During the month of October, WBNL Coaching via our Podcast, focuses on the important topic of  agent business planning and goal setting! Business planning is a prudent and necessary process to go through annually (no matter what month it is!)

We have embedded the podcast audio for the series below:

Episode 137: Your 2020 Business Review

In the first episode in this series, we focus on the first step – reviewing your YTD business.  You can’t set goals until you know where your business is today. Then you can build a solid plan for the future.

Activate Your 4th Quarter Power!

1. Conduct the business review YTD
   
   
2. Identify 3 Key Things for your business and personal development
1. Start
2. Stop
3. Continue
   
   
3. Refocus your intention and create goals for 4th QTR
1. How many listings will you take?
2. How many buyers in escrow?
3. How many appointments set?
4. How many connections (calls, texts, zoom meetings) are you committed to weekly?
5. What projects will you finish - what business systems will you refine or put in place?

What you do to finish strong is the 4th QTR will set you up for success in 2021!

Conduct the business review YTD
Start by analyzing your previous year’s business – this form will help you gather and calculate key factors for your specific business.  Everything from sources of business to average days on market and listing to sale ratios.  Before you launch into your plan for the coming year, it’s critical to review what worked this year and to know your basic numbers.
Download this document: Review_of_your_Business.pdf  

Break-out your business plan and review your goals and business action plan for 2020.  A Year to Date review is included in your WBNL Coaching Real Estate Business Plan to record your key numbers for the year.  The spreadsheet will do some auto-calculations for you.

• Listing Taken, Listing Sold and Closed
• Buyer represented sales in escrow and closed
• Listing Sold Volume
• Sales Volume
• Average Days on Market
• Types of Transactions

Next, identify the SOURCES of business.  This step is critical for helping you analyze a return on any marketing investment and deciding where and what to focus on for the coming year.

Assess Your Target Markets. What are the 3-5 target markets or niches you have focused on during the past year?  What is your return on investment for each?  Based on your initial analysis, what do you want to continue or refine for next year and what should you consider changing or dropping?

Update your personal and business budgets.  Have you been tracking your actual expenses against your proposed budget for 2019?  Have you incurred additional or unforeseen expenses?  Where can you make changes or adjustments in your budgets?

Track Your Production.  Use the Business Plan template to record your transactions year-to-date.  Keep track of your closings, pendings and active listings to assess if you are on track to meet or exceed your goals this year.

Revisit Your Success Action Plan.  Do you need to make any adjustments to your activities and strategies?  Do you need to recommit to your daily, weekly, monthly activities for attracting business?

Get our Business Planning Course and Downloads which includes:

• Guide Book: 3 Steps to a Powerful Real Estate Business Plan
• Goal Writing Worksheets
• Real Estate Business Plan (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Income & Expenses Statement
• Business Budget
• Personal/Home Budget
• Success Action Plan

EPISODE 138 - Step 1: Set Your 2021 Goals

Real Estate Business Planning and Goal Setting is a topic I love to teach and share with real estate professionals.  In my 28+ years in the real estate industry, it has been my experience that the agents who actually write down their goals and utilize a real business plan always meet and usually exceed their desired outcomes.

Unfortunately, less than 20% (probably closer to 10%) of real estate agents actually prepare a written business plan and set annual goals.   I have witnessed the amazing results of those who actually create and use a business plan and set goals in all areas of their life.  Statistics and various reports state that about 3% of adults have clearly written goals and accomplish 5 to 10 times more than those who do not have written goals. The 80/20 principle applies to everything - just become aware and observe the multitude of examples (Read Living the 80/20 Way Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More):

• 80% of sales people spend 80% their time with customers who will never buy or sell from them. 
• 80% of your results will come from 20% of your activities
• Less than 20% of agents are responsible for 80% of all business

Here's your challenge... Are you ready, willing and able to join the success group (the less than 20%)?  Are you willing to do the opposite of what the masses usually do and achieve your desired outcomes?  If you are ready... start today by following these 3 Steps to Business Planning and Take Action! 

It all starts by writing your goals or desired outcomes, creating a written business plan and updating/revising your business budget then measuring and tracking your results.  I invite you to follow the 3 steps outlined below, download the accompanying forms and.... JUST DO IT!

Step 1 – Set Your Goals (Outcomes)

The critical steps to achieving your goals:

• Identify clear, concise, SMART goals and know your WHY for each of them.

Specific/Simple

Measurable/Meaningful to you

Attainable/As if Now/All areas of your life

Realistic/Responsible

Timeframe/Toward what you want

• Write them down for all areas of your life (Personal, Financial, Business/Career, Relationships/Family, Spiritual)
• Create Action Plans – break the goal down into steps and next actions.  Take action every day!
• Measure and track your progress – you can’t improve what you don’t measure.
• Celebrate your successes along the way – make any necessary course corrections.

