Finding the Right Support for Right Now
By Amber De La Garza
Thinking back on my journey as a small business owner, it is perfectly clear to me that the trainings I attended, courses I took, mastermind groups I joined, business friends I bounced ideas off of, and coaches I had made a huge impact on my business. Even if you are the only person working your business right now, you should not be going it entirely alone. Support is necessary to grow your business effectively and thankfully, it comes in many different forms and price ranges.
The catch? Not all support is right for you, right now. You must focus on the “right things, in the right order, in the right time” as my coach Todd Herman always said. That only begs the question, though, how do you know what the right things, order, and time are? Furthermore, who should you get the support from? Who you turn to for support may be the most important factor because focusing on the “right things, in the right order, in the right time” but getting it from the wrong person could mean support failure.
Who can you trust when the real estate training and coaching market is saturated and everyone has a promise to help you with XYZ? You name it… Generate more leads. Double your referral business. Increase production. Optimize your website. Everyone has a promise. Right now, it is easier than ever for someone to start a coaching business and position themselves as an expert without a track record or proof that their method to accomplish XYZ works. That is why it’s especially important you do your due diligence in deciding who to hire to support you.
Refrain from pulling out your credit card to buy any program that addresses your current challenges and sounds good. Be skeptical and hold the person behind the program to a high standard. If you let just anyone into your world to shape you and your business, you are doing both a great disservice.
Ask yourself these questions to decide whether to hire someone of interest for support:
- Do they get proven results? As in, can I read honest testimonials and talk to people who have worked with them?
- Do they have experience in helping business owners like me? In your case, real estate professionals.
- Do they use the strategies and methods they teach in their own business?
- How has their business grown and evolved?
- Does their underlining methodology align with mine?
- Is their promise too big? You typically get what you pay for and if a promise sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Do I trust them? Total. Gut. Check.
- Are they a master on the subject they coach on? It is best to work with a specialist, someone who has chosen their lane and worked hard to gain expertise on that subject. Take caution working with a person who offers the gamut of trainings and coaches on everything. The saying, “jack of all trades; master of none,” exists for a reason. Choose someone who is a master at that one thing you or your business needs to achieve your goals quicker. You owe it to yourself to learn from a master, not a jack.
Once you determine who you want to learn from, decide which of their offerings makes the most sense for you, if any, by figuring out what the right things are, in the right order, in the right time. The answers should be based on the stage of business you are in, combined with your goals and current lack of skill or knowledge.
Stage Of Business
If you’re just getting your feet wet in real estate, you’ll want to focus on totally different objectives than if you have a well-established business with a huge database of loyal clients you’ve grown and groomed and thrive on referral business. The stage of business you are in matters greatly when considering your business support options. Be honest with where you are. Trying to keep up with experienced, top agents if you are not one yet, would not serve you well.
Your Goals
You must have clarity on your business goals and vision of success because taking a course, attending a training, or getting coached could change the trajectory of your business. If you fail to align your support with your goals (like attend a training on cold calling expired listings when you hate cold calling), one of two things will happen. You will a) not take action on your learning because it is not the method that aligns with your strengths to get you to the next stage of business you are aiming for or b) take action because you feel you must after making the time and financial investment, only to later discover you are building a business that has steered away from your vision of success. Align your support with the stage of business you are in and your goals.
Lack Of Skill Or Knowledge
Once you are clear about what to focus on based on your stage of business and goals, determine if you have a skill or knowledge gap that needs to be filled for you to take your business to the next level. It could be CRM systems, social media marketing, setting boundaries, lead generation, bookkeeping, creating listings, or even just mindset. Fortunately, no matter what knowledge you need to acquire or skill you need more proficiency in, there are people willing to help for the right price. Be discerning with your time and resources, investing them wherever you have the greatest need and will get the biggest return.
If you are at a place in your business where you’re ready for support, don’t go in blind and buy the first course that pops up on a Facebook ad that sounds remotely like what you need. First, determine who you want to work with and what you want to focus on based on the stage of business you are in, your goals, and what skill or knowledge gaps you should fill first. Doing so will lessen the stress and procrastination over deciding which course, training, mastermind, coach, or mentorship is worthy of your time and financial investment. Without taking action, nothing will change for you or your business. Find the best support option for your business to help you progress toward goals.
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About the Contributor
Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of the S.T.O.P. Leverage Formula. She works with driven real estate professionals to execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most!
