J Hacker Real Life Updates

Failure Can be a Success

2008-06-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Fear of failure scares off many successes

Of all the fears that come with being in business, I think the fear of failure is the worst, the most paralyzing and the most costly.

Costly? How can that be? Don't the actual failures themselves cost a lot of money?

Sure they do. But refusing to try new ideas, methods or products because you're afraid they might fail can prevent you from growing your business and your customer base. Fear can cloud your judgment and make calculated risks look like Mt. Everest.

And no, that is not an oxymoron. A spectacular failure can, and often will, lead to your most spectacular success.

Fear of failure can stifle you.

You've gone out on a limb to start a new business a business that sounded foolproof, but it's not working or it did not work period.

Your brilliant career is tarnishing—you're worried that you will be labeled "a failure."

Stop worrying. Start learning from your experience.

The person who can retool their business plan is destined for Success.

You do have a business plan, right?

In Real Estate I teach to diversify, what is that? Call me and we can talk about it.

In business coaching I teach entrepreneurs to diversify and retool EVERY DAY.
Sometimes a little tweak will fix the problem.

Sometimes you need to scrap the whole mess and chalk it up as a teachable moment.

British author Samuel Smiles summed it up:

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake, never made a discovery."

Its how you handle the small failures in life everyday that builds character, you can whine about it or do something about it.

Now more than ever the old saying;

“ Losers let it happen in business and winners make things happen in business.”

Failure is seldom fatal, unless you are like Karl Wallenda.

Karl Wallenda was a tightrope walker. Wallenda had fallen many times in his career, but always got up and tried again. However, he was killed in 1978 (at age 73) in a tragic fall in a promotional walk in Puerto Rico. His widow said, "All Karl thought about for three straight months prior to the accident was falling. It seemed to me that he put all his energy into not falling—not into walking the tightrope."

Keep your eye on the prize, and understand that sometimes you won't win. But you only lose if you stop trying.

The biggest failure of all is not trying again and again and again.

To your failure!

John Hacker

A Time to Remember and SMILE!

2008-05-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Remember when:
Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.

There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.

We danced to 'Little Darlin,' and sang to 'Stagger Lee'And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me Me.

Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to seeA boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.

We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T ,And Oprah couldn't talk, yet, in the Land That Made Me Me.

We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go, At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson , and Zeppelins were not Led.And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees, Madonna was a virgin in the Land That Made Me Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars.

And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and 'gay' meant fancy-free, And dorms were never coed in the Land That Made Me Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag, And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.

And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me Me.

Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee, And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea Or prime-time ads for condoms in the Land That Made Me Me.

There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill.

And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me Me.

But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.

They send us invitations to join AARP,We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me Me.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.

And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me Me.

For those of you to young to remember Bob Hope, ask your Grandparents!!! And thanks for the memories...I HOPE THIS WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART.

Tribute to a man who DID make a difference:May 29, 1903 - July 27, 2003

ON TURNING 70 "You still chase women, but only downhill".

ON TURNING 80 "That's the time of your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing.

"ON TURNING 90 "You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.

"ON TURNING 100 " I don't feel old. In fact I don't feel anything until noon . Then it's time for my nap.

"ON GIVING UP HIS EARLY CAREER, BOXING "I ruined my hands in the ring ... the referee kept stepping on them.

"ON NEVER WINNING AN OSCAR "Welcome to the Academy Awards or, as it's called at my home, 'Passover'.

"ON GOLF "Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees.

"ON PRESIDENTS " I have performed for 12 presidents and entertained only six.

"ON WHY HE CHOSE SHOWBIZ FOR HIS CAREER " When I was born, the doctor said to my mother, 'Congratulations. You have an eight-pound ham'.

"ON RECEIVING THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL "I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it.

"ON HIS FAMILY'S EARLY POVERTY "Four of us slept in the one bed. When it got cold, mother threw on another brother.

"ON HIS SIX BROTHERS "That's how I learned to dance. Waiting for the bathroom.

"ON HIS EARLY FAILURES " I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn't for the stuff the audience threw at me.

"ON GOING TO HEAVEN "I've done benefits for ALL religions. I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.

" GOD BLESS AMERICALord,Give me a sense of humor. Give me the grace to see a joke,To get some humor out of life,And pass it on to other folks.

ABC's for Successful Salesmanship

2008-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

The ABCs of Selling

After several years in sales and helping new hopefuls get started in their careers. I don't draw pictures, but these are the words my SALES alphabet book would include:

Availability for your customers is essential, so they can reach you with questions, concerns or reorders.

