The Five Pipelines — Results

Good morning, everyone!

Over the past few weeks, I've had conversations with multiple Realtors, and I've noticed a common trend.

It's not that people don't know what to do. Most agents have a pretty good idea of what they need to do to become successful.

The challenge is actually doing it!

And those conversations have reinforced five things I've come to realize:

1. Changing your habits takes time.

2. 2. Repeated exposure to the same concepts is necessary before they truly sink in.

3. 3. Many agents aren't making money because they fail to make the necessary changes quickly enough.

4. 4. Becoming an entrepreneur takes time because most of us have been conditioned to wait for direction rather than think independently and take action.

5. 5. Execution is the hardest part of any business plan.

So, what am I talking about?

I'm talking about the business plan that many of you put together at the beginning of the year.

Remember that?

The plan where you identified your goals, how much money you wanted to make, how many transactions you needed to close, and what activities would get you there.

The plan itself is actually pretty simple.

Pick five areas of focus. Your FIVE PIPELINES!

These are the five areas of your business where you will consistently invest your time and energy to generate opportunities.

Maybe it's your sphere of influence, open houses, expired listings, social media, or networking.

Whatever those five pipelines are, the next step is to drill down into the actual tactics.

And when I say drill down, I mean going DEEP!

Not surface-level activities like, "I'm going to do more social media," or "I'm going to network more."

That's not a plan!

A plan means breaking down each of your five pipelines into specific, measurable action steps that you can physically execute and check off.

And here's a tip: You don't have to do all of those activities yourself!

Leverage technology. Leverage other people. Build systems that allow you to execute those activities consistently without having to personally do every single thing.

But here's the catch.

It takes time to set those systems up!

It takes time to figure out what needs to be done, document the process, find the right tools or people, and make sure everything is working properly.

And that's the part most people never get around to doing.

Let me give you an example.

If social media is one of your pipelines, your activities might look something like this:

• Engage with 20 people's posts every day.

• Send 20 personalized DMs to people in your network.

Create five posts each week addressing specific topics, including answers to the top 10 questions people are searching for on Google about buying, selling, or renting real estate.

Respond to comments and messages, and identify opportunities to continue those conversations.

Now, let's talk about networking.

Maybe your plan is to attend one event every week where you have the opportunity to meet successful, well-connected people.

Great!

But simply attending the event isn't enough.

What are you going to do when you get there?

Who are you going to meet? How many people are you going to introduce yourself to? Are you going to get their contact information?

And most importantly, what happens after you meet them?

Are you going to immediately add them to your CRM and put them through a very specific nurturing process?

What happens the next day? The following week? The following month?

How are you going to stay in touch with that person, provide value, and build a genuine relationship over time?

You need to think through every step of that process.

That's what I mean by going deep into your five pipelines.

Every activity needs to have a purpose, a specific action step, and a process for what happens next.

And most importantly, you need to execute those activities consistently over a long period of time.

Not for a week. Not for a month. Not until you get bored or decide something else looks easier.

You need to keep showing up long enough for people to become familiar with you, develop an interest in what you have to say, and recognize you as a professional they want to work with.

That repeated exposure creates opportunities for conversations.

And those conversations create opportunities to build relationships, nurture those relationships, and ultimately help someone buy, sell, rent, or refer you to someone who needs your services.

That's how you build a business.

Not by simply saying you're doing social media or networking.

By having a specific plan, executing the activities, checking the boxes, and doing it again tomorrow.

And that's where most people fall off.

They do something for a month and don't see results.

They try something else.

Six months go by, and they're frustrated because they haven't made the money they expected.

So they change their strategy again.

That's like building a bridge, getting halfway through, and abandoning it to start building another bridge.

Now you've spent all that time and energy, and all you have are two half-built bridges!

The problem isn't always the strategy.

Sometimes, you simply haven't given it enough time to work.

We've become so conditioned to expect immediate success that we forget how much time it takes to develop a skill, build relationships, and create a business.

And this applies to successful agents, too!

Even the most successful agents have thresholds of business and income they're trying to reach.

Maybe you're already making $100,000 a year, and your next goal is $500,000.

The activities that got you to $100,000 are not necessarily the same activities that will get you to $500,000.

You may need to let go of some of the things you're currently doing to make room for the activities that will take you to that next level.

And that's a very tough thing to do!

Especially when you're already successful in most people's eyes.

Why change something that's already working?

Because the activities that got you to where you are today may not be the same activities that will get you to where you want to go.

Sometimes, growing your business means letting go of what's comfortable and being willing to do things differently.

Sure, sometimes people experience extraordinary success in a short period of time.

But what we don't always see are the hours they've invested in their craft, the sacrifices they've made, and the years of experience that prepared them for that opportunity.

We see the results.

We don't see the work.

And that brings me to something else I've been thinking about.

Becoming an entrepreneur requires a completely different way of thinking.

For most of our lives, we've been conditioned to wait for direction.

Go to school. Complete your assignments. Get a job. Show up on time. Do what you're told.

Someone else creates the structure, and we follow it.

But when you become a Realtor, who's telling you what to do every morning?

Who's making sure you're executing your five pipelines?

Who's holding you accountable when you decide to spend two hours scrolling through social media instead of doing the activities you committed to?

Nobody!

You have to create your own structure.

You have to spend the time and brainpower figuring out what needs to get done, and then you have to hold yourself accountable for actually doing it.

That's what being an entrepreneur is all about.

And it's not easy.

So why do we think it should be?

We look at successful people and see how effortlessly they seem to operate.

They make it look easy!

But nothing happens by accident.

The successful people you admire have developed habits, systems, and skills through years of consistent execution.

And here's something I've learned through my own journey.

Sometimes, you need to hear the same message over and over again before it finally clicks.

That's one of the reasons I continue to write these Monday Mindset emails.

Not because I have something completely new to teach you every Monday.

But because sometimes the most important concepts are the ones we need to be reminded of the most.

You might have heard me talk about the five pipelines before.

You might even have a business plan sitting somewhere on your computer.

But the question is:

Are you actually executing it?

Because your business plan isn't going to make you money.

Your daily activities will.

And the longer you consistently execute those activities, the more opportunities you give yourself to develop the skills, relationships, and pipeline necessary to build a successful business.

Don't confuse being busy with building a business.

And don't confuse having a plan with executing one.

You need both.

Here's my challenge to you this week.

Take out your business plan. Look at your five pipelines and drill down into the actual activities you need to execute every day.

Be specific. Create a checklist. Execute it consistently.

And here's my warning!

The activities you do today might get you a deal tomorrow. But more likely, the results won't show up for another six months to a year.

And that's where most people's enthusiasm crumbles!

Because let's face it, most of us need money NOW!

But believe me, if you stay consistent, you will reap the rewards of your efforts.

What you do today can help you build a business that will last a lifetime.

So ask yourself: Am I actually executing my plan, or am I just telling myself that I am?

If you need help identifying your five pipelines and drilling down into the actual activities, schedule some time with me.

I'll help you create the plan.

But YOU have to execute it!

Have a great week!

G.K. Cheung

Broker of Record | Realty ONE Group Lifestyle Homes