Here we are with summer in full swing and business is, well, let’s say interesting. As we refocus our efforts on the balance of the year, now is a great time to really stop and look at where we are, and what must be done to hit our goals for 2010.

Some of the biggest challenges we face today is the complicated nature of every transaction, with appraisals, lender restrictions, buyers that can’t decide and are waiting for further drops in prices, and the sheer amount of paperwork that is required to manage a deal. It seems we need more help to do fewer transactions than ever before. So what do we do?

When I was a senior in High School, I had the opportunity to see Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins and a few other great motivational speakers. I was so inspired from what I heard that day and knew that I wanted to be a speaker & coach like those amazing people I saw on stage. They shared many great stories that day, but one story stood out in my mind. Even years later, the story Zig Ziglar told has always resonated with me.

I believe we should love what we are doing, not just some of the time, but all of the time. Our non- verbal communication speaks so much louder than our verbal communication. What I mean by this is can people tell that you really love what you’re doing by watching you and interacting with you?

The number one most important technology that every real estate sales person needs is a client relationship manager! This is not news to anyone, but very few agents master their database. I want to tell you that is a HUGE mistake! When you take a minute to really think through the value of a client, it is easy to understand why this is so important.

I could end this article right now without even writing it –if you understand what these two words mean, confidence and enthusiasm, you have 90 % of what it takes to be successful!

In speaking with agents who lack one or both of these attributes or personality traits, I find that they look for reasons outside of themselves to place blame on their lack of business or production. In their minds, the reason they aren’t having the success they feel they deserve is because the economy is bad, or their broker isn’t giving them enough support, or their website isn’t generating enough leads…the list of excuses goes on and on. However, none of that is actually true! Those are just excuses to mask what the real issue is. At the heart of this issue is these agents are lacking confidence and enthusiasm.

Attending a convention or seminar is an important first step in having a banner year. But, now comes the hard part — putting into action what you learned. I begin many of my seminars by asking “What is the value of increased knowledge if your actions and behaviors are not altered as a result of that knowledge?”

As a culture, we are busy. We have technologies that allow us to stay connected to our business even when we are supposed to be taking a vacation. We multi-task, and as a result of our increased efficiencies, we are busier than ever and have trouble finding time to “fit it all in.” One of the biggest barriers to finding enough time to fit in the most important things in life are those people and things that steal away what precious time you have available. In order to be productive …