Are You All In
Catch all the groundbreaking insights of Brian Buffini’s Mid-Year Bold Predictions 2024 , now available on-demand. Has there ever been a more complex time in the real estate industry? Brian gives you theinside scoop on what’s taking place behind the numbers. Watch now.
If you’re familiar with poker or another betting card game, you’ve heard the phrase, “All In.”
When players go All In, they push all of their chips to the center of the table, confident in their skill and knowledge of the game that they have a winning hand. They’re not playing to play; they’re playing to win!
This strategy also translates to life. Your chips are the resources you’ve been given; your skills, energy, knowledge, etc. The playing cards are your situation. Although you may want better cards, you have to play the hand you’re dealt and bet accordingly. You could look at the cards you’ve been dealt, throw a chip or two into the center of the table and live your life just going through the motions. Or, you could go All In and give all that you have to people, projects and goals in all areas of your life.
A winning hand isn’t guaranteed. I came to America from Ireland with $92 in my pocket during the 1980s. A motorcycle accident left me with overwhelming medical debts. What’s a guy who’s new to the country and has crippling debt to do? Go into real estate, of course!
I worked hard and was diligent, and within three years, I was one of the top REALTORS® in America. How did I do it? I went All In and put everything I had into building my business from scratch. Soon, this attitude spread to other areas of my life, including my relationships and my health.
What about your life? Are you ready to reach your potential and achieve success?
Follow these three tips for being All In.
1. Be all in as a leader.
Many leaders ask the world of their teams, but don’t ask it of themselves. It’s not fair to ask your team to be committed to your vision and business if you’re not. To be an effective leader, it’s important to lead by example and model the behavior you expect from others. This means:
- Maintain a positive attitude
- Build relationships with your clients
- Nurture your relationships with your team
- Commit to the Work by Referral System
- Set and achieve goals
- Commit to growth and development
- Encourage and provide guidance to your team
- Become a mentor
When your team sees that you’re living your commitment to your values and expectations, they’ll commit as well.
Leadership doesn’t end at the office; you can be a leader at home, in your church, in your hobbies and in your volunteer activities. When you’re All In, in each of these areas, you’ll reach your potential and encourage others to do the same.
If you want to become a great leader, you have to be all in.”
2. Be all in on your goals.
January is an optimistic time of year for setting goals. If you’ve set goals only to forget about them a few months later, you’re not alone. If you’ve ever set a goal to get in shape, try to find a free treadmill at the gym in January or February. By March, most people have lost the motivation to sweat for thirty minutes a few times a week, and there are empty treadmills as far as the eye can see.
While the initial surge of motivation that we feel when we set a goal is enough to keep us on track for the first week or two, it’s not enough to sustain us over the long haul. As a result, we lose focus, forget about the goal and our lives remain unchanged.
What’s the secret to achieving your goals? You have to be All In and commit to making the changes and sacrifices necessary for success. You should also create a plan:
- Write down short-, mid- and long-term goals
- Post your goals where you can see them every day
- Track your activities
- Assess your progress from time to time
- Celebrate
These steps hold you accountable to the goals you’ve set, and make you more likely to achieve them.
Achieving your goals boils down to doing the little activities that bring you closer to your goals, consistently and faithfully, each and every day.”
When you’re All In, the pursuit of your goal becomes a habit. Over time, the activities that help you achieve your goal—daily lead-generation, early morning runs, saving a percentage of your income—become automatic. You don’t have to jot them down on your to-do list each day; they become part of your subconscious. In fact, not doing them begins to feel strange.
Achieving your goals boils down to doing the little activities that bring you closer to them, consistently and faithfully—each and every day. It’s easy to brush the activities aside, especially when you’re busy. How often have you put off lead generating activities because something else popped up? Or, picked up fast food for dinner because you’re too exhausted to cook a healthy, nourishing meal? Or, went on a shopping spree when you received your last commission check instead of putting a percentage in your savings account? It’s easy to get off track. However, when you’re All In, you’re willing to do what it takes to reach your goals, no matter what.
3. Be all in with your relationships.
The relationships you build with your clients are vital to your business. However, it’s all too easy to lose touch with our clients after the transaction has closed.
Ask a homeowner for the name of their real estate agent, and most of them can’t think of it. Why is that? Most agents don’t keep in touch after the sale has closed. One of the biggest complaints buyers and sellers have is that their agents didn’t stay in contact. Unfortunately, most agents think that once the ink is dry, their job is done. In reality, the relationship with the client has just begun.
The home sale provides an opportunity to show off your knowledge of the local real estate market and skills as an agent; staying in touch with your clients provides the opportunity to become a trusted advisor.
Being All In includes finding ways to serve your clients long after the transaction has closed:
- Be consistent with your marketing
- Find a need to fill
- Connect your clients with trusted professionals in your network
- Listen
- Pay attention to what’s not said
- Watch your words and body language
These things not only show your clients that you care, they’re also essential for building the foundations of strong relationships.
Relationships are important to your success and overall well-being, so don’t forget about being All In in your personal relationships, too. How often do your personal relationships suffer when you’re busy at work or stressed out? You may not think you have the time to spend talking to, or being with, your loved ones when you’re stressed with work. However, the less attention you give to them, the more the relationship suffers.
Being All In in your personal relationships means making the most of the time you spend together, whether it’s catching up for a few minutes at breakfast or taking a weekend road trip. This means:
- Listen
- Silence your phone or tablet when you’re together
- Schedule time for vacations and holidays
- Show support
- Be present
- Tell them how you feel
- Are you ready to be all in?
Imagine for a minute what your life would look like if you were All In; if you gave everything you had to each area of your life. Don’t cheat yourself of your potential by throwing just a few chips on the table; go All In and you’ll not only become a great leader, you’ll also live the good life!
Brian
