Coaches' Corner Archives - https://blog.buffini.com/category/coaches-corner/ Wed, 05 Apr 2023 19:19:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 86877239 Connect with Your Database https://blog.buffini.com/connect-with-your-database/ https://blog.buffini.com/connect-with-your-database/#respond Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:57:19 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6697 Last month’s blog was all about building a business plan by the numbers. The other side […]

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Last month’s blog was all about building a business plan by the numbers. The other side of that is that the numbers only matter if they represent the actual connection with the people in your database.

Working by Referral takes heart and the willingness to give of yourself for the sake of others. So, as you move forward with your pie events, Pop-Bys, and holiday gatherings – how are you making people feel and what are you specifically doing to acknowledge your A+ and A referrers? The best business plans are simple with the highest opportunity for meaningful connection. Fourth quarter brings a huge opportunity to set up our business for next year while deepening the relationships we have in our database. I interviewed a couple coaches on the floor to ask them, “How important is it for our clients to authentically invest in relationships in the fourth quarter?”

“VERY. That’s the core of the whole thing, actually being interested in the people in their database. Otherwise [our clients] are just operating with competent sterility. They can market themselves but they aren’t connecting.” – Barbara Cunningham

“It ties into Lou Holtz’s three questions: Can I trust you? Are you good at what you do? Do you care about me? You can be good in your real estate career, but authentically caring is what builds trust.”       – Meghan Wheeler

The reality is when you market yourself you need to build connection not just contact. That means making all of it, calls, notes and Pop-Bys about the client. We have to GIVE before we ASK and RECEIVE. Here are some creative ideas to “Invest in the best [A+ and A] and Systemize the rest,” as Coach Bev Cairns puts it:

  • Calls and texts: your intention is to make the client feel seen by acknowledging something they are going through. An example might be “Hey Jean, I was thinking of you today because I saw a dog like yours at the park. How are you and Sparky doing?”
  • Personalized gifts or video messages around birthdays, kid’s birthdays, and wedding anniversaries.
  • For Brokers and Lenders: send a note to a Realtor’s significant other thanking them for the support of the Realtor throughout the course of the year.

At Buffini and Company; our mission is to impact and improve the lives of people. We believe that by doing that in helping and caring for you, we empower you to do that for your database… and that is how we improve the world together! “Behind every name is a person and a family. We have to think about the person and the impact we have on that person. That is where the opportunity lies” – Peggy Bence

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What’s Your Plan for 2019? https://blog.buffini.com/whats-plan-2019/ https://blog.buffini.com/whats-plan-2019/#respond Tue, 18 Sep 2018 16:56:24 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6667 Starting October 1st our lead generation weekly standard needs to be in alignment with 2019’s goals! […]

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Starting October 1st our lead generation weekly standard needs to be in alignment with 2019’s goals! That is because 4th and 1st quarter’s seed-planting activities should make up for 70% of the pipeline you want to create for 2019. In this blog we take the first step with business planning regarding working by referral. This is a generalization and only a beginning. We will talk about which numbers to use. Please note that, as a company, we believe that the numbers alone may not sustain your drive for a year. In my experience your number must be attached to a larger, personally meaningful vision. The focus of this blog is to equip you to end September with a mathematical understanding of how much contact you need in 4th quarter to execute 35% of the needed lead generation activities for 2019’s goal. Math and tasks will fall flat if the driving vision doesn’t tug on your heart. The activity you engage in must be about your people, more than just the pipeline. You need both, however, to act with certainty in your professional life.

We need to know three things to begin your 4th quarter activity plan:

  1. Your contact-to-referral ratio
  2. Your referral-to-close ratio
  3. Your 2019 closing goal

Let’s start with the 2019 closing goal. THAT is where your vision comes in.   Whether you are Spectrum, Specific or Global in your Heritage Profile; your goal setting style reflects your focus. I have clients who have trouble with anything outside 10-day goals. Others are masters at Brian Moran’s 12 Week Year, and others who think about 10-20 years out from now. All styles are perfect! Lean in to your coach to help you focus on what brings you joy, contentment, safety, exhilaration. Whatever your preference, begin with what you have in your head, feelings or facts – it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it comes from you, not comparison with someone else or the obligatory “bigger than last year.” Write down on paper what it will be like to live your best life. Now, what part of that are you going to have in 2019?   It will cost money. That is where we find our number. 

