Don't Stop Believin'

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.

How Are You Going to Answer?

Every day we all have a small voice inside our heads. It greets us when we wake up. It's there when we arrive at the office. It's there when we make calls to customers or knock on doors of those scary For Sale by Owners. You probably hear it every time you head out to a listing appointment or it's time to present an offer.

My guess is you also hear the voice in your personal life. It could be as you push to run that extra mile on your daily jog or making that difficult call to a loved one when you have some important information to share. You hear it when you balance your check book.

The voice is asking you the same challenging question almost every time. "Can you do it?"

The voice doesn't say "you can't do it" or "you're going to fail." Those would be statements and this voice isn't capable of making statements. It's only capable of asking questions. You see, the voice doesn't know anything. The voice doesn't have any power.

The power is yours. Your answer is that power.

How will you answer when that voice talks to you tomorrow?

My Friend David has Belief

David is a great friend of mine. I've know David since our elementary school days. He comes from a very successful family and I have had the pleasure of knowing them for all these years.

David went to Notre Dame and then attended Ohio State where he earned is law degree. He now has a very successful career, a beautiful wife and two great children. He also has a tremendous outlook on life. David is a loyal Notre Dame alum and fan of all things Fighting Irish. He was there when the school won their last National Championship in football and will probably be in the stands when they win their next. David believes in Notre Dame Football.

I received this video below from David. As you can imagine before clicking on it, it has to do with Notre Dame football. It also has to do with that little voice in your head.




You don't need a pep rally to get ready for the success that awaits you. You don't need Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. You just need to know what to say to that voice.

I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to build relationships.

I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to solve problems.

I know you have belief that this will be a great week for you to have fun!

I hope you "play like a champion today!"

Who Are These People Who Call Themselves "Bloggers"?

There are millions of different blogs out there. Blogs about politics, communities, local real estate, real estate companies, news and more. There's blogs about every topic under the sun. Heck, there's even blogs about bacon.

And obviously, you know about this blog - The Realtor's Toolbox - for real estate tools, tips and tricks to build a successful real estate business. Thanks for being a loyal reader and sharing the posts you like with others.

Reading blogs is one thing but it can kind of be like listening to the radio, especially your favorite local morning show. You get to know the voice at the other end but it's kind of hard to put a face with that voice. Have you ever been surprised to learn what a deejay or talk show host looks like in person?

I saw a great blog post today from the folks over at FlowTown. FlowTown "is a social media marketing platform that helps businesses transform email contacts into engaged customers." What they really are to me is a really cool blog that shares some incredible visual images and information.


Their post today was titled "The Evolution of The Blogger" and it really taught me more about the "blogging tree" as it were. Here's the visual they used. You might be able to left click (once) on the visual to see it in larger details or you can click here to see it on the FlowTown blog site.

Thanks for the great visual FlowTown. Pictures sure are worth a thousand words...and a fresh blog post.

C'mon Get Happy

Monday Morning Match is a short post - maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea - intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.


How do you define "Happiness"?

If you had to write a definition for that word, what words would you use? You could be very dictionary-like in your definition and use words like "a state of tranquility free from anxiety and emotional disturbance" or perhaps "a feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, please or joy."


What if you had to describe what happiness means to you? No clinical definition, just a sentence or word story? What would you say? What makes you smile just thinking about how you would describe happiness to someone?


Is it....

Warm chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven?

Reading a good book on a rainy Saturday morning?

Having the first tee time on a warm summer day?

• Someone else picking up the tab at happy hour?
• A phone call from a co-op agent saying they've accepted your contract...as written?
• A quiet lake and a full cooler of bait?
• Walking hand in hand with someone special down a moonlit beach?
• Hearing your children giggle?
  

Yeah - those are all good definitions of happiness in my mind.

What about for you? What images come to mind? What emotions are stirred thinking about what makes you happy?

Here's your challenge. Write down ten things that you think of when you think of happiness. (I invite you to add a few in the comments section below.)

Now, instead of just thinking about what creates happiness for you in your mind, go out this week and make it happen with your actions.

Have a great week building relationships, solving problems and having fun.

I'm Sorry. They Don't Work Here Anymore...

Wouldn't that be a horrible thing for one of your clients or customers to hear? We work so hard to get clients in today's fast paced world, why would we want to send them away?

Can the people you want to find you actually find you?

Are you sure that if someone came across a profile of you on-line somewhere you would actually be at the end of the "Contact Me" link or phone number suggested

I was just spending some time today on LinkedIn and was looking through my contact list. I was absolutely amazed at the number of Realtors who I am "linked in" with who don't even have their correct brokerage listed! Many people who are in a non-sales position also had their incorrect companies listed. I wonder if they even remember creating a LinkedIn profile? The sad thing is I bet this is true for some people on sites like Twitter and Facebook too.

"The Phone Books Are Here!!!"

Back in the old days (a.k.a. The 90's) you just needed to make sure your name showed up correctly in one place - the phone book. Remember how happy Navin R. Johnson was when he saw his name in the phone book in the classic movie, The Jerk ?

Well today you'll need more than the phone book...and this thermos. (if you don't laugh at that reference, order The Jerk on Netflix)

Have you checked your "on-line" profiles recently? It might be a great time of the year to log in to any site you think people (i.e. potential clients) might find you and update your contact information and personal profile.

You could add in a recent photo and you should also update your family info, office locations, mobile contacts and social media links. In real estate, we never know where our next good lead will come from so let's do what we can to insure it does,'t get sent to the competition by default.

Not only might you be missing good opportunities with clients, you could also be violating state license law when it comes to clearly representing your brokerage and role.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and check your social media profiles. While you're there, make sure we're connected. I'd love to stay in touch with you...assuming your contact information is correct.

Live & Learn

Another Thanksgiving has passed us by and there's just 5 weeks left in the year. Before we worry about what we can do over the next month and a week, let's look back at one of my favorite blog posts from two years ago which still rings true today.

What Realtor's Can Learn from Black Friday

Maybe some of you will be reading this while you're in line waiting to pay for your early morning haul. Others will have avoided the hustle and bustle and stayed at home on your butts (and laptops).

Either way, shop hard and get ready for the holiday season.