A Lesson From Dad – Aim and Shoot

Let me preface this by saying – I don’t hunt and never have.  Hell, my husband is a vegan so I’m clearly out of my element, but this hunting metaphor from my dad is a good one…

The Birth of the Lesson

As a slightly melodramatic high school student, I would fill the house with complaints about how overwhelmed I felt.  I had so much to do and it was utterly impossible to get it all done.  Hence, the birth of the quail hunting metaphor.  It was a lesson repeated with painful frequency while I was in college and even today, he’ll break it out every now and then for good measure.

The Hunt

My father used to go quail hunting and describes the sudden rush of a covey of quail into the sky as a hunter approaches.  With the rush of a dozen or so birds lifting suddenly into the air, the initial instinct is to begin blasting into the mass of birds.  With the possible exception of a lucky hit, he describes the hunter only coming up empty handed with this approach.

The Birds

As Realtors, we are constantly coming across wonderful ideas.  We attend seminars, read blogs, mastermind, and network with amazing professionals.  I come away from seminars filled with ideas that I’m dying to implement.  We are continually approached by different vendors with wonderful tools and new exciting marketing opportunities.

As we all try to grow and respond to the changing marketplace, many of us are looking for new systems that we can add to our business.  With all that is available to us, it’s tempting to begin ‘shooting’ at a bunch of these great ideas.

Take Aim and Shoot

My dad would describe the hunter that was able to show restraint, take aim, and shoot.   Of course, this is the hunter that could have consistent, predictable success.  Our business efforts are no different.

Take on one new project at a time.  Take aim and assess the costs, the time, and the potential ROI.  Implement. Review results.  Take aim at the next opportunity. One powerful, effective, and profitable system is significantly better than 3 or 4 that do little except make you feel busy.