How do you toughen your agents for the a�?new normala��a��that much more challenging market? You’ve probably noted, as I have, that many agents have either gotten out of the business or have dropped to the sidelines, to ‘wait it out’. Why? Because they don’t have the will or the skill to tackle this market. But, there are some agents who are thriving in this market. What’s the difference? Self-confidence and self-esteem. To wildly paraphrase psychologist Maxwell Maltz,A�we can’t motivate ourselves to raise to a challengeA�without a concurrent raising of self-esteem.

What did he mean?A�A�We just aren’t willing toA�take risks unless we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves. I think we’d all agree that this is the kind of market that requires us to have a high level of self-confidence. How do managers find it and nurture it?

Symptoms of Self-Esteem Issues

Managers: Are there some agents you have now that just cana��t seem to ask the closing questions? Just arena��t willing to lead generate? Run away when faced with objections? If so, read the tips below on helping your agents raise their self-esteem so they can thrive in this market.

Toughening Tips from Top Performers

Great performers MUST have high self-esteem. Just for a moment, pretend that youa��ve been chosen to present your recruiting or listing presentation on a 100-foot stage before 30,000 real estate peers. How do you feel? Excited? Scared? Which way are you running? Toward or away from the stage? Because Ia��ve been on the stage as a musician from the time I was four years old, Ia��ve had the opportunity to feel those a�?stagea�� feelings and have had to learn how to manage my a�?performancea�� emotions. Here are three keys to gutsy performance in these challenging real estate markets:

  1. Practice, practice, practice. You wouldna��t get up in front of those 30,000 people without having practiced your presentation until you were a master. So, dona��t go to a single presentation without a high level of practice, either.

Managers: Assume your agents cana��t perform competently without practice. Build in practice to every training and coaching session.

  1. Role play with a coach! I am teaching an Up and Running in 30 Days small group right now. I found that several of the agents just didna��t have compelling reasons for a seller to meet with them. Why? Because they hadna��t practiced their dialogue with a coach. You know your dialogue isna��t very good when you dona��t get the listing, but, isna��t it unfortunate that you didna��t have better dialogue to optimize that contact?

Managers: Make role play a part of your training and coaching. Youa��ll be stunneda��and sometimes thrilleda��with the creativity of your agents!

  1. Build your self-esteem with a Professional Portfolio. What is a Portfolio? It is a presentation about YOU–your strengths, your strategies, your differentiators, and, most important, what people have said about you. Ita��s used to help agents, sellers and buyers get to know the a�?best youa��a��fast. After all, if they dona��t trust you and respect your knowledge, you cana��t form a relationship with them.

Tip to managers: Create a version of your Portfolio for your office entry. For a complimentary list of the contents of your Office Portfolio, and suggested topic separators, click here.

The importance of the Portfolio to your self esteem: Because youa��re going to put your testimonials in the Portfolio, it will infuse you with self-confidence to make you motivated to tackle those tough buyers, sellers, and transactions.

Armed with these ideas, and the subsequent action, youa��ll be providing the toughness necessary for your agents to thrive in the a�?new normala��.

To get your list to create a Book of Greatness, click here.