Was 2020 a one-hit wonder a one-off experience or was 2020 a foundational change in how you run your business, laying a foundation for growth in 201234? That's what i'm covering today on the tom ferry show. So that really is the question. A lot of people had extraordinary years in 2020 in a year that, if we reflected back to caught the second or third week of march, when a lot of people thought omg, what am i going to do with myself? I can't sell homes anymore and yet we're seeing agents that have succeeded at levels that many of us never dreamed possible because we laid the right foundation. We did the right things.

We innovated we adapted we pivoted and because of that, we helped a lot of people buy and sell real estate and made a fortune in the process. I go back to the question, though, as i'm consulting and talking to ceos and team leaders and individual agents and brand new agents that had phenomenal years, and i keep saying, was it a one-hit wonder you know those those singer songwriters that write that one song and That's all they did, or was this a foundational growing year for you, i've got two outcomes for today's show. I want to talk to you about first getting clear around what worked in the five most important areas of your business, so we'll discuss that and number two. I want to give you a simple way to really commit to 2021, to focus yourself and speed up your growth to make sure that next year is bananas for you we're going to cover it all relatively quickly.

So, let's jump right in the first thing i wrote down is: have you taken the time to really assess and analyze and at least start to write out what were all the plays? I ran in 2021 that worked. What were all the things i did think about it like when you couldn't do open houses anymore, and you were suddenly going virtual as an example or hey. I can't go face to face safely to go on a listing appointment or a buyer consultation. So i went virtual through zoom and others you and i we made changes fundamentally in how we were operating in our business and i want you to just stop and reflect and i'll ask you a bunch of questions.

But i really want you to think about in the five key areas of your business, which is your brand, your referrals, your non-sphere non-referral business, your schedule and scaling you, your you know highest and best use and ultimately going on presentations. What were the changes that you made that we want to cement and make sure that they are foundational changes for us going forward into 2021, 2, 3 and 4.? So, let's start with the first one i wrote down under branding, which we both know is so important. Today, with the noise in the marketplace and so many different models, and so many different companies, you know publicly traded companies privately held companies, brokerages portals and more all, chasing after trust with your database. What did you do to put your brand on steroids in 2020.? I want you to stop not right now, but i want you to write it out and say: okay, i finally started my show.

I got a little more aggressive on instagram. I started doing more stories. I published more videos on youtube. I did more direct mail.

I finally started my email newsletter. I want you to list out and really get present to all the things you did now. What's going to happen as you're doing this is you're going to list out the things you did, that created more trust, but you're also going to automatically go. Oh, i forgot to do this and i should do that and that's okay acknowledge what you did that worked to make sure we cement it going forward and then make up the list of all the new things you want to add in that category, to dominate even More in 2021, so the first one is: how did you put your brand on steroids and you know get your way through all the noise.

Remember the potato chip aisle example. I would give all the time you know you're you're sent to go to the grocery store. You haven't bought potato chips in a decade and your spouse says: go get chips and you show up on that aisle and there's just 75 different options of potato chips. How do you make the right selection? That's the thing, the same issue that consumers deal with every day when it comes to selecting the ideal agent.

So what did you do to have your bag of chips? You, your services, stand out on steroids, stay top of mind. That's the first question number two is: what did you do to amplify more referrals and direct transactions from your database? The thing i wrote down is: what did you do specifically that created trust that kept you top of mind again, email, sms texting videos? Did you do free seminars? Did you educate people? What did you do with your sphere to optimize referral opportunities in 2020 and get direct transactions from your spear, specifically in 2020, that we want to carry forward into 2021. now? I know right now, if you're watching this on your phone you're like okay, i probably need a pen right now. Yes, this is a coaching moment.

I really want you to cement what works, so you can build on it in 2021 because we both know next year. We're gon na get into a minute everybody's predicting a really similar experience in terms of the velocity of sales and transactions and the speed of which it's going to happen. So, if you're not clear on what worked in the two most basic areas of your brand and your referrals, you're already in trouble, so take the time number three: is your non-sphere lead generation? So this is the people outside of your sphere of influence. So i wrote down it's open houses, it's your geographic farm.