Math is marvelous! You can use the generalized math below in any business, the ratios will just shift. If you track the activity it takes you to generate a lead, all of your leads, as well as your closings; you will know an exact formula for success! Here are three important numbers to identify for yourself:

  1. Contact-to-referral: Most people have NO idea how many times they have to ask for business before they get a referral. That is exactly why it is important to track. You can find this number on your business dashboard in Referral Maker. This number will prove true for you over time.
  • A high ratio may indicate that how you ask for a referral is unclear or confusing to the listener. Or perhaps you are not asking at all!
  • A low ratio may indicate that you are unaware of where your business actually comes from or that your tracking data is incomplete.
  • If you have not been tracking; a generally safe number for a real estate agent is 20:1 or 12:1. This depends on how many years you have been in the industry and/or kept in contact with your database.

 Your database is a list of relationships. The deeper the relationships, the more they support and refer you. You cannot deepen a relationship with anyone without spending intentional time with that person. The holiday season is the easiest time to invest in your relationships. It is the appropriate time of year to take a deeper interest in people and lavish more personalized gifts and attention. Personal notes, thoughtful video messages and happy hours are all appropriate. Even though you will be asking for referrals, it starts with a givers mindset. What experience do you want to give your database? Think about the 3 G’s: Gatherings, Gifts, and Gratitude.

  1. Referral-to-closing: Most people have a general idea or can make an educated guess as to how many referrals, of the ones they get, pan out. Often, it takes 2-3 referrals to get a closing, when it comes to real estate. You can find this number on your business dashboard in Referral Maker.
  2. Your closing goal for 2019: This can be desired volume: or sides: or transactions: or adjusted gross commission. For our purposes, please take that number and break it down into transactions. Multiply the # of transactions for 2019 by your conversion ratio (contact to referral x referral to close) and again by .35. That will get you the number of asks for business in 4th quarter of 2018. Use the Business Goals page in Referral Maker CRM to walk you through this.

Example: It takes me 12 asks for business to get a referral. It takes me 3 referrals to get a closing. That means, over the course of a year, it takes 36 asks for business to get a commission check. Let’s say I’d like to close 24 deals. I will need to specifically ask for business 864 times. That is easy if you make a plan. Remember, we want to do 70% of 864 asks during 4th and 1st quarter. That is 302 asks in 4th quarter – or 101 in each month of 4th quarter. That breaks out to about 25 contacts within the database a week. EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY! Here are some ideas to get you started: Put together a quick wine tasting happy hour with 5 people, deliver 20 fall Pop-Bys, text your favorite friends about the fall listing that just went live.

How much and how well your database experiences contact, care and community from you in the 4th quarter will directly relate to how well you do in business in 2019. Identify the three important numbers to your plan: your contact-to-referral and referral-to-close ratios as well as your business goal. After that, have fun planning out how you will get face to face and voice to voice with as many of your relationships as possible!

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Are You Capable of More? https://blog.buffini.com/are-you-capable-of-more/ https://blog.buffini.com/are-you-capable-of-more/#respond Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:01:33 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6621 “Are you capable of more?” It’s a question that cuts to the core in any circle […]

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“Are you capable of more?” It’s a question that cuts to the core in any circle of our lives.

Are you capable of more in your business? What about your personal and family life? Are you capable of more spiritually or financially?

Most of us feel we have untapped potential. The question is: how do we tap into it?

FOCUS ON WHAT FULFILLS YOU

The busyness of our lives often clouds what is truly possible. We have things to do, obligations to keep and goals to achieve. If you want to tap into your potential, you need to take a step back and focus on what fulfills you.

Fulfillment is about more than goals. It’s about meaning, purpose and satisfaction. So, take a moment and think about your vision for a truly fulfilling life.

What would it look like? How would it make you feel?

When you identify what fulfills you and align your goals with that meaning and purpose, clarity follows. Clarity allows you to see more of what is possible, and more of what you are capable of achieving.

CHALLENGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Focusing on what fulfills you allows you to envision the life you want to lead. To live that life, you’ll need to challenge your perspective.

Perspective is the way we see the world. The way we see the world influences the way we think and act. How we think and act determines how we live.

To get different results, we need to think and act differently. To do that, we need to challenge our perspectives.

Here is a simple example of challenging your perspective. Our coaches often work with Members who struggle to call through their database. One common reason is that our Members don’t want to “bug” their relationships. “Bugging people” is one way to look at making calls.

But, when you call a loved one, are they bugged? In most cases, no. They enjoy the conversation, and so do you. So, one way to look at making calls is that they’re giving you and those in your database the opportunity to enjoy some conversation.

Same call, two different perspectives. Here’s the magic—you get to choose your perspective.

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS?

Fulfillment is about meaning, and perspective is about how you see the world. Your process is about your experience.

The classic advice on achievement is to set a goal, make a plan and take action. Follow that advice and you’ll likely achieve your goals. The problem is, you’re likely to miss the point as well.

The process is not about what you make of the pursuit, but what the pursuit makes of you. It’s the journey, not the destination, that counts.

Examine your journey. How does it make you feel? What are you learning? What would you change? What would you keep doing? When you ask those questions—in good experiences and bad—a world of opportunity opens up for you.

As you examine your process, you find you are capable of more and become excited to pursue it.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If you’re in coaching, make sure you’re getting the most out of your Membership. Coaching is about drawing out one’s potential.

Lean into your coach. Come to your coaching calls prepared. Have a focus and desired outcome for each session.

Our coaches are masterful at drawing out potential—at helping people discover what they are truly capable of to expand those capabilities.

Ask your coach to help you clarify what fulfills you, challenge your perspective and examine your process.

If you’re not in coaching, now may be the time to make that investment in yourself. Not everyone needs a coach, but everyone is better with one.

Find your untapped potential and start using it. Once you do, you’ll discover you’re capable of having a more rewarding business and personal life.

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Commission Objection https://blog.buffini.com/commission-objection/ https://blog.buffini.com/commission-objection/#respond Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:41:09 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6555 One of the recurrent themes I experience on coaching calls is the issue of confidence. Surprisingly, […]

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One of the recurrent themes I experience on coaching calls is the issue of confidence. Surprisingly, a lack of confidence is just as likely for a Realtor earning $400K per year as the one just starting out. Self-doubt does not discriminate. This market is scrappy enough without your inner voice undermining you. Walking into a listing appointment, what is your inner voice saying? Do you believe in yourself? Are you your client’s best option? What do you do when your potential client asks you about your commission?

The best defense is a great offense. Every Realtor gets that question. Here is how I recommend you prepare:

1) Expect the question. There are advertisements everywhere for 1% listing services and, frankly, it would be remiss of a home owner NOT to ask what they are getting with what they pay for. If you are surprised, you aren’t paying attention. This question is not personal! This question is an opportunity to educate your client on the process of selling a home and the value you bring to the process as their advocate. Embrace it.

2) Know your own value as a Realtor and a human being. Ahead of time, have your listing presentation worked out. What do you do when you get there? What questions do you ask? How do you build rapport? When do you talk about the process? When do you bring up price and the net sheet? How do you conclude/close?

You are a valuable human being: If you have insecurities, are you working on them? The truth statements from your Heritage Profile can be a great tool. Check out Brian Buffini’s Recommended Reading List, as well.

3) Respond maturely. If you feel defensive, you may not be prepared or you may be fearful of the outcome. Remember, fear is just False Evidence Appearing Real. A defensive response will not move you towards your goal of effectively landing and serving the client.

First, thank them for the intelligent question. Then, appreciate the opportunity to outline what you do for them: pre-listing, while listed and once it is under contract. Highlight the pain points and how you protect them by negotiating well; getting under contract, inspection, connecting with all involved parties. A well negotiated home sale at full commission to the agents may still be a higher financial value than a 1% listing executed poorly.

