Excuses are reasons you create in order to avoid the reality that you have failed in some way. “Because” and ‘if only” are usually followed by some justification that you believe gets you off the hook for whatever action you chose—including inaction.
Stop it. Cease with the excuses. Accept accountability. Recognize that things don’t get better until you do. Whatever reasons you come up with, the end result is the same. You failed. The outcome might simply be that you were late “because the traffic was bad”. If a homebuyer is waiting for you and you serve up that excuse, do you honestly think the person is contented? Even if he says. “Don’t worry about it”, you have created the impression that you don’t manage your time well enough. Black mark.
Here’s another one. “I would have made the sale if only I could have offered more sales incentives.”
Wrong again.
You missed the sale because you didn’t impart enough value. The homebuyer wasn’t convinced that the new home you were selling was the right choice.
We all need to be more accountable for our choices and our actions. We shouldn’t waste energy seeking excuses, but rather learning from those failures and applying the lessons so we don’t repeat them.
Allow ten more minutes to your travel time.
Invest more effort into learning what your buyer truly wants. Ask questions. Explore. If you feel you have done everything you can to secure a sale, but it doesn’t happen, ask the buyer, “What is it you want in your new home? What is this opportunity lacking?”
I admit that there are times when I feel that I’ve done good enough, but not achieved the results I was seeking. Then, the little voice inside my head then shouts at me, “Good enough? Do you accept good enough?”
I shake off the rationalization that my mind is forming. I choke back the excuse that is about to come out of my mouth. I refocus on what I can do better in this situation. What have I failed to explore? What different approach is worth pursuing?
I know that outcomes are the result of effort. If I want better results, I need to change my tactics. “Things” don’t get better. My approach, attitude, and actions can.
Myers Barnes is America’s favorite new home sales trainer, author, speaker and consultant. For more information, please visit www.myersbarnes.com.
