Goldwasser Institute

Successful people, like successful businesses, live with these questions:”How can I improve the quality of my performance? How can I do better?”

“Big success calls for persons who continually set higher standards for themselves and others, persons who are searching for ways to increase efficiency, to get more output at lower cost, to do more with less effort. Top success is reserved for the I-can-do-it-better kind of person.”                                                                       

                                                                    David J Schwartz-The Magic of Thinking Big

Happy Holidays! I hope that you are having an awesome holiday season and that you are getting amped up and excited for a new year that is going to be incredible. I am always excited about this time of year because what I find is that is an amazing opportunity to make things happen while the average person is out there taking time to relax and enjoy the “slow times”. I know, this is the time to sit back and just enjoy your family and friends, and the season. That is a fine attitude for someone that wants to be average, but not for people looking to take people that are looking to reach their maximum potential, not for you and me. Now is the time to start creating momentum and getting your business swinging into action for next year.

 If you want to take your business to a new level and double your sales you better start getting out now and getting in front of people. I believe in taking time off to relax and enjoy Christmas with the kids and the family, and the day after Christmas as well. We sat around in our pajamas on the day after until 2pm just playing and having fun with the kids. But, I did not sit around all weekend.

On Saturday I left the family at 9:45am for a listing appointment with one of my agents and a 1-4pm open house. I spent an hour at my office preparing my open house book with my prospect surveys, sellers’ disclosure, MLS sheet on the home I was holding open and a whole slew of statistics and comparable properties available for sale in the neighborhood I was holding my open house. I then went to the listing appointment (we got it) and was off to set up my signs and preview 5 properties around my open. I put out 15 signs, plastering the area with directions to get to where I was and my branding. Within fifteen minutes my first guests arrived. Over the course of the next 3 hours I had 12 prospects through that home, one of which was a solid A lead whom I have already set a follow up appointment to do a market analysis, and start their search for a 4-600k home. There were three others that were also solid buyers and 1 solid seller. 4 leads for 3 hours work, 2 days after Christmas…I will take it. The following day I held another open house from 1-4pm and had 8 people through. Another 4 solid leads, one of which I have already set an appointment for today, need to buy by the end of January. So here are my suggestions for you if you want to take your business to a new level in the new year:

1.       Get active now-Average people are sitting around right now waiting for the people to come to them. Quit waiting, do not be average. I hear a lot of people claiming they want to get better, but you have to ask yourself as the quote says, “What am I doing to get better today?”

2.       Be on the phones-There is going to be a whole slew of expired listings on the 1^st day of January, call them. You may be thinking, but I do not have an expired program. So what, neither do I, we just make the calls and get appointments. We are having a super prospecting event all day Friday, with as many agents as we can get that want to make it happen. We are going to call every last expired in our city and get some appointments.

3.       Create a solid plan-If you do not have your 2009 business plan written already, get it done. Mine is a short 1 page document that has a few key items that I need to focus on to take it to a new level next year. I have it laminated and I look at it every single day of my life to remind myself of what I must be doing.

4.       Start thinking bigger-Start today, right now! Say this with me now, “I am making things happen and I am going to double my business now!” Who cares if it sounds absurd to you at this point. All great visions start out sounding absurd. What do you think people thought when the Wright brothers said they could fly? Or what do you think I though the first time I said, “I am a New York Times bestselling author.” ABSURD! Just start proclaiming your excellence and after a while you are going to push and push yourself to become that person that you have envisioned for so long and then you will push yourself further.

That is all I have time for right now, I have got to get on the phones and start preparing for success today. You can get in front of 20 prospect in 24 hours this weekend, but you must make it happen. Things do not just happen in life, it is up to you to make things happen. NOW GO AND DO IT!!!!!! There are no limits.    cg

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Hello my friends, it has been too long. I have been neglecting my job of spreading positive vibes through my blog for too long. Fortunately, the reasoning is because I have been writing, (mostly in my notebook not typed yet, otherwise I would share) my new book, working title Brainwashed-Spreading Your Powerful Positive Energy. I promise that it is going to be amazing, I am very excited about it, and I hope you are too. I will be asking for your help on that one soon, I am going to be looking for stories on how you have seen the magic of being positive has effected your life, or stories of how negativity has hurt yours or someone else’s life. I have also finished the first draft of the book that I am writing with Thom Singer titled, Some Assembly Required a Networking Guide for Real Estate Professionals, should be published and available by the end of March. I will let you know how you can order this one soon. I have also been focused on the launch of our new real estate company Goldwasser Real Estate, which has been awesome. Not to mention the fact that I have been spending time with Mason, Aden and Samantha (my 3 amazing children), my wife Tara (9 days in Costa Rica-INCREDIBLE!), the Texas Longhorns football season and enjoying the holidays. So please forgive me and enjoy the following BOOST!  