4) Know ahead of time what you are and are not willing to do. What are you already paying for? Make sure you tell them, do not assume they know anything. What else do you want to throw in if it gets to it? Have a dollar amount or a service in mind so that you don’t give away the kitchen sink in the moment. Have faith in the take-away. If the seller won’t agree to your terms, it is ok to walk away. Walking away demonstrates your character and belief in yourself. It is an important negotiation tool. It is always ok to say “no.”

Speaker Jon Gordon would ask, “Are you talking to yourself or listening to yourself?” It’s time to start talking.

 

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Summertime Surge: I smell eggs! https://blog.buffini.com/summertime-surge-i-smell-eggs/ https://blog.buffini.com/summertime-surge-i-smell-eggs/#respond Fri, 25 May 2018 20:53:25 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6531 “You do not like them, so you say. Try them, try them, and you may. Try […]

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“You do not like them, so you say. Try them, try them, and you may. Try them and you may, I say.”

– Dr. Seuss

Yes, I am referring to calls, notes and Pop-Bys. Lead generation activities are often the green eggs and ham of the coaching floor… and us coaches? We are Sam-I-Am.

Would you, could you, for six weeks?

The Summertime Surge begins June 11th. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with your lead generation. This time of year, it’s completely normal to have become consumed by the needs of your active clients. In theory, you spent all of 4th Quarter 2017 and 1st Quarter 2018 creating this spring bloom of transactions. Good on ya! That is why we made this program.

Please play along with me. Pull out your calendar. Scan from June to the end of July. Do you want to uncover more need for your services in the marketplace? Here are three things you can do to assess your readiness for the blitz:

  • Calendar out your big rocks: family time, vacations, personal time, kids’ activities and social life
  • Make notes on your calendar for the service pieces for serving your active clients: showings, escrow deadlines, meetings already set, etc.
  • Draw a box around the six weeks in your calendar. Can you realistically see yourself following through with the activities? Would you, could you, check the box?

Great, then let’s have some fun! In fact, let’s put the FUN back in FUNdamentals!

“Play is the highest form of research” — Albert Einstein

Consider thinking about the regimented approach to checking off a to-do list as fun! It is a way to merrily connect with your database and current clients. It is a social experiment. What is the worst that could happen?

Honestly, if someone doesn’t know you well enough to have a conversation with you over the phone, or out at coffee, they don’t know you well enough to refer you. When your Sam-I-Am coach asks you to call your database, it’s about connecting first and foremost. Just. Start. There.

“Hi, how are you and who are you?”

You can do that. You can ask someone about their day/ kids/ job/ and really listen. Then ask a follow-up question related to what they just said. Everyone just wants to be listened to and appreciated. After all, you do genuinely care… we know because we have your Heritage Profile

“Humans need humans.” —Scott Stratten

Your database doesn’t read minds and frankly, most people don’t really know what a Realtor does. It is up to you to tell them. That’s why us coaches emphasize asking for referrals. We want you to be able to talk about yourself and what you do. We want you to be able to share what is going on in your market and explain what the market needs.

People need to be told what you are looking for/ how to appreciate you/ that you even want business! You are an advocate for homeownership, an educator about an industry vital to the US and Canadian economy. You are a purveyor of one of humankind’s basic needs: SHELTER. You are important. You keep people from quitting on themselves when they want to move.

As you head into the Blitz, consider doing the activities. Maybe even do all of them! What might happen? Could you find two more people to help buy or sell? Four? Eight?

“Try it, try it, and you may. Try it and you may, I say.” It’s only six weeks.

It’s a good life!

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Want to Avoid Drift? Put the Good Stuff in https://blog.buffini.com/want-avoid-drift-put-good-stuff/ https://blog.buffini.com/want-avoid-drift-put-good-stuff/#respond Tue, 17 Apr 2018 20:07:34 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6442 Brian Buffini labels drift as one of the deadliest predators of our business. I would add […]

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Brian Buffini labels drift as one of the deadliest predators of our business. I would add that it is the biggest predator of our happiness. How do you know you have drifted? It is dark all around you and you don’t know where you are or how you got there!

So, what do we do? We expected this month of business to be busy, and we don’t have any closings! There is tension at home. We are going through the motions but feel disjointed, stifled, depressed. The mistake I see people make (and I’m guilty of it too) is to just push harder towards the goal. That can be misguided if we have drifted. It is like paddling furiously in the dark. We still may not get anywhere. So can we snap out of it quickly?

