Max VanNatter

Many years ago while working undercover as a narcotics Police Officer I was given the opportunity for a promotion that would have provided me with the additional income my young family needed so badly.

My Lieutenant asked me to provide him some information on a particular neighborhood that I had worked for many years. I knew all the important facts about the neighborhood, or at least I thought I did. I quickly went to work and the next day I provided him the report.

One week later it was announced that another officer would be given the position that I so desperately wanted and needed. I was mad enough to quit but rather than do so I went to my Lieutenant. I demanded an explanation and argued that the other person who was given the promotion wasn't nearly as qualified to run a unit as I was.

The cool and collected Lieutenant handed me a report, similar to mine, but prepared and written by the officer who was given the promotion. As I read the report I was amazed at the attention to detail given by this officer. Admittedly, my report looked like child's play in comparison.

I'll never forget the lesson learned from that experience. If I'm to "win", I must always be on my game. I can never take my experience for granted nor can I take the competition too lightly. Had I put more time and effort into that report, nothing would have stopped me from gaining what I was seeking. In a line, if I'm not clearly winning then somebody else is.

Those of us that are to achieve our goals for 2012 must regularly, daily, remind ourselves of what we want to achieve this year. There's not a year ahead of us, nor are there 11 1/2 remaining months. There are 342 days to go. Each day should be approached with the mindset that "today is the day to make my dreams come true". Take a hard look at what other successful agents are doing. If you haven't prepared a detailed business plan yet then do so now. It's not too late and it will help keep you on task each and every day, for the remainder of what should be a fantastic year. Never put off tomorrow what can and should be accomplished today.

When I was a kid I could never get enough Star Wars into my system. I think I've watched the original trilogy hundreds of times. I dreamed of one day becoming a Jedi and of wielding a light saber just as Luke Skywalker did.

And then I grew up.. at least a little. Betweeen High School, girls, College, girls, Marriage and kids, life happened. This past week I had the opportunity to watch one of the old Star Wars classics with my kids. All along doodling with some notes and plans I was making for the New Year. What are my new goals, how will I achieve them, what are the obstacles to overcome, who or what is standing in my way?

About this time the famous "swamp scene comes on". Yoda tells Luke to use the force to lift the ship out of the swamp. Luke essentially says that he'll try. Yoda retorts, “Do or do not... there is no try.”

As corny as it may seem to quote from an old Star Wars movie I admit I was totally moved by the statement. Do or do not... there is no try. It was at this time that I was reminded that the only obstacles that stand in our way are the walls we build around us. My goal for 2012 is to simply and emphatically do without excuse or apology.

We will certainly all encounter our challenges in 2012. They may have already started to surface. When they do, push through them realizing that you are smart enough, strong enough, and determined enough to reach your goals. I truly wish each and everyone of you the greatest success this new year.

Happy New Year

I know I know. You might be thinking that I have lost my mind. After all, economists are saying we’re in for another bad year. Is it possible for you to overcome all odds and find success in these trying times?

My grandpa VanNatter died when I was eight years old. To date, it is the most difficult death I have ever dealt with. My grandpa lived just a few homes down from me when I was a young boy and just about every day I spent a few hours with him as he’d build bird houses, carve apples, feed the chickens, and use me to clean the gutters on his house.

My grandpa loved peppermint candy and each year around Christmas time he’d have a huge peppermint stick. It seemed to me it was 3” in diameter and a foot long. He’d use his Buck knife to carve pieces of it off for us.

One day while grandpa wasn’t around I decided to take the whole stick home with me and hide it under my bed. I didn’t sleep well that night. The next day after school grandpa asked me if I had seen his peppermint stick. I couldn’t lie but I just couldn’t admit that I had stolen from him. I just sat there and cried. He then said, “Maxie, why don’t you got get us that peppermint stick”.

I remember running home with tears in my eyes, hoping all along that my mom wouldn’t see me and ask what the matter was. I quickly ran back to grandpa and returned him the peppermint stick. I told him I was sorry. I’ll never forget his response “little Maxie, I love you no matter what”. Now being a bit of a Bible thumper he wasn’t quite finished with me yet. He had me crawl up next to him in his lazy boy chair and then began to share with me, as he often did, his favorite bible stories. Somewhere in there he taught me that I needed to make decisions based on my core beliefs. He taught me that everything I do in life should be a reflection of the things that are most important to me. He taught me to look inward and to ask “why”.

The main difference today between organizations that succeed and fail is there approach to their customers. Most organizations work opposite of how they should. They first identify what their product is, they then work on figuring out how it fits into the market, and then maybe, just maybe, they identify why it exists.

