What I Am Learning Using Kill Criteria and Rod Santomassimo’s Brokerage Techniques

As I continue to grow in my career as a capital advisor and broker, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of staying focused. It’s tempting to chase every lead and client that comes my way, but I’ve learned that this approach can be counterproductive.

Instead, I’ve been applying concepts from Annie Duke’s Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away and combining them with techniques from Rod Santomassimo, a master of discipline in commercial real estate brokerage. These strategies have helped me refine my focus, choose the right clients, and stay committed to my niche.

Defining My Niche: Where I Add the Most Value

Early on, I faced the challenge of wanting to be everything to everyone. But as I’ve gained more experience, I’ve realized that the more specialized my focus is, the more value I can provide. Understanding my niche has been a game-changer. For example, my deep knowledge of specific markets like commercial real estate financing, coupled with my understanding of equity structures, allows me to serve a particular clientele far more effectively than if I spread myself too thin chasing after deals where the client isn’t ready, committed, or just shopping.

Rod Santomassimo’s teachings emphasize the importance of becoming a trusted expert within a niche, and I’ve taken that to heart. But it’s not always easy. There are so many exciting projects out there, and the fear of missing out can easily creep into your lead pipeline. This is where Annie Duke’s “kill criteria” concept has been invaluable to me. By setting clear boundaries around which clients and deals fit my expertise, I can pass on opportunities that don’t align with my goals—without guilt.

While focusing on a niche is essential, I’ve found that being an expert generalist is just as valuable. My broad knowledge across industries allows me to connect dots that others might overlook, giving me a unique edge in crafting solutions. Being specialized doesn’t mean you can’t understand or leverage insights from other areas, it strengthens your ability to innovate. This blend of depth in my niche and versatility as a generalist lets me offer clients a more holistic approach to solving complex problems.

I no longer cast the widest net; I fish in the right pond. My kill criteria help me avoid distractions and focus on where I can deliver the best results.

Client Selection: Learning to Say No

One of the hardest lessons has been learning to say no to clients who don’t align with my niche. Initially, I took on clients just because they needed capital or the deal seemed lucrative in the short term. However, I quickly realized that some clients consume far more time and energy than they’re worth.

Rod Santomassimo’s guidance on client selection has been crucial here. He stresses that not all clients are good, and I’ve experienced that firsthand. By setting clear kill criteria, I now have rules to help me determine which clients best fit my practice. This could be based on deal size, industry focus, or even the client’s level of preparedness. I walk away if a client doesn’t fit – end of discussion.

Saying no is powerful. Kill criteria prevent me from wasting time on deals that don’t fit my goals, allowing me to spend more time building deeper relationships with the right clients.

Managing Projects: Knowing When to Walk Away

One of the biggest lessons from Annie Duke’s Quit is that knowing when to walk away can be just as important as knowing when to push forward. I’ve seen this play out in project management time and time again. When I take on a deal that isn’t progressing as anticipated, I’m much more disciplined about assessing whether it’s time to cut ties or dig in deeper.

Rod’s techniques have reinforced this lesson. He emphasizes the importance of setting performance benchmarks and timelines for each project, ensuring I don’t get bogged down in deals going nowhere. I now set clear kill criteria for each project I take on—whether it’s a specific capital-raising milestone that must be met within a timeframe or specific financial benchmarks that indicate whether the project is viable. One quick

Getting emotionally attached to a project is easy, but kill criteria remind me to stay objective. Walking away when a project isn’t meeting expectations has saved me from pouring resources into deals that ultimately wouldn’t deliver a return.

Networking with Purpose: Quality Over Quantity

Another area where I’ve applied both Rod’s and Annie’s teachings is networking. Early in my career, I attended every industry event and tried to meet as many people as possible, believing that networking was all about volume. But this approach left me feeling overwhelmed and scattered.

Rod’s advice to network strategically has helped me refine my approach. Now, I focus on building relationships with people who align with my niche and can offer reciprocal value. I no longer feel the need to be everywhere at once. Instead, I’ve set kill criteria for my networking efforts—such as attending only those events related to my specific market or meeting with professionals who align with my goals.

What I’m learning: Networking isn’t about collecting business cards; it’s about cultivating meaningful relationships. Kill criteria allow me to focus my efforts on connections that matter.