Jimmy Is The Only One In Step

Nuggets For The Noggin

“Look, Jimmy is the only one in step!”

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, April 30, 2012

As the band marched by it was not difficult to hear Mrs. Akers comment to her neighbor sitting next to her, “Look, Jimmy is the only one in step!” 

Mrs. Akers could be considered an optimist seeing only the good in all things not necessarily a bad thing. 

Someone else might call her visually impaired.   

Jimmy as seen by the Optimist – in step

Jimmy as seen by the Pessimist – out of step

Jimmy as seen by the Realist – might need to teach Johnny the difference between Left and Right

What does this have to do with sales in general and real estate sales specifically? 

It is impossible to please everyone.  Sales people who think they can please everyone are obviously the optimists in the business.  Sales people who think this way will most assuredly be hurt or extremely disappointed when a customer or other agent rejects their services (or product) for no apparent reason.  Sales people who constantly expect the worst from their customers are definitely pessimists.  Sales people who KNOW they cannot please everyone and accept that premise are what I would call optimistic-realists.  They do what they can for the people they can do it for and move on beyond the people who reject their efforts.  You cannot please everyone all the time.

We have all heard the phrase, “You get only one chance to make a favorable first impression.”  What goes along with that quote is, “When you don’t make a favorable impression, the impression only gets amplified.”  Do something right and you are indeed fortunate if a customer tells 3 other people how good you were.  Do something wrong and the ramifications will be vividly described to the world via letters, post cards, phone calls, casual conversations, internet and Emails.  I am guilty of this!  Provide me with bad service or an inferior product and I’ll immediately post it on Facebook® or send an email to the company president.  Sound familiar?

What do you think happens when you put your own needs above those of the public?  It is a mindset that only harms; nothing good.  It shows that the needs and concerns of others are of no interest to you.  What has been gained?  Satisfaction?  A sense of getting even?  A display of being superior? 

Anyone in sales KNOWS the customer is not always right but the customer had better be right in your mind if you want future business from that customer or the customer’s personal sphere of influence.  Words and actions matter!   A person’s “perspective of words and/or actions matter even more. 

I suggest that you come to grips that every customer, either consciously or unconsciously, asks the same question.  “Is this someone I prefer to do business with?”

Here is a better question, direct from my mentor Joe Tye, the Direction-Deflection-Question:

Is what I am about to say or do going to cause this person to want to do business with me now and in the future?

Or how about this one:

Is what I am about to say or do going to cause this person to want to do business with me now and in the future and will this person want to refer me to someone who will benefit from my services?

Think about some of the conversations you have recently had.  What was your attitude at the time?  Was it positive?  Was it negative?  Was it neutral?  Was it a conversation you WANTED to have?  Was it a conversation you HAD to have or a conversation that you GET TO HAVE?  Did you value the person you were talking with (notice I did not say talking to)?  Did you learn anything from your conversation?  (If the answer is no, you are probably talking to dead people.)

How many real estate agents do you know that other real estate agents would prefer NOT to do business with?  Bite your tongue!  Are YOU one of those agents that others would prefer not to work with or would not trust?

I learned a valuable lesson 30 years ago from Lee Shelton, author of “Creating Teamwork.”  Lee said that when you find it difficult to work with or be around people who are difficult to work with or be around, simply think thoughts of love for this person.  If I have to explain the different types of love, there is a bigger problem to solve.  Lee said to think, “I love this person, what can I learn from them.”  It is impossible to have two thoughts at the same time.  You can’t be thinking - I love this person - while at the same time thinking, “On, no here he or she comes; another day ruined.”

The Law of Expectations, from Tony Davies: The Law of Expectations tells us that whatever one expects, with confidence, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When one expects with confidence that good things will happen, good things usually will. If, on the other hand, one expects a negative outcome to a situation, then the outcome will usually be negative. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/78769

What the law does not say is that “expectations” are really a two-way street.  You have expectations and your customers and other agents have expectations.  Who is doing the better job of living up to the other person’s expectations?  If you expect a smooth transaction, think smooth transaction and how glad you are to be working with this customer and/or agent.  If you think the transaction is going to be difficult, prepare yourself for what you expect because more times than not – it will!

“But I am my own man (or woman)!”  That’s great but you are in sales.  IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU!  It is about other people who you hope will buy or sell using your services or refer you to others who will buy or sell using your services.  You do not achieve that by focusing on YOUR needs.  As the great Jeffrey Gitomer writes, “To get everything you want in life, simply help someone else get what they want – FIRST!”

It cannot be any simpler than that.  Play Gary Keller’s Red Light/Green Light:

IS WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY OR DO CONSISTENT WITH MY DESIRE TO HELP THIS PERSON(S) GET WHAT HE, SHE OR THEY WANT?

NO – DON’T SAY OR DO IT!

YES – GO FOR IT (as long as it is legal and ethical)!

Notice; there is no YELLOW LIGHT 

Is your goal or objective to help other people get what they want or are you focused solely on getting what you want at the expense of others?   You do not exist in a vacuum.  Don’t be the ONLY one NOT marching in step unless being IN step with others is illegal or unethical.  Support your principals.