BECOME THE EXPERT

Do you have the skills that will make you massively successful? Are you making the most of them? The people who are compensated the best in life are highly skilled and highly specialized. They perform few functions, but the ones they do are performed exceedingly well, and they are paid handsomely for performing them.

Let me share an example. When my father had open-heart surgery, he was blessed to have an excellent heart surgeon. That was exactly what this doctor did -- heart surgery and only heart surgery. Of course, there were many other steps to the process, and the surgeon had a skilled team to handle those other steps. There was an anesthesiologist who put my father to sleep. There was another surgeon who retrieved a vein out of my father’s leg and prepared it for by-pass. There was another surgeon who opened the chest cavity and readied the heart. After all those functions were complete, the heart surgeon stepped in for his part. He completed his sections of the surgery and then left the rest of the team to complete the operation. What if we had the skills and the systems to run our businesses that way? What would our production look like if we did? How balanced would our lives be with this type of a business? It is truly an exciting thought.

If you had that level of sales skills and consultation skills and had a strong team that would enable you to operate your business on that system, you would be paid better than that heart surgeon is paid. You have a bigger market to sell your services in than a heart surgeon has; there are more people who truly need your services than there are who need heart surgery. The question is whether you are truly taking advantage of that market and preparing yourself to be a leader in it. Strong, specialized skills and a team with the skills to support your work will free your time, so you can serve an increasing share of the market and enjoy a healthy personal life, as well. Imagine the life and the business you would have if you operated in this fashion.

What is your area of specialty in real estate? Where do your strongest skills lie? We all have exceptional skills in specific areas. When we know what they are, and are able to focus our efforts to make the best use of them, our clients benefit, and so do we. Specialization is very much a fact of life in the world around us. We see it more and more, not only in medicine, but in law, accounting, insurance, and even sports.

Let me share another example. When the NFL was first formed, players played both offense and defense. But, within a few years, we had players playing only offense or only defense. Starting in the 90’s, we had specialists: designated pass rushers; nickel backs; pass-catching running backs; blocking running backs. Each NFL team may have twenty guys, each of whom is on the team for only one function. They are specialists in the career of professional football.

To create a specialized, team-enhanced real estate business, you must first evaluate what you are skilled at doing, what you enjoy doing, and what needs to be done regardless of your specific skills and interests. Separate out those activities that you really dislike and those you are less skilled at doing. Then construct a plan that will, over time, remove those activities and delegate them to skilled and enthusiastic staff members.

For example, maybe you like meeting with clients but really don’t enjoy the escrow process. Solidify your escrow processing system, so a staff member can take it over, freeing you up to do the activities that you do enjoy. Or maybe you have a high level of skill in qualifying the buyer but don’t feel highly skilled at showing property. Set appointments in the office to qualify the buyers, but have someone else show property to them. The possibilities are endless.

Life is truly too short; each of us has only a limited time to enjoy life’s treasures. Why not make the most of your time by creating a business that is structured around your skills and your desires? Then hire, train, and coach a team of specialists who will complement your skills and help you achieve success. I truly believe that everyone involved -- your clients, your staff, your family, and you -- will win. With a system in place that makes the most of your abilities and of your staff, you’ll be able to achieve success faster than you can say: “Pass the scalpel, please.”nnn