Whether your agents’ goals are built around revenue, lead gen, marketing or team-building, you’ve probably helped them to formulate a specific, measurable, achievable set of goals for the new year.
However, it takes more than a goal to move forward in your professional life, and many things that seem doable in January are forgotten by March. Here’s how to ensure that your team stays laser-focused on the goals they’ve identified throughout 2021.
1. Set aside time to review
If an item is not on my calendar, it doesn’t get done. The same is true for your agents. By setting aside concrete opportunities to review their goals, you make goal completion a priority for your team.
In addition, you show that you are committed to providing the space and time needed to work on the tasks associated with their achievement.
2. Implement consistent check-ins long-term
If your agents believe that you have forgotten about their goals, they’re likely to forget them as well. Consistency is key, so make sure that you are continuing to check in with agents throughout the year.
If they know that the only way to get you to stop asking about their progress is to achieve the goal itself, they may just get it done sooner than you ever anticipated.
3. Help create accountability partnerships
Having a partner to help you stay focused is an important aspect of making positive progress. Encourage your agents to buddy up with someone who is working on a similar goal or who can provide needed insight and support.
For agents who are currently working with a coach, make sure that they have shared their goals with the coach and that they are being held accountable at each session.
4. Provide the tools for goal completion
What do your agents need to achieve their 2021 goals? Maybe they need help from the support staff. Maybe they need access to resources like graphic design services. Maybe they need to draw on the expertise of marketing, finance and legal professionals.
Bring in the help they need, and make it available to the agents at a reduced cost or free of charge. A few minutes with the right expert adviser may be all they need to move forward with confidence.
5. Help brainstorm a task roadmap
One of the reasons we get bogged down in achieving long-term goals is the fact that we underestimate the time and effort needed for completion.
Work with your agents to brainstorm a detailed list of tasks that are necessary to cross the finish line — digital marketing maven Kary Perry suggests no less than 20. If they know where they’re going and the steps along the way, they’re far more likely to stay the course.
6. Offer incentives as motivation
Whether you offer a T-shirt, host a happy hour or provide a financial reward, a little carrot goes a long way toward helping people achieve their goals. Find out what gets your folks excited and gamify their goal-setting with a fun reward going to the winners.
7. Visualize the benefits of achievement
What would an extra commission each month mean to your agents? What benefit would regular consultation with a financial adviser provide? How would building a portfolio of investment properties lead to long-term wealth for your agent and his or her family?
By drilling down and helping agents to identify and elaborate on the effects of goal completion in a personal way, they’ll become more motivated and more likely to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Troy Palmquist is the founder and broker of The Address in Southern California. Follow him on Facebook, or connect with him on LinkedIn.