WE CAN.

Literal drift is corrected, first, by the ability to determine where you are (perspective) and the repeated stroke of the oar (habits)… The goal is to go from drifting to navigating. Once you are navigating, then you can focus on arrival or achievement. Everything in sequence, as they say!

Below are three aspects of perspective and a few habits to help you maintain a healthy one. The goal here is to believe that you are in a place of possibilities, no matter how dark it is in the moment. You have to believe the shore is there in order to see it. Want a little more on this concept? Revisit Diana Nyad in Episode 035.

So how do we regain perspective and take back control of our boat? We have to shift our fundamental beliefs about the possibilities. It is about intentionally influencing how we think and putting the good stuff in, as Brian Buffini says. It isn’t about denigrating ourselves or being upset with ourselves for past thinking.

The good stuff:

1) Gratitude: What is going right? Name that silver lining, out loud! This can be done quickly, on your drive in the morning, over a cup of coffee, or in a journal.

  • There are many Gratitude Apps out there: My Gratitude Journal, Happy Feed, Grateful. I like to say my gratitudes out loud because not only am I thinking it, I am therefor hearing it. That seems twice as powerful to me! You could also journal with your partner or as a family activity.
  • Not ready to be Polyanna or Poppy? Try writing personal notes in the morning. It is a great way to start the day with positivity while being productive.

2) Self-esteem: Say nice things to yourself. For example; if you have a difficult client that has you all tied up in knots you could purposefully reframe the situation. It’s much easier to achieve if you are on your own side!

  • Talk to yourself, “I am doing a great job handling a difficult person.” “I am really good at keeping it together even when it feels like my client is working against me.”
  • Replace SHOULD with COULD. Rather than, “I should really have better boundaries with my clients,” try; “I could have better boundaries with my clients.” Suddenly, it is an opportunity, not a judgement.

3) Abundance mindset: There is enough for everyone, including me. If you believe there are a limited number of opportunities, or say, listings, then every listing another agent gets is one taken from you. The logic follows that if you believe success is LESS possible, you will have LESS success.

  • Stop and think. Be aware of your thoughts, then you can choose to shift to an abundance mindset instead.
  • Make a list of all your potential opportunity and focus on growing that list.
  • Change your email signature! This year, mine says “It’s an abundant life.” Every time I send an email I type that out… that is a lot of reminders of abundance in one day!

The great news is, if you focus on a shift in perspective and use some new habits to stay there, you are more likely to put yourself in the way of inspiration. You want to set yourself up to trip over opportunity! That will make reaching your shore much easier.

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Why You Need A Coach! https://blog.buffini.com/why-you-need-a-coach/ https://blog.buffini.com/why-you-need-a-coach/#respond Tue, 20 Mar 2018 20:27:29 +0000 https://blog.buffiniandcompany.com/?p=6403 Do you know that some people think they can run a successful and profitable business without […]

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Do you know that some people think they can run a successful and profitable business without guidance from a Business Coach? The truth is if you were to talk with notable entrepreneurs and business leaders they will tell you that having a Business Coach is a non-negotiable element of their business.

A Business Coach will help you with your vision, motivation and creativity along with developing a comprehensive personalized action plan to guide you in achieving your business goals as well as goals in other areas of your life. You are more likely to take ownership of the necessary responsibilities and requirements of your business which is a direct result of the accountability that your coach provides. During the coaching process, a coach provides honest objective feedback which helps you to become more competent and the more competent one becomes, the more confident they will be in their business which leads to more success. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know.

It can be difficult for business owners to really appreciate the value of working with a Business Coach. That is why it is beneficial to hear from our B&C business coaching clients about the benefits they have experienced and the tangible results that coaching has on their business.

Marc LaFontaine in Ottawa, Canada is such a strong believer in coaching that he has coaches/mentors in all 5 circles of his life; business, financial, personal, spiritual and family. In addition, Marc said he “believes that everyone needs guidance, a listening ear and a laser like focus to keep one’s eyes on the prize.”

