Things that make you go hmm…? On my soapbox!
‘Sorry, I’m just always late.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t see your email.’
‘Sorry, I forgot about our appointment.’
‘Sorry, I’m not finished yet.’
is key to your success AND reputation!
We’ve all heard all those excuses before; but in this day and age, there are NO EXCUSES for being late, missing an email or forgetting an appointment. You can’t be sorry for something that you do over and over again.
You don’t even have to be techy to use some tools to make sure that you are not ‘one of those people’. This idea came to me as I sat waiting for an appointment I had with another agent. I waited for 20 minutes without any communication. I was thinking about all the things I could have done with the extra 20 minutes… extra sleep, a walk, call a friend, balance my checkbook, hey, even write a blog!
I have four particular rules that come to my mind, whether it’s real estate, family, friends, volunteer work or any other appointments:
Rule #1: Be on Time!
My first example is about being on time. Why is okay for folks to say “Sorry, I’m just always late”? Huh? What? Really? You’re just always late? Then set an earlier alarm. If you know that you’re’ always late’, start earlier. Your time is no more valuable than anyone else’s time. I will never waste your time or make your day longer waiting for me!
I promise, if we have a meeting that I will not be late (unless there’s an emergency, and if there is, I promise to communicate with you).
Set an alarm (extra early), do something to change this nasty late habit! Not sure how long it takes to get somewhere? Google it! There is no excuse for non-emergency tardiness!
Rule #2: Answer Every Single Email!
My second pet-peeve is regarding email communication. The other day I needed to turn in some paperwork via email. I called the person and he gave me his email over the phone. I emailed the paperwork and… nothing. No reply, nothing, no… “I got it, thank you,” which would literally take about 30 seconds to write.
So I’m left wondering, did he get my email? Should I email and ask him? Should I call him to follow-up? Even if it is a simple, “I will get back to you” or “Got it” or “Thank you”. Email something so they know you got it, it is two-way communication and it’s the polite (and right) thing to do!
How do I make sure that no email gets through my inbox without a reply? I use a flagging (or starring) tool, every email that comes into my inbox is flagged until I reply or finish the item. Most email programs have some kind-of rule’s or filters that you can set to make sure that you start organizing and replying to all emails!
One last thing... as a realtor, I recommend you check your junk mail every single day.
Rule #3: Add Appointments to a Calendar!
My third thought for this communication blog is about using a calendar. How many people have told you that they forgot about the meeting or your party or that they promised to help you?
Every single time you make a promise or an appointment, add it to you calendar! Whether it’s a paper calendar or a web based calendar. And set-aside 5 minutes every morning to look it over. Or maybe you could have your web-based calendar send you reminders via email, text or pop-ups. There are many internet based, free calendars that you can use. There is no excuse to forgetting appointments.
Rule #4: Complete Tasks on Time!
Hey, if you have to do the assignment or task anyway—why not do it on time? Completing tasks on time saves you stress, time and even money. Why not complete on time and look good instead of turning it in late, getting less credit and looking bad. We all have tasks that we don’t like to do, but if it has to be done anyway… do it on time. A perfect example is with real estate transactions! Add the earnest money check due date, inspection response due date and any other due dates to your calendar so that you don’t forget important deadlines.
Tools of the trade!
People often ask me what I use to help me stay organized and on top of tasks.
· Map It: If I don’t know how long it will take to get somewhere I map it (online) and add 15 min (or so depending how far away it is), I work really hard to make sure I leave on time! If I ever have an emergency, I communicate my reason and approximate delay.
· Calendar: I like Gmail, only because it is online and easily shared with a group. It is also compatible with other applications like Outlook or iCal. I can also customize my reminders.
· To Do List: I use the free Nozbe account (but there are many great apps to choose from) because it adds my list to my Gmail calendar and helps to keep me task-oriented and reminded of things that are due. Nozbe also allows repeated events, for daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. I usually put tasks a day or two ahead of the due date so that I give myself time to complete them ON TIME.
· Email: I have many email accounts. I use Gmail and added filters to ALL my outgoing AND incoming emails so that they are starred. I only clear the star if I rec’d the response or answered the request on my end. I also have used Outlook and had ‘rules’ for emails as above.
Written by Heather Stevenson
The Laurie Satushek Team
Kimberly Secord 360-389-0670, Lead Buyer's Agent
Laurie Satushek 360-223-9515, Team Leader Founder
Heather Stevenson 360-441-7120, Executive Admin
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