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Have the commission lawsuits, lack of inventory and high mortgage rates left you feeling out of control of your business? If you’re ready to escape the quicksand, take charge of your business, and wrap up 2024 with a bang, here’s what to do.
Have you ever noticed that no matter how bad the market is, there are always agents who do well? What’s their secret — They avoid being distracted by what they can’t control and focus on what they can control.
As Coach Philip Humbert once explained in his newsletter:
“My well-being and optimism, my values and work ethic, and daily success are not determined by politicians in Washington, fighting in the Middle East, or disasters I can’t control (as important as those things may be). My daily success is determined by my alarm clock, my to-do list, my use of time, and hugs from my friends. My success is determined by whether I do the things that I know are useful or whether I am distracted by the news, by gossip, or by worry.”
7 ways to regain control of your business without working harder
One of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself is starting with a clean slate. The act of clearing out anything that is holding you back, no matter how big or small, opens up the space for you to attract more business.
Here’s the step-by-step of what to do:
1. Eliminate tolerations
To get the best possible start, begin by eliminating “tolerations.” A toleration can be something as simple as a missing button from a shirt, your car’s floormats that need cleaning, or any of the hundreds of other little things that pull you off focus over the course of your day. Tolerations are like paper cuts. They are often minor, but the cumulative effect of not dealing with them results in serious pain and loss of productivity.
The first step in ridding yourself of tolerations is to make a list. Most people can list about 20 tolerations and then hit a wall. If they persist, they soon discover there’s easily another 80 or more.
Remember tolerations can be something small such a magazine subscription you’ve been meaning to cancel or replacing a light bulb. The point is that every time you encounter the toleration, it interrupts your thoughts with, “that’s bugging me,” or “I need to take care of that.” Each time you notice it, you’re experiencing the equivalent of another paper cut.
Once you have made your list, the next step is to eliminate one toleration per day. It makes no difference where you start or which toleration you choose. The idea is to reduce the cumulative effect of these energy drainers.
2. Just say ‘no’
How many times have you agreed to do a showing when you had previously scheduled family or personal time, and you ended up resenting the decision?
Your inability to say “No,” not only creates more tolerations, it can also leave you feeling frustrated and angry, and it can even damage your health.
Even more importantly, when you do tell a client “No,” always remember that “No” is a complete sentence. There’s no need to explain or justify your reasoning.
If the client presses you about the appointment, simply say, “I have a conflicting appointment,” and give the client two other times you could do the showings.
3. Create space
When I first learned about the Law of Attraction during my Coach Certification Training, I was fascinated by the concept that to attract more business or the right personal relationship, first you have to make space for that business or special person in your life. As my first coach put it, “There’s no room for a shiny new red convertible when your garage is filled with junk.”
Since that time, when I do a major closet cleaning, clear out all my emails, or donate or dump old items I’m not using, new business almost always pops up not long after.
To illustrate this point, you’re probably familiar with the “vacation phenomenon.” This occurs when you schedule time off, and as you’re getting ready to leave, plenty of new business always seems to pop up. Why? You created all this space in your schedule.
If you’d like to test this approach, clean your closet, clean your garage, clean your office, or schedule time off. It makes no difference where you start. It’s the act of creating space that opens the door for new opportunities.
4. Finish, delegate or declare old projects complete
Another way to create more space for more business is to dump any project or task that you have been procrastinating about doing for six or more months. If it’s something that you really must do, delegate it, and take it off your to-do list.
5. Eliminate debt now
Credit card debt is a major toleration that cuts you over and over each month as you pay not only for your purchase but also interest on top of interest. If you are able to eliminate any of your credit card debt, do it as soon as possible.
As Alisa Glutz of Color My Credit advises, “Don’t rent your debt.”
To illustrate this point, Macy’s just raised the interest rate on its revolving balances to a whopping 34.49 percent. Keep in mind that this number compounds daily.
Consequently, get in the habit of paying off purchases each month. If you don’t have the money to pay for an item at the end of the month, don’t buy it unless it is an absolute necessity, like medicine or a business-related expense such as car repair or gasoline.
Moreover, credit card debt limits your opportunity for a better life for years to come. To learn more about how to eliminate your credit card debt, check out my article and interview with Glutz.
6. The ‘ideal client’ list
If you haven’t made an ideal client list, it’s time to start one now. It should have a minimum of 50 characteristics that your ideal client will have.
The coach who introduced me to this approach had generated $300,000 in profits from his business in only six months. When I asked about how he became successful so quickly, he replied, “I made an ideal client list. It was 15 pages long right down to the type of belt and tie my ideal client wore.”
When I asked if his ideal client had shown up in his business, his answer was, “No, but a lot of his brothers and sisters sure have.”
The concept here is having clarity about who you want to attract, or as my husband Byron Van Arsdale likes to say, “Be definite with the infinite.”
7. Focus on your priorities and what matters most in your life
A ship without a rudder is at the mercy of the sea and winds. Your priorities and values are the GPS that will help you steer the course that best supports you.
The difference between those who thrive and those who merely survive isn’t luck — it’s the choices they make. Embrace the strategies above, take back control, and watch your business flourish now and well into the future.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had Macy’s interest rate at 35.99 percent, but it has been changed to 34.49 percent.
Bernice Ross, president and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, and the founder of RealEstateWealthForWomen.com is a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,500 published articles.
