For the present, however, it is enough to know that neither the government under which you live nor the capitalistic or competitive system of industry can keep you from [being successful]. When you enter upon the creative plane of thought you will rise above all these things…

Wallace Wattles, circa 1910, from The Science of Getting Rich

In the past I have said to myself (and others), “Just wait until the economy recovers and the real estate market turns around…then business will be good again.”   Usually everyone agrees with me and we then go on to speculate which year the good times will come: 2011, 2012, 2013, or later? 

I started to realize more a year ago this kind of thinking did me or our title agent customers no good.  It occurred to me no matter what the economic or political environment the country is (or was) in there are always obstacles to success.  When the market was at its peak, the industry was too competitive; when the market was at its lowest business had dried up.  If it wasn’t any of those things then it’s the end of the month, the beginning of the month, mid-month, Christmas, Thanksgiving or summer vacation.  Let’s not forget Spring Break and Fridays.

There is opportunity in front of all of us every day.  It is there when subprime lending is prevalent, and when it is not.  It doesn’t matter if short sales abound, if foreclosures are halted, when the Democrats are in the White House, or the Republicans.  Opportunity and success is what you make it and most times it doesn’t walk through your front door to the sound of the king’s trumpets.  It is much more subtle than that.

I refuse anymore, now that I have learned my lesson, to listen to anyone who wants to be pessimistic and tell me success is not possible.   Yes, the landscape has changed.  Yes, the real estate market nationwide will close fewer transactions this year than several years ago.  SO WHAT?  There has never been a greater opportunity to win market share than there is right now.  Some of your competition has gone out of business and has “orphaned” their customers.  Some of your competition has decreased its customers service and has left their customers vulnerable to you.

Don’t procrastinate starting new initiatives and trying new things.  The challenges of this market is exactly that, challenges—no more no less.  Be as Wallace Wattles said 100 years ago, “…upon the creative plane of thought”. Think new marketing ideas, brainstorm new concepts, make new plans and take calculated chances.  

Now is the time. Not next year, not 2013…now.   Increase your business by two orders in October, 5% in November and 10% for the quarter.  It doesn’t matter if you are the senior person in the office or if you were hired yesterday.  And don’t listen to that person who has been saying, “It will be 2015 until market gets back on its feet”. 

As Michael Jordan told Nike, “Just Do It!”.  

Robert L. Reich
Digital Docs.net