About the Author – Coach Bill Foss – I’m Bill Foss, I call myself ‘The Catalyst for Change’.

To know is to teach. Or is it? A great real estate coaching program is not about the content. Almost everyone in our business is well-trained. They know how to do what it is they know. Top producers hire a real estate coach to learn what they know and how they’ve put it into practice. This is the most important distinction to make. Without ever being there, you can’t show another person the terrain. This should be your number one task when looking for a coach. It's also important to remember if you have aspirations of being a coach yourself one day. A young real estate agent posted a comment at the end of one of my articles. He has invested in other programs that haven't provided any lasting benefit. In fact, he’s currently in a program that isn’t not doing him any good. So why should he invest in my program? This is a very reasonable question. Here is the answer: I will help you to bridge the "Knowing-Doing Gap”. Finding a Real Estate Coach to Bridge the "Knowing-Doing Gap." Many agents take courses to learn new skills and new technologies. But they often fail to put this knowledge into practice. Or at least not to the extent that they should. This is what I call the "Knowing-Doing Gap". Ironically, there is also a book by this title. Just kidding - I didn't coin the term, I took it from them. Good coaches borrow from other coaches - great coaches steal from them outright! The Knowing-Doing Gap, by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, confronts this challenge. These well-known authors and teachers discuss how to turn knowledge into measurable action. There are a couple of reasons why this gap occurs. 1.) Cognitive Dissonance: You know that you need to spend time to generate quality leads, yet you still pin all of your hopes on the one or two you already have. In psychology, this means holding contradicting beliefs or values. In colloquial terms, it means knowing what you should do but instead doing what is easier and more fun. But a stagnating business is not more fun - it’s not any fun. In the long run, it's actually more work. So you need to beat that cognitive dissonance by learning from a coach who already has. 2.) Procrastination: Here is another famous human psychology trait. We all do it, and it prevents us from accomplishing our goals. I always come away from a course with a few golden nuggets. Over the years, I have gotten into the habit of implementing them right away. It hasn't always been easy. There are 137 other things on my calendar. But more than 50 percent of the time, I have found it to be worth the effort. You know that feeling when you finish a course and you're so excited you want to tell everyone all about it? Then the next day, the excitement has worn off and you return to regularly-scheduled programming. You need to strike - or act - while the iron is hot. What Do Top Performers Look for in a Real Estate Coach? A Complete and Honest Package: The most important aspect of being a real estate coach is the willingness to teach. And the willingness to teach everything - the good and the bad. Your coach needs to pass on both their successes and their failures. Everyone has heard the saying that we learn the most from the mistakes of others. These quotes are cliche because they're true. Particularly in this business, where we carve out our own path much more than in other fields. Most people don't go into coaching for the money - believe me! Your coach genuinely wants to help you, and the good ones won't let their ego get in the way of that. So avoid the ones who have delusions of grandeur. Friendly But Firm: Your coach should be someone who you want to spend time with. They should be friendly, but firm. After all, they’re the one who has to prevent you from procrastinating. They can't do this by gently reminding you that you should "maybe" try out this new idea. What Do the Top Producers Get From a Real Estate Coach? Motivation: An Emotional Boost: Think about the elite athletes in your favorite sport. Guaranteed, they have, and have had, a whole roster of coaches boosting their confidence through the roof. When you believe in yourself, you are naturally going to aim higher. When you aim higher, you will achieve more and have even more confidence in yourself. This is the emotional cycle of success. Coaching, Not Training: This goes back to our original premise: Closing the Knowing-Doing gap. Obtaining your REALTOR®'s license comes with a lot of training. You'll learn skills in sales funnel development, lead generation, CRM, and basic accounting. Now you have all this knowledge in your head and don't know where to effectively put it. This is where coaching comes in. Your coach will teach you the intuitive skills of communication, social cues, and negotiation. They will then advise you on how to bundle these skills to your advantage to grow your business. After coaching you on these soft skills, a great real estate coach will teach you how to action them. A Comprehensive Package: Every realtor, from the brand new agent to the seasoned veteren, can benefit from a coach. The type of coaching you need depends on where you are in your career and your business aspirations. As a new REALTOR®, you should be looking for a coach with a wide array of knowledge and expertise. Your coach needs to realize that they will serve as a type of "finishing school". It is likely that you will still need a bit of training in the areas your certification course glossed over. A more experienced agent might employ the services of a coach to fine tune their business. They might want to break out of their niche, or comfort zone. They may be starting up their own brokerage and want to learn the fine art of employee management. The real estate coaches worth the often substantial fee will be able to serve both markets. If you're looking to become a top producer, here are a few tips for finding the mentor to get you there: 1.) Referrals. You're not going to find these on Yelp. You need to benchmark with colleagues and look at the comments left on blogs like this one. 2.) Find the right personal fit. If you've lived in this world for any number of years, you know that not all personalities align. Find your "soul-coach" and it will be both an enjoyable and informative experience. 3.) Make the call. Don't procrastinate. Stop reading and talking about finding a coach and make it happen! Contact me, Bill Foss, at (978) 225-0398‬. https://youtu.be/O83zsuMUgpw In case you can not view this video here, please click the link below to view Why Top Producers Hire a Real Estate Coach on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/O83zsuMUgpw

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