On November 21, Brian Icenhower, team leader with the Tulare County market center and ALC members Kevin Blain and Carlos Aleman completed the prestigious Ford Ironman Triathlon in Tempe, Arizona. This grueling, all-day endurance competition consisted of a 2.4 mile swim leg, a 112 mile cycling leg, and finished with a 26.2 mile marathon run.

By implementing a number of Keller Williams’ mindsets and practices that range from time-blocking to the six perspectives, the three real estate athletes proved that what you focus on does expand. Their Tulare County market center grew by over 150 net agents during the year leading up to training for this triathlon. Amazingly, Kevin Blain was able to close well over 400 units during that same year!

“I am proud to say that I was forced to set the goal of completing this race while I was attending MAPS’ BOLD series just over a year ago. Without Keller Williams or BOLD, I never would have ventured to attempt it!” states Icenhower.

Aleman noted that “it truly took focusing on my 20 percent at a new level, and now I feel like I can take on anything.”

If I had to pick one defining moment in the history of Keller Williams Realty, it would have to be a conversation that I had with a consultant back in 1994, when I was trying to map out a strategy for expanding our company outside of Texas. He said, “You know, I’ve looked at your goals; I’ve looked at your organization, and it’s going to take about 14 or 15 people for you to hit your goals.”

At the time, I thought it was going to take about 60,000 people, and when I told him that, he drew an organizational chart that showed me how I could make it happen with the right 14 people who would hire and empower their own teams of people and so on. He was right, and he’s still a consultant for us.

This was more than a pivotal lesson in hiring. It was the conversation that sparked our company’s whole philosophy of succeeding through others, as well as our understanding that the people we surround ourselves with, make all the difference in our success or failure. Without exception, I find that the most successful people in real estate and in life are those who are very intentional about seeking out and surrounding themselves with the very best.

I often think back to that turning point in our company’s history during conversations with mega achievers, so it’s no surprise that it came up when I had the pleasure of visiting with Greg Harrelson, founder of The Century 21 Harrelson Group in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

In 2010, The Harrelson Group’s 18-person team closed more than 700 deals. Even though Greg says he now functions as more of a coach for his team than as a real estate agent, he personally closed more than 100 of those deals. At the age of 40, he’s clearly doing a lot of things right and has been very focused on surrounding himself with the right people. His passion at this point in his career is simply to fuel the success of those in his inner circle.

Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

On standing on the shoulders of giants

At the age of 27, after four years of working for his Dad’s real estate team, which was doing about 120 deals a year, Greg says “The ego was kicking in and I started seeing that there was a lot of upside in me becoming the No. 1 decision-maker on the team. My Dad agreed and the next thing you know, we are doing 160 deals a year, 180 deals a year, 240 deals a year, 300 deals a year, 330 deals, all the way up to 484, which is the number of deals we closed in 2004, the year my Dad retired.  And that was my mission – a secure retirement for him and my Mom. I recognized that he brought me into this business and he guided me and trusted me and supported me when I was going in all of these different directions. He was my No. 1 team man and we did it together to 484 deals. My next goal was to build a team with the highest per-person production in our market.”

On leverage

“Tony DiCello was my coach when he was with The Mike Ferry Organization and one day we divided my day into income-generating activities and income-servicing activities. Once I looked that list I declared that I would never do income servicing activities again, and that concept now carries through my entire team. Income generators do nothing but generate and income services do nothing but service. Our current teams consists of eight listing agents, six buyers agents, a closing coordinator who takes over once the contract is signed, a listing coordinator who is currently handling 550 active listings, a broker/manager, and an executive assistant.  ”

Continue reading ‘Are You Surrounded by the Best?’

With more than 10 million books sold and over fifty years of experience under his belt, Harvey Mackay has plenty to offer in the way of sales advice. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this legend’s most recent book, The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, which recently landed the No. 1 spot on the Wall Street Journal’s Best Seller list, and would like to share an aha.

In the book, Mackay tells of his experience seeing Billy Crystal’s one-man show, 700 Sundays, not once, but twice. “Both were sensational!” He talks about Tony Bennett singing the same song, over and over and over again, for more than fifty years. “It’s exciting every single time!” To Mackay, these guys are pros. Every show is treated as the one-and-only time they will ever perform. Even though the audience knows there were seven, thirty-two or 119 shows before the one they’re seeing, there’s no contest this is the best performance yet.

Mackay credits his aha moment of this working model to his college golf coach, who said: “Every drive you hit… every approach shot you make… every putt you stroke… you say to yourself, ‘This is the last drive I will ever hit. This is the last approach shot I will every make. This is the last putt I will ever stroke. Therefore, it better be my best.’ ”

Sales is repetitive. That’s all there is to it. Your only option is to be completely present in every single conversation you have about your business. You must be passionate and treat every opportunity as if it is your last. Every potential client must be treated as a precious resource. It’s easier said than done. Time and again when we interview the best-of-the-best we observe they aren’t necessarily doing extraordinary things, but rather bring extraordinary effort to the monotonous everyday task that lead to extraordinary results.

What are the areas of your business where you are making a commitment to be present every time?

–Jay Papasan

p.s. As a thank you to Keller Williams Realty’s continued support, Harvey is giving us access to his book “Harvey Mackay The Network Builder.” I encourage you all to go check it out. Here’s the link: http://www.harveymackay.com/bonus/

Thanks for joining us in celebrating KW Green Week! We hope you enjoyed the green webinars and blog posts, as well as the quick green tips and free book pop quizzes on our Green Your Home Facebook page.

But, don’t let the end of Green Week be the end of your Green journey! Keep your own Green Week going throughout the year-remember we are constantly updating our Green Your Home Facebook page with tips and articles to read and share with your sphere. Use them on your own page-that is why we post them!

Also, pick up and read a copy of Green Your Home-it is an easy-to-understand guide that will make you even more comfortable in guiding your clients. And, with the holidays around the corner, this is also a perfect time for you to give it to current and past clients as a gift!

Make Green Week every week starting now!

Green Week Blog Posts:

Red is Green

Take a Peek into Green Your Home

Six Things to Think About Before You Suggest Green Improvements

Why Green Networks Offer a Win-Win for You and Your Sphere of Influence

GreenWorks Realty of Seattle Joins Keller Williams