Bring Home a Winner

Monday Morning Match is a quick 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.

Are You Ready for the Big Finish?

In a long season, game, event or fiscal year, the actions and results that occur early mean just as much as those that happen later. It's just that when the finish line is within reach, it seems that every step feels that much more important.

Last Wednesday we saw what many are calling the "greatest day of action in baseball history" as four teams played in do-or-die games with their playoff lives in the balance. St. Louis and Atlanta were tied for the wild card spot in the National League and Boston and Tampa Bay were deadlocked in the American League for their league's wild card spot.

St. Louis cruised to a victory over the hapless Houston Astros, insuring themselves of no worse than a one-game playoff at home to attempt to secure a playoff spot. The other three games were epic in their unfolding with Atlanta losing in extra innings, Boston giving up a 1-run lead in the bottom of the 9th inning and Tampa Bay snagging the last spot in the playoffs with a dramatic 12th inning home run (after a 7-run comeback late in the game to send it to extra innings). If you stayed up and watched it all happen like I did, it's a night you're sure to remember for a while.

It should be noted that those games played Wednesday night (the 162nd game of the season for all four teams) counted the same as their games played back in April. Had they each just won one more game earlier in the season, the drama wouldn't have been near as intense...or fun.

The same is true in golf - a bogey on the first hole counts the same as a bogey on the 18th hole but if the match was on the line when you were standing on the 18th tee, it seems like a much worse score, right? You'll think about that missed putt on the last hole a lot longer than you will think of that bad drive back on the first hole. Geez...that was almost 5 hours ago, right?

When Do You Really Start to Focus?

When we make mistakes, skip business development opportunities or lose listings early in the year we may find ourselves subconsciously saying "I'll get the next one" or "there will be more as the year goes along." While that is probably true, wouldn't it be better to get every deal (closing, hit, run, touchdown, win, etc.) when you can?

When you can see the finish line you seem to heighten your awareness of your efforts. I know when I am on a long run, my legs seems to pick up energy when I am just a mile from the finish. Sometimes I even pick up speed, turning in one of my better mile times on that last mile as my mind tells my legs how good it will feel to be done.

The back nine at Augusta on Sunday feels just a little different each year at the Masters than it feels on Thursday. In fact, watch it next spring and wait for CBS's Jim Nantz to say it when the leaders finish putting on the 9th hole. "The Masters doesn't start until the back nine on Sunday."

The crowd rises to it's feet when the home team comes up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing by one run. They know that the team must execute now or it will be too late and another loss will be entered onto the bad side of the win-loss ledger. If that happens too often there will be little chance of achieving the goals set at the beginning of the year.

It's Crunch Time

Is it time for a "Hail Mary"?

Do you want the ball in your hand for that last second shot?

Will you be ready to make the field goal in "sudden death" overtime?

It's almost closing time. Don't let the bartender's "last call" leave you thirsting for more.

The clock is ticking down but there is still time for you to call a timeout, design a plan that is sure to result in some positive results, and make something happen. Homes will be listed and homes will be sold every day between now and 2012. 

Are you ready to build some relationships, solve some problems and have some fun?

Raise your fingers. It's the fourth quarter.

The game is on the line. Go out there and bring home a winner.

Swing for the Fences

Monday Morning Match is a quick 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.

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."

Babe Ruth

The smell of football is in the air with college starting up in a few weeks. The professionals have finally resolved their labor issues and are in the midst of training camps and will kick off their season in a little under a month.
 
In competition to the cheers soon to be heard around your local gridiron, the "boys of summer" have started heating things up and the pennant races across America's baseball diamonds are keeping at least one of the true sport's fan's two eyes on their game.
 

With just under 40 games left to play before the playoffs, the games will begin to get a little bit more contentious. The managers will think through every lineup change, the pitchers will throw a little bit harder and the hitters will become just a little more focused in hopes of  leading their team, city and loyal fan base into the coveted month of October where a World Series Champion will be crowned. 



80 years ago today (August 21st, 1931), the great Babe Ruth hit his 600th home run. As most sports fans know, Ruth went on to hit 714 home runs in his career and held that record until Henry "Hank" Aaron broke it in 1974. There are only 8 players in history that have knocked it out of the park 600 or more times (with Minnesota's Jim Thome joining the club just last week) so needless to say, Ruth, Thome and the other six had to swing at a lot of pitches. In fact, all 8 members of the 600 Home Run Club are among the Top 100 in strikeouts in the history of baseball.

 

 
From the Baseball Field to the Field of Real Estate
 
It's a new week. Let's think of it as the top of the inning and guess who's up to bat? Yep, it's you.
 
Are you ready to get up there and swing for the fences? Here comes the pitch... 
 

