Sunday, December 31, 2006

Success Key # 1: Persistence

In your business, there are going to be times that you simply don't feel like getting up and doing
real estate... PERIOD.

Then, there are going to be other times that you have a heart to heart conversation with the person
staring back at you in the mirror. It might go something like this:

"What are you doing? Did you REALLY think you could do this? Maybe you should cut your losses
and try something else..."

This conversation could go on for minutes, hours or even days at a time. And trust me, these
conversations WILL HAPPEN from time to time if you're in the business long enough (in any
business for that matter).

I remember back about 4 years ago... I was sitting on my couch perched under my front window. I had
just discovered that I'd had 5 break ins in 3 days on 2 out my 3 properties. Yep... that's right.

I felt like laughing and crying all at the same time. I looked out the window, up and down the
street and thought to myself, "What the heck have you gotten yourself into?" I just wanted a way out.
I wanted to quit and go get a job waiting tables.

But, what made the difference? How did I get past that point and ultimately skyrocket from it?

It was 3 fold: Decision, Persistence, and Planning.

I'll talk to you a little more about decision and planning in the next couple days (it'll all make
sense in a couple of days, trust me :-))

But for now... let's talk about how we can persist when things get tough. Here are 5 Tips to get you
started:

TIP #1
First, you need to close all doors behind you. There is no longer any back door; any "way out".
Commit to this business and commit to giving it everything that you have. You see, if you give it
every effort - every REAL effort.

So many times, we stick our big toe in the water and decide it's not for us or it doesn't work.
Jump in as if you're out in the middle of the ocean and you need to get yourself back to the
shore... no life rope... no floatation device...

Your only option is to learn to swim - and do it fast. Now, I'm not suggestion quit your job if you
are using it to pay your bills, but I a suggesting that you STOP looking for the new magic pill.

That is committment and it's going all in. It is no longer a matter of "if I can do real estate".
It becomes a matter of "when" and "how". (The good news is this... with a short time of hard work,
you'll be free to go and explore new opportunities with the confidence that you CAN do it)

A good friend of mine, Armand Morin, says that "success leaves traces". I believe failure does too!
So why not become successful rather than fail!

TIP#2
Next, you need to plaster your "WHY" all over the place. I know you've heard it 1000 times before,
but have you done it? Can you see, touch, taste, hear and smell the reasons that you are doing
this? If not, when the going gets tough, you'll quit going!

Start living the life you want to have on a small scale. If your dream is more time with your kids,
build in an extra hour each week NOW and start experiencing it. It will keep you going. If your
why is to travel, start taking one day trips once a month. They don't have to cost a lot, but
they let you experience what it's like to start living the way you want to.

TIP #3
Stop what you are doing and WRITE OUT YOUR GOALS. Do this before January 1st. Do it now! You need
to know where you're going if you're going to get there. Now, don't sit here at your computer and
jot them down in notepad.

Get a real notebook out. Grab your favorite pen and go to a quiet area and WRITE. Something happens
when you take the time to write out your goals. Then, make a dozen copies of your goals and keep
them with you. Maybe even make your goals your screensaver on your computer. Never let them leave
your side and read them every day.

TIP #4
Set your "real estate" hours. It doesn't matter what you have on your plate (job, family, other
businesses,etc.). You need to block time out for your real estate business. It may be 10-12 every
day or it may be 6pm-8pm every night. But it is important you do it consistently.

Use this time to write your marketing letters, to call potential sellers, to follow up on deals, to
do what it takes to get the leads coming in. This eliminates excuses. You have it set on your
schedule. You don't think about it. Nothing gets in the way to allow you to make your excuses. And
let's face it, 99% of the reason you're not where you want to be is an excuse. Sure, it may be
disguised as a valid reason, but rest assured there are only a few things that are REAL reasons you're
not as successful as you could be.

Think about it...

Money?
You haven't taken the time to learn how to do the business WITHOUT your own money. I didn't have two
nickels to rub together when I got started

Time?
Make it. If you can tell me that you don't have 2 hours/day (12 hours/week that you can dig up), you
don't want to. If you're letting your kids be your excuse for not having time, you're looking at it
the wrong way! Teach your kids the entreprenuerial mindset. Involve them and build it together.

See... it's all how you look at it and if you really want it bad enough.

The list can go on and on, but 99% of the time, there is a solution. For that 1% of the time that
there is not, I understand. And you need to take the time to deal with those life challenges. And
in my opinion, even those life challenges can be excuses sometimes.

TIP#5
Build your support team. I am NOT suggesting to call all your friends and family here. These may NOT be
the right people. In fact, when I was starting, I had a partner and we had our best friend over the
house. She literally looked us square in the eye and asked, "Do you REALLY think anyone's going to take
YOU TWO seriously?"

The sad thing is that she thought she was HELPING us and keeping us from getting crushed.

So, sometimes, you need to step outside of your sphere and find new people that share the same ideas,
values and enthusiasm that you have.

I look back to my everyday circle of influence when I started and compare it to my circle of influence
now and it's not made up of one single person that was there back then. This is possibly the hardest
part of the business! Letting go of the old to make room for the new.

The good news is that the people I made room for are like an extended family that spans all over the
United States and beyond. I couldn't hand pick better people. These are people that I met by
going to seminars, workshops, and events and networking with people all over. From these groups,
we've build mastermind teams that get together once a week.

This keeps you going... it keeps you upbeat and motivated to press on. It keeps you focused. Here's
what you do:

- What have you done in the last 7 days for your business?
- What is holding you back or what do you need help on to take the next steps?
- What are you going to do between now and the next time you get together?

This works the very best if you have a coach facilitating the process with your mastermind team,
but can be done with just a group of people as well.

It holds you accountable to someone other than yourself and forces you to stick with it.

So, take today and focus yourself. Write down your goals, make a committment to your business in the
new year, and start looking for a coach and a mastermind team to get you to the next level.

I've had many mentors in my businesses and have paid 10s of 1000s of dollars (no exaggeration) to
build relationships. In fact, several years ago, I spent $16,000 without even knowing what all was
involved, but I knew I wanted the relationship and the team that was being developed. I committed to
that aspect of my business and have seen my return 10 fold and it's still growing.

In fact, some of the people I met as a result of that investment are now partners of mine in
6-figure companies with huge potential.

Tomorrow, I want to discuss "planning" with you.We're at the end of a year, just days away from the
new year and if you've not gotten your plan set up, what are you waiting for?

So again, take today and get the big rocks planned so that tomorrow we can start planning!

Yours in Success,
Heather Seitz
www.InterviewsWithTheExperts.com
www.FixingAndFlipping.com
www.MotivatedSellerMarketing.com
www.RehabProfitSystem.com
www.Yamon.net
www.NextLevelPromoters.com
www.BigSeminar.net

Heather Seitz is a licensed Realtor® in the state of Florida. Heather
specializes in working with investors, golf communities and old Spanish
homes.

Reproduced with permission.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006