Instant Gratification

I’m still in full on recovery mode over here, but as I am feeling better and stronger and weaning off the pain meds, my head is feeling more clear and is beginning to swirl with ideas.

I totally stole this quote from my business partner Vicky Noufal today who posted it in her group, but I couldn’t let it go by without a few thoughts.

More than ever our world seems to be an instant gratification world, but that isn’t necessarily a reality … and definitely isn’t a reality in our business. I struggle to think of anything in our business which gives instant results. Probably the closest you can get is an open house … you sit the open, you meet potential clients. But even then they are not likely to buy something that day, and even if they did, it still wouldn’t close for several weeks.

Our business is about planting seeds, nurturing, watering, weeding, waiting for them to sprout and then grow. The work we are doing now is what we will be paid for 30 days, 60 days, maybe even a year from now. It is ESSENTIAL if you want to succeed in this business and build a sustainable, consistent business that you keep the big picture in mind. Always.

You will spend money now and next month and the month after, maybe even for a year before you see results from marketing to your geographic farm. But when it starts to work, just 1 closed transaction will cover your costs for multiple years.

You will take less on a transaction now, knowing that it will pay off in the long run. Let’s say you get a lead as a referral from another agent or your brokerage that has a hefty fee attached. Instead of making $5000 or even $10000 if you had generated it yourself you will only make $3000. But, now you have a new (hopefully) raving fan in your database. In a years time it is reasonable to get 1 closed referral from that client, which you would have personally generated, so that’s another $10,000. Now you have 2 potential new raving fans in your database. Another year goes by and they both refer 1 closed new client to you, that’s $20,000. This continues to compound again and again. I have multiple clients in my database who have sent me multiple referrals that have closed over the years, not to mention clients who themselves have moved 2-3 times. While sure, it sucks that you make less on that initial transaction, the potential return on that investment is massive.

Nothing is a quick fix. There is no such thing as an overnight success. True sustainable success takes time. Plant your seeds, focus on the big picture, and before you know it you will be reaping the rewards!

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