We like to think of ourselves as smart, creative people, with good minds for marketing and the ability to negotiate a deal.  After all, these are the character traits of a good REALTOR®, right?  But sometimes we tend to get so caught up in the latest and greatest things that can give us an edge on the competition (technology, marketing tools, etc.) that we lose sight of the most important thing that we can offer to people - Customer Service!

Lost in the shuffle of striving to be the best that we can be, we sometimes forget that the smallest of gestures can be more powerful than even the most extraordinary marketing campaign.  It is widely accepted that the best business that any of us can do is repeat business with past clients and referral business from those same happy clients.  No marketing campaign can come close to the validation that one receives by getting a glowing referral from a past client, because the marketing campaign is self-serving, while a referral is given with the idea of someone helping someone else out.

I have read about some exceptional marketing ideas on Active Rain, but the marketing idea that inspired this blog did not come from something that I saw on Active Rain.  It didn't come from another real estate blogging site or anything related to the real estate industry for that matter.  The idea actually came from one of the kids that live on my block.  It is one of the most simple, yet effective ideas that I've come across in some time.

During the summer months, kids on the block often set up a lemonade stand and charge something like $.50 / glass.  The price is certainly not expensive, but I would just as soon go into my house and pour myself something from my refrigerator before taking out some pocket change and buying a glass of lemonade from these kids knowing that the lemonade may not even be good.  They are just kids, not marketing or sales gurus, but their idea of marketing is screaming "ice cold lemonade!" to passers by and hoping that people will stop.

Today, our doorbell rang and it was a neighborhood kid that never set up a lemonade stand before.  My wife answered the door, and the young boy cheerfully greeted her by saying that he was going to be setting up a lemonade stand tomorrow and he'd like to invite us to come to his lemonade stand, and offered her a complimentary glass of lemonade and a handful of crackers at the door.  I, of course, was busy blogging when my wife came up and told me what had just transpired and I thought to myself - BRILLIANT! 

I will go down the block tomorrow and buy a glass of lemonade from this little entrepreneur-in-the-making, because he did something extraordinary and put our needs before his.  For all he knows we may have just eaten the crackers, drank the lemonade and forgotten that he ever came to the door today, but we won't because he made a lasting impression on us. 

There is a lot that can be learned from this budding entrepreneur, such as:

• Don't underestimate the power of a simple gesture
• Do the little things that capture peoples' attention and make them want to work with you
• Put the needs of the client or customer before yourself and they will appreciate you for it, and pay you back with referrals and repeat business
• Help people without the expectation of receiving something in return

I believe that this is the mindset of the majority of Active Rainers when it comes to helping each other out.  Most of us give without ever thinking about what we will get back in return because we enjoy sharing and building relationships.

What would our business look like if we treated all buyers and sellers the way that we treat other Active Rainers? 

What simple gesture can you offer a buyer or seller that would allow you to differentiate yourself from the competition?

Just think of the impact that "a couple of crackers and some lemonade" can make on your business.

Please share your thoughts on this concept and also any simple gestures that you've done for clients that have had a positive effect on your business.

**If you'd like to read about the negotiation tactics as taught by a different child, please check out The Power Of Being A Good Negotiator.**