Vague resolutions are worthless, specific action is priceless

Here we go again. A new year. A time to reassess where we are and where we want to be.

It’s funny how we as humans all seem to come up with the same resolutions every year.

I’m sure you’ve seen the list.

1)    Quit smoking

2)    Get fit

3)    Lose weight

4)    Quit drinking

5)    Organize

6)    Learn something

7)    Enjoy life more

8)    Get out of debt

9)    Spend more time with family and friends

10) Help people

These resolutions are all well and good, but as you know, most of them drop by the wayside after the first month.

But what about your resolutions as a real estate professional?

Hopefully, two of your goals this year are to get more customers and earn more money.

But just like the list above, those statements are way too vague.

Simon A. Rego, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine stressed that goals are more likely to be reached if they are “SMART,” meaning specific, measurable, attainable, rewarding, and time-limited.

He cautioned against, for example, simply making losing weight a goal, but instead suggested being more specific, such as “I’d like to lose five pounds over the first two months of the year and then set a new goal from there,” he said.

So what are you specifically going to do about reaching more clients?

Since Home Junction Inc. is a real estate technology company, obviously the first thing we are going to recommend is to make some specific technological changes.

a)    Look at IDX technology – Is your current service bland and boring? Consider adding the SpatialMatch IDX and lifestyle search engine to your web site. This state-of-the art platform goes beyond the standard IDX and incorporates vital lifestyle and neighborhood search information as well, all critical to attracting buyers and impressing sellers.

b)    Look at tablet technology – iPads, Kindles, how can these popular new tools help you in your sales efforts?

c)    Look at mobile technology – there are so many hundreds of thousands of new apps out there to make you more efficient, be sure to check them out. One time saver can make a big difference over a year.

d)    Look at email technology – with the rise of Groupon and LivingSocial and easy-to-use email services like Constant Contact and Mail Chimp, email marketing is popular again.

Sure, this seems like more work. But keep this in mind, making an improvement TODAY, this first week of January, will mean payoffs for an ENTIRE year. That could mean a significant difference in whether you acquire new customers and earn more money.

Waiting until June for example, will cut the potential rewards for the year in half.

So go ahead, plan to help people or enjoy life more in 2012. We intend to do the same (and drop that holiday cookie weight as well).

That’s fine. But when it comes to your business, you need to execute S.M.A.R.T. goals, and it’s smart to execute them now.

To read the full article on resolutions, click here.

To learn more about the SpatialMatch advanced IDX platform and how it can help make a difference in your business this year, click here.