Such is the power of the kunahura that I rarely risk even thinking about a commission check until a contract has been signed and escrow’s been closed. The kunahura knows when you’re counting your chickens before they hatch and enjoys squashing those eggs.
Having said that …
This has been a busy week, most likely the busiest week of my career. In a two-week span I’ll have gone on four listing appointments (securing three listings with one in the air) and squired seven separate sets of buyers around the Valley.
One contract is being negotiated now and another should be completed at the builder this afternoon or tomorrow morning, kunahura willing. There’s also still a contract on a short sale pending and a decent chance for at least one more contract in the next couple of days and a slight chance at one or two others.
This may explain the brief blogging hiatus. But that’s not the point of this post.
The greater point is the notion of perseverance, of continuing to work in the manner you believe suits your business best despite the challenges and nay-sayers you will meet along the way.
My marketing plan is simple – I work the Internet. Of the two escrows I currently have, one is a corporate relocation and the other was referred to me by a fellow blogger. Both of the contracts now in play came from the Internet – one from my Arrowhead Ranch site and the other from the blog.
The client I’m meeting tomorrow and the clients I’m meeting Wednesday both came through the Westbrook Village site. Last week’s clients were referred to me by yet another blogger. Saturday’s buyers/sellers are friends of mine.
In short, the web works for me. Yet my attempts at electronic evangelism usually are met with skepticism (at best.) “I don’t know anything about that.” “I’m not techie.” Or my own personal favorite, “I don’t have time.”
It’s amazing that people who have time to spend four hours a week sitting in empty houses twiddling their thumbs, or who have the time (and money) to waste on pretty newspaper or magazine ads or door hangers or calendar magnets or you name it can’t find the time to work on their own web site.
What everyone wants is to pay someone to put together a web site and sit back as the leads and the checks come through. It doesn’t work that way. Prospecting takes time and it takes effort. Put those in and the leads will follow. Maybe not as fast as you hope and as fast as you may need but they will follow.
The naysayers are everywhere. Don’t put your eggs in one basket. The Internet is a fad. Blogging doesn’t work. Only hyper-local blogs work.
Your choice is simple. Listen to the reasons why something won’t work or get your tuchas in gear and show why they will work. It’s pretty much that simple.
Now I’m off to try and dodge the kunahura for another few hours.
