This week myself, Joe Niego and a team from Buffini & Company spent a few days in Northern California for our Turning Point event. Monterey is one of my favorite places to spend time and is as familiar to me as our home in San Diego. In the early years of Buffini & Company, this charming pacific coast town was the scene for many an event that made the difference in how we did as a company. In a way, it became our litmus test for how the country was doing as a whole.

And things haven't changed too much throughout the years.

If the fired-up energy, great attitude and on point focus of this week's audience is anything to go by, America's back! And it's ready to work. As Joe and I shared content through the two days of the event, we were both struck by how positive and upbeat the crowd was. Our Members are typically a pretty positive lot anyway...but it was inspiring to see the osmosis happen with those new faces who were joining us for the first time. We had a great time with you guys. And we're looking forward to doing it all again in Vancouver in May.

It's a good life!

Brian

If I spent my days reading the news and listening to talk radio I’m not fully convinced my mind wouldn’t turn to jelly. A couple of times this year I’ve found myself doing so and have noticed how it begins to quickly affect me. So I get back on the wagon of putting the good stuff in and letting action rather than reaction define my days.

Now that does not mean I’m walking around with my head in the clouds; I know that we are in the midst of troubling times and this uncertainty can bring a feeling of imbalance and fear. Thing is, I cannot control the outcome…and none of us can. I can’t predict the future and neither can anyone else. So I focus on activities. I go to work on what my family needs from me today, what you guys need as our valued Members, and what Buffini & Company needs as a company. Because that’s my job!

It is not my job to grind my teeth in frustration or disapproval. Neither is it my job to read comments on the economy from every crank out there with web access. My job is clear and that helps me stay focused.

A recession is a terrible thing to waste. Spring has sprung and there’s work to be done. So write your list, get to work and let’s focus on what we can do to make this a great first quarter

It’s a good life!

Brian

Oh, by the way…for those Referral Systems Members be sure to email your numbers to the Blitz Master, Joe Niego. You can’t improve what you don’t measure so keep sending those results in.

This year has been the most politically fascinating season I’ve ever witnessed. We’ve had wall-to-wall media coverage, been deluged with political ads and campaigns and the rhetoric has been ratcheted up the closer we got to the election.

In the midst of an economy in recession and a stock exchange in turmoil I’ve witnessed a lot of people get paralyzed by fear and become spectators watching the news, surfing the net for stories and checking the market by the hour. It seems to me there’s a lot of people who are in a personal recession. So here’s what we can learn from all of this: can you imagine if you canvassed for your own business the way the presidential candidates have done so for your vote?

Can you imagine if you were as focused in your daily endeavors as these two guys have been? Now that the election is decided, how about turning off the tube, stop surfing the net for stories and get out the vote. With slogans such as, “If you know anyone who’s thinking about buying or selling a home please give me a call with their name and number,” “if you know anyone who’s in need of the level of service I provide I want you to know I’m never too busy for their referrals, or the most famous of all the campaign slogans, “Oh, by the way…I’m never too busy for any of your referrals!”

So it’s time to get out the vote, mobilize your database and let them know you are the person they can count on in times of turmoil and that you’re available to help them or any of their friends make a move. If you do enough of this, you too might be able to relocate into a larger white house!

It’s a good life!

Brian

With the news media in full throttle, using terms such as “MELTDOWN”, “CRISIS” and “RAVAGED” to describe our industry, it’s easy to understand why buyers and sellers feel a little skittish. With terms like "recession", "stagflation" and "global slowdowns", it’s easy to understand why so many people lack confidence in the market.

News flash! More millionaires are created in downturns than upswings.

Bulletin! The goal of economic gain is to buy low and sell high.

This just in! While your competition is shrinking and pulling back, this is the time to strategically grow.

At times like this, you need to lean into the most innovative and creative parts of your nature, let out your inner entrepreneur and build a plan for success.

Nelson Rockefeller was, in his time, the wealthiest man in the world. He stated that the time to buy real estate was when the blood was flowing in the streets. That was as true for the turn of the 20^th century as it is today in the 21^st. This is what opportunity feels like; lean into it, embrace it and conquer it.

It’s a good life!

Brian

In 1974, Morris Albert recorded this Grammy award winning song. At that time, it was considered one of the most strongly emotive and moving melodies. As time has gone by, when viewed in hindsight, the same lyrics that won a Grammy have often been lampooned as the sappiest song ever written.

Whether you like the song or not, feelings can be very dangerous for your business. In today’s market, there are lot of emotions; fear, anxiety, frustration and regret. Maybe you don’t know where your next commission check is coming from. Maybe you’re consumed with fear about where the economy and this market are going. Maybe you’re dealing with frustrated sellers who constantly focus on how much their home used to be worth as opposed to what’s it’s worth today. Perhaps you even have a ready, willing and able buyer who’s just afraid to pull the trigger because they don’t want to pay too much for a house.

The answer for a professional is to manage their emotions by keeping perspective. You need to know the historical trends of this business, how good of an investment real estate is (check out www.housingmarketfacts.com), and keep track of your own daily activities so you know you’re doing your best each day.

Feelings are great things. They let you know you’re alive. Personally they deliver the highs and the lows of the human experience. When it comes to your business, feelings don’t help at all. Manage your emotions, manage your business and manage your success.

How many calls, notes, Pop-Bys and business to business meetings are you having?

It's a good life!

Brian

That was what my old high school coach used to shout to me on the field. That was his clarion call to increase the level of physical play on the field. It seemed to work as he led us to a National Championship. One thing I know is that principles don’t go out of style. And if you want to win a championship in your business, it’s time to step up your physical interaction with your clients.

In the colder climates, people have been cocooned in their homes with fewer people interactions than normal. Now that springtime is here, get out amongst your people. See them at work, at home, at events, or at business networking meetings. Attend seminars, classes or take in a show or ballgame together.

Visibility is key; especially with all the negativity in the media about the marketplace. Knowing that you’re active and out and about deepens your hold on being their trusted advisor. When the going gets tough, the tough get out and visit people.

So, get in your car and Pop-By! Visit, or break bread with your favorite people. And for goodness sake, let ‘em know you’re there…for them!

It’s a good life!

Brian