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Fake it till you make it? Or not.

I started my virtual assistant business a little over a year ago. June 2006 to be exact. I can't count the times someone has advised me to "fake it till I make it". It was one of those things I heard but pushed to the back of my mind thinking it may be needed information one day.

I mean, think about it. If you are new to selling real estate you certainly don't want a prospective seller know they are your first listing, right? Nobody wants to be someone's first client. We all want to work with people who are experts in their field. At the same time, we all have to start somewhere, hence the fake it attitude.

I've come to the conclusion that I don't like the fake it method. In my opinion, it's just too tiring pretending to be something you are not. I don't mean to tell your first client that they are your first. But I believe that everyone's an expert in something and that if you sell your expertise, it can overcome your newness. My first virtual assistant client will never know he was my first because I am an expert in customer service. My first listing did know they were my first because I gave them one of my dorky announcement cards. My first buyer never knew he was my first, again, because I am an expert in customer service.

The part of "fake it" that I don't like is the pretending to know something when you don't. People aren't dumb. They will spot a fake. Not only that, but you can unwittingly give out bad information.

Being an expert doesn't mean being a Know-it-all. When I wasn't an expert, I surrounded myself with experts whom I could ask questions on a moment's notice. Clients do expect you to know more than they do. That's why they are paying you. So I learned to use a phrase that has done me well, "I don't know, but I'll find out".

To turn this around, the flip side to faking it is actually being an expert. When you are an expert, people who need your expertise will be naturally drawn to you. What is it that you are an expert in? Example - do you know your neighborhood better than anyone else? That will overcome newness and draw people toward you who want to live there.

Figure out what you are an expert in and shout it out for the world to hear.

Posted by Virtual Assistant | Crystal Pina on 10/03/2007 04:15 PM

Comments (10)

expert, being new

10 Comments on Fake it till you make it? Or not.

OCT

2007

Crystal,

'I don't know, but I'll find out' is not necessarily the answer of an expert, but it is the proper response from a true professional!!! Nice Post! Thanks, Fran

OCT

2007

Training, Training, and more training and you won't have to fake to it make it.

Crystal, So if asked how many clients do you have, How do you answer ? I am not an advocate of lying so just curious ..... ( I do not mean you or someone would lie ).

Crystal - I love this!!!!! I think Fake it til you make it is a terrible philosophy, but I like your solution to a common problem.

Doug ~ Great question. Most people do not ask how many clients you currently have unless they are worried about you being too busy to give them your full attention. I think that if someone asks, you have to tell them that they are your first, but downplay that and talk about what you are experienced in. I just started my VA business a little over a year ago, but I received an Associates Degree in Legal Office Management in 1994 and a license to sell real estate in Feb 2005, so I am new to owning my own business but not new to administrative work. In my 18 months of actively selling RE, I took 12 properties to the closing table.

If you are asking me directly (and not hypothetically), every month is different - which is not my ideal situation. I currently have 5 active clients. There have been several times when I've just done a project for someone and never done anything else. If I were doing a project this month, I'd count them as a client, but they wouldn't be a client next month. This all doesn't tell you much, though. Are my clients 40 hour per month clients which will make me very busy, or are they 5 hour per month clients which means I am not busy at all? The right question to ask a VA is, "What experience have you had with this particular task I am asking you to do?"

It's sort of like having a real estate license for a year but working at a regular job Mon-Fri 9-5 and doing it on weekends only. You can say you've had 1 year experience but you may never have had a deal and gained any real experience in that year.

I really don't advocate lying, or even fudging the truth. What I'm saying is to figure out what experience you've had in your past that you can consider yourself to be an expert on and play that up. Let it outshine your shortcomings.

Fran and Cheryl, Thank you.

Jeff ~ Yes! Take every bit of training that comes your way if you want expert status.

Jennifer ~ You snuck in here when I wasn't looking (hehe). I knew you would never go for the fake it strategy.

OCT

2007

AHH! Straight from the "Duke of Dialogue" (it was from his sweathogs course that I first heard this expression). I agree with you... you don't want to be viewed as a phony, and tha's why learning and educating yourself to answer the most common objections is the best way for anyone to start in this business. Keep doing what you do and best of luck.

OCT

2007

Crystal,

Being new to Real Estate, I have thought about this a lot. I too surround myself with Experts and tell clients the same thing, "I don't know but I'll find out." I have never been confronted with being a newbie, but I guess my response would be something like "Yes, I am new to Real Estate which means I am going to work that much harder for you and I have entire network of support to turn to should I have any questions."

Gotta start somewhere, right?

Crystal, as much as I think agents should open and honest with their advertising, "Faking it till you make it" is not absolutely 100% wrong.

I have an agent friend who drove a 20 year old truck (the point is that is doesnt look at all glamourous, let alone success). But since he switched to a nice used luxury car that he paid 10K for, he does look more successful - even more than some because of his poise. He's only been in the business for about 2 years. He does his due diligence, he has good work ethics. And honestly, if you didnt know him and compared him to a 25 yr old who has 5 years experience, he does look more confident.

So, faking it till you make it is not 100% wrong. I do not advocate faking and lying and pretending about stuff we dont know though because I think people see through that.

Good post!

OCT

2007

Crystal I love your honesty. People will highly respect you for that. Don't forget all your strengths you have from other areas of your life in Customer Service, People Skills, Sales etc. Promote your strengths at whatever stage you're at. You already ARE an expert in many areas from your other backgrounds.

Gary, that is exactly the point I was trying to make. Sometimes when I write things I think people won't understand the point (and sometimes in the comments I see that I am right, hehe). We gather skills just through living that can be transferred to other areas of our lives and our careers.

OCT

2007

Crystal, When I started in this business I refused to send out those new agent cards. In my mind I already was a professional. I had a mentor, my sales manager, and other experienced agents I could rely on to help me with my sellers. One of the first homes I ever listed still holds the record as one of the first homes to break the million dollar sales barrier in my market area.

I sincerely believe with every fiber of my being that I'm the the best agent for my clients and I think that shows in the way I talk, act, and behave. For me it wasn't faking it until I made it. It was starting out with a firm belief that I was the right agent for my clients. As you say that comes from transferring other skills, but also from really doing the research on your market and being able to say, "I don't know the answer to that, but I'll find out and get back to you." There is so much expertise in my office and I don't need to know it all if I can access that knowledge. In return I share my indepth knowledge of my area and my skills with my colleagues.

but also from really doing the research on your market

Oh, absolutely. Never stop learning. The more you know, the more valuable you are to your clients.

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