Monday Morning Match is a quick post – maybe a quote, inspirational story or idea – intended to spark some motivation inside each of you so your week gets off to a fantastic start on Monday morning.
It’s the time of year when kids everywhere are heading back to school. Elementary kids all the way up to college students are seeing their final days of summer come to an end and the 2015-16 school year is officially off and running.
There really isn’t a big difference between a first time kindergartener, pubescent middle schooler, teenage high schooler or young adults headed back to their respective college campuses and those of us in the real estate business.
Here are 8 things Realtors Can Learn from Back to School Week…
Gather Your Supplies – We all remember the excitement and fun we had selecting those crayons, pens, pencils and notebooks for our school year. These days kids are getting USB thumb drives and smart phone apps. The best Realtors need to always have the freshest tools and gear to help them in their daily tasks. Each day is like a blank sheet of paper so be pro-active in gathering the most colorful tools to paint your masterpiece or write your own story.
Review Your Schedule – New students have to learn a new schedule each school year – new classes, lunch times and instructors. As soon as the schedule comes out, most students contact their buddies to see who might be in the same classes. This can create comfort and also a sense of understanding what might be ahead. For most Realtors, their daily schedule is the center-point of their day, week and year. The quicker Realtors can create some consistency and routine in their schedules including business development activities each day, the quicker they will establish success.
Get a Good Night of Sleep – With the exception of the college years, most students have a bed time Sunday through Thursday. The more sleep you get, the brighter and more alert you’ll be the following day. A Realtor’s schedule can be a grind from one appointment to the next so staying disciplined to “turn off” from the business and go to bed at a reasonable hour could be the difference in your next successful transaction.
Prepare Daily…But Expect the Unexpected – Getting homework done each night puts students in the best position to succeed in the classroom. In addition to homework, studying notes and lesson plans will prepare them for future tests and exams. Sometimes however, a teacher might throw a pop quiz at their class without notice. Life throws pop quizzes at us every day. Surprise phone calls, client concerns or co-op “emergencies” happen all the time. Do you feel comfortable that you “know your stuff” if the pressure suddenly gets turned up?
Show Some School Spirit – One of the best parts about a “new school year” is every team has a chance to win the championship. The students have a chance to show their school spirit and either participate in or cheer on their teams in sporting events throughout the school year. How much pride do you have in your business, your brokerage and your industry?
On Your Best Behavior – The first few weeks is not the time to get in trouble at school. Teachers can put a target on someone’s back who is consistently late, rude or disrespectful to other students or staff. No one wants to be the kid sent to the principal’s office in school and no one wants to be the person in the business world who has a bad reputation for being anything but honest, ethical and trustworthy.
Time Flies…so Take Lots of Photos (and make lots of memories) – I’m sure your Facebook and Instagram feeds have been filled with proud parents posting photos of their children on their first day of school. Some are even posting “flashback” photos of elementary days alongside more “grown up” images of people entering a higher level of education. Kindergarten to senior year of high school seems like such a long time…until life happens and it’s suddenly 12 years later. Sometimes taking the time to step back and recapture some of the awesome memories is the best. Are you making some connections each day on social media or face-to-face to enjoy life as it happens? After all, real estate is and always will be a relationship business.
Build Relationships, Solve Problems & Have Fun – It happens every day in school. It also happens every day in real estate. Hell, it happens every day in life. The student, Realtor or person who best maximizes their opportunities to do these three things on a daily basis will have the best chance to earn a passing grade on the final exam.
Photo Credit: Morgan via Flickr
Photo Credit: Taylor McKnight via Flickr