The Oldest Secret to Success

THE NUMBER ONE OLDEST AND MOST FORGOTTEN SECRET TO SUCCESS

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, October 26, 2011

We live in a time of instant gratification - of that there is no doubt.  “I want it now!”

What do people all over the world do within seconds of something happening in their life; good or bad? 

They Facebook it, they Twitter it, they Linkedin it, they Plaxo it; you get the idea.  Am I saying the oldest secret to successes is technology?  No, not at all. 

The oldest and most forgotten secret to success is actually the second oldest and most forgotten secret to success – WORD OF MOUTH!

The logical question would then become, what is the oldest secret?  CUSTOMER SERVICE!   

Customer service is a forgotten practice.  Think not?  When was the last time you received exceptional and memorable customer service?  I’ll wait……. 

When was the last time you purchased an item and someone in the store actually said “Thank you, come back.”  It doesn’t happen.   

When was the last time the person helping you even made eye contact with you?  It doesn’t happen. 

It has been said that once a person, certainly not you, tells a lie, the second lie becomes easier.  The third lie becomes easier until you can’t tell the truth from a lie because it has become so easy and the liar becomes very good at it through practice. 

In my opinion, customer service, either good or bad, is the same.  If you practice exceptional customer service it becomes the norm just as poor customer service when regularly practiced becomes the norm. 

Have you ever been to a store where the attendant wore a telephone implanted in his or her ear?  When they waited on you were they talking to someone else on their ear phone?  Was the conversation even about business or was it about their personal life?  Tell me it hasn’t happened to you. 

There was a time when a customer who received poor customer service would write a letter to the manager of the business to complain.  Those days are gone!  Today, their voice is instant, their voice is forever recorded, their words are forwarded to others and your reputation goes into the tank all on the Internet.   

Do one thing right, without fault and you will be fortunate if your customer will tell 5 people about it.  Do one thing wrong and your customer will tell the world-wide web – instantly!  Once posted, it does not matter if the customer was right or wrong; the words are posted and remain posted literally forever. 

There is only one way to stop such actions being taken against your reputation and that is to provide exceptional customer service – always!  Not occasionally – always!  More importantly, when something goes wrong you must take action immediately, not later.  Later is too late.  You must stay on top of your business and respond to problems just as you would like others to respond to your problems.  Sound familiar – the Golden Rule! 

If a professional pollster conducted a survey and asked just one question, how would your customers, your database, your family, and your friends respond? 

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the worst customer service you have ever seen and 10 being the absolute best, how would you rate (insert your name)? 

If you think those folks would answer anything less than a 10, you are in trouble!  Do the math.  Let’s say the “average” is 7.  That means that 7 people may tell 5 other people and that would mean maybe 35 people find out about your quality service or product.  But that also means 3 people are telling the entire world about your less than adequate service.  Which would you prefer - 35 people or THE ENTIRE WORLD THREE TIMES OVER?  Can you be satisfied that 35 people have been told?  On the surface that would be a plus but is it possible that when the 35 are told by THE ENTIRE WORLD that your customer service sucks, they may to go elsewhere for your product or service? 

As in all businesses and especially sales, you cannot afford to have anything less than ideal customer service and that requires a change in mindset.  When was the last time you worked on your attitude because that is what customer service represents.  Your attitude is internal – your product or service is the external product of that attitude.   

Just about everybody will change the oil in their car to make it run efficiently and longer.  Few people change the “oil” in their minds.  How do you change your mental oil (attitude)?  You work at it, every day of your life.  It starts when you awake.  Are you going to be happy and have a great day or are you just waiting for the other shoe to drop in your life?  The choice is yours.   

Don’t think so?  Read about people who have or are experiencing real problems in their lives and how they best cope with them and you discover they do not consider themselves as a victim.  In many cases such people consider themselves as being blessed that the things that have happened to them actually happened.   

My unscientific formula for success is very simple: 

Fantastic Attitude + Magnificent Customer Service = SUCCESS! 

