Undressed and Naked, Less Noodling and More Canoodling Explained.

The Moment You Knew

The moment you knew you’d passed your real estate exam, how’d you feel?  

I was giddy, fearful and full of hope.  

I took my California Real Estate Exam in December of 1978.  Back then, we didn’t have cell phones, computers, printers or the internet.  Huddled in a  fluorescent filled room, we  37 hopefuls scratched our heads and or exam answers with a Ticonderoga #2 pencil lead.  Upon completion, the proctor  collected our  test sheets and told us we would receive our results by US mail, maybe within two weeks, could be three.  

Wracked with doubt, twiddling  thumbs I waited…and drank beer.  Mojitos weren’t invented yet.  It was a primitive era.  Anyway.  Lumbleau School Of Real Estate teachers told us, if our results came in a big brown envelope we passed, anything else, they’d see us back in Prep Class.  Mine was a white envelope,  as thin and flimsy as my confidence and hope.  I opened the letter and words exploded off the page, “Congratulations….”.  Those cruel bastards had punked the entire class.  

I combed my long hair, ironed my elephant colored shirt, slipped on my best pair of cords and like a smooth stone across still water, I skipped smiling to my interview.

I’m a sales manager now.  While the hi-tech “how” has blazed forward, the people part “what” has remained relatively constant.  Now, newly minted real estate agents skip into our office for their Agent/Broker interview.  Popular questions asked back-when are asked now too.  The answers are different today….and the same. 

Two Popular Questions

Shiny Eyed Question #1:  “What does the average agent make in their first year with your company?”

Soft Smile Answer:  “That’s an interesting question.  Are you average?”

Eager Eared Question #2:  “What makes one person succeed and another not?”

My Simple Answer:  “Doing things that average people won’t do.  Less noodling and more canoodling”

Less Noodling.  More Canoodling.

Confession time.  My answers, “Are you average?” and “Doing things that average people won’t do.” are true.  I made up the “Less Noodling and More Canoodling” for this blog post.  I dreamed it up last Sunday night.  I believe I will add it to my propaganda/dogma, snappy answer library.  Whatever right?  Let’s undress and move on.

Canoodling Undressed and Naked?

Agents succeed because they DO more than the average clucker is willing to do.  

Agents succeed because they don’t splish-splash in the kiddy-pool waters of the urgent.  They DO swim dolphin-strong in the deep blue skied seas of the important.  

Agents succeed because they don’t freeze and cower in the get ready – aim, get ready – aim,  get ready – aim, loop of lameness.  They DO pull the freaking trigger and ride the bullet, damn the torpedos style.

Agents succeed because they don’t yammer and lip-flap about all the grand things they’re going to do.  They DO plan their work and work their plan.

Agents succeed because they fail faster and succeed sooner.  

Agents succeed because they don’t mistake activity for productivity.  They DO the most productive things first and foremost. Everyday.  Day in, day out.

Agents succeed because they don’t wait for something to happen or to be handed to them. They DO make things happen, strive to seize, please, perform and please.

Agents succeed because they don’t  ask for permission.  They DO pro-act now and ask forgiveness later.

Agents succeed because they don’t shun conversation.  They DO engage in On-Purpose, In-Person conversations, ask questions and listen more than they talk.

Agents succeed because they don’t cyber lurk and peep. They DO join in conversation, comment,contribute and create.

Agents succeed because they don’t avoid the new and unfamiliar.  They DO pursue the new, live-to-learn, lead and share.

Bottom Line – They don’t noodle with cry-baby excuses, they canoodle with passion and purpose.

Canoodling Checklist Challenge 

I was going to write a semi-long checklist of specific stuff to do under this headline.  Know what?  We aren’t suffering a malnutrition of  ideas, methods, systems or strategies. These Agent Genius pages are cornucopia-crammed with the juicy fruits of bright, practical, proven ideas.   Like we know the difference between moral “Right” and “Wrong”, we know the success differences between what “To Do” and what “Not To Do” in our businesses.  Our challenge is TO DO the right things – everyday.

Let’s challenge each other to plan our daily canoodling and work our plan with passion and purpose.  Two or three or five additional actions per day, WILL make all the difference.  The difference between cluckers and the Cream Of The Crop.

So, will you Canoodle with me and your tribe members, your clients, your friends, your family, your prospects, your suspects….your future?

PS.  The cartoons in the post were drawn by Hugh MacLeod.  He’s a crazy deranged fool.  See for yourself.

PSS.  I know.  In the title, “Undressed” and “Naked” are the same thing.  I thought it sounded more mysterious, attractive and fun, so I redundafied the title.