Believe in yourself and your company, or find something else to sell.

Customers aren't always right, but if you want to keep them as your customers, find a way to make them right.

Deliver more than you promise.

Education is for life—never stop learning.

Follow up and follow through. Never leave a customer hanging.

Goals give you a reason to go to work every day. When you reach your goals, set higher ones!

Humanize your selling strategy by learning everything you can about your customers.

I is the least important letter in selling.

Join trade organizations and community groups that will help you both professionally and personally, such as Toastmasters, chamber of commerce or Junior Achievement.

Know your competitors and their products as well as you know your own.

Listen to your customers or they'll start talking to someone else.

Maybe is the worst answer a customer can give. No is better than maybe. Find out what you can do to turn it into a yes.

Networking is among the most important skills a salesperson can develop. Someone you know knows someone you need to know.

Opportunities are everywhere. Keep your antennae up.

Price is not the only reason customers buy your product, but it is a good reason.

Quality can never be sacrificed if you want to keep your customers satisfied.

Relationships are precious: They take time to develop and are worth every minute you invest in them.

Service is spelled "serve us" in companies that want to stay in business for a long time.

Trust is central to doing business with anyone. Without it, you have another word that begins with T: Trouble.

Unlimited potential is possible whether you sell computers or candy. You are the only one who can limit your potential.

Volunteer: It's always good to give back. You'll probably find that you get more than you give, and there is no shortage of organizations that need your help.

Winning doesn't necessarily mean beating everyone else. A win-win situation is the best of both worlds.

X-ray and catscan your customers so that you know everything about them—so you can serve them better.

You is a word your customers need to hear often, as in "What can I do for you?"

Zeal is a critical element in your presentations, service and life in general. Let your enthusiasm shine through!

Some things never change—including the importance of knowing how to treat your customers and what really matters in your relationships. And as you can see, most of these items cover far more than just sales.

Now you know my ABCs—sales skills from A to Z.

John Hacker

Full Speed Ahead, EVERY DAY

2008-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Confidence can get you where you want to go, and getting there is a daily process. It’s so much easier when you feel good about yourself, your abilities and talents.

That’s why I emphasize confidence as a way to get the most from every day. It’s absolutely essential, so never let anyone undermine you, including yourself.

We’ve all had those “top of the world” feelings at some point in our lives, and I think we can recognize and remember the energy that feeling gave us. Focus on the success.

The old saying that “success breeds success” has something to it.

It's that feeling of confidence that can banish negativity and procrastination and get you going the right way.

Even if you haven’t encountered great success yet, there is no reason you can’t bluff a little and act like you have.

Confidence is a magnet in the best sense of the word. It will draw people to you and make your daily life—and theirs—a lot more pleasant.

When I was starting out in business, I had to be courageous because I was in new territory. I did my homework and studied and watched what was going on, I had to appear confident or I knew I’d never make it. I had a goal and then I focused on the plan to achieve the goal.

Every day was important. I’ve never lost that edge.

Focus in the right direction!

Take the pains required to become what you want to become, or you might end up becoming something you’d rather not be.

Focus is a daily discipline and worth considering.

Focus can make the difference between your success or failings for the day.

Discernment is another way to get the most out of each day, because it will ultimately save you a lot of time and effort. Successful people are people who can discern the inevitable and act accordingly. Know your U.V.P.

When people talk about business acumen, discernment is a big part of it. It’s a bit like gut instinct, but a little more developed. Strive for that level of perception every day. Sometimes what is essential can be invisible to the eye.

Business is full of complexities. That’s what makes it so interesting. Anyone who thinks it’s boring hasn’t given it much thought.

Business can be an art, and as an art, it is ever evolving and mysterious in its own right.

Like an artist, give your utmost every day to what you are doing. Do not pretend or fake it, savvy business people can smell it.

I smell fakes everyday.

If you really want to succeed, you’ll have to go for it every day.

Keep up your mental stamina and remain curious. I think that bored people are unintelligent people.

Hopefully, since you’re reading this, that unfortunate group won’t ever include you. It had better not.

Thoreau who wrote “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

Get your vision, get focused, write out the plan (goals) and then do the work—starting today!

God bless,

JWH

Success avoids These losers!!

2008-03-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

"No Money in Real Estate! " (Thank you Edward!)

Did you see the loser in the Oc Register yesterday complain how after being in real estate (since 2007), and doing a few open houses that he decided residential real estate was just boring and decided to leave the business ? That person is now doing commercial real estate.

Claims he is doing much better.

