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Would You Pass Out Your Business Cards Here?

A couple of nights ago I was asked to speak to the local Mililani Lion's Club about our community chess club and the Chess in the School's program I run. It turned out to be a friendly crowd. I knew several of the members well, including two REALTORS®, one from my office.

After giving my speech the president of the club told me to pass out my real estate cards to the members so that the group heard him. I thought about it for a few seconds and then thanked him and declined out of respect to the real estate agents in their club, that are two of the best in our community.

A little later he spoke to me on the side and said it would be perfectly OK. I again thanked him, but declined.

I know many agents would have passed out their cards in a heart beat.

This is how I looked at it:

I am good friends with those two agents, why fish in their pond?
If someone from the club really wanted to use my services, I am very well known in the community and easy to find.
I think it would have been a low class thing to do. I was invited there to talk about my education program, not to solicit their members.
I am also guessing I was invited to speak because of those REALTOR® member friends of mine.

I know how in many sales classes they talk about taking advantage of every opportunity. I think sometimes it is better not to take advantage.

Posted by Randy L. Prothero - Hawaii REALTOR® on 03/15/2008 12:13 AM

Comments (73)

real estate, mililani, hawaii

Originally posted at: Hawaii Randy's Real Estate Opinions: Would You Pass Out Your Business Cards Here?

This post has been included in Hawaii Information Honolulu County, HI Information Mililani, HI Information

73 Comments on Would You Pass Out Your Business Cards Here?

MAR

2008

You're a class act. When I help an agent on a broker tour, I don't even like it to be mentioned that I am a mortgage planner. It makes me feel like I'm harvesting off of another's land. At the end of the day, the president of the club may talk about this to members there and the respect you showed the other agents will pay huge future dividends. Real classy!

Randy, I applaud you for your response and your reasoning. It resonates with me.

Randy- I sometimes wonder when they will update some of our training material for common sense :) Like you I wouldn't have passed it out, but I would have left my phone number for info on the Chess Club :)

Personally if I wasn't in the group, and there were two other agents in the group, I would have not passed my card out.

Randy....I admire the way you handled the situation and I agree you acted appropiately. A class act.

You handled it perfectly and showed respect for your associates and yourself.

Randy- I would not have passed my card out either. We need more agents like you in Chicago!!!

Randy,

Right call. Very professional. Better chance of getting business by not handing out the cards.

Great work

Tony

Randy, dittos from everyone else's comments above. You did the right thing and what goes around comes around.

Randy,

Nothing wrong with declining. I'm sure some agents would be running back to get a stack of them to give out. Nothing wrong with respecting another. I'm sure if any of them remember you they can ask the president for your number...they might even respect the fact you didn't because you knew others in your industry. I probably would feel uncomfortable too.

Very classy response, Randy!

That was a great "good will" gesture to the other agents. By not "fishing in their pond" I'm sure they'll respect you even more now. What goes around ...

Great move- the old sales material is outdated it need to be re written

I totally agree with you. I think that the really GOOD agents don't NEED to stoop to those sort of tactics. You earned more respect from your fellow REALTORS that night. Our industry is unlike most in that we need to work WITH our competition. As for the sales training materials, I agree with Christopher... it's outdated.

Randy, Well I guess from reading the comments thus far you certainly handled it properly. Well done. You'll probably get more business by not doing it than you would if you had. Folks appreciate integrity.

Randy, you did the right thing. I'm sure you gained a lot of respect among the audience and the real estate agents who were there.

Good Post!

Randy, I would have maybe put some cards out on a table for those that wanted to take them but not handed them in those circumstances. Good call Randy!

I think that was a very classy thing for you to do. I agree with Monika. I may have put some cards out for people to take if they decided they wanted to.

Randy, the difference is that you are a class act and hard to follow! You are right those that want you will easily find you.

Randy,

I think you are spot on. Good job.

Did you get any feedback from your Realtor friends on the topic?

Congrats, Randy! Always take the high road. If someone wants to find you, they will. Most people will also appreciate your professional respect of others.

