Musings on Talent: Why We Lose it and How to Find it to Prosper

As a lifelong musician, I’ve noticed that few adults realize the talents they have. So, I’d like to talk to you about your talents—and what you’re planning to do with them this year. No, it doesn’t matter if you’re an agent, a manager, or staff. We all have talents, those unique sets of gifts that somehow came together in one personality with your name on it. Now, don’t tell me you don’t have talents. Everyone does. Sometimes, they just don’t know it! Or, more often, they discount their gifts, not realizing how valuable and powerful they are.

Everyone teaches us something.

Once when lots of bad things had happened in my life, I read several books about why we were on earth, and what was the point to all this. One of the authors said we were here to teach others something. Having been the daughter of a teacher, and doing some teaching myself, that seemed a good way to look at it. As I decided to write this to you, I started thinking about what various people in my life had taught me. As you’re reading this, you’re thinking, probably, of those stand-out mentors you had in your life. It’s easy to see what they taught us. But, let’s think of some unlikely candidates.

My uncle Bud, for one.

Bud worked for my dad, never married, was an alcoholic—and a nice guy. He died when he was 45. So, what gifts did he have? What did he teach us? When Bud was a little boy, his teachers said he was dumb. Later on, it was discovered he wasn’t dumb. He just couldn’t see. So, Bud didn’t go to school much, and besides, his parents wanted him home to work on the farm. Bud drifted through life, working and drinking, and ended up in little Lebanon, Oregon, working for my dad.

Similar Physical Limitations, Different Outcome

My mother, who also had eye problems her whole life, started out much like Bud, unable to see well. But, her parents got her the best medical care available so she could do the best with the sight she had. Her parents encouraged her scholastics, so she was able to skip a whole school year that she’d missed because of her eye operations and go into second grade, barely skipping a beat.

Bud and my Mom—Great Teachers

Some people weren’t very nice to Bud. But, my mother felt great compassion and empathy because of their similar eye conditions. Every day Bud would have lunch with us, and I watched my mother interact with Bud, showing him respect, while others didn’t. That made me curious. I started to learn other things about Bud. Even though he had been teased and berated as a kid, (and later, too), I observed that he was kind and thoughtful to others. I also found out he was very musically talented. My mother’s interest and compassion in Bud showed me that everyone has unique, sometimes undiscovered talents. Sometimes their situations teach us what we need to learn, even in an oblique way. Watching Bud and my mother interact taught me to appreciate others’ struggles and find compassion for them, no matter their situations.

By our actions, we are teaching every day. Make it the best lessons.

I hope, by this time of year, you have written business plans, set your goals, and are prepared for an exceptional 2008. But, there’s much more to achievement that the ‘hard’ information. I wanted to have a different way of helping you create the best YOU there is! All you need to do is to develop those gifts, those talents--and have the confidence that you can do it. So, expand your scope a bit, and decide on the gifts and talents you are going to use next year to help others. That will provide the fire and enthusiasm you need to push yourself to that next step, to be the best, excellent you that you were really meant to be. Here’s to that YOU!

Carla Cross, CRB, MA, is president of Carla Cross Seminars, Inc. and Carla Cross Coaching, specializing in real estate sales and management—the people issues. Cross, an international speaker and coach, is the author of 6 internationally published books, 20 productivity programs, and is a winner of the National Association of Realtors’ National Educator of the Year award. Contact her at www.carlacross.com or 425-392-6914.

3 Reasons Why You Should Quit Having Weekly Sales Meetings

Yes, unbelievably, there are three reasons why a broker would want to quit having weekly sales meetings. Why waste your time preparing, planning and delivering meaningful content to your team on a weekly basis if it is all in vain. On the other hand, is it?

First:

Stop providing sales meetings if you want your team to lose continuity and rhythm. After all, that is what one of the goals of a weekly sales meeting is all about; i.e. bringing together your group to motivate, encourage and inform them with meaningful information. It is a proven fact that a professionally run sales meeting can help boost morale, motivate the downhearted, and redirect the lost. Think about a boxer who has been in the ring battling their opponent for a grueling two minutes, being banged and beat-up back and forth from one set of ropes to the next. In reality, that is what many of your agents go through on a weekly basis in the real world. When the bell rings, the boxer’s retreat to their respective corners to get the necessary requirements from their coaches and trainers to get back out there and to improve on what they were doing wrong in the last round. Without a weekly sales meeting, your team will in essence move from one round to the next without a break, advice, support and nourishment to improve and win the fight.

