Hey Deejay! Are You Taking Requests?

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.

On Sunday, I accomplished a big personal goal. I ran in and completed the Columbus Half Marathon. That's 13.1 miles of non-stop running. I have run several half marathons in the past and even completed the Columbus Marathon (26.2 miles) in 2006. A knee surgery in 2009 put my running on the shelf for a few years, so it felt great to get back "in the game" today and finally run in something big instead of just a training run.

Before going any further, I would like to congratulate all who ran the full marathon and the half marathon (almost 17,000 entrants were in the race) as well as thank all the race coordinators, thousands of volunteers and emergency personal and the tens of thousands of Central Ohio residents who stood on the chilly sidewalks and supported every runner, walker and wheelchair participant in the field. It was quite an event that everyone in Ohio should be very proud of.

Just Press Play 

In order to keep me pumped up and motivated during my almost two hours of run, I put together a play list of songs on my iPod that I felt would keep my legs moving, my head focused and my soul fired up to "push that rock" until the finish line. A good play list is sort of like a soundtrack for a runner, comprised of the early songs to get you started on a good pace, the middle tunes designed to maintain pace and stay focused and the ending songs which should be designed to give you that important second wind and keep the legs churning even when you're tired.

Here was my play list for this year's Columbus Half Marathon:

• Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones (great song to start your day)
• Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band (If you're gonna run with tunes, isn't this one required?)
• You Wreck Me - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (The guitar riff in this one won't allow you to slow down)
• Elevation - U2 (I felt like Bono and The Edge were screaming at me from the side of the road)
• D'Yer Maker - Led Zeppelin (I figured it might be chilly and overcast - it was - so a little rock/reggae was a perfect choice to warm the insides as the sweat started to warm the outsides)
• Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution - AC/DC (There were plenty of bands, musicians and entertainers along the course today but insuring I would hear some AC/DC was imperative to a kick ass run)
• Three Little Birds - Bob Marley & The Wailers (strategically placed so I knew I should be approaching the 3 mile mark of the race. I had to make sure I was keeping pace)
• Alright - Darius Rucker ("When I lay down at night I thank the Lord above for giving me everything I ever could dream of...")
• Southern Girl - Amos Lee (the slowest tune on the play list but definitely one of my faves. It's not uncommon for runners to start a little quick due to the adrenaline they build at the beginning of the race. This was a reminder to stay within myself and not cramp up)
• Rain King - The Counting Crows (An awesome song to sing along to as we rolled through the streets of Bexley)
• Hippy Girl - Cup a Joe (One of my favorite songs from a good buddy, Joe Estes's college band. While I may have run alone, hearing this song reminded me that I had lots of people pulling for me locally and nationally).
• Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond ("So good, so good, so good!")
• A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley (Running isn't something you can talk about. You've got to get out there and run...all by yourself. The ultimate accountability event)
• Waitin' for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top - (No jumping on the bus for me but this classic rock song has such a driving rhythm it's hard not to kick the legs up a little higher)
• Next to Me - Gavin Degraw (First line = "Listen up Destiny...")
• Hold My Hand - Hootie and The Blowfish ("Cause I wanna run with you..." - A virtual anthem of the 90's that is hard to hear and not sing along. If you're singing, you're not thinking about your legs getting heavy)
• Rockstar - Nickelback (Time to dig as deep as the lead singer's voice)
• Cowboy - Kid Rock (time to strut...one step after the other. Timing on this was perfect because I had just turned back towards downtown so the line "I'm headed out west sucka" was dead on)
• Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash (Tell me a time in your life when you had cash and you weren't happy!)
• All Star - Smash Mouth (How many people can say they have completed a Half Marathon? That's right...not many)
• I Wanna Be a Boss - Stan Ridgeway (Former lead singer of The Wall of Voodoo (Mexican Radio) penned this anthem to "going solo" and that's what running is all about)
• Fly - Sugar Ray (Time to pick up my speed and make sure I don't start dragging. Still should have about 3-4 miles to go from here.)
• Jump Around - House of Pain (Just like the student section at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, I needed to get my mojo for the final quarter)
• Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (My favorite singer deserved two songs in the play list and this one was a 'no brainer.')

• Chicken Fried - The Zac Brown Band (A song about all the good things in life. "It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most. Not where you live or what you drive or the price tag on your clothes. There's no dollar sign on a peace of mind, this I've come to know...so if you agree have a drink with me raise your glasses for a toast." How true is that line?)
• Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon (Another one of my favorites that I knew would give me one final burst of energy)
• Calling All Angels - Train (As I crossed the finish line it was neat to think of all those people who had supported me and were going to be proud of my efforts...including my Dad who had a front row seat from up above)

What's on Your Play List?

Do you have a soundtrack for your business? Do you have any songs that pump you up and help keep you focused? What do you play as you drive to a listing appointment? What song do you listen to before making those daily calls which will inspire you to schedule appointments?

It's your business so quit waiting for the jukebox to play your song. You're the deejay. Make it happen!

Tell me in the comments below..."What song would help you build relationships, solve problems and have fun this week?" 

 

 

 

Hey Realtors - It's Okay to Be a Little Petty

Today I got to do one of my favorite things - cut the grass.


