Note: Through November and December, I’m going to help youA�with your 2012 business plans. You’ll find free documents from my business planning system for ownersA�and an invitation to a complimentary webinar. Why not subscribe and be sure not to miss a thing?

Leta��s get real. Your agentsA�arena��t motivated to build that business plan–and we aren’t either. We know wea��re supposed to write business plans. Yet, if your agents areA�like 95% of real estate professionals, doing that seems just like an exercise in futility. Most business plans don’t inspire.

Leaving out the ‘Magic’?

There are components left out of most plansa��components that put the inspiration and motivation into your plan and your agents’ plans. I’ll give you specific guidance for you to put that magic into businessA�plans, so you and your agents are inspired every daya��not only to complete the plan, but to use it as a very personalized and specific guide to your success.

A�A�Why Are Most Business Plans Useless?A�

Unfortunately, when most people write business plans, all they do is fill in some blanks with a�?guess numbersa��. The problem here is that numbers in blanks arena��t inspiring. They arena��t motivating. They dona��t call out and suggest to you that you should look at those numbers once in awhile!

A�What Really Motivates Us?A�

If numbers inspired us, wea��d all be gazillionaires selling real estate. After all, we say we want to sell more homes than the average agent. We want to make more money than the average agent. You know the drill, and Ia��ve heard it from hundreds of agents hundreds of times. Yet, if numbers and money were motivators, our results would be different than they are.A� The fact is that money, in itself, is not a motivator. Ita��sA�

what we want to do with the moneyA�

And thata��s as individual as we are. Martin Luther King didna��t say, a�?I have a business plan.a�? He said, a�?I have a dreama�?. You must include the a�?dreama�� part of your future in your business plans to make that plan useful to you. That means, you as a business consultant, need to include the three ‘missing’ parts of business plans that I describe below.

A�Building the a�?Whya�� Into your Business PlansA�

Thata��s the motivator. In other words, we have to have a big a�?whya��. Most business plans dona��t build in the a�?whya��. Thata��s why they fall flat, and leave us cold. Thata��s why agents dona��t want to go through the exercise of creating them. Managers always commiserate that they cana��t get their agents to write business plans. You wouldna��t want to write a plan, either, if you know it wouldna��t help you with your business the next year.

The Tools to Find that a�?Whya��A�

Most people think of business plans as projections of numbers. But, thata��s not all there is to a real strategic plan. There are three parts of a business plan that provide that inspiration, that motivation, and that a�?whya��. And, those are the parts of the planning process that are most frequently left out:A�

1. Your visiona��why youa��re in this business; how you see yourself after you retire
2. Your reviewa��what happened in your business that will make an impact on your business in the future
3. Your missiona��who are you in the business

A�In the next few blogs, I’ll show you how to create these parts of your business plan and get your agents to plan, so you give yourself the inspiration and motivation you need to create and implement your plan.

A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A�A� Substantial Savings

Want the whole planning system at a substantial savings? In November, I’m knocking $25 off the regular price ($99.95)A�for the leader’s planning system, Business Planning for the Owner, Manager, and Team Builder. With dozens of tips on business planning, and all the customized planning pages you’ll need, this system is a treasure trove of how to run your business more profitably.A� I also coach you on 2 audio CDs, to give you insights into planning strategically.

Click here to find out more.