Being positive will literally keep you in business. Here's why.
There is just one thing we have complete control over in our lives, and that is our mindset, or the way we react to what is happening around us.
Recently, COVID-19 has thrown all of us out of routine and put us in a place of mass uncertainty. What can we do about it? Perhaps the most important thing is to tweak our mindsets to be strong, optimistic and flexible in a time like this.
If you're struggling with your mindset right now, don't worry. In this article, we're going to help you change it. You'll learn:
- The three mindsets and how they affect business
- The importance of inspiring others with your own mindset
- How to inspire the mindsets of your clients and sphere with good news
3 Natural Responses Human Beings Have During Chaos
There are three responses that people are prone to during chaos and uncertainty. Those responses include Fight, Flight and Freeze. The response YOU choose will directly affect your current clients, and even the growth of your business after this is all over.
Fight
What does it mean to have a "fight" response? This is the most ideal response to something unexpected, and it simply means adapting and making the proper changes to survive. Someone who fights is someone who makes the best of a difficult situation. For a real estate agent, fighting means learning to adapt to the changing market and the changing needs of buyers and sellers.
Flight
Someone who takes the "flight" response avoids the situation entirely. They deny that anything has changed, and, therefore, they do not take the proper steps to change themselves and their businesses. Many people during COVID-19 started with the "flight" response — and many of them are slowly, but surely, realizing that a new plan is necessary. (Of course, by the time they get a plan together, those who decided to fight initially are ahead of the curve.)
Freeze
We all know what it means to freeze in fear. This is perhaps one of the most dangerous responses because nothing at all gets accomplished. You can compare it to being out in pitch darkness and having a bright light in your face that prohibits vision. In the world of real estate, freezing — not communicating with prospects and clients or attempting business on any level — can cost more than any agent can afford.
Remember: Inspiring Others is Important, Too
If you're a broker or assisting other agents on a team, it's important to understand these three mindsets and identify them in others. A leader should ideally encourage and inspire a "fight" mindset in others and give them the psychological tools to weather the storm.
Even if you aren't a broker or leading a team, you, as an independent agent, have the role of encouraging and inspiring the sellers and buyers you work with. Shake them out of their own fears and remind them that life (and business) can go on, with the right methods.
Prepare Your Resources for Better Mindset
A big part of "fighting" the current conditions is having the right resources. This includes evaluating the resources you've used for a while to see if they are still applicable and brainstorming possible new resources to change your mindset and remain optimistically proactive. Purposefully seeking out positive information will help you and everyone else you come in contact with.
Resources to consider right now might include:
Good news about the economy and housing market
Much of the news is made up of doom and gloom, so why not give your clients and sphere members something positive to calm their nerves and help them feel better about the future? Try anything that shows how the economy and the housing market are likely to prevail to instill hope, rather than fear.
Good news about COVID-19
In a time like this, sharing a bit of non-business news is a great idea. Show your clients and sphere members that you care about topics besides business and money. Try sharing stories about people surviving, medical professionals making headway, or any other "human interest" piece.
Good news about how you'll continue to conduct business
Your clients and your prospects are hungry for normalcy, so reassure them that you'll work hard to achieve it as much as possible.
- For sellers, share how you plan to market their listings with the help of virtual tours, high-quality photos and descriptions and social media posts.
- For buyers, share how you plan to help them find their dream home online with video conference calls, virtual tours, Google Maps and/or neighborhood and community research.
Remember, your attitude and approach to challenges in life — whether it's COVID-19 or anything else — have a lot to do with whether you'll succeed. Don't sit on the sidelines or let the next several weeks pass you by without springing into action. Anything you do right now is going to make a difference to your clients and sphere and enable them to look at you as a strong leader.
