Team-
Happy Sunday!!
How far do we need to get in our careers or lives before we agree to play our own game, by our rules, and to be okay with it. As it relates to our jobs, its about understanding who our clients are, and who our clients are not….more importantly, who our business partners are, and who they are not.
I found myself “reacting” to someone else’s urgency last Sunday afternoon. Hook, line, and sinker, next thing I know I’m missing Jack pitch, I’m talking to a prospect who needs a pre-approval in an hour, to write an offer on one of my all time great relationships listing. The only reason this Realtor called me is because they knew I worked with the listing Realtor, and thought their buyer had the best chance if using me vs. their existing relationship (for the preapproval, not necessarily the deal). End result, 3 hours of work on a Sunday, interrupting President of my company to ask a scenario question, and in the end, no pre-emptive offer was submitted, and when they made the offer 5 days later, it was low, and didn’t involve me. So how many times will it take me (and you) to learn what works and what doesn’t work? This isn’t to suggest for one second that if a valued business partner called you because they needed you on a weekend that you don’t make yourself available, but it’s earned, its not just given. Point here is there are people that appreciate your efforts, and there are people that do not, and we typically know this although we make decisions that would suggest we have no comprehension of it.
I know I’ve mentioned this before but my wife, Kim, said to me a while back regarding friends, “There are people that give you energy, and there are people that suck the life out of you, we need to be spend our time with the people that give us energy”. This isn’t just about friends, its also about the people we choose to align ourselves with. We have to respect the people we partner with, and they need to respect us.
In the name of being purposeful, list out what the qualities you’re looking for in a business partner, ask your business partners what are the qualities they’re looking for in a relationship with their lender. Its fair, honest, and open communication. Why guess? Do the same with your clients. Can you imagine asking a client, “what qualities are you looking for in your lender”? I guarantee your closing % will increase if you understand what a client is looking for, and what they are not looking for.
For me:
1. Professional
2. Fun
3. Looking for a bigger relationship than a transaction.
4. Successful
5. Desire to grow
6. Mutual respect
Have a great week, learn from my mistakes, and from yours….and remember when you make the mistake, to recognize it, and grow from it…that’s where the real growth happens anyway.