About a year ago, a cyber friend of mine unintentionally challenged me. She was a follower of my blog, in which I'd just posted a series of articles about a rookie agent named Jake who discovered the magic of a Sphere of Influence business model works (that is, generating the majority of your business through the personal relationships in your life). My friend innocently commented on my blog with the question: "Was Jake just lucky to have begun his career during a boom time and therefore was able to experience success more easily than today's agent?"

Okay, so my friend probably didn't mean it as a challenge, but I took it that way. Within a few months, after two years away, I decided to return to the wonderful world of real estate sales to prove to ... well... myself if no one else... that my Sphere of Influence business model wasn't a bunch of fluff that will work fine in a strong market... but not-so-fine in a difficult one.

So, in February of last year, I re-activated my license and started selling real estate again. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect and yes, I was a little nervous. What if I failed? What if the methods and philosophies I've been preaching all this time were just a bunch of fluff & hooey in today's market? What if... egads... the only way to succeed selling real estate is to aggressively prospect to strangers and pester your friends to death with your thinly-disguised sales pitches?

Thankfully, I have discovered that the methods I used to build my business back in the booming mid-90's work just fine today. No need to spend a gazillion dollars marketing myself to strangers or to hassle my friends on a regular basis to "PLEASE SEND ME REFERRALS 'CAUSE I LOVE THEM." I have a steady stream of business that comes to me as a result of my Sphere of Influence efforts, and my commitment to Being Out There in the World with My Antenna Up and a bundle of market expertise in my back-pocket.

However, I will admit and acknowledge that, indeed, it IS harder today. Many sales trainers will give you a pep talk and convince you that if you aren't seeing the success of yesteryear, then you just aren't trying hard enough. That may be so, and I certainly won't stop anyone from working longer hours to get thru these lean times, but what I want to say is this:

Whether you're a green bean newbie or an experienced old fogie, if you're feeling discouraged by your YTD production or what's (not) in your pipeline, you are not alone. Even the most pompous, confident, arrogant top producers are feeling those feelings, I promise you. They may not admit it and they may even tell you that they're having their best year ever, but that's probably a bunch of hooey.

The good news is, as you've heard a hundred times, those who survive will likely thrive when this crisis passes. If you're new and have never experienced a strong or even stable market, you have something truly awesome to look forward to. For those of us who've been around awhile, we can look forward to again enjoying that career we fell in love with.

There will be lots of agents who make it through to the next market. Hundreds of thousands of them, even. Is there any reason it won't be you?

Published: January 12, 2009

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Jennifer Allan is a former top producing real estate broker, a published author, a speaker and a trainer. She has written five books a bout the business of selling real estate, including her flagship book: Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect. Her new book entitled "If You’re Not Having Fun Selling Real Estate, You're Not Doing it Right!" will be released in early 2010. Jennifer believes that the secret of success for real estate agents is not in aggressive marketing techniques or hard-core sales pitches, but rather in being competent in one's craft. Competence begets Confidence. And in today's world of increasingly suspicious and ad-weary consumers, having an air of self-assurance and enthusiasm will be far more effective than a slick sales campaign. Jennifer writes and speaks with this philosophy in mind. She preaches that salespeople should follow the Golden Rule in their day-to-day practice of business - treating clients and prospects respectfully, as the salesperson him or herself would like to be treated. Being competent, reliable and fair, and motivated by a true desire to earn a paycheck, not just show up at closing with hand outstretched. She is a regular contributor to several real estate newsletters and magazines, a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and one of the industry's most popular bloggers. You can learn more about Jennifer's "soulful" philosophies at www.SellWithSoul.com. Subscribe to Jennifer Allan's Newsletter for SOI'ers Tips & Strategies for Generating Business from Your Sphere of Influence Your Email Address: Your Name: