Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 2015 Leading RE conference in Las Vegas. This conference pulls together the leaders of many of the world’s most innovative real estate companies.
It was great to see our clients, friends and acquaintances at this event, and to build some new relationships. My respect for longstanding companies successfully competing in the real estate industry continues to grow.
My admiration is rooted in the competition these firms overcome to stay in business. In a local market, it’s often the small advantages that cause one firm to shine above another.
From a vendor perspective, there’s a constant flow of innovations coming to the market designed to give companies a slight advantage. Some of these innovations are easy to implement and produce great results. Unfortunately, these are also the ones quickly copied by a competitor.
What if your firm could come up with a competitive advantage that would quickly differentiate you from competitors and be very difficult to copy? I’ll share one of these advantages today, and here’s the best news: It’s free and doesn’t come with a pesky sales guy!
Optimism as a Competitive Differentiator
Optimists aren’t just people who see the glass half full. Researchers are finding they are also more successful, enjoy better health, and live longer, more productive lives. They’re the type of people you want on your team and interacting with your clients.
In a recent article in Fast Company magazine, Stephanie Vozza highlights the work of two researchers who have focused attention on the study of optimism.
Some people are naturally more optimistic…however somebody who is negative or pessimistic can control it and improve upon it. Like any healthy habit, optimism is something you need to practice every day.
If you’re responsible for managing and coaching agents, this is great news. By turning your agents into optimists, you’ll make your team more productive and gain a competitive advantage.
How’s it done? Here are my favorite ideas collected by Vozza:
Teach your agents to listen and show interest in others. People often think they’re alone in their struggles, such as divorce, cancer, or financial problems. When they hear about people who’ve experienced the same thing and came out on the sunny side, it can give them hope, and hope is the foundation of optimism.
By sticking to themselves and not reaching out to others, your agents will miss this source of optimism.
Teach your agents to donate their time and energy. Whether it’s helping at the local soup kitchen or being available to people you know, giving back is a habit optimistic people practice.
No matter what you’re going through, be good to others and help when you can. The spirit of altruism can make you feel optimistic about your own life.
Be direct with your agents on this topic. Ask them: How are you donating your time and energy to others? If necessary, help them find good causes.
Teach your agents to surround themselves with upbeat people and ignore naysayers. [Researchers are finding] you’re the sum of the people you spend time with. If you’re with other optimists, it’s easy to absorb that energy and it can be powerful.
When you happen to be in the presence of a naysayer, get in the habit of ignoring these individuals.
What other people do or say is a reflection of their own reality, not yours.
You can disagree with other opinions and choose to focus your attention on a more positive perspective.
There are more viewpoints in Vozza’s article, but these three ideas can get you started right away. Start surrounding yourself with optimistic agents who are positively communicating with clients and your community.
Questions or Comments? Reply to your WorkPuzzle subscription email.
Didn’t get the WorkPuzzle email? Subscribe below. We promise not to share your email with others or use it for any other purpose but delivering WorkPuzzle notices.
