Why Agents Need to Unplug (and How to Do It)

What You Need to Know

Sure, have a plan for Monday.
Saturday and Sunday belong to you.
One incentive: You never know who you might meet.

Agents need to unplug and relax from time to time.

Established agents need to do it. Newer agents with stiff goals need to do it. Everyone needs to do it.

Taking time off can lead to doing more business.

Here are nine reasons why:

1. You need balance in your life.

Imagine the following.

You wake up, go to the office, prospect all day, go home, have dinner, go to sleep and repeat the process again, every day.

What a grim life. It would be like being a monk in a monastic order dedicated to financial services. Your grim outlook would come through in your voice when you spoke with prospects.

Instead: Block out time to go to the gym several mornings a week.

2. Get out and enjoy the fresh air on weekends.

Get together with friends on Friday for drinks or dinner.

It gives you something to look forward to. Time off helps you vacuum your head.

The human brain works in unusual ways.

Ever have the situation where you cannot remember something and it comes to you in the middle of the night? Your brain is a creative instrument.

You might be trying to think of a good prospecting strategy and coming up empty handed.

Over the weekend, you work in your garden and inspiration strikes.

Instead: When you do something unconnected to work, your brain sometimes gives you great business ideas.

3. Give it a chance.

You won’t meet HNW individuals if you are chained to your desk.

Years ago, in Beverly Hills, I visited an office where the manager was doing something they thought was generous, but was short sighted.

They bought lots of pot noodles and other instant lunches, so the newer advisors could eat at their desks instead of leaving the office, buying lunch and enjoying it outside.

I seriously through a competitor firm would gladly pick up the pot noodle bill if the advisors agreed to never go out for lunch and mingle with the Beverly Hills locals.

Instead: Pick yourself up from your desk, go outside and buy lunch at a place likely to attract local professionals and business owners.

4. Sit near other people and start polite conversations.

You will see them again and again. You will return to the office refreshed.

Vacations recharge your batteries.

I’ve always thought many agents and advisors coasted through the summer, then rolled up their sleeves after Labor Day to get business done and finish the year strong.

Put another way, take a vacation when your prospects and clients are also away.

Instead: Even if your vacation is visiting your sister in the next state, you are away from the office and return refreshed with a clear mind.

5. Unplug when you go away.

I’ve always thought mobile phones are like leashes. They can always pull you back into the world of work.

The reverse holds true too.