In just 3 weeks the holiday season will be over. Will you be ready for early success in 2020?
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been urging you to keep prospecting so you can stay 3 steps ahead of the 
agents who have been goofing off since early November.
I hope you’re still prospecting and hope you’ll continue to do so. Even if it doesn’t make your phone ring right now, it will put you in the lead 3 weeks from now.
With only less than 2 weeks until Hanukkah and Christmas, you may be busy with shopping, decorating, family obligations, social gatherings, and even volunteer work. “Busyness” is one reason why I always encourage you to automate your systems so your prospecting messages will go out consistently and on time.
As busy as you are, do carve out some time to be ready for early success in 2020.
Start with a critical look at what you’ve been doing / using.
- Take a look at your website – actually read the words on your own pages. Do some of them need to be updated? Are there typos or misspellings that slipped by you the first time? Do you need to add pages, such as community pages or a Q&A about your niche?
- Take special care in looking at your agent bio. Does it reflect your 2019 accomplishments? (Or your 2017 and 2018 accomplishments?) Does it reveal your niche? Does it say you’ve been in business for ten years when it’s really twelve years? (Hint, switch the number of years to “since___” so you won’t have to update that each year.)
- If you don’t have a website or an agent bio, make some decisions about how you’ll get started. They really will help boost your career.
- Look at the marketing materials you’re using. Last week an agent sent me letters she’d been using in 2019 and asked for suggestions. My first suggestion was to stop talking about the state of the real estate market in 2017. Do YOUR letters need updates?
- Look at where your business came from this year. Are you spending too much time or money on things that don’t work while spending too little on things that do?
- Look at your database lists. Do you need to move some people from one list to another? Do you need to update addresses or remove someone who has passed away?
Now do some planning.
- Decide how many transactions will equal success for you in 2020 – and think about how you’ll get them.
- Set a marketing budget and decide how you will spend it.
- Set a budget for charitable contributions – and decide where you’re going to spend it.
- Ponder whether you need an assistant (or another one) – ether full time or part time. Do you have someone in mind? Make a plan that includes their duties.
- Will you want a vacation in 2020? If so, who will take over your duties while you’re away?
- What will you do to advance your career in 2020? Take a class? Obtain a designation? Attend a convention?
- Should you add a new niche? If so, how will you choose? Where will you get your mailing list?
- Should you change your working hours to allow more family or personal time?
Take it one step at a time – but get started!
This may all be too much to decide in the next 3 weeks, but make a start. Get a new notebook or open a computer file and start making notes to yourself. List the pros and cons of the different decisions you might make.
If you have a partner, take time to discuss your options – and make notes about the discussion.
The better prepared you are when the New Year arrives, the faster you’ll begin attending closings!
Success sign Image courtesy of niamwhan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Time to Plan courtesy of stuart miles @ freedigitalphotos.net
