Jon Carson Consulting - December 2019

December 2019

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What We Do for Sales Is Good for Our Pocketbook But What We Do for Others Is Good for Our Souls

In October 2019, I was in Las Vegas for a sales and follow-up call training at Alderus Mortgage. During this training event, I had the chance to meet Julie Kelai, a real estate agent who had just gone through a disheartening situation. Julie was feeling worn down and, frankly, at the end of her rope. But after receiving encouragement and confidence- building skills, she didn’t give up. Having these opportunities to help others see their potential and achieve their goals is the most rewarding part of what I do.

“So it was Alderus who said to give it another chance, but I wanted to maybe sit and learn from you, how you interact and deal with people, because it’s not difficult; you just have to practice. So I’m trying. I’m coming out of my shell, and it was actually through our meetings that I got a bit more relaxed because you make it look so easy! And it can be; you just need to do it often. That’s where I’m learning to practice that.” Dave: “So we called that particular client and shared what he said and how that changed your career when we called him live. How did that change your career?” Julie: “Well, it opened my eyes, actually, Dave. What I thought they were thinking was far from the truth, and that was something you said in your training. I realized that I shouldn’t have made the assumption. I should just call and ask! I mean, for people who I currently work with right now, I just ask them if they would give me a review. I never asked for it because I was always, I guess, shy? I don’t want to ask people for things? I don’t know. Frightful? I don’t know what the word is, but you were saying it’s okay to ask. No one in the real estate business told me that. It took somebody from outside the industry to tell me that. And you know what? I do it all the time now. “I want to know the good, bad, or ugly about how I’m doing. If I like what they have to say to me to my face, then I ask, ‘Do you mind posting a review?’ I have to tell you, this is a hard industry, and I would say to several people, ‘If you haven’t put in five years, you really haven’t given the industry a chance.’ It’s true!” Dave: “And then what the guy said about you — that was the best part. I had no idea all that stuff had gone on. He thought you were awesome!”

Julie Kelai of TR Realty

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Dave: “You were so kind. You said you’d give me a quick testimonial and share that story again. You were thinking about quitting. Tell me about that.” Julie: “Well, what I wanted to share with you is that I’m a new agent. I’ve been a commercial agent, but residential? I’m brand new to it. So, I was going to quit because I just don’t know how to deal with residential clients per se, because I have not been trained to do that. But I gave it a shot, and this particular guy was my very first residential client. Usually, when you come into the industry, you deal with buyers; I was dealing with a seller. “So everything that could go wrong with a deal went wrong on my deal with this particular guy, so I was very discouraged. I didn’t want to tough it out. But, you know what? I pulled the house for 66 days, and that wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted the house sold, so he fired me on day 27, even though I’m the person who told him that’s unrealistic, especially in his area, because nothing had been sold in the last 12 months for me to get enough data.

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SUSAN FOWLER’S ‘Master Your Motivation’ A SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO ACHIEVING MORE

Fowler believes the traditional carrot-and-stick approach to motivation (a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behavior) results from our perception of motivation as being either intrinsic or extrinsic. “Simplifying motivations into two types presents a conundrum when you aren’t intrinsically motivated,” she writes. “Your only fallback position is extrinsic motivation.” In other words, just by thinking about motivation as intrinsic versus extrinsic, you’ve already set yourself up to fail. To really motivate yourself and others, she argues, you need to think about motivation in different terms. Thankfully for the reader, Fowler defines an alternative framework for motivation. In what amounts to the book’s thesis, she states, “To master your motivation, create choice, connection, and competence.” When you measure motivation across these three factors, which are the result of rigorous academic research rather than folksy conventional wisdom, you unlock the power of motivation. It’s not hard to see how Fowler’s framework is much more actionable than traditional motivational techniques. Creating intrinsic motivation, especially for others, is a mug’s game, but defining choice, connection, and competence is much less ambiguous. If you have team members who you feel lack motivation, ask yourself if their jobs have these three essential traits. Do they have agency (choice) in their work? Do they generate meaning (connection) from what they do? Do they get a sense of accomplishment (competence) from doing something well? If you can’t answer all three of these in the affirmative, you can create a plan for increasing motivation that doesn’t involve empty metrics or meaningless rewards. If you or your team could use a proverbial kick in the pants, the solution might be to ignore those proverbs entirely. “Master Your Motivation” takes a refreshing look at what makes us strive for more. It’s a great addition to any leadership library.

“You have the power to change your behaviors,” says Susan Fowler, “but to be successful in changing, you need an evidenced-based framework for motivation and techniques for applying it.” In her new book, “Master Your Motivation: Three Scientific Truths for Achieving Your Goals,” Fowler synthesizes her decades of research into a guide that provides such a framework. In the process, she overturns countless widely held myths about what motivates us.

