“Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things if they just master basic life and job principles and learn how to keep improving and implementing those skills,” says REALTOR®, Floyd Wickman. Wickman has been referred to as the “extraordinary ordinary man” by Success Magazine and recognized by the National Association of REALTORS® as one of the ”25 most influential people in real estate.” He has written eight books, including The Wickman Formula and Mentoring. He has averaged 86 listings a year for more than seven years, yet says nothing lasts. That’s why Wickman believes, “successful REALTORS® have to learn how to become, stay, and feel successful through good times and bad, because everyone goes through both.”
It’s one thing to become successful, but how do you stay successful year after year? To be successful at anything, you have to start with being a successful person. Wickman tells agents they can’t be successful in real estate until they’ve first achieved success as a person.
“Frustration comes from knowing what you have to do, but not knowing how to do it,” he said. That’s why Wickman simplifies the process to becoming, staying and feeling successful. Here are some of Wickman’s best tips for building internal success and then transferring it to your business.
Becoming Successful
Above all else, you have to be aware that listings are the name of the game. Wickman created a chain system with 10 links that can lead to real estate success. As you work through the chain, identify your weakest link. Find it, solidify it and continue on. That is the dance of success.
- We’ve all heard it – the first step is to set a goal. The secret is to set one you want, not a goal someone wants for you. Working toward something you want to achieve will give you the mental and physical energy to pursue it.
- Commit to your goal. Commit to yourself and share your goal with others so they can hold you accountable. A true commitment removes the option to fail.
- Each week, work to bring in a saleable listing. Whether you’re a rock star REALTOR® or working toward it, the secret is being booked in advance. Before you leave the office every Friday, make sure you have a saleable listing you can work with on Monday.
- Separate lookers from buyers. Let other agents take the lookers, while you work with the buyers. Homes.com’s Local Connect Ads are a great way to get started with this, since you’re connecting with action-ready buyers, not lookers.
- Show and sell in-house inventory first. Work with the other agent to make sure both of your clients are happy. Remember, teamwork puts deals together.
- Find prospects. Use the means available to you – video marketing, social media, blogging, geo-farming, free e-resources, etc.
- Convert prospects to appointments. Once you have the appointment, maintain control of it. Either the seller or the agent is going to be in control, and a successful appointment means it’s the agent.
- Create a strong presentation and price the listing right. CMAs are great tools here, since you can show clients why you’re right for them and how you arrived at the listing price.
- Close the listing and celebrate – you deserve it.
- Provide service to your clients even after the closing. Remember, most agents work through referrals, and this is a great time to ask for one.
Staying Successful
Once you’ve solidified all of your links, it’s important to remember that you need to continuously go through the chain. Nothing lasts, the good or the bad. Learning the dance of success means learning that life is about moving three steps up and two steps back. Your success in real estate is dependent upon a chain of events and, therefore, your success is only as strong as the weakest link in your chain. Once mastered, keep working toward this success, or it could slip away.
Feeling Successful
Once you’ve learned how to achieve and maintain your success, it’s Wickman belief that it’s important to share your techniques with others, so you can feel successful. He encourages others to “be a mentor – help someone else become better than what they are by helping them. Love what you do, do what you love.” Wickman also pressed his listeners to examine the four quarters of their lives. He shared that they should consider them as stages of life, rather than the ages:
- The first quarter of our lives is where we build our character (attitude, time and enthusiasm). If you don’t like the character you have, rebuild it.
- Our second quarter is when we discover our passion. This is the beginning of our best earning potential. If your character keeps you from your passion, change it. If you don’t have the right character, your sales skills will never last.
- Our third quarter is the time when we earn the most – rock your position and love what you do and where you are.
- Our fourth quarter is when we sit back and enjoy the rewards we’ve earned.
Throughout all four quarters the most successful people work on a positive attitude and build the good qualities of their character. That doesn’t mean they’re always positive, but they’re always working on being or becoming more positive. Successful people don’t waste time; they love what they do.
To learn the rest of Wickman’s tips for becoming, staying and feeling successful, watch the full webinar. For more free real estate education including best practices, visit Secrets of Top Selling Agents. Be sure to sign up for the upcoming webinar, “The E-Myth for Real Estate Agents,” featuring Brad Korn on July 27, 2016 at 1:00 PM ET.
For more information, visit connect.homes.com.
