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Most agents don’t need more time. They just need to use their time more efficiently. The best way to achieve this is to eliminate the mindless ways in which we waste time. Here are the seven most common ways I think customer service staff waste time, and how you can reallocate that time to dramatically grow your business.
1. Consume content rather than create content
According to statistics, The average person spends two hours and 24 minutes on social media every day. This means the average person spends more than 112 hours per month consuming content on social media. These platforms continue to evolve into some of the most distracting time wasters ever created.
Imagine if you took thirty minutes out of your day to create content instead of consuming it? How will this impact your business over the next few weeks? How can this inefficiency be turned into productive activity?
It all starts with thinking about the content your ideal customers would like you to create for them. What are your ideal customer’s pain points? What are their most common questions? What do they long to do?
When you focus on creating content rather than consuming it, your business momentum will begin to grow.
2. Busy rather than productive
There is a significant difference between busy and productive. Busyness is madness, but productivity is focus. But most agents’ days are filled with hustle and bustle, giving them a false sense of accomplishment.
One solution to this pandemic is to practice the “Five Rules” taught by John Maxwell. This principle is based on his example, if you want to cut down a tree in your backyard, consistency is the best way to ensure that the tree is cut down. He said that if you pick up an ax every morning, hit the tree five times, and then put the ax down and do this every day, sooner or later the tree will fall. This principle also applies to our business.
If you can identify the five activities most likely to help your business grow, and then prioritize executing them every day, you will achieve the success you seek in your business. So, what are these five activities for you? Make a list of them, focus on eliminating the unproductive things that keep you busy, and initiate those high-priority activities every day.
This step of refocusing your energy on productive activities rather than busy activities can change your business forever.
3. Perform tasks rather than delegate tasks
Similar to engaging in busy activities that are not the best use of their time, many agents spend their time doing tasks they should be delegating to others. Roughly speaking, for every $100,000 in annual income you earn, each hour is worth $50. In other words, if you make $150,000 per year, your average hourly value is $75.
Knowing this, why are you constantly stuffing envelopes with mailers, trying to figure out descriptions for your social media posts, or calling to show up for your appointment instructions? These tasks can be delegated to an assistant or social media specialist, who will be paid well below your $75 per hour value.
Delegate as many low-cost tasks as possible. Reallocate that time to past clients or hot prospects. When you know your worth and complete the tasks that are most valuable to you, your net income and productivity will rise.
4. Perfecting the logo instead of having real estate-related conversations
People do business with people, not trademarks. Yes, marketing affects your image in the market, but a lack of a logo is not the reason your business is slowing down. Your business has slowed down because you’re not having enough real estate-related conversations.
Additionally, transaction volumes have slowed in most markets. During this part of the cycle, you need more conversations than when the market is hot. Based on this information, you will need to work harder than before just to maintain the business you are accustomed to doing.
During an economic slowdown, it’s human nature to look for ways to freshen up your business or blame your slowdown on something your business doesn’t have. The only thing you really need to increase your business is to have more real estate-related conversations. Focus less on how you want others to see you and more on the value you bring. This way, the career you desire will become a reality.
5. Be reactive rather than proactive
How many days have you woken up without an action plan for the day? Do you find yourself waiting for your phone to ring or making an outside call? If you don’t take control of your schedule, the whirlwind of this business can keep you busy rather than productive.
The solution is to create a to-do list the night before. This list should include your top five activities we discussed above as well as the daily goals you have set for yourself. They should be time-sensitive and added to your schedule as appointments. These times should be uninterrupted until the task is completed.
Time is your most valuable asset. The more proactive you are with your schedule, the more predictable your success will be.
6. Focus on quantity rather than quality of social media posts
Before posting anything on social media, ask yourself if the post will bring value to your ideal customer. Wish you all a happy 4th July’s feed clutters your ideal client’s feed, and these posts can hurt your page more than they help due to a lack of engagement. The algorithm is looking for content creators who post quality posts, not content creators who post quantity.
Participation and sharing are the current driving forces behind the success of social media. While every post or reel won’t perform brilliantly, by focusing on creating content that drives engagement and shares, your social media performance will improve.
7. Spend time with unproductive people
The easiest way to get through an unproductive day is to spend it with unproductive people. The people you surround yourself with are who you will become. If you are the most effective person you surround yourself with, form a new team.
- Are there people around you who avoid talking on the phone, or who push each other to be more productive?
- Are you part of a planning team focused on growing your business?
- Do you have a coach who holds you accountable for the activities you need to do each day to achieve the level of success you want?
The most important factor in determining your success or failure in life is who you choose to spend your time with. Make wise choices.
None of us are as efficient as we should or could be, but there’s another level to your business. The key is to refine your schedule to ensure you limit time-wasting activities and focus on activities that help your business grow.
Jimmy Burgess is CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties in Northwest Florida. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.