Are You Making Excuses or Finding Solutions?

October 12, 2017

I love reading the comments on my blog articles or episodes of the #TomFerryShow. You know I do.
But every once in a while, I’ll see a comment and I can’t help but shake my head.
“Thanks Tom, but what if I’m a new agent?”
Or
“Great info but how do I use this if I’m in Dubuque, Iowa?”
I wonder if these people are truly seeking solutions, or…
Are they looking for excuses?
“Well, I’m new, this doesn’t really apply to me.”
Yes it does!
“Well, my market’s different. I’m not sure that would work here.”
Yes it will! Use your ingenuity!

You’re in the Big Leagues Now

News flash #1: There are no “minor leagues” in real estate.
You’re in the big leagues now.
If you’re new, that just means you have to work that much harder and maintain your focus that much stronger. You have a lot of legwork ahead of you — systems to put in place, your business plan to create, marketing plans to develop, sales skills to refine, training to attend, books to read, etc.
News flash #2: Your market isn’t that different from everyone else’s market.
Even if your market has some unique characteristics, you can always adapt what you’ve learned or what others are doing to fit your market and/or clientele.
But whatever you do, you cannot allow yourself to make excuses for underperforming.

Don’t Regret Your Inactivity

If you allow yourself to make excuses, you’re only setting yourself up for mediocrity.
Instead, commit yourself to training, learning, doing.
Five years from now, you’re going to look back on the next two years of your life and say one of two things:
“Wow, I really kicked ass and gave my business the jump start it needed.”
Or
“Aaargh! I wish I’d done more to put myself in position to succeed in this business.”

Doing Something Is Always Better Than Nothing

Agents who succeed are the types who put their thinking caps on and are willing to adapt. They hear about a successful strategy and adjust it to fit their market, their business model, their level of experience in the industry.
Nobody ever said you have to copy a strategy in its entirety. Pick and choose what works best for you.
The point is to DO SOMETHING.
The next time you catch yourself coming up with a reason why an idea won’t work, flip the script and instead focus on how you can adapt it to make it work best for you.
Don’t make excuses.
Find solutions.