Path of the Ninja
By Walt Frey
Realtors are an interesting breed. We willingly or not so willingly spend lots of time and money chasing down strangers, expired listings, For Sale by Owners, and canvassing, and yet 70% or more of our business comes from people that we already know as in friends and past buyers and sellers.
When asked if we systematically contact our friends we usually sheepishly admit that we don’t and it’s because we don’t want to abuse the friendship.
So instead, we attend seminars to learn the latest “scripts” and effective techniques to use with strangers. We see “Mega-Producers” showcased and we learn how they do it. We are taught how to create teams, marketing campaigns, telemarketing and email campaigns and how to create and design a billboard, postcard and a personal brochure. We’ll work 50 to 60 hours a week trying to get ourselves noticed by strangers and we create serious strains in our relationships and family life. It’s all great stuff and by the way, it works and most of us will never do it.
In my 35+ years as a California Real Estate Broker and manager, and more specifically, in my last 21 years as a senior instructor for the Council of Residential
Specialists, I’ve asked myself “Why not” and maybe more importantly, why am I teaching something that most people will never do. I think that it’s because I thought it was the only path to eventual success. I’ve found out that it isn’t.
As you compare the differences of the industry norm to the Ninja Selling program, ask yourself which path you’re on.
The Industry calls the Customer a “Unit”. Says the real Customer is the agent.
The Ninja says that the real Customer is the buyer or the seller. Customer Service Talks.
The Industry wants dialog’s and new techniques.
The Ninja asks: “How can I add Value?”
The Industry stresses contests, market share, win/lose.
The Ninja stresses Cooperation.
The Industry wants to win. They’ll take a listing that won’t sell.
The Ninja wants Success.
The Industry is into Personal Promotion.
The Ninja is into Personal Service.
The Industry is into Personal Assistants.
The Ninja is into Personal Contact.
The Industry works it all.
The Ninja only works the 20% that produces the 80%..
The Industry says: More is better. I’ll work more hours, hire more staff, run more ads, spend more money.
The Ninja says: To make more, I’ll just get better.
The Industry is concerned with Sales Volume.
The Ninja is concerned with Profit.
The Industry strives for High Income.
The Ninja strives for High Income per Hour.
The Industry wants to be FAMOUS.
The Ninja wants to be RICH.
The Ninja’s greatest challenge is to stay focused and they are committed to helping each other stay on track. They take the time to identify their three most important values and priorities, along with their three favorite hobbies, and they remove everything from their office that doesn’t support these six things, so they stay focused.
They feel that money worries will cause loss of focus. The company has created systems to assist the agents in creating personal wealth by automatically with-holding an agreed on amount for taxes, profit sharing, investing and so on. They also encourage their partners to live below their means and invest the rest.
Compared to complex Mission Statements, theirs is easy to understand and to focus on: “Have fun, making money, taking care of people.”
Ninja’s load their “Big Rocks” first. If you had a two gallon bucket and filled it with rocks the size of your fist, would the bucket be full when you couldn’t fit any more big rocks in? The answer is no as you could still put in some pea gravel, then some sand and then some water. If you call the big rocks your highest priorities and most important things in your life, and call working the real estate business sand, I find that most sales agents fill the bucket to the top with sand first. When the bucket is full of sand, you can’t get the big rocks in. This is known as “someday” I’ll have a life and “someday” I’ll spend more time with my family. It will never happen.
Whatever we focus on expands. The Ninja knows that to increase personal productivity, you have to make your personal life and your relationships your highest priority. They use leverage on themselves to be as effective as possible in the limited time that they are willing to allocate to the business