It's buying online leads, it's expired listings, it's whatever you choose to do! That's outside of your sphere! The question i wrote down is what sources really worked for you? How did you operationalize them? How did you make them a part of the way that you do business? I i go back to like may in june, when, as a company, we were saying to people you got to pivot and you got to find the people that are stuck at home that want to buy and sell real estate. But it's no longer safe for them to go out and just go preview houses. So instead what did we do? We started doing seminars to educate people, thinking about selling your home. Here's seven mistakes to avoid or another example, was how to buy your first home or how to buy your investment home or how to buy a home with a va loan.

And so many people embraced this new methodology. And you know what it worked and it continues to work. I really want you to get present too. What were the non-sphere marketing lead generation activities that worked for you in 2020, and how do we make sure that in 2021 you goose them even more? You juice them even more.

You do even more, i think i've ever said goosem ever on a tom ferry show, i'm not even sure if i know what that means, but you know what i'm saying: how do we give it more more more more so you help more clients next year. Now that's number three number four is a big one, think about schedule, time, management and ultimately scaling yourself as one of the five most important fundamental principles of success. So my question for you is when you reflect back from call it middle of march to today what worked and what didn't with your schedule? Where did you find constraints in time right? Where did you get stuck when i think of the the number of single moms or single dads that i spoke to via text, or you know my you know, cell phone community or email or facebook or just you know, hey, can i can i talk coach that We're like how do i navigate this? I've got kids at home they're going to school. I got a spouse, that's out of a job.

I'm now really focused on. How do i sell a lot of houses and i got to get the kids and and and and i was like, breathe - let's talk about schedule and time management, let's talk about scaling yourself and i'm so impressed by the resiliency that i saw in so many, and I want to say it again: the resiliency, you know the ability to continue to move forward after you get punched in the face by another obstacle resiliency. What did you do that worked with your schedule in 2020 and on the flip side? What did you do that? Didn't work get honest with yourself about this, so you don't bring in that baggage into 2021. But again the second question i wrote down is: where did you get stuck on time constraints? Where did you get stuck on time constraints that that really stopped you from having the joy and the happiness and the fun and the sales and the performance and the results? I had this conversation with one of my clients today mandy and she we're chatting about how impressed i am with the fact that she's moved from this.

Like you know, i could either be a really successful agent or i could be a super great mom and instead she can do both and it's living in that world of this, and that - and i said to her - you know if you just say to yourself: i'm Going to be a great agent, a great mom, a great spouse, a great friend, a great athlete, a great i'm going to do it all great wealth and and and and and then you simply put it in your schedule and execute against it. She was like that's the whole key to everything right. What did you learn about your schedule? Where did you get stuck in constraints time? Where did you blame resources as an example? We don't want to do that going into 2021.. The third question i wrote down, which we could do an entire show on, which is just how did you scale yourself to move closer to habu habu, never said before on the tom ferry show, which is highest and best use right, used to call it hbud highest And best use of your time, how did you scale yourself? How did you trade, maybe resources, time shekels for more time to go? Do the things that you wanted to do to build your business to be with your family? Do the things you wanted to do and not get bogged down in all the minutia? This whole issue of time and schedule, especially as we look at what's happening around the world today, where in many cases we're we're locked down again and now people are like.

Okay, i'm back inside the house. What worked last time can i do it again? It's the same mindset in this case. I want you to think about what were the great lessons you got and then what are you going to do in 2021 to optimize your time? Tick: tock, tick, tock. We all got the same.

You know 24, 7 365., how you going to use it now, the last one number five and i know i've, given you a lot to think about here, number five is: i want you to think about. How did you up your skills and your presentations in 2020? I mean think about it. You went from an environment where you could show up and hang out with somebody at their house and really snuggle up. Ask a bunch of questions.

You know show your stuff how you do it. This is my presentation. Papa to now many of us. We were forced into the digital transformation not only of our home life, but our work life.

Where, suddenly, i had to become really good at helping people get on zoom open up a link, make a presentation adding in all these things, to show them everything visually, because i couldn't see them face to face anymore. Have you really thought about how much you've improved in this area? Have you thought about how you were able to pivot and adjust? But the question i want to know is: what were the lessons from that and what are you going to carry forward into 2021 as we're sitting in a very similar situation? Just we know a little more about it and the vaccine is coming right, so so think about it. Those five areas and what i really want to stress to you and i know as you're, watching this on a tuesday or wednesday that there's so much happening in life and there's so many things to celebrate. In the midst of all the tragedy and in the midst of all the triumph, i just want you to stop and say: 2020 was not an anomaly for me.

