Tyler, TX

We have all heard about the Seven Wonders of the World. Can you name them? Today there are so many things that the discussion gets wide open very quick. I have way more than seven and they cross over from ancient to modern and even man made. I will give you my top seven and then move on to what I consider the seven wonders of the business world.

The Great Pyramids in Egypt.

The Great Wall of China.

The Grand Canyon

The Internet

The Dead Sea

The Rain Forest

The Northern Lights

I know I left out some of your favorites, but I did say I had a lot more than seven but these are my top seven. In business I also believe that there are seven wonders of successful business people. Yes there are more but if you key on just these seven you will be great in everything you do in business and in life. Each one can be expanded to encompass even more areas.

Integrity- Be honest and trustworthy in all your dealings!

Customer First- Put the customer's needs above yours, always!

Do It- If you said you would do it, then get it done.

Innovate- Get out there on the leading edge and be creative.

Chose a Mentor- Find someone who will be honest and critical of you.

Give Back- Volunteer and get involved in your community.

Listen and Learn- Always try to learn something new and listen to the market and your customers. The business man who listens has an edge on the competition and you always need to be educating yourself so you can keep your customers and employees up to date on the market and the product you sell. If you think you've heard or learned it all, I have one more lesson for you. Failure!

Don't get me wrong there are many more things that can make a business succeed, but they generally come from the foundation of these seven things. If you can make the seven things above into habits you will be amazed at the success your company can and will have.

Written By: Terry Miller

"The difference between good and great can barely be measured. But, it most definitely can be seen!"

~ Terry Miller

A winners pledge!

Let us all aspire to be great in our chosen markets. Let the competition and the customers see what a winner is. No more licking our wounds and whining, just good positive business plans. I will be better prepared and educated than my competition every day. I will be here for you and you will be there for me. Together we are invincible.

Join me on the road to the top!

Terry Miller http://yournowwhat.com

"If it's not fun, I'm not going to do it"

~Terry Miller

I am assuming that if your reading this you are in the real estate business and it's because that's what you chose to do. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be to figure out what your passion in life is and figure out how to succeed financially at it. I absolutely love having a real estate business and think motivating and training new Realtors is some of the most fun anyone can have. I feel rewarded everyday that I can help someone improve their business. A Golf pro once told me to put my golf clubs in the closet at home for one month. I ask "why would I do that"? He simply said "if you don't miss them, then quit the game". You see I wasn't having any fun playing the game and it showed. The entire next lesson was spent talking about why I started playing to begin with. Then he said why I took it so serious when I would never be able to turn pro. Man did that hurt. Then, I started to smile and explained that I had taken up the game to relax and as my handicap dropped I got focused on being the best I could be. At the time I was carrying a four to an eight handicap depending on how much money that was on the line. (Golfers understand that statement). I always played for something be it money, dinner or whatever could be wagered that made sense. Even with my children we played for a soda or something. He simply asks me "WHY"? Then it dawned on me, that I was actually creating stress and tension in a game I really love. My next two lessons were playing lessons on the course just for fun and from that moment on I play for fun or the smallest of wagers. I still break par every now and then but to be honest I could care less. For me it's about having a good time with good people.

Simply put if you don't have a passion for what you're doing, stop doing it and find your passion.

When is the last time you got your hands dirty? I mean literally dirty? I had an occasion to witness something and carry the experience with me to this day. I did a transaction with an agent one time that had a buyer that loved rose bushes. Her closing gift was 3 very nice rose bushes. After closing when most agents are running to the bank to get the cash, this agent went to the couples new home and took out a pair of cotton gloves and a small hand spade as well as a bag of miracle grow potting soil. And guess what? Yes, you knew it, she helped the customer plant those rose bushes around their new home. I was there because I was picking up my sign and lock box and witnessed the entire thing first hand. To say I was impressed would be a great understatement. I learned something about customer service that day and it always serves me well. While the "Miller Team" has been the #1 listing team for awhile, I still get the most joy from seeing that buyer get that set of keys at closing. To me their joy and happiness is exactly what it's all about. Since the day with the rose bushes I have personally installed several faucets for some of our single mothers we have as clients and of course friends. The "Miller Team" has painted, mowed, hauled and installed or just about anything you can do to help a new home buyer or seller for that matter and we enjoy every minute of it. To put it as simple as possible, "service after the sale" means "SALE AFTER THE SERVICE". Not to mention the referrals and life long friendships that are irreplaceable. If you make your business about your customers and their wants and needs you will be surprised by the rewards you will reap. Set out today and everyday to help someone and watch what happens with your business.

One thing that you as a business person should always focus on is other services or products that you can offer your customers. You see there are front end types of products that get you started or "introduced" to your customer. Well, "NOW WHAT?" Of course you will email them and talk to them but are there other services or products you could provide them with that you could profit on? This is called backend sales and can be more profitable than the first or "front end" sale in some cases. For example, on more than one occasion we have sold homes to executives that were coming into our market to take over a business and expand or grow it. During the home buying process it was learned that they would be looking for commercial space in the area for expansion. In every case they had commercial Realtors helping them but giving them terrible service. We would begin to send them commercial properties in their email. You guessed it; we sold them a home and a building. Guess which one paid the best? Yes, the building of course. If you have an investor buying up property you might ask that investor who will manage the properties for them? He might not have thought of all the prate falls involved in property management.

The thing most Realtors fail to realize is that our customers are like us. They simply want good service they can understand. They don't want or need several Realtors in their life when one can handle it. Pay close attention and be that one.