Ever tried positive thinking? If you have and you achieved mixed results (or no results), you’re not alone. Chris Helder introduces a more realistic alternative – useful beliefs – which can be used to drive sales.
Positive thinking doesn’t work. Not really.
Imagine if I walked up to someone who was struggling or who had the worst year of their life and I tried to encourage them by saying, “Come on, just be positive!” What would be the result?
I imagine they would want to punch me in the face.
Not only that, but there are numerous studies that show that if you lay in bed in the morning and say to yourself, “Come on, try to be positive today. You can do it” – when 10 o’clock rolls around and you don’t feel positive anymore, you actually feel worse than when you started!
Instead, let me introduce you to a series of useful beliefs and actions that will drive better sales.
1. Have a useful belief about the things you cannot change
There are many things about the business and the market you really can’t change. However, you can control your belief about that market.
There is one major difference between outstanding and average real estate agents. The outstanding agent sees opportunities that others don’t see.
They believe that there are opportunities everywhere. When you believe this, the part of your brain called the Reticular Activation System, which filters all the information you see, goes about finding those opportunities. If you believe the market is too hard, your R.A.S. will find the reasons that you can’t be successful.
2. You create your own reality
Here is a useful belief: These are exciting times! This belief will increase your momentum and get you excited about where your business is tracking. Sales is a transference of energy and it is critical that you are projecting that energy which inspires results. Re-invent your sales story to support you with your customers.
3. Useful time management
There are going to be activities that are useful and activities that are not useful. Identify what activities are income producing activities and double the number of hours you are doing them.
By the same token, what can you delegate? What can you get rid of completely?
Managing your time can often be as simple as asking yourself, “Is what I’m about to do useful? Is it helping me closer or further away from what I want to achieve?”
4. Why you?
Why you? What separates you out in this market? It is critical that agents have a useful story on how to separate from the competitor.
The key to selling is ‘certainty and simplicity’. The best real estate agents are certain about what is different about them and they deliver that message with absolute certainty.
In addition, they present it in a simple way that the customer can understand because no one buys when they are confused.
5. Code success and replicate
Look at what the best in your industry do. How do they manage a more challenging marketplace? Code what they do and replicate it.
How do they sound on the phone? What message are they sending their customers? What time do they start work? What time do they finish?
Once you know what the best agents in your office are doing, code that success and replicate it for your own business.
Remember, the most important words you say all day are the words that you say to yourself, about yourself when you are alone by yourself. Decide to have a useful belief about your business.
Believe there is opportunity out there and send your brain on a mission of discovery to find it all.
