This week, my lovely Agents of Change Mastermind members and I are going on a very special retreat. We’re heading up to the amazing Langdale Spa Hotel, in the heart of the Lake District, to stay in their stunning Brimstone. We’re taking time out, to not just enjoy the beautiful scenery and gorgeous spa there, but also to work on our businesses.
Estate agents are by nature, operational. As an agency owner, you may find yourself with an empty diary from time to time, but it doesn’t mean you have time to yourself. Phone calls; problems; issues; crises – these will all arise from the moment you open up, to the time you lock the door again with a sigh of relief.
But this isn’t driving the business forwards; this is just firefighting. To really grow your business into something that will either take care of you very well in your retirement, or that you can sell for a life-changing sum, you have to invest in it. And because your business is you, this means investing in yourself.
You can’t outspend your competitors, but you can out-learn them.
“Your ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage” – Arie de Gells, Head of Shell Oil
Do you feel that you’ve gone as far as you can with what you now know?
If you want to build your business, you can’t just work harder; you need to
learn and practice something new. I’m sure you’ve heard that you should be working smarter, not harder, but how?
By learning marketing tactics and techniques that will allow you to really leverage your time, so you don’t just trade your time for money. No one will want to buy your business if they will have to work as hard as you do right now. What they want to buy is a marketing system that does the hard work for them. So if you don’t know how to create and implement a successful marketing system, you need to learn the steps. And this means investing in yourself, with time and money.
How much did you invest in your learning last year?
“Successful wealthy people have big libraries. Poor people have big TVs” – Jim Rubens
Here’s what I have invested in myself in the last twelve months
Mastermind group £18,000
Personal coaching £ 6,000
3 x conferences in the US £ 7,500
Online programmes £ 9,000
Marketing and self-development books £ 900
Total 12 months’ investment in Sam £41,400
I invest in myself constantly. I travel to the best internet marketing and industry conferences, so I can pass to my clients the very latest and most innovative and successful strategies and tactics, so they don’t have to invest at such a high level. In fact, all they have to do is invest in themselves by becoming my client, and they get my huge investment for the price of their more modest spend. It’s a no-brainer really.
Once you know, you know
I used to really struggle with Facebook Adverts. There seemed to be so much to learn about this subject, and I found the information available overwhelming. I avoided using Facebook Ads and when my clients asked about them, I simply passed them onto a consultant I know. But then I saw the success some of my internet marketing friends were having, and I decided to commit to learning about Facebook Ads, once and for all.
But I didn’t just scour the internet and buy every book on the topic. I wanted to hear the best advice, from the best experts in the world. So I attended the world’s biggest conference on Facebook Ads – Traffic and Conversion – a three day conference in San Diego, California. It was absolutely mind-blowing, but by the time I got back on the plane to rainy Manchester, I got it. I understood all the little nuances of the platform; the possibilities and limitations; the exact steps to take to make an ad campaign a success, and I was hooked. I came back really fired up and immediately created my course – The Facebook Ad Success Blueprint for Estate Agents. And now a huge number of my clients are enjoying real success with this very exciting platform.
Success is the best motivator
“I didn’t like any of my early morning runs but I liked the idea of being a world champion.” – Muhammad Ali
It’s not easy to be motivated to learn, but it’s what differentiates the super-successful agents from the also-rans. When you start to invest in your own learning, by reading relevant books, following the right programmes and having the very best mentors, learning soon becomes addictive. The simple process of learning, applying, seeing an improvement, then having a rinse-and-repeat approach, will set you head and shoulders above the competition, and that in itself is a great motivator to continue your self-improvement journey.
To be the best you can be, you need to work harder on yourself than you do on your job as agency owner. If you work hard on your job, you’ll make a living. If you work hard on yourself, you’ll make a fortune. Mentors, seminars, mastermind groups, podcasts, online training programmes, blogposts, workshops – these will all help you become a better, stronger business owner and your business will thank you for it in the future.
Thinking time, in the best thinking places
Sometimes, working on your business is actually about thinking time.
And that’s why I take my clients to beautiful, inspirational places, so they can think in amazing surroundings, and come back to their businesses refreshed and invigorated.
Can you take just a morning a week to work somewhere that inspires you? Maybe a country hotel or a pretty pub, where you can take your laptop, switch off your email, and just immerse yourself in your business growth for a precious few hours.
It could be the best investment you have ever made in yourself, and in your business. Just as the investment my Mastermind members and I have made in our Langdale retreat will pay dividends for many years to come.
I’m opening up a few new client places
I don’t work with many new clients each year, but I’m opening up a few new spots. I only work with non-competing agents, and those who are genuinely committed to growing themselves and their businesses to the highest level.
Want to know how you can become a client, and join us on some amazing mastermind retreats? Pop me an email, and let’s chat.
What to read next: The very best marketing is free (except when it’s not)
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