WHY You, and WHY Now? from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

Why is getting a vision so important really.  Some would say, “crafting a vision” is so over done.  I would say that if you are not driven, then you won’t live on purpose, and if you don’t live on purpose, then you will not be working a worthy vision, AND here is the kicker, if you are not working to a worthy vision then you are LOST.

Crafting a Vision from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

Enjoy my short video on this, love to hear your comments

Change is hard from Greg Williamson on Vimeo.

There’s a lot of useful info here and particularly like the end of the article which talks about empowering beliefs surrounding income and money:

-I do deserve an abundance of prosperity.
-It’s okay for me to be grateful for what I have and still want more.
-Money is neutral and can be used for good or evil.
-Money can’t buy me happiness, but I can create a better life for myself and people around me by being prosperous.
-Some people are honest and some are not. It has no relationship to whether or not they have money.

For some of us, we don’t give these empowering thoughts much of second guess, perhaps because they’ve become second-nature. But I think most of us can always do better at focusing on these thoughts and the other steps listed in this article, as a means of strengthening our effectiveness within our own spheres of influence.

How do you cater to your sphere of influence. Let me know.

Okay, okay, maybe relationship building  shouldn’t be completely impersonal, but have a read through this recent article and it might make you think more about how you relate to your prospects. Why you might ask? Well, according to the article, it seems that in today’s day and age, business, selling may have significantly more to do with relationship selling - rather than selling your personality.

In other words, worrying about and having your prospects like you may be much less important than establishing a professional relationship which demonstrates that you have a firm grasp on relating to their needs. For instance, some of the best words in the article might be these:

“Don’t fall in love with your prospect, fall in love with the process of learning their business and helping them understand their priorities and initiatives. You know you are too relationship-oriented to a fault when you are unwilling to let go of unqualified prospects with whom you have a great relationship. One question you should always be asking yourself is, if I invest in this relationship what will be my potential return? By the way, your prospects are constantly asking themselves the same question.”

In an age where human interaction is evolving, and technology is literally changing the way we do business on a daily basis, perhaps it’s time to let go of what people think of us and truly focus on relationship selling?

“Today (the nature of selling) has shifted to people buying from people they like, but more importantly, people buying from people they believe understand their business, their problems, their initiatives and their priorities.”

Sure, your own personal flair will likely always be important. Why shouldn’t it be? It’s what makes us unique and what separates us from being a bunch of robots – all doing the exact same thing.

What do you think? Sell the relationship or sell your personality? Let me know your thoughts.

Tungle.me allows people to publish my calendar, but here’s the twist, you can do it with only showing your available times as opposed to all other content.

I have been using Google calendar for many years but unfortunately could only ever use it internally because of the privacy issue.  Now my coaching clients and business associates that need to book time with me, do not have to go through an endless voice mail tag between them and my assistant they can just go to my Tungle link and book it themself.  Check out my link and then ask yourself, why am I not Tungling?

www.tungle.me/gregwilliamson

With that in mind, the art of ‘delegating’ (as it were) is the subject of an article by executive coach, Ian Cook. Have a read through the article and there are some refreshing insights into the seemingly forgotten power of being able to properly delegate.

Let’s face it, for many of us ‘busy’ has taken on a whole new meaning these days. And while a great deal of us want, so ardently, to hold onto every little task, and have control over each and every activity or project – if we’re NOT delegating regularly and effectively, we may actually be hindering our own progress, productivity, growth and success – not to mention others.

I like that the article addresses (or calls out) why we don’t delegate. And I like that it includes tips on how we can not only delegate, but delegate better. I also like Patton’s quote, in the article, that says “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

In an era where employee retention (especially when it comes to keeping the brilliant employees you already have) is a hot-button issue, delegation seems critical. As a manager you shouldn’t be afraid to let your valued employees spread their wings, so to speak. And if you are afraid, perhaps you need to honestly ask yourself why that is. If the answer lies in the ‘lack of effective delegation’ category, then actually embracing the idea of choosing to delegate might help a lot more than you might think.

