Last week, our office manager told me a story about a concert that she had bought tickets for by the group, Axis of Awesome, at an intimate venue in Los Angeles.  The comedy rock trio hails from Sydney, Australia and has recently become an internet sensation and YouTube favorite, with their hit, “The Four Chord Song,” she explained.  It turns out that a shockingly large number of pop music hits are composed of the same basic four musical chords.  The songs span from Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” to Jason Mraz’s  “I’m Yours,” from The Beatles “Let it Be” to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” among many others, which Axis of Awesome play pieces of in their now infamous medley.  Specifically, the chords are E, B, C (sharp and minor), and A. 

How amazing is it that through generations of different music genres and an incredibly wide diversity in music styles that four basic chords make up the world’s most commercially successful songs?   It caused me to wonder that in the business of commercial real estate,  (despite the constant changes in the economy, unique geographic locations, the different product segments and areas of specialty, characteristics of the brokerage company one works for), are there but just a few basic elements that create success for us as well?    What if we used the same basic chords to play our songs of success?  If that were the case, then our chords would be:

E = Envision your success

B = Be the success you envision

C = Consistency

A = Appreciation

Envisioning what you want to accomplish is the starting point for your Goal Setting.  By clearly establishing your goals and committing them in writing with deadlines, you’ve set up your target.  If you don’t plan your business (or your life, for that matter) you are spinning in circles with no means to receive feedback to see whether you’re on the “right track” or not.  Visualization is an often mentioned but rarely used tool, to allow your subconscious mind play a role in your success.  Even Einstein would visualize the solutions to his most perplexing problems, including the famous story of how he pictured himself riding on a beam of light, to come up with his theory of Special Relativity, but he’s not a broker, so I digress.

Being the end result of your goals from the moment you set them, is often termed “fake it until you make it.”  I’ve watched some of our region’s most successful brokers do just that, on their way to becoming what they are today.  Tommy Lasorda, the infamous former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently commented on a local radio program:  “You’ve got to THINK like a Champion.  Then if you think like a Champion, you’ll ACT like a Champion.  If you act like a Champion, you’ll PRACTICE like a Champion and then PLAY like a Champion.  And if you PLAY like a Champion, well then you BECOME one.”

Consistency is critical on your way to becoming a world class broker.  The most important thing that you can be consistent with is CANVASSING.  The brokers who are consistently filling their sales pipelines are the “luckiest” brokers I know.  In addition to your prospecting though, is being consistent in controlling your thoughts (see above) and your communication.  Your consistent communication to your marketplace through marketing and to your clients as well, is ever important.  Consistency also means to never cut corners, especially in your documentation and file keeping.

Appreciation is maybe the catalyst for making the other ingredients work.  Appreciate your longtime clients and strive to “win” their business every day, by never taking them for granted.  Appreciate how lucky you are to have such a great “job”, one where there is no limit to the amount of money you can earn or freedom you can enjoy.  By appreciating your prospects and what they wish to accomplish, you gain the necessary perspective which will lead you to the ways where you can best serve them.

by Damon Wyler, Executive Vice President, Branch Manager

A famous quote by Mark Twain, which I’ve always loved, is “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”  I know that many sales people have the same feeling towards prospecting in the midst of an otherwise enjoyable work day.   Yet just as many can’t resist another lap around the local municipal golf course, sales people continue in agony with commission based compensation endeavors.  I have often described the process of prospecting as analogous to the golf swing.  Here are my Top Ten reasons why:

1.       When learning the golf swing, it feels very awkward

2.       Your comfort and effectiveness will improve through repetition

3.       You advance your learning curve through instruction and modeling

4.       Some shots are more difficult than others

5.       Practice, practice, practice

6.       A positive “swing thought” helps

7.       Visualize positive results

8.       A great shot from the fairway or tee box is more exhilarating than a tap in putt

9.       There is no such thing as a “perfect swing,” just get as close as you can

10.   A commission is as close as you’ll ever come to professional golf

Much of the above is self explanatory, even for those readers who are not golfers.  For everyone’s benefit, I would like to offer a clarification of number six (#6) above.  A swing thought is a mental affirmation that a golfer may use at the end of his pre-shot routine, upon addressing the ball, just prior to his actual swing.  The affirmation is used to clear his mind of unproductive or distracting chatter or worry to emphasize focus upon a particular aspect of his swing.  Examples could be something like “head still” or “quiet hands”, or even just a nonsensical word like “woosh.”  It is something personal and typically temporary, until a new swing thought is needed or adopted.

You might consider developing a personal “swing thought” to use just prior to that all important swing of the telephone up to your ear or the swing as you knock on a door.  Three examples could be:

1.       This rent survey is important and this client would benefit meeting me to receive it.

2.       My new listing represents opportunity and is exciting news in my marketplace.

3.       This feels GREAT!

In closing, famous golfer Arnold Palmer once said, “Golf is a game of inches, the most important are the six inches between our ears.”  All of us can and should work on our prospecting skills, it may not ever prevent all of your good walks from being spoiled, but I can assure you it will create a far more rewarding journey.