Randy.....You are a class act!

Mark O. - I think we should always show class. I live on an island, people will remember you.

Vicky N. - Thank you

Kathy M. - They have the chess club handouts, which have my number and chess club e-mail. If someone really wanted to reach me they have it already.

Ryan V. - I don't think the top agents in my area would have passed them out either. There are many others who would.

Pam W. - Thank you

Virginia H. - Thank you, I don't think any of their club members would have appreciated me doing anyway.

Laura K. - I grew up in Chicago. I can't handle the crowds and weather.

Tony G. - I agree. I did not go there to push my business on them anyway.

Brian B. - Thank you, I would not have liked it if I were a member there.

Neal B. - I did not just know them, but consider them friends. One is from my office.

Diane B. - I think the AR folks are a classy bunch also. Not one said they would pass out their cards so far.

Erica R. - Those agents work the same community I work. I will be on the other side of them in the future.

Christopher H. - At least the ones that tell you to jump at every opportunity.

Katherine A. - I actually decided against hanging my license with a large company because they train their agents to be extremely aggressive (pushy).

B.B. - That is why you are doing as well as you are in your tough market.

Michael S. - At the time, I was only thinking about showing respect to those other agents in the room.

Jim C. - I am definitely not a stealth agent. I am easily recognized and found in my community. I do not feel the need to push myself on people.

Mike J. - I have not seen them since the other night. I am quite confident they would have done the same thing is the situation was reversed.

Sharon S. - I have been giving similar respect many times from other agents and could not imagine any professional doing otherwise.

Pam W. - Wow, thank you.

Randy, smart move... I think that you made more of an impact without passing out those cards and your RE friends have more respect for you.

Irina - From the responses, I am sure that everyone responding would have done the same thing.

Randy, I agree. There is a time to be in "business mode" and a time to back off. Know the difference between the two is very important, and some times more business can be gotten by backing off then if we had not.

George - I agree completely.

Randy ~ I can tell that you are a person who is considerate and is aware of when you're overstepping boundaries. I'm sure that this honesty carries over into your business.

And no, I would NOT have passed out my cards in this situation.

Darleen - I am glad you wouldn't. While writing this I thought of more than a few agents who would have done it. None of them are very successful either.

Randy... I agree with Kathy's comment... gee, 'common sense', imagine that. I agree, I wouldn't pass out my cards either in this situation. Yes, I believe in taking advantage of most situations, but not this one.

MAR

2008

Randy, that was a classy act on your part. And as many have already stated, you gained a lot more respect by club members and your Realtor friends to way. That is a great business practice.

Good morning Randy,

Man! You are right on the mark. Rest assured you did take "Advantage" of that opportunity. Showing respect for the other agents is a positive reflection on yourself. Those in attendance know of your Professional involvement. When the time comes for them to have a need for services you provide, many of those present will remember your professionalism and seek you out.

There should be more folks like you!

In short, ur a "Class act!"

Have a great day!

Hal

I agree- since you were not there speaking about real estate, it wasn't the time to pass out your cards.

You sound like a very stand up kind of guy.

Randy, You know, at first I thought it was a no-brainer - pass out your cards. But then I remembered a woman who came to a party I threw as a date of one of the invitees, and she started passing out her business cards to my guests, many of whom were also clients. I didn't know what was happening until I heard one of my favorites that her behavior was totally tacky. And since you felt you were at their party, and it wasn't to talk about real estate, you did a classy thing by declining.

Randy I think your 4th point is the one I took away from the deal you were invited by your peers it would be stepping on toes to pass out cards, although having them with me in case someone point blank asked for one sure.Steve

Randy, It takes a person of great confidence to do as you did in the situation and in my humble opinion you did the right thing.

Way to go - I would've done the same thing. It's a small world in this real estate pond and reputation is everything. I wouldn't have given out my cards either.

MAR

2008

Jeff - You are in the majority of professionals.

Venancio - Thank you.

Hal - Thank you, I am sure you would have done the same thing.

