Five Simple Ways to Keep a Broker’s Fire Going

Simply, I was not motivated!

Rather, I wanted to have a true college experience: stay up late, grow as a person, meet people, learn about human nature, figure out my place in the world and most importantly, have a blast. When my personal having-a-blast goals conflicted with those of my professors, school seldom won out.

I can unequivocally say that my choices in the halcyon days of my youth were among the best I ever made.

The emotional intelligence I honed at Penn State helps me more than anything I ever learned in a classroom. And, more important, I got a lesson in what people achieve and why.

Brokerage is a difficult job even for the highly motivated. Yet, it is one of the rare careers that can change a person’s life—but only if the brokers in question really want it. Too often new brokers do not possess the drive that is essential.

Here are some of the things that helped me as a broker to push myself to get what I wanted.

Motivated people understand their why.

For me the big career why is to provide opportunities for those I work with. I want Eastern Consolidated and its brokers to achieve their potential. Sometimes I challenge them in ways that they have not been before. They don’t always like me for it, but being liked is not my why; getting results is.

Motivated people do not get lost in the trees.

Motivated brokers look at the big picture and at what they want to accomplish. They sacrifice nights out for nights in the office; they work long hours; they work like few can for several years so they can live like few can for the rest of their lives.

There is a famous story of architect Christopher Wren. He was surveying bricklayers and asked them what they were doing. Several said they were laying bricks. Finally, one man rose and said, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build the most beautiful cathedral in the world.” That is a man with vision who is focused on the big picture.

For the bricklayer the task is tedious and painful; for the visionary the task is motivating and empowering. Brokers must stay focused on the big picture.

Exercise.

Exercise a minimum of five days a week. Just do it. Research shows the positive impact of exercise on the brain and attitude. Even a short walk enhances mood but there is nothing better for motivation than a run or a trip to the gym.

Find a motivation partner.

Identify a person with the same goals as you with whom you can share your vision. When I was a young financial adviser at Morgan Stanley I shared an office with a peer. We inspired each other to the point where we worked from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and one day each weekend. We were a bit extreme, but it paid off, and thanks to our joint propulsion, we trounced our peer groups. Find a broker with a similar outlook and commitment to driving each other to success.

Accept pain.

Finally, not everything in life is about short-term pleasure. Few professions have to endure the constant rejection and ups and downs brokers face. But that is part of what they sign up for. Understand and appreciate the vagaries of the business and proactively manage them. Brokers cannot let a tough day or a dying deal change their outlook or sap their motivation, but instead need to accept the downs as bringing them one step closer to their next success.

Mark Schnurman is chief sales officer and a principal at Eastern Consolidated.