A coach will also help you with priority management, structure and networking. Molly and Sean Hollis in Denver, Colorado state that having a coach is “by far the best investment they have ever made in themselves and in their business.” They are a perfect example of embracing the coaching process and the result is that the investment is paying off for them in bottom line results and personal growth.

In addition, Molly and Sean love the networking opportunities that are developed by their Business Coach to interact with other successful, like minded business professionals. The referrals they have received from these individuals are also priceless! They place a high value on these professional relationships which have been developed through B&C by means of the Success Tours, Small Groups and Mastermind events.

Ian Hawkins in Collingwood, Ontario is another B&C client who states “Coaching keeps him grounded and focused on the fundamentals of operating a successful Real Estate business.” During the coaching process, Ian has found that doing a significant number of pop by’s and writing personal notes has contributed to his success.

Your Business Coach is an advocate for your business in helping you to have a clear perspective of your strengths and blind spots, processing life, celebrating your successes, and achieving bottom line results. If you haven’t already done so, step forward and invest in your greatest asset – YOU!

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What Makes a Leader? https://blog.buffini.com/makes-leader-2/ https://blog.buffini.com/makes-leader-2/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2018 00:01:55 +0000 http://buffiniblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=6372 I once read a quote which stated, “True leadership is your ability to hide panic from […]

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I once read a quote which stated, “True leadership is your ability to hide panic from others.” The quote was intended to be humorous and it is.

Webster’s defines leadership as: “the position or function of a leader, the ability to lead, an act or instance of leading, guidance or direction.” By definition we are all called upon to be leaders in one capacity or another, whether you are a broker, owner, team leader, agent, mom, dad, community leader, coach, agent in your office or employee in another field. You get the idea, bottom line we are all leaders. My belief is it is a myth to say there are natural born leaders. No doubting some people are hard wired with leadership attributes which enable them to have more leadership tendencies but all of us need to develop the skill of a leader. Maya Angelou says: “I’ve learned people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  True leadership displayed in a simple quote. Think about the people you admire, what are some of the traits they display that you admire? My list would be integrity, generosity of spirit, willingness to share, kind, excellent in what they do. All of the skills I listed can be developed and worked on daily and over a lifetime. I am sure if you examine your list you will find the same thing.

Buffini and Company has many programs and tools to help our clients become better leaders in their respective fields. We do this by helping people develop their character and competence through our products and services like coaching, the Heritage Profile , working by referral programs and Brian’s podcasts. They are made and designed to help you develop as a leader in your business, life and community.

Leadership takes on many shapes, sizes and forms. We are all called upon to be leaders, to be the ripple in the pond through our daily actions and interactions. If we leave those we interacted with better for the experience, we displayed the best kind of leadership and yes, sometimes that simply means the ability to hide our panic from others and doing our best.

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How to Create a Breakthrough Year in 2018 https://blog.buffini.com/create-breakthrough-year-2018/ https://blog.buffini.com/create-breakthrough-year-2018/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:19 +0000 http://buffiniblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=6350 Entering my 15th year of Coaching has been very eye opening as I reflect back on […]

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Entering my 15th year of Coaching has been very eye opening as I reflect back on what has really worked and not worked both for myself and my clients. Since I doubt anyone wants to hear what hasn’t worked, I would like to submit to you the infamous 3-point strategy that I absolutely know will indeed lead to a breakthrough year if you choose to follow it this year. In true Brian Buffini fashion I first would like to give you my definition of what a breakthrough is: a significant offensive move to penetrate through and overcome a stalemate and bring success, progress and improvement; rising up to create a quantum leap. Are you ready for that? Then here we go:

1) Call your shot: What do you have a burning desire to get done or make happen this year? There’s nothing I love more or have seen work better than someone calling their shot combined with a “whatever it takes” attitude and mindset to make it happen. I could give you countless stories and practical examples of this so here’s just a few to whet your appetite:

  • One Harley riding client of mine had her eye on a particular Harley Davidson motorcycle but knew that it would take her best year ever in the business to get it done. She rose to the occasion and made it happen!
  • Another client of mine was determined to break the $500K gross commission barrier that had eluded him so his “carrot” was 2 Super Bowl tickets for him and his wife to experience the Super Bowl together. He killed it that year in having his best year ever and actually got to witness his favorite NFL team win the Super Bowl in a most dramatic way!

