2012 Business Planning for the New Year!

If you are just getting to your business plan it is never to Late! 2012 Business Planning for the New Year is a must. Those of us that have been trained in marketing have had the theories drilled into our heads. Recent information is the best information when making business adjustments.

If this sound familiar it's because we do this every time we provide sellers with estimated value to establish a sell price. Go setting isn't a wish list of what you would like to change in your real estate business or any business. If wishing was all it takes to enact change everyone overweight that wished they were thin would lose weight! Come to think of it I could lose a few pounds myself.

Change requires goal setting. But before you set goals you have to know what you want. So this year look at your goals a bit differently.

Look at your new business plan in 4 phases.

1. What would you like to change?
2. What will be the cost of your changes and are there any alternatives that can help you meet the same goals?
3. How can you implement the changes?
4. How can you track your change to make sure you are reaching your goals?

Most of us make "Wish Lists", I wish I could have more income or I wish I could sell more, I wish I could find more clients, I wish my website had more visitors.

Business is about planning and it is about implementation. If you have to recognize what needs changed and them how to create those changes. Of course we all know there is a cost so a budget has to be reviewed and adjusted on the fly.

But without tracking we have no chance of reaching our goals. Everyone tells you write your goals down. I always laughed because I could not possibly consider using a computer or yellow tablet to create anything! This is important, your business plan can mean the difference in being in business or saying I used to be a Real Estate Agent or Broker.

Analyze your presentations if you are not getting enough listing and sellers are choosing someone else. The truth is you have to be pretty bad at presentation when you know the statistics if you don't get 74% of all your presentations to say yes. Why? Nationally 74% of all sellers sign a listing agreement with the first agent they talk too! So your presentations probably are not the issue. The issue is being asked or you contacting the seller first through your referral network. Oh you don't have a referral network providing leads. Now that may be one of your goals. You get the picture.

Implementation is an area where many agents have best intentions. Like people that get a gym membership and kill themselves in the gym for the four weeks then taper off until the gym is a memory of something they should do. Implementation of business plans have the same effect. They require work and persistence to pay off.

This is where measuring your goals weekly will keep you on track. I know it is a pain...but it will keep you on task and you will know your success and failures in keeping your goals. This will also tell you exactly where to consolidate your efforts. If your current prospecting methods are not working use a new one. Don't change every week. Track your efforts and see if you are having calls, contacts or referrals being generated and where from. Use emails, blow off that list of solds and update it with a mailing and offer a free "Something" in your mailing that makes them go to your website. A gift card, a poison control guide, a discount from a pest control company.

We miss the mark because we can help other businesses help us reach our goals! The pest control company can give your clients a discount through your efforts. So if you approach a pest control company and offer to help them get more customers if they offer your clients a 10 or 15% discount would they do it? You get referrals they get customers...you both win! How many services can you think of the may market with you for leads?

Track, track and track again your efforts. You adjust and use what works and change what isn't.

Have a great 2012 Real Estate Sale Year!