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The end of financial year is stressful. By the time their obligations are met, many agents will have failed to properly plan for the next FY and before they know it, it’s July. The message from Angela Avgerinos, head of Network Performance at Laing+Simmons, is simple: stop everything you’re doing. It’s time for a warts-and-all honesty session now.
All successful agents recognise the importance of planning but to properly prepare for FY2025, that process needs to happen now, if it hasn’t already. It starts by looking in the mirror and asking yourself some confronting and perhaps uncomfortable questions. When they reflect and review, agents owe themselves honesty, even if it’s brutal.
As is often the case, the best place to start is also the most obvious. Did I achieve the goals I set for myself? If the answer is yes, perhaps they weren’t ambitious enough.
If the answer is no, it’s important to get the “Why?” right. Regular accountability checks are most likely necessary next FY, so you know how you’re tracking.
What worked and what didn’t? This is a critical question which also demands a consideration of the “why?”. That’s because – as we all know in this dynamic, ever-changing industry – what worked in the past may not necessarily work in the future. So, what changes to the way you work do you need to make?
Agents are about relationships. We pride ourselves on them. We all claim to prioritise them. But did you?
Did you influence your sphere in FY24? When you claim to care about your customers beyond the transaction, did you catch up with them for coffee? Did you ask them about the renovation? Did you put them in contact with the tradie you promised?
Remember, be honest. The relationships you built over the last 12 months, you want in place for the next 12 months and beyond. Get serious about keeping them in FY25.
Prospecting. Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, prospecting is an agent’s bread and butter. You’ll intrinsically know if what you got out of it genuinely reflects what you put in.
Community is another one. Agents love to say they “give back” and there’s no denying the great work many do in their communities. Did you, though? What can you point to in terms of your local legacy in FY24?
Some of these questions may ring true, some may sting, others won’t. In honestly reviewing and reflecting on FY24, the way you work as an agent will become clear. Your priorities, your techniques and crucially, your points of difference. These points of difference should be clearly recognisable and if you’re comfortable to hang your hat on them, then it’s a job well done.
Which brings us to mistakes. We all make them. We all learn the most from them. Understand the “why”, focus on the cause and not the symptom, and realise it’s never too late to make the necessary changes.
As ever, franchisors must lead the way. For instance, at Laing+Simmons, we’ve worked hard to be recognised as innovators, and this means never standing still.
Our award-winning training platform is therefore also being adapted for FY25 after we undertook a similar honesty session at the group level. Under the leadership of our head of People & Growth Jacqui Barnes, we’ll soon be launching a new in-house training academy designed specifically to target the areas we know demand our increased focus.
Honesty sessions make you stand up and take notice. They should be interpreted not as triggers for self-criticism, but as exercises in self-awareness. From there, opportunities for self-improvement are possible.
And to make the most of these opportunities in FY25, you need to identify them now.
Angela Avgerinos is head of network performance at Laing+Simmons.
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