Exploring The World Of Business Support Options

By Amber De La Garza

Growth does not come easy. As you work to establish an even stronger foothold in the real estate market, it will periodically be necessary to seek support. Stuck on a plateau? Seek support. Need to fill a skill gap? Seek support. Determined to double your production? Seek support. But seeking the right type of support in each season of your business can be a challenge, one that often trips up even the best real estate professionals.

When you’re on a mission to level-up, it can be very tempting to buy every course or coaching program out there whose ad pops up on Facebook making a life-changing promise to improve that one thing you need the most help with. Social media platforms’ advanced advertising algorithms make out-of-sight, out-of-mind nearly impossible, too, because the more you click out of curiosity or Google search phrases, the more targeted ads seem to show up in your newsfeed. It is no wonder I’ve met many well-meaning courseaholics and coachaholics who possess dozens of courses, have attended just as many trainings and masterminds, and bought numerous coaching programs, with little to show for it.

Such small business owners are typically ambitious but when they invest so much of their time and financial resources in learning, they leave little to no time and money to execute on what they’ve learned. They jump from workshop to book to conference to masterclass and are on to the next form of support before even digesting and implementing the nuggets they just paid to learn. It’s a vicious cycle that results in little retainment and minimal execution and growth.

Navigating the world of support available to real estate professionals is no easy task but you must take the challenge head-on and be discerning with what you invest your money in. When you discover a need for support, be it creating winning listing presentations, prospecting for new clients, or improving personal productivity, be strategic about choosing quality over quantity and make it a point to execute on your learning before moving on to additional support. That is the surest path to growth. All support is not created equal. Choose support that will meet your exact need and not break your bank. The gamut of support options can be found in every price range and meet every possible need. Thoughtfully research your options before getting your credit card out to purchase yet another course you will never finish.

Here are four common support options you could consider to help you level-up your real estate business:

Courses
Courses are an affordable way to acquire knowledge and many can be done online, in the comfort of your own home, whenever convenient for you. Typically, you can start and stop online courses whenever you please, so you can go at your own pace, take detailed notes, and spend time implementing your learning between each lesson.

Trainings
Most trainings are either one-time trainings like a webinar or live workshop. Trainings can be economical options, as well, and tend to cover a great deal of actionable information. Set out to learn about one topic instead of embarking on a quest to learn everything at once. If you attend every training, panel, and lunch and learn for fear of missing out, you could potentially miss out on everything! That is because you can’t possibly take action on all the strategies and ideas you gain at once, nor should you.

Masterminds
Masterminds range from casual and unpaid to formal, paid, and professionally facilitated. A mastermind is an opportunity to gather with your peers who act as a sounding board to help you overcome your challenges. They are great learning platforms because they bring everyone’s skills, knowledge, and experience to you. Because of their intimate nature, masterminds can change the trajectory of your business more so than most courses and trainings. Do a mastermind only when you are crystal clear about the challenges you want to solve and if you highly value constructive feedback from your peers.

Be wary of groups that call themselves masterminds but really are just a gathering of entrepreneurs with no structured purpose. Also, refrain from joining a group where everyone is too similar in experience or business model. Your strengths and weaknesses should complement each other so you can learn from one another and help each other fill their gaps. Because not everyone grows at the same pace and people start off in different places to begin with, you will likely outgrow your mastermind or be outgrown somewhere down the line. When that occurs, move on, as that mastermind is no longer serving you.

Coaching
Group coaching or one-on-one coaching is an opportunity to have a very customized learning experience. Group coaching is the more affordable coaching option and great if you thrive in a community environment and can learn from what others are going through in their businesses. Because coaching is such a personalized experience that will have endless ripple effects in your business, it is of the utmost importance that you choose a coach with a specialty, experience, and an excellent track record, (i.e., talk to some of their previous clients instead of relying on a few favorable reviews). Also, never hire a coach who does not have a coach. They either do not believe in the value they are providing or they are not of the mindset that they have more to learn. Great coaches are perpetual leaners with insatiable appetites for learning and serving their clients.

The real estate industry is an exciting one with the potential for big pay-outs, but between every rewarding sale, it can also be full of missteps, disappointments, overwhelm, and exhaustion. You do not have to go it alone, though! If you are stuck on a plateau, lack necessary resources, skills, or knowledge to move forward, or just want to be guided to successful results, know that there are qualified people out there who are eager to provide you with the exact support you need for this season of your business. Seek them out and equip yourself for growth.

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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!