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For anyone who began with Citizenre over the fall, winter and spring of 2006/2007, you may have marked the passage of this time with excitement, sleepless nights, maxed out mobile phone minutes, and a couple false starts with our press release. It certainly has been a roller coaster ride. Naturally, the ups and downs have caused some associates to take pause, or to reevaluate the boundaries of their comfort zones. Others have continued to work consistently and methodically, and with great fervor.

So maybe you’re one of those who have maintained a steady pace working this business. Or maybe uncertainty drove you to sideline your efforts for the time being. Whatever the case, I have tremendous respect for your reasoning—we are all operating from unique and different backgrounds that affect the choices we make.

Regardless of your current level of activity, there are a few things I’d like you to consider. When the press release goes public, a lot of things are going to change. Fast. Homeowners will begin to seek us out for a change! We’ll be inundated with people needing to be trained as associates. The market will become much more competitive. Participation in events and trade shows will become more complex. The pace and volume of business will be ripe for those best positioned to take advantage of this growth.

After signing a non-disclosure agreement along with the other RSDs, we were recently entrusted with a preview of what’s to come. We were left momentarily speechless. It is real and it is happening with such magnitude it’s absolutely spectacular. There’s no denying this has been an imperfect process, but behind the scenes, some very big pieces have come together in perfect union and near silence. And I for one would like to commend you on your patience and tenacity in the face of some pretty big unknowns! We’re about to have a lot of fun.

So I have two words for you: preparation and readiness. If you’re active, inactive, on or off the fence, as long as you are still aligned with this concept, there are steps you can take to be well positioned for this historical event.

Here is what I suggest:

* Read and re-read all your training materials and knowledge base. Be comfortable with the information so you can be confident with the questions you’ll be fielding. Remember, it’s okay to say, “Good question, I’ll get back to you on it.”

* If you have remained fairly active, gather your team together and begin discussing ways you can be better trained and better organized. Set short and long-term goals. Be accountable for those goals.

* Get systems in place for FRA management and customer follow-up so the process is streamlined and efficient for you. Keep in mind that without received FRAs, there will be no site inspection, no installation, and no income!

* Follow up on any current FRAs that have not been verified. Do some “spring cleaning” in your back office and be sure you’ve communicated with customers and associates who need follow-up.

* If you haven’t already, try to achieve 10 team/personal sales to reach sales manager. The training materials at this level will make you better prepared to lead your own business and others.

* Assist members of your team to achieve this promotion to sales manager. The more associates in your organization, the more you and your team will benefit from what has been going on behind the scenes. Many of us will wish we’d worked harder and accomplished more during the down time!

* Be sure you have ample business cards and other supplies handy.

Now is the time to boost yourself and your organization to a better state of readiness. Please make use of the tools in our Powur back office and the tools provided on this site. If there is additional support we can provide, please email me with your request.

Spring Hericks,
Southwest RSD