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“Dave, in your training, you educate, entertain, and inspire people to take action.”

–Lynn Hightower Television Personality; Media Relations, Crisis Communications, and Public Outreach Expert “Dave, you’re not just giving good advice; you provide proven ways folks can confidently be successful at it!”

–Basman S. Al Khlifawi Store Manager NAPA Auto Parts

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Julie: “Yeah, it kind of helped soothe me. I wasn’t expecting his response, but I did get a chance to speak with him afterward. You know, just to get a follow-up, and he was like, ‘You know what? It was our fault. Like I said, we didn’t know how long it takes to sell a home, because that was the first home we bought and the first home we sold. We didn’t give you a fair shake, and you should have helped us to find our other home because our last Realtor [always closes].’ “I got that validation, and it was through you. I never knew. I always wanted to know what I did wrong, if I did something wrong. And when you made that call and he was responding, he was actually telling the truth of how he really felt. When I spoke to him afterward, he said, ‘Yeah, the only thing I would have changed is to keep you on for the purchase of our home. You told us from the beginning that it was going to take this long. You told us how much you think the house was going to be sold for, and it happened. So, we didn’t know.’ He just basically said, ‘I was trying to do your job while you were doing your job. I should’ve just let you do your job.’ And that was it.

“It was nice that he said that. I needed that validation, and I’m grateful to you for that.”

Dave: “Well, just remember, you did it; I just encouraged you. How’s that?”

Julie: “No, you really did. I’d been asking my boss to please call him, and he wouldn’t do it. He’d say, ‘No, just let it go. Move on.’ But you actually got me to stay in the business a little longer to give it time and stop making assumptions.” Dave: “Well, I’m humbled by that. We’re in November, so I just want to tell you I’m thankful for you sharing that story and thankful you’re going to stay with it for a little longer. I hope it ends up being a great career.”

Julie: “Oh, thank you! I would hope so too. I’m also very thankful for the people who introduced us.”

GG Gretchen’s Kitchen (My mom’s secret recipes)

Cranberry-Cornmeal Quick Bread Ingredients • Nonstick vegetable oil spray • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour • 1 cup white whole wheat flour, or regular whole wheat flour • 1 cup medium-grind whole grain cornmeal, or regular cornmeal • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick) • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup • 2 large eggs • 1/2 tsp maple extract • 3/4 cup chopped pecans, plus 10 pecan halves for garnish • 3/4 cup dried cranberries (about 4 oz)

Directions 1. Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 F. Spray 9x5x3 metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. 2. In a large bowl, whisk both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. 3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, butter, maple syrup, eggs, and maple extract. 4. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add chopped pecans and cranberries. 5. Spoon batter in pan and arrange extra pecan halves in a row down the center of the batter 6. Bake bread until top is golden-brown and paring knife inserted into center comes out clean. If browning too quickly, tent bread loosely with foil for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 7. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool more. A LITTLE AHEAD Can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap bread in foil and store at room temperature. FURTHER AHEAD Can be made and then frozen up to 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil, then place in resealable plastic bag.

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Never Make Assumptions

A Better Way to Think About Motivation

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What Great Leaders Have in Common

Last-Minute Holiday Marketing Ideas

Don’t Get Lost in the Bustle 3 Last-Minute Hol iday Marketing Ideas

to let your customers know you’re thinking of them this holiday season. Established customers can be responsible for up to 40% of a business’s sales, and your unexpected holiday greeting could keep your business in mind as they go about their holiday shopping. DECORATE YOUR WEBSITE FOR THE SEASON. Your customers are already in the holiday spirit, so why not indulge them with some seasonal trappings on your website? Festive holiday touches to your company logo or new webpages recommending holiday gift ideas can go a long way to attract customer attention. You don’t have to be the flashiest display on the block, but showing off your holiday spirit will spread cheer and goodwill. Gift cards, even digital ones, are more popular than ever around the holiday season. In one survey, 43% of respondents said they planned on giving gift cards or certificates in lieu of other holiday presents. With 1 in 4 gift cards sold in the last four days leading up to Christmas, these ideal presents make the perfect last-minute marketing tool. Offer gift card incentives or giveaways for your loyal customers. They can make the perfect present for them and, in turn, your business. CREATE GIFT CARD GIVEAWAYS OR INCENTIVES.

If you haven’t capitalized on the holiday season for your business’s marketing campaign yet, don’t worry, because you still have time! Even if you’re still a long sleigh ride away from finishing your own holiday to-do list, you can ensure your business flourishes this season with a few last-minute marketing ideas for the holidays. SEND SEASON’S GREETINGS TO LOYAL CUSTOMERS. Even if your Christmas or holiday-themed cards don’t mail on time, you can still send personalized emails or social media messages

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