Would you like to know what the #1 obstacle is to achieving success in the real estate profession? If you did know, would you create a marketing campaign around it and start knocking the ball out of the park? I love marketing campaigns. I love creating them and prodding them into action; I even love writing about successful real estate marketing campaigns. But the truth is, the biggest obstacle to our success isn’t a lack of good marketing ideas. It’s not the economy or interest rates or the inventory. It’s actually nothing “out there.” That’s because there’s nothing “out there” nearly so scary or powerful or destructive to our success as we are to ourselves. That’s right: our #1 obstacle in Real Estate… is us. We all carry around a few self-doubts, maybe even a few “I can’ts.” If asked, I bet you could list five things you don’t like about yourself without even putting much thought into it. It’s as if we’ve gone on a date with ourselves and halfway through dinner decided we’re not good enough for the other person at the table… and the other person is us!
Knowledge is power and knowing that we are our own biggest obstacle is very powerful. Yes, you have to have goals. Yes, you need a marketing plan to achieve them. But I guarantee you that plan will be much more successful if its very first step, is to fall back in love… with yourself. Sound a little corny? Maybe easier said than done? Fear not: I’m going to leave you with a small, powerful two-word phrase for that all-important first step. Not long ago I was talking to my 7 year old son and I was congratulating him on figuring something out for himself. He immediately threw his arms into the air and said “Yeah Me!” No pretense. No guilt. Only genuine admiration. Imagine that: “Yeah Me!”
Go ahead, try it yourself. Stop reading for a moment, put your arms in the air and say “Yeah Me!” Come on… say it with feeling – really mean it. “Yeah Me!” Does it feel a little funny? Make you feel a bit awkward; a little self-conscious? That’s not unexpected; remember, we’re the same people who decided we weren’t good enough while on a date with ourselves! Try this: for the rest of the day say “Yeah Me!” every chance you get. Say it at least 100 times and mean it every time you say it. Hold a vision of yourself, goals firmly in hand, during that brief moment it takes to say “Yeah Me.” Most importantly, don’t stop doing it all day long. You see, the moment it stops feeling funny is the moment you discover how successful you can really become.
“Yeah Me!”
Audrey Baka says:
It’s true that knowledge is power, but the execution of knowledge is more powerful. Yeah Me!
November 12, 2009 — 11:15 am
Michael Citron says:
Great inspirational post Sean! As Realtors, we sometimes sit at our desks looking into a fog. Instead of doing nothing, agents need to start doing what they already know works which is good old fashion hard work! Pick up the phone, knock on doors, and get back to farming neighborhoods! If you build it, the clients will come! “Yeah Me!” “Yeah Me!” “Yeah Me!”
November 12, 2009 — 12:23 pm
Barry Lynn Miller says:
Sean I am actively trying different marketing concepts one is theredneckrealtor.com my initial goal with this was to get High pr with google (because I see people all over linking to it because its funny) and then backlink to my local website to push it up the pages. If you notice the YouTube listing on the right at top its already received 1000+ views in 4 days. The Question is I originally was going to keep it separate from my local business but looking at the whole picture I would like an honest opinion should I play it up Locally
November 12, 2009 — 12:52 pm
Robert Worthington says:
Yeah Me! Thanks Sean I neeed that. Even owning a small independent real estate firm, I find myself having doubts. I can only keep moving forward and say yeah me.
November 12, 2009 — 4:54 pm
Carl Ericson says:
Great article. It is a great reminder to keep working hard, be confident in what we do and good things will happen.
November 12, 2009 — 8:27 pm
Kim says:
There is a saying “Fear is high when knowledge is low” and I sometimes feel in real estate it is easy to be afraid. Maybe it is that you will mess up something important to your client’s lives and money. Plus, so many things change every day and we are expected to have complete knowledge all the time, which can lead to a little fear. I think just having faith in yourself and working hard will keep the fear at bay and confidence thriving. Good post, thanks.
November 13, 2009 — 10:44 am
John Pohly says:
I know this to be true. I recently read the book Ready, Fire, Aim! Taking action quickly can save you from analysis paralysis. If it is non over-thinking the idea or the dream it is a case of self-limiting beliefs. Set up your real estate plan in writing and then go do it! Have someone hold you accountable!
November 13, 2009 — 12:35 pm