If you are like most advisors and agents you know that there are only three ways that your production can go: rise to a new production peak, backslide to a production valley, or cruise control onto a production plateau. Two out of three of those are not good states to be in your business and most people that reach a production peak don’t remain there for very long.
So, where do you currently find yourself? Most of us need a strategy (or several) to move from where we are to where we want to be.
Tony Robbins, a well-known motivational speaker, said it best, “The only impossible journey is the one you haven’t started yet.”
How do you start your journey toward reaching the next level when you don’t know how to take the first step? Let’s take a look at a step-wise approach to moving towards your goals regardless of where you begin.
Step #1: Getting Out of a Production Valley
If your business is on a consistent descent you are most likely feeling the pressure of not living up to your potential. Maybe it was a personal crisis that prompted this downturn trend in production. Or, maybe it was a business transition when you switched firms and you weren’t able to bring your former client base with you. Whatever the reason is, know that change is inevitable and all you need to do is to have the right strategy to get your production forward on the right path.
The quickest way to get out of a production valley is to master your mindset by changing your focus and activities. When you focus on the present activities, what to say on each call, how many calls you’ve made, and appointments set, held, and closed rather than what you haven’t accomplished, you soon realize that today’s activities create tomorrow’s successes.
The path out of your production valley begins when you choose to see things differently. When you view your activities as an opportunity to learn from both failures and successes, you keep moving forward!
Step #2: Getting Off the Production Plateau
If your business is on a production plateau it’s because you’ve become comfortable with complacency. The interesting thing about production plateaus is they can be positive if you are using them as a time to relish in much-needed relaxation.
You reflect on your progress and get renewed to continue to climb. Conversely, this can be a negative if you have been resting on a production plateau for years simply doing just enough to get by and slowing your progress down. Unfortunately, most advisors and agents live long periods on a production plateau.
The quickest way to get off a production plateau is to get real with yourself. It’s much more common to backslide into a production valley than it is to reach a production peak.
If you view a production plateau as a time to learn how to work smarter and not harder you will get better results in the same amount of time and it won’t take long before you set record highs and reach a production peak!
Step #3: Master a Production Peak
If your business is at a production peak it’s because you’ve worked smarter to get there. However, the quickest way to get off this newfound production peak and start your descent again is to mistake confidence for arrogance and soon quit doing the things you did to get there.
Look for the next peak, find someone who is already there, and duplicate what he or she did. That way you are striving to reach new heights!
Don’t make the mistake of turning your production peak into a production plateau.
Also, never forget that your production peak is someone else’s production valley. Here is what I mean. Let’s say that you become a million-dollar producer (a goal you’ve strived for all of your career) but someone else who used to be a two-million-dollar producer has been experiencing a series of personal and professional crises over the last few years, which has placed them in a production valley.
Why Mastering Production Peaks, Valleys, and Plateaus Works
The key to mastering production peaks, valleys, and plateaus is to remember that recognizing your reality is the path to constant success. When you are on a production peak, avoid believing it’s better than it really is since there is always room to ascend to another peak.
When you are in a production valley, avoid believing that it’s worse than it really is since today’s activities create tomorrow’s successes.
When you are on a production plateau, avoid believing that you can stay there forever because change is constant.
The reason why mastering this process works is that when you keep focusing on the reality of your present situation, your emotions are not tethered to your production. Instead, you are at peace as you continue your climb toward success!
You can listen to the podcast episode dedicated to this topic on the Advisor Solutions website.