“Case history after case history proved that the size of bank accounts, the size of happiness accounts, and the size of one’s general satisfaction account is dependent on the size of one’s thinking. There is MAGIC in thinking big.”                                David J Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big 

I was on vacation in Costa Rica, lying in the sun, enjoying the beauty of the rainforests, having a great time re-connecting with my wife. We were staying at a beautiful Marriot resort on the Pacific coast in a town called Jaco. We were surrounded by lush green mountainsides; the vast and blue Pacific Ocean, palm trees, vibrant flowers, and all things tropical. There were no cell phones for me, no computers, no email, and no connection to my normal hectic, fast paced world. Nothing but happiness and joy in my life at that point, except for one small thing-The New York Times! That’s right, unfortunately the resort would put a condensed eight page version of this paper outside my door every morning, giving me a glimpse into all of the problems in the world. I am totally aware and interested in keeping up with world issues and staying on top current events, but it seems that every time I pick up the paper my mind is dragged down into the negative. There is a lot of problems right now, there always have been and there always will be tough stuff in this world, but do not drag yourself into this negativity by reading the paper first thing in the morning every day. What I would find happening to me after reading this paper is that I would start to think of all of the distress in the world and my mind would get filled with worry, doubt, and fear about what was going to happen, instead of thinking about what an incredible opportunity I have to make a difference. My mind was dragged into the negative when instead I needed to be steering my mind to the positive, to my goals, my dreams, my vision for the future. I needed to keep myself “thinking big”.

The whole premise of the book The Magic of Thinking Big, is that the size of our opportunity is directly proportional to the size of our thinking. Are you thinking big? What do you see as a vision for your life? Is it a big future full of opportunity? Or are you holding yourself back, and limiting yourself by thinking small? Do you set goals and accomplish them, which will build your confidence and belief? Or do you think about all of the failures in your life and what you have not done? Is your vision for your future clear and do you have it written down where you can look at it every day? Or do you just hope that things will go your way? We have got to start changing our world, we have got to start thinking BIG! The greatest tragedy of this world is men and women selling themselves short. Not living up to their potential because they fall victim to small thinking, believing that they are not entitled to live an amazing life. We are entitled to live an incredible life, full of energy, passion and the fulfillment of all of our dreams. We are entitled to that. If you are feeling that you are becoming a victim of small and negative thinking employ these ideas in your life:

 1. Fill your mind with positive influences- I get great energy from the books I read, the cd’s I listen to (motivational and learning), the people I surround myself with, and the seminars I attend.

2. Start controlling your conversation in your mind- Each and every one of us has a constant stream of thoughts going on inside our brains, the challenge is when we just let the thoughts flow instead of controlling the conversations. We have to start taking control of the thoughts, start talking to ourselves in a positive uplifting way. I do this with a constant stream of affirmation saying things like “I am the best at what I do, I am an incredible person, I live my life with powerful positive energy, I am a #1 NY Times Bestselling author, I am living an incredible life.” I just start thinking and saying these things to myself every morning and it helps me to realize how powerful I am.

3. Stay focused on what is great and be grateful- When you can learn to remember what you have in life instead of what you are lacking, and then be grateful for what you have been given you will find yourself being more positive. I learned this through the book The Secret. The more you realize how much you have the more you will realize what an impact you can make. Start being grateful and thinking bigger of yourself.

4. Project a bigger image of your life- Use your mind to start thinking big thoughts about who you are and who you can become. It is amazing what a big vision, a positive, uplifting, exciting vision can do for you. Write down a thought right now and start focusing on it.

These are just a few ideas that I have used in my own life that have made a huge difference.

As I would sit and ponder all of the challenges of our world that I read about in that paper in Costa Rica, I realized, I need to keep my eyes on the positive vision I have for my life. I am a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and I am positively impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide. That thinking is what I need to be focused on every single day. When you have a big dream, a big vision it will help you to feel good, and it will help you to think well. By staying positive, and infiltrating your mind with an exciting vision you will start to think creatively on how to make that vision become reality. When we focus our lives to much on what is negative in the world and in our life, then we will lose sight of the opportunity that we have to do great things. It is our responsibility as leaders to create positive energy all around us, to have self-responsibility for our attitudes, and the aura that we project and spread to the world. If you are not thinking big, if you do not have a grand vision for your future it will be tough to do.

Take a step right now and start thinking bigger today. if you have not read The Magic of Thinking Big, I highly recommend it, books can change your life, this one is changing mine again. Keep infiltrating your mind, flooding your head with great energy from yourself and others, it makes a big difference.

What I hold in my mind from my Costa Rican vacation is not those articles I read in that little paper, it is the beautiful times with my wife, laying in a hammock under a palm tree, the lush green rainforests, the monkeys running through the trees, the majestical Pacuare River rafting trip we took, the sun, the time sitting by the pool reading, writing, thinking about the amazing gift of life. It is the magic of the world that we live in that I hold as a picture to go back to.