It was the beginning of something great, i'm not a hit wonder. I had a huge lift in my business, but you know what i did it by design not by default and here's the things i'm going to carry forward into 2021 to make sure that that is the truth. So that's what i wrote down. I want you to stop and i want you to write down everything.

You learned everything you did right and the stuff you want to do more of in 2021. Promise me you'll do that now. The last part i want to talk about is just going forward. What can you expect? I'm being asked this question all the time we do it on this weekend, housing.

So every expert i've talked to - and i am very blessed to talk to a lot of amazing, remarkable people in this space. Everyone says the same: three things: low interest rates, high demand shortage of inventory, low rates, high demand shortage of inventory, so i wrote down. Could you imagine what happens tristan? Imagine what happens when people get vaccinated. Interest rates are low.

I think demand is going to go even more through the roof and the shortage of inventory is going to be squeezed to even tighter levels. So my question for you is: what are your top three goals for 2021? What are you putting your energy and focus and concentration? What problem are you trying to solve? Think about it? I wrote down for you. My advice is no more than three goals in 2021, no more than three primary goals with a bunch of sub things that you want to accomplish in projects and all the things below all that. But three primary goals that you're going to put your concentration on.

And i wrote down the key is to set the right goals, so i wrote down three things that you might want to consider now. There's a hundred goals you could have, but listen to my mindset as it relates to low rates high demand shortage of inventory. What if your number one goal was to find enough listings in 2021 to achieve your goal? What if you? What if you stopped saying it's 50 50 half buy or half seller, and you said you know what inventory is the issue. I know if i've got the listings yeah it's going to be a little bit harder, but i am the kind of person who's resilient and you set your intention to have that number of listings taken in 2021 and you put all of your marketing and all of Your branding and all of your time and all of your effort at work just to do that.

What do you think would happen? You and i both know you get those listings. They sell. You get more deals because of it. It's almost like one creates two in many cases, so maybe that's your first goal, wouldn't that be great versus how do i help 25 buyers buy in an uber competitive environment where i'm writing six or seven offers to finally get one accepted? Maybe just maybe you reverse it, maybe just maybe but they're your goals, i'm just giving you examples, number two think about this.

What if you said my goal is to generate 10 conversion of either a referral or a direct transaction from every person in my database. Think about that, what if you said, i got 500 people inside my database and my goal is to get 10 50 people to either refer me someone or do a direct transaction with me out of my database 10 conversion. How much love would you have to put on them how much time and energy and education and appreciation would you have to put out into your database with your brand? Your love, your energy, your intention, your passion! How much would you have to do to convert it? 10 that'd be an exciting goal and then i wrote down number three, just as an example. What if the number three goal was to save a hundred thousand dollars or more in 2021? Now, you might say, but tom, what about my transaction goal? My volume goal, my gci, hey, you're, gon na - have all that stuff.

All that's gon na fall under taking up listings or it's gon na fall under your goal of number three to save a hundred thousand dollars. But instead of saying my goals are deals and volume and gci what if your goals were to actually solve the problem, take the right number of listings love on your database. So they don't go anyplace else and save the kind of money that you want. That's going to give you the peace of mind in these crazy times.

Does that make sense? So you decide i wrote down, you can have a volume in gci and transaction goal. You can have an onboarding of net effective sales people goal. I got clients that are doing that converting 10 or higher of my online leads. Maybe that's your goal, maybe it's taking 50 listings.

I don't know you need to decide, but what i know is this: in 2021, with low rates, massive demand and a shortage of inventory, wherever you put your time: energy concentration and resources you're going to get those kind of results, so choose carefully. My friend, as you think about what you really want to accomplish in 2021, so as i wrap it up, it's been a long year. It goes without saying i'm crazy, proud of you. I want to thank you for being in my community in my sphere.

I want to thank you for being the kind of resilient person that that does whatever it takes at the level of whatever it is. We can do. We all did more. We were more of the solution in 2020 than we've probably ever been for our past clients.

Our sphere and for people that live in our town and for that i'm grateful for you and i hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday and i'll see you soon. You.