Fellow Real Estate Salespersons, I am assuming that YOU are just like ME – a self-employed individual who is NOT paid a salary and 100% commission based.

WE have absolutely no idea when that next deal is going to come, who we are going to meet this year and how much we are going to make at the end of the month.

Yet we are responsible for putting bread on the table for ourselves and families!

Any person outside our industry would probably think we are either crazy or stupid to get into a “job” like this!

They are somehow correct: without a strong success formula and forward-looking business strategy, we could fall under that category of lunatics.

For many of us, be it Insurance or Real Estate Agents, the game is simple.

Our numbers are re-set to zero at the beginning of the year – every year.  Every one of us begins from the same starting line-up, ready for the year-long marathon.  If we do not start preparing for the marathon BEFORE the race starts, we will die of exhaustion mid-way through the race.

And many of us do.

Likewise, if we only start to set our goals and plan our moves in January – when most of the teams’ goal setting meetings are held – we are still staying put at the starting line while others are already running.

I am referring to TIMING.

Note the following quote about timing of attack.

Sun Tzu said:
”Now a soldier’s spirit is keenest in the morning; by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening, his mind is bent only on returning to camp.

A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return.  This is the art of studying moods.”

Basically, I believe that by end of October of every year, we should be wrapping our sales strategies and assessing the results for that year.

Spend one day sitting down and stay away from all distractions. Analyse those areas that we have accomplished our targets and look at those areas that we have failed to reach or even start.

Draw lessons from the failures and enhance those areas that we have done well to get ready for the next year.  Rethink your strategy to create a break-through for yourself every year.

By December, we should have a clear direction and strategy for the coming year.

In fact, while everyone is still starting to queue at the starting line-up, we should be taking off in December – NOT January.

Sun Tzu also said:

 ”Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, strike like a thunderbolt.”

The other Agents (i.e. our competitors) are most relaxed in the festive month of December. That’s the perfect time to strike.

Remember – WE can never achieve a breakthrough if WE continue to do the same old thing over and over again.

That’s just Business 101.

Always learn from people who are better than us and apply their success principles in our business model.

I personally study and model after successful sales people from various fields and apply them into my business strategies.

Books, audios and videos are always my best investment as I can always refer, replay and rewind to truly get the essence from the wealth of experience of successful individuals.

I hope this short note helps you one way or another to prepare for the coming year !