Why Write Down Your Goals (Outcomes)?

• To clarify what it is you truly desire.  Writing down your goals forces you to select something specific and decide what you want and when you want to attain it.
• To motivate and inspire you to take action. Writing your goals down is only the first step.  It is also important to review them regularly which supports you to take the next most important action toward your goal.
• To help you overcome resistance. Every meaningful intention, dream, or goal encounters resistance. From the moment you set a goal, you will begin to feel it.  Resist the temptation to focus on that resistance and instead focus on what you want to accomplish.
• To enable you to see—and celebrate—your success and progress.  Written goals are like mile-markers on a highway. They enable you to see how far you have come and how far you need to go. They also provide an opportunity for celebration when you attain them.

Read these posts for more information on goal setting, affirmations, mindset:

• How to Write Powerful Goals, Part 1
• How to Write Powerful Goals, Part 2
• 5 Principles of Success

• Clarity of Purpose - Do you have it?
• How to Discover and Celebrate Your Success, Your Wins for the Past Year...Then Set Outcomes not Resolutions
• Real Estate Affirmations for a Successful Career
• The Power of Affirmations

Episode 139 - Step 2 – Create Your Business Action Plan

Get the WBNL Coaching FREE Mini-Course: Real Estate Business Plan

Download the full Business Plan excel spreadsheet (8 tab) or the 3 Tab Version when you sign up for the free course https://www.wbnlcoaching.com/offers/zsrt45hu/checkout 

Once you have determined the number of closed transactions you need to meet your income goal, it’s time to focus on committing to the strategies that you will focus on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually.

We highly recommend the “power of three” strategy!  Everyone has a database, SOI, past client target market. Now, select two additional focus areas that you are passionate about, enjoy, and want to truly become the expert!

• Demographic (Veterans, seniors, first time home buyers, etc)
• Property Type (luxury, condos/townhomes, high rises, golf properties, etc.)
• Geographic Area
• Other Specialty (divorce, probate, distressed properties, etc.)

• Additional Planning Resources
• Allocating_time_to_build_your_business.pdf  An eye-opener exercise about the value of your time.
• DailyWorkPlan.pdf  A simple daily planner page that also helps you track productive activity.
• Attitude_Affirmations_TimeMgmt  A good review of what you already know!

Episode 140 - Step 3 – Measure and Track Your Results

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.   An excellent tracking system will allow you to make necessary course corrections and adjustments as well as track your overall success. Downloads available in the free Business Planning Course include:

• Income & Expenses Statement
• Business Budget
• Personal/Home Budget
• Tab 8 of the Business Plan
• Success Action Plan

SECRET to SUCCESS: Create Your Daily Action Plan and Just Do It!

Once you have your business plan in place, it is critical to review it and make necessary course corrections at least quarterly .  On a monthly basis, make sure to use a performance dashboard or a suitable tracking form to record your actual results and compare them to your plan or goal.

From the business plan you can create your daily, weekly, monthly ACTION PLAN.  This plan will outline the income-producing activities and other tasks you are committed to in order to achieve your  desired outcomes.  Review and stick to your Action Plan DAILY!

• Write your Action Plan on index cards – and keep one with you
• Take a picture of your Action Plan and Save as wallpaper or screensaver
• Put one in front of your dayplanner
• Post it in your workspace
• Tape it to your bathroom mirror and review it daily
• Review and record your results daily also

A basic mantra or affirmation for your consideration and real estate success could simply be:

“I make one qualified appointment daily!”

Create an Action Plan that works for you – it may consist of some of the following activities:

1. Make ______ contacts daily
2. Send ______ personal notes weekly
3. Add _______ people to your database weekly or monthly
4. Contact _____ FSBOs weekly
5. Contact ______ Expireds weekly
6. Hold ______ effective open houses weekly/ monthly
7. Mail or email to your SOI/Past clients valuable market information monthly
8. Mail or email to your designated farm of ______  properties monthly
9. Door knock/ door drop _________ houses monthly
10. Take ____ past client to lunch monthly
11. Network with ____ business to business referrals monthly
12. Hand out 5-10 business cards, 5 days/week and actively ask for business or for permission to add them to your database

Free Motivational & Success Classics as eBook downloads:

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
• Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell

Get the FREE, complete Real Estate Business Planning Mini-Course and Downloads:

WBNL Coaching 3 Steps to a Powerful Real Estate Business Plan