It’s not just what we do, it’s how we do it. Those who slay their own bad habits will put the what and the how together in powerful ways. That’s what I call, unlocking your brilliance!

Did you know that at least 90% of what we think and do is automatic?

We react out of habit from our unconscious mind. That can be a good thing. You don’t wake up and stare at your toothbrush every morning, wondering what to do. But, habitual responses don’t take in the nuances of a specific situation.

To stay with our toothbrush analogy, if you wanted to start a new habit and floss, before you brush, it would take a concentrated effort to break the habit of grabbing for your toothbrush first. Think about all the daily activities that you do without even thinking about them. If you want to change the habit of your day, say, drive to work a different route, it takes some effort. Your body is trained to repeat that pattern.

The same holds true for how we prospect and how we work with clients.

We get in a habit of doing business a certain way. I want to challenge you to make the effort to break your bad habits and unlock your brilliance. When you unlock your brilliance, you allow for:

1. New ways of thinking.
2. New ways to act.
3. New ways to solve problems, prospect and save deals.

Here are five key areas of business to focus on:

• Key 1 – Connect with new prospects
  • Break your bad habit: Find prospects in new places. Wherever you’ve been looking for prospects is fine, you can keep doing that, but it’s time to look in new places. Identify where your prospects came from, then go in a different direction.
  • Unlock your brilliance: How do you go in a different direction? Think about places and activities that you genuinely enjoy. It’s always best to connect when we are being authentic and enjoying ourselves. Some ideas to get you going would be to consider community service, political action, alumni events, public and local Facebook groups, an activity like yoga or intramural sports at the local YMCA, volunteering at a hospital or school, anything you would enjoy that would get you into a new group of people. Create an intention to meet new people and connect in new ways. Opportunities are everywhere, we just don’t always see them.
  • Want more ideas about how to engage your community? Click here for this previous article about just that.
    
• Key 2 – Connect with past clients, friends and family
  • Break your bad habit: What have you done to connect with your sphere of influence? Whatever that is, it’s time to mix it up. Even if it’s been successful in the past, creating something new will get everyone’s attention.
  • Unlock your brilliance: What feels fun to you? You could plan a social event or start a fundraiser. Organize a community yard sale or collect items needed at a food bank or shelter. If you haven’t made personal visits, phone calls and face-to-face connections over coffee or lunch, try that. Here’s what you want to ask yourself, “what are my clients interested in?” Then, think about where your interests lie, then find the point that those intersect.
  • Want to reach out to your sphere – those people who know, like, and trust you – but who you may have lost touch with?  Get re-acquainted!
    
• Key 3 – Effectively ask for the business
  • Break your bad habit: Do you have a script or typical way of talking to people? Take some time to evaluate where your dialog is effective and where it’s not. Where is it weak? Old and worn out? If you aren’t sure, find someone you trust and run it past them for honest feedback. (I know that may not be fun, but, being the best means going the extra mile.)
  • Unlock your brilliance: Try something new. Get on YouTube. Listen to sales pitches and other sales people. They don’t need to be real-estate-related, listen for what you like and don’t like. Go to the websites of real estate and sales speakers. Many of them have free downloads that includes scripts and other resources. Create a new conversation. Practice on yourself, then try it out with others. Everything is awkward in the beginning. Say it to yourself a dozen times or more before you say it to someone else. Practice in the car, in the shower, while you run or walk, anywhere you can speak, out loud, to yourself. The key here is to say it out loud. It doesn’t work to just think about the words in your head. 
    
• Key 4 – Get the listing or the buyer
  • Break your bad habit: Do you tend to gravitate towards buyers or sellers? Is it time to expand your horizons? If you aren’t sure, evaluate how much of your business is currently coming from buyers and sellers and see which you tend to gravitate towards.
  • Unlock your brilliance: Take all the new conversations from Key 3 and let it guide you in new ways to ask for business from the group that you tend to serve less.
    
• Key 5 – Close that deal!
  • Break your bad habit: What happens when a deal starts to go south? What do you do? How do you react? You must know your patterns before you can break the habit. Go back to some of those transactions that went badly and analyze what you did. Not what anyone else did. This is not a time to pass the buck or blame others. While others probably contributed to the issues, we can only change ourselves, so on this one…it’s all you.
  • Unlock your brilliance: Break it down like a math problem. What could you have done differently to affect a different outcome? Ask your manager or mentor. Talk to other agents and see how they would have handled it. There are many ways to solve the same problem. Get ideas from trusted professionals. Be open to seeing things differently and finding new ways to resolve issues. Break out of your habit and let your brilliance find a new solution!
  • Want more tips on salesmanship and negotiation, including a free script? Click here.

Anything you do to break your bad habits and do things differently will start to create energy for new ideas.

Don’t try too hard. That will stop the flow of your brilliance.

Your brilliance is in that idea that pops into your head when you’re showering or on a walk, not thinking about real estate. Follow that idea. It’s the best way to grow your business and own your brilliance!