“Success is not getting everything done, it’s getting the right things done.”
~Brian Buffini~
I recently went to an amazing event in San Diego where I met some of the top Realtors in the country. I was honored to even be in the same room with some of these the people. What was interesting is that this rooms was different, there were none of the arrogant, self-absorbed, guys that have become synonymous with top producing agents by TV, etc.
What I learned was that we all had common beliefs about how this is a relationship business. At times it can be tough to focus on the relationships when waves of demand keep coming at you from all directions. Everyone battling for your time, energy, and pocket-book. Have you ever felt like this?
In this world with constant communication, 24 hour new, texting, e-mail, you can be overwhelmed with demand. People expect an instant response for almost everything.
With all of this demand, stress can quickly build up. Overwhelm can cause you to shut down and not get anything accomplished. The demand can be managed which is what I learned from these top producers.
There are 3 P’s I was taught to handle demand.
P # 1- Prioritize: Prioritize the people in your life, which will prioritize the activities and time in your life. I have found that in my life I can easily get my activities ahead of the people in my life. Your going to disappoint people in your life, just make sure its the right people. You can’t get to everybody, but make sure you get to the right people. This is a personal decision in your world. For me it’s God, Family, Clients and Friends, then all the other folks wanting my time. Take care of the most important relationships first. I will confess I get this backwards a lot because the other folks are constantly bombarding me. It takes a mental awareness to turn things around. It’s a habit that must be practiced.
P # 2: PLAN: having a plan to work your priorities will always help. A written plan will change your life. When you are overwhelmed you can look to the plan and get back on track. A plan needs to be flexible as you grow and your priorities become more clear.
P# 3 PREPARE: being prepared is a way to have peace when you face demand. Increase your skills in every area of your life. You can’t just go out and run a marathon, you train. Same goes for new clients, new kids, anything you take on. The old adage goes “luck is when opportunity meets preparation.” Be prepared.
The final way to handle waves of demand is to surround yourself with good people who can help manage your business, life etc. Outsourcing parts of your life is huge. Hire a maid, hire a lawn company, hire a baby sitter once a week, etc. I could spend hours on this, because I am working on this in my own life. Growing 2 businesses, 2 kids, is tough, but it works because of the people I have helping.
I hope these tips can help you manage the waves of demand and pretty soon instead of getting knocked down by the waves you’ll be surfing on them.
Aloha,
Joseph
Information used for this post: 3 P’s from Buffini and Co.
Joseph Cortez 