He is called a "flash in the pan", or what we call a loser in real estate, no matter if you are in residential or commercial, you are still a loser!

Savvy business people can smell a loser.

Success comes to those who never give up!

I remember I did 6 months of open houses every weekend, and many times no one showed up, but I talked with neighbors, I spoke to people just walking by, I picked up three clients , that netted over 1.75 million in sales. Two of these people I have done three more transactions.

I still work with those clients.

But he was bored!

Real estate is long lasting relationship business.
My mentor Tony Faulkner taught me, "it is a contact business."

Thank you Tony.

Not a flash in the pan like the dude on the front section of the Market place page of the OC register. That is a portrait of a loser.

He should spend a day with Janisse Dale my broker.

They also said 45 % of the agents made no commission in 2007, I am glad to report this reporter was part of the 55%.

Why?

Because I worked at my business.
I had a business plan.
I went to work with a broker who supported my plan.
AND then I actually worked my plan.

This guy on the front page has no idea what a business plan is.
That's why I tell my agents focus on their business plans,

AND

Only read the sports and the comics of the OC register.

You want news? Got to the wall street journal on line, and use the OC register for your fireplace.

Did you know that my real estate brokerage has grown by 90% this year?

Just ask me how.

Success comes to those who belive in harnessing the power of focus EVERYDAY.

Any business is tough today, you must always look for ways to do your business better than the other guy. Thats basic business success 101, I think the guy in that article was at recess when that subject was taught.

Here is the bottom line:

Business gets better when you start doing your business better.

Think big everyday, or turn to page 19 of the Wednesday edition of the OC register while on your coffee break at the local dime store.

I like the last paragraph, "it was boring, I was just standing around", ask my agents about how I feel about that statement. (He must work for one of those big box brokers.)

Good luck in commercial real estate, they will eat you alive.

(I bet his clients agree how boring he really was.)

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words,
Watch your words for they become your actions,
Watch your actions for they become your charactor,
Watch your charactor, for it will become your

Destiny.

This applies to all business!

Jwh

Time Blocking

2008-03-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

We mean to get things done and then we get busy.

We have a cell phone, a blackberry, a laptop, even an I-phone.

Whatever happened to just old fashion note book?Take time on Sunday, after the kids are down for the day,

Make a list (a to do list) by day what you want to get done next week.

Give each task a time frame.

Allow time for lunch, (you gotta eat!!!)

Allow flex time.

Then scratch off each task as you complete them.

Successful people I have watched always have a to do list.

Where is yours?

Think about it.

Ask to see mine, I will show you, I have done this for the past 3 years and what a difference it makes in my work, and in my head.

I actually feel like I have accomplished things by using this little note book.

Next time I will tell you what other notes I put in there.

Hey its all clean stuff, so if you are looking for weird, please leave now and never return.

It does work!!

JWH

Beware of the DUAL Real Estate Agent

2008-03-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

As a Manager of several real estate offices over the past few years and a top producing agent in my first 5 years, I am appalled at the number of Dual Agencies.

A buyer is looking for a home, an agent shows and pressures them into buying their listing!

This called dual agency, I think it is bad business and many times hurts the consumer. I also believe that many agents do not represent the buyer properly, they are just greedy.

Greed should be eliminated!

More law suits every year stem from this practice!!

I suggest the buyer ask the greedy agent to place their listing into the hands of another agent, so that the agent really represents the buyer properly.

I have had that happen to me several times, I have had a listing, the buyer sees it, likes it and wants to place an offer on it.

I then explained what a dual agency was and I turned the listing side over to qualified agent in my office. Which by the way is still a dual agency.

One time when I had a client place an offer on one of my listings I asked did they know of someone in their family who was a licensed real estate agent (usually not a realtor), of course they did, every family has at least 20 members who has a real estate license, (usually not a realtor).

I entertained that we use that person, my client was surprised that I would do that AND give up the sellers side of the commission. I made sure they were with a broker so that person could get paid.

The point is dual agency is very dangerous for every one.

There is even a website (of course) called National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents.

Its amazing how many of these people that I worked with and explained why it would be in their best interest to work with two agents, that they refer alot business my way.

I am not greedy!

Lets get rid of dual agency transactions.

I know where the new homes Deals Are.....

2008-03-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

There are some great deals in new homes, but let me share a secret with you......

view my web at http://www.letsgobuyahome.com/ and then I will review it with you.....

New Homes are a great buy Today

2008-03-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

My partner and I Just helped a young family find a bargain at a new home site in Corona.
go to www.letsgobuyahome.com and click on NEW HOMES tab at the bottom page.