Quitters Never Win?
All truth passes through 3 stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. ~Arthur Schopenhauer
“QUITTERS never win!” was scorched into my kid memories. I’m an adult now. I call “Bullshit”.
Parent Tapes remind us. Clucker crowds wag fingers, scratch and well…they cluck Tsk-Tsk. Traditional business frowns. Coaches cull. Even our own whispering inner voice berates and betrays us.
Consider QUITTING and chorused voices scream disapproval, “QUITTERS are weak, sad, small, unfit and foolish losers. It’s unAmerican to QUIT.” Simply reading the word makes us feel negativity, right? I’m going to desensitize you, you’ll read the word QUIT 27 times in this article.
I Call Bull S&#t
The way to get started is to QUIT talking and begin doing. ~Walt Disney
We should QUIT when QUITTING is wise.
How do we know when it’s wise?
It’s wise when we’ve disengaged our lemming like preprogrammed aversion to QUITTING and we’ve engaged our beautifully analytical big-brains. When we intellectually, conclude that QUITTING will release the weight and burden of misdirection, we can seize the better and beneficial.
For example. . .
QUIT These. START These.
“Insanity: Doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.” ~Albert Einstein
QUIT trying to train plow horses to run like thoroughbreds. START focusing on the talented and trainable.
QUIT chasing strangers who don’t give a crap about you, your value, your services, your knowledge, your experience and expertise. STARTattracting, impressing and connecting with people who already know you, like you and trust you.
QUIT working with clients who disrespect your time, expertise or character. START respecting yourself, set boundaries and seek respectful relationships.
QUIT spending cash on direct mail marketing that hasn’t generated a listing or selling opportunity in the last 90. START making personal contact, continue direct mail marketing and reevaluate in 90 days or redirect the money to more productive pursuits….like anything that involves On-Purpose, In-Person contact.
QUIT spending cash on printed newspaper and magazine ads that haven’t generated an ad-call listing or selling opportunity in the last 60 days. START deploying cash in On-Line marketing, branding and promotions.
QUIT chauffeuring alleged-buyers endlessly. START qualifying for desire, urgency, ability and reality. Reinvest recaptured time in developing new referral recommendations and attracting qualified clients.
QUIT listing properties your know are over priced. START investing energy in attracting and identifying qualified sellers.
QUIT working with sellers who won’t stage, de-clutter, clean, neaten or enhance the appearance of their property. START investing your emotion in sellers who want to sell.
QUIT friending so-called friends who whine, gossip and projectile vomit negativity. START building relationships with positive people.
QUIT working with a broker/company who fears change, poo-poos technology, shuns modern methods and avoids progress, but is Gung-Ho on tradition, status-quo, advertising fees, administrative fee, fee-fees and no-action happy talk. START investigating new partnerships today, make your move ASAP.
QUIT focusing on your weaknesses. START focusing on the Praeto Principle and strengthen your strengths.
QUIT making decisions primarily based on emotion, habit, tradition and comfort. START stretching your comfort zone, kick tradition in the teeth, shattering old habits and flexing your intellectual thinking skills.
QUIT clucking like Barney Fife. START I RISEing, Maya Angelou style.
Addition By Subtraction
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him… The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself… All progress depends on the unreasonable man.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
As paradoxical as it sounds, QUITTING more will provide refocused energy, emotion, time and money for new productive and profitable habits and activities.
If we sat quietly and thought loudly, I know we could come up with a legal sized list of “QUIT These Things and START These Things”. I know you’re busy, but if you could or would, I’d be awesome and appreciated if you could share in the comments what you are QUITTING and STARTING. Or you can leave a comment and say, “Ken Brand, you’re full of crap!”, either way, let me hear from you.
Thanks for reading. Clink-Cheers
Derec Shuler
April 27, 2009 at 7:27 am
Great piece Ken, thanks for taking the time to put this together to start a Monday!
Missy Caulk
April 27, 2009 at 7:34 am
I wish I could forward this to some folks I know, great motivation post to start the week.
Angel Curry
April 27, 2009 at 8:04 am
I love it & I’d like to see more!
Matt Thomson
April 27, 2009 at 8:51 am
I’m assuming you’ve read Seth Godin’s “The Dip?” Same principle, used more words to say it.
Brad N
April 27, 2009 at 9:07 am
Ken…Great piece. What a way to start a Monday. I am already looking at things to quit!!!
Katie Cooper
April 27, 2009 at 10:59 am
One word – Amen! 😉
Alan May
April 27, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I love it… “I Quit”.
Robert Northfield
April 27, 2009 at 12:15 pm
My market has no shortage of “lookers” this season. It is indeed Quitting Time!! Your piece could not have come at a better time, Ken, as a reminder that tire-kickers are rarely buyers!
Ken Brand
April 27, 2009 at 9:19 pm
It’s a battle right. All those voices in my head telling me to hang in there, blah, blah…some times it’s smart to hit the eject button.
Thanks for reading….I guess I’ll keep sharing then. Thanks for sharing with me.
kb
Gretchen - LifeStyle Denver
April 27, 2009 at 9:26 pm
I love the Schopenhauer and Einstein quotes.
Quitting taking over priced listings and mailing postcards is so hard to convince people to do, yet they fret about their lacking business. This is a strong cup of coffee for agents who want success in the new Millennium.
Susie Blackmon
April 28, 2009 at 2:15 am
I just last week quit trying to teach classes at my office. Why? The deer-in-the-headlights stares were starting to affect my attitude! If you haven’t seen ZipvoGreg’s rant, I reblogged it a few days ago on Active Rain. He had the kahunas to post my sentiments exactly.
I quit going into the office almost immediately. No one else blogs so they don’t understand I have work to do.
I quit wondering why agents think their franchises should bring ‘leads’ to them. I’ve never thought of potential customers as ‘leads.’ To me, potential customers are initially casual acquaintances who have gotten to know me and WANT to do business with me because they have gotten to ‘know’ me by reading my blogs.
Etc., etc.! Great post Ken.
RErollarcoaster
April 28, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Wow this speaks to me. I heard another good piece of advice recently which doesn’t fit with the “quit” paradigm but also challenges you to change: Everyone keeps telling you to keep your head down and ride it out – that’s wrong. You should keep your head up – at least you will see the bullet coming.
Charles McDonald
May 13, 2009 at 11:39 am
Ken,
I have to tell you that I have bookmarked this post and now referred to it several times.
It is excellent and I appreciate your effort in posting it
Charles
Ken Brand
May 13, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Gretchen – Thanks. Yeah, it’s easy to get tar babied up in crap that drags you down. rock on:-)
Susie- Yep, I read the post and I couldn’t leave a comment, too many things to say about that subject. As a sales manager I feel all the pain and dumbfoundedness of how people approach the business and absorb the obvious. The jokes and rolled eyes from the people who think Facebook and blogging, etal is kids stuff, make a man want to pimp slap them or drink. I choose drink and SM on….um…that’s Social Media for the record. Ha, ha. Hit it Susie.
Rerollercoaster – I like that, Keep your head up…I’d add “and on a swivel”. I’m like you, I want the light on and I wanna see what’s goin on if you know what I mean. Thanks for the comment.
Charles – Thanks for the compliment, it makes me happy to know you benefited. thanks for sharing.