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.

I played golf both days this past weekend. It’s always fun to get out and play with family and friends, even on a day like Saturday that was cloudy and it rained for almost the entire round of golf. It wasn’t a hard rain but just annoying enough to require an umbrella. I played horrible on the front nine but improved significantly on the back nine to salvage a decent score.

Sunday’s round was played under clear, sunny skies but the change in weather didn’t do anything for my scoring. In fact, Sunday was even a higher score and finishing with 3 straight 3-putts can leave a bad taste in a golfer’s mouth. The whole weekend I struggled with my short game. The greens were extra fast so chipping and putting required patience and a delicate touch. Confidence is always a critical component of the game but this weekend, it was imperative if you wanted to get the ball in the hole. Sadly for me, a poor short game left me frustrated and anything but confident.

In a round of golf, there is really no way to avoid your short game. Even if you were striping your tee shots and irons, you still need to get the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes to score well. An out-of-tune short game can really impact your end result.

16753005671_2fea5b12f8_zAfter thinking about all the off-line putts and missed opportunities from this past weekend, I went back up the golf course for on hour and practiced my putting. I had to get my touch back. I needed to feel the pace of the greens before I even pulled the putter back. I needed the vision in my mind of that ball dropping squarely into the center of the cup, over and over and over again.

How’s Your Short Game

In real estate, your prospecting skills and dialogues are the short game of your business. It’s those moments when the next deal is right in front of your face…if you only see it, hear it or ask for it. Every day you need to be adept at securing appointments and overcoming the most common objections you hear from people. The truth however, is that just like most golfers don’t like to practice their short game (instead opting for bashing balls on the driving range) most Realtors would rather do anything but make phone calls, knock on doors, send emails and hand-written notes or be face-to-face with potential customers looking to build relationships, solve problems or have fun.

As you look at your week ahead, remember there are no mulligans in real life. Are you feeling confident that your short game is sharp and you’re focused on those “must convert” moments you’re sure to see? You need to get your touch back. You need to feel the direction of the conversations before you even pick the phone up or knock on the door. You need the vision in your mind of that customer saying “we’d love for you to be our Realtor and help us in our next transaction” over and over.

It’s time to sharpen your pencil and remember that you’re keeping score every day. Every stroke counts.

 

 

Photo Credit: Pierre via Flickr

 

 

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