Until I read Sabrina's post about her struggle with testimonials, I thought I was one of the few people who viewed testimonials as Tooting my own horn. But this week, in one of my coaching call, I have a renewed mindset about testimonials.

In the past, I never believed in publishing them although I do it because everyone else does. I had the wrong mindset to begin with. When I feel like "puffing" myself, I'd probably publish one or two out there to get my big head filled. You see, I began with the wrong mindset.

My new coach, Kathy Eppley spent over an hour with me this past Monday on just this issue. She went over to my website and asked me if I had testimonials. I said, Sure.... but she had to look read hard, among the hundreds of links I had on my website, there is only 1 tiny link on Client Testimonials. There's no way anyone could find it if I hadn't tell you where to find it on the page.

You see, I've viewed Testimonials as Tooting my Own Horn. Self-praise even though I didn't say them. As the engineer and analytical person that I am, and also confirming that with some of the previous agents I have associated with, some of the testimonials you see on websites are fabricated. Hence, I want no part of that.

I also told her that I love to me the small tiny person in a real estate transaction. I don't want a big part of it because I feel by being tiny, I was staying humble.

Here's what Kathy said to me:

Your ego is NOT your Amigo. But I said, ???? What do you mean by ego? I'm trying to stay small here. Certainly that's not an EGO issue. She brilliantly said that EGO doesn't always have to mean BIG. But it does mean it focuses on "You" ie me. For goodness sakes, get my ego out of it!

She asked if I believe in the things I do ie help people enrich their lives in putting them in homes they enjoy, if I feel I enrich their lives by helping them sell their house and move on to the next chapter in their lives. I said, ABSOLUTELY. That's me.

Then, she said, If my message is more important than me, that "I" ie my ego, should get out of the way. I have a calling and I have the very responsibility to answer my calling with my gifts and talents that He entrusted me with. Instead of focusing the issue on me, Ask - "How can I serve in a bigger way?"

My playing small doesn't serve me. I should raise the bar. When I publish Client Testimonials for others to read, I am helping them make a decision to select me. It's not there to toot my own horn! It's letting others set an expectation on what it is like to do business with me. It is sharing myself with others.

This will get a little too personal, but I want to go out all since I'm there. At the beginning of 2009, God had asked me to pray about Matthew 5:14-16. I said I would. But it's past middle of October and I still didn't feel the change or what God was trying to tell me until He had to use Kathy to say it in a way I could understand:

You are the Light of the World - a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and keeps it hidden. A lamp is placed on a stand to shine. Let your good deeds shine out for others to see so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.

God told me that I am His light. That's why I am getting all the successes that I am. In fact, I'm trying to get out of it because I feel the spotlight is placed on "me". Again, it's all about ME. Yet I thought being "small" and "hidden" was the way I remain humble. NOT!

Kathy ended our conversation with a quote by Marianne Williamson,

"Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. I ask, Who are you to say you are brilliant, gorgeous, talented & fabulous? The real question is, Who are YOU not to be?

You are a Child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so that others around you feel insecure. We are ALL meant to shine, just as children do. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that's within us. It's not just in some of us. It's in everyone.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other's the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates those around us".

Now, how powerful is that, just by having Testimonials on your website. To let those around you know whom you are?

I know this is a very long way to ask you to get it out there. But if you were like me who needed more convincing, there you have it. I hope you'll never look at Testimonials the same way again. Share yourself with others. That's what you are meant for.

Good day, my friends.

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Contact:

Loreena Yeo
Realtor®/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY
(214) 783-2210
loreena@loreenayeo.com

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