Being a Realtor is like… Trying to lose weight…
Being a Realtor is similar to losing weight: your weight and checkbook go up and down; seems like it’s feast or famine; everybody tells you how easy it is and how to do it; and what works for one may not work for another…
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Henry Cloud in our Disciple Apprenticeship class. A very talented man who is a clinical psychologist devoted to Spiritual Growth. He told the story of a church leader (let’s call him Steve) who had been trying to help a man (let’s call him John) lose weight. For 6 months they met weekly, and Steve asked John to report how he’d done with that week’s goals. Each week John reported that he had gained a little weight, but he’d try harder. Dr. Cloud asked Steve “what are you doing to help him?” and Steve replied fervently “I’m holding him accountable”. Dr. Cloud told Steve he would help. He said “Steve, I want you to go to John, and assure him, that in 6 months he’ll be dead”. John was astounded, Dr. Cloud went on to explain “When you have problems in Business, do you go to an accountant fix the problem? Of course not, they just tell you how bad the problem is. Every week you meet with John to hold him accountable, and you just keep telling him how bad it is…”
John was trying to tell Steve to use more will power every week, and every week Steve left with resolve but ended up feeling guilty after 7 days. What Steve needed was to borrow will power from others who had strengths in weight/food discipline. What a concept. If you believe that each of us has strengths, and we were put on this earth to help those around us, that’s the reason we have those people around us. To find those whose strength’s compliment or weakness, and lend our strength’s to those who are being limited where we are strong. It’s called Synergy. A gracious and wonderful thing with no strings attached. Synergy is when 1 + 1 = 5. Synergy energizes you, it doesn’t deplete. If you ever walk away from an encounter feeling awkward, used, or guilty, Grace and Synergy were not there.
What Steve needed was 2 or 3 friends to meet him 3 days a week who liked to walk, and invite Steve to be part of their group. Steve needed 2 or 3 friends who ate lunch every day together. And he needed John to keep encouraging him and celebrate his successes.
It’s easy to feel like we’re failing, easy to feel like things aren’t moving fast enough. Buy an ant farm and watch it. For days nothing looks like it’s happening, but the ants keep working moving 1 grain of sand at a time. One little bit of rock, but together the move them all until suddenly the have constructed a city.
We’ve built our office around integration and consolidation: We automatically send out 100 Just Listed and Just Sold cards just from the MLS data; Our office accounting integrates with customer data base the Realtors use; All the MLS pictures come into our servers for use in advertising ;Custom CMA’s designed for your listing presentation pulls data from MLS; Intranet for company docs and agents own docs; and the list goes on. One grain of sand at a time, we’ve built systems to uncomplicated Realtors lives. Give them time to meet in groups, classes, and with clients. Our technology strength allows you to concentrate on the Emotions of your clients where they belong, more time showing and making connections, spending time with your family instead of asking them to put mail stickers on letters.
Give us a call, and let’s talk about real innovation!
Oh, Dr. Clouds last word “We don’t need new ways to fail, the old ones are working just fine…”. If you keep hitting your head against the wall, if your ideas aren’t heard, if you’re looking to solve some of those nagging Little problems,
Call me!
http://www.cloudtownsend.com/2cloud.htm 