjustments.
You will enjoy the year you wanted.
By Craig A. Krause
as printed in Real Estate Newsline
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