So give it some thought. Consider how you’re approaching the way you delegate. And if you aren’t delegating at all, it might be just what you need to help you get past the latest hurdle, plateau, or dip you’re experiencing in your career. And if nothing else, it should help you balance your time schedule better AND take away some of the daily stressors which ultimately hinder your ability to perform more effectively anyway.

There are certainly more tips and tricks out there, with regards to delegation, and it’s important to remember to effectively tailor this kind of thinking to your own style.

What do you think? Send me your thoughts.

Admittedly, the article is a bit of a drawn-out commercial for RISMedia (so try and read between the print-o-mercial lines) But I think there is some insight and advice virtually any salesperson, broker or agent can take away and individualize for their own business.

I like the comment from Mark Stark (Las Vegas based Owner and CEO of Prudential Americana Group) about the idea that essentially says the most successful brokers are the ones which build their business plans based on how they can exist and be healthy in today’s environment. Building for the future, and preparing to be successful within it, should always be paramount. But often-times putting the ‘cart before the horse’ can simply set the stage for failure because in order to get to the future – you also need to be able to get out of the starting gate or ride out the storm.

Stark also brings up a point that not necessarily everyone is thinking about enough – and that’s the commercial sector. In Stark’s neck of the woods, he’s predicting the commercial fall-out wave is yet to fully peak or come crashing down. And that has a lot to do with the distractions and concerns already experienced within the residential sector.

Same could be said for Canada (likely minus the large number of foreclosures Stark is forecasting) in the commercial sector. A softening of that market is a reality as companies continue to tighten their purse-strings when it comes to corporate budgets and expenditures.

Later in the article, Ed Krafchow, President & CEO of Prudential California/Nevada talks about the prevalence of  technology in today’s market and as we move into the new year and beyond. The idea of paperless companies and going green is an intriguing reality that’s also changing the way we do business. And the idea of ‘going green’ now – or at least getting a handle on entertaining the idea and taking some steps to plan and realize how that will shape-out in your organization – will allow for better transition in the future, when going-green becomes more mainstream.

Best of Season & Happy Holidays.

Many of us who are new to the sales game often struggle with how best to approach clients, sell our services and get our ‘collective feet’ in the door. And sometimes even the most veteran leaders can (and often will) look for new, innovative, ways of finding an un-common solution to a common problem.

And this article touches on doing just that. Instead of strictly focusing on the goal of feeling like you need to, quote, “manipulate the client into buying something,” effective entrepreneurs should “approach clients with an attitude of giving – not taking.”

To some, this is an obvious point. But if you really start thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense. So often we’re driven by the end result of closure, the big pay-out, or we’re going to come on too strong and scare away our potential leads and clients by trying to merely make the sale.

I like the questions posed at the end of the article as well. Again, for some this might be “Marketing 101,” I get that, but I know for a fact there are a lot of you out there who will perform significantly better, close more deals and experience a lot more success by thinking about and answering those questions.

It’s amazing how often the sales business is reciprocal, in that if you give a great deal of yourself, chances are you’ll get just as much, if not more, in return. There’s a saying that goes, “to whom much is given, much is required.” And I think that also works both ways. When you give a lot of yourself, I suspect you’ll find that your clients will feel required to give back to you – the salesperson.

Don’t strictly sell your clients or customers. Provide them with a service they need. And feel good about doing it.

Thoughts? Send me your comments

There’s definitely some merit in finding new, innovative, solutions. The real estate game is evolving – and future success will now be dependent on finding a balance between traditional client-servicing and contemporary client-care.

By this I mean face-to-face meetings, follow-up phone-calls, and some of those ‘old-school’ ways of finessing the client are just as important today as they were 10, 20, 30 years ago.

Meantime, things like media, new media, technological advancements, and how generation-X and generation-Y actually access these evolving mediums, are changing the way we do business. And understanding and staying on top of these trends and changes is critical to being able to provide a better service to clients.

I like the idea which centers around the notion that ‘what you focus on increases.’ So similar to my previous entry on Mr. Trump’s article about consciously choosing to avoid focusing on fear, this article brings attention to the idea that focusing on your ideal client, and how that feels, is critical towards feeling more comfortable, confident and fulfilled when it comes to your passion – in this case, your business and your work.

Send me your thoughts. Drop me a line.