Rob - I would have felt very uncomfortable doing it.

Sharon - I try to be stand up. I place a lot of value on my good name.

Patricia - That would be really tacky to pass out your cards at another REALTORS® party.

Steve - I always have cards in my pocket, but find it better to give them out selectively. I get cards handed to me all the time. I only hold on to a few of them.

Cameron - Thank you for the kind words.

Tina - Since posting this I have realized that most agents would not have. At the time a short list of names came to my head that would have jumped on the opportunity.

thanks for sharing, you did the right thing

Thank you

MAR

2008

Randy, I think that says so much about who you are that you thought of your friends first. I'm with you it is so much better to preserve your relationship with your fellow Realtors; especially since you were there talking about chess. I'm kind of surprised that the gentleman asked you to hand out your cards; especially since they have 2 REALTORS in their group.

MAR

2008

Marchel - I was surprised also. I was a little embarrassed when he asked the 2nd time.

Randy.... it was definitely the way to go...... I'm curious though........ did you get any feedback from the other two realtors in the room ???

have Fun,

Alan

If I were a non-Realtor member of that group and heard you decline to pass out cards, I would think "now, that's a classy guy" and if for some reason I didn't want to work with the Realtors in the group, I'd call you.

I think it says a lot about you as a professional that you chose not to distribute cards because of your respect for the other Realtors.

MAR

2008

Alan - I have not seen either since then. I am sure I will be running into both of them in the next week or two.

John - I do know and respect both of the agents in the room.

Randy - That was a class act. I applaud you for your respect to the other agents in the room.

MAR

2008

This is funny. Rosalinda took the words out of my mouth -Class act. Great minds think alike. But I also going to add Man of integrity and true professional. That's why you are the great real estate professional that you are. Like another class act Jeff"The FHA Guy" Belonger said,I believe in taking advantages of all opportunities but not this one. Great post.

Hi Randy,

I respect your intuitive judgment. I too would have felt uncomfortable in that position and would have kept my cards in my pocket and kept my integrity with my friends and associates. Getting my name "out there" isn't everything.

Class act Randy!

Very classy move and word will get around so it might come back and help you afterall!

You are a true gentleman. What a classy example to the rest of us. I intentionally don't bring cards to church for the same reasons.

MAR

2008

Rosalinda - Thank you

Lanre - I think that is because many of the great minds are here on Active Rain.

Carol - I agree completely.

Debbie - Thank you

LaNita - Thank you, it is always best to protect your reputation.

Matthew - I always have business cards in my pocket, but do not bring them out at inappropriate times.

MAR

2008

Randy - I once worked with an agent and we had a mutual friend who was dying. This agent knew that this woman only had one living relative and passed her card out to all the nurses at the hospice where this woman was and told them to please tell this woman's granddaughter to get in touch with her. She even brought this woman a plant and attached her business card to it. This was all to get the woman's house listed when she died. To me, this is one of the reasons we don't have a great reputation in the community. I just thought it was tacky. I'm glad that you took the high road, but anyone who reads you knows that you are a class act all the way.

What you did was a very nice gesture and you made the right choice. Way to go!

Linda - That is the worst story I have ever heard. That is beyond tacky it is scummy.

Derek - Thank you.

I think you did a very good thing and the other agents will repect you for it---Bart

Randy, you are a professional, not many people out there like you. Congratulations you are definitely a class act.

MAR

2008

Bart - Thank you

Ruth - I think the majority of agents I know would have done similar. There is a few that came to mind that would have passed out their cards whether invited to or not.

hello Randy,

I can see where you might have felt uncomfortable passing out business cards, but I don't think it would have been inappropriate if at the end of your lecture to let everyone in the crowd know that you could be reached or approached for your phone number. So that you could be of further assistance in the area of chess or perhaps your profession (real estate). No pressure just an opportunity for them to act if they chose to. I think even the other realtors in the room could have respected that after all you were offering up free expertise in the area of chess you're obviously skilled. That's just my take on it.

Jack Jackson Total Home Inspection Services