I was recently at a seminar and a fellow manager and friend, Michael Williamson, discussed the 90-day rule.

Here's how the 90-day rule works. Whatever you are doing right now, today, will affect your business in 90 days. So, if you are busy prospecting two hours a day, you will have fantastic results in 90 days. If you are busy with paperwork and allowing it to consume all your time, then 90 days from now you are going to be in the doldrums because nothing is happening. Isn't that great information to know?

Often, agents ask me, "What is the problem - why aren't things happening for me?" I have applied this rule to my response - "What were you doing 90 days ago?" It sure makes you think. It opens your eyes and makes you realize how important what you do today is.

The way to have a good stable career in real estate is to always be working 90 days out. Don't get wrapped up in your sales and forget to prospect. You can make sure your business plan pays off. All you need to do when you have many sales going is remember "an hour a day."

If you keep prospecting an hour a day you will be one of the top agents anywhere!

Plan for your vacations. Get postcards and send them to all your clients when you are away. What an easy way to keep prospecting. You can get your travel agent to get you postcards from your destination, write them ahead of time, and mail them from the airport when you land. It's a great way to keep you on track. It's fun for everyone to get a postcard from another place in the mail - send these to your clients and your farm! It's a "cheap" way to get maximum results while you are having a good time not thinking about real estate. By the way, all you have to write on the card is "I'm in Hawaii (or wherever). Having a great time. Thinking of you. Be back home and in the office on June 10!" Imagine how surprised your clients will be when they receive the card.

Plan for your time off. I took a great deal of time during the summers to enjoy my kids. We made a list of things we wanted to do - Disneyland, beach trips, movies, picnics at the park, etc. I knew that all of this would take me away from the office and clients so I planned what I would mail during this time and when; and it worked! I managed to spend the time with the kids and still make sales through my listings. Now, I do admit that I referred my buyers to other agents in the office during this time, but referral fees were worth it to me. And, my assistant worked for my full time during the summers.

The 90-day rule will keep you going because you will understand what your business is doing. When there is an explanation, you can overcome it. It's fun to be looking days ahead - it takes the pressure off. You don't have to beat yourself up for what you did 90 days ago - that's passed. What you do today is important! When you accept this rule, it's much easier to get over any "downturns."

How can you make this profitable? Never take your current situation for granted. Remember that you will have no sales in 90 days if you do nothing but paperwork today. It's that simple. If you are always thinking 90 days ahead you will end up with a tremendous career of constant sales.

What are you going to be doing in 90 days? I hope you are prospecting like crazy right now - keeping in touch monthly with your past clients and sphere of influence, seeing for-sale-by-owners, contacting absentee owners, cold calling, warm calling, farming - build all this prospecting into your plan daily and watch your consistency grow. If you think 90 days out, you will keep busy today doing what is important to your business.

Published: June 19, 2002

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