Peter Fortunato says that when you are going to make an offer on a property, you should take some paper and write out at least five alternative ways you can creatively solve the seller’s problem while making a good deal for yourself. He says that this exercise will train you to start thinking more creatively and cause you to expand your repertoire of skills in solving ownership problems. This also causes you to make better deals for yourself, and the seller, because the first offer you think of might not necessarily be the best solution to the problem. How many times have you closed a transaction and then thought to yourself, “I could have made it better if only I had …”? Or, ?Darn, I should have??
This also prevents you from falling into “The Cookie-Cutter Trap.” Every situation is a little different. Obviously, the same offer will not work on every deal. Train yourself to think in terms of benefits, and learn which tools transfer those benefits to the parties which value them the highest.
Do this consistently and you cannot help but make better deals.
Think more creatively, and you set yourself apart from your competition.
There was once a little fly buzzing at a window. He was stuck inside and could see a wonderful day passing him by. After a while he became tired and sat down, quite hungry. He sat and thought about his situation and decided he was not trying hard enough. After all, other flies were buzzing, and trying to fly through the windowpane. He flew up on the window and buzzed harder then ever, for longer than ever.
And, you know what the little fly got?
MORE OF THE SAME!!!
All the little fly had to do was turn around and fly through an open door, next to the window, and he would have been out in the warm beautiful day.
We have all been taught that if you aren’t getting what you want, you aren’t trying hard enough.
THIS IS WRONG!
If something isn’t working, try something entirely different.
You must stop following the heard.
Following the heard is a sure way to mediocrity. Creative thinking and calculated risk taking is always rewarded.
So the next time you just can’t make a deal happen, step back and try a fresh new approach.
Don?t be like the little fly…always trying harder.