Bruce & Kelly Domaille - Rochester MN Real Estate

Think quick. Off the top of your head, how many questions could you ask where you would possibly get a completely different response each week ? (Those of us with teenagers would easily say hundreds!) That may very well be where we are at in the current Real Estate market.

Now I know some of you are wondering how the outlook on this industry could change so often. I believe there are a few major factors which play into the direction this industry is heading which can't be controlled (or even accurately guessed at) by any one person or group of people.

Let's just take a quick look at our area and not the Country as a whole. It is true that home sales have inched up over the past 12+ months compared to the previous time frame. It is also true that inventory of current homes WHICH ARE NOT DISTRESSED have gone down. Mortgage rates are and have been at their historical low point and homes are more affordable now than ever before (only 15% of the family budget compared to 36% in 1981)!

This is all great news and may look like it's signaling a turnaround in the local Real Estate market. But hold on. These are just CHANGES in the market. When industries start to see significant changes, they become indicators of that market, not signs that it is stabilizing. When these major changes start to happen, they churn up a lot of instability and no one can be sure where it's going to shake out.

Luckily for us we are blessed with a handful of large medical and technical industry giants in our area which are on the rebound and making great growth strides as we speak. This will help create stability sooner than later in our local market.

I thought I'd take some time away from work today and play some golf. A sport I love and really the only thing that gets me away from working. I play a lot, so today wasn't a "Special" day by any means. I would play regardless of who I am playing with, the weather conditions or how well I was playing. I make it a point to calendar this golf time every week and not let anything get in the way of "my time on the golf course". (We live in Minnesota, so our season is limited, we're getting snow and cold weather early this year and I have no other interests in the winter so I work all the time)

I don't quit playing for any reason because I love to play. Except for today. I walked off (for the first time) after only six holes. Not mad. Frustrated. I didn't want to be on the course. My game has been great until the last week, then it's like I have never held a club. Golfers know what I am talking about and would say it happens to everyone. I agree as it has happened many times to me. But I always kept playing. Always. But not today.

I lost my drive and ambition for the game today. You expect some satisfaction from what you are doing. Today there was none. Today is the nicest day in the last three weeks, and probably will be for the rest of the winter. I don't care. I just wanted to get off the course. Nothing I did helped. I got mad. I was frustrated. I laughed and joked with my buddies. I messed with my swing. I did all the mental exercises I could to get me out of this 'funk'. It didn't work.

So what do I have to share with you from this experience as I am sitting inside looking out at this beautiful day watching my buddies continue to golf and have a great time? I'm not sure, other than sometimes it's okay to quit. Sometimes it's okay to take yourself out of the moment (or off the golf course) if you really don't have your heart into your work or play.

Think back at how productive you really are when your heart is not in your work or play. When you lack drive and ambition and would rather be anywhere else than where you are, doesn't it make good sense to just back off for a while and regroup? Your attitude has a direct correlation to your productivity. Many times, even if you know you can't quit and try to trudge through your task with the best intentions of falsely changing your attitude to make you more productive, you fail.

I don't claim to know how to win back this lost drive and ambition. I just know that sometimes, it's gone for no known reason. Try as you may, it's not there and isn't coming back. This is the time I would change direction. Do something else and get your mind off the task at hand (even if it means missing out on the best day in the next six months!). It helps, believe me.

I'll be golfing again. This isn't a permanent loss of drive and ambition, just a 'funk'. Kind of like the 'yips' when you putt. Time seems to be your enemy. Don't let it be. Just go do something else.

New Years reSolutions are, at best, a yearly exercise in futility and frustration. Requiring discipline, willpower and determination, these reSolutions are implications that you need to improve, fix or repair something that's broke or not complete. These requirements are not exactly energizing words and enthusiasm soon goes away to continue these reSolutions.

You need to set New Years ReVolutions...actions that lead to results. Goal setting as you've never done it before. Just like your business, you need goals and you need a plan to get these. You need to take ownership of these ReVolutions. They will be personal and more focused. They will inspire you to continue them instead of dragging you down and making you feel like you need to consistently be disciplined to get them done. ReVolutions vs. reSolutions...you chose!

To see more in-depth information concerning these ReVolutions, please click on the link below...

http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-12-28/transform-your-business-with-2009-new-years-revolutions/

Your USP/UVP. Yep, your Unique Selling Proposition/Unique Value Proposition. (I like "Value" better)

Do you have one? 95% of you don't. Do you know what one is? Chances are you don't. Don't worry. It's easy (and essential) to develop one.

Why do you need it? Because your clients need to know, in a short, concise verbalization, what you can offer them. That's right. What you can offer them. Not how good you are or that you're #1 (#1 in WHAT?!?), but what they get out of hiring you versus the sea of other Realtors out there. Why are you different?

The problem is that most Realtors have never sat down and asked themselves some important questions:

· What distinguishes my company or business from my competitors?

· Do my homes sell faster? For more money?

· Do my buyers save money or time?

· Am I more expensive, less expensive?

· Do I have a better system to attract customers?

· Am I more aggressive in my marketing programs and strategies?

· Do I give better value? A better guarantee? Make it easier to do business with me?

When you can answer these questions, you are ready to begin developing your UVP. As you put it together, make sure you are covering the following criteria: Be Unique, specific, relevant, believable, focused and concise.

Until you can convince yourself why you would work with you and can verbalize it quickly, you can't start convincing others to work with you. It's that simple.

Start now. It's not an overnight process. Send me what you have, and I'll let you know what I think. We'll get there. Just remember it takes time.

I have a question...

Where are the best people found? Before I dive in more, I will tell you that this will end up being one half blog and one half inquiry.

I am currently looking to expand our 5 person Team, needing both a Buyers Specialist and an Administrative Assistant. Where is the best place to look for talented people? There are too many "lookers" out there who don't and will never meet the criteria of the high achievers we are looking for, so how do I not waste my time?

I don't believe I'm looking for a diamond-in-the-rough. I believe there are many hard-working, loyal, self-motivated people who are always looking for an opportunity of a lifetime. I know if you have gotten this far reading this, then you have gone through, or are going through, the same thing I am.

We need to help each other to build our Teams and its success. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know, as I'm sure there are many people out there who are looking for the same thing I am...qualified, talented, people-oriented, self-motivated people to share in the future success of an already successful Team.

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