The true function of the last quarter should be to start preparing for 1999. To achieve success in 1999 people need to learn from 1998, then invest that knowledge in 1999. Most agents’ lack of success or achievement of success is directly relational to the plan they created and carried out through out the year. Probably most of them do not have a plan or the plan lacks specificity and power to transport them to supreme success. I am coaching some of the most productive agents in North America, some agents who are doing 30, 40, 50, 60 million dollars a year in sales. Many of them lack the vision or the plan in their life. They are extremely successful, but they could double their business by creating clarity in their lives. You can do it, too.

You need to resolve today to focus over the next 60 days to create a clear vision for the future. You need to resolve to make 1999 the best year of your life. You must decide to make plans, set goals, and take action so you can achieve more in 1999 than ever before. Truly successful people have specific goals and a clear plan to achieve them that they work on everyday. You need to create a systematic method for setting and achieving goals to be able to accomplish goals at a higher rate.

When planning for the next year you need to create a vision of what it will look like. You need to look at December 31, 1999, and determine where you want to be. You need to visualize gross commissions earned, number of listings sold, buyer-controlled sales numbers, expenses to run the business, and net operating profit. You should also determine the new ideas or systems you want implemented during the course of the year. You might evaluate your current staff, or decide if you need to add staff. You should decide how much money you want to have saved by December 31, 1999. Look at it as, "If everything happens perfectly, what will it look like?"

Once you have a clear written vision on these things you have completed step one. The crucial part is to create the vision and write it down. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between writing something down, (especially vision, goals) and entering it in the subconscious mind. Napoleon Hill said, "What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve." When you write your goals down, your subconscious mind stores the information in belief form and works diligently to create the reality of your goals.

If you wish to become a peak performer, you must project your vision forward to the future. You must see what the future looks and feels like as if you were standing there right now. From your view point in the future, look back to where you are currently. You will be able to see a series of steps that you need to take to move from where you are to where you want to be. When you create and follow this road map, you will have become a peak performer.

In order to create a vision which develops into a plan, you will need to practice and work at it. Your first attempts will take more time and maybe a few more turns in your route up the mountain of success. Your speed and focus will increase as you diligently work everyday on your vision and your life. To increase the speed and focus makes the difference between traveling up the mountain on a Yak or in a Hummer. They both will get you there. The big difference is the comfort, the ride, and the speed to the top. You may be on the Yak awhile at first, but you are still making measurable progress up the mountain. The view 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 way up is better than the view from the valley floor below.

Successful people create a vision for 1999, but also a vision for the next few years beyond that date. They create a vision for their entire life span. If you wish to join them, you must focus long-term. You will have to create the vision of the future. Then have the ability to create and do the daily activities that drive you to your vision. You must concentrate and focus single mindedly on the most important tasks of your present day knowing how they integrate into the long term picture.

The Japanese electronics companies entered into the television manufacturing industry 25 to 35 years ago. They had a vision to control and dominate the electronic manufacturing arena and market segment. At the time American made televisions were dominating the marketplace. The Japanese realized they would lose tremendous amounts of money for a few years to create their long term vision of dominance. They have succeeded in their vision because most of the American manufacturers are now out of business. The American manufacturers that are left have no market penetration. The Japanese kept their eye on the long term vision and succeeded in dominating the marketplace.

You need to determine what you want to earn, then how you are going to earn it, i.e., buyers or sellers. You need to know where specifically the money is coming from, i.e., referrals, open houses, cold calls, expireds, or FSBO’s. You need to know the percentages of where your business is coming from and number of deals. Here is an example:

Percentage of Business

Total transactions        25

Referrals                     14                            56%

Open Houses               7                             28%

Expireds                      4                             16%

You must be able to create a formula to use, then break it down monthly and weekly to the tasks you must accomplish in that time frame. You can then control your business rather than your business controlling you.