Have an awesome day and know that I will do my best to keep sharing and writing. Spread some positive energy today to those around you, it is an awesome time of year. Happy holidays!    cg

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Networking is key to success, I have a book coming out in March about how to build, strengthen and maintain an awesome network, it is called Some Assembly Required-A Networking Guide for Real Estate Proffessionals. Until then, here are some great tips:

Networking is more than just shaking hands and passing out business cards. Networking is really about building your social capital, according to the results of a survey of more than 2,000 businesspeople throughout the United States, U.K., Canada and Australia, published in “Masters of Networking” by Ivan Misner and Don Morgan. The survey respondents rated the traits related to developing and maintaining good relationships.

Here are the top 10 traits that make a master networker, ranked in order of their importance as judged by the respondents.

1. Timely follow-up on referrals
This was ranked as the No. 1 trait of successful networkers. If you present an opportunity — whether it’s a simple piece of information, a special contact or a qualified business referral — to someone who consistently fails to follow up successfully, it’s no secret that you’ll eventually stop wasting your time with this person. Following up with what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it, builds your credibility and trust with your network.

2. Positive attitude
A consistently negative attitude makes people dislike being around you and drives away referrals; a positive attitude makes people want to associate and cooperate with you. When you are positive, you’re like a magnet; people want to be around you and will send their friends, family and associates to you. Positive attitudes are contagious. Being positive contributes to your determination, internal motivation and ultimate business success.

3. Enthusiasm/motivation
Think about the people you know who get the most referrals. They’re the people who show the most motivation, right? It’s been said that the best sales characteristic is enthusiasm. To be respected within our networks, we at least need to sell ourselves with enthusiasm.

Once we’ve done an effective job of selling ourselves, we can reap the reward of seeing our contacts sell us to others. That’s motivation in and of itself. Enthusiasm aligns well with a positive attitude. Enthusiastic and motivated people make things happen for them — and for the people they know.

4. Trustworthiness
When you refer one person to another, there is no doubt that you’re putting your personal and professional reputation on the line. You have to be able to trust your referral partner and be trusted in return. Neither you nor anyone else will refer a contact or valuable information to someone who can’t be trusted to handle it well. Trust, as we have been taught, is earned. It develops over time and throughout the life span of a relationship. Trust can never be taken lightly, because it plays such a huge role in your credibility.

5. Good listening skills
Our success as networkers depends on how well we can listen and learn from the people in our network. The faster you and your networking partner learn what you need to know about each other, the faster you’ll establish a valuable relationship. Listening for the needs and problems of others can also position you to engage the services of the people you know. Many distractions can get in the way of listening well to each other. Communicating well takes focus and effective listening.

6. Commitment to networking 24/7
Master networkers are never formally off duty. (Well, maybe when they’re asleep.) Networking is so natural to them that they can be found networking in the grocery checkout line, at the doctor’s office, and while picking the kids up from school — as well as at business mixers and networking meetings. Master networkers take advantage of every opportunity that’s presented to them on a daily basis. They operate in the “givers gain” mind-set and are primarily looking for opportunities for the people in their network.

7. Gratitude
Gratitude is sorely lacking in today’s business world. Expressing gratitude to business associates and clients is just another building block in the cultivation of relationships that will lead to increased referrals. People like to refer others to business professionals who go above and beyond. Thanking others at every opportunity will help you stand out from the crowd. Expressing sincere gratitude to the people who will one day be there to help you is not just a courtesy — it’s the right thing to do.

8. Helpfulness
Helping others can be done in a variety of ways, from simply showing up to help with an office move to clipping a useful and interesting article and mailing it to an associate or client. Master networkers keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance other people’s interests. They offer to help others whenever they can, because they authentically want to help. It’s as simple as that. Master networkers get joy out of helping other people succeed.

9. Sincerity
Friendliness without sincerity is like a cake without frosting. You can offer the help, the thanks, the listening ear, but if you aren’t sincerely interested in others, it will show — and they’ll know it. Those who have developed successful networking skills convey their sincerity at every turn.

One of the best ways to develop this trait is to give your undivided attention to the individual with whom you’re developing a referral relationship. Don’t multitask when you’re on the phone; stop browsing the Web, balancing your checkbook and shining your shoes. When you multitask, nothing gets your full attention and everything suffers in some way; besides, people can tell when you’re not all there. Make eye contact when you’re speaking to them in person. Sincerely show that you care, and give your complete attention to the individual in front of you.

10. Dedicated to working one’s network
Master networkers don’t let any opportunity to work their networks pass them by. They manage their contacts with contact management software, organize their e-mail address files and carry their referral partners’ business cards along with their own. They set up appointments to get better acquainted with new contacts and learn as much about them as possible, so they can truly become part of one another’s networks.

Copyright 2008 Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D., Michelle Donovan All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

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