My unscientific formula for disaster is also very simple: 

Bad Attitude = AN INTERNET CREATED DISASTER

            Less Than Stellar Customer Service = AN INTERNET CREATED DISASTER

Bad Attitude + Less Than Stellar Customer Service = OUT OF BUSINESS! 

Put it all together and this is my VERY unscientific formula: 

Great Attitude + Stellar Customer Service + Word of Mouth + Internet = A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS LIFE! 

Personal happiness is defined by you.  Personal success is defined by you.  Your attitude is defined and developed by you.  Stellar Customer Service may be “developed” by you but it is interpreted by others. 

Word-of-mouth advertising is definitely created by others but encouraged by you by doing the right thing – always!  The Internet is what the Internet is, a media used by millions world-wide.  It can be used for good; it can be used for bad.

You will notice that it all, and I mean all, begins with ATTITUDE.  Do you have a plan to work on your attitude?  Really?  What is it?  Have you ever taken a course on Attitude?  Have you ever read a book on Attitude?  Do you work on your Attitude Habits every day (they are habits)?  Are you even aware of how others perceive your Attitude?  Are you sure?  When was the last time you asked?  If you are thinking “I really don’t want to know,” you know you are in trouble. 

The rubber meets the road between your ears, not beneath your feet!  Rubber, like your tires on your car, wears out and constantly requires replacing.  What are you doing to replace the worn out and maybe even flat “rubber” that exists between your ears? 

What would I recommend as a starting point; thought you would never ask: 

• Read, study and practice The YES!Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer
• Read, study and practice Failing Forward by Dr. John Maxwell
• Read, study and practice The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey
• Read, study and practice The Power of Professionalism by Bill Wiersma

If you have read this far, there may be hope.

Advancing The Pall

ADVANCING THE BALL;

OR

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO IMPROVE ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, September 1, 2011

As you read this, remember, a customer is EVERYONE you interact with. 

You have probably heard that a “chain is only as strong as its weakest link”.  Surprise, so is a committee, a group, a team and especially a company. 

It is no surprise that when you do something correctly a handful of people will be pleased but you will be lucky if they “pass the word” about your proficiency to more than 5 others. 

Do something wrong and the customer or cooperating agent will tell the world!  The world!  They will do so by word-of-mouth, by Facebook, by Twitter, by Linkedin, etc.

What can we learn from this?  Do things correctly – FIRST & ALWAYS!

Each of us may be independent contractors and that is a good thing.  But being independent does not mean being free to NOT perform as a Professional Real Estate Agent and more importantly a Professional Keller Williams Realty Professional.  The actions of one not only adversely affect the 85 other members of the team, it eventually affects the over 77,000 members of the Keller Williams Family. 

IT DOES NOT STOP THERE.  Just as it is possible for a Butterfly to flap its wings in New York and ultimately create a wind storm in San Francisco; the failure of just one real estate agent could adversely affect the reputation and production of over one million licensed real estate agents throughout North America.  You are NOT alone.  Your actions or inactions count in everything you do!  Everything!

Actions have consequences!  Every action has an equal and just as powerful reaction!

I would highly recommend reading the following books:

·       The Power of Professionalism by Bill Wiserma

·       The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M. R. Covey

·       The Little Teal Book of Trust by Jeffrey Gitomer

One over-riding theme discussed in these books is that it takes years, maybe a lifetime, to build trust with your customers, teammates and even your family.  But it takes a split second to destroy that trust that in some cases can never be restored.

Part of building trust occurs when the people you work with feel that they can count on you to do the right thing – even when no one is watching – especially when no one is watching.

To demonstrate what this means would be impossible if I were not to identify the behavior observed within the real estate industry over my 32 years in the business.  Pointing this out hardly indicates that I am perfect, far from it.  I do, however, observe people and that is one form of learning. 

