Short Version
You’re awesome.
The work will be there for you, just waiting, in 2022!
Do the math.
And ultimately, all that truly matters is what you believe in. What story are you telling yourself?
Stop believing in other peoples bullshit stories.
Start believing in yourself!
Long Version
We don’t sell our hours.
We ‘sell’ results.
When our output is measured in ‘files complete’ the work essentially never ends.
Not at 5pm
Not on Friday
Not at the end of the School year
Not ‘in time for the holidays’
And not at year end.
There is no ‘end’
Results are always in demand, 24/7 – 365!
The work we choose to do is essential, and it’s essentially endless.
Just one more call, one more client, one more app, one more submission, one more commitment, one more file complete.
Leading to what?
There.
Is.
No.
End.
And to this end… please listen closely to this Key Point;
You’re not ‘busted to zero’ on Jan 1.
This is a ridiculous idea, designed to swipe some of that most precious of commodities from you… your self confidence.
Ask yourself’ is all that you’ve accomplished in 2021 erased?
All the grinding.
The work.
The lessons learned.
The targets hit.
The goals crushed.
No.
No way you’re at zero.
Don’t listen to anyone who says you are.
F*ck them, they don’t know you.
You’ve climbed a mountain!
Some climbed taller mountains, some steeper, some opted for sheer rock faces, with never before navigated lines (less of a crowd this way) and in many cases you needed special gear or more likely special people. A special partner, in business and/or life, or a special team.
Are you really going to tell any of those amazing humans they are back at zero?
No.
Of course not.
We are, each of us, going to build on the foundations of what we accomplished last year, the year before than, and the years before those.
We’re going to add another floor to the high-rise building that’s our business, that is our life, and the air will get a bit clearer, the view a bit better, and the little things will bother us that much less… no really they will.
Sure, it’s a competitive marketplace, sort of… but not really.
Not when you know the real numbers for your market.
How many mortgage transactions are there in your market?
Let’s do the math…
Nobody does the math!
I get it, math sucks.
Except it doesn’t, it is in fact your critical advantage.
People will bitch and moan about ‘being at zero’ or carry on about nonsense such as ‘the danger of interest ratest’ or ‘new government regulations’ but I am here to tell you, I am here to unburden you of such notions as the reality is that in fact – none of this noise matters.
You matter.
Your people matter.
Your attitude matters.
And hey, how many people decided they liked you enough to work with you last year?
How many?
Say the number out loud, write it down.
Here’s the good news, this year, that same number of people will like you, unless over the holidays you become some kind of grumpy jerk. Don’t do that.
No, you won’t do that.
And so at least the same number of new people will work with you in 2022.
Because that 2021 number, it’s your baseline, and we don’t go backwards in this business – or at least not for long.
All you need to do in order to win 2022 is what?
Be at least as likeable as you were in 2021, or better yet become just a bit more likeable.
Present yourself a bit better, appear a bit smarter (which is different than having to be smarter), do these small things, and you’ll have an even better year.
Because for all the talk of what could happen, were you not paying attention to what did happen?
A pandemic happened!
Seriously!?!
A.
Pandemic.
That’s as real as it gets, it was a thing, and guess what… people decided they still need to eat, to game, to renovate, to go to the dentist, to buy new clothes, to watch tik-tok… life goes on.
Kids still want to move out.
Or the parents want to move out.
Or, OK… maybe just one of the parents want to move out.
People will move out, up, and on. People will refinance, buy a second home, investment properties, their kids will go to school in another province and they’ll want to buy that kid a condo to live in for the 4-7 yrs of school… maybe… is this still a thing?
In any event – here’s the one thing that matters… the one thing that your success in 2022 depends upon more than any other thing.
This dictates it.
This one thing… it’s everything!
What is it?
It’s the economy between your own two ears. (shout out to Ozzie)
So…
What do you believe?
Markets become the stories we tell about them, so will your business and your life.
So what’s the story you’re telling yourself?
If it’s a shit story – I implore you to actually do the math!
What math you ask?
- How many properties in your province? (BC is ~1.9M)
- How many have mortgages? (~60% or 1.14M)
Forget purchase/sale transactions – ‘assume’ they go to zero in 2022… which is, as all assumptions are, quite dumb…but let’s do it… zero!
Forget equity take outs, and also refinances – assume again they are gone.
Dumb again… but there is a point to this.
Further assume that all mortgages run a full 5yrs, and all there’s only renewal business.
See how crazy assuming is, but what does this leave us with?
1.9M properties x 60% (with mortgages) / 5 (years) = 228,000 potential transactions per year.
But not really, because 128,000 homeowners are foolishly going to sign the first renewal letter they see.
Why people why?
We can’t help those who don’t want to be helped!
Those are the ‘fish in the barrel’ for the lenders, and you don’t’ get access to the barrel.
Lenders are in the barrel business, not us. We work for each client, catching them one at a time.
And 100,000 are swimming free, making calls, looking for advice.
Looking for a trusted advisor, an expert – like you!
100,000 potential transactions, purely based on renewals alone, in the province of BC – just BC.
Average balance $400,000.00
Average commission – knock it down big time and call it $2,000.
Now ask yourself, if some ahem… rather ‘unique’ humans can run for office and get 51% of people to ‘like’ them, can you get 51 people to like you?
Not 51%
Not 51,000.
Just 51.
That’s zero point zero zero zero five percent.
0.0005%
If you believe you can, well hey, you just earned 100K.
But why stop at the lofty goal of zero point zero zero zero five percent?
You’re gonna be even more likeable than ever in 2022 right?
So lets aim high, crazy high, let’s go for zero point zero zero two percent.
Again, not 2%.
0.002%
And even if you only get half to that goal, this is 100 files funded, something a normal human can do on their own, easily. And that’s you, a normal human!
And on this whole ‘becoming more likeable’ thing…
What is the #1 way to become more likeable?
Stop bitching.
Stop bitching about that which you have NO control over.
You’re wasting your time and mine.
Especially stop bitching about that which you DO have control over.
Get your act together and address it.
Work it out bud.
And post your wins if you need to, but rather than worrying about social media likes, maybe the focus should be mortgage likes!
But wait Dustan, you don’t understand… ‘nobody calls me’
OK, figure out why, and while you’re figuring it out – make 80 outbound calls per day.
Not 18.
80.
Because what else are you doing all day?
Focus on that amazing economy between your own two ears… opportunity abounds!
Make It Happen!
And also, set some boundaries now – don’t wait until you’re working 80hrs a week and find that you no longer know any other version of life. Don’t be me.
Sure, I took 2 weeks off and went to Maui in June…
…of 2011.
Look again at that mortgage math above, the business is there, it will always be there, and again let me remind you that you’re not starting from zero on Jan 1 – not even close.
Jan 1 is just another day, another day in an infinite game.
In fact you already have a decent January on the books – Feb/march are questionable because hey you’re taking some much deserved time in December.
And that’s ok.
But this coming year, 2022, don’t wait for week-52 to take time off – instead take your evenings off, 3 or 4 of them anyways, and take your weekends off, again 3 or 4 of them (each month) anyways.
The work is there.
You’re awesome.
Do the damn math.
All that matters is what you believe in, so stop believing in bullshit and please, for me, for your family, for your friends, for you team…
Just believe in you!
2021 out!