I do not contribute much mostly due to my fears of my writing not holding up well next to so many of the great writers here. However, the only way my writing can improve is by writing and submitting so with that in mind.
I sell real estate. Those four words do a great job of describing me as a professional. Of course there are other things I do with my life but the engine that powers the other areas is selling real estate. I have been on a path to living more consciously for the past few years. One of the take aways from living consciously is that I need to be focused on whatever task I am working on when I am working on it. I cannot be thinking or worrying about anything else but the task at hand. I have found putting this into practice to be more challenging than I would have ever thought. It is a constant effort to be present in the moment and not be thinking about something completely different. While this has been a struggle it has had success too. When I find myself in the moment I often do not realize it until later when I realize that I just knocked several things off my to-do list and I did not even realize it. It is in that moment that I know I am growing and beginning to master being conscious.
Taking this concept and applying it to sales and prospecting is currently on the top of my to-do list daily. Learning how to sell consciously will allow me to grow my business and my professional abilities to levels that in months past I had only dreamed/wished of. When I committed publicly to prospecting six or more hours a day for the next 120 days I was really pulling out the last of the excuses I had so carefully crafted to keep myself from succeeding at levels that frightened me. Now I have nowhere to hide. I have opened myself up to accountability and critique if I do not do what it is that I say is so important to me. The key here is that it is important to me. This is my goal and my dream. It does not have to be anyone else’s it is mine. I need to find ways to be in the moment when I am prospecting and selling. I often times find myself running a completely different dialog in my head when it comes to prospecting. Operating from fear and intimidation that I am not good enough to be offering my services etc. etc. Yet, when I look back on my client interactions my clients speak very highly of me when it comes to my service, professionalism, and knowledge. Something in my self talk is getting in the way when it comes to selling. It is my responsibility to find the root cause and remove it from my thoughts.
Prospecting can be daunting. Some people simply take to it without what appears to be any fears. Others simply sit on their hands hoping someone will do it for them. I was one of the later. Sitting on the edge of the pool while it seemed like everyone but me was in the water and having a grand time. Finally, I got so tired of sitting on the edge that I went to the high dive and did a cannon ball into the pool. One of the things I love about BHB is that there are so many people here who are willing to teach any of us how to sell. Sort of a variation on “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Many of the statements and articles here are very simple in concept it is in the implementation that we get in our way. By being more conscious of my selling I have made progress in implementing some of the sales practices that lead to skinning cats or to not breaking the chain. In my own way I am now mastering the practice of prospecting. Finding what others need and helping them obtain it repeat and continue. I can be my own toughest critic. I am on track to close 16 sides this year. Not groundbreaking I know; but it will be my best year with regards to transactions. This will be accomplished in 8 months of work and not 12. I took several months off in late 09 and early 10 to be with my father as he was battling an ailment that took several months to diagnose. Once my dad was back on his feet I felt that I could get back to the business of real estate. Still 16 sides are not enough to make me feel like I am living up to my abilities. I had wished out loud that I wanted to do 48 sides in 2010. I then promptly took my eye off the ball and ended up in the weeds. Now to keep the pipeline filled with leads I must simply prospect every day.
Consciously prospecting and selling it’s what’s for dinner. Actually it is what generates the money to buy the dinner.
Greg Swann says:
This is wonderful. Thanks for taking it on. That feeling of limitless effort, of effortless productivity, the total concentration on what you are doing — so much so that you can’t even spare a second to notice that you’re not doing anything else — that was the first referent I had for the idea of Splendor. That’s what Splendor is, being so much alive that you cannot do anything except be ever more perfectly alive. Doing everything you thought you could never do comes from getting to that place as often as you can and staying there for as long as you can.
September 8, 2010 — 8:11 am
Jeff Brown says:
Keep writin’, Scott — the content has value.
You uncovered a real nugget when you spoke of eschewing multi-tasking for singleminded concentration. That adjustment alone will make a huge difference.
Also, you spoke of your ‘self talk’, something with which we can all certainly identify. I know everyone wants to find, as you say, the root cause for some of the less than productive things we do — or don’t do in our business, and lives. Just for kicks ‘n giggles, try not givin’ a damn about the root cause. Use the same power of the mind to simply DECIDE to do what you know is right. If at some point you have an epiphany showing you the root cause of the previous, sabotaging behavior, great. But it’s not necessary, IMHO.
The awesome power of making a decision trumps root cause, in my experience.
Again, keep writing, Scott — good stuff.
September 8, 2010 — 8:20 am
Bob Hunter says:
Scott, while you are using ‘living consciously’ my term is ‘intentional’. When my thoughts, goals, actions all are intentional I’m on track. And when I stay on track, I get to the station.
In total agreement with Jeff, keep writing!!
September 8, 2010 — 12:33 pm
JB says:
Good stuff, nothing wrong with the writing.
September 8, 2010 — 1:22 pm