In November and December, I’m featuring business planning. Why? Because we’re all told to make business plans. But, it’s estimated that less than 20% of agents actually have plans.
What is ‘Intentional Planning’?
It’s making a behavioral-based business plan, that focuses on action. It answers the questions
What are you going to do?
When are you going to do it?
How are you going to go about it?
The Science Behind this Component
A study in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology conducted with 8000 participants found that intentional planning was the key factor in a successful habit change. This approach increased the chance of successful change by 50-80%!
The ‘Secret’ to Change
We regularly declare our intentions. But, we rarely get specific about them. When we’re not specific, we don’t have a roadmap to chart that change. We don’t know the actions to take. In order to change our intentions from ‘general’ and ‘philosophical’ to action-based, we need to answer these questions:
What
When
How–what shall we practice? How shall we do it?
The Reason Most Business Plans Fail
As a manager and trainer, I’ve seen all sorts of business plans. I’ve seen all sorts of business planning templates. Unfortunately, many plans stay in the ‘what’–the philosophical statements or just the numbers. Inferior templates encourage this flawed thought process. So, people blithely create these business plans, focusing only on the ‘what’, set them on the shelf, and continue doing exactly what they have been doing!!! So, they get the same results.
When You’re Intentional, You’re Fired Up
I’m always looking for tips in motivating others (and myself). I found a great article from my personal trainer. It says that ‘intentional planning’ is the biggest component to obtain your goals.
My Business Planning System ‘Forces’ This Thought Process
Having used those flawed plans and having seen my agents and other managers fail with them, I built into my business planning system and templates the when and how. So, My system actually forces the user to think through the whole process–to get to the weekly/daily action plans that will help change their business habits for the better. (see Beyond the Basics of Business Planning.)
How Specific is YOUR Plan?
The acid test: Could I take your business plan, follow it, and see results? If it’s not that action-oriented, you can’t follow it either!
As Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth Real Estate Agent and the E-Myth Revisited, stated
Note: You’ll sell your business much more successfully (whether it’s a brokerage or a sales business), if you have specific systems. That’s salable! [/ctt]
Be sure the business planning system and templates you’re following direct your thinking from the ‘what’ to the when and the how. Now you’re cooking!
Complimentary Business Planning Webinar
It’s been a chaotic, year, where our best laid plans have been tossed upside down. That’s why doing a fresh, creative business plan is so important right now.
Register here for How to Build the Best Business Plan Ever.
You’ll gain:
- A new way to think through your business so you have a plan that works
- The missing planning step that assures your plan will work for you
- The biggest change to make to thrive in 2021
- Insights with 10 questions to answer BEFORE you commit to action
- The seven best recommendations to put in your plan
Included: Strategic business planning handouts and 2 bonuses for managers
When: November 16 (Monday) 1-2 PM Pacific Standard Time
I created the only internationally published book for real estate agents on business planning, and I can help you and your agents build exceptional plans.
