Does this sound familiar to you and your great assistant?

Real Estate Agent returns from a seminar and says to Real Estate Assistant –

“This was the best seminar ever! Oh I am so excited my hair is on fire! So many great ideas were shared! Here are 72 things we need to change immediately! “

“I am thrilled about the changes we are going to make right now!” 

“Type my notes and then let’s make these changes, order these new “shiny objects” of lead generation, build this new database, and here are 17 new systems I want to have in place by Friday or could they get done by Thursday?”

Reality check – As agents we are excited coming back from a seminar or training event and want only to turn our office upside down to implement the inspirational ideas and “gadgets” we were exposed to during the few days we were gone. We simply want it done and done now. But, we do not have a plan for implementation or realistic goals for completion.

We found at the seminar the “magic pill”, or worse yet, numerous “magic pills!” We feel that we must implement immediately. After all, how have we done business without these great items of change?

The bottom line – nothing gets really implemented and you get frustrated with yourself, your systems and for some reason, your assistant gets in the mix also. Not Fair!

Whoa! Remember you are just coming back from a seminar. You have things that must be done first to jump back on the real estate wheel of business. So I hear many complaints from great assistants who just roll their eyes when you come back. The excitement lasts about 48 hours and then the ideas and notes…maybe are never seen again or worse…the “shiny objects” you bought never got started.

I can speak from experience. I spent over $3000 on a software and not even the technology guy at $100 an hour could figure it out! No, I did not get my money back and I paid $295 a month for a year before my team and I gave up on it. Anyone else have a story to add? I don’t want to add up the other “shiny objects” or “magic pills” I bought. Surely, you have done something just a brilliant as me.

Since I love checklists, here is one so you and your assistant have a system in place when you return from a seminar or training event.

SEMINAR IDEAS AND IMPLEMENTATION CHECKLIST:

_____ 1. Have a 2 hour meeting with your assistant first thing the morning you return.

_____ 2. Hand your assistant all the business cards from other agents you met and have the assistant put the information in your agent database.

_____ 3. Read and go over your notes from the seminar.

_____ 4. Have your assistant make a list of things you want to change, implement and order.

(Make it a rule to never ever buy anything over $500 at a seminar from the vendors, or sign a contract past 3 months without coming home first and let the “magic” come into reality.)

_____ 5. Once the list is completed, discuss with the assistant or team member and get their buy-in. This should be obvious why you want them to think it’s a great idea or improvement.

_____ 6. Take the time to discuss and rate each item in order of importance.

_____ 7. Put a projected date of completion next to each item.

_____ 8. If it’s a purchase, have your assistant check references and reviews and establish a projected ROI.

_____ 9. Implement only one item at a time, remember the assistant is adding this to his/her daily plate.

_____ 10. Schedule a meeting with your assistant every Monday for 15 minutes to specifically review the progress of implementing items on the list.

_____ 11. Have your assistant type up your notes and create a binder with the notes labeled and dated. These are valuable notes that you probably won’t read again, but hey it’s worth a try …you might need to look at it again. I have notes from a seminar in 1984! (I am a seminar note hoarder, if I ever need to use my fireplace to heat my house I have fuel for 16 years.)

_____ 12. Thank your assistant for their help and support. I also suggest you pay them a bonus to complete the top 10 items on the list. Nothing like $ cash $ to help team members make a ferocious commitment to implementation.

Have a great next seminar, come back with some sane expectations, and develop a reasonable implementation plan with your great assistant.

PS. Next time you go to a seminar, send flowers to your assistant while you are gone…just to prepare them for the tsunami of ideas coming their way.

Monica