Success is a constant journey of self-evaluation and growth.
From the first hello in a listing presentation to the final handshake of a closed deal, every detail counts.
But how often do you pause and ask yourself the tough questions that could make or break your career?
Whether it’s refining your morning routine, improving your sleep habits, or deciding if you need a coach, these questions can pave the path to greater success.
So here are my top 9 questions you need to ask yourself at the start of every new financial year.
- Is my listing presentation reflective of the type of agent I want to be?
One thing I was told very early in my career is that your listing presentation will reflect the results you generate.
You need to break it down into what areas are good and which areas need attention.
If you haven’t practised your listing presentation with someone in the past six months, that’s the place to start.
Ask for direct feedback on where it lacks content or where it shifts off track.
- Is my morning routine working?
This is something I have been talking about for years. If you change your mornings to have a 10/10 output, your sales business is going to change.
By lunchtime every day, you can really propel yourself to have a great afternoon.
One of the great mentors in my life told me, “Real estate is all over by lunchtime,” and every day this is proven to me time and time again.
- Am I getting enough sleep?
In my early 20s I didn’t really understand this, but it certainly makes a lot of sense in my early 30s.
The days of going to bed at midnight, waking up at 7am, being in the office by 8.30am are long gone.
It’s time to rethink your sleep routine, put your screens down and go to bed earlier.
Each of you will need to build your own routine and way of getting to sleep, but ensuring you catch enough Zzzzs is a game-changer.
- Do I need a coach to help keep me on track?
This is a big one because, let’s be honest, coaching is expensive.
But, the old saying, ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always got’, really rings true.
Any increase in your business, or any business, comes from internal changes.
Write down the top five things you want to work on, and then work out where you’re going to get the help.
- Should I look at putting on someone part-time to help with admin, etc?
This is the million-dollar question.
If you’re spending more than 20 per cent of your week on admin and non-dollar productive tasks, I would look at getting some help.
When I couldn’t afford a PA, I brought the receptionist lunch once a week and got a bit of extra help.
Today, there are a lot of people looking for part-time work, but it’s what you do with the extra time you save from hiring additional resources, that will really impact your business.
The growth you can achieve just from hiring a PA for three months can be amazing.
- Am I running the day, or is the day running me?
Write a list, email yourself, know your deadlines, call people back, update your clients, prospect, sell, list, and more.
There is a lot to do, so don’t think that it all just happens.
Plan it out, run your own diary and take ownership of your time.
You need to commit to and finish every day knowing you did all you needed to do.
- Do I need to ask for business more and be more assertive?
In the thousands of listing presentations I have seen and role-played, agents aren’t asking for the business.
Once you complete your listing presentation, ask for the business.
This is simple, but often it’s the hardest thing agents struggle with.
- Do I need a reality check about where I am and where I’m going?
The thing about friends and family is that they are sometimes too nice when they give you feedback.
From time to time, you need someone to be blunt, assertive, and direct about what you’re doing.
You may not like it, but if you’re unhappy with where you’re at, then you need an honest conversation with a respected colleague in the industry, who is going to tell it like it is.
- Do I think I deserve the success I’m chasing?
A lack of self-belief is the biggest reason agents fail.
Knowing you deserve something is crucial in this industry.
You can earn any kind of income you want to earn.
The two questions you need to ask are: 1. If not me, who? and 2. If not now, when?