Easy Eddie doesn’t sound like a typical name for an attorney but it makes sense when you understand that Ed was from the south side of Chicago and his unusual law practice had a client of one; Al Capone.

After doing Al’s books and keeping him out of trouble for many years, Al’s business switched from bootlegging booze to the harsher elements of organized crime. Although Easy Eddie had made a series of compromises over the years, he finally decided it was time for him to come clean. He turned state’s evidence and was the primary witness for sending Capone to jail for life. A year later, a Mob hit took out Easy Ed making his choice look like a mistake.

On February 20, 1942, however, Easy Ed’s choice showed up in the character of his son who found himself flying the sole aircraft facing an enemy bomber squadron bound for the USS Lexington. Single handedly, he shot down five bombers and was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor - becoming America’s first ace in WWII.

Easy Eddie’s once disgraced last name was O’Hare, but because of the legacy of a principle-based choice, Eddie’s son Butch not only became a hero but is honored to this day by having one of the busiest airports in the world named after him.

The choices we make every day can either compromise our character or build it up, and the impact is not just on the immediate decision but also on the generations to come. May all your choices be good choices this week.

It’s a good life!

Brian

I just got back from a short vacation and it never ceases to amaze me that when you take time out of your schedule in this hectic market it gives time to clear the air and clear your thinking. It’s so easy to get caught up in your business that you forget why you’re working and what you’re working for.

I enjoy work but this business and market can be all-consuming. Just a few days with my bride and my kids, however, reminds me what life is really all about. I can get so caught up in trying to provide the economic security and opportunity for my family that I forget to provide what it is they all really need: love, support, encouragement and, most of all, just hanging with dad.

So I don’t know when was the last you took a time out or a few days away from business but make sure you look after the rest and rejuvenation needs we all have. If money is tight it doesn’t have to be an exotic trip, but there’s something magical about getting away... for yourself and for your loved ones.

Once you remember again what you’re working for it makes the struggles and challenges so much more worthwhile.

It’s a good life!

Brian

As I travel across the country training on the Referral Systems, I get to interact with so many in our industry and hear about their challenges and successes. One of the greatest joys I get is to hear from those who are using the systems to work by referral and build a great business and life.

Sales is a contact sport. It’s about staying at the forefront of people’s minds. It’s about phone calls, doorbells, and being out and about in the market everyday. The difference is, when you work by referral you are calling people you know and like.

In our membership programs, we help our 20,000 members zero in on their database using the 3 C’s - Contact, Care and Community. What we’ve found is that if your business is in decline, one of these areas is not in sync. People have false expectations about their database and what it should look like. Remember, it’s a list of relationships, not a mailing list. It’s ok to prune it to make sure you are working with the right clients. Not everyone is your client. You want and deserve to work with great people so utilize the systems that are helping our Members do over six times the national average and give yourself a sporting advantage!

It’s a good life!

Brian

When we think of fitness we always think of the physical body. Fitness by its purest definition is the speed and ability with which we recover from vigorous exercise. You can tell how aerobically fit you are after rigorous exercise by how long it takes you to catch your breath. You can find out how fit your muscles after exertion such as weight lifting etc. by how quickly they are restored.

Similarly with our businesses, as we get worked out by the current market conditions many people are finding that their lead-generation activities may be gasping for air. Others are discovering that their financial muscles are staying sore now that they are being stretched.

That’s why its time to do the Working by Referral workout. Those daily calls, notes and Pop-Bys will have your business fighting fit in no time. A little attention to your budgeting will make your financial muscles grow strong. And as your business gets fitter and fitter your wallet will get fatter and fatter.

It’s a good life!
Brian

It was a cold and damp morning as Florence Chadwick set out to be the first woman to swim the channel between Catalina Island and the coast of California. An accomplished ocean swimmer she had trained daily for a number of years to prepare herself for this test.

Bravely she swam through the ocean – stroke by stroke. As the pain in her arms, legs, and chest grew she was filled with self-doubt. As the cramps set in she began to convince herself she could go no further and although her coaches and supporters cheered her on, clapped their hands and shouted words of encouragement, she finally gave up. Tears streaming down her face, she was hauled into the spotter’s boat.

A few minutes later, the real pain hit as she realized that one more mile of swimming would have completed the goal. After so many hours in the water, she fell short by such a tiny margin because the coastline was fogged in. Not able to see her goal, she had given up hope of achieving.

That’s how everyone feels in the pursuit of a worthy goal, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on prize. When fears or frustrations arise with listings we can’t seem to move, transactions that fall apart, or buyers that abandon us, it can seem hopeless unless we stay focused on our goals.

If and when we falter, we’ll do exactly what Florence did because, just two months later, she completed that challenging swim. She never lost sight of the prize by keeping a picture of the shoreline in her mind as she swam.

It’s a good life!

Brian

One observation I have of our society at large today is the extraordinary lengths to which people go to avoid pain at all costs. It seems as though any discomfort must be remedied immediately. As markets tighten and the fed rushes to change rates, people feel the pinch and the government sends out billions in rebate checks, and the many borrowers who overextended themselves begin to use their house as an ATM, it can seem like the only solution to search for a bail out.

The real estate business is going through a time of challenge and stress but it’s part of the natural order of things. Prices go up, prices flatten out. There’s no inventory followed by too much of it. I’ve always said it’s a good life; not a great life. Sometimes we have to realize that part of this life requires us to endure discomfort and persevere through tough times, feel fear and all we can do it suck it up, put one foot in front of the other and do the best we can for that day.

Don’t look for someone else to solve your problems. Don’t wait for the market to correct. Don’t expect a government program to bail you out. As you persevere and push through you’ll be strong, better and more resilient on the other side. You’ll have a better business and be more equipped for life.

It’s a good life!

Brian

A couple of years ago, buyer or seller objections were likely related to the lack of inventory, or to multiple-offer scenarios. While this presented its own set of challenges at the time, today inventory is up, the market has adjusted and objections are a big piece of the puzzle you have to solve. Oftentimes an objection is the only thing standing between you and doing business with someone.

Typically, objections are just smokescreens for peoples’ fears. Instead of telling us they are afraid, they’ll throw up a smokescreen as a way to get time to think. When making a decision, we are committing to something and that can make us nervous. And if there’s one thing that can make people nervous, it’s buying or selling a home.

Listen to your client’s concerns; try to help them isolate what is causing the fear and then work together toward a solution. Remember, this is not a sword fight. A transaction is a commission that’s often already spent, but a client is an asset that grows and grows for years to come. Don’t win the battle and lose the war. If you have a desire for approval,  it can be easy to get sucked into an objection so don’t be defensive when you encounter objections. Take a listening approach to this and remember; objections are a smokescreen for what the real fear is.

A professional is excited to deal with obstacles...so go into battle for your clients; not against them!

It’s a good life!

Brian

The demands of the current market environment require us to be a highly skilled professional. The higher our skill level, the more leads we’ll generate, and the more income we’ll earn. Oh, by the way…we’ll have clients so satisfied with our services that they’ll become advocates for our business.

So the skills we develop are the tools of our trade. It’s true in other professions also. For a carpenter, it’s a hammer and saw. For a painter, it’s a brush and roller. For a pianist, it’s their fingers and keys.

For us…it’s what we say, and how we say it.

Using the right words at the right time with a seller is the difference between a sold listing and an expired one - a frustrated client or an advocate. The ability to master our dialogs and phrases is what makes a professional. So a word to the wise: use your words to build up; not tear down. Use phrases that inform; not infuriate. And most of all, be mindful that the words we use each and every day are often the difference between failure and success.

It’s a good life!

Brian