With less than 10 weeks left until the end of the year, now is the time to finish off strong and lay the foundations to make 2022 extraordinary.
Being proactive with your planning can help you keep your priorities on track and take your business to the next level of success.
Many businesses set sales targets and market share aspirations but few focus on filling the gaps found in processes, performance, and outcomes.
They are compelled to keep doing ‘the work’ and generating commission income at the expense of refining and streamlining day-to-day operations and improving the client experience.
They find themselves in a constant battle for time and before they know it, the year comes to an abrupt end, the finish line is in sight and the only thing most are thinking about and wanting to do is to switch off for a few weeks and gain some respite before it all starts again.
Planning and goal setting takes a back seat.
That’s to be expected, however with a little forethought, you can have your cake and eat it too.
I’ve compiled a list of activities to focus on for the remainder of 2021 and identified the key areas in your business to set up now to create an extraordinary 2022.
Lead sources – the Alpha and the Omega
I’ve always said, once you list a property, the rest is elementary.
Securing the listing is the most important and you can only do that once you have the opportunity to present.
It’s the beginning and the end!
Start by identifying and collating your appraisal lead sources.
That list will highlight where your prospecting focus should be next year.
Profit and productivity
One of the perplexing things about many sales agents is that when you ask them how many listings, sales or gross commission income they have written, most won’t know the answer.
Or they respond vaguely, which is a telling sign they haven’t got a clue about the numbers.
If you are one of those agents, make a promise to yourself that it will be the last year you won’t know.
Here are the minimum KPIs you need to be across:
- Average sale price
- Average selling commission
- Number of properties listed
- Number of properties sold
- How many ‘quality’ contacts in your CRM
- Gross commission written and, more importantly, how much profit/personal earnings you made from that commission.
These statistics will be the starting point of building your business plan for the next 12 months.
Please note, answers that start with ‘about’ are not acceptable. You need definitive numbers to work with.
Team and operations
Who is on your team and if you don’t have a team, why not?
If you want 2022 to be extraordinary, you will need help.
List all the activities that you would love someone else to do for you.
For example:
- Database management
- Sold to settled client care
- Mainstream prospecting (just listed/sold drops, weekly emails, social media posts)
- Buyer overflow and follow up
- Building, pest and finance inspections.
The above is by no means exhaustive, but by briefly outlining your operations, it will highlight the gaps in your business that you need to fill.
Remember, success is never a solo journey.
Training
I’m a huge believer of perpetual learning, which naturally requires a commitment to training.
It’s noteworthy to acknowledge that our industry is absolutely blessed to have amazing training and trainers who are easily accessible and very affordable.
There are multiple high performance coaches that provide yearly memberships for less than $1000.
That represents unbelievable value.
Start by reviewing what your training calendar looked like for the past 12 months and identify the areas that need improvement.
Look up multiple trainers online and subscribe to their email blasts.
Next, block out the dates in your calendar for the major conferences and workshops you may wish to attend in 2022 and closer to the dates, book your attendance tickets.
Breaks and vacations
Our industry is renowned for burnout and mental exhaustion by its 24/7 nature.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of ‘go, go, and go,’ and not plan for mini breaks or a family vacation.
That is, most agents are always ‘on,’ always connected to work via our smart phones and because of it, find it difficult to switch off.
That’s not healthy or sustainable. Taking mini breaks and holidays is imperative.
Start by reviewing the ‘missed opportunities’ to have taken a break in the past year.
Were there any days or weekends you could have simply packed up the night before for a short getaway?
Was there a period where you sold the majority of your listings and another time where you had some ‘free’ time?
For the year ahead, be aware of those opportunities.
Have a mindset where you take those breaks.
Additionally, plan an extended family holiday or an adventure with a group of friends.
Don’t underestimate the value of these ‘download’ periods and the more you get to action them, the more recharged and productive you will be when you are at work.
Failing to plan means you plan to fail
The subtitle says it all.
When you do not make a conscious effort to plan, you are setting yourself up to fail.
Planning starts by reviewing what got you to this point, and looking at where you want to go.
You need to have an understanding that there is never a one-size-fits-all and that success takes a committed approach.
I can almost guarantee, that when you review your year and plan for the next, you will find that your real estate career is a measure of timing and consistency.
It requires you to accept that you can always improve and do better, and when you build that type of mindset, you will see a world of opportunity unfold.