• Will you call that former client of yours who you ran into this weekend?
• Could you stop by the expired listing that just showed up in the MLS Search of your target area?
• How about calling on that For Sale By Owner who has been trying to sell for the last several months in your neighborhood?
• Should you try out the new dialogue that you've been practicing in the office on your next Open House visitor?
• Don't let fear stop you from showing up at your next coaching session.
• Reach out to some of your "less vocal" connections on your social media channels and get engaged.

 
The market isn't going to toss you any easy pitches so you better dig your feet in, focus on the ball and start swinging for the fences.
 
Get out there and start building relationships, solving problems and having fun.
 
There's no way you can swing and miss at all three of those.
 
 

Flickr photo credit - Meadowsa

 
 
 
 
 

 

Welcome to the Wide World of Real Estate?

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.

With many sports in full swing right now, there's a lot of emphasis on teamwork. You've got  the National Hockey League and the NBA starting their repsective playoffs while Major League Baseball just kicked off their 8-month season. MLS  Soccer is in full swing as are many of the high school and little league sports teams.

Yes, it's true. In most cases, real estate agents consider themselves to be "independent contractors." They don't really have a boss and they technically can't be told what to do. But this is much more of a team game than people realize.

How's your teamwork this year?

How supportive is your branch manager in your efforts to achieve success in real estate and remain balanced in other areas of your life?

Do you have a coach helping hold you accountable? Can you share your goals and dreams with this person as easily as you share your challenges and fears?

Do you have affiliates who help you with your additional services such as mortgage, title, home inspection services and home warranty coverage?

Does your office or company have staff members who help make you look good? Do your receptionsists and office administrators work tirelessly to make you look good?

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”

~ Babe Ruth

Perhaps you have specific departments that help you leverage your talents to better serve your Buyers and Sellers such as a Marketing Department or a Relocation Department or Training Department.

How successful could you be if your IT Department and help desk wasn't available to help you navigate through viruses, email spam and other computer issues? 

Are you a "team leader" who enjoys all the credit and recognition but you have assistants and specialists who work behind the scenes to get the deals to the closing table?

Do you have a recognizable brand behind you that has great recognition and respect in the community? You don't have to work for a huge company or the biggest branch in town but you should be proud to wear the logo on your chest each day. Do you?

When you meet with your Buyers and Sellers, do you use words like "we" and "us" more than you say "I" and "you"? When you make it more of a "team" effort to find the right house or get a home sold, there's more people invested in the outcome.

You see, real estate is much more of a team sport than people think. Sure, the "buck" stops with you but you don't have to be the one to feel all of the pressure either. When transactions successfully make it to the closing table, there are a whole lot of people who get to bask in the "thrill of victory" while each time something occurs that causes a deal to fall through, people will feel "the agony of defeat."

Just make sure that every once in a while, you thank your teammates for keeping you on top of your game.

Until next time, keep building relationships, solving problems and having fun.

If You Really Want It

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.

What's the Forecast?

Do you watch the local news to hear the weather forecast? Has your local meteorologist earned trust and credibility through his or her accuracy in predicting the upcoming weather?

Do you pay attention to the local or national economists when they try to describe what will be happening in the real estate market in the near future?

One thing seems certain, whether it's Dudley Doppler at the local NBC affiliate or Lawrence Yun with the National Association of Realtors, neither has to be right all the time to keep their jobs. It's almost like Major League Baseball players who just have to hit the ball 3 out of 10 times at bat throughout their careers to have a realistic chance at a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The USPS and You



Being a successful Realtor is much more like being a successful postal carrier. You must deliver in rain or shine, through snow or sleet or wind or heat waves. Your clients expect it from you and your families are counting on you.



Will you be able to deliver? Are you prepared to do what it takes to succeed? I know that "success" is out there to be achieved. In the words of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, "you can get it if you really want it."

"Persecution you must bear
Win or lose you've got to get your share
Got your mind set on a dream
You can get it, though harder them seem now"

Will there be obstacles? Of course. Will you make mistakes? Hopefully, because that's how you learn. Will it be easy? Not likely, or else there would be a lot less people leaving the industry and a lot more jumping in.



Finding Buyers and Sellers in the current market might be harder than before but remember, they'll be harder for everyone to find. Those who don't get discouraged and keep looking every day will have better results than those who sit back and wait for the same Buyers and Sellers to find them.

"Rome was not built in a day
Opposition will come your way
But the hotter the battle you see
It's the sweeter the victory"

If it looks like rain, grab an umbrella.

If there's a snow storm coming, bundle up and get ready to shovel.

Warm weather and plenty of sunshine headed your way? Kick on the flip flops, apply the sunblock and turn up the reggae.

There's business out there. Trust me or trust Jimmy Cliff. You can get it if you really want it!


Enjoy the video below of Jimmy Cliff. May it keep you warm wherever you may be watching it. If you can't see the video, click on the title above or click here





I hope you enjoy a week of building relationships...solving problems...and having fun.