Apple is different and I’ll use them as an example as they’re known by virtually everyone as a very successful organization. Apple starts with the “why” or “purpose” in mind. I’m not talking about profits either. They are passionate about the experiences their customers should be having with technology and they develop technology around that belief. They are focused on how their customers feel about their experience with them.

I would suggest that as we build our business plans and strategies for 2012 that we forget for a moment the “what” and “how” of our product. Focus on “why” you do what you do. What is it that you love about your profession and the people you serve? Once you identify these things then you can start to build your “how’s” and “what’s” around these passions. Following this method will not only separate you from your competitors, but it will help you to build a sustainable and therefore successful business plan.

I wish you the best of success as we prepare to move into another year. I hope that 2012 will be your best year ever.

Two years ago for Christmas we thought it would be a great lesson to our children if rather then indulge ourselves in Christmas gifts that we "adopt" a family and give our entire Christmas to a less fortunate family.

Knowing that giving up Christmas gifts would be a challenge for everyone (especially me) we sat the kids down and taught them a biblical lesson on love, charity, and of taking care of the poor and needy. We thought we had struck a grand-slam when one of the older kids who could perceive where this lesson was going said, "We could give up our Christmas gifts to a family in need". Acting as if this wasn't a planned event my wife said, "That's a great idea. Is that something you all want to do? If we're going to do this we need to do it as a family, all in". We were delighted when all the kids seemed to leap for joy as they each said they wanted to do it.

It wasn't until the next day that the kids started thinking extra hard about their decision. Our then 6-year old said, "Dad, does this really mean that I'm not going to get any gifts for Christmas?". Trying to stay true to the Christmas message I responded, "Of course not, you'll get the greatest gift of all, the gift of giving. You will remember this Christmas for the rest of your life. You will know that you freely gave up your Christmas gifts to a family that has needs far greater than ours". I also knew that it would force my wife and I into focusing our attention on the true meaning of Christmas. If we failed in this effort we would probably do more harm than good.

I knew this was hard for him but I let him walk away to have some time to himself. I could tell it was taking every bit of strength he had to keep from crying. He wanted to do the right thing but he could hardly handle missing out on the spirit of receiving. Watching him struggle was almost more than I could handle.

Christmas of 2009 was one to remember. I believe with all my heart that the long-term benefits of the small sacrifices we made will positively impact my family for many years to come.

If we're not careful, we can all find ourselves struggling to make short-term sacrifices that we know will bring long-term success in life and in business. As we work on our business plans for 2012 we need to build in "short-term" sacrifices that will bring long-term success. These sacrifices come in many forms; "putting off the purchase of a new car so that more money can be invested into your marketing plans, committing an hour or two a day to making cold calls, spend the time to really learn how to leverage social media, upgrade your website, and more.

My challenge for 2012 is to get past the immediate short-term satisfaction that comes from doing things that don't bring long-term results. The challenge we have is to do those things that bring real value to our clients.

Great selling out there and Merry Christmas

There was a time, not too many years ago, when we all hoped for the economy to get back to "normal". A time when everyone seemed to be making money, housing could be had for everyone, and creditors would give you anything you asked for. If there's one thing I've learned over the past few years it's this; things will never be the same again.

I just spent a week back in Arizona for Thanksgiving. Going back was a reminder to me of how great we have it in Texas. I was also able to see how "fighters", those with a never give up mentality have been able to not only survive, but have been able to thrive in arguably the worst economy in the nation. It was inspirational to see to say the least. These fighters have not only decided to never give up, but they've also determined that survival requires they seek out and embrace change.

Following are some ideas that will help you embrace tomorrow, today:

1. Train yourself to have a positive attitude. it’s an undeniable fact of business that attitude is the biggest success driver – both internally and externally. Take a moment each day to write down something you’re grateful for.

2. Visit your top 10 prospects. Talk to them about their situation and find out what their plans are for next year. Make a commitment of both time and resources to help make them realize their real estate needs.

3. Get mentally and physically ready to go on the offensive. Budget whatever you can to promote yourself. Invest in the Internet, invest in social media, and invest in your sales skills. Now is the time to put your business money where your business mouth is. Waiting will give your competition a competitive advantage.

4. Exchange cold calling time for business social media time. Make certain that you’re ready to Link, Face, Tweet, and YouTube your way to value and engagement, connecting with existing customers and prospective customers. REALITY: For many, cold calling has become the ultimate, annoying waste of time. Your value offering and value messaging, through all forms of social media, will ultimately create attraction to you from qualified people.

5. Employ manners that your parents taught you, and deploy gratitude internally and externally. Your parents taught you what to say, and I’m challenging you to be grateful for it and share your gratefulness with others. Make certain that your customers know the sincerity of your appreciation for their loyalty and their business.