We’d all like to close $100 million in sales. Sure, you could ask how others do their lead generation. Or how they handle their lead follow-up. But that always leaves a lingering question: “Will I get the same results?” Managing our time is hard enough, right? Now we have to figure out which tasks will get us to $100 million in real estate sales. What everyone battles is staying focused — focusing on the tasks that will create the right results. But easier said than done. This is why I want to explore Keller Williams’ 1-3-5 template for goal setting. It’s not new or *flashy,* but it gets you on the right track. However, this won’t be a Keller Williams praise-fest either. I’m going to provide a few additional tips to managing your time (without sounding like your Mom, if I can) and show which adjustments I might make on the template. For the agents (and readers) not associated with Keller Williams Realty, I’m sure you’re wondering how successful this rule has been. Well, I can say it’s helped propel Keller Williams teams forward, in terms of sales and volume … dramatically. Ben Kinney (a BoomTown client) is one mega agent who uses the 1-3-5 rule. Today, he’s among the Real Trends Top 25 Teams (by sides) nationwide. So, how do people like Ben Kinney start the 1-3-5 rule? They ask themselves a question: “How much money do I want to make?” This usually translates into a number of closings they have to accomplish. For you, the question can be any aspiration. Net income, transactions, better work-life balance — whichever. Choose 1 goal. Now, you brainstorm 3 strategies to achieve your 1 goal. If you need a refresher on real estate strategy, check out this blog post. Good strategy explains how you, faced with competition (or obstacles), will achieve superior performance. Next, build 5 tactics to implement your 3 strategies. If your strategy is to acquire more listings, a tactic could be cold calling leads, contacting FSBOs, or door knocking. Define which actions are needed to carry out the strategy. Use your strategy as a guiding principle to bring your goal closer. WORKSHEET: Download the 1-3-5 goal setting template for yourself. The 1-3-5 rule is designed to aim your activities, so your time is well spent in the field. But having a goal setting template won’t do any good if you’re not holding yourself accountable. It’s like New Year’s resolutions. We all say a resolution, but only a fraction of us actually carry them out (or make it through the whole year). To reach your goals, you need a few things: Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Stephen Cooley, who is among the top 10 Keller Williams teams worldwide. What he tells his real estate agents is “time block, time block, time block.” Often his sales staff can get caught in the stream of handling clients, but they often forget to handle their leads. There needs to be an equal balance. The same goes for goals. Stephen also loves to remark on how real estate is vastly different than it was 20 years ago. Back then, an agent would have to spend their Saturdays showing homebuyers 20-30 different properties. Today, those same homebuyers can do that themselves on the internet, through real estate websites. Now, agents have extra time that they didn’t have 20 years ago. “How do you spend that time? I hope it’s not on Facebook, socializing,” says Stephen. If you run an office or manage a team, there are a few things to keep in mind when setting goals with the 1-3-5 template. See how the Navy Seals set goals for their teams and achieve the highest caliber of their profession. Click Here to Read >> To me, the 1-3-5 rule is a great template for setting an action plan, oriented to reach a goal. But like any other “plan,” it still requires work. Building a habit — forcing yourself to work on the strategies and tactics everyday — is a must. But here’s where people get hung up. The change and randomness to life throws them off-balance. Stuff happens. Things fall apart. Procrastination sets in. Have you ever wondered why people wait till New Year’s to set a resolution? Why wait? You can start anytime. To battle procrastination, focus on your future-self. If you procrastinate today, how does it impact you tomorrow? If you delay the “negative,” they will only pile up until it becomes a bigger challenge. Dealing with change and the random events that befall us often make us afraid. We say people don’t like change, but why? There is the discomfort of being confused or being stressed from the work change might create. But I would argue there’s another feeling — a feeling of failure and weakness. When change happens, it often starts because something previously wasn’t working. People who were a part of those “previous things” defend them because they feel it’s a reflection of them. They feel they failed, that they were weak. But this is a fallacy. Failure is fine. In fact, it’s good. If you’re not failing, it means you’re not trying something new. It’s not challenging. And without challenge, you don’t see new success. The key is to learn from it and adjust your plans. If the strategies to your goal aren’t working out, feel free to change them. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re being cognizant of how to actually see success. People get so hung up on their goal. “It has to be met! It’s set in stone!” No, it doesn’t. It just needs tweaking/adjusting. The key is setting periods for analysis — to gauge if everything is on track and working. Not everything we do is a home-run. Sometimes there are a lot of iterations to success.The 1-3-5 Rule
Preview:
Managing Your Time to Reach Goals
Tips on Setting Goals for Teams
My Notes on the 1-3-5 Rule