I'm serious. I love to mow my lawn. Sometimes I even double cut it just so I can get it looking really good, even though, much like a new haircut or a kid's clean bedroom, it will only look good for a few days.

As I usually do while cutting the grass, I was listening to my iPod. Sometimes I listen to podcasts such as John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing, Harvard Business Review's Idea Cast, comedy podcasts by Josh Sneed (Detention) or Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist) or real estate chat like Raise the Bar Radio hosted by Michael McClure and Todd Waller from Professional One (which I highly recommend you check out some of their previous episodes as well as subscribe to their new episodes).

Sometimes I just hit shuffle and listen to a mix of the 1000's of songs I have in there. Sometimes I utilize the Genius feature which compiles playlists of similar music based on genre and songs I listen to a lot.

Today, I listened to my favorite artist - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - and I couldn't help but think of some of the things Realtors can learn from Petty's song titles.



Photo courtesy of Match the Hatch via Flickr



Learning to Fly - Are you taking advantage of the training, education and mentoring being offered by your broker, local board or National Association of Realtors?

Runnin' Down a Dream - If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Creating and following a business plan is really no different from getting in the car for a family vacation and having a map to your destination. Check it often and make adjustments as needed.


I Need to Know - If there is one thing your clients and potential clients count on you for it is knowing the market. Are you studying your hot sheets every day? Do you have a good gauge on the current inventory in your local markets, what is pending and what has sold so far this year?


Breakdown - No, I'm not referring to the mental struggles of Realtors. I'm more focused on an agent taking the process of working with a Buyer or a Seller and breaking it down into simple, repeatable steps. Have you developed systems for every possible occurrence in your business? If not, why not? If you have, when was the last time you reviewed them? A system is only good if the steps in it are current and relevant to the user and the end customer.


You Don't Know How It Feels - When was the last time you actually role played dialogues, objections or scenarios that might occur today, tomorrow or next week? I always joke with my students that doctors have it easy. They get to work on cadavers, so no matter how poorly they do in their practice sessions, their "role play partners" are already dead. If you don't role play on a regular basis, you just might be killing your next opportunity for business. 


Don't Come Around Here No More - That might be what you here from For Sale by Owners and Expired Listings but don't let it discourage you. In challenging markets like the one out there right now, people who want to sell need us now more than ever. Stay persistent and always seek to offer value. Build relationships first, seek to solve problems second. Don't start selling until the potential client has expressed a need.


Time to Move On - While we want to be in front of a lot of potential clients, if they don't have the required motivation or ability to actually do something, find another client. It's been said that the only agent who would take an overpriced listing is a desperate agent. If you can't get the right price, the right terms and the right commission, find another Seller. At least aim for two of the three. Otherwise, walk away. It will be quite empowering.




Photo courtesy of Julio Enriquez via Flickr

 You Got Lucky - Have you ever had one of your past clients call you back out of the blue and ask you to come list their house? That's a great feeling, isn't it? Especially when you haven't been in consistent contact with them since your last transaction. Don't leave your future business to luck. Develop a planned out, consistent follow up plan that includes social media, direct mail, phone calls and face-to-face contact on a regular basis.


Even The Losers - You can learn a lot from the deals you didn't get...if you ask. Next time you lose a listing to a competitor, don't pout. Call the Sellers and wish them well on the sale of their home. After you show them your professionalism, ask them if there is anything they can tell you about your presentation that will help you become better next time or if there was something that you could have done differently. Do the same with potential buyers who end up choosing to work with someone else. Who knows? Your genuine approach just might keep you in the running should something go wrong.


Free Fallin' - The market is challenging right now, no doubt about it. Just like the song, keep a simple tune in your head that there are opportunities out there and you're just the person who can help find them.


Too Much Ain't Enough - Profit is not a dirty word. Neither is sales. Use your knowledge, competence and determination and blend it with the Code of Ethics and you'll be in great shape to keep growing your business.


I Won't Back Down - Even the best Realtor will face rejection. But if you're just faced with resistance, stalling or one of the standard objections, are you prepared to handle it with a phrase, dialogue, facial expression or stance? Prepare for every presentation as if you will get every objection in the book so when you do "knock it out of the park" they will just look at you smiling and say "when can you start?"


The Waiting (see below) - You don't know where your next deal will be coming from so instead of waiting for it to come to you, get out there and make something happen. Get proactive, not reactive.

It'll All Work Out - It all starts with a positive attitude. No matter what happens today, you must stay focused on the things you can control and then make it happen.

Built to Last - When you stop treating your career as a real estate business and start treating it as a real business, that is when your success will start to blossom. Everything up to today has created a great foundation. Now start adding on the next level of your career. It will be fun to watch it grow knowing you have a sturdy base.

Into the Great Wide Open - After 20 albums/CDs and 40+ years of making awesome rock and roll, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers continue to have fun doing what they do best. That's a pretty good example to follow for anyone in real estate who wants to be a star. Keep looking ahead to all the possibilities this career offers.

Most importantly, keep building relationships, solving problems and having fun.



Here's a cool video on the story behind Petty's classic song The Waiting. (click here if you don't see the video below)