The vast majority of Agents have heard of time blocking as a form of improving their efficiency in their business. I believe the goal for time blocking is to increase the amount of time you are investing in DIPA (Direct Income Producing Activities). The problem is few Agents have really mastered the use of time blocking.

The reason most Agents have never mastered time blocking is because of the common mistakes they repeat when creating and executing their time block. Beyond prioritization, we need to think about our time with the right mindset. We need to attack the issue of time management from the right perspective.

Mistake #1 – Making each day different

If you can create a schedule of similarity, you raise the probability of success. If each day is different as to when you prospect, conduct administration, etc., you will fail to stay on the schedule. Each day must be very similar with one exception. The day you have office meetings and property tours will tend to deviate from the other days. That should be the only significant exception. Build a schedule that can be a carbon copy of each day.

Mistake #1 – Being too available

We can get sucked into the interruption game when there is too much access or availability. The key to success is focus. You can't focus if everyone and anyone can break through your schedule. You must limit your availability to pre-designated times. I, for example, would almost exclusively negotiate contracts in the afternoon from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. If an offer came in over night, my Assistant would set up a time for me to present the contract to my Seller between 1:30 and 2:30 that afternoon. She would fax the documents to the Seller less than thirty minutes prior to our appointment or courier them over if no fax was available. The reason it was less than thirty minutes before the meeting was I didn't want them to call me all morning to ask me questions or get frustrated with me because it was lower than they wanted. A Champion will minimize distractions by being booked.

Mistake #2 – Allowing distractions

We are the most interrupted professionals in the world. We need clients to have access in a controlled way. We need to have prospects be able to get a hold of us easily. We can't allow the phone, e-mail, other Agents, clients, and other things to become distractions from us fulfilling our objectives. When you need to focus, turn off your cell phone, e-mail browser, office phone, and shut your office door – anything that could cause you to be take off your time block.

Mistake #4 – Failure to operate on an appointment-only basis

Through time blocking, you can drive prospects into your appointment slots. That's exactly what your doctor, attorney, or accountant does. Why not you? Too many Agents don't operate through appointments, so they meet with clients on the client's schedule, not their schedule.

For some reason, we have learned the perspective that total access equates to a higher level of customer service. That view is utterly false. The most respected professionals operate on an appointment-only basis. Total access only means we don't control our time. It also sends a clear message to people that we are not busy. Ben Franklin said, "If you want something done right, ask a busy man to do it."

Time blocking is one of the disciplines one needs to master to rise to the Champion Agent level. There is a direct connection between your ability to time block and follow it and your income.

Published: October 8, 2010

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Dirk Zeller is a sought out speaker, celebrated author and CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. The Real Estate community has embraced and praised his six best-selling books; Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, The Champion Real Estate Team, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, Successful Time Management for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. To learn more regarding this article, please visit www.realestatechampions.com.