January 27, 2008 • 11:47 pm
adapted from a speech given to Realtors January 17, 2008
Last week I suggested our theme be “A Great 2008“, but we need to remember that more than just attitude is needed. This is the time to talk about skills and confidence as well. I often note that being a Realtor is similar to racing a triathlon: it is an endurance event, not a sprint.
To become a better runner is relatively straight forward: run more. The same can be said for the bike. While there are techniques and drills that will certainly help, the thing you can do that will have the most impact is bike more. Swimming, on the other hand, is a bit counter-intuitive. When you come back to swimming and you want to improve, more is not better. Water is much denser than air so it magnifies mistakes in technique or mechanics. If you want to improve your swimming you back down on the yardage and do more technique work, more drills. If you simply swim more you only become a poor swimmer that can swim for a long time.
The last few years of real estate have been a lot like running. If you wanted to earn more money you simply worked more hours. But last year the market began to change. It became more resistant and problems of technique or mechanics were magnified. Now is the time to back down some of the hours (I know how counter-intuitive that sounds) and work on your skills: dialogues, drip campaigns, marketing systems and so on.
In a triathlon a good swimmer will do well some of the time, and a good cyclist will do well some of the time and a good runner will do well some of the time. But those that quickly recognize and react to transitions are the ones who consistantly find their way to the winner’s podium.
Filed under: REALTORS , REALTORS, Success, Triathlon
As many of you know, I compete in triathlons. Last Saturday I completed the California Half Iron Man in Oceanside. I broke six hours, which is a pretty good mark for anyone; but more importantly, I set a new personal best. It was, by all accounts, a good race and one that I was very happy with afterward.
A couple of days later I received an email from the company that takes pictures during the race, extending me the opportunity to buy pictures of myself swimming, biking and running. This is quite common now at nearly all races. I sat down and looked at the pictures after this great race and all I could think to myself was: “Look at how fat you are. Why can’t you get down to the body size you should be? What are you doing out there? You do not belong in a race with all those healthy people.” Those were my thoughts. The truth of the matter is this: if they were to somehow send me the pictures before the race… I would not do the race! My hang-ups, my fears really, would actually keep me out of this race I so enjoyed.
Now I know how crazy that sounds and yet how often in life do we “get” the pictures before we ever do the event? How often do we see ourselves as too fat or too inexperienced or too old or too young or too ignorant or too sensitive? Maybe we picture ourselves not having enough, or not deserving enough, or just plain not enough. How many times have our fears prevented us from picking up the phone or knocking on a door or “asking for the sale”, or a raise, or a date?
After thinking about this a little I realized that the people who know me, the people who like me… certainly the people who love me, do not see me as fat. They see the light inside of me. Then I realized that we can take the warmth and confidence that comes from being seen only for our light and we can carry it with us to meet strangers. Soon I began to think about all the times I did not go somewhere and all the times I did not meet someone new and all the opportunities I missed throughout my life because of my fears.
I was so worried about the lampshade… that I turned off the light.
My thought for today… my wish really, for all of you, is that you go out today and you shine your light.
To Your Success,
Sean Purcell
Filed under: BUYERS, INVESTORS, LENDERS, LIFE THAT POPs, REALTORS, SELLERS, TAO OF SPORT , Success, Triathlon
