In recent episodes, Matt and Garrett have mentioned and alluded to the principle that “what you focus on expands”, but they devote the entirety of today’s episode to discuss this further and even narrow in on it a bit more. Today’s topic is inspired by both their recent mentions of this principle, and also their observations, as they are seeing many people get focused on things that either don’t matter or can harm their business. Garrett and Matt want to make sure all Ninjas, and all listeners, understand how this principle works and how it is a big factor in determining success or failure. This principle impacts the way people think about and attract business. Today’s discussion around “what you focus on expands” touches on challenges such as current interest rates, the economy, and inventory, and includes suggestions for overcoming these challenges. Join Matt and Garrett as they encourage you to realign your thinking, get back on track, and take notes, as today’s episode is a reminder that you’ll definitely need at some point--whether now or saved for a later listen. Find more great tips and participate with others in the Ninja community by joining the Ninja Selling Podcast group on Facebook at Ninja Selling Podcast Facebook. You’ll find a community of over 7700 Ninjas who share ideas, ask and answer questions, collaborate, and network. If you’d like to offer more direct feedback, leave a voicemail at 208-MY-NINJA. Check out Ninja Selling Events for upcoming installations and other events, and if you’d like personalized help in achieving your goals, visit Ninja Coaching to connect with one of our amazing coaches. Episode Highlights: Strategies for overcoming the challenges today’s economy and interest rates may pose What makes someone a buyer? Find the real buyers Dig into the actual data to avoid the death spiral People are looking for strong, trusted advisors Focus on the opportunities Shift your mindset Quotes: “If you’re just thinking that interest rates are going to ruin every opportunity that you have to be a really good realtor, that may happen for you. Let’s not focus on that, right?” “Rising interest rates create challenges, but it’s not going to destroy your opportunity to be an amazing advisor, transact a lot of business, and help a lot of people buy and sell homes.” “Our role is to give them power, options, and directions that they can take. And then they get to make the decision if it’s a smart move for them.” “A buyer is somebody who’s willing to buy in current market conditions. That’s a true buyer.” “But the headline is ‘Surging Interest Rates Push Mortgage Demand Down More Than 40% From a Year Ago’. Man, if I’m reading that headline, I’m going, ‘40% of the buyers just got wiped out!’.” “If you’re just reading the headlines, and just looking at the information to determine what the marketplace is doing, this is really misleading. And again, we watch people… start this downward death spiral. And guess what? What you focus on expands, the more you focus on ‘applications are down’, ‘buyers aren’t going to be able to buy at these interest rates’, …it just keeps spiraling down. Until yeah, you’re right. You’re out of business.” “But people still need to buy and sell homes, right? There’s still an opportunity to move people around. And people are looking for really strong, trusted advisors. If we’re focused on ‘Oh, interest rates are going up, it’s going to be impossible to buy’, your energy is going to come into any new consultation and it’s going to sour a potentially awesome relationship that you can have.” “You get approved for the payment, not the rate.” “Point being, like there are so many ways that they can make a shift to potentially help them get the home if that is truly their priority.” “We need to change our mindset from ‘there’s no inventory’ to ‘there’s an amazing amount of inventory, it’s just moving really fast’.” “If you focus on the abundance and the opportunities rather than