It may come as a shock to most people, but when times are tough, falling back on old behaviors and activities that used to work like magic is probably the worst thing you could do.

For example, as the market tightens, I see a lot of brokers step up their cold-calling activities. They spend untold hours on the phone every week, making cold calls (one guy I met in a social event boasted that he spends 29 hours a week - minimum - making cold calls!)

That makes absolutely no sense!

Here’s why…

Three Reasons Why Old Strategies Don’t Work

First, we must remember that no matter what level of success we have reached in our craft, the strategies and thinking that got us here is probably not going to get us to the next level.

We’ll need new, better, and different strategies and thinking for that.

Second, as competition for business gets fierce, you have to push your activities up the “relationship pole” (check out the upcoming webinar on building client relationships that last for ways of doing that).

Buyers and sellers are bombarded by tens of brokers each week (all making cold calls), vying for their business.

You must earn and deserve their business, especially now that they wonder more than ever if you have their best interest at heart (or just dying to collect a commission).

Third, the surest way to success is to see where the herd is going — and going the other way.

In a recent post on Trump’s secret on winning in a down market, I mentioned that this has been at the center of Trumps winning streak… he looks for opportunities where others are frozen with fear.

By extension, if everyone is making cold calls (or sending useless fliers, postcards, or newsletters), you should not.

What do you think?