ShareFall is a slower time in many real estate markets, but you can use any slowdown to boost your productivity, says Tanya Dalton, productivity business coach and author of The Joy of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less. “Productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what’s more important,” Dalton says. Slow periods are the time to create a foundation for your business.
Here are a few of Dalton’s tips:
Initiate a review. Assess your routine business operations and identify any bottlenecks. Review the vendors and the technology you use. Do you need to make a switch? Meet with an accountant to make sure you’re taking advantage of tax savings. Create email or video templates to address routine questions that can help you respond more quickly to clients.
Build new relationships. Tap into social media channels where your “ideal clients” are, Dalton says. Attend conferences to network with peers. And be a resource to past clients. For example, remind them you can share contacts for painting, landscaping and other needs.
Set priorities. Embrace the Pareto principle, which says that a “vital few” amount to the biggest impact in your business. Focus on the 10% to 15% of custom- ers who accounted for 70% to 80% of your business in the past year.
Rest and renew. “We think of rest as the reward we get after great work,” Dalton says. “But rest is a requirement for great work to happen.” Add resting time to your schedule, as you would a dentist appointment, and stick to it.