The No.1 Killer of Estate Agent’s Dreams

March 29, 2017

FEAR ….

Let’s all be honest, who reading this has a huge amount of fear when asked to do public speaking or videos for work?

You see, I have been working with some letting and estate agents, getting over their fear of talking to a camera, and doing videos.

80% of the attendees on the courses were really nervous ,.. they dreaded and feared what they were putting themselves through

.. yet, Fear is a good thing

Fear used to keep our ‘cave men’ descendants alive.

Fear keeps you walking into cave and teasing the big scary bear

I don’t know about you .. but there are no bears in Grantham, in fact, I don’t think many of us have to deal with bears any more in our day to day lives.

Yet the fear is still there

The fear still runs deep, really deep

..and why is that?

Because our ‘cavemen’ brains have evolved over millennia not only to stop us being a tw*t and prodding bears or scary tigers with a big $hity stick … our brains have also evolved to also bring us together in groups, keep us in tribes (because on cave men times – being on your own meant certain death)

So the same part of the brain that protects us from danger, also ensures we act and think in a tribe like mentality. Our brains crave acceptance into the tribe. Our brains have evolved not to pi$$ off the tribe the leader and the natural hierarchy of the tribe

We have evolved as the human race but our brains are still living in cave man times

Another way of putting it … Our brains are wired to make us survive, not get killed and fit in with the tribe – but they aren’t wired to make us feel happy

..and its those same feelings of fear that are holding us back when we do public speaking and say selfie videos at work.

We don’t people to laugh at us .. it’s the fear of embarrassment .. none of us want to look bad in front our friends and work colleagues (our pseudo 21st century tribe)

… and it’s the same feeling that stops us asking a stupid question, in front of all our colleagues in an area meeting.

.. it’s the same feeling that stops us doing videos

..it’s the feelings of embarrassment and the shame

Embarrassment and the shame that comes with it kills dreams, because the possibility of embarrassment and shame intensifies our fear of fear, and so keeps us from asking those daft questions (and doing public speaking and doing videos)… it holds us back, it kills our dreams and curtails our enthusiasm to investigate.

People say, ‘Chris, you are a natural doing public speaking and video work’.

Let me tell you, I find it as difficult as you.

Let me share with you what I do, so I can maybe help you

The first thing I have learnt in my journey to nailing this public speaking (and now being filmed on video) is to first recognise what the brain is doing.

I don’t ignore it, but I recognise it and acknowledge it, because once you have done that, you can begin to move forward.

Because if I dont acknowledge my fear of embarrassment .. then the fear of embarrassment becomes amplified.

Instead, I don’t hide that fear or tell it to go away

I treat it with the respect it deserves.

Its my ‘caveman’ brain just trying to protect me, thinking it is saving you from the bear .. when in fact its just you doing a selfie video, public speaking gig or other event

I am not saying don’t be afraid, but only be afraid of important failure (ones where you quantify the problems)

The fear of embarrassment is a waste and a trick of your brain .. because public speaking and doing selfie videos isn’t going to get you killed .. is it?

Look at these agents – who turned themselves from gibbering wrecks, big lumps of nervous jelly to TV superstar divas .. in a day!

https://youtu.be/LAOsFAAVRBs

I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Either comment or send me a message. I would love to know if you think the same (or not), as the case may be.

Kind regards

Christopher Watkin

Christopher Watkin

I teach, guide, support, mentor, consult, counsel, partner many hundreds of UK Estate and Letting Agents in their quest to grow their estate and lettings agencies business. Old school techniques of touting, landlords wanted leaflets, ring us for a free valuation, we have sold this in your street leaflets don't work anymore. There are too many competitor agents .. meaning cheap fees are epidemic, overvaluing is almost a norm to get the stock and don’t even mention about the online/hybrid threat. So a few years ago, I set about looking around the UK and spotted that certain agents (not many mind you) in certain towns were still seen as the ‘go to person on property’, the person the newspaper editor rang up every week for a comment and I looked at what they did and they were doing some thing quite remarkable…. Only one thing but they were doing it so well .. and reaping the reward in terms of decent listings and decent fees, happy staff, decent sales pipeline and exchange income, managed lettings portfolios in the many hundreds .. but more importantly, they really enjoyed the job… they enjoyed getting up in the morning and people looked up to them Over 400 agents around the UK are on a mission to change the way our Estate and Lettings agency profession is perceived and looked upon, doing it town by town, city by city. I guide these 400 agents, teach them, mentor them and support them to be seen in a different light, to be seen as the ‘go to person for property’, actually be the ‘local property expert’ and prove it. Christopher Watkin 07950 147 572 christopher@christopherwatkin.co.uk

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