How Doug Edrington Grew from 100 to 490+ Transactions a Year – #TomFerryShow

October 16, 2018

Imagine being stuck selling “only” 100 homes a year for three straight years…
😊
Not bad, right?
For Chattanooga, TN’s Doug Edrington, it wasn’t bad. But he knew he and his team were capable of so much more.
So they went out and proved it.
After three straight years of closing 100 transactions, they did the work and produced big results…
227 the next year.
385 the year after that.
440 a year later.
And last year, 491 transaction sides totaling $93 million in sales!
I strongly encourage you to watch the full show above to get all of Doug’s wisdom, insights, secrets and methods he shares. For the blog below, I’ve highlighted six important lessons you can learn from his example. I’ve also chimed in with “challenge questions” after each point to get you into action.

Highlight #1: How to Get Off the Plateau

Doug made two important points here. First of all was making the decision to get off the plateau and take his business to the next level. After several years of achieving similar results, he challenged himself to do things differently.
The second part of that equation was actively seeking insight and answers that would help him make those necessary changes. In order to grow, you have to be willing to learn and you have to commit to it. You can’t simply hope it happens; you need to make it happen.
Challenge question for you: Is “seeking knowledge” built into your schedule? Are you making a conscious effort to expand your horizons or just taking it as it comes along?

Highlight #2: Doug’s Secret to a Balanced Life

Doug was instilled with a tendency to “grind, grind, grind” from a young age. But he realized along the way that nothing but hard work doesn’t lead to the life he wanted. The secret to living a balanced life for Doug boils down to one word: Structure.
Challenge question: Do you have enough structure in your business to ensure your business is serving your life instead of dominating it?

Highlight #3: The Critical Difference Between Classroom, Practice and Performance

A fantastic concept Doug has stressed with his team and his coaching clients (Doug is also one of our coaches) is understanding the critical difference between classroom, practice and performance.
“Classroom” is when you’re putting yourself in learning mode, whether it’s attending an event, reading a book, watching YouTube videos… whatever.
“Practice” is when you’re taking what you’ve learned and integrating those skills into your personal toolbox. You need to continue practicing until you’ve mastered each skill.
“Performance” is showtime! It’s when you put the skills you’ve mastered into action with the outside “real” world… with clients!
All three are vital to your success.
Here’s the problem, though…
Many agents blur the lines between them.
The more you create a clear delineation between each of these important elements of your business, the more successfully you’ll grow your skills and your business.
Challenge question: Are you guilty of blurring those lines or sometimes skipping the “practice” step? Are you role playing enough?

Highlight #4: Two Fantastic Time Management Tips

Doug shared two great tips when it comes to gaining control of your schedule:

Learn to say no! Recognize that you don’t have to please the world, which means you don’t have to say yes to everything. The more you define your own personal values, the more you will be able to instinctively gauge when to say “no” strategically.
Time Blocking. Doug is a big believer in the concept, “If it’s not on my schedule, it doesn’t exist.” However, he has a twist: His calendar is only available from Monday through Thursday. During those times, he is extremely organized. He keeps Friday to Sunday open to either “play catch-up” or to ensure he’s achieving the quality of life he desires.

Doug’s time blocking results in an approach I’m a big fan of… Massive structure + Flex time, because we all know things are bound to pop up that derail us from our schedule, and the flex time allows you to handle those items without total destruction of your entire week.
Challenge questions: Are you saying “no” enough? Do you have any “untouchable” days on your calendar? (If you’re not answering “yes” to both of those questions, work on those.)

Highlight #5: Growth Hacks to Expand Your Business

Doug has developed a novel approach to marketing on Facebook that’s designed to give his consumers exactly what they’re looking for.
Rather than combining everything into one page, he’s created different pages for different purposes.

He has one page that simply delivers available Chattanooga homes to buyers searching for properties.
He has one page dedicated solely to getting to know him and his team: Their culture, agent bios, etc.
He has one page dedicated to his brokerage.

Challenge question: When is the last time you gave thought to what you can do differently to grow your business?

Highlight #6: Q4 Advice for Two Distinct Types of Agents

Doug has Q4 advice for both high-producing agents and underperformers…
First, the underperformers need to ask themselves a serious question:
“Is this really what I want to be doing?”
If the answer is yes, then envision what it looks like if you begin to succeed on a regular basis.
Know what your business would look like if everything goes perfect, and then get the help you need… put in the work, get a coach or mentor, start building your team, etc.
On the other side of the coin, Doug’s advice to those agents who are really killing it right now is to answer this question:
What do you really want in life?
Once you’ve answered that question, then figure out the steps required to get there.
In the meantime, Doug also advises to stop being the bottleneck in your business. If you’re the deciding factor for everything, you’re impeding your own growth. Instead, delegate as much as possible.
Finally, Doug says to make sure you have tons of structure in your business and prioritize what’s most important to you.
Challenge question: What steps will you commit to in Q4 based on Doug’s advice?

I’d love your feedback on this episode. Tell me what you liked and what action steps you’ll take as a result of this show in the comments below!