If Harleys and Super Bowls aren’t on your bucket list, how about a charity that you believe in and want to call your shot in giving back in a huge way? One of my clients who had started small giving to a charity called his shot to raise $100K per year for that same charity so that he could end up raising $1 million over a 10-year period of time to bless others!

2) Create some positive momentum: What is the one tactic you can get started on TODAY that will start blazing the trail towards your end game? Believe me, I understand that those first couple of steps forward can feel like you’re pushing a motor home up a big steep hill and it can be very uncomfortable and that’s exactly why you need to have a strong enough conviction to begin with when you’re calling your shot. If you’re not “all in” it’s simply not going to happen. On the flip side, if that desire is burning enough and when you decide to ACT and muster up just a little bit of courage, I guarantee you that you will be pleasantly surprised at the silent wind called positive momentum that you will create in back of you. Before long you will develop a sense of pride, confidence, and belief and maybe even a little “a-ha” that will have you saying, “Hey, I can really do this!” Remember, you treasure what you measure so keeping a success journal of your big and small victories is highly suggested.

3) Teamwork makes the dream work: I love to ask my kids the question, “What’s gonna work?” from one of their favorite TV shows and they shout back “Teamwork!” We simply can’t do it alone; we need community and relationships to be able to change. Connections empower us, balance our lives, keep us growing and learning faster, and make us more productive. Connections are the essence of life physically, mentally, and emotionally. Ask yourself who in your life cares about you enough to keep you capable of achieving your desired outcome and let them know that you really need them to help keep you on track this year. I have called on a gentleman who I know and trust to allow me to text him every single day this year on my big one word goal that I want him to keep me accountable/capable of this year and I am truly excited for the breakthrough that will absolutely happen this year with God’s strength empowering me.

So what say you? Do you have a strong enough dream or burning desire that will cause you to be stubbornly determined to make happen? Are you willing to write 2,018 notes in 2018 like one of my clients just announced that he will be doing this year? Whatever it is, start naming it and claiming it by calling your shot to those around you and put yourself in a position to win. Get on the breakthrough train, burn the ships, and don’t ever look back because the best is yet to come in making the rest of your life the best of your life!

We all know you can. It’s up to you to believe in yourself enough to make it happen.

Don’t hide that potential any longer,

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What Makes a Leader? https://blog.buffini.com/what-makes-a-leader/ https://blog.buffini.com/what-makes-a-leader/#respond Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:01:02 +0000 http://buffiniblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=6332 I once read a quote which stated, “True leadership is your ability to hide panic from […]

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I once read a quote which stated, “True leadership is your ability to hide panic from others.” The quote was intended to be humorous and it is.

Webster’s defines leadership as: “the position or function of a leader, the ability to lead, an act or instance of leading, guidance or direction.” By definition we are all called upon to be leaders in one capacity or another, whether you are a broker, owner, team leader, agent, mom, dad, community leader, coach, agent in your office or employee in another field. You get the idea, bottom line we are all leaders. My belief is it is a myth to say there are natural born leaders. No doubting some people are hard wired with leadership attributes which enable them to have more leadership tendencies but all of us need to develop the skill of a leader. Maya Angelou says: “I’ve learned people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  True leadership displayed in a simple quote. Think about the people you admire, what are some of the traits they display that you admire? My list would be integrity, generosity of spirit, willingness to share, kind, excellent in what they do. All of the skills I listed can be developed and worked on daily and over a lifetime. I am sure if you examine your list you will find the same thing.

Buffini and Company has many programs and tools to help our clients become better leaders in their respective fields. We do this by helping people develop their character and competence through our products and services like coaching, the Heritage Profile, working by referral programs and Brian’s podcasts. They are made and designed to help you develop as a leader in your business, life and community.

Leadership takes on many shapes, sizes and forms. We are all called upon to be leaders, to be the ripple in the pond through our daily actions and interactions. If we leave those we interacted with better for the experience, we displayed the best kind of leadership and yes, sometimes that simply means the ability to hide our panic from others and doing our best.

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