Just as you should identify what the 20% of agents who are creating 80% of the business are doing, you should also learn from what 80% of the agents who are creating only 20% of the business are doing.  If you watch closely what other people do, or not, you discover it is difficult to produce great results when you repeatedly and adversely affect the public’s impression of the real estate industry.  A lot of this type of agent activity falls within the 80%.  So here we go, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “I don’t do this” to 10 being “I do this all the time, without fail” how would you grade yourself in regards to:

• Complete every blank on every form, really do you do this?
• Submit paperwork ASAP  (that means As Soon As Possible for you-know-who)
• Return telephone calls as soon as possible
• Return text messages as soon as possible
• Be learning based, attend classes, read books, become better at what you do
• You are NOT judgmental about other people in the business
• You do NOT take transactions personally; you remain an unbiased third party negotiator
• You do NOT spread gossip; trust me, the REALTOR GRAPE VINE is very much alive and well and that is not a good thing!
• Celebrate other people’s victories
• Help solve problems; you do not become part of the problem
• Teach and guide others; remember everyone, including you, started somewhere
• Read and study the REALTOR Code of Ethics at least annually
• Read and study the Real Estate Commission Rules & Regulations at least annually
• Lead by example in a good way!

If you are not following the golden rule, and you should, it is very possible that you might be part of the problem as to why the “public” thinks so unkindly of real estate agents.  Think about it:

Do unto others as you would have done unto you.  That does not mean sometimes - it means all the time.  If you want others to be “professional” towards you, you must be professional towards them (actually everyone, especially the people you may not particularly like).  If you want customers to refer future business to you; you must be and do your work as a professional for them.  If you talk about other people; you will be talked about yourself.  If that is not a universal law it should be!

There once was a village elder who was looked upon and respected for his knowledge, experience and wisdom.  A younger villager was jealous towards the elder and began spreading malicious gossip about the elder to anyone who would listen. 

Realizing what he had done, he wanted to apologize to the elder who graciously accepted a request to meet with him.  At the meeting the youngster told him what he had done and asked for the elder’s forgiveness; so far so good.

The elder said with a smile that he would accept his apology on one condition; here it comes.  The youngster was to take a feather pillow to the highest point overlooking the village and cast the feathers to the wind.  The youngster was eager to earn the elder’s respect and forgiveness to he gladly did as requested and quickly returned to proudly report his action to the elder.

The elder then said, “Son, now gather all the feathers that have been dispersed by the wind and bring them to me.”

The youngster was shocked and cried that it was impossible; the wind had spread the feathers about the country.

The elder said, “That is correct.  Just as you cannot retrieve feathers spread by the four winds, nor can you retrieve words spoken as truth, as lies, or based upon a personal agenda.”

This story clearly demonstrates the power of words – both good and bad.  Once spoken - they can never be retrieved.  So my advice would be to THINK before you speak or act and consider the consequences BEFORE you say what you want to say or do.  Is what you are about to say true?  Is what you are about to do going to enhance your reputation or help destroy it?  How do you know for sure?  What will be accomplished by what you say or do?  Who will be helped?  Who will be hurt?  Vince Lombardi once said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.  The object is to advance the ball and score.” Or something to that effect.  It could not be more basic.

Using Joe Tye’s Direction-Deflection-Question (DDQ), you should always ask and answer the following question:

Is what I am about to say or do going to “advance the ball?”

The answer:  If YES – say or do it; if NO – don’t say or do it!

The “ball” in this case would be to become more professional in what you say and do.  Think about this – please.  This is not how a great many in our business think.  They should!  In our business we are like actors on a stage.  Our every move and our every word is being watched by the eyes of critics and everyone is a critic!  Did you move the ball forward or did you fumble the ball when you had the opportunity to move it forward?   There is no standing still!

Food for thought:  Would you want your children to read about what you said to a customer – especially in anger; what you said to or about a colleague; what you did or failed to do; what you thought or failed to think; how you helped or failed to help, especially a colleague and have it all printed on the headlines of the local newspaper.

INTEGRITY – do the right thing; especially when no one is watching or listening!

My uncle would always ask me, “Jim, did you ring the cash register today?”  What he meant was did I learn anything or did I accomplish anything.  It is possible to accomplish both good things and not-so-good things.  I prefer to ask, “Did you advance the ball today!”  And as Clint Eastwood would say, “Well did ya?”

If NOT why NOT?

And my favorite quote from whom I don’t know is:

Do you brighten a room when you enter or when you leave? 

Are you sure?