In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days. There are plenty of takeaways for those of you that have played basketball or are big fans of the sport.
Before you get into to fancy movements that break the ankles of the other team, you first need to master your dribble. What this means for real estate agents is to always fallback on the basics. Fancy objection one-liners are fun and all, but they are nowhere near as versatile as knowing how to build rapport on a cold call.
Sometimes you need to pass the ball because you are not in the right position to score a point. The real estate agent community can be treated as a collection of peers, instead of a pool of competition. Handing off a real estate buyer that has specific needs to another agent that specializes in that niche can benefit both you and the other agent in the long run. That agent is more likely to return the favor when they run across a lead that lands outside their expertise.
The fable of the tortoise and the hare is well known, but the moral of the story is seldom not heard by agents that are drowning in their success. Becoming really busy is a great problem to have, but it can also cause agents to develop complacency. This means they stop investing in lead generation, they stop keeping in touch with all their leads, and they stop following best practices. To be a true champion, consistency is required.
You never make the baskets you don’t take. It’s better to miss the shot, than to never take the opportunity. For real estate agents, this means always following up with online leads. Not all of them are bogus. And the majority of them will take time to nurture. If one falls off your radar, then that could cost you the championship - or in the case of your career, a significant commission check.
Basketball players and real estate agents can relate to eachother in terms of their work ethic, their drive, and their determination.