THINKING BIGGER
When I look back over my 35 or so years in sales, I see that every major leap forward I made came as a result of thinking bigger.
I had a great example of this many years ago in NZ, when I was selling mortgages and insurance and also helping my clients to find rental properties, when I had a mortgage and insurance business.
My initial recommendation to my clients was they buy one rental property now and then buy another rental property in 3-5 years‘ time.
So, in my first year my clients who wanted to invest in property purchased just one rental property to start with.
Then in the second year a client asked me if he could buy another rental property now rather than waiting 3-5 years to buy the second one.
My client had the borrowing ability to buy the property and his bank was happy to lend him the money to do this. I ensured this was an arms-length transaction so as to ensure my reputation and integrity remained above reproach.
So, I helped him select a rental property which he happily purchased.
This inspired me to start thinking a bit bigger.
I then realised that some clients would be quite happy to purchase more than one rental property if I gave them the option, and stopped inhibiting them.
So, I changed my sales approach, and my thinking.
I mentioned to every potential client wanting to invest in rental properties that they should be looking to purchase at least one every year. Once they had got to 10 rental properties, they could sell 3 and pretty much go mortgage free on the other 7 which would give them a good passive income.
In other words, I invited my clients to think a bit bigger and more often when buying rental properties.
To my delight I found this new approach meant 19% of clients were now purchasing rental properties every year. Not only did it add to their portfolio, but it substantially increased my income as well.
My sales presentations took exactly the same amount of time regardless of the number of properties a client bought, and I was now talking to groups of investors and not individuals.
What also transpired also, is that I resurrected the Marlborough Property Investors Association that had been in abeyance for many years. I became their first president and this added to my profile and my authority.
So, by thinking just a little bit bigger myself, and encouraging my clients to think a little bit bigger, I was able to substantially increase my income without having to work any harder. And it meant my clients were building great passive income streams.
When it comes to thinking bigger, I really like comments made by Daniel Burrus – a Disruptive Innovation Expert.. www.burrus.com
In a great article called ‘Think Big Then Bigger’ Daniel said that “however big you’re thinking right now, – it’s probably still too small.”
When he was writing his book Flash Foresight, Daniel was like every other author. He wanted his book to be a New York Times best-seller.
But then he thought bigger: He wanted it to be;:
• number 1 on Amazon,
• a Wall Street Journal best seller
• and at the top of every known list.
At this point, something happens to most of us. We get that tinge of realism.
This is when most authors will ‘think big’ and then ‘think smaller again, by saying to themselves – ‘You know what, realistically that aint gonna happen.’
So they think small, lower their expectations, and achieve less.
Over the decades, Daniel has learned that making the goal or the dream bigger pays off. In the book writing example, he said, ― “Not only am I going to make FlashForesight a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller, but I‘m also going to make it number 1 on Amazon in every category.”
If you’d like to know how to think bigger, please DM me and lates have a chat.
pete@peakbusinesscoaching.co.uk
