Surround Yourself With The Right People
By Paul Esajian on July 13, 2016
Whether you realize it or not you are a direct reflection of the people around you. Even if you heard this while you were growing up it still applies as an adult. Your business partner, real estate agent, contractor and attorney all influence how you think and sometimes act. The right team with the right mindset can push you to new heights. Conversely the wrong people will quickly bring you down. In a business with plenty of negativity it is important that you have good people around you at all times. You don’t need to agree on everything but you should always share the same common goal. Here are five reasons why you need to surround yourself with the right people.
- Attitude. Think about some of the networking events you have been to in the past. Inevitably you will meet someone that has nothing nice to say about anything or anyone. They complain about deals that have closed as well as deals that have had problems. One minute they complain about being too slow and the next they are flustered in how busy they are. You want to run away from them as quickly as you can. Perhaps you have a person or two like that in your team. Perhaps this person is you. Your attitude truly influences everything you do. With the right attitude you can convince sellers to work with you. A poor attitude will make even the best offer seem not as attractive. With so much competition out there something as seemingly minor as your attitude can make all the difference. Let go of all the negative influences in your life and in your business. This is not always easy but as soon as you do it watch how much your attitude improves.
- Growth. In order to grow you need to get knocked down every now and then. The wrong people around you will tell you not to take chances and think outside the box. They will tell you there is only one way to be successful in the business and to follow a blueprint. They will blast every new idea you have and say “I told you so” if things go wrong. These people are often shaped by their own negative experiences. They have either been burned on a deal or know someone that was. They carry one bad experience around with them forever and share that with anyone that will listen. By surrounding yourself with these voices it limits how you can grow personally and professionally. Hearing people tell you constantly that you can’t do this or that and eventually you start to believe it. On the flip side if you have a team of free thinkers that are willing to at least consider different options your business has a chance of growing.
- Reputation. Most people have heard the phrase “guilt by association”. Whether unfair or not you are judged, in part, by the people around you. Your attorney may be great at getting your deals closed but do you know how he goes about doing it? Does he bully the other party into signing? Is he curt or rude to the other attorney? The business community has a way of spreading negative word of mouth very quickly. If you get lumped together with someone on your team it is difficult to lose a bad reputation. Your reputation is one of the few things that separate you from every other investor in your market. With a good reputation people in your network will be quicker to work with you. If you, or your team, have the reputation of being difficult and unpleasant you will find yourself losing deals and wondering why. Everyone wants to push to get a deal closed or get a job done on their terms. However, how you and your team go about it matters much more than you think.
- Mindset. It is not easy having someone tell you that your ideas are no good. If you get beat down enough eventually you will start to develop a constant negative attitude. The people around you can feel your negativity. If these people you are telling you that you can’t offer a certain amount or pursue a certain property you will start to believe it. This negativity will eventually carry over to other parts of your business. Instead of having the right mindset you are constantly waiting for something bad to happen. When it does you sulk and throw your hands in the air. Most of the problems you will face in real estate are challenging, but fixable. With the right mindset you can handle whatever comes your way.
- Network. People want to work with people that they either like or feel can get the job done. In the real estate world the number of contacts you have directly leads to the number of deals you close. With the right team in place you can go to any meeting ready to gain a contact. The right team helps instill the right attitude which is contagious. People are drawn to others with confidence and charisma. This is something that can’t be forced or faked. Your contacts will see right through it. If you are genuinely excited and passionate about the business you can grow your network. If you are negative and pessimistic this will come across in everything you do and everyone you meet.
You are a direct reflection of your team and vice versa. Every successful company is a reflection of their leader. As an investor you are no different. You set the tone for everyone around you. Don’t rush into aligning yourself with anyone until you are comfortable. The right people and the right team can make all the difference.