Second:

It’s okay to quit having sales meetings if you want to break the communication link between yourself and your sales team. Most real estate agents will tell you that a big part of their frustration with a company or organization is the lack of communication. “No one told me,” is a sentiment often overheard from within the inner walls of the office talk. Unfortunately the lack of communication leads to a feeling of discontent and that “no one cares about me,” to discouragement and ultimately changing companies or leaving the business. Weekly sales meetings help bridge the gap and foster strong communication ties between the company and the agent. Let’s face it, people want to know what’s going on and being informed shows you care and are concerned about everyone on the team owning a part and being involved in what is happening with the organization.

Third:

Stop your weekly sales meetings if you believe everyone in your organization already knows everything there is to know about real estate and the real estate economy. Let’s face it, why waste your time trying to teach others if they already know all there is to know? Unfortunately, when you take that attitude you’re destined for a fall! I love the quote by Malcolm S. Forbes, “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Whether you agree with it or not, people want to learn new and exciting things. Real estate is an ever-changing industry and with changes comes the need to help our group and colleagues lean and improve on knowledge and education.

What’s Next?
First, don’t quit offering weekly sales meetings that is unless you want to follow the truths outlined in each of the three reasons noted for quitting your weekly gatherings. Second, don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of time preparing and planning for weekly sales meetings. There are many good companies like http://www.realestatesalesmeetings.com/ where you can subscribe to receive weekly meetings, browse the large database of published meeting content, and be ready to motivate and encourage your team with little or no preparation at all. Finally, remember that sales meetings provide that weekly opportunity for you to connect with your group, and to coach them on through their real estate journey. Don’t concentrate on the numbers in attendance, but the quality of your meetings. When you begin hitting homeruns each week during your weekly sales meetings those in attendance will tell others, and before long you’ll have a room full of agents eagerly awaiting your agenda!

Would you like to receive a couple of free weeks of sample sales meetings from my company http://www.realestatesalesmeetings.com/? If so, send me an e-mail and I will put you on my mailing list to participate in my free offer. Send your request to John@RealEstateSalesMeetings.com.

How Bad is the Real Estate Market?

I am beginning to hear many real estate agents finally talk about how bad the real estate market is. That’s not to say I haven’t heard the gloom and doom from offices and agents, but the talk of a bad has been spoken in some locations. There were always those few who insisted things were not really that bad, and that their business was actually up over last year. Now, reality has set in for most real estate agents that I come in contact with around the country. The funny thing is when you compare the economic conditions of today with those from the late 70s and early 80s; our real estate market today is not that bad. In fact one could say today's economic environment is quite attractive when compared to the early 80s. Back then, real estate professionals not only had to battle economic conditions of high unemployment rates and other inflationary items, but we also had to deal with high interest rates. I remember closing several real estate loans where interest rates were 17% and 18%. Today there are many properties for sell, and very few buyers. Back in the early 80s, there were not only a lot of properties for sale, but very high interest rates. You really couldn't blame buyers for not entering the real estate market in the 80’s because of the price to borrow funds. Today, we have low interest rates and a large supply of inventory which actually makes for a perfect buying environment for consumers. Unfortunately many of our homebuyers are staying away from the housing market because of the fear the news media has placed upon our country.

So my question is this; how do brokers and agents combat the bad media hype? First, I believe we should remind our agents that the real estate market is not as bad as it may appear to be. It's important to note that interest rates are still low, and buyers can get much more for their money than they could several years ago.

Brokers must also remember that now is the time to motivate their team and meeting on a regular or weekly basis for sales meetings is important. As a broker there are many avenues and sources for uplifting stories that can encourage and remind your staff that this too will pass.
Brokers need to spend more one-on-one training with their agents listening and discovering what areas of help these agents need. It's also a good idea for real estate agents and managers to begin to revise and look at their business planning. If an agent already has a business plan now is a good time to revise that plan. Real estate professionals should also begin to look at new ways they can make their businesses grow for the future. Revising action plans, setting in place checklists and systems as well as developing a marketing plan are all good items to consider when the market is slow.

Finally, agents should remember there is still business to be found even in a tight market. What I found to be prevalent in the early 80s was a weakening of the competitive forces in my marketplace. Many agents began to get discouraged or drop out of the real estate business and those who were willing to continue to work hard, prospect and look for new business were able to survive and make a good living. I'm reminded of my mother's comment that she always made around our real estate office: all sunshine makes a desert! So as I started the blog with a question; “How bad is the real estate market?” The answer could be, yes, it may not be the same kind of market we've experienced over the last few years, but overall and compared to other slow economic times in our Nation’s history, our real estate market is probably not that bad. Continue to encourage your agents to stay optimistic, to read positive books, listen to good motivational tapes and prospect for new business. If everyone will continue in that